squirrel eating from my plate

squirrel drinking milk

Squirrels that were rescued from my moped

One day about two months back we found three offsprings of a squirrel under the seat of my unused moped. Some dogs of our friend sniffed them . We took the small off springs and put them in a basket along with the nest. I was worried about how to feed them. They were very tiny and used to mother's milk only. I put drops of milk through an ink-filler. The siblings started to drink the milk. For two or three days I found it difficult to feed them. Every two hours I used to feed them by putting drops of milk. Afterwards they are used to the ink-filler -filler feeding and theystarted holding the ink-filler and drink the milk. I am the mother for them now. Slowly when they started to grow I started to feed them with nuts and fruits. Now they have become part of my family. They used plasy with us very nicely. They would play on me. After a month or so they started to go out of the house and climb up the guava tree and mango tree that are gwon in my compound. But in the evening all the three would return to the house and sleep in the basket. After somedays
they did not want to confine themselves inthe basket and they used to sleep on my collar of my shirt. I found a solution for their peaceful sleep by folding the curtain of my house into a craddle. Now they sleep daily in the curtain-craddle. At 7.00 a.m they would leave the house. and return back home at about 5.pm. In between one particular squirrel which is attached to me would visit us when I take food and eat out of my plate. These photos I have published. Let God give them long life and exdpand their family.

Inflation

The prices of vegetables, milk, and other essential commodities are climbing up the ladder on perpetual manner. The reasoning out by the politicians is that due to oil price rise all commodities and services have become derarer. The vegetables which were available in the market for Rs. 10/- about a fortnight ago have gone up to Rs. 40/- to Rs.50/-.Prices of other commodities also have gone up likewise. The bus fare and auto fare have gone up hitting the commuters on their heads. The politicians especially of the ruling party invent excuses by giving the theory of demand supply and global inflation. They forget that commodities produced in India and sold in India also find place in their global inflation theory. Who is responsible for the rise in price of vegetables.? Who is responsible for the rise in prices of essential commodities? Is it American Govt. or European Countries? Gulf Countries? Govt. of India is not responsible?

What the Government and their officials are doing in controlling the prices? If any small businessman or entrepreneur wants to start a busines in a small way he has to bribe to the officials of Municipality, Corporation, Excise Department, commercial Tax Department, Sales Tax Department, Police Department and also the exortsists. All the bribes are loaded to the commodities and services and products. Apart from that, the traders also exploit the common man knowing fully well that the common man would buy the essential commodities irrespective of the cost. He tries to reap windfall profit. It is not the economic theory of demand and supply that causes the inflation but the corrupt practice of corrupt offcials that causes the inflation. The conventional economic theories contribute to the inflation only to some extent.

Politicians, Government Officials, businessmen et al do not shrink their daily or regular consumption due to price rise. Even if the price of 1 Kg of rice is sold for Rs.100/- they would consume the same quantity and quality of rice, if the okra is sold for Rs.50/- per Kg. they would continue to consume the usual quantity. But a common man who is living on his regular fixed income, or salary alone is hit below the belt. He has to find out a lower grade of rice, or other alternate cereals and forego taking vegetables on regular basis or wait for the prices to come down in the market. Neither the Government nor the opposition parties or for that matter any officials or business man are bothered about the common man. They continue to be corrupt and they do not want to mend their ways. If the corruption is curtailed either by law or by self discipline or moral obligation, the inflation would not have reached to the present level. This is only a hypothetical expectation. Common man has to suffer and struggle for a decent living as long as the corruption and corrupt politicians and officials rule the country. India is shining in corruption. Let us be pround of it.

"Swamy" Nithyananda

There is a lot of outcry about the "deeds" of Swamy Nithyananda. Many justify his action of sleeping with a cine actress and many condomn in all possible ways. The accused himself is justifying his action saying he has not committed anything against law of the land. The police of the State wherefrom the episoede was telecast wash off their hands since the cause of action did not occur in their soil. The Police of the soil where the incident happened are waiting for the case to be transferred to them from the other State. They have not taken any suo motto action on the basis of the the media reports, though they could have taken action. Keep this aside. Let us think of the accused and his actions.

In the first place he is a young and handsome man. Secondly he is not married. Thirdly he is having a lot of wealth at his disposal. It is quite natural he was drawn towards women in spite of his being a saffron robed person. It is quite natural for a human being of his age. Under which script or law he was prohibited from having relationship with women. Who are the people who are against his having illicit relationship. The so called devotees. Who asked them to become his disciples or devotees? Did the so called Swamy compellled them to be his followers. Have they not gained by being his disciples or followers? What interest the so called deveotee Lenin has in probing the privacy of the Swamy? Has he not trespassed the Swamy's privacy. Is he not punishable under any Act of Law? If he did not like the way the Swamy was leading a happy life he should have left the place and pursue his own profession or job? By the way what is his antecedents? By his name it appears that he is a Christian. If it is so what business a Christian has in the Ashram of a Hindu "Sanyasin". If he wanted to purusue a religious way of life he should have joined a Christian Monastry. What he did is an atrocious act.

As per the media reports it seems that the video clip was taken about a year back. What made him keep quiet for such a long period. Why did not he release his video clip immediately? It is obvious that the person is a criminal minded person. He wanted to trap the Swamy and black mail him for ransom. He might have negotiated with may media. Why the media did not disclose his identity immedaitely after the release of the video clip? There is a lot of mystery sorrounding the character and antecedents of the videographer.

Why so many NGOs are burniong his effigies and destroy the property of the Ashram? There is a Government Machinery to probe into the matter and take action. NGOs have no business in this case. If public are affected let them convince the public how they are affected by the action of the Swamy. The NGOs are also not run by disciplinarians or by puritons. They also have their own weakness. The Swamy Nithyananda is not the only Swamy to entangle himself in sex scandel. Earlier also many Swamys faced such situation. Still many are being protected by their wealth and contacts. Who knows how pure they are in their preachings and practice. If people do not like the Swamy let them not follow him. Once all of his followers desert him he would be reduced to nothing. The only gainers out of this episode are police, politicians and rowdies. Public will not gain anything as usual and what they would enjoy is the hot story. Let us wait and see the drama.

floods in south India

After a prolonged delay in revival of monsoon, the monsoon revived itself in a ferrosious way flooding the two States of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. There was huge loss of men and material and loss of property. The Governments naturally turned to the common man for help instead of releasing the funds from the Government for relief work. Of course common man understands the worst affected common man's plight and liberally donated cash and kind to the political bowl bearers. In Karnataka the Chief Minister took "Paada Yaatra" i.e. walk along the streets and collected hundreds of crores of ruppes for the relief funds. As usual top political and Government leaders had a bird's eye view of the flood hit areas and announced relief funds. The Prime Minister was kind enough to announce that there was no paucity funds for flood relief works. However the Chief Minster of Karnataka Mr. Yeddiyurappa, in spite of having record collection of fund and aid from Central Government contemplates to impose new taxes on common man. The Common man does not understand the logic behind the impositin of new tax. There was a good collection and PM has announced that there was no paucity of funds for relief work. There where is the necessity of imposing new taxes. If at all funds are required for relief work why can't the MLAs, MPs, Ministers, big Industrialists, Businessmen contribute in crores. Every MLA and MP is having assets worth thousands of crores of rupees. Few hundred crores donation for the flood relief work won't make them poorer. Apart from being MLA, MP and Minister all politicians are owning Mines, Colleges, Universities, Industries, TV Channels, Film Distribution, Production companies. They earn hundreds of crores and have black money too. When these people could contribute to the full requirement of the relief work where is the need for taxing the common man. Is the Government bankrupt? Politicians know well public are fools and they could be deceived very easily. Further who knows how much funds are spent for the relief work and how much are pocketed by the politicians and their hencmen? Is the Government going to render account for the collection and spending?

Cost of Living in Chennai, India

Recently I read an article in the Sunday Express where in, the Cheapest cities in the world were categorised. Chennai, Capital city of Tamil Nadu had been given the 7th place in the order of cheapest cities. I was also under the same impression that Chennai is cheaper compared to other Indian Cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore etc., But my opinion about Chennai's cost of living was short lived. Recently I had been to Chennai. First my surprise was how people live in such a hot climate. In spite of very hot weather people swarm the shopping areas especially T.Nagar. I too visited the famous cloth shop Pothis and another Departmental Store Saravana Stores. I wondered whether the entire city population has come for shopping to T.Nagar. Now coming to the cost of living : nothing is cheaper. Everything is as costlier as in any other place and some items still more costly too. Only thing is people can spend their shopping time in A/c atmosphere and purchase most of the items undr one roof, provided your legs are stronger. These malls are nothing but explitation centres. People fall pray. the most shocking matter about Chennai is the cfost of food items. Once the city was known for its cheaper food items like Idly, dosai, vadai, and rice preparations. Today these items also have become more costly. There are two names in Chennai that make the public visit as a tourist attraction. Whoever comes to Chennai for shopping or for any other purpose would certainly visit any one of the chain ofhotels/restaurants run by these names. The foremost being Saravana Bhavan and next is Adyar Ananda Bhavan. Apart from these two another popular hotel is Triplcane Ratna Cafe. This hotel is having a branch in Chennai Central. These hotels/restaurants have made Chennai one of the costliest cities. What is available for Rs.15/- in Bangalore , another metropolitan centre, is priced @ Rs.25 or 30/- in Chennai hotels. Not only that, the size of the items also smaller than in Bangalore. I ordered for Onion Uthappam in Saravana Bhavan thinking the size would be as big as in Bangalore, but alas when it was brought by the waiter I was shocked to see that it was half the size of bangalore's uthappam. Price also Rs.30.25ps. How they worked out 0.25 ps and 0.75 paise god alone knows. It should be either Rs.25/- or Rs.30/-. Further I ordered for Idiappam . The waiter brought 2 idiappam with in sufficient side dish. that cost Rs.25.75ps. The same idiappam I took in Thrissur, Kerala, about ten days ago. There it cost Rs.20/- only for 4 nos. and it was quite sufficient. The side dish also was given in a reasonably big bowl instead of small cup. The big names of Chennai swindle the public . Public are the victims of exploitation of all sorts in Chennai. The only consoling factor is,the Bus fares are cheaper. Even by mistake one should not take an auto there. The auto drivers demand exhorbitantly and they cheat also. Though in other places also autodrivers exploit it is restricted to new visitors and at Railway Station and Bus stand. Otherwise they charge according to meter. In Chennai meters are only a fitting. The autos and taxis are run by the politicians, police and Government officers and rowdies. Public has no voice to point out the grievences. Who said Chennai is one of the cheapest cities. It is a cheat City.