*From & To Sathish* - Thread 4 - Page 117

Vaanathai Pola 162

From the moment his PA Sub-Inspector Rajan had informed him of Superintendent of police, Manohars death, Madurai police Commissioner Davidson Devasirvatham had made three calls before he had hurried to the bathroom to freshen up. The first one to Deputy Commissioner Karthik and to whom he had explained briefly what he wanted to be done in the next hour and also in the ensuing hours. The second call had been to South Zone IG Sailesh Nath. The third and most important call had been to his superior officer and the head of Tamil Nadu police, J.K.Tripathy and ten minutes had passed since the time he had been woken up and he came rushing out of the bathroom to see the room fully lit and with his wife Rose holding a steaming cup of Tea.

He took the cup and taking a sip, thanked rose, ' Thank God for you and thank you for not making the tea too hot to be drunk' and emptying the cup handed it back to her and tried to kiss her.

She protested loudly, ' David, I have yet to brush my teeth.'

He quickly slipped into his uniform and turning to Rose, said, ' A senior officer has been murdered and that is why I am in uniform. I have to not only pay my respects to an officer who has lost his life in service but at the same time, I have to convey my kinship and solidarity with my Department.'

' I am so sorry to hear that David. Poor man. I wonder how his family is going to cope with his death.'

Commissioner Davidson looked at his wife with pride and respect, ' You are not worried about me?'

Rose gave him a small brown paper parcel, ' Cheese and ham sandwich. Please, eat when you find the time and don't let your blood sugar levels dip too low.'

He took his meagre breakfast from his wife and looked at her and Rose answered, ' and to answer your question. No, I am not worried about you for we are in the arms of Christ himself. If anything should happen then it is his decision. I will never question the immense grace and judgement of the Lord.'

He looked at her, ' But I am not made like you, Rose and even though I have faith, I can tell you now with absolute certainty that I would shatter and unravel if anything should happen to you.'

Rose pulled him down and kissed his lips gently and said, ' That is why I pray to God constantly to keep us both alive for a long time and then if one of us has to go, I pray that it will be you, for I know that you will not be able to go on without me beside you.'

' What about you, Rose?'

' I can bear the pain David and I willingly accept the pain. But, not you, my hubby. For, whether alive or dead I don't want to see you suffer any pain, however, slight it maybe.'

' Mrs.Rose Davidson, Thank you for the love and life' he said and kissed her back.

' Mr.David Yesudasan. Have a great day, sir and come back home safely.'

It was their tender and cute habit to call each other by their surnames and they did it out of love and also to show each other that they were two halves that had come together to make one whole and complete soul.

Vaanathai Pola 163

POLICE. Public Officer for Legal Investigation and Criminal Emergencies.

First attested in English in the early 15th century, initially in a range of senses encompassing '(public) policy; state; public order', the word police comes from Middle French police ('public order, administration, government'), in turn from Latin politia, which is the Latinisation of the Greek politeia, "citizenship, administration, civil polity".This is derived from the Greek word polis.

Polis literally means city in Greek.

Losing a co-worker, a colleague is a tough time and a difficult process. But, this process becomes a bit more complicated when it concerns those who are in service to the nation and to their states.

If a fellow officer succumbs to natural causes or worse dies in an accident, it is shrugged off. But, not when an officer dies in the line of duty and worse is murdered and to make things uglier, is left as a statement, a warning to others like him and to those in the line of duty.

By the time he arrived at the crime scene, all four roads leading to the temple had been closed, barricaded and were being manned by armed police officers.

Deputy Commissioner of Madurai city for law and order, Karthik saluted Commissioner Davidson and reported that all four Chitrai streets had been cordoned off and that the Forensic department was on its way.

' Sir, I informed the collector and..'

' And what Karthik?'

' sir, Mr.Vinay is already there at the crime scene.'

Davidson frowned and then smiled, ' that's good news, Karthik. Let's go to the scene.'

DC Karthik looked at Davidson who caught his eye and said, ' Have you forgotten who our collector Vinay is and what his qualifications are?'

Davidson glared at Karthik, ' Young man, it is not enough that we do our job but that we do it correctly and also take pre-emptive measures to prevent crimes from happening in the first place.'

DC Karthik opened his mouth to say something in defence but stopped when he saw Davidson raise his hand.

' In our line of duty, Intelligence is very important and equally important is Information. Here you are, informing me that our dear Collector, Vinay IAS is at the crime scene, and yet have no clue as to why he is there and what he is doing there.'

' What is it that I don't know about him, sir?'

Commissioner Davidson patted Karthik's shoulder, ' nothing bad, man. I meant to say that he is a qualified doctor and surgeon and gave up his passion to become an IAS officer so that he could better serve the people.'

DC Karthik's eyes opened in appreciation and both walked towards Collector Vinay who had his back turned to them and was looking up at the headless body of the late Superintendent Manohar.

Hearing the boot noises on the cobblestones, he turned and with a smile said, ' Commissioner David, I don't envy your job. At least not right now.'

' Why is than Mr.Vinay?'

Dr T. G. Vinay, I.A.S. beckoned Davidson to come closer and said, ' Touch him and tell me what you make out of it.'

Commissioner Davidson took the dead SP Manohars left hand and said, ' Warm. His hand is still warm.'

' Exactly and that means, what, Commissioner sir?'

' That means, death happened just a short while ago and which again means that the killers cannot have travelled far.'

Saying this, Commissioner Davidson looked at DC Karthik who immediately called the control room and issued orders for all vehicles leaving Madurai to be stopped and checked for any suspicious-looking people.

With the orders given, he turned to both of them and Collector Vinay glanced at Davidson, ' may I?'

Davidson nodded and said, ' Please, you may.'

Madurai Collector glanced at DC Karthik, ' Please, also ask them to check the boot of all the vehicles for you may never know where the head of this man might turn up.'

India plays into China’s hands if we lament 1962 or criticise Modi govt and military

By Srinivasapuram Krishnaswamy, The Print, 22 June, 2020

To pressure Modi government and military from our drawing rooms, without knowing what is happening at LAC at 15,000-feet, is an irresponsible act.

Never in the history of free India has the country seen such difficult times and over such a prolonged period. The challenges are unprecedented. While the nation is struggling with the coronavirus pandemic, a sudden flare-up with China on the Line of Actual Control has added to our problems.

In the scuffle that followed, 20 of our Army personnel lost their lives and possibly more than 40 Chinese soldiers were killed.The skirmish at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and particularly the loss of Indian combatants, has caused a storm in India.

It certainly irks to read articles flinging pernicious comments and unbridled criticism of the Narendra Modi government and the military at such a sensitive juncture. Are we really accusing them of having the blood of the soldiers on their hands? Such comments are bound to make an impression on the minds of our adversaries. It also seems unfair that assumptions and conjectures have been made quoting failures from 60 years ago.

Today, it is not difficult to extract historical data and maps from Google with just the press of a button. We are playing into the Chinese hands when we lament the debacle of the 1962 war. Such outbursts make the Chinese look 12-feet tall.

The Modi government and the military have certainly been aware of what the Chinese were doing, but intentions are always unpredictable, including our own. China and India are vastly different today than they were 60 years ago. There have been generational changes among people, leadership, military and above all – technology available. It is the attitude of the nation that is most important. China, being Communist-ruled, has no problem controlling information. With misinformation, or even incomplete information, we have a large number of people in India willingly playing into their hands.

The Chinese are our adversary. Our kith and kin are facing them eye to eye at the borders. We forget that those at the helm of affairs — be in the military or the government — have access to a continuous flow of data up-to-date. Thousands of staff and hundreds of serving Generals are working across India to keep information updated in real-time without missing any facts. They have a huge responsibility to ensure that their brethren and machines are well prepared to fight a war and that every bit of national security information is well protected.

It is usual for the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to examine the situation along with the military commanders, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) as many times as required before directing action. We will never get to know the discussions held behind those closed doors, the stance that they took and the rationale for the choices that were made on 15-16 June until they are revealed by the relevant authorities. We will also never know what the military’s intentions are or of their strategy until after the event (Balakot strike was an example). Nothing of operational significance can be known outside the forts of the military and the government.

Today, India’s military is being led by brilliant men and women who are far better professionals, by virtue of their exposure and responsibilities, than their predecessors, and are supported by an astonishing range of technology about which the public and veterans may not be aware of. Our combatants have proved worthy, and far more prepared than their predecessors were. Elements of surprise and fall back options are always embedded in all military plans. They also have the advantage of learning from history, from the finest of traditions and experiences and global exposure — our veterans may have missed much of it.

India may have been surprised at the start of the Kargil war, but we stood steadfast and won that war. No one doubts India’s military ability. Why then throw winds at the unknowing and impressionable public?

Today, some are blaming the government for not striking at the Chinese before they built their strength in Galwan and Pangong areas, but we don’t know all the facts. Such an action, if taken, could well be perceived as a knee-jerk reaction. It is the government’s prerogative to take a stand, to strike when it decides or to stand down. For now, the answer is to wait patiently. Thousands of brave warriors are at the borders following military directions. We must reflect similar faith and trust in our leadership. To pressure the government from our drawing rooms is an extremely irresponsible act.

We can never imagine the state of mind of a combatant fighting hand to hand to kill (otherwise be killed) at 15,000 feet, on a slippery slope covered by boulders and pebbles, with a river at the bottom that will freeze anyone falling to death within minutes – and, all these at night. It requires enormous courage and strength.

I fit the category of ‘veterans group’. I believe, with good reasons, that the current crop of Chinese soldiers and leadership do not have the combat experience their Indian counterparts do and are very conscious of it. The Indian Army is rated superior in mountain warfare. The Indian Air Force operates combat aircraft of better capabilities and with far greater skills than those that the Chinese Air Force can deploy against India. Our pilots have trained with global partners in Europe, the US, Australia, UAE, Oman, Singapore and Israel. We can fight very well with what we have and we are in far better shape than we were at the beginning of Operation Parakram in 2002.

The compulsion to use the military invariably arises when least expected. Severe budgetary constraints add to our woes. The situation was similar when we were ready to launch Op Parakram in 2002 after the terrorist attack on Parliament. In 2001-02, I was present in many of the CCS meetings that were held to decide on the starting date and the course of Op Parakram. All these meetings were attended by the prime minister at the time, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, four senior-most ministers, the PMO, the three military chiefs and heads of R&AW and IB..

There were many issues discussed by the CCS before approving military operations, such as preventing escalation, minimising collateral damage, avoiding loss to civilian lives/ property/ industries, impact on the nation’s economy and foreign relations. Objectives of the mission were also laid out. Certain states had to extend support and those likely to be affected were informed. Special directives were given to the Railways and civil aviation. Cabinet approval was necessary to stop or block certain airways. Civil defence was organised. Each service chief was expected to share their views on all these and also project the attrition that their own forces were likely to suffer. Replenishment would have to be planned and special financial powers given. Such deliberations give a final definition of the strategy and tactics to be adopted by the military. All these are established practices that get continually refined.

Over the last few days, I am inclined to believe that all the crying loud on television about the precious loss of life of our soldiers and officers were mere antics and politics at play. Military honour does not expect tears to be shed. I conclude with a simple request: to show solidarity with the military and to trust them and the government in these difficult times. Be proud Indians.

The author is a retired Air Chief Marshal, who was Chief of Staff, Indian Air Force, 2001-2004. Views are personal.

India Rising

American think tanks are getting bullish on India

The country is on the verge of becoming a major player on the world stage.

By: Allison Fedirka, Geopolitical Futures, June 26, 2020

India’s days as a fairly quiet giant on the world stage are coming to an end. For much of the 21st century, India has punched well below its weight in international affairs. It is the seventh-largest country in the world by area and has the second-largest population, with nearly 1.38 billion inhabitants. Considering its younger demographics, it’s on pace to soon surpass China as the largest country in the world by population. Its economy has steadily climbed in the global ranks over the past two decades and now stands as the fifth-largest. It’s a major energy consumer, and its naval potential could affect China’s power projection capabilities.

But the country has so far been unable to drive global events or influence the actions of global players like the United States, Germany, Russia and China to any substantial degree. This appears to be changing, however. The global center of gravity, both militarily and economically, is shifting from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific, bringing India front and center in world affairs. Considering that this comes at a time when India’s relative power is increasing, it appears that the country is set to earn a more prominent role in the international system.

India’s long struggle to accrue power and project force is a result of many constraints facing the country. Located on the Indian subcontinent, India is geographically isolated from the rest of Eurasia. Water bodies line about a third of its 14,000-mile-long border, while natural barriers cover much of its land borders. The Himalayan Mountains in the north, Arakan Mountains in the east and the Thar Desert in the west buffer a large portion of the Indo-Gangetic Plain from the rest of Asia. Intense conflicts with Pakistan and the need to balance China have kept India largely focused on the subcontinent. The country’s population, meanwhile, is highly segmented by language, religion and a complicated caste system. Administratively, India’s states and union territories enjoy a high degree of autonomy and have their own regulatory systems that operate parallel to the central government. Political parties have strong roots at the state level, and national parties rely on local partners to gain influence in states and local communities. Physical isolation and intense internal divisions, therefore, have impeded India’s ability to engage with other countries from a position of strength.

Recently, however, the government has attempted to improve India’s international standing – and this starts by centralizing power. For much of its post-independence existence, India has had a federal system in which states and union territories have been fairly autonomous. This resulted in a weaker national government and uneven development, but it was a price worth paying because decentralization was seen as the best way to keep states from separating and to keep India intact – which, after partition, was no small feat. To be able to increase its power abroad, however, a stronger central government was needed, and this required a united population and a unifying message.

Over the past six years, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi advanced a series of economic reforms aimed at developing a more coordinated, robust national economy. Modi introduced a demonetization scheme and streamlined the country’s goods and services tax system. He made several regulatory changes to try to encourage foreign investment in areas previously dominated by the state or, with the state’s help, smaller local businesses. The government is still working to clean up the country’s financial system, reforming bankruptcy procedures and loosening price controls in an effort to create a more business-friendly environment. It has also supported the development of 25 sectors – such as defense manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, textiles and automobile components – where India has a comparative advantage to attract investment and promote exports. The recent pandemic-triggered crisis served as yet another opportunity for Modi to push through reforms in agriculture, coal and privatization as part of the government’s stimulus and recovery package. At the macro level, there are signs that the moves have been somewhat successful. Since 2014, India’s economy has moved from the 10th-largest to the fifth-largest in the world. Foreign direct investment has increased from $190 billion in 2009-14 to $284 billion in 2014-19.

However, government attempts to unify the country politically and socially have proved difficult. The Modi government has promoted the concept of Hindu nationalism to rally the majority under one flag by drawing on the country’s historic ties to Hindu culture and civilizations. However, Hinduism is also a religion, and one that has clashed in the past with minority religious groups – especially Muslims, who make up 14 percent of the Indian population and are often the target of religious and social violence such as the riots in northeast Delhi earlier this year.

Last year, the government passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which excluded Muslims from the groups of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan eligible for citizenship in India. Under the law, Muslims who flee these countries are ineligible for citizenship because they are not considered minority groups in their countries of origin. There is also a push to implement a nationwide citizen registry by 2024. The registry would require people who live in India to prove their Indian citizenship. If they cannot, they would be considered non-citizens and face legal ramifications such as deportation and denial of services.

Both the Citizenship Amendment Bill and plans for a national registry have proved highly controversial and produced a strong political backlash against the government. Another point of controversy was the August 2019 decision to change the administrative status in Jammu and Kashmir by repealing Article 370 of the Constitution. The move paved the way for expanding the property, employment and residency rights in Jammu and Kashmir – where previously special privileges had been reserved for the majority-Muslim population – to people from other parts of India, including Hindus. Some people in the state voiced concern over a perceived government effort to encourage Hindu migration to the area in an effort to alter its demographics. (Interestingly, though India’s internal conflicts have proved difficult to overcome, throughout its brief history the emergence of an external enemy – the United Kingdom in the 1940s, China today – has helped to unite the population.)

A rapidly growing India has forced the government to prioritize issues beyond domestic divisions. The country’s booming economy relies on energy – foreign energy – to run. In recent years, India needed to secure access to more energy supplies. This, in turn, required India to develop the security infrastructure to protect its supply lines. So New Delhi began to develop its naval capabilities so that the country can move beyond coastal patrols and start projecting power into the Indian Ocean. Another element of the drive toward security self-sufficiency is the domestic production of defense equipment and reduced reliance on foreign weapons and equipment, particularly from a single source. At this point, India’s military is not self-reliant, and its navy still lacks full blue-water capabilities. But it is taking steps in the right direction.

It will need to take further steps, because the focal point of global affairs has been shifting and will continue to shift toward Asia. In particular, the United States has concentrated on China’s efforts at economic and military expansion, which inherently increases India’s strategic value to Washington. India is geographically positioned to contain China to the west, and serves as one of many alternative locations for U.S. businesses seeking to relocate out of China. Similarly, other countries keen to balance against China’s rise, like Japan and Australia, have been courting India to be closer security partners in the region. Even India’s relationship with Pakistan, a neighbor and bitter rival, is now linked to the U.S.-China dynamic, with Beijing using Islamabad as a focal point in its Belt and Road Initiative.

Since the start of the Cold War, India has preferred nonalignment, noninterference, nonaggression and economic cooperation. This approach allowed New Delhi to engage with the world without losing its flexibility or becoming the pawn of one of the superpowers. To this day, India is reluctant to further develop the Quad alliance, even though it shares the anti-China sentiment of the other members. But in the current environment, India will see its nonalignment approach challenged given its size and growing proximity to the geopolitical center of gravity.

India is much better positioned to be an important player in the U.S.-China standoff than it was during the Cold War. Internally, the government has made important strides in military and economic development, though more work is needed. Politically and socially, the country still has significant divisions, but it’s stable and is many more decades removed from its founding. Its geographic position makes it extremely valuable to the United States. China will saber rattle along the border, but it has sizable problems internally and in its trade war with the U.S. that prevent it from acting rashly against India. Pakistan will continue its tough talk, but its inferior military and frail domestic economy are obstacles to any actions that would provoke a strong response from New Delhi. Russia’s domestic weaknesses undermine its international hand, but Moscow still provides a counterweight to Beijing and Washington. India is also an important arms buyer for Russia at a time when Moscow needs its export sector to make up for low energy prices.

India has an opportunity to take a proactive role in shaping international affairs to suit its interests. It also faces the risk that it may be forced to take a stronger stance and choose one country over another, breaking from its tradition of nonalignment. Such an event may be hard to imagine now, but the realities of the day mean it’s not impossible.

Vaanathai Pola 164

The armed police commando caught sight of the Black BMW turning into the driveway of The Gateway Hotel and his eyes caught a good look at the middle-aged man driving the vehicle as he went past him and towards the hotel's main entrance.

He whispered to his team leader, ' Ex-cop surely. Grey safari suit, grey hair and our trademark handlebar moustache.'

The Sub-Inspector along with another commando watched as the man in the grey safari suit got out of the car and told the valet in-charge of car parking, ' please be very careful for it will be both out skins if the owner finds a scratch on the body. The cover is in the boot. Please use it once you have parked the car..'

The valet looked at the keys and the man in the grey safari suit raised his thumb and said, ' the car's ignition security is on right now but will close once you have parked the car and then only my thumb can activate it.'

He quipped and added, ' so today, be it car, mobile connection or anything new, your Aadhaar card and thumb are very important.'

The valet nodded and drove off into the basement parking and the man in the safari suit walked towards the entrance carrying the single suitcase in his left hand and a laptop in his right hand and just as he was about to enter the hotel, the Sub-Inspector stopped him for identification.

The middle-aged man stopped and took a quick look at both the SI and the other commando and wished them, ' Good morning gentleman.'

The Sub-Inspector wished him back, ' Hello sir. Can you show some identification, please?'

The middle-aged man in the Grey safari suit looked a bit tired and it presented itself in his reply, ' why are you asking for my identification and who are you to ask for it and on whose and what authority?'

It is universally understood that when a policeman stops you and asks you for identification, you immediately comply and that too with the most humility you can manage and also start wondering if you have to shell out any cash just to be let off and that too for not doing anything.

It is a well known and accepted fact that a civilian will automatically comply to a police officers request and in the process confess to sins that they might or might not have done in some ancient and previous births and so it was a shock, a rude shock when the man in the grey safari suit asked them his own questions.

The man in the Grey safari suit slowly placed his suitcase down and repeated his question, ' why are you asking for my identification? who are you and can I see your identification, please?'

The Armed SI looked at the other Commando and both thought the same thing and thought, ' High-level English. Most certainly a former or still active cop and which means somebody from the IPS Cadre.'

The man in the Grey Safari suit looked at both of them, ' You are supposed to be guarding the Minister and yet here you are fuc..ng around and throwing your weight around and standing at the entrance of the hotel when your priority should be the Minister's cottage.'

The Sub-Inspectors' worse fears were confirmed the moment the safari suit man spoke about Minister Kavita and her security and did the only thing that he could do at that moment and which was to salute smartly and retreat by mouthing apologies.

The man in the Grey safari suit smiled and said, ' Relax, we both are on the same team for I am the minister's personal security guard and designated driver.'

Picking up his suitcase, he looked at the SI, ' please inform the Minister that Odyssey Pandyan has arrived and will be ready and waiting when she needs me.'

Vaanathai Pola 165

Madurai collector Vinay IAS and Madurai Police Commissioner Davidson stood watching as the chief forensic analyst Dr.Deepak Kumar went about his work, meticulously and ponderously and then both turned to see Deputy Commissioner Karthik walk towards them with a middle-aged man and both looked up at the skies and cursed.

Madurai collector Vinay muttered, ' Joint commissioner Murugesan of the Department of Hindu Religious Trust and the man in charge of all the major temples in and around Madurai.'

Joint commissioner Murugesan nodded and wished both his counterparts and then asked them the one question that both the collector and commissioner did not want to hear and which was, ' What is going on and how much longer are the Barricades going to be placed around the temple?'

Collector Vinay knew that the last thing that was needed now was an administrative scuffle and display of power and knew that the best way forward was to ensure total co-operation between all concerned departments.

' Mr.Murugesan, a senior police officer has been murdered and his body left here in public display. So, things are a bit tense around here and it might take a few more hours before this area is cleared and permission granted for life to go on normally.'

JC Murugesan stared at Collector Vinay in a manner that conveyed clearly what he thought of the answer and then said, ' Do you know what day today is? Pradosham day and one of the most important days in the worship of Lord Shiva and you are telling me that it will take a few more hours for the barricades to be removed from around the temple.'

Chief forensic analyst Dr.Deepak Kumar came towards them, removing his gloves at the same time and catching Commissioner Davidson's eye signalled with his head to join him and walked away towards the ambulance.

Once the Commissioner had joined him, Dr.Deepak looked at him and said, ' Death seems to have occurred within the hour and not here for there is no blood splatter anywhere around the spot where the body was left hanging.'

' So, doctor, you are sure he did not die here and was murdered somewhere else.'

' Yes sir.'

' Any clue as to what kind of weapon was used to chop off his neck?'

Dr.Deepak Kumar nodded, ' he was decapitated with the use of something really sharp and with just one stroke.'

Commissioner Davidson gasped in horror and Dr.Deepak seeing his reaction, ' yes sir. One stroke. No hesitation and done by someone very strong and skilled at doing such things.'

He continued on but this time his voice sounded a bit troubled and also confused, ' that is not the strangest thing about this body.'

' What do you mean Doctor?'

Pointing to the decapitated body of the late SP Manohar as it was being wheeled past them, ' that is a headless body and a rare sight for even us veterans. What can be more strange than that?'

Chief forensic analyst Dr.Deepak Kumar clapped his hands and the men who were wheeling the headless body stopped and using his finger to beckon Commissioner Davidson, he removed the sheet covering the remains and said, ' Look at the body carefully and tell me what you find weird about it?'

Davidson bent a bit to get a better and closer view of the headless Manohar and immediately stepped back in a hurry and looked at Dr Deepak and asked, ' Is that a burnt smell that I am getting?'

' Yes, Commissioner sir and that is what is so weird about this body.'

' Doctor, please be more specific and explain clearly what is going on here?'

' Commissioner sir, not only has somebody chopped off this poor man's head with one stroke, he then has proceeded to cauterize this gaping open wound and I have no clue how it was done and also if it has ever been done.'

Then he raised a finger to say that he was not done and that there was more to the body and removed a syringe from his pocket and inserted it into the thigh of the headless body and drew blood from it.

' This man lost his head but not his blood and somehow the killer cauterized this gaping wound. Do you know how this can be done for I surely don't and I am certain that this case is one for the book of weird cases.'

Sighing sadly, ' I will have more to report in a few hours time.'

Commissioner Davidson nodded and thanked the Doctor for his help and stood totally confused and then he caught sight of Deputy Commissioner Karthik running towards him in total panic and holding his mobile phone to his ear.

' Sir, they have found the head of Manohar.'

' Where was it found, Deepak?'

' Thevar Illam sir. Outside Thevar Illam and it seems to have been shoved into a spike of the gate and also the Patrol team found a sealed box near the gate.'

The first thought that came to Commissioner Davidson's mind was Bomb and he yelled, ' Tell them not to touch it or go near it and call for the bomb disposal team to the spot immediately.'

Then he put his fingers to his bottom lip and whistled loudly, prompting Chief forensic analyst Dr.Deepak Kumar to turn and look in his direction and the Commissioner yelled loudly, ' Doctor Deepak, join me and the Collector for we are going to another crime scene in my vehicle.'

She sells seashells by the seashore,

The shells she sells are seashells, I'm sure.

So if she sells seashells on the seashore,

Then I'm sure she sells seashore shells.

Maybe, I visit the sea daily for some deep need, a need that stems from some faded trauma that my brain has blanked out.

Maybe, I walk up to the water to wash my soul and sins away even though I know not what they are and whether they do really need laundry time.

Maybe, I tread water to bathe the wounds that are not there but the ghostly pain remains and needs to be cleaned and disinfected by the salt of the sea.

Maybe, I go faithfully to the sea for its relentless waves crashing gently against the shore reminds me of a lullaby, a long lost and forgotten song that connected me with another life.

I stopped and stooped to pick the tiny white shell that had been plastered by the wave and was stuck in the sand and found only one half of it.

The seashore was littered with shells of different colours and I chose and picked those that caught my eye and rattled them in the cups of palms and then went ' Wait a minute, these are but skeletons?'

I threw the shells and they rained back in a drizzle and went back to their destiny and fate.

By the sea. In the sea. Die, in the sea and become one with the sea.

I lifted my sight at this insight, and my eyes slowly began to scan the span of the shore, and I saw and stared at the thousands and thousands of shells that were once living, and were now, but just remnants, of that which was.

Many were broken. Still many more were ruined beyond recognition and the waves came again and again and dragged some away and brought new ones to the shore.

The shells are from Mollusk like creatures who absorb salt, chemicals and other minerals around them and when they have the right mix they build a shell out of a hard substance called Calcium carbonate.

They do this to protect themselves.

I stood as another wave suddenly sprayed sea froth on my face and whispered, ' Human, how many shells and how many layers of covers do you have?'

I smiled sadly, ' many, sea mother. Many, and all in use. A layer each for the souls I know and they are not layers but masks.'

The sea chuckled, rumbled and roared and I turned and returned, more complex and more complicated and with a new shell around my soul.

Where is my shell? where is your shell?

Around our souls, thoughts, needs and passions. We build shells and armour to protect them and they are harder than calcium carbonate.

Off my usual meds( in case you are wondering)

Tragic characters, be it in stories and films attract more attention, followers and even devotion that lasts Millenia.

Please, let us not linger too much on Cheenu from Moondram Pirai, Raja from Vaazhve maayam, Jai from Sholay and a horde of characters from films but let us travel back in time to the age of Epics.

Even though Vali is not a tragic character, his death is considered a tragedy and a travesty of justice by many people and debates about that killing of Vali by Lord Rama still continues to this day.

Since Valmiki wrote it first, I would put my questions to him if I had the chance to meet him and also suggest a few corrections in the script and how he could have made that killing of Vali a mass superstar moment, rather than have written it the way it is today.

One of the reasons, Lord Ram shot the arrow from hiding behind a tree is attributed to the Mala that hangs around vali's neck and which gives him the ability to absorb half the strength of the enemy he fights with.

But, why didn't Valmiki pause and dwell about that mala and its potency against Lord Ram who is supposed to be an avatar of Lord Vishnu and who is surely above all these magical malas, talismans and their superpowers?"

I wish instead that Valmiki could have staged a direct fight, Mano a mano between Vali and Lord Ram and in which at the end you know who will win and go on to Lanka to defeat Ravana and get back his wife.

I am sorry but instead of preserving the hero and the purity of the hero, Valmiki takes a brush and tarnishes Lord Ram and makes him look like a coward.

Even when Lord Ram reminds Vali of his crime in making his brother Sugrivas's wife Ruma as part of his harem, Valmiki stumbles and comfortably forgets that Sugriva himself has already done that crime and does it again.

The first time is when Sugriva thinks Vali has been killed by the demon in the cave and covering it with a large rock comes back and becomes king and in the process, Tara, valis's supposedly widow becomes his queen.

Sick.

Then, Sugriva does the same sick crime when he becomes king after Lord Ram assassinates Vali.

I wonder why Lord Ram forgot this and forgave this even though Valmiki forgot it. Holy c..p, that is because Valmiki is the writer and Ram is his character.

And then, let us not forget that Vali is supposed to be Lord Indra and if that is true then he is of a much lower ranking than Lord Vishnu and surely less powerful.

So, a magical mala is placed on Vali and that makes him invincible to all but not to God which Lord Ram is.

Imagine like in film mass scenes, when the hero arrives in time to save a damsel in distress. In time to save a person from being beaten to death.

How many similar situations we have seen in Mgrs and Rajini's movies and have whistled and clapped cloudly?

Only wish Valmiki had thought about mass entry and punch dialogues for that Vali and Lord Ram fight.

Hey, I Thought of it. I mean I kind of weirdly thought of it.

Not bad na.Be well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDZssz_4t2Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbBD7Q2-zrY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vbfadyCrZk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG8OPMB4JbI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvHLWZPMgys

Vaanathai Pola 166

Chennai 5.30 Am

With 8.00 am still two and a half hours away and for their night shift to end, Kali Muthu and Senthil, two of the Global Hospital security men decided to take a Cigarette break and slowly slinked away like jackals to the rear portion of the hospital and lit their cancer sticks in the still dark of a new dawn.

The rear portion of the hospital was always dimly lit and also rarely visited even during the day but for the vehicles that came twice to take away the garbage and also the ones that kept the hospital supplied with all that it needed.

Senthil deciding that he would use this time to also take a leak, headed towards the bathroom and had not walked a few feet when he found himself slipping and even before he realized it, he landed heavily on his Non-existent backside.

Kali Muthu's reaction was a very normal one and he burst out laughing and after a few seconds spent in mocking his colleague, hurried to help him up and then stopped short of putting his hand out and looked hard at the dark pool of water that did not appear to be water and asked, 'Senthil, is that blood that you are sitting in?'

Senthil, whose lips were still hard at work at puffing his freshly lit cigarette, brought his hands up and then smelt them and squeaked in fear, ' Kali, you are right. It does look like blood. But, what is blood doing here when our hospital disposal site and incinerators are on the other side of the building.'

Kali Muthu did not waste time and immediately called his senior and the hospital's security chief Jaya Prakash, who arrived in seconds and taking one look confirmed that it was indeed blood that Senthil had slipped and fallen on.

Jayaprakash called the control room and asked them to switch on all the available lights for the rear portion of the hospital. He waited along with Kali and Senthil and the waiting felt more like twenty minutes when in reality it took only twenty seconds for the lights to come one and to illuminate everything.

Four floors above them, Shinogai came awake and ready for a new day and also totally prepared for what might come her way.

The Old man had called her late in the night and had informed her that he was only able to remove the body of the killer who had entered their room, masquerading as Dr Nilesh Bhatti and nothing more given the place and the omnipresent threat of being found out.

It took just a few brief moments for Global Hospitals security chief Jayaprakash to see, read and understand the scene that lay in front of him and his instincts immediately forced his eyes up, up and above at the sheer face of the six-floor hospital wall that was dotted with windows and ended at the rooftop.

A retired police officer, he had seen many cases of jumpers who had jumped, alive and breathing but had fallen to death with their final breath and had also seen in many of those whose sad cases of suicides, the person taking his final breath and had also seen the lights go out as life and soul abandoned the dead body.

He looked at both the security men, ' Kali, Senthil, go to your quarters and remain there and don't go home without my permission and no more cigarette breaks. If I find that you have not followed my orders, then it will be the last time you step foot into the hospital.'

Vaanathai Pola 167

Sleep had come to Jagatratchagan only in the wee hours of the morning and he had embraced it and had fallen away into a deep sleep.

There was one golden rule in Thevar Illam and which was followed diligently and that was not to wake up Jagatratchagan and everyone also knew that silence was to be maintained until the master and head of the house came awake and stepped out of his lair.

So, it was with rage that he came awake and turned and saw in surprise that was his wife, Mangammal who had dared to touch and shake him awake.

' Manga, are you okay?' and then his thoughts went to his dad and he asked with worry, ' appa. Is something wrong with him?'

Mangammal pointed to the door, ' Police. Lots of police near the gate. I am sorry but I didn't know what to do and that is why I was forced to wake you up.'

Sleep vanished instantly and fully alert, he told his wife, ' wake up appa, and ask him to get in touch with our advocate and ask him to join me at the gate.'

Quickly brushing his teeth and washing his face, Jagatratchagan stormed out of the house and towards the gate and on a warpath and all ready to chew and spit those who had dared to enter his property.

Nearly ten people worked and stayed in the compound of Thevar Illam and all of them were people who would willingly and happily lay down their lives if their master asked of it.

All of them now marched behind Jagatratchagan and came to the gate spoiling for a fight and ready to break faces and limbs and it mattered not to them if it belonged to policemen.

Much to his surprise, he found the gate still locked and the area outside empty but for two people standing there and froze in shock for they were the last people he had expected to meet or anticipated to be standing outside the gate of his house.

He opened the gate and did the only thing that came to his mind and that was to fold his hands and say, ' Vanakkam.'

Madurai collector Vinay greeted him warmly and said, ' Sir, I am very sorry to have disturbed you but it seems we had no other choice but to be here.'

Jagatratchagan's face expressed his confusion and he asked, ' Collector sir, I am sorry but you have me totally confused here for I have no clue as to what brought you both here and that too at this early hour.'

Pointing to his house, he invited them in, ' please come in where we can sit and talk more comfortably.'

Commissioner Davidson turned the offer down, ' Sorry sir but we are here for his head' and pointed to the top of the gate stood nearly eight feet tall.

Jagatratchagan clearly heard what the commissioner said and repeated it for it made no sense, ' head, what do you mean head?' and looked up to see what the commissioner was pointing to and froze on seeing the head of Superintendent of Police, Manohar sticking out of one of the spikes of the gate and stumbled a few steps back on seeing the gory sight.