*From & To Sathish* - Thread 4 - Page 79

Jannal Oram 389

Raman stepped sideways and the full moon once again returned its yellow gaze on Jamun who sat cradling the dead Gulab's head in his lap.

Before him, sat the villain, the man who along with his mate had killed his best friend and had dared attack his master and yet more than anger, Raman only felt sadness, pain, and guilt that his actions had snatched away the lives of a mother and her child.

' I am sorry for your loss Mr.Dhanraj. Believe me when I say that I tried repeatedly warning your lady to surrender and if not it would not end well for her. But, she ignored my warnings and went ahead in killing the minister and then tried to kill me and the lady who was with me. I had no other choice but to retaliate and ...'

Both men looked at each other and Raman continued in a softer voice ' I am sorry that you lost your child Mr.Dhanraj for if I had known at that time that the lady was pregnant...'

Jamun's voice was like that of a spitting cobra and its menacing tone sent shivers down all the men that stood around him as he asked ' what would you have done if you had known she was with a child?'

Raman smiled sadly and looked away guiltily unable to look at Jamun's accusing eyes ' maybe, I would have tried harder to take her down instead of doing what I was forced to do in the end.'

He looked at Malik ' My wife is pregnant too with our first child. so, I think I can understand a bit of what you are going through.'

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan roared like a lion ' Wtf is wrong with you Raman. This B..t..d and his dead bitch here murdered my only child in cold blood and you are standing here exchanging love notes with him.'

Raman's face darkened in the darkness of the night and he turned and glared at the Brigadier ' I am running this operation and will see it through to its end, dead or alive. Then, after that, you can say or do what you want, but until then I request you to hold your silence and your opinions to yourself.'

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan's nearly exploded with fury and he looked like he was ready to suffer a massive heart attack but V.K.Singh stepped in and steadied him with his calm, reassuring voice and placing a hand, pushed the rifle that his friend was holding and said ' Soorya, stand down now and I mean it or I will have you handcuffed and removed from here.'

Sooryanarayanan's curses were not only colorful but flowed freely switching between English, Hindi, and Punjabi and the curses would have made even the devil blush like a young maiden who has been kissed for the first time.

Jamun aka Dhanraj Malik looked at Raman ' I like you and I liked you from the first moment I saw you and told the same to Gulab here. I told her that here is a worthy foe whose defeat would be a jewel in my crown and a great moment in my life. I told her not to take you on single-handedly for she was not ready but she ignored my words and teachings and here we both inside a shallow grave and the man responsible standing over it.

Raman's eyes were wide open as were all his senses and he caught the slow movement of Jamun's hand as it reached into the sheets and he spoke ' Stop moving and stop reaching for whatever weapon that lies under that sheet or else' and glanced at V.k.singh and bullets barked noisily from all directions and raked the muddy area that Dhanraj sat in and he gently withdrew his hand and looked at Raman ' so, what happens now?'

' You are coming with us, dead or alive.'

Jamun smiled ' that it, dead or alive.'

Raman and all the others watched quietly as Dhanraj Malik carefully placed the dead woman's head back on the ground and then bending, placed a kiss on her dead lips and whispered ' Soon Gulab, we will be together again.'

Slowly he got to his feet and it was like a King cobra raising its head, ready to strike and sink its fangs into its prey.

V.K.Singh looked at Raman ' Lets put a bullet and end this once and for all. You don't have to fight him. There is nothing left to prove to anybody. You are a hero my son and you have done enough for this country and for its citizens.'

Raman's grim face revealed nothing but his lips moved ' I may have done enough for this country and maybe I am a hero too in your eyes and that of others. But, this is for me and for the blood that has been spilt and the lives that were lost in my name and cause. If I don't do this now then I will forever regret it and it will torment me till the end of my time.'

Jamun smiled and it was like the angel of death grinning and he yelled ' come, Raman, come and face Raavan and you will know that it is not a woman that you are facing and not a woman that you can kill so easily.'

Yelling his taunts, Jamun aka Dhanraj Malik leaped out of the grave and charged towards Raman and both clashed and came together like two raging bulls.

Jannal Oram 390

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

This is a beautiful poem by Robert Frost and I want you to look closely at the last two lines and think hard about it and hold it close to your soul and as long as there is life in it.

Just take the yellow wood and substitute it for this world and take the two paths and place the path taken by honest and good people and the path taken by bad people without conscience or thoughts about others.

Step back, and cast your eyes, and see for yourself as to how many have taken the easy but evil path to carve out their lives and think of all the kind, honest and hard-working people who have taken the rough path and still have made a life for themselves.

Every day, when I step out of my house, it appears to me that two paths are constantly running away from me, beckoning me. I smile and tell myself ' the whole world is a stage and the stage is your soul and in your life, you have to don and try out all the characters and then choose the role you are going to play out and the one that best suits you.

Every person is a lonely traveler, traveling on his own lonely path that he has set out on and in the end the path is his choice and so is the destination.

Thankfully, my eyes see many whose paths and destination are the same as mine and we look and smile and say ' job well done. journey nearly done.'

When Raman and Dhanraj came together in their fight, along with them came the paths that they had chosen and here is where Raman fell and lost in the first minutes of the fight.

A fight is always a fascinating battle to watch and when you have two equal opponents battling for their very lives it is a special spectacle and under the eye of the full moon, six commandos along with V.K.Singh and Brigadier Sooryanarayanan watched as two Raman and Dhanraj came together.

But, it was obvious that Dhanraj Malik was faster, much faster than Raman and his offensive blows knocked Raman of his feet and for the first time in his life, he fell to the ground.

The reasons were many for this surprising outcome and the first reason was that Raman's ribs were broken and impeded all his movements and importantly his very breath for taking deep breaths sent shooting pains all over his chest and it crippled him even more. So, he was taking short gasps of breath and this was not enough and he soon realised that this would not do.

If his broken, taped ribs were crippling his movements, his guilt-ridden soul crippled his will to fight the man whose lady and child he had killed and this was now going to be the decider.

The other reason was that Raman had no clue as to the powers or techniques of the man he was fighting while

Jamun who had seen Raman take on his men in Vijaya hospital had managed to do a bit of research about his enemy's training and also his sensei EX-DGP Devarajan.

Dhanraj Malik laughed loudly and clapped his hands enthusiastically ' up, get up Raman for I know that you are better than this.'

Raman could not control the groan and he grabbed his chest in pain for Dhanraj had landed two blows exactly on his broken ribs and for good measure had landed a debilitating punch and kick to his right knee and thigh and exactly where he had broken it many years ago.

Blood flowed freely from his broken lips and yet he smiled and said ' Well Mr.Dhanraj, you seem to have done your homework on me sir and you have me at a disadvantage.'

Slowly he rose to his feet and V.K.Singh pleaded with me ' Ram, son, let it go, child. Please, allow me to put a bullet in this man's head and then bury him along with his lady and go home.'

Raman shook his head not only to dismiss V.K.Singhs pleas but also to clear his head and he stepped forward.

His need to avenge Gulab and his unborn child's deaths gave him wings of power and filled every inch of his body with superhuman strength and Jamun moved and moved with the speed of light itself.

Guilt, physical pain seemed to drain Raman's will and strength and he moved as if his limbs were laden down with cement barrels.

yet, he put up a better show the second time out and protected himself better than the first round and tried his best to block the tremendous assault that Dhanraj launched on him.

Raman had never been hit so hard in all his life and it took all of his remaining willpower along with his training skills just to stand and block the flood of punches that rained on him and then suddenly Dhanraj changed tactics and switched from Kung fu and Karate and landed an over-head boxing punch and Raman crumpled to his knees.

Lord Krishna yelled and roared in anger at Arjuna ' Parth, you and your Gandiva are better than this. Raise it and put an end to this Bhishma.'

Jannal Oram 391

Raman fell to the ground a second time and he lay still with his eyes open and the Brigadier unable to stand this screamed and cursed him and asked many questions.

' What is happening to you? what is going on in your mind? what and who are you fighting within yourself when the fight is standing right in front of you?'

Raman lay on the ground nearly broken and he battled the demons that plagued his soul.

Then, he felt the first soft drops of rain and looked up at the sky in which the full moon continued to blaze softly and realized that the rain was from some far off distant clouds.

It fell on his face and little by little washed away the mud, blood and the weariness of his body.

Every drop of rain carried a message from his favorite book, the Bhagwad Gita and it seemed to caress him with its inner meaning.

' Don't fight as Raman and for Raman. Shed the selfishness of Raman's guilt and needs, and rise for Raman stands not for himself but for others. Rise and fight the good fight for you are just a miracle through whom I work a million miracles. You are just the tip of the arrow while the bow is me and the archer is also me.'

Raman slowly got up to his feet and bending to his waist said ' I see you and I offer you my respects. Forgive me for not doing this before we began our battle.'

Jamun swore and seemed to fall into a crouch and then without any warning, he suddenly launched himself at Raman whose eyes saw everything, missed nothing, and spread his arms away from his body.

There remains a myth, an urban legend about ambidextrous fighters who can switch stances and use both arms to take offensive stances and deliver powerful blows with both hands.

Dhanraj Malik knew this but he had never seen such a fighter and he had never come across a person who could be ambidextrous not only with his hands but his legs too.

He had already launched his attack with his right hand holding the deadly knife and was fully committed to it when he realized his blunder and by that time it was too late for Raman too launched himself and blocking the the knife holding right hand of Jamun with his left hand, instantly swivelled his wrist and gripping it delivered two knee blows to his rib cage, using both his knees, left then right and then his own right hand that was now holding his own knife did not hesitate and pierced the left eye of his foe.

The knife went in with such force that it buried itself to its hilt and Jamun fell down dead and was no more.

1: "What is the SHARPEST thing in this world?

"His people replied simultaneously: "The Sword.

"Buddha Answered: The sharpest is the "human tongue" Because, with the tongue, humans easily hurt the heart, hurt people's feelings, through slander etc ...

2: What is the MOST distant from us in this world?

Some replied: "Space, the moon, the sun."

Buddha Answered: The most distant is the "Past".

Whoever we are, however rich we may be, we cannot go back in time.

Therefore we must make good use of today and the time given to us.

3: What is the BIGGEST thing in this world?

Someone replied: "Mountain, Earth, Sun.

"Buddha Answered: The biggest thing in the world is "Lust".

Many humans become wretched because they indulge in their lusts.

All means are justified in order to realize the lusts of this world.

Therefore be careful with lust ..!

4: "What is the HARDEST (and has the MOST WEIGHT) in this world?

Someone replied: "Steel, iron, elephant."

Buddha Answered: The hardest thing is to "promise".

It's easy to say it but extremely hard to do it.

5: "What is the LIGHTEST thing in this world?

Someone replied: "Cotton, wind, dust, leaves."

Buddha Answered: The lightest in the world is humility, hence it is easy "to forget humility & to leave humility".Look at the many people who are chasing wealth and position, they simply dropped/left humility.

6: What is CLOSEST to us in this world?

Someone replied: "Parents, Friends, Friends, Relatives."

Buddha Answered: The closest to us is "DEATH". Because death is SURE and can happen any second.

Jannal Oram 392

Raman slowly sank to his knees and then slowly toppled sideways more out of sheer exhaustion and pain that

seemed to have found roots in all most his entire body.

Thinking that he was wounded and maybe even critically injured both V.K.Singh and Brigadier Sooryanarayanan rushed to him and gently lifted him and sat him up.

Raman smiled and the cuts in both his lips opened with the smile and began to leak blood and with his left eye now puffing up and making sight out of it impossible, he looked at them with his right eye and said ' I am okay. Just that, I think that he might have broken a few ribs on my left side to add to the already cracked and broken ones on the right.'

Both the old men looked at him with awe, pride and respect and V.K.Singh said ' Congratulations son, you did it and I never doubted you from the moment I gazed into your eyes.'

Raman did not reply and slowly looked at the Brigadier who stared at him with a rather vague expression and then he raised his right hand and saluted and said ' Please accept this old man's salute and respects and a father's gratitude and love.'

Raman's eyes turned moist with the tears and then he began to sob like a little boy and both the men threw their arms around him and held him like their own child.

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan whispered softly ' I lost a daughter but have found a son. I lost a child but have found an angel and a hero.'

V.K.Singh lit up a cigarette and blowing smoke into the cold dark night asked ' why son, why did you put yourself through that beating knowing very well that he could have killed you?'

Raman replied ' It takes a toll, sir, a terrible toll on our will and mind, all these deaths and killings. It became unbearable to have so much blood on my hands, even though the dead deserved death and far worse. Then, killing this woman and learning that she had been with a child, numbed my senses and deadened my limbs and maybe that is why I could not fight or move properly the first few minutes.'

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan looked at Raman curiously ' what happened in the end? for both of you moved so quickly and then he just fell to the ground, dead and just like that it was all over. How?'

Raman looked at him searchingly as if the answer the question was buried in the questioner's face and then slowly raised his muddy hands ' I don't know sir. I just willed myself to move and my body moved and acted and reacted on its own accord.'

Then he slowly gripped V.K.Singhs hands and said ' Boss, can I ask you for a favor?'

With a smile, V.K.Singh nodded and said ' Anything Ram and I will gladly do it.'

' Sir, allow me to give all three of them a proper cremation.'

V.K.Singhs eyes opened wide with emotion and he nodded and then with the help of the Brigadier, they slowly raised their wounded warrior to his feet. Raman wobbling on his feet thanked them and then watched as the six commandos joined both their seniors and all of them stood in front of him and saluted him.

V.K.Singh's voice roared like thunder ' Major Raman, welcome to our squadron and congratulations on your success.'

Raman was about to raise his hand to return the salute and he froze midway and mumbled ' Major Raman? Did you just call me Major?'

நம்ம மொழி செம்மொழி..!!

"அம்மா".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"அப்பா".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"தம்பி".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"தங்கை".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"மகன்".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"மகள்".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"காதலி".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"மனைவி".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"தாத்தா".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"பாட்டி".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"பேரன்"..மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"பேத்தி".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

இவை அனைத்தும்.. அடங்கிய..

"உறவு".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

உறவில் மேம்படும்..

"பாசம்".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

பாசத்தில் விளையும்..

"அன்பு".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

அன்பில் வழியும்..

"காதல்".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

காதலில் வரும்..

"வெற்றி".. யும்

மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"தோல்வி"..யும்

மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"காதல்" தரும் வலியால் வரும்..

"வேதனை".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

வேதனையின் உச்சகட்டதால்

வரும்..

"சாதல்".. மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

சாதலில் பறிபோகும்..

"உயிர்"..மூன்றெழத்து..!!

இது நான் எழுதிய..

"கவிதை".. என்றால்..

அதுவும் மூன்றெழுத்து..!

இது

"அருமை".. என்றால்.. அதுவும்

மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"மொக்கை".. என்றால்..

அதுவும் மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

கமெண்ட்ஸ் எப்படி வருமோ..

என்ற

"கவலை".. யும்

மூன்றெழுத்து..!

"நட்பு".. என்ற மூன்றெழுத்தில்

இணைந்து படித்த..

அனைவருக்கும்

"நன்றி".. என்பதும்

மூன்றெழுத்து..!!

"மூன்று"..உம்

மூன்றெழுத்தே..!!

இவை அனைத்தும் அடங்கிய..

"தமிழ்".. உம் மூன்றெழுத்தே..!!

Good morning. I wish you a beautiful day. All the best.

“Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” ― Buddha

With the first light, we see better and feel better. The moment we lock eyes with the sun, we know it is going to be a good day. A day to hope for the better and to feel better. I close my eyes and burn and then cast away the ashes of yesterday and negative thoughts and memories and for a little time at least under the watchful eye of the Sun, I am truly myself.

Every ray of light and every beam that pierces through my armor made of Ego and anger and shatters it and throws it away into the dust.

I often close my eyes and whisper to myself ' Yes, I too have a purpose. I too have a job to do and do it to the best of my ability.'

I don't know why but I feel every day is a second chance, a rebirth, and a cause for celebration.

Yes, I do and often get that look ' WTF are you so happy about, you madman and I either smile sweetly in surrender or if the look is too mean and scary, turn away from its intense glare and meaning. I do both for I know very well and understand very well what the look means for many I time my eyes beamed that same look to others.

I sit quietly in contemplation and in solitude, though not for long for either my cold nosed, furry four-legged pals will try to either sit on my lap or smooch me or my two-legged friends will sit down next to me and try to make a conversation that in the end is mostly about nothing and meaningless and my vacant sweet look conveys that very clearly to them.

Some understand while some don't and some fret and fume and many go away cursing ' loosu, loosu payan.'

o..a, Shashi Tharoor pesura English stylula sonna accept pannuve. Aanaa, Kuzhanthaikkum puriyara mathiri sonna, loosunu pattam kattare. Enna koduma Saravana.'

In the coming red dawn and in the pleasant November air, I sit with yesterday in the early morning dawn and with the new sunrise, rise with the present and today.

The sunrise is my daily Homa and I offer my thoughts, ego and useless needs and passions to its fire and let it burn away.

I can see. I can hear. I can think. I can talk. I can walk.

But, most importantly, I can smile, with my lips and my eyes and let the soul sing out through both.

Rise every moment for the body is grounded but the spirit is meant to rise and roam the heavens as a free spirit.

If at the age of 52 and in my middle-age, I cannot talk, share these thoughts, then when can I do that or will be able to do that.

So, please bear and most importantly please understand my non-stop commentary of life's historic match that is not a five day or one day match but decades old and a little more to run.

These words and thoughts are sent out only to a precious few who I love, respect and trust very much.

Jannal Oram 393

Raman slowly lowered his hand and looked at V.K.Singh, Brigadier Sooryanarayanan and the six commandos that stood before him and said ' Sir, don't you think you are taking my involvement with this assignment a bit too seriously and also getting too involved in my future.'

V.k.Singh blowing cigarette smoke into the night air that was thankfully carried away by the cool monsoon breeze replied ' what will you do Major? what do you plan to do after all this? go back and stand in your court dressed in black and plead for all those b.s...s who cheat this nation by evading and avoiding payment of taxes. Will you go back and stand among all those civilians and plead with the judges in cases of property litigations and divorce cases?'

He flicked the cigarette butt into the night and moving closer to Raman, looked into his eyes searchingly ' or will you come and work for us and save hundreds, maybe thousands of innocent lives from terrorists and other enemies of this nation.'

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan spoke to Raman who looked up sharply and with surprise for the senior army man's was choked with emotion ' Ram, I have seen many battles, been involved in many fights and killed many enemies, most who deserved it and sadly some who just got in the way. But, let me tell you that I have not seen someone so gifted of both body and mind and more importantly so gifted with a great soul. You might think that this is an old man blabbering but it is not.'

Raman looked at both of them ' What would you have me do?'

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan in a pleading tone ' I am not going to get involved with V.k's proposal. But, I will do one thing and that is beg of you to not waste your talent and skills. They are God-given gifts and given for a specific reason and purpose.'

He pointed first to Jamun aka Dhanraj Malik's dead body and then to the dead Gulab in the grave ' These two were one of the most dreaded killers and have been on Interpol for nearly five years now and you took them down in a matter of days and also killed them with your bare hands.'

V.K.Singh said ' forget this man here, his woman would have given almost most men a run for their money and most probably she would have killed most in single combat. Yet, here you are, victorious and still standing and a champion in the end.'

Raman smiled ' Okay, guys, okay enough of all the flattery and hard selling points. '

He looked at both of them ' This is not something that I can decide on my own. I am not on my own and you know what that means. I have a family and my wife is with our child and if I do take up on your offer, then I will be placing them right in the center of the cross-hairs of all enemies that our organization will be facing and make them targets and place them in continous and clear and present danger.Non-stop.Period.'

V.K.Singh waved Raman's protests away as if they were mere insects buzzing in the air ' what about us? How do you think we and others in this business have lasted all this while, son? Do you think that we are all single and lead a bachelor life? Do you think we came out of an egg? Of course, we too have wives and families. of course we are always in danger. But, then there are ways to counter all that.'

Brigadier Sooryanarayanan looked at Raman, 'son, death, and danger are present everywhere and none of us know what lies around the corner. Don't people die every day through accidents and disease? Don't we read every day in the paper about rapes, murders and honor killings?' Honestly, you and your family will be safer and well protected with us than as a civilian on the outside.'

V.K.Singh gently placed both his hands on Raman's shoulders ' No hurry Ram. Talk to your people and take your time for any way you will have lots of it will you recover from your broken ribs and other injuries.'

Raman nodded ' will do sir and I think it is time we called it a night?'

Raman took the large I-PAD that he had given to one of the commandos and then called the four and Preetha answered ' Boss, we followed your orders and passed on the message to Police Commissioner Vishwanathan , and it was just as you told us it would be. The Commissioner found all the cars and using the Bomb disposal unit, removed all the bombs from the cars that both the killers had been using.'

Shaji's voice came through loud and clear and Raman and the rest listened to him ' sir, we use the same methods that you used to track the black Santro that the killer was using to reach the place where his woman was buried and we found two houses that they had been using, one very near your house in Adyar and the other near Kelambakkam.'

Balbir's enthusiastic Punjabi voice tore through their ears ' Bhaiya, aap sach much ek real hero hai. Kya baat hai bhaiya. kamaal kardiya aapne.'

V.K.Singh's softly gowled ' could you four tell me as to why I was not told about these plans and also the reasons why I was kept out of the loop?'

All four fell silent and V.K.Singh looked at Raman with a childish glint in his eyes ' By the way, I know that all four of you hacked into my medical files and that you know about my condition.'

They all heard the groans, yelps, and squeals of fear and panic and all four blaming each other and then finally, Preetha spoke ' Sir, we were very worried about you for it was plainly visible that something was off with you.'

Clearing her throat, she whispered softly ' my dad died due to lung cancer and I knew the symptoms very well and I suspected the same with you. It was I who coerced the others to help me get into your files. If anybody should be punished then it is me, sir.'

Saying this, she broke down and began to cry and then still crying, she said ' we all look up to you and we all feel you are like our very own father.'

V.K.Singh's eyes filled with tears but it did not show in his voice and he said ' I am going to let it go this time. But, if this happens again then you will have to face the consequences of your follies. Is that understood?'

All four from the base whispered ' yes sir.'

' I am sorry, what was that?'

All four yelled ' Yes sir. We understand' so loudly that Raman had to hurriedly reduce the volume on the I-PAD.

Good morning. I wish you a beautiful day. All the best.

Some wear their hearts openly

Some swear their beliefs openly

Some, wear, swear their hatred of other hearts and beliefs openly and care not two hoots as to what I, you and others think and worry about. They brook no argument or debate and wear and swear their hate and vengeance openly.

The past few years, you see more of such people coming out of their lairs and seem to be finally crawling out of the darkness and they can be technically called Fanatics.

What scares me the most is that most of us, who call ourselves Hindus don't agree or see any similarity with these fanatics.

And fanatics from any faith are scary and can do real damage, to both life and property.

It is largely true that many Hindu temples were destroyed and desecrated and mosques were built on top of them.

But, that was many centuries ago. It is largely true that many lakhs of Hindus were converted, forced to convert to Islam. But, that too was many centuries ago.

What is true is that the religion called Christianity has been doing more conversions than the Islam faith?

That there is a difference and a vast gulf between Jesus and the religion in his name is my belief and only my opinion.

But then, there is a gulf between what has been said and what is being done in the name of religion in all faiths and all over the world.

Yesterday morning, I encountered a fanatic who kept invoking Shiva and kept telling me and all that he cast his eyes on that Shiva is the one true God.

I being the naive dodo said softly' boss, don't you think your words will hurt the sentiments of others who believe in Gods other than Shiva' and his reply was quick, lightning-quick ' I care a f..k about those from other faiths and they can go to hell.'

I am sorry but I turn a coward when I am faced with such hatred. Physical violence I know to tackle, handle and bear but not such poison and hatred.

I did what I do best at such times and which was look at my watch and tell no one in particular ' God, I am so late for work ' and run in the opposite direction.

I am not very learned or worldly-wise. But, I know one thing and have been aware of it from a very young age and that is, Love is the name of God, and Love is God's only language. and Love is the only way forward in all situations.

I know, naive f..k.r. But, that is me and I am like this only.

Now, my biggest problem is how am I going to evade, avoid this person every day and when I am on the beach.

Change my routine, what else to do?

Caelica 83 By Baron Brooke Fulke Greville

You that seek what life is in death,

Now find it air that once was breath.

New names unknown, old names gone:

Till time end bodies, but souls none.

Reader! then make time, while you be,

But steps to your eternity.

India’s only FM channel for fisherfolk,in Tamil Nadu’s Rameswaram island, is changing lives

by G C Shekhar, Outlook, 07 November 2019

The open sea heaved and surged, and John Ravi was helpless—out on a fishing trip, a companion had suffered a heart attack. “Our first response was to give him water to sip. Only later did I learn that it could be counterproductive. Thankfully, the man rallied around sufficiently for us to turn back and rush him to hospital.”

Today, Ravi can tackle a similar emergency with greater assurance—thanks to a doctor’s advice on ‘Kadal Osai’ (Sounds of the Sea) FM station. Later, Ravi attended a Red Cross workshop organised by the channel on how to handle such mid-sea crises. “For fishermen like me Kadal Osai has opened up a new world. We are better equipped not only to handle our boats but our lives too,” he says.

Launched in August 2016 and transmitting out of Rameswaram island, Kadal Osai 90.4 FM is the brainchild of Armstrong Fernando, a fisherman who felt the need for a vibrant community network after the 2014 tsunami. He studied a farmers’ community FM service in Dindigul and decided on a FM station of, by and for fisherfolk.

Eschewing a basic set-up -- considering its limited geographical reach around Rameswaram island -- Armstrong decided to invest in the best. He spent over Rs 2 crore on a state-of-the-art studio, purchased the finest German equipment and gave his reporters two- wheelers and a SUV to scout around the island to peek into fisherfolk’s lives.

“We needed a powerful transmitter, so that fishermen even 10 km out in the sea can listen to our programmes. Better audio quality also makes them feel closer home. Unlike most community FM stations, ours is a 24-hour broadcast, as fishing and related activities go on round the clock,” explains Armstrong.

The daily broadcast starts with an update on weather, fuel prices, areas for good catch (through satellite information by the fisheries department) and market demand for fish. Then there are useful alerts: for instance, if there is going to be a daylong power cut in the island, so that those out to sea can bring in a reduced haul, as there may not be enough ice to preserve their catch.

Similarly, tricks to preserve fuel, information on how trawling damages marine life like turtles and subsidies and facilities offered by the government keep educating fishermen.

The programmes also touch on social conditions of the community. “The practice of marrying off girls once they turn 17 is still prevalent. So we talk about educating girls beyond school; career counsellors talk about college courses suitable for them. In fact, many girls from fishing villages are at the forefront of the clean beaches and anti-pollution campaign and regularly speak on our shows about environment issues,” points out Gayathri Usman, Kadal Osai station head.

Alin, a dry fish-seller, has been a regular listener to many women-centric programmes. “Many of our children were not aware of ‘bad touch’ till an expert explained it. Marriage among close relatives, common in our community, which resulted in birth defects, is slowly becoming a bad word thanks to a systematic campaign by Kadal Osai. After we heard it on the radio our women SHGs too have joined the campaign against it,” she says.

The programme mix keeps youngsters tuned in too. “We highlight the work of young local entrepreneurs; the story of a young girl making and selling sanitary pads increased her business. Similarly, our guide about government job openings has seen youngsters of the area joining the central government and the armed forces. Other than All India Radio, we are probably the only radio sta­­t­ion doing this kind of service,” says Armstrong.

Kadal Osai is yet to see profits. Though the local traders who advertise bring in small change, Armstrong is determined to keep it running in spite of a monthly outlay of Rs 2 lakh in salaries for 11 employees and other operational expenses. “I have my income from my quarrying business to support this station, which has now become an integral part of the lives of over 50,000 fisherfolk here,” he says.