My Musings

Musings....... News everywhere seems to revolve around Climate change.  There has been no time in recent history that Climate change has received such comprehensive coverage in the mainstream media.  Suddenly Climate change and Global Warming seems to sell. This is good news. However the transformation has not been easy. We have seen many mainstream media houses showing reluctance, -especially in the western countries and developed nations- the so called NORTH countries- to accept and give importance to issues of climate change. So what has got about this transformation of sorts. You could say US President Donald Trump is one of the reasons for the change in attitude of the press.  At least the mainstream media in US ,which is at loggerheads with their President has resorted to disagree with whatever he stands for and says.  Taking to Twitter to dispense important policy matters have made the media there as mute spectators losing relevance. The other reason be...

Musings....... Below is my reply to an FB query on its relevance-  Facebook is a necessary evil.  In this post modern world that we live in, FB has become inevitable considering the help that it does in tracing people, keeping in touch with loved ones and friends, disaster management, rescue and rehabilitation and the like.  However, it is to be taken with a pinch of salt. As we all know the amount of time children spent on social media affecting even their scholastic ability. Studies have shown reduced attention span in children who are on social media for a significant amount of time.  Social media addiction is another evil that threatens us.  Drug mafia, Terrorist organisations and Pornography industry making use of Facebook for their aggrandisement is no secret.   Another major issue is the advent of so much of fake news that is clouding reality and which political parties and others use for their partisan benefits. Data privacy is anoth...

Musings....... I have been largely avoiding shaping my articles with political undertones since the General Elections.This is not for want of content or material but out of exercised restraint. Contrary to expectations,the Indian economy is showing signs of recession. Textbook definition of recession is slowing down of growth rate in 2 consecutive months compared to the same months the previous year,which has been the case this April-May period according to official statistics. We are officially under recession and the reasons for the same are varied. The domestic reasons include a weak structural policy and badly thought out budget on top of a lack of demand and absent liquidity in the market. Internationally, there is an ongoing trade war between the US and China in which both countries have put taxes on their respective imports. When major economies of the world resort to irresponsible trade wars the developing countries like India suffers. China has devalued its currency ...

Musings....... A visit to a holy place is a blissful experience and it was with gleeful excitement that last week I and my family embarked on a short train journey to Thiruchendur Temple. My excitement increased on hearing the Temple was located on the Coromandel coast off the Bay of Bengal. Located in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, we got down at the Thirunelveli Railway station and travelled the 53 kms from the station to the temple by road. As expected the road was well maintained as others in Tamil Nadu. Most striking was the multiple Windmills on the way which we even saw during the train journey.  Both sides of the state highway was landscaped by agricultural fields, goats and beautiful hills of the western ghats. Tamil Nadu being in the rain shadow area of the Western Ghats gets less rainfall compared to my home state of Kerala and the difference in greenery is very much visible. Large swathes of barren fields, and deep borewells and hot air winds were what greete...

Musings....... The post Cold War period in the history of the world is characterised by the emergence of a different kind of war among nations.  You can call it the Cold War or the competition among nations for economic development. So from a bipolar world which prevailed during the Cold War period we saw a transformation into a unipolar world with USA emerging as the sole world power with dictatorial power over world trade policies and economics.  The emergence of yesteryear third world countries like China and India has “toppled the Applecart” so to say.  In the beginning of the 21st century what we are seeing is the transformation from a unipolar world into a multipolar one where multiple power centres are emerging.  People’s Republic of China which was built on the lines of a successful model of Communism and socialism has emerged into a world power which recons respect. With the influence of Chinese commerce extending to far flung areas of the gl...

Musings....... My recent visit to Tirupati in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh was an enlightening experience. The richness of the culture of Andhra Pradesh and its cuisine makes me go back for more. A visit to Tirupati was obviously to visit the Lord Venkateshwara Temple situated in Tirumala Hills part of the Sheshachalam Hills range. The Hills is part of seven peaks representing the seven heads of Adishesha. The Temple lies on the seventh peak - Venkatadri on the banks of Sri Swami Pushkarni, a holy water tank. Tirupati Lord Venkateshwara Temple is a prominent Vaishnavite temple dedicated to the incarnation of lord Vishnu who is believed to have appeared to save mankind from trials and troubles of Kali Yuga. The lord is referred to as Kaliyuga Prathyaksha Daivam and temple as Kaliyuga Vaikuntham. The seven hills are - * Vrushabhadri- Hill of Nandi * Anjanadri- Hill of Lord Hanuman * Neeladri- Hill of Neela Devi * Garudadri - Hill of Garuda * Sheshadri- Hill of Lord Vi...

Musings....... Paribaha Mukhopadhyay 24, always wanted to study medicine and serve people. Who is Paribaha?  He was a bright student, a school topper who also came first in his Higher Secondary examination from Howrah district. Before his career as a doctor could take off Paribaha, a House Surgeon in Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College (NRS), Kolkata was assaulted allegedly by bystanders of a patient. He suffered depressed fracture in the right frontal region which is a bone in the skull, with contusion supposedly from a blunt object like a brick. Though the patient is stable at present the incident caused huge uproar in West Bengal, taken up by the media and ensured mass resignations from Doctors.  Doctors from all over the country including the IMA have been strongly standing by the protesting doctors from Kolkata , who are demanding proper security to doctors. IMAs nationwide strike on the 17th of June was complete. This is not the first incident or a one off incident o...