It floods here too

 

Living in India through floods and famines, I thought, had prepared me for the worst of climate change elsewhere in the world. Almost, because I knew well to stay at home today. Because it is flooding outside right now.

The whole NSW region, Sydney specially, has been continously battered by rain and winds since early this morning. The memes are out, and still coming in.  Roads are flooded, trains have stopped, underground stations are flooded too, and people are stranded. Just like that time.

But the one thing that separates this reality with what was witnessed back home, was that NSW was prepared. The oncoming storm was called out weeks ago, and warnings were issued well in advance. People still tried to get to work, but I guess most are safe.

Some pics:

 

 

 

As of right now, there are no deaths reported. Two deaths have been reported. Far less than what is otherwise expected.

There is no fighting nature. All that we can do is to be prepared.

Telecom and Aviation in the limbo

 

Been reading a lot of news about how many telecom and aviation companies in India are all burning cash, and slowly heading towards ultimate shutdown.

The newly formed Vodafone-Idea is running out of Ideas to stay afloat, there are plans to disconnect numbers who do not recharge enough a month, and there are speculations, only speculations at this point, to charge customers for incoming calls ! Gives me the 90s vibe. During the late nineties and early 2000s, companies used to charge about 7 Rs/- a minute for incoming calls. It was Reliance who changed the game by launching their first telecom services , undercharging for services, and eventually forced the practise out of the industry.

And aviation, it seems is the other industry in a nosedive. A newly inaugurated and much hyped airport was promptly shutdown after two weeks, because the sole operator refused to ply. Companies are now charging more for online services. Some others are cancelling entire flights reportedly due to not having sufficient pilots. Owing to rising aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, the depreciating rupee and competitive ticket pricing, not a single airline in India is earning more than it is spending. The losses run into thousands of crores of rupees. Some frequent flyers are posting reasons online as to why they will stay with the failing company. It is not just Jet, Air India’s losses are mounting, market leader IndiGo has announced a loss for the first time since it took off in August 2006, SpiceJet is said to be looking for fresh investments to stay airborne. Some new airlines like Air Odisha (of Jharsuguda fame), Air Deccan and TruJet are not flying aircraft on several shorter routes as not operating is a more viable option than flying. In fact, had it not been for the recent fall in fuel prices and the rupee’s recovery, at least two airlines would have come to a grinding halt. They did not have enough cash to sustain themselves beyond a month.

Its surprising that despite all the opportunities in the market, these companies are always burning cash. Customers are simply not willing to pay. They can turn their fates around if they simply start charging more for their services, but then, in the world of social media, they also have to limit the memes coming their way.

 

 

India is truly shining.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More stories from WWI

 

The pas few days have been days of revelation for me. Although I hated history during my school days, I now (surprisingly) enjoy reading about little stories from history. Like India’s contribution during the two World wars, specially the first one.

Like this site, where they have attempted to document all the Sikh soldiers who died fighting in various World War I battles. Each icon depicts a death, and is placed at the martyr’s place of birth. Over one million Indian troops served overseas, of whom 62,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. In total at least 74,187 Indian soldiers died during the war. In World War I the Indian Army fought against the German Empire in German East Africa and on the Western Front.

 

Elsewhere, I also came across this fantastice new movie aclled ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’. Directed by Peter Jackson (of LOTR fame), the footage is heavily reconstructed footage from WWI, colored my modern software, allowing us to see what life was like during those horrible years.  These audio interviews were conducted by the BBC in the 60s and 70s. The images are from the Imperial War Museum film archive. Although they only used a small part of it, Jackson's crew visually restored all 100 hours of footage the Imperial War Museums sent them for free

And worth adding, some of the footage in this doc was created in 1914-18 as propaganda. So, not all of it is authentic combat stuff; and some was designed to boost morale back home. That moment when the colour kicks in is jaw dropping. Audio dubbing is done with modern actors and shell sounds, so if you see a WW1 soldier speaking that is an actor overdubbing. Lip-readers were used to ensure dialogue accuracy. This film has covered the 4 years of the war in a single dramatic arc - obviously there were many terrible battles after The Somme. The Russians left the war in 1917 but in came America. This led to a huge German offensive which failed to stick.

Stats are hard, but estimates says 20 million people died in the First World War. It changed the world, empires fell, society changed; art, music, literature, poetry, film, gender roles. The Russians became communists. Middle East redrawn by Brits & French.

Changes from the past

 

Pictures from an exhibition arranged at VJT Hall in Trivandrum to mark the 82nd anniversary celebrations of the Temple Entry Proclamation of 1936, which abolished the ban on 'lower castes' or avarnas from entering Hindu temples in Travancore.

There are accounts highlighting the extent of untouchability, caste discrimination, and restrictions on women a century ago. A few exhibits explain the specific distances which the members of various castes had to maintain between them. The brutal treatment meted out to workers from ‘lower castes’ and the ‘Villuvandi yatra’ of social reformer Ayyankali in claiming the right of way by defying conventions that applied to the ‘untouchables’ are explained. Besides explaining the circumstances that led to the proclamation, the expo also highlights Mahatma Gandhi’s last visit to Kerala to participate in the celebrations held at the present University College grounds in 1937 to mark the declaration.

 

Misrabhojanam (Panthibhojanam), held on May 30, 1917 by social reformer Sahodaran Ayyappan. Misrabhojanam was the first inter caste feast of Kerala. Prior to this, each caste had their stricter caste codes in food consumption and hence food was seen as a symbol of caste.

A school in Oorutambalam, Travancore was burned down in 1911 by Upper caste Hindus. Reason : School was polluted by the admission of a Dalit Child named Panchami.

 

In 1806, a group of 200 Avarna youth organized themselves to enter Vaikom Temple. The Travancore cavalry led by Kunju Kutti Pilla ruthlessly killed the 200 men & their bodies were thrown into the Kulam (pond) on the north eastern side of the temple compound.

Kallumala Samaram (Stone Necklace Protest) On December 21st 1915 at Kollam, women belonging to Pulaya (Dalit) community threw away the Kallumala (ornaments made out of stone & woods) and proclaimed that they will only use gold or metal ornaments under the leadership of Ayyankali.

Abolition of Thalayara (poll tax) and Valayara (net tax).

Mookkuthi Samaram Ezhava women were also disallowed from wearing the mookkuthi or nose-stud. In 1859, an Ezhava woman in Pandalam marked her protest by wearing a mookkuthi and she was beaten up. Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker supported the Ezhava women.

 

"What is your caste?" Kerala Kaumudi - Jan 1925. An Ezhava man was punished for entering a tea shop of an upper caste.

Here is the proclamation of 1865 banning slavery.

 

During Guruvayoor Satyagraha in September 1931, P Krishna Pillai became the first non-Brahmin to ring the sacred bell at the Guruvayoor temple ignoring the Guards of Zamorin. Guruvayoor Temple was closed for many days.

 

A temple that didn’t allow women Like Sabarimala, the Thiruvalla Shreevallaba temple did not allow women to enter the naalambalam. In 1841, when a woman entered the temple, rituals were conducted to “purify” it. It was in 1960 that women began coming to the naalambalam.

The Namboothiri Mana which denied Gandhiji and others entry as they were "impure of darshan of lowly people" is now a toddy workers'union office under the CITU.

 

 

From a Lunatic Asylum to Gods own country, Kerala's ride has been a tough one, where every section of the society has played a vital role.

100 years to the War

 

Today, November 11th 2018, marks the 100th anniversary of the armistice, of the great war. Of course, it was not called the ‘First’ World war, because the world never expected more of such a violent war.  Although fought by European powers, the war ended up changing the geo-political map of the whole world.

Even India had to send forces. Read about how Indian soldiers had to fight for a country that was not their own.

Vast numbers of Indians lost their lives in World War I, a war fought at an industrial scale of brutish intensity.

Letters written by Indian soldiers—some of which have fortunately survived in censor reports and have been admirably edited by the historian David Omissi—suggest that several motivations were at work. The material benefits of military service understandably played an important role. Joining the Indian army meant partaking of a well-established system of pay, perquisites and patronage. As former soldier Lehna Ram reminded his son Heta Ram, who was serving in France, “I served the state for 21 years and now receive a pension of `40 from the sirkar. I live in peace and comfort.” And the war effort led to an expansion of this system. “The sirkar has increased the rates both of pay and pension,” wrote Kala Khan to a kinsman in Punjab, “and at the same time has granted free rations.”

 

Above all, their encounters with Europe drove home to Indian sepoys the abject conditions prevailing in India. As one soldier wrote, “When one considers this country [Britain] and these people in comparison with our country and our own people, one cannot but be depressed. Our country is very poor and feeble and its lot is very depressed.” Another observed, in similar vein, “The Creator has shown the perfection of his beneficence in Europe, and we people [Indians] have been created only for the purpose of completing the totality of the world.”

After coming here I learnt of how Australia too was called to fight for the British side.  The first time I read about the world wars were in school, during the much hated ‘history’ classes. I failed to grasp the many reasons mentioned in our textbooks which led to the war, and I still don’t quite understand them. There is no justification for the deaths of millions who perished in the war. But yes, we can remember them. And learn from out mistakes.

 

What was India’s role in the Great War? As the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War approaches, we look at significant role played by British India. pic.twitter.com/o4IlhZO93r

— Asian Network on BBC Sounds (@bbcasiannetwork) November 6, 2018

 

 

Two is enough for this planet. Lets hope we don’t see a third.