Nature's nature

Phenomenal Wonders Of The Natural World! I found these quite fascinating and I am sure you will all do too. Thanks to a friend who sent me this interesting article. Sharing it here for all of us.

Sailing Stones

The mysterious moving stones of the packed-mud desert of Death Valley have been a center of scientific controversy for decades.

Rocks weighing up to hundreds of pounds
have been known to move up to hundreds of yards at a time.

Some scientists have proposed
that a combination of strong winds and surface ice account for these movements.

However, this theory does not explain evidence of
different rocks starting side by side
and moving at different rates and in disparate directions.

Moreover, the physics calculations do not fully support this theory
as wind speeds of hundreds of miles per hour
would be needed to move some of the stones.

Columnar Basalt

When a thick lava flow cools, it contracts vertically
but cracks perpendicular to its directional flow with remarkable geometric regularity
- in most cases forming a regular grid of remarkable hexagonal extrusions
that almost appear to be made by man.

One of the most famous such examples is
the Giant's Causeway on the coast of Ireland (shown above),
though the largest and most widely recognized
would be Devil's Tower in Wyoming .

Basalt also forms different but equally fascinating ways
when eruptions are exposed to air or water.


Blue Holes

Blue holes are giant and sudden drops in underwater elevation
that get their name from the dark and foreboding blue tone they exhibit
when viewed from above in relationship to surrounding waters.

They can be hundreds of feet deep
and while divers are able to explore some of them
they are largely devoid of oxygen that would support sea life
due to poor water circulation - leaving them eerily empty.

Some blue holes, however, contain
ancient fossil remains that have been discovered, preserved in their depths.

Red Tides

Red tides are also known as algal blooms
- sudden influxes of massive amounts of colored single-cell algae
that can convert entire areas of an ocean or beach into a blood red color.

While some of these can be relatively harmless,
others can be harbingers of deadly toxins
that cause the deaths of fish, birds and marine mammals.

In some cases, even humans have been harmed by red tides
though no human exposure are known to have been fatal.

While they can be fatal,
the constituent phytoplankton in ride tides are not harmful in small numbers.

Ice Circles

While many see these apparently perfect ice circles
as worthy of conspiracy theorizing,
scientists generally accept that they are formed
by eddies in the water that spin a sizable piece of ice in a circular motion.

As a result of this rotation,
other pieces of ice and flotsam wear relatively evenly at the edges of the ice
until it slowly forms into an essentially ideal circle.

Ice circles have been seen with diameters of over 500 feet
and can also at times be found
in clusters and groups of different sizes as shown above.


Mammatus Clouds

True to their ominous appearance,
mammatus clouds are often harbingers
of a coming storm or other extreme weather system.

Typically composed primarily of ice,
they can extend for hundreds of miles in each direction
and individual formations can remain visibly static
for ten to fifteen minutes at a time.

While they may appear foreboding
they are merely the messengers
- appearing around, before or even after severe weather.

Fire Rainbows

A circumhorizontal fire rainbow arc occurs at
a rare confluence of right time and right place for the sun and certain clouds.

Crystals within the clouds refract light
into the various visible waves of the spectrum
but only if they are arrayed correctly relative to the ground below.

Due to the rarity
with which all of these events happen in conjunction with one another,
there are relatively few remarkable photos of this phenomena.


Sinkholes

Sinkholes are one of the world's scariest natural phenomena.

Over time, water erodes the soil under the planet's surface
until in some cases, quite suddenly,
the land above gives way and collapses into the earth.

Many sinkholes occur naturally
while others are the result of human intervention.

Displacing groundwater can open cavities
while broken pipes can erode otherwise stable subterranean sediments.

Urban sinkholes, up to hundreds of feet deep
have formed and consumed parts of city blocks, sidewalks and even entire buildings.

Penitentes

Named after peak-hooded New Mexican monks (lower right above),
penitentes are dazzling naturally-forming ice blades
that stick up at sharp angles toward the sun.

Rarely found except at high altitudes,
they can grow up taller than a human and form in vast fields.

As ice melts in particular patterns,
'valleys' formed by initial melts leave 'mountains' in their wake.

Strangely, these formations ultimately slow the melting process
as the peaks cast shadows on the deeper surfaces below
and allow for winds to blow over the peaks, cooling them.


LenticularClouds

Ever wonder the truth about UFOs?

Avoided by traditional pilots but loved by sailplane aviators,
lenticular clouds are masses of cloud
with strong internal uplift that can drive a motorless flyer to high elevations.

Their shape is quite often mistaken
for a mysterious flying object or the artificial cover for one.

Generally, lenticular clouds are formed
as wind speeds up while moving around a large land object such as a mountain.

Light Pillars

Light pillars appear as eerily upright luminous columns in the sky,
beacons cast into the air above without an apparent source.

These are visible when light reflects just right off of ice crystals
from either the sun (as in the two top images above)
or from artificial ground sources such as street or park lights.

Despite their appearance as near-solid columns of light,
the effect is entirely created by our own relative viewpoint.


Sundogs

Like light pillars, sundogs are the product of light passing through crystals.

The particular shape and orientation of the crystals
can have a drastic visual impact for the viewer,
producing a longer tail and changing the range of colors one sees.

The relative height of the sun in the sky
shifts the distance the sundogs appear to be on either side of the sun.

Varying climactic conditions on other planets in our solar system
produce halos with up to four sundogs from those planets' perspectives.

Sundogs have been speculated about and discussed since ancient times
and written records describing the various attributes of our sun
date back the Egyptians and Greeks.


Fire Whirls

Fire whirls (also known as fire devils or tornadoes)
appear in or around raging fires
when the right combination of climactic conditions is present.

Fire whirls can be spawned by other natural events
such as earthquakes and thunderstorms,
and can be incredibly dangerous,
in some cases spinning well out of the zone of a fire itself
to cause devastation and death in a radius not even reached by heat or flame.

Fire whirls have been known to be nearly a mile high,
have wind speeds of over 100 miles per hour
and to last for 20 or more minutes.

Orange Moons

This last phenomena is something most people have seen before
- beautiful orange moon hanging low in the sky.

But what causes this phenomena
- and, for that matter, does the moon have a color at all?

When the moon appears lower on the horizon,
rays of light bouncing off it
have to pass through a great deal more of our atmosphere
which slowly strips away everything but yellows, oranges and reds.

The bottommost image above is true to the hues of the moon
but has enhanced colors to more clearly show the differences in shade
that illustrate the mixed topography and minerology
that tell the story of the moon's surface.

Looking at the colors in combination with the craters
one can start to trace the history of impacts
and consequent material movements across the face of our mysterious moon.

LAYING THE PATH TO EMPOWERMENT

The stark reality: Women in rural India are still suffering and empowerment is far away from them and here is Zubaida Bai fighting hard to alleviate this. In the interview she gave to us over mail as part of the "Getting to know the TED India Fellows better" series she speaks her mind on a number of issues surrounding rural women development and more.

Me: Hey Zubaida, could you tell us about yourself and your educational background?
Zubaida Bai (ZB): I am a mechanical engineer by profession. I went to Dalarna University, Sweden to study Product Development and design en-route to a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering. While working for three years in Chennai my hometown developing products for the rural poor, I realized there exists a big gap between the existence of appropriate technologies and their reach to this under-served section of the society. AYZH a venture I found with my husband Habib Anwar, a good friend and colleague Kellen McMartin and advisor Paul Hudnut, helps fill the gaps in the system and is the medium for helping and empowering women. I am currently pursuing the Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise (GSSE) program at Colorado State University (CSU) and it was here the idea of venture became a reality.

Me: With this kind of academic profile, what were your inspiration(s) to take up initiatives to improve living standards of rural women?
ZB: I am not a desk person. It is essential for me to be out in the field, interact with people and learn from my experiences every day. This led to me taking up a position with the Lemelson Foundation’s initiative in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology – Chennai, and Rural Innovations Network in India, I offered technological and business advice on product development and design to rural innovators and helped bring innovations to market. Being technically involved with grassroots innovations and innovators allowed me to help with the empowerment of people.

Me: How it feels to be a TED India fellow?
ZB: It is a great honor.

Me: From where do you derive all the more energy and passion to stride forward?
ZB: If it was not for the strong support, belief and constant encouragement from my husband and our little monster I would not have the energy to keep on keeping on. In addition to them, my family and friends who have always stood by me, the AYZH team, Amy Smith (MIT) who has this invisible energy which drives her passion and just the thought of it keeps me going. Finally, the GSSE family at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.


Me: What is AYZH all about?

ZB: AYZH is a social venture looking through the eyes of women to identify the tools they want and need to help improve their standard of living. AYZH serves the needs of impoverished women worldwide by bringing them affordable appropriate technologies that increase income and/or improve health.
AYZH is committed to two core sectors that serve as the backbone of the economy in developing communities: Health and Livelihood.

Me: Your observations on the state of rural women in India.
ZB: Rural women have very little voice and no knowledge or means of improving their social and economic status. Several initiatives have been taken by the government and welfare organizations but only a few have achieved their goal. It is difficult to talk about empowerment of women when the basic necessities of life are not approachable to them.
What would you say if you were offered a job putting in 12-hour days working in the field, coming in out of the hot sun only to care for your children home from school because they have fallen ill from the water they drink, fearing how you will make ends meet to feed your family, earning little pay and no respect? This is current occupation for more than 1.2 billion rural women living on less than $2/day.

Me: Were there any challenges while taking technology to alleviate physical labor and improve quality of life and economic power of rural women and how successfully was it overcome?
ZB: Having started very recently, we have been faced with immense challenges in terms of access to distribution networks that can reach our target market, competition from non profit and charitable institutions. We are working on putting in place key partnerships self-help groups and key manufacturing & logistics organizations and this will be our-strategy to overcome and address these seemingly grand challenges.

Me: How important it is to empower rural women?
ZB: Without a woman this world would not have existed. It is important and utmost necessary to make rural women empowered in taking decisions to enable them to be in the central part of any human development process. The empowerment of women also considered as an active process enabling women to realize their full identity and power in all spheres of life. The development of women and their active participation in the main stream of development process is not just important but essential need for the future.

AYZH serves the needs of impoverished women worldwide by selling them affordable appropriate technologies that improve health and increase income. AYZH is about a commitment beyond just identifying technologies and making them accessible to women; it is a commitment to opening women’s eyes to their own potential and giving them the tools to achieve it.

Me: When would you deem the goal of your mission successful?
ZB: I would deem the goal of my mission being successful when I reach at least half the women rural population in India and help them gain access to better health and livelihood. I say half because at AYZH, we believe our success will create positive competition to reach the other half.

Me: One best moment of your life that you want to relive.
ZB: The day I was blessed with a child.

Me: If blessed with a boon, what would you wish for?
ZB: Healthy women leading to a healthy world

Me: Any interests or hobbies that you escape to?
ZB:Family, Long drives and cooking.

A FIGHTER FOR ALL HUMANITY!!

Here is the excerpt of the interview I had over mail with Tahir Amin, Co-founder of I-MAK,which is an organization that is trying to fill up a void in the existing landscape by consolidating legal and scientific expertise, usually housed in the pharmaceutical industry, to act in the public interest



Me: Tahir Amin in 140 characters….
Tahir Amin (TA): Perseverance, determined, rigorous, creative, artful, passionate, honest, sporty, spiritual, philosophical, with a thirst for knowledge.

Me: Could you tell us about your childhood and educational background?
TA: My parents left Pakistan in 1962 and arrived in England as economic migrants. The youngest of 3 children, I was born and raised in a small working class coal mining town called Doncaster in the county of Yorkshire, England.

My father worked in the same factory in Doncaster doing manual labour work for 35 years, my mother a homemaker. Neither had more than a basic education, with little knowledge of the English language.

Doncaster was pre-dominantly a white working class town. Racism and skirmishes at school were par for the course. From a young age I had a love for football (soccer) and would spend all my spare time and more playing the game. At school I was academically in the top part of my year and excelled in all sports, including captaining the school football team. However, as I began to focus more on football and seeking an apprenticeship with a professional football club, my grades started to suffer. The drop-out rate at my comprehensive school was high and many of my classmates spent time in prison at one time or other after school.

I decided after completing my GCSE’s (at the age of 16) to leave school and go to a local college to do my A-levels (entrance exams for University). I still harboured ambitions to play football professionally, but started to get interested in legal studies. Eventually getting to University became my priority, where I got my law degree and post-graduate degree. I still managed to play football semi-professionally during University.

Me: What is I-MAK all about?
TA: I-MAK is a team of lawyers and scientists increasing access to affordable medicines by making sure the patent system works.
We believe:
•The patent system was designed to balance innovation in medicines and the dissemination of new treatments to society.
•The current patent system disproportionately represents and upholds private interests over the public good. This can and must change.
•Such change should be informed by patients' needs.
•Armed with the best evidence, our lawyers and scientists are giving the public a voice in a system that impacts their health and lives.

Me: Can you tell us about the experiences that have led you to start I-MAK and what’s innovative about it?
TA: For me it started when I was working as a corporate intellectual property lawyer. I began to see how companies were using their financial muscle and influence to privatise goods, information and even language that should be in the public domain in order to control the knowledge economy and gain profit.

I then left the corporate world to see how intellectual property rights (IPRs) were affecting the developing world. I went to India and worked with a local NGO researching IPRs and the public interest. Whilst I was there between 2004-2006, the Indian Government was pushing through a new patent law that would give companies monopolies on drugs. Knowing how this could affect prices of medicines (having seen prices skyrocket in other developing countries that had implemented new patent laws) I worked with HIV/AIDS patients, local NGOs to ensure the new law took into consideration patient needs. Seeing HIV/AIDS and cancer patients not being able to afford medicines because of IPRs, or some even passing away, made my Co-Founder (now my wife who I met in India working on these issues) and I realise we needed to do more.

So we started an intervention to file legal challenges at the Indian Patent Office to prevent patents being granted for drugs that were not merited on legal and scientific grounds. For the first time we had created a group of actors who were intervening in the patent system with respect to pharmaceutical products.

Although we continue these patent challenges and have been successful, we knew we needed to reach more countries and people. So we have decided to use the biggest public space to do this, the internet. We are building an open source database that will make transparent patent information on drugs (something which is a huge problem as companies like to keep this information as secret as possible, even though it should be public). The database will also provide anyone who wants to know (e.g. patient groups government health ministers or government patent offices in under-resourced developing countries) with evidence and information which can be used to challenge a patent on a drug which is not merited. As part of the project we intend to make available scientific literature relating to drug patents that is usually only available through expensive subscriptions to publishing houses – which many people in the developing world can’t access. By doing so, we want to make knowledge and information on pharmaceutical patents freely available while at the same time make access to medicines affordable.

Me: When does a patent become an impediment to access essential medicines?
TA: A person/company, who is granted a patent for an invention e.g. a compound for a medicine, gets 20 years exclusivity to be the only one to produce and market the invention. As patent rights are territorial, companies usually file patents in each country of interest to prevent imports/exports from one market to the other.

The problem with pharmaceutical patenting is that companies deliberately file several patents on one drug (known as patent clusters), to deter other companies (i.e. generic companies who could make a more affordable version) from entering the market. Many of these patents are trivial changes to existing inventions, which if examined properly would never be granted. But because patent offices around the world from the U.S. to countries in Africa are understaffed and under-resourced, many patents are granted when they shouldn’t be. As a result, many affordable versions of drugs never come to the market and the patent holder is able set prices that the market will bear.

Me: Your comments on the need for an electronic patent database in India. How does the lack of it hinder the opposition mechanism?
TA: When we started filing oppositions in India, there was no electronic database provided by the Indian Patent Office (IPO). We basically had to trawl through thousands and thousands of PDF pages. This made our work immensely difficult.

The IPO now provides a form of an electronic database, but it is far from complete and useful. For example, you still cannot access the full patent document, the status of an application or the examiner comments relating to a patent via the IPO database. We, and others, are still pushing the IPO to do a more complete job of the database. In the meantime, we try and make as much of the information we get public.

Me: Adding to the previous question, how different is the Indian patent system from the American and European patent systems on a surface level basis?
TA: From an access to information perspective, the U.S/E.U patent systems are far ahead. One can access full patent documents, carry out complex searches and review examiners comments.

However, from legal perspective, India has better provisions in its laws to protect against patent abuse – but only if used correctly and with vigilance from civil society and generic competitors.

Me: Social entrepreneurship according to you is……
TA: Doing something that no one has done or thought possible to do.

Me: Tell us about your achievements in life that you look back with pride.
TA: Looking at my parents background, where I came from and where I am today in terms of my personal health, life, education, knowledge and opportunities – I feel a huge sense of pride.

Me: The one biggest mistake of your life and the lessons you learnt from it…
TA: Not believing in myself – something that changed about 8 years ago. Lesson learned – you can do anything you put your mind to.



Me: You have been fighting hard to achieve access to affordable medicines and you have succeeded too. What were the challenges that you had to face in this exciting journey?
TA: A lot of politics and naysayers, both in the community we work in and outside. Not earning a salary for the first two years. Sleeping on floors/couches as we set I-MAK up. Not knowing where we would live or set I-MAK up. All this whilst my partner and I were convincing our respective Hindu/Muslim parents that we were going to get married!

Me: What is that, that keeps you move ahead?
TA: That there are those who do not have a voice and we must be their eyes/ears to ensure they do not suffer injustices. That gives me the belief to persevere.

Me: Granted a boon, what would you wish for?
TA: A victory in a case we are currently involved in which could help save the lives of millions.

Me: What drew you to TED and how has it shaped your thoughts?
TA: The eclectic nature of the people that make up TED - their energy and ideas. It is inspiring to be a part of a community that is trying to improve the lot of humans and it reminds me that we all have our little bit to do. By coming together with our individual parts, the sum is something special. It also helps to know you are not alone.

Me: Your words of wisdom to youngsters dreaming to be social change creators.
TA: Always believe and do not listen to people who say it can’t be done. Always stay humble, treat everyone fairly and remember that social change starts with you first.

RIDING THE HIGH TIDE

Svati Bhogle, of TIDE, won the Energy Champion Ashden Award in 2008 for TIDE's work with biomass stoves and this year she has been nominated as TED India fellow.

In this interview she speaks her mind on how technology can be taken forward to develop rural areas, the hurdles she has crossed in taking them to the end users and so on.


Me: Svati, Could you give us an idea about yourself?

Svati Bhogle(SB): I think I am temperamentally an academic. I have ventured into socially sensitive science and now into social businesses as an academic exercise to create and share knowledge of how institutions for social transformation are created and nurtured.

Me: A Masters in Chemical engineering from IIT-Bombay and work experience at Hindustan Lever Research Center for about a year what was the inspiration that shifted your interest to research in technology for development?

SB: This is also an extension of the research experience. I think I had great mentors during my formative professional years who gently nudged me to think differently such as Dr. S S Kalbag at the Hindustan Lever Research Centre, and then Prof Amulya Reddy at the Indian Institute of Science. Their vision of a socially engaged scientist and their commitment to their conviction was highly motivating and inspiring.



Me: Many congratulations on being awarded the Green Oscar (i.e.) the Ashden award for the year 2008 and being nominated as a TED India fellow. Could you give us a brief background about TIDE and on the work for which you received the award?

SB: Thank you. TIDE was conceived as a link organization between technology generating institutions and end users of technology who are usually the neediest people. We developed a social enterprise model where we transferred fuel efficient technology to small town entrepreneurs completely and helped them to set up small businesses in fuel efficient stove dissemination for artisanal industries. We also supported them to build markets and enabling mechanisms for adaptation and acceptance of innovative technology. These small enterprises have sold over 10,000 stoves, dryers and kilns to informal industries like areca boiling, silk reeling, herbal medicine preparation, textile dyeing etc. which has helped save more than 30,000 tons of firewood every year because of which the rural industries have been able to increase their productivity and profitability.

Me: With the city limits fast expanding what do you think would be the best option to meet the dynamically changing water demand?

SB: We need a more equitable distribution of water. We must reduce the water wastage by the rich and also increase access and availability of water to the water starved people. We need to tackle this both on the demand side and the supply side, through policy, technology, information and effective implementation.

Me: Any bottlenecks that you see while taking forward technology to bring about transformation in rural areas. Is there a project which initially showed poor user participation but was a huge hit later?

SB: Yes of course there are bottlenecks all the way and all the time. They choke and slow down the development process, very similar to traffic jams. The development jargon says identify barriers, develop barrier removal strategies and implement them effectively. We normally classify them into information, technology, finance barriers etc. But the bottlenecks are evolving and dynamic and by now we are able to visualize and anticipate bottlenecks and plan for them.

We were struggling with a fuel efficient jaggery making stove so that use of very polluting automobile tyres as fuel could be eliminated and surplus biomass could be created for over a decade. The field trials were successful but encountered bad roads and speed breakers all the way. We are not yet at a huge hit situation but local masons are building 5 stoves every month in the Belgaum region. The worst is over I guess.

Me: When would you deem the goal of a rural technology mission successful?

SB: This again has been a dynamic definition for us. We first believed that a successful prototype demonstration defined success, then went on to say, commercial exploitation of a technology or a product. Our current definition is rapid adoption of technology and the search and research continues.

Me: How best do you think the concept of entrepreneurship can be taken to the rural women?

SB: Women’s entrepreneurship in the rural context is more complex. It requires, changing of conventional gender roles as the first step. This means that women must first free themselves from their routine tasks and create time and space for them to learn and to change. The family also has to accept the process of empowerment. We need to first create a level playing field for them. Family consent and support is extremely vital because women’s entrepreneurship is also about managing domestic and professional complexities. Beyond this the challenges are similar but rural women tend to prefer conventional enterprises like food processing etc. They need to venture into less crowded options.

Me: “Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites.” said William Ruckelshaus. As responsible world citizens what should be done by each one of us to make the earth a good place to live?

SB: May be just concentrate on the need and give the greed a good bye.

Me: Any other interests you are passionate about.

SB: Yes of course but one at a time.

A MASTER OF ALL TRADES

This is the first in the series of interviews to know more about the TED India fellows,their views, thoughts and interests. This post would feature the interview I had over mail with Sanjukta Basu.

“There is nothing extra-ordinary about me except that I refuse to be ordinary at every turn of the road.”

Her interests: Anything under the sun.
Her mission: Empower women.

Here is the excerpt of the interview:

Me: Sanjukta, could you give us a brief background about yourself?

Sanjukta Basu(SB):I am a lawyer turned social media enthusiast, women and LGBT rights activist and more. I presently work for a non profit organization Breakthrough.


Me: Many congratulations on being nominated as a TED India Fellow. Below are the words that you wrote on your blog on being nominated:

“As I looked through the list of my fellow TED fellows I felt how insignificant my academic achievements are in comparison to them. I don’t have no foreign degrees or Phds, I didn’t go to Harvard, I am no IITian, IIMite or ISBite, I am no school topper, I never won a medal or a trophy for academics. I graduated out of ordinary school and college with medium grades.”

What do you think has brought you this far?

SB: Well I think it’s my unique individuality that has got me this far, I often say, “There is nothing extra-ordinary about me except that I refuse to be ordinary at every turn of the road.” I try to think out of the box in everything I do, I dare to do things no one else have done, though it may not be something too big.


Me: Goes a saying “Anything that refuses to change ceases to exist”. Is this the reason for “Change” being your much preferred hobby?

SB: Well for me change is the only way forward otherwise I get bored in this journey called life. Life wouldn’t be worth while if we all just did the same things, have same dreams, follow same pursuits etc all our lives. Some of us do that, and I wonder how? My father for example, he did the same job for 40 years, I can’t do that. I need to change myself constantly more than anything else.



Me: A woman, a world citizen, prolific writer, activist, blogger, lawyer, photographer and so on. If I may ask, what is the next facet that you want to add to your bag of talents and why?

SB: To be honest I don’t know what is next. I didn’t add any of the above things in my bag consciously, it’s not like I woke one morning and decided I wanna be a blogger now, or photographer, those things just happened. But there’s one that that’s sure, I would keep doing exciting projects related to women’s empowerment, travel, writing, social media etc. And I would continue to share my life through my writings. Sometimes you learn just by witnessing someone’s life.


Me: You have set your marks on a variety of fields. What drives you to move ahead with all the more energy and passion?

SB: One thing that drives me always is a constant effort to bridge gaps. Every where I look I see people living in their own little worlds oblivious to the pain and sorrow of other’s. There is just too much gap between various classes and communities, the rich-poor, straight-gay. We need to know about other people to understand them. With social media and the power of web publication we can now bring communities together, something that I try to achieve. The other thing that keeps me going is love for travel, meeting new people. If one pays for my travel, stay and food I would jump into any assignment. All I need is my laptop, camera, broadband and I am sorted :)


Me: Can you share with us about the people who have shaped or touched your lives?

SB: My family to begin with - Mom, dad, sister. My sister and I grew up in different times; She’s almost a decade younger than me. Yet I never went too far, instead I waited for her to catch up with me. So it’s like I had a ‘growing up’ twice. I learnt and unlearned a lot of things with her as she grew up. She is also my greatest critic so we fight a lot, fights are learning process too.

And then some of the men I dated, some of them were nice, but some were horrible mistakes, we learn from our mistakes specially me. And may be Aamir Khan too for a bit.

Me: Most of your poems seem to be the reflections of your search for true love. According to you, true love means………

SB: I think true love is a momentous ecstatic feeling which transcends all materialistic pleasures, desires, logic etc. It’s a moment when you want to give your everything to someone, you want to lose yourself and be one with the person you love. It is not necessarily a union of bodies but of minds. It might not have anything to do with worldly arrangements like marriage and procreation. I would say what Meera Bai felt for lord Krishna was true love.


Me: Where do you think you are now, in your efforts to use blogging extensively to reach out to the less privileged? How successful has it proved to be?

SB: I think I have only just started; it’s a long way to go. I want to see myself opening up social media centers in every village in India putting them on world map. I am far from achieving that as of now. But there are other things I am proud of. I inspire people to think differently, I inspire them to think, communicate, question. I am particularly proud of my efforts to bringing many people together as bloggers community. There are small things that matter a lot, for eg I am aware that there are people who found love, friends via these communities, people who rediscovered their own potential. These are achievements albeit insignificant.


Me: Do you see enough provisions in the Indian Penal Code to try the increasing crimes against women and children? What are the changes (if any) that you would like to be amended in the legislature as a lawyer and as a woman?

SB: I think yes. Though there is always space for more laws on marital rape, rape within intimate same sex relationships etc. But the laws we already have is considerably a lot, if not enough, to tackle crimes against women provided, and that’s an all caps ‘PROVIDED’ laws are followed, proper action are taken when they are broken, police and judiciary act honestly. As of now, none of these conditions are achieved. Half of the people don’t care about law they break it and then get away with it because of corrupt systems. System will change only when we introduce gender sensitization in the very patriarchal structure of police and judiciary.


Me: What would be your words of guidance to people wanting to be like you?

SB: He he, that’s quite a question. I am not sure how many people want to be like me; I mean am not a star. But I have a few tips – Always dare to be different, find an excuse for a change. Be honest to your heart always; remember truth is the greatest safety net. And finally, it’s ok to talk about something we do; it’s ok to talk about sex - because it really is something we do. Believe me babies don’t grow on trees neither are they gift wrapped and delivered by Angels.

I am back!!

After a long hiatus from the blogosphere I am back into doing what I like. Speaking my mind is what I have tried to on all my previous posts on a number of social issues. Joining work made the thought of sitting before the computer again at home a task which I did not want to do until next day at office. So what has made me to start blogging again? Well it was an opportunity to interact with and interview some of the best minds in the world through a project started by Kiruba. What is that that links all of them?

1. They dared to be different,
2. They have unlimited zeal and passion,
3. They think out of the box,
4. Their ideas can transform the world, and
5. They all are TED India fellows.

Watch this space to know more about them and their thoughts.

COMMON MAN-THE VICTIM

An upcoming political party celebrated its inception anniversary and a youth rally yesterday here in Chennai. As expected the city was in haywire due to change in traffic routes and diversion of buses around the area. The common man who had ventured to shop for the festival was the victim. Clusters of people were seen in bus stands waiting for buses that never arrived. Auto rickshaws which were scantily seen demanded exorbitant fares (Flight fares are relatively cheap I believe!!). Coming to the point whatever maybe the party their ideologues in regard to making lives of people comfortable seem to vanish in thin air when such meetings are held. Life is thrown out of gear. Authorities who are in charge of regulation and order are the one who are the receiving end for such a poor management. The city boasts of one of the biggest meeting ground for public meetings in its heart center. When thrown open for meetings of political parties galaxies of supporters from places all over the state march to the city from morning till late night in Lorries and chartered buses causing commotion and nuisance to the lives of people. What could be done instead is a huge plot of land could be allotted for holding such meetings outside city limits. This might ease out the additional volume of traffic that would enter the city, bringing it to a standstill. Apart from restoring the normal city activities it would also help the party cadres, organizers, law and order regulators a smooth operation. The city planners should consider this option and bring it into implementation at the earliest.

END OF THE SUNSHINE DAYS??

I had aspirations to study Physics as I was taken in awe by the vastness of the Universe as well as the smallest dimensions of atoms and its particles even though I knew well enough that the mathematical background needed to understand it was poor. Thanks to my Physics coaching master, the urge to study the queen of sciences was growing. Finally I landed up studying Engineering though not by choice specializing in Electronics and Communication after rounds of constant brain wash by parents and relatives. The reason given was the defined and immediate job opportunities it would provide given my ‘middle’ middle class background (this was in 2004 and IT was booming). With the same fervor which I would have put if I had done Physics I pursued the course and as expected I was recruited into an IT MNC with a handsome pay package early on in my pre-final year. It was a proud day for my father as I was the first Engineering graduate in the family and more proud and happy by the fact that my starting compensation was nearly the double of what he currently earns after more than three decades of working. A year has passed since the offer was made and more than four months have passed since my graduation and I am yet to receive my posting orders. Months of waiting has paved the way for frustration and dejection. Similar fate is shared by most of the freshers who have passed out in 2008 and were given offers in IT companies with the exception of a privileged few from premier educational institutes. Even after constant promises from companies that offers would be honored dark clouds looms large with the current global economic turmoil. Over dependence of both our economy and the rising work force on the IT industry has led to this poor state of affairs. Our failure to concentrate on other growth areas such as manufacturing, agriculture, production etc has added to the woes resulting in inflation that has led to drastic organizational measures and restructuring like cost cutting and employee layoffs. News of employee layoffs by IT concerns has become the order of the day sending shock waves across the population of new blood of expectant pass outs. Are these the hours of darkness in the sun-shine industry?

INDIA NOW ON TOP OF THE WORLD!!!

More than a month into hibernation from blogging, the present status that India has been bestowed among the world countries has compelled me into writing this post. A thirty year old ban on supply of nuclear source materials and technology to India has been lifted in the recently concluded Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meet, which is a representative body of a conglomeration of 45 nuclear power countries. This is the first positive step towards the Indo-US nuclear deal to be signed and it signals that half the well is crossed. The complete leap to the other side depends on the acceptance to the deal from the US Congress. The highlight of the NSG meet was amidst resistance from countries like Austria, New Zealand and indirectly China, India was exempted from the signing of the Non-proliferation treaty (NPT) which is mandatory for any country to obtain the source and technology. This exemption has come from recognition of India as a responsible nuclear power. Now India is next to the five major nuclear power countries. As said in the last post this acceptance has facilitated trade from countries other than the United States of America. Apart from the explicit benefits the deal is going to bring, there would also be an improvement in the economics of power. This was very much evident with power stocks climbing to phenomenal prices.

The role played by America in materializing the deal at the NSG meet has to be lauded since it was in a way responsible for other countries accepting to the India’s non-signing of the NPT. It was ruckus back in India when a letter from the US government to the US Congress was leaked to the media bringing out speculations that the deal has invisible clauses and conditions for India performing future nuclear tests. It maybe noted that India is free to go ahead with the testing on times of non conducive external political scenario. If in case the agreed terms are overridden the subsequent cancellation of the deal is only possible after a number of sittings and paying of suitable compensation for the loss incurred.

Whatsoever that is said of the deal, it is sure to cut down power crisis which is looming large on the faces of the India public and days of darkness will soon be in the dark. The materialization of the deal would also help in the development of medical and other scientific process. Life would then be really imparted to the mantra “India Shining”

"POWER" DEAL

It was all smiles for the UPA government when it passed the acid test at last despite allegations from the opposition that the trust votes were bought. Mr.Manmohan Singh would have had my vote in his kitty if I was asked!! This does not entrust my liking to the policies of Congress or to any other political party. I support the signing of the nuclear deal with America only from the perspective of a common man who is tormented by the depleting non-renewable energy resources which indirectly shows up as unscheduled power cuts affecting homes and industries, shortage of fuels to spring life in automobiles etc. Fingers point to failure of monsoon and increased agricultural demands as the cause for this scenario. Added to this shortage in power generation is the difficulty in harnessing solar, hydel and wind power which are subject to seasonal effects. Here is deal which is a blessing and appears to me as the most viable option!!

Opposition has been raised in the name of national security and growing upper hand of America in the world political stage. Indirectly the deal would also help foster ties with other countries like France, Germany etc. This even includes a group of scientists who fear the independence in research would be lost. The threat as seen includes inspection of nuclear facilities by the appointed committees. But it has been failed to understand is that it excludes defence and military facilities. Another supporting point for opposing the deal is the abundance of a radioactive material ‘Thorium’ in India which could be used for nuclear power generation without the need for American participation. Power generation is possible only with improvement in technology and knowledge transition which the deal would facilitate. A special never given before incentive offered to India is the non requirement to sign the “Non proliferation treaty” which has already raised eyebrows of several world leaders.

Much has been talked about how profitable the deal would be for India. But it is blessing in disguise for America also as it would help improve trade relations and commerce. A “new clear policy” on this issue is what is expected to make India really shine!!

USELESS OR USEDLESS?

I am a person of belief that India's nation building models as idealised by visionaries like Sri.Pandit Nehru , Dr.A.P.J.Abdul kalam are the ones whose foundation rests on the shoulders of the country’s youth. Unlike other measurable metrics like GDP, GNP the pro-active role played by youth is an immeasurable quantity the effect of which is quite indirect and powerful. The question is have our young minds realized their part in the process of architecting the future of India?Daily news reports and the observations of my own has brought in me fears of the non-realization of a developed, a mightier and a stronger India.

One of the reasons I believe for this state of affair is the vacuum created due to the absence of towering and good role models who could be looked in awe and followed.

Rightly said Swami Chinmayananda “The youth are not useless but they are used less” and this has been another set back factor. The energies which could accelerate us to the summit are simply wasted in performing the unwanted and unwarranted.

This grave situation cannot be overcome even if the right external motivational push is offered because the tamarind nut will remain sour even when watered with sugar solution!! Only an inward will to contribute and a befitting response to the need of the hour could make the future secure and bright. As Bono puts it “This is a time for bold measures. This the country, you are the generation”

THE IGNORANT MINDS

When asked what anyone does on a Sunday, the answer expected is obvious. Late rise ups, entertainment shows, delicious meal to fill up the tummy and an afternoon siesta. Is it right on our part to call Sunday still the first day of the week when we cling to our beds, lock ourselves indoors and do nothing constructive?? The above question invokes the same answer from the questioner also!!

Last Sunday was different as it gave a chance to realize the lack of awareness among children and their parents alike who belonged to lower economic strata as I had been called to scrutinize applications for the uniform distribution to the deserving and needy by a social service organization in my locality. Columns in the application forms received printed in the regional language were all incomplete information. The applicants were unable to furnish even their personal details correctly. When kids of the same age could spell words never heard of here were a bunch of kids who spelled even their own names wrong. My heart sympathizes with these ignorant minds. Next time when somebody says “tomorrow’s India rests firmly on the hands of today’s children” you are supposed to be screwing your own ass. When a significant percentage of country’s young population are unaware of their own personal information, all these catchy liners are like hiding the nakedness with bare hands which serves no good purpose.

Action from the Governmental or philanthropists, NGOs should not stop just with provision of free education, nourished food or generous charities and funds. Opportunities to engage in the process of holistic development have to be created today to realize a stronger India tomorrow. As Albert Einstein puts it “All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual”.

CYCLE FOR A CAUSE

One of things which I really want to possess as soon as I start to work and earn is a motorcycle. As my workplace is only ten minutes away from my home I was really considering buying a bicycle against a bike. I was laughed at for being this much calculative in spending for necessities. The real reason behind me weighing odds heavily on buying a bicycle is that, it is in a way hitting three mangoes with a single stone. First, as I would be made to sit hours before the computer, cycling appears to me as a better way to exercise. Second, the thought of rise in fuel costs which analogously follows the famous Moore’s law nowadays has had a detrimental effect on my mind to go with a motorcycle. Last, cycling serves in energy conservation and is a means to bring down the pollution levels down, on an individualistic level. Even though hues and cries are raised about the recent hike in the fuel prices, the only positive effect it would bring is the increase in number of road users cycling to their destinations. Thus a latent impetus has been provided to the growth of the bicycle industry and the cause of energy conservation and clean air standards.

ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

The common site for a road user nowadays would be of buses and cars trying to squeeze through what people jovially say as “the bicycle gap”. With increase in the number of automobiles, the main roads particularly those in busy and commercial areas have become the place to park the vehicles virtually allowing only a crawling space for the moving machines. Added to this woe the pavements and foot paths are literally encroached by pavement dwellers and road side shop keepers letting an additional inflow of human traffic onto the roads. The chaotic picture is left to the imagination of the reader.

The state of this scenario projects a no good image on the traffic cops who have ignored their role to curtail this activity. A few roads where I myself have observed this menace happening are the Bells road in Chepauk where a number of second hand vehicles put up for sale occupy almost half of the motorway. Next in line falls Dr.Natesan road where the road side vendors have put up shops which extend till the middle of the road. And this is the case in every arterial road of Chennai.

Rules and regulations which are promugalated to avoid these menaces do only a little good when there is a little participation from the public as well as the police. Only a responsible act from the citizen’s side and a conscious part from the cops would only put an end to this driver’s nightmare

DAY OF THE YELLOW METAL

Associated with this day is the sale of yellow metal, gold. High voltage and electrifying marketing gimmicks have made the sale of gold rocket to sky heights. Traffic in arterial roads in T.Nagar, the commercial hub of Chennai will be diverted. Long serpentine queues in front of the jewelry shops, no matter their size would do brisk business. Doing an Archimedes wont help fetch a piece of gold for guessing. This is Akshaya Trithiya or the third day after the new moon on the Hindu month of Vaishaka is said to be the day when the sun and the moon are in the peaks of their luminescence. “Akshaya” in Sanskrit means “never diminishing” and it is assumed that any new bought or started on this day keeps growing in value.

According to reports, the world gold council (WGC) expects a rise in gold sales between 20-25 percent on this year’s Akshaya trithiya which falls on May 8^th. On this day, last year a whopping 55 tonnes of gold were sold, which is nearly 5 percent of India’s total gold consumption of 750 million tonnes in a year. To cash on this opportunity banks and retail players in gold jewelry segment have come out with lucrative offers.

However the hidden increase in price of gold fails to be noticed in the mad rush to acquire a little piece of gold. Price rise of 200 rupees have already been reported due to change in marketmen’s tactics to invest in the bullion instead of melting markets.So look out before you buy out !!

TRAFFIC JAM

As a regular user of the Poonamallee high road, I am quite aware of the traffic snarls. It is a common sight. That can be termed as ‘normal traffic jam’. Two days ago it was not the case. It was more than what it used to be, abnormally high.

The roads have been opened up for repairs for expansion purposes and the two lane system is now temporarily one lane system accommodating the heavy flow from both the sides. Thanks to the Metro Water board who on their part have made the one lane just a narrow path. Adding to the woes was the breakdown of three MTC buses. In order to reach their destinations quickly I was witnessing motorists and car drivers taking the wrong route. Arguments filled the air as to who should back and leave way was debated along side blaring horns having no good effects. The end result was that the vehicles from both the sides were locking horns with each other and I could sense immobility would prevail for at least an hour. Observing things going around sitting in the window seat of the bus seemed to be the best way to beat the state of absolute motionlessness and scorching heat. I was petrified by what I saw. Let not the imagination fly away to someone dying to be reached to the hospital in an ambulance. Thank God, I could see no ‘saviour on wheels’ as far as my vision could penetrate but it was a school van with a caption on its wind screen as below “URGENT, CARRYING STUDENTS FOR THE CBSE EXAMS” in the opposite direction. Making a head room I peeped out of the window and if my eyes hadn’t deceived me I could see anxious faces with beads of perspiration holding their economics text books unable to do anything but remain calm and pray. Since I passed out of the same board system I knew the timing of the exam and my instantaneous reflex was to glance at my watch. My heart leapt. There was only thirty minutes left for the examination to begin. Only we remained where we were but the time was whiling away. Every clock tick was proving to be precious.

Their prayers were answered. The road ahead opened up slowly in both the directions. I turned my head back and amidst the trail of smoke left behind by the vehicles I could see the school van moving ahead.

WHAT DO I CALL THIS PHOBIA?

Travelling by Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses, the carrier of Chennai’s masses is no longer enjoyable to me due to the harassment I suffered at the hands of its ticket checking officials. I fear neither the rickety buses with their rusted handles that may cause injuries or brakes that fail to work, neither the conductors or drivers who scorn and yell but the very presence of the MTC ticket checking officials at the bus stops would bring shivers down my spine, even with a valid ticket!!

I have diagnosed myself with this strange phobia right from the moment a group of ticket checking inspectors pounced on me asking me for the travel ticket two years back. I had bought a ticket as soon as I had gotten into the bus but only when it was verified I realized that the conductor had issued the wrong one leaving me in doldrums. What else I could have done other than cut a sorry figure for the mistake which I had not committed? My points of defense failed to convince the authorities and as a result I was forced to board the official jeep where I found myself in the august company of college students who were really ticketless. On way to the nearest depot, I was threatened with serious consequences if I failed I pay the spot fine of five hundred rupees. These men were asking me to pay an amount ten times more than what I usually carry in my wallet. Forcibly I was made to mortgage my gold ring (I had worn it only that morning) at a pawn broker's shop which I believe was hand in glove with the authorities for such activities. This harrowing experience has brought in me a weird habit of checking my pocket often for the travel ticket bringing stares from other passengers.

What do I call this phobia???

Entries are welcome to name it.

THE PEOPLE'S BUDGET

From the common man point of view, I would rate the budget a fairly good one. The increase in the income tax slab exemption will in a way help manage the household budget against the raising prices of the essential and necessary commodities. Agricultural loans taken by small and marginal farmers from government banks have been fully waived, which is a welcome move, but what the finance minister has failed to understand is that the most likely cause of the miseries farmers face is due to borrowing from the private money lenders. The additional burden of 60,000 crores on the Government would be taken care, thanks to no change in corporate taxes, surcharges and raise in capital gain tax. The ethics involved in the loan repayment stands forgotten and it has resulted in a scenario “YOU BORROW AND WE WAIVE”. These two aspects indicate the budget ahs been prepared keeping in mind the elections next year.

The two foundations based on which the country leap frogs are education and health care. Copious funds have been allocated for these two sectors keeping in mind the millennium goals and what needs to be done is to monitor and ensure that funds are properly used. Women and child specific schemes have been given special importance. Essential base products in fertilizer (naptha) and drug manufacture (like anti HIV) have been given total relief. Efforts of the finance minister have to be lauded for providing tax exemptions to persons who pay medical premium for their parent/parents. At least to be cut off from the tax net, I assume the numbers in old-age homes will decline!! Prices of small and hybrid cars and two wheelers are bound to come down with cut in the excise duties which may encourage a lot of buyers therefore increasing productivity and hence development.

Information technology which was considered the growth rider earlier has not been given the tax holiday but its good sign that this privilege has been extended for establishment of hospitals in lesser developed areas and three star and four star hotels in regions housing UNESCO earmarked sites for a five year period starting 2008. This may in a way generate direct and indirect employment.

While the health ministry is advertising against smoking in any form, is the finance minister inviting people indirectly towards the usage of filtered cigarettes by increasing the excise duty of unfiltered cigarettes (which has higher consumption) on par with the former??

It is difficult to satisfy the expectations of everyone. The views on the budget may vary but for the common man, it was his budget.

LALU GOODY EXPRESS

I made sure that I was before the television to witness the live telecast of the Indian railway budget 2008-09. One difficulty watching it was when I was slowly accustoming myself to Lalu’s self derived English accent it was made really inaudible by the increasing decibels from the opposition side. Usual chaos remained. Amidst all this the union minister for railways remained unscathed and witty and continued with his prepared budget speech until the speaker adjourned the house. First things first, the minister and his team has to lauded for making the Indian Railways an organization of profit. In the wake of central elections next year it appears to me as a budget targeted at the aam-admi (common man), which I assume are well above his expectations. The fares have been considerably reduced even in the premium classes which did not find a place for long. Reduction in the fares of AC classes is primarily to stay in the race with low cost airlines. Given the choice I think people will prefer the skies as it saves time at the same cost. Concessions have been showered on women senior citizens, girl students and decorated service personnel. Number of garib raths and new routes has been increased. Social welfare schemes have been announced. Infrastructural developments that include building of green toilets, world class stations, phased execution of capacity augmentation etc have also been proposed .Porters have been promised promotion to gang men (group D) after screening procedures. Public private partnerships have been called for raising capitals for the developmental activities. Its own staff has been made happy by a number of goodness schemes.

Even though these features make it a populist budget I noticed a few areas which have been just touched only on surface or magnificently camouflaged in the name of benefits.

• The freight load estimates are planned to be increased. There was no mention of steps needed for improvement of tracks to carry the additional freight.

• Railway security just includes deployment of CCTVs, metal detectors, baggage screening systems etc which misses to fill the void. Permanent task forces have to be formed to combat terrorist attacks and handle emergencies.

• Concession to HIV patients, women senior citizens will not cost the railways dearly as you won’t find the affected advertising their illness or grannies packing their bags for the journey.

In all it appears that, it was a smooth ride for the “Lalu budget express”.

WHO TAUGHT THE ANTS TO FALL IN LINE??

“The roads there are spick and span”

“You can’t find garbage strewn anywhere in the public there”

“The airports there are at its international best”

“Bribe, that’s the word you will find only in the dictionary there”

These are ‘feels good’ certifications awarded by most of our fellow Indians who have travelled abroad or have been impressed by system there. They would in fact contribute in the best possible way in order to make the above statements true, at least to avoid being fined and get recognized as responsible Indian visitors. All this disappear in thin air when the same pair of feet lands on the Indian soil or the same rules are to be obeyed here in practice. Hey, what’s wrong in following being an Indian when in India?:)

So that lets us free in India to litter the streets with garbage, vandalize shops, disrupt law and order in the name of silent protests, vroom off before red goes green and use the public transport system without tickets and when caught bribe the official with loads, quicken and lubricate the efficiency and performance of concerned authorities with liquid cash (I hear, now even deliveries could be made before the full ten months!!) and still complain that the country has been fed to dogs and is absolute pits irrespective of we lacking self discipline and ethics. Who taught the ants to fall in line??

An easy way of escapism from this allegation which has been devised is to question the country about its credibility and what it has offered all long. Take a moment to think what we have done to expect a dear return. As you sow, so it reaps. Analogously here it applies to country as well. We grow with the country and the country grows with us-mutual symbiosis.