Some progress that!

Update 1: oops, i forgot to mention the most important in the list of to-dos. We should first stop dumping in the water bodies, esp by the govt bodies themselves.
Update 2: some one reminded me of another important feat wasnt mentioned here. I would do that only after that activity is completed. as this involves a govt body, i cant count the chick now.

Regulars here know my passion for water bodies and the attempt to restore one big lake near my house on the south Madras suburbs. I have been involved in trying to wrest this lake from human and official apathy..it has been one hell of a running around..I did write about it here and here. So from the collector to the PWD officials to local authorities to locals (affected citizens) it was pure apathy..
But don’t u think something should rub on after meeting with so many good souls..
The PWD which is the official stake holder in this was my target. They are, infact, for all huge lakes (> 100 acres ones). The top bureaucrat an IAS officer and one of the top executives were very receptive (that is after some 50 fones and 10 tries to meet in person). Still for someone to move in a positive and enviro sympathetic direction is such a rarity these days. Now we slowly tried and moved the dept to take cognizance of the problem and to move towards a solution.
For someone who wants to wrest a water body, here is a to do list:
- involve locals heavily. Sensitise, then take some signature campaign and circulate to collector, localbodies, local bigwigs, dept’s biggies to locals, all and sundry. (on seeing lotsa signatures people assume theres a big junta behind, where as most people will only sign and think that’s the best they can do)
- Keep moving the copies of the petition everywhere
- Meet the media and there are some eco friendly guys out there(though rare) who may write about the present state. (some column lines for them!)
- A set of core volunteers who can incessantly push for this ca(u)se
- Identify a couple of officers who can really take some steps. Then bombard them with info and ideas and shower praises till they catch cold and make them move.
- Once they show some inclination, take initiative and rush lots more steps in all directions possible and without antagonizing any of the govt bodies (but making them all feel they are doing it actually) and continue at a pace they will all just watch or before they react there should be a fair amount of movement.
- Now when we have done the initial repairs and some progress in a the 1st few of our “must do” list, now go back and slowly push the rest to each of the govt arm and goad them to proceed.
Here in our lake we are in this last step..so more on that later.
Normally iam very conservative esp in evaluation of my own achievement. I tend to underplay my role and accomplishments. But this is one rare occasion I felt, hey u did something buddy! Pat pat..seriously am tired.
Lemme go and celebrate
or rest?

Tamil culture anybody?

We all know what the students of Madras law college did some months ago! See here!
If the students can do that much what are graduates, the great lawyers capable of? Can u guess??
So they just did not want us to imagine..they gave a glimpse today!
It was shameful to see the people who are supposed to uphold the law take it in their hands and rioting against the police! Appalling and disgraceful.
This is not the 1st time the lawyers of Madras high courts behave like this! They are so party driven and go on rampage so often, they all should be suspended in scores to redeem the faith.
Yesterday they attacked Subramanya Swamy inside the court during his trial and today they freaked out on the police. Threw stones & all stuff, burnt down the police station inside the court. We could see the video clearly! Many faces are seen. Why don’t they nail them all and make them pay for these damages.
To think that they were agitated in the original place due to the srilankan tamil crisis is laughable.

Ram sena and culture!

Whats all this nonsense?
Saving the culture is it? But is it in their (our?) culture to smash up people if they don’t adhere to these joker’s views. I did like their idea of 'marrying off' couples on valentines day. cant stop imagining what many guys in my college wud have done! just go materialise near your long 'jolled' beauty and these ram sena fellas wud have done the rest;-)
But I seriously don’t think the visual media esp the eng news channels are doing any good by playing them all day. Its just frustrating and irritating (whats new ain’t?)

cool Madras!

Its surprisingly so cool in this time of the year here at Madras! yes,around 20 degrees at nights and early mornings! Thats incredible in the 'hot, hotter, hottest' Madras.
So you will find all these monkey caps, sweaters and shawls being sported, funnily all over. I think its just about pleasant at nights and thats all, but all these warm clothings are on display:-)
still its nice to have such a pleasant surprise in Madras. Global warming, anybody?

Interesting meets

Last week was a special one! I really had 3 good meets and so very heartening and informative ! I should be really lucky to have had such a hatrick.
Nammalwar was in town and suddenly his appointment with some minister was moved by a day and so along with a couple of friends I got a chance to pile on. We spent some 2 hours talking about various ‘organic matters’ and then I got to accompany him to another friend’s land on the OMR (madras outskirts) to have hands on experience of converting a waste land to (prospective) organic farm! Nammalwar is always amazing! He just jumps in with the tools and starts off at the slightest trigger. Its an experience to just walk with him in any land/farm. Tons of info just ooze out. He would have so much to say about most of the plants we cross and their medicinal value, origin etc.
Here the bonus was the knowledge transfer to make the best of small lands esp in the urban outskirts (where due to real estate values we are losing agri lands by the minute).
How to create beds, raise them, mulching, sowing seeds, covering, land preparation, best utilization of exisiting landscape, using the ‘unwanted’ stones in that land for bed sides- were just some of the ideas he sowed in to us. even educating us how to use the crowbar effectively! A memorable day for me.
A couple of days later with some friends I visited Tree natesan , and as always its such a pleasant thing to meet or talk to him. He is a mobile data bank. He would just throw the latin names, origin, myths that surround a species, some stories about how they came to India (or how they have been native plants for ages). On a glance at a field he would come out with what plants/ trees suit that soil the best and what should one do. To visit various farms with him and also some govt school that he is helping plan a computer room, a big library that he has helped organize in a rural area with so much contributions, lakes he has restored..time just will never be enough. The unique use of geese (& their shit too), how the korai pul (a weed) multiplies, chola kings' ventures in the sholavarm side, breaking the myth that eucalyptus ‘drinks’ lotsa water…this list can go on, bcos he will just spray so much info and all relevant in some way and the bonus will be his trials in early days and so special learning for us!

There was a third one- an amazing person, so down to earth inspite of his huge success & acclaim across the globe. But am not going to write about this person now as I didn’t seek his permission to mention that here in this blog. That shall happen soon.

Such people of fame and huge achievements being so humble and courteous, so forthcoming with information are catalysts for folks like me. They not only give hope but motivate you so much.

here it is..

the promised picture!

old friends can relate to this esp the blue colour!
so I said 'she's back in my life' but now as a scorpio! (recent gen of my old armada)

got back with an old girl friend

Oh yeah! forgot to tell you, among many other things that last week was a very eventful one. I met many interesting folks(next post) and also had this 'getting back an old girl friend of mine'.
I shall have her foto here 2moro..
for now, lots to catch up..

Fedex – don’t lose heart!

No fedex! Don’t lose heart.
You might not have won this Oz open or in the last few grand slam finals.
But note that you have been there at all these 5 finals that you lost. So its not all that bad, you know! Its just that one break and you shall be one up than Sampras and then atleast a couple more.
Wait for it King Roger! We shall wait too, with you.