Brouhaha

2010-07-16T12:08:00.005+05:30

During the monsoon, East Godavari district can be as beautiful as God's own country. The abundant rains transform the landscape into shades of lush green.
Your heart leaps to celebrate the vast expanses of paddy fields, grasslands, and rolling hills. Brooks sprout out of nowhere, flow merrily for a distance and disappear again into the rain-soaked ground. Wild flowers in myriad hues of azure, bashful orange, subdued lavender, blazing red and yellow explode all over the countryside. It is one huge canvas on which nature has splashed its palette. Driving on the NH 214 from the port town of Kakinada, we descend into Narsipatnam where paddy sowing was in full swing. Women singing some folk songs were in the fields working in total coordination. The men were diverting the excess rainwater from the fields into channels that seemed to stretch till the horizon.

2009-04-16T19:35:00.010+05:30

Election tours provide great opportunities to go to fascinating places and meet interesting people. Chasing candidates in the Naxalite-infested areas of Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh, I had some of the most memorable experiences.

The legendary 1000 Pillars Temple of Warangal.

Hot idlis and coffee at a roadside dhaba at Suryapet in Nalgonda district, on election tour.

A temple of the toddy-tappers in Naxalite area of Karimnagar.

Beautiful gardens dot the Suryapet-Khammam Highway. This is at the Palair Reservoir. (Right)

Belying his age this toddy-tapper in Jammikunta near Warangal is about to reach dizzying heights as he takes to a palm tree.

(Right) A toddy-tapper with a fresh pot of the heady stuff.

It is a great drive on the Suryapet-Khammam Highway. My driver was happy to let me take the wheel!!

Early morning mist over this small lake on Nalgonda Road.

Digesting Diet

2009-02-25T22:09:00.004+05:30

My eyes were fixated on that neatly rolled piece of sin. It was golden-brown so it must have been very very crispy too. My nostrils flared and took in the light aroma, and my stomach started a `hey-grab-it’ kind of growling that was becoming difficult to hide. I did not trust myself to stay still at that moment; half expecting to feel myself launching over the table with a terrorizing `twat’, like that national geographic lizard snapping a delicious unsuspecting insect with its long tongue.

But it was a decent kind of coffee shop and I hid my hands below the table to prevent any untoward incident. I reluctantly tore away my eyes that were greedily feasting on it and concentrated on the gentleman sitting opposite me who was attacking it with the same purposefulness that Garfield attacks doughnuts. At that particular moment, he no longer appeared to be such a gentle creature to me. I couldn’t help that feeling. I have been put on a diet by a merciless trainer at my gym. Keep off all fried and junk food, only salads and juice allowed, he warned me with a `Salman Khan-bhi-mere-se-seekha’ kind of look. I wanted to tell him I could not give up `dosas’for breakfast but decided against it, not wanting to do another 100 punishing push-ups. I never thought that shedding quite a few extra kilos would turn out to be such a nightmare. Anyways, returning to the coffee shop, when this gentleman invited me for a cup of coffee I didnt expect him to order a `dosa’ after I chose only sugar-free coffee. When he called me, he said he already had lunch. ``On a diet or something?’’ he inquired with a sly smile. When it arrived with an accompaniment of chutneys, he must have noticed I was salivating, or the hyena-look in my eyes told him something because he pulled the plate to the corner, rolled up his sleeves and assaulted it without once looking up. The chutneys disappeared in a jiffy and a waiter dumped another bowl. ``How’s work?’’ he asked, after a few painful minutes, seriously examining a crunchy piece before it vanished. He didn’t bother that I only nodded a reply while I impatiently scouted for the waiter to bring my coffee. I thought of the soggy papaya I had for lunch. ``Hyderabad is a nice place yaar..I love the biryanis,’’ he announced, taking a break to sip water, finally looking up to observe my contorted face. Our coffees arrived and I escaped his piercing gaze.
As he fed the last piece of dosa into his mouth, that sly smile returned. ``Actually I am dieting too..but dosas here are famous you know,’’ he said and immediately looked down into his coffee.
I would have strangled him there and then had he not been giving me the inside dope on Satyam and Raju.

2009-02-06T14:34:00.003+05:30

Gates of memories will never close, how much we miss our dear ones nobody knows. Days will pass like will years, we remember them in silent moments.

This Day

2008-12-16T16:13:00.001+05:30

There isn't much to think about these days
The few thoughts that I have come out of the dark dungeons of my mind
Grotesque memories that won't bury
I swing like a straw in the wind
on a precipice between hope and despair
There is a raw negative energy around me
Swirling, rotating into a turmoil whirpool within me
I am on the other side of the steel gates of my own life.
--November Rain

2008-08-17T17:17:00.000+05:30

I continue to live thinking about the possibility of a yes and ignoring the certainity of a no.

Leaning into the wind

2008-08-10T02:00:00.000+05:30

The rain has confined me to my sparsely furnished bachelor's quarters. You love to watch the rain if the window has a good view of a garden or some trees or a road. At least you can watch people scurrying around. But all around me there is nothing but concrete. Puddles have formed over the rooftops and terraces. The only green I can see is a web of moss clinging to leaking drains and damp patches of grotusque mix of exposed rusting iron and grey cement.
No, there is something more there. Something tender green, alive and kicking, amidst the chessboard of terraces and roof tops. It is sprouting out of a damp drainage pipe from the first floor of the aging neighbouring building. Looks like a neem sapling or probably it is some thing wild. Whatever it found itself quite a place to perch. Right now the howling wind and rain are battering it. Strong gusts, rushing through the horizontal funnels between the cheek by jowl buildings, over car parks and through dimly lit apartment lobbies, are striking at it, one blow after another. The frail stem is oscillating: leaning into the fierce wind with lithe terror-struck leaves in tow cowering and shivering in fright, and regaining its position when the wind quietened for a moment.

Ummmm..is the bakery closed today? The sweet aroma is missing.
The rain has decided to outdo the wind now. It is pouring down as if a torrential waterfall has just lost its way. Funny, I think though the rain and wind are battering it the sapling seems to be enjoying the rain's attention. Its leaves are glistening and as the rain trickles down its leaves. From time to time, as the wind gives it a hard blow, there is a fine spary as the swaying sapling shakes off the rain drops from the leaves.
I am wondering what to do for lunch.. a walk in the rain to the bakery would be fine.

2008-08-06T20:35:00.000+05:30

Sometimes I feel my writing is brilliant. Other times, quite mediocre. Mostly I just manage to key in something.

---------------------

Dry leaves of thoughts
Rustle in my mind

I whisper my heart’s secrets to leaf and grass
And wait like a patient glacier
Melting with longing for her

While orchestral thoughts of her played
The keys of a silent song
And the night huddled in to snatch the tunes

2008-07-19T08:52:00.000+05:30

Time is such a great healer
Dear friend
It flies away so wonderfully
When you are in my thoughts
But it betrays me when my
Mind is in turmoil, dear friend
With thoughts of you

It's such a culprit
Dear friend
Sometimes it eases you away
From my heart
Slowly and stealthily
Until it knocks at
That very corner where I tucked you away
With those thoughts of `us'

But Time is also so faithful, dear friend
When I want to remember you
Those times come back unflinchingly
Bringing all those moments back
As if it happened just a moment ago
Time, my friend
Is the greatest friend
Of a great friendship

I've Got Wings

2008-06-18T18:55:00.000+05:30

The jet hurled across the tarmac, engines screaming at full throttle, the dark humid night rushing to meet it as if to keep it pinned to the ground.
I was here before with a similar feeling. Four months ago. Sitting in a window seat watching the ground rush by under the wing. I was fleeing. Running away from myself and two years of tormented past. My mind was blank, senses numb, heart unfeeling. There were knots in my stomach. Don’t know for how long they were there; months..a year? a year and half? As the jet hurled into the inky blackness the engines at full thrust, the knots in my stomach started loosening. There was already a feeling of relief and elation. As the wings curved and the jet lifted into the dark night over Ahmedabad, I felt a great burden lifting off my shoulders too.I just closed my eyes and felt the aircraft soar into the skies.
One thought popped out of some crevice of the mind. I had probably bludgeoned it and locked it there so that I don’t have to think about it. I was leaving home behind. I was also going away from someone who is very dear to me. I couldn’t look back. Didn’t want to. That is the best thing about an aircraft. You cant look back. There is no rearview mirror, there is no road behind to have one last look at. No waving goodbyes. The aircraft climbed for a long time and straightened, the wing lights weaving patterns on white puffs. I was in the clouds. Part of me sighed with relief at having taken the decision to leave the past behind. It hurt and it nearly ruined me. The other part was full of hope. Yes, lots of hope. I was going to a new place, a new city, new posting. There was some anxiety. What to expect? Will I do well?

The aircraft banked to the left and the right wing rose and gently settled back. I always prefer the window seat over the wing. It is amazing to watch how that metal strip withstands the tremendous air pressure outside and still soars in the skies.
Four months later, again sitting by the window I watched the tarmac disappear, felt the jet lift off into the night sky. This time I was not running away from anything. What ever I lost is past now. I guess I just made peace with everything. If anything I can look forward to coming back home from time to time to meet a loved one and a few friends just as I now looked forward to going back to work.
I have found my wings.

Sun'N'Sea at Chirala

2008-04-30T14:22:00.000+05:30

..we burnt some rubber on the highway to reach this place. On the way, we emptied a liquor store..well almost. Breezing through breezers, zipping on windswept roads, and making merry. Reached there almost midnight so it took some time to find the little guesthouse. as soon as i heard the sound of waves the weariness of driving 300kms disappeared. dumped my stuff in the room and ran to meet the sea and spent a long time chatting with friends, sitting on a boat on the shore. went to sleep at 3 am but i was up again at 5 as the first rays of the sun streamed in. It was a beautiful morning on the beach though a bit hazy. Spent two wonderful days here..

2008-04-22T13:15:00.000+05:30

Take me out to the ocean,
Take me out to the sea,
Show me the foamy waves rolling there,
As I breathe in the salty sea air!

Take me out to the ocean,
Take me out to the sea.
Show me the currents and ocean tides,
Let me see where the seaweed resides!

Romancing the mighty Godavari

2008-04-22T12:47:00.000+05:30

Sweet River, run softly till I end my song,
Sweet River, run softly, for I speak not loud or long
Yes, we'll gather at the river,
The beautiful, beautiful river --
On the bank of the river,
Washing up its silver spray,
We will walk and play,
All the happy, golden day.

This great bridge across the river
Nay it isn’t Brooklyn
Nor the Thames
It is the bridge across the Godavari
Mighty flows the river from underneath
Its waters clashing with the giant pillars
But it gushes forward on an unbriddled song
Whisper to the clear deep blue waters
The mighty Godavari will ask you to sail along
Underneath the bridge, there flows the Godavari

One small sandbar splits
the river, then it loops left,
and the river's silver
slips under the trees,
into the forest,

A lake's tryst with history

2008-04-11T19:40:00.000+05:30

Hyderabad’s pride, the Hussain Sagar, one of the biggest man-made lake, is slowly losing its glory. With its placid waters getting polluted due to domestic sewerage and industrial waste being dumped in, citizens and tourists cringe at the stench from the lake. A walk on the otherwise beautiful necklace road on the banks of the lake is not possible without covering your nose these days. On the other hand, water hyacinth and other weeds are slowly taking over the lake.

In spite of well-maintained parks and gardens on the necklace road, the lake’s banks are an ugly site because of numerous `nallas’ spewing affluents and sewerage. The stagnant water on the banks has turned murky and is littered with plastic bags, water bottles and paper waste thrown in by careless tourists or citizens. A number of restaurants and hotels on the lake’s periphery dump solid waste in the lake.

The Hussain Sagar lake was created on the Musi river in 1562 by Hazrat Hussain Shah during the reign of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah. A `bund’which is now known as the Tank Bund was erected to check the Musi river creating this artificial reservoir to meet the water requirements of Hyderabad at that time. The original lake was spread across 24 sq kms. Now it has shrunk to less than half its original size.
Citizens groups, environmentalists and conservationists are campaigning vociferously to protect the lake and prevent further degradation.
That state government is making efforts to stem the rot and revive the lake but an ambitious project to restore it to its former glory is stuck due to mismanagement and bureaucratic red-rape as too many agencies are involved.

Meanwhile, the ugly sights and stench is starting to show as the number of citizens using the Necklace Road for daily walks and evening visitors has gone down drastically.

To The Legendary Captial Of Kakatiya Kingdom

2008-04-04T20:48:00.000+05:30

I wanted to be here since I was a child when I read the awe-inspiring history of Kakatiyas. After so many years I was discovering the legendary capital of Kakatiya Kingdom_ Warangal. It is a city that found its way into Marco polo's travel diaries !
The legendary city was once the capital of the Kakatiyas in the 12th to 14th centuries.
The once glorious Warangal Fort near Hanamkonda now lies in ruins. But the towering gateways carved out of single stone leading to the fort are testimony to Kakatiyas' architectural prowess. There is the Thousand Pillared Temple which is another example of the intricate Kakatiya architecture.

2005 Tsunami: basic insticts work in death zone. 2006: What sea destroys, rains restore it.

2008-04-04T20:24:00.000+05:30

POINT CALIMERE,TAMIL NADU, JANUARY 11, 2006: What was once the stuff of legend has been comprehensively demonstrated on the ground in this wildlife sanctuary. Cold statistics and matching eyewitness accounts tell the rest of the story.
Forest officers of the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary at Kodaikarai, some 65 km from Nagapattinam, say that 8 to 10 minutes before the giant tsunami waves crashed into the sanctuary, all the guards standing in observation towers saw the same spectacle: Virtually every animal, including droves of black bucks, spotted deer, wild boar and jackals, dashed towards higher grounds and stood there—like students at a school assembly.
The staff made a physical inspection and found only one wild boar dead. Probably it was sick and could not make it.
There are 2,200 animals of various species at the sanctuary and all of them are safe.
Among the animals that sensed the danger and fled were 1,800 black bucks, 250 spotted deer, 40 feral horses, and a number of wild boars and jackals which inhabit the 321 sq km sanctuary.
Even the guard at the lighthouse nearby saw the animals suddenly run inside the sanctuary. Birds__flamingoes and migratory ducks—also flew away before the waters came. They returned an hour later and started feeding as if nothing happened.
The lowlands have been totally ravaged by the sea water forcing the forest department to close down the sanctuary. Forest officials said rainwater harvesting systems, fresh water ponds and water holes have been inundated by sea water, rendering them useless.

The sanctuary is closed for public. The receding water has deposited a lot of mud which has not yet dried and it is almost impossible to enter the sanctuary. Only guards take rounds to make sure the animals are safe.
The biggest threat was faced by black bucks which stay close to the sea. Although the other animals were deeper inside, even they made a dash to higher grounds.
They are still staying away from the sea and fortunately for them, the small water holes inside the sanctuary have not been touched by sea water.
The sanctuary is famous for its 40 wild horses. Although the waters have receded, they are still seen grazing on elevated grounds and hillocks.

A YEAR AFTER TSUNAMI
The sea destroys wildlife habitat, rain restores it
KODIA KARAI, DEC 22, 2006, A YEAR AFTER TSUNAMI: The heavy rains in Tamil Nadu may have made life miserable for those living in the rehabilitation camps. But they have come as a blessing for the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary at Kodia Karai.
Last year's tsunami deposited 40 cms of mud across the sanctuary's grasslands, destroying the prime habitat area of the park's main species—black buck and spotted deer. However, heavy rains in the past two months washed away the mud, and the landscape has become green once more, to the utter relief of forest officials.
The Point Calimere sanctuary, a kilometre from the sea shore, comprises about 20 sq km of grasslands and mangroves that provide a habitat for several species of animals and birds. It has 2,000-odd black bucks, 250 spotted deer, 56 feral horses, and 600-800 wild boars.
Eight minutes before the tsunami struck last year, the animals instinctively bolted from the coast and found safety on higher grounds. So, despite the fury of the waves, only one wild boar died. However, the tsunami destroyed the grasslands and rendered all the fresh water pools saline.
The animals survived, but with the habitat of the black bucks and the deer destroyed, the Forest Department was forced to close the sanctuary.
The tsunami deposited 40 cm thick mud in the affected areas of the sanctuary. The mud flats lay in prime grazing habitat areas. But to everyone’s joy, the heavy rains in the last few months—which have caused untold misery for other tsunami survivors—washed away these mud flats and the grasslands are back.
The park's rainwater harvesting systems, fresh water ponds and water holes were inundated by sea water. But with the grassland back, the department is working to restore the water supply. The forest department constructed a large rainwater recharge well to tackle salinity ingress. The heavy rains have also helped in forming a fresh water cushion. Many parts of the sanctuary are now inundated with ankle-deep fresh rain water which will rejuvenate the groundwater table and grasslands.
The Forest Department feared that the black bucks would vanish because they prefer grasslands near the coast. The animals did stay away from the coastal grasslands till the rains washed away the mud. With the grasslands regenerating slowly they have returned and are now found in their usual habitat.
The tsunami also inundated the Point Calimere bird sanctuary where thousands of flamingoes and other migratory birds visit every year and roost in the shallow waters. Many birds flew away after the tsunami but this year they are back in the thousands.
About 16 species of birds have already arrived, including about 20,000 flamingoes, a number of gull-billed terns, whiskered terns, gray pelicans, teals, curlew sandpipers and black-tailed godwits.

Jaisamand lake's placid blue waters

2008-04-04T20:23:00.000+05:30

Peace and serenity sometimes lie far away from civilisation. Where there is no mobile phone, no known faces, and no TV. You have to get there to experience it. Untill you drive through the narrow lanes of villages and arrive at the steps of a stone wall, you dont even realise what lies beyond it. Climb up the couple of steps and the vast expanse of Jaisamand lake's placid blue waters welcome you. Some 200 kms from Ahmedabad, I, who was craving for a short holiday and a break from work, would easily call it a small paradise. The cool waters of the lake were dotted by small hillocks, lush green and beckoning after the bountiful rains. A short boat ride brings you to the Jaisamand resort_a small miracle of sorts becasue it has been chiselled out of a small hill right in the middle of the lake! Well, get into your room's balcony and take in the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding lake and scenery. Put up your feet and you are nothing short of an erstwhile Nawab sitting in his palace and admiring the view! The landscaping of the resort is tastefully done giving you a feeling of being at a good place. The swimming pool is simply wow. And, the hospitality is such that the waiters and bearers keep your `spirits' high all the time. I was here with my most cherished, loving and life long friends_beginning with elderly Bapu, Tusharbhai, Dineshbhai, Sanjaybhai, Lucin, Pakoda, Hemel, Eldrin, Bunty and Meghal. Of course, the presence of Viyangbhai and his friends added a lot of fun.

July 11, 2006

2008-04-04T20:16:00.000+05:30

July 11, 2006

When you write and read about terror attacks and deaths very often it probably makes you numb and insensitive. My fingers froze on the keyboard for a moment when that thought struck me as I went about calculating the number of Gujaratis dead in Tuesday`s blasts in Mumbai. The official list from Mumbai’s hospitals wasn’t matching with news trickling in from friends and relatives of victims, who rushed to Mumbai from Gujarat. In the hurry to complete the story on time, check and confirm the facts, I completely became unfeeling and insensate. That is, until I picked up the phone to talk to the victims` relatives.Many were besides themselves with grief; a family member or relative listed as injured was actually no more. A brother from Bhavnagar who rushed to Mumbai hoping to see his injured elder sibling was quietly directed to the morgue. Apparently, social workers and rescue personnel who called from victims` mobile phones to inform relatives could not bring themselves to deliver the bad news. They just said `serious` or `critical`.I called several mobile numbers listed alongside names of injured, hoping that the owner would answer. When a lady answered Haresh Shah`s mobile, the words stuck in my mouth. What to ask? Fortunately, Hareshbhai is recovering in a hospital but unable to speak or hear because his eardrums are still ringing after the sound of the explosion. But it was the voice of Harish Doshi`s daughter which brought me down with a thud to the reality of Tuesday night`s tragedy. She was broken and distraught and probably in a trauma after seeing her hospitalized father`s condition. With that came the realization that behind what were simple numbers to me, there were hundreds of people who were suffering, and, scared and frightened by the experience. It is easy to become insensitive and get down to body count. This is not the first time that terror attacks or mishaps have happened elsewhere and the bodies came to homes in Gujarat. When grenades were thrown on tourists in Srinagar in the last week of May, the body bags came to Surat. Eight pilgrims from Surendranagar died at the Gateway of India blast. A tourist bus overturns in Shimla and there is a pall of gloom in Vadodara. But the high number of victims from Gujarat in Tuesday`s blasts is unnerving. Like me there are so many who are left wondering if Gujaratis were part of the target.

Time, my friend

2008-04-04T20:07:00.000+05:30

Time is such a great healer

Dear friend

It passes away so wonderfully

When you are in my thoughts

But it betrays me when my

Mind is in turmoil, dear friend

With thoughts of you

It's such a culprit

Dear friend

Sometimes it eases you away

From my heart

Slowly and stealthily

Until it knocked at

That very corner where I tucked you away

With those thoughts of `us'

But Time is also so faithful, dear friend

When I want to remember you

It comes back unflinchingly

And brings all those moments back

As it it happened just a moment ago

Time, my friend

Is the greatest friend

Of a great friendship

Celebrating solitude

2008-04-04T20:02:00.000+05:30

Untiring fingers
Grew fond of this pen
As the ink flows
And my imagination takes wings
Your name comes to my lips
The writing hand bring you to form
Images of a smiling flower
Now, and forever, impressions on ink
Never can change a maiden’s heart
It’s a pleasure to witness
This scribbling turn to ash
Watching the flames

I celebrate my solitude

what is worse? A secret or a lie?

2008-04-04T19:55:00.000+05:30

I sometimes wonder

what is worse

A secret or a lie

A word unspoken or left unsaid

When either way a man is dead.

I still maintain,

It is not death that is important

But the manner of dying

Like a child's first poem

Wiped by a careless eraser.

Tribal Cuppa

2008-04-04T19:11:00.000+05:30

From the scenic slopes of Araku valley on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam to markets in Europe, a success story is brewing. And the people behind it belong to a tribe so far known only for its colourful customs and traditions.

On December 21 last year, the Araku tribals set up a processing plant to produce their brand of organic coffee, 'Araku Emerald'. In less than three months, the brand's unique quality and aroma have won it customers in far away France, Norway and the UK. On Monday, a team from Tradecraft, UK, visited the coffee plantations while US-based coffee roasters Beans and Beans has evinced interest.

The first export order of 1,000 boxes of organic coffee has been sent to Norway for an IT company. 'Araku Emerald' will be built into an international brand. AN NGO trained the tribals of Araku Valley to produce high-quality coffee as part of a sustainable livelihood programme.

Today, the poor tribals, who otherwise produced pulses and occassionally coffee, are making at least Rs 30,000 per acre.
The foundation helped the around 8,000 tribals of the valley organise themselves into the Small and Marginal Farmer Mutually-Aided Cooperative Society, with support from the Green Development Foundation of the Netherlands, and assisted them in setting up a coffee processing plant with machinery imported from the UK.
The Tribal Cooperative set up by the farmers happens to be the only cooperative in the country to have both fair trade and organic trade certification.

The Tribal Cooperative set up by the farmers happens to be the only cooperative in the country to have both fair trade and organic trade certification.
Representatives of foreign companies coming here find it very exciting that these tribals living in the valley and still following their customs and traditions are producing high-quality organic coffee. They are surprised that the tribal cooperative also has fair trade and organic certification and they immediately want to do business with them.

Situated 115 km from Visakhapatnam, the extremely scenic Araku Valley overlooking the Bay of Bengal is a favourite tourist and picnic spot. It is situated at a height of 900 metres above sea level in the Ananthgiri hills in Eastern Ghats, and has thick forests and rolling hills. It is accessible by both rail and road, with 45 tunnels on the road linking it to Vizag.
The thick forests of the valley are an ideal place for growing coffee as the tall silver oak trees provide the right shade and light for the plants.
Before the NGO stepped in, tribals used to actually cut the huge silver oaks to clear land for agriculture, leaving many hills bare. Now, apart from helping them monetarily, the coffee trade has also helped the tribals realise the importance of conserving the forests.

Smiles are back as life limps to normalcy for tsunami orphans

2007-04-03T21:27:00.000+05:30

KADAMBADI (NAGAPATTINAM), DECEMBER 25, 2006
AS you enter, they jump up and greet you with so much joy and affection that
you are overwhelmed. Little hands reach up and tug at your shirt. "Saar, how are
you, saar? You are coming from Mumbai? Welcome to our home? My name is Vainidevan.
What is yours? Will you take my photo?" For the 83 tsunami orphans at Awai Sathya Orphanage Home at
Kadambadi in Nagapattinam,
Visitors are often the
source of joy, and distraction.

The single-storey cottage
with a classroom on one side
and a small ground on the
other has been their home
for seven months after they
were moved from Sikal.
Her playful nature betrays
the tragedy they have now almost
overcome. Three-yearolds
Rishia and Arun are the
youngest and their shy smiles
tug at your heart. Arun, the
youngest of six siblings, is
looked after by his eldest sister
Arunmathi, 13.
"When he was two, he used
to utter a few words, but after
the tsunami, he did not speak
for almost three months.
Now he speaks and smiles at
everyone," Arunmathi says.
It is not known how but several
siblings, like Arun and
his sisters, survived the
tsunami while their parents
perished. In spite of the loss,
the children appear cheerful
and in good health.

"The younger ones came
quickly out of the posttsunami
trauma although
they sometimes weep and ask
for their parents. Those
above 10 haven't forgotten
the tragedy but are slowly
getting over it," says an attendent
at the Home.

The children are very attached
to S Suryakala, the
District Social Welfare Officer
and in charge of the orphanage
and call her Amma'.
"To keep the children occupied,
we organise games.
Every weekend there are
puppet shows or magic and
mimicry events," Suryakala
says. Some children, with
names like R Sonia Gandhi,
Parvin Babi, Babita, Rishia
are the cynosure of visitors'
eyes. The children also attend
yoga and karate classes.
"A majority of them have put
the tsunami behind. Immediately
after the tsunami, most
of them would draw or sketch
tsunami scenes. Now they
draw kids playing, vehicles
etc," Rajeshwari, one of the
three attendants, says.

The children have also
stopped asking if the big
waves will come again. They
don't talk about Cuddal or
sea anymore.
The orphanage has a big
room where students of class
1 to 5 are taught. "Others go
to the Nataraja Damayanti
Secondary School nearby,"
Suryakala says.
While the existing home is a
bit cramped for 83 children,
the district administration
and NGOs are building a
huge modern orphanage in
Samantampettai. "It being
constructed at a cost of Rs
3.20 crore. The place has
proper hostels and classrooms.
There will be separate
facilities for boys and girls
and a host of recreational
amenities. We will shift the
children in a few months,"
says District Collector Dr J
Radha Krishnan.
Although there is a flood of
applications to adopt the
tsunami orphans, the Tamil
Nadu government is encouraging
those who want to provide
support without adopting
the children. "The
government has not made
any special adoption procedure
for tsunami orphans.
There is a lot of interest in
those wanting to support the
kids." Krishnan says.

Me Within

2007-02-25T13:12:00.000+05:30

of what use revenge
if thy enemy not die
not by a grain of lead
but by a thousand cuts bleed

of what use revenge
if he does not suffer
piercing thorns of guilt
of betrayal and treachery

of what use revenge
if thy enemy not afraid
not of darkness within
but of fear lurking in mind's crevices

of what use revenge
if he not know
not what fate awaits
but of a ghastly vengeance

but of what use revenge
if thy enemy know
what to wait for

Me

2007-02-23T20:38:00.000+05:30

Can you walk with me in the clouds
Hold my hand and feel the stars
Waltz with me to the cosmic rays
Then step on to mountain tops
Lit by a spring sun
Sink into the bottomless depths
Of a placid blue lake
Wake up beside me to the icy spray
Of a mystic sea
Hear the zephyr's secrets
And sing with me on a precipice
Look into my eyes and whisper
Sweet nothings
On a dark and lonely night

2006-11-20T13:45:00.000+05:30

On such a night when passing clouds
Give place to thoughts of your friends
When warm memories come like a gust of cool breeze
Remember me, dear friends
Saddened I am at this farewell, friends
For in our own way, little may be
We took time to care through
Each other’s highs and lows
Wishing well, hoping for the best
May be we spent the best years of life
When through gloom you pass dear friend
Remember all your dear friends
Somewhere, anytime we are all there
Just to give you the final push
To tide you over
And when you hear the tip-tap of rain
Do come out where ever you are dear friend
Look at the sky and feel the exhalt of life
For where ever we all may be
We will find find time to smell the warm earth scent
And remember the wonderful moments we spent together
Some of us may meet again sometime
May be some of us will never meet again in this life time.