tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89076165720921439712024-03-12T10:52:57.924+06:00midwayMy thoughtsLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.comBlogger574125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-1062459865861367612021-12-21T14:31:00.000+06:002021-12-21T14:31:05.457+06:00Ceiling fan<p> I read somewhere that as a solution for student suicides, IISc has decided to remove fans from hostel rooms. No fan, no suicide. This should be taught in the training classes for psychotherapists. IITD has a main building that has 7 floors. Long ago, there were a few suicides by students jumping off the top floor. Luckily the authorities did not remove lift, stairs and ramp access to the top floor as a solution for this problem.</p><p>Suicides among young people is a heart breaking, serious and complex problem. Who comes up with frivolous solutions for such a serious issue?</p>Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-50699775001487424342021-10-08T23:05:00.002+06:002021-10-08T23:05:53.011+06:00Women in STEM<p> I had for long kept off any alumni groups from the institute where I got my PhD from. But now I joined a few very accomplished women who were my contemporaries at IITD to try and do something to shine light on the gender ratio in science and technology. It is not something new, but my hope is if enough of us get together, specially powerful alumni, maybe we can make some difference. </p><p>What I would like to see as a start is that IITs, IISERs and such institutions would set up good quality child care. Secondly that they would NOT treat it as a women’s issue, implying that fathers do not care if their children are left to fend for themselves. It would be great if such facilities can be available in every institution and organisation, but that’s still a long way to go.</p><p>As a start, we are planning an event where two scientists describe their path to a successful career in science and a social scientist describes her findings on how women in science fare in their journeys.</p><p>I will post a link later. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-84306519957881882522021-06-18T13:19:00.001+06:002021-06-18T13:26:02.491+06:00Anti women?<p>Sometimes what people think is pro-women actually works against them.</p><p>Movies that depict women in STEM are good, but if you project the woman as someone who gets up at 4am in order to cook a five course meal, wake kids, get them ready...all with no help from her husband, it puts pressure on all of us to do the same and that is unfair. Such a hard-working wife implies a useless husband who doesn't share responsibilities. The movie Mission Mangal should not have projected this “Superwoman” trope</p><p>Another bad idea is the proposal to pay women for housework. As it is men will not lift a teaspoon in case it constitutes household work. If women get paid, the attitude will be "you are being paid, so get up at 3am and do more work". More of "why isn't the dinner better", why isn't the house cleaner....</p><p>The concept to be taught is housework is the responsibility of whoever lives in the house. But I do see a change in this direction amongst the younger men and women.</p>Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-22591857083276798292021-02-01T22:26:00.004+06:002021-02-01T22:26:59.193+06:00Megaliths<p> I have been watching YouTube videos and documentaries, some of which were about archeology.</p><p>Stone circles seem to be ubiquitous. There are 5000 year old stone circles in the islands off Scotland, in UK, in the middle East, in India, maybe in the Americas- all dating from maybe 10000 to 3000 years ago. How did that architectural concept become so widespread? How did this idea get communicated all through the world? It's not a natural or easy job to lift stones weighing tons and make them stand upright. Or above standing stones in a dolmen. And how did they transport and position these huge megaliths?</p><p>And they built the huge temple at Gobekli tepe 12000 years ago. </p>Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-84163967327709011082020-05-01T10:14:00.000+06:002020-05-01T10:14:49.222+06:00Smallpox <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It is a long time since I wrote in this blog.<br />
In Tamil nadu as perhaps all over India, small pox was considered a visitation by the goddess. It was forbidden for any outsider to enter the house in which a person suffered from small pox or even chicken pox or measles. A bunch of Neem leaves was hung on the door which meant even beggars were not to ask for alms. Noone entered the house. It was believed that the patient would get worse and die if any outsider came near or even set eyes on the patient. Also the family members could not visit any house, temple or Pooja or wedding until the infection cleared. When the scabs start to fall, the patient is given a bath. The next bath is the day after next and another one two days later. It is only after 3 baths that is, six days after the infection starts clearing that restrictions are lifted.<br />
This superstition kept the disease from spreading too much, protected the community. If a simple advisory was given, noone would follow, but bringing in the goddess and her wrath ensured compliance.<br />
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Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-22633880557183883322019-01-25T17:04:00.000+06:002020-02-12T08:02:48.295+06:00BB services<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is the first time I have come across this one<br />
BSNL has not paid its electricity bill. So they have cut power. Hence past 4 days we have no BB services in our area.<br />
This is a new one for me. We are progressing!!</div>
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-74986975530117615752019-01-19T13:44:00.001+06:002019-01-19T13:44:19.873+06:00Sewer cleaning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There was a report that ₹10 lakhs were paid as compensation to 210 people who died in sewers during manual cleaning. Here is a <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/kerala-startup-finds-robotic-solution-to-end-sewer-cleaning-deaths/story-zRqpOeQP6F1YMbFqEMmdYI.html">report</a> that for ₹5 lakhs we can get a robotic sewer cleaning machine. Even if we have no empathy for lost lives, at least to save money can we not buy these machines?<br />
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Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-7995560112752440852019-01-05T12:50:00.000+06:002019-01-05T13:09:41.109+06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The study of population genetics has unveiled some interesting information.<br />
We all descend from some group that left Africa.<br />
Other than the Africans, we all have some % of Neanderthal gene..<br />
Interesting, specially for white supremacists.<br />
<br /></div>
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-52647803301475018192018-10-24T10:20:00.000+06:002018-10-24T10:20:05.802+06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Another report<br />
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/in-urban-up-87-of-waste-from-toilets-goes-to-rivers-farmlands/article25291914.ece<br />
This is what is expected.<br />
Initiatives are like kids games---make up as you go along.<br />
<br /></div>
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-20360261183259462772018-08-09T21:07:00.003+06:002018-08-09T21:07:58.005+06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It has been<a href="https://midwaypersonal.blogspot.com/search?q=toilets"> worrying</a> that so many toilets are being constructed without proper disposal plan in case of need. The twin pit system , if built scientifically, does not need disposal. But in the get hurry to report ODF villages, I doubt if they are being built with care. So then if a flood innundates the area, can you imagine the state?<br />
Here's a study<br />
http://wateraidindia.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/SBMG-toilet-technology-report_online.pdf</div>
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-78985473233448359402018-07-29T13:45:00.002+06:002018-07-29T21:52:59.412+06:00why do officials play games?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The TRAI chief has challenged people to do something harmful with his aadhar number.<br />
One point- does he assure the successful hacker, if any, immunity from prosecution or will he then say "Aha now YOU go to jail"?<br />
Second point- maybe he doesn't mind his home address being public. Some would, particularly women.<br />
Most women have experienced stalkers following them to the bus stop etc. Now if you gift him your home address, he's going to stalk you 24x7<br />
Maybe they don't want their husbands to know their bank account number.........many women with drunkard husbands hide money for kids fees etc.<br />
Old people would not like the world to know they live alone and where they bank.<br />
Given time, I can make a mile long list of scenarios where privacy is essential for safety and well being.<br />
I would like to point out that with 3d printers etc, someone can probably make a physical finger with your fingerprint. This can be used to access your bank account or vote in your name even if fingerprint verification is asked for, or .........frame you for murder!!<br />
(This outlandish, though not impossible, thought comes to me because I used to watch CSI cyber- an interesting show sadly cut off in the middle of a season)<br />
<br />
PS. What if someone buys a large amount of gold using Mr Sharma's PAN and other details. He may not have any problems, but anyone else would be spending the rest of their lives explaining to the income tax, if not put behind bars.</div>
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-26139779803532017412018-06-17T17:36:00.000+06:002018-06-17T17:36:44.241+06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
I watch this TV show called Blue Bloods. It is about a family of New York Police Department officers. The show is fictional and makes all the right noises about country, service etc. The chief protagonist is the police commisioner who used to be a US Marine Corps officer who later became a police officer and rose to the present position.<br />
In this episode, (S07 E11 if anyone is interested) there is a test for entry into the NYPD. Many ex soldiers write the exam. There are questions in the psych eval asking if they had used arms against any human and if so, did they feel remorse.<br />
Normally answer should be "NO" and "NA", but for ex soldiers truthful answer would be "YES" and "NO" and this would disqualify them. So they lie in the test.<br />
<br />
This is the problem in our country. We use the army for dealing with civil unrest. The training in the army is to kill and feel that killing is the right thing to do, feel proud of eliminating the enemy. They are trained well for this purpose.<br />
But now they are not facing the enemy. They are facing their people.<br />
Can they forget their really good training and not kill?<br />
If they can, the next time they face the enemy, will they falter and jeopardise the unit?<br />
<br />
Civil unrest is not the same as war. Personnel dealing with this must be trained differently from personnel dealing with enemy combatants. But we use soldiers for dealing with civil unrest and expect them to react differently from what years of training has ingrained in them. How can you expect that? <br />
The govt must raise and train an internal security force really well for the different kinds of challenges.<br />
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Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-51121819927768217452018-06-07T20:02:00.001+06:002018-06-07T20:02:55.577+06:00understanding the technology I use<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have got this notice from Google regarding use of cookies in my blog, and that people if any, from EU countries who read my blog must be notified about such cookies and that Google has kindly taken upon itself to do so.<br />
I am totally technology challenged. So people from EU please note my blog has whatever cookies Google has used and has presumably notified you in a notice that is not visible to people elsewhere (link does not work).<br />
<br />
I have over the years come to terms with the fact that I cannot understand the workings of most of the things I use. During my student days (long, long ago), I was using a couple of Fortran programs written by someone for various calculations. Though I understood what the program did and its outcome, I knew I could not have written all that code. I had made a few minor alterations to suit my work, but could never have written it myself. I tried to tell myself that just as I can understand and use a spectrum from a spectrophotometer without being able to build one, I should use the huge programs without needing to write it all myself, but I was only half convinced. That bothered me a lot and really undermined my confidence. <br />
Now we use so much technology that I don't think anyone fully understands all that they use. Why should they? One doesn't reinvent the wheel every time one makes a bicycle or build a car in order to drive one.</div>
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-1566139735537639062018-04-18T10:26:00.000+06:002018-04-18T10:29:39.044+06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
April 17th op-ed in the Hindu has two articles. One about the HERC and another about research in medical colleges.<br />
<br />
First the article about mandatory research by doctors working in medical colleges. As I have said many times,teaching full time and in this case, also treating patients or performing surgery, leaves very little time for research. One cannot conduct research in 15 minutes break between patients or classes.<br />
What should be mandatory is that teachers must keep abreast of the latest research in their field. Maybe every teaching institution can have an in house publication that prints monthly research reviews authored by faculty. A brief summary of what has happened in a particular field in the last few months.<br />
As far as the HERC goes, it's much of the same old, same old.<br />
Only one suggestion I found interesting is that colleges can be associated with research labs. This would ensure that both students and faculty got some insight into the recent advances in their field of interest without having to publish.<br />
This mandatory publication requirement has led to substandard research in huge volume.<br />
<br /></div>
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-6866786690369502742018-04-14T14:32:00.000+06:002018-04-14T14:32:08.804+06:00caste<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I came across a video of Ravish Kumar moderating a discussion about Y Sudarshan Rao's statement in his blog, that caste system was working well in olden times and has now acquired the negative connotations, primarily due to the Muslim invasion. I did not really continue watching this for long. <br />
Like the "foreign hand"/CIA theories of the 70s and 80s, blaming everything on someone else is pretty feeble. Even assuming he is right, the Muslims have gone so what is your new excuse?<br />
However, that's not my concern here.<br />
The recent genetic studies (also older ones) shows that across caste, we all have similar DNA. There is some North- South divide and some small differences in the DNA of the north-eastern people, but nothing major. <br />
If the caste system had been rigid since 3000 years ago, that is strict endogamy was practiced, there would have been bigger genetic differences between the people of different castes.<br />
So the strict caste rules are of more recent origin. Not long ago enough to have impacted our genes significantly.<br />
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Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-73541770349711161102018-04-08T14:03:00.004+06:002018-04-08T14:07:31.541+06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When my children were small, I used to take them to the Birla Science Museum in Hyderabad. It soon became our vacation "must do". Below the science exhibits, the museum houses a small by very well curated art and archeological museum. In that I saw an exhibit labelled "stone tools from Hashmatpet cairns".<br />
Hashmatpet is a locality close to where I lived, and my children and I were very keen to visit. We persuaded my husband to drive us there one Sunday morning.<br />
Apparently there is a huge ring of cairns of which the ASI has excavated one. It is about 25-30 feet wide circular with steps carved in the earth and inside is a dolmen. It is perhaps a shrine or a funeral site. There is no explanatory signage, so it's just our guess.<br />
This location is surrounded by flats a little way off, but around it, is the local rubbish dump and outdoor toilet. We had to navigate on tiptoes from the car to the excavation.<br />
This was the state in 1995 or so (I think). I haven't been to see it since. It is probably razed and flats built over it.<br />
I was reminded of this on reading the blogpost http://suvratk.blogspot.in/2018/04/crisis-in-indian-palaeontology.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+ReportingOnARevolution+(Reporting+on+a+Revolution)<br />
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PS: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/When-culture-comes-to-naught/article16602153.ece </div>
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-68877654185653217892018-04-08T13:40:00.003+06:002018-04-08T13:40:55.060+06:00history<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I enjoy reading history. I came across a blog that gave some info about the Cholas from some epigraphs from Kanyakumari. All that is fine, but in the story, the first Chola king chased and killed a Rakshasa who turned himself into a deer. This blogger states that this story is discredited by historians (for obvious reasons). Fine till here.<br />
But he feels these historians are hypocritical. <br />
Now comes the problem.<br />
He says <br />"As to one changing into another species.<br />
Today we accept that an object can exist at different levels at the same time as claimed by quantum Physics."<br />
????????????????<br />
In my childhood, I used to like one story and found it hilarious.<br />
There was a man with small child. He fed the child some milk, but it choked. The man was upset. He had a blind friend who asked him what the matter was. The man said, "my child choked when I fed him some milk." <br />
The blind friend asked "what does this milk look like?"<br />
Man said "It is white"<br />
Friend asked "what is white"<br />
The man showed a stork nearby and said "this is white"<br />
The blind friend touched the stork and felt its long neck and said "If you try to feed a child this huge thing, what do you expect?"<br />
The blogger reminded me of this story.</div>
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-71226862417093047652018-03-01T10:31:00.001+06:002018-03-01T10:31:23.695+06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Continuing, there's an oped <a href="https://www.google.co.in/amp/www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/halving-the-syllabus-squaring-knowledge/article22882623.ece/amp/">https://www.google.co.in/amp/www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/halving-the-syllabus-squaring-knowledge/article22882623.ece/amp</a>/<br />
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</div>
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-22787048764246509032018-02-25T19:17:00.001+06:002021-01-19T16:12:00.186+06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The latest <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/education/ncert-syllabus-to-be-reduced-by-half-from-2019-academic-session-prakash-javadekar-1816749">announcement</a> from the HRD minister is that the CBSE will cut the prescribed syllabus by half. If done properly, it is a good idea. I have said many times that we teach too many unneccesary stuff in our endeavour to cover everything. There must be quality, not quantity.<br />
<br />
As with many other government interventions, if they do a random cut in the syllabus, without asking experts, or by asking random babus to set the syllabus, we are in for trouble. </div>
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-7999654279612400172018-01-19T18:50:00.001+06:002018-01-19T18:50:43.628+06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been volunteering at a school where I am teaching physical science to some 10th class children. Another NGO asked if I would help some girls in their Inter II year (equivalent of class 12). So I have familiarised myself with the syllabii of class 10 as well as Inter II yr. I am also familiar with the syllabus for BSc classes, since I used to teach them for many years.<br />
The point is, at every level, they teach the same concepts, for example shapes of orbitals. However, it is done very weirdly in class 10. In one page, electrons are particles moving around the nucleus, and after three pages, they are in orbitals that have weird shapes. The narrative makes no sense. The Inter text book is a little better, some attempt is made to connect the dots. In BSc, it is much better and the narrative makes some sense, even if we don't deal with any of the math. <br />
My point is, why teach it in the 10th? The way it is given would confuse anyone. This confusion can be debilitating later. They acquire some misconceptions and that stays with them all through.<br />
A student studying for MSc in Chemistry, thinks the electron in a p orbital is a particle that moves around in figures of 8. This probably was the picture he got in the 10th class and it never went away even though he has studied some quantum chemistry in BSc and MSc. (true story)<br />
Mis-learning is deadly, it cannot be rectified easily.<br />
That's the danger of stuffing in "topics" just so you can boast that your syllabus is advanced.<br />
School syllabi should teach very basic concepts, limited in number,but those must be taught well enough to engrave it in the students' memories. And children must be taught to learn on their own and enjoy the process.<br />
As in everything else, we feel quantity makes up for quality</div>
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-66443537934486003572017-12-04T12:20:00.000+06:002017-12-05T13:29:48.762+06:00GHI<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
An <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-misleading-hunger-index/article21255142.ece">op-ed</a> by two people from the niti aayog talks about our ranking in the global hunger index.<br />
They say if we don't give high weightage to childhood malnutrition, India's ranking would go up<br />
to 77.<br />
I say, if you don't give weightage to the lower 90% population of the population,<br />
India would rank no 1!<br />
It reminds me of Amitabh Bacchan's dialogue in Sholay when he is "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlF6HlfyAkQ">advocating</a>" his friend Dharmendra's case for marryng Hema Malini.<br />
<br />
I don't understand the logic. It is not as if such weightage is being given only to India. The method of calculation is the same for all countries and they are then ranked.<br />
In fact, if it is our children who are more malnourished than the children of the rest of the world, it is an even greater shame. <br />
Childhood malnutrition causes lifelong disability. Malnutrition in adulthood may be reversible and temporary, but childhood malnutrition causes brain damage, stunting, and prevents the child from building a foundation for good mental and physical health. He or she is handicapped for life.<br />
Giving it higher weightage is justified totally since it is affecting the health of the population for years to come.<br />
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Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-88959739013970988352017-10-22T14:02:00.003+06:002017-10-22T14:02:28.937+06:00Vedic people<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In my school days, the Aryans populating India were of central Asiatic origin who entered India from the north west. Then there was this hue and cry stating that this is a biased view of the white man and that we were existing in the subcontinent all along. The mitochondrial DNA studies gave this theory credence. However, the Y chromosome DNA seems to show that we were from the steppes.<br />
The initial theory that we were from central Asia was on linguistic basis. So looks like point to the linguists.<br />
What I find interesting is that the difference in the inference obtained from mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome DNA means the people migrating into India were predominantly male and they then cohabited with the local women to produce the current population. There is no evidence of a military campaign by these people of the steppes. If it was not military, then why did they not bring their womenfolk? It seems odd because, in military campaigns, men leave women behind with the intention of getting back to their families after the campaign. These men did not seem to have returned.<br />
What happened to those women left behind in the steppes?<br />
Secondly, if we are to accept that these were the Vedic people, then why do the older vedic rituals give importance to women? A man cannot conduct any religious ritual without his wife beside him. Rituals like marriage of children, shrardh of their parents most yagnas etc.(true even now. The wife has to start proceedings by giving light to the homam fire)<br />
This is odd on two counts- one, they left their women behind and two they gave importance to "alien" women.<br />
One hypothesis could be that they did not leave the women behind. The women were decimated for some reason- some gender specific epidemic or large scale abduction by the less civilised humans living around them. So these men came searching for peace and family life and found it here.<br />
<br />
Well so much non-evidence-based conjecture !<br />
But that's the good thing about a blog. One can write about whatever hypothesis one chooses!</div>
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-71753766701301026802017-09-20T15:58:00.000+06:002017-09-20T15:58:36.339+06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I was a child, festivals were fun. They were about good food, perhaps new clothes, some token praying (from the kids' point of view). The tradition for Ganesh chaturthi for example.... My mother would get some clay(clay was easily available to make angeethis) and one day before, we kids would make a small ganesh idol. The next day that would be kept for the puja and on the day after that, immersed in a well nearby or a bucket of water which would then be used to irrigate the tulasi plant.<br />
Now we have become "more traditional". everyone has a huge POP ganesh painted with gaudy, toxic colours and menacing young men coming around to collect "chanda". These ganesh pandals block roads causing a traffic jam.They go on for days playing loud music on speakers which cause your chest cavity to vibrate in resonance. And then the finale is that they immerse all this in already stressed water bodies.<br />
So noise pollution, and water pollution. Oh did I leave out air pollution? never mind Deepavali is just round the corner.<br />
Why have all our festivals become so violent?<br />
They used to be so benign.<br />
Someone should start a twitter campaign<br />
#make festivals traditional again.<br />
#no modern technology in religion<br />
No loudspeakers, no toxic dyes, no POP, no fireworks, </div>
Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-35976409424403623172017-09-14T21:56:00.000+06:002017-09-20T20:52:07.747+06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Phillip Ball writes about the narrative in the UK</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">" <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">“<a href="http://philipball.blogspot.in/2017/09/on-being-patriotic.html">Many intellectuals”, he says, “sneer at patriotism.”</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a href="http://philipball.blogspot.in/2017/09/on-being-patriotic.html"> </a> he quotes Norman Lamont, a Brexiter.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"<a href="http://philipball.blogspot.in/2017/09/on-being-patriotic.html">So there’s your choice (once again): get behind Brexit and be a patriot and, or oppose it and be unpatriotic. Loyalty to country (and thereby to “democracy”), or loyalty to the EU: it’s one or the other. "</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At another place, he says "<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Here is Theresa May, in her barely literate foreword, on the national sentiment:...."</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">more than what she says, the fact that he feels she is "barely literate" is what I notice.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then there is Trump.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And for those in India, does it sound familiar- "be a patriot" ?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But at least Brexit was done through a referendum. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This sudden contempt for the experts, the decisions made based on ideas put forth by "barely literate" people, decisions that affect a huge number of people who willy-nilly bear its consequences, where will it all lead us?</span></span></div>
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Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8907616572092143971.post-82932480590743843352017-09-02T15:38:00.000+06:002017-09-02T15:38:39.520+06:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The proposal to link all the rivers of India has been revived.<br />
Many people get many ideas. But each idea must be studied for its short and long term effects.<br />
Is it really a good idea to link rivers?<br />
Have we studied the effect this will have on the ecosystems of the different rivers and their flood plains, and most importantly their deltas? Is it even possible to predict what effect it will have? What about the decrease in the inflow of fresh water into the Bay of Bengal? Will it effect water circulation in the Bay and will this affect our monsoons? If yes, can we predict what will happen and are we prepared for it? I doubt if even the best models (if any) we have can accurately predict the consequences of linking all our rivers. <br />
As usual, are we just jumping into the water without testing its depth?<br />
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But then we currently do not like experts.... what do experts/scientists/economists/environmentalists know?<br />
Ok, if we don't believe in science, at least, let us be fully religious and believe that god who created these rivers must have meant for them to be different rivers. Will we do a Ganga aarti in Thanjavur or Vijayawada?<br />
In fact, even if we just believe that nature is god-given and must not be messed with, we will all be better off. I am quite ignorant, but to me it seems that the "mantra pushpam" that is recited everyday in most temples and religious ceremonies, is a reminder to respect nature if we wish to live in prosperity. I think all this yagnas and pujas for forests, rivers varuna bhagavan etc would at least teach us to have a healthy respect for nature. But currently,we neither believe in scientific evidence, nor in our old religious traditions of worshiping nature.<br />
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Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03186014514110985045noreply@blogger.com0