Chinese way of handling Trash

Read it on a recent issue of "The Economist". China being a nation of 1.35 billion plus people, the handling of trash is a major problem, especially in the urban centers. When they are people, they will produce trash. The city of Sanghai itself produces 22000 tons of trash every day, a gargantuan amount. All this cannot be handled by filling up the landfills, many were stacked outside. So the pragmatic Chinese authorities came with the idea of using incinerators, especially imported from Japan.

But the use of incinerators was not free from its side effects. In the affluent Lake side city of Shangzhu, the foul smell emanated from the burning trash at 850 degrees became as burning issue for the local populace, who protested by burning a few government vehicles. As usual the retaliation by the Chinese authorities was swift and effective. The state immediately poured in law enforcement officials into the city, both in uniform and in civilian cloth. They ruthlessly suppressed the protest and continued implementing their agenda, still incinerating the trash.

Once, Deng Xiao Ping told the Americans who love to lecture about democracy, that the "Jeffersonian Democracy is not applicable to every nation. We don't care about the cat being black and white as long as it catches mice". There is no magic bullet to handle trash of 22000 tons per day. It has to go somewhere. Obviously landfill and recycling can't handle everything. It cannot be left decomposing in open environment. If incineration takes care of part it, let it be so. No cure to a solution is free from side effects, as no medicinal drug is. When the Bull is in the China shop, the nation knows how to take it by horn, collateral damages not withstanding.

Recent experience teaching Math at the local High school

While volunteering for tutoring, once the regular Math teacher let me watch her explaining circles and tangents to the students. Upon observing many of them busy with their cell phones, she took them away, putting in a rack to be picked up after her lecture. One of the students did not like it, threw some temper tantrum by flailing his folder right in front of the teacher. Then shaking off his shoulders, he muttered "Well, whatever" and walked away.

 

The teacher hardly cared, continued on, nonchalantly. I was flabbergasted. Such kind of behavior during our time would be unthinkable, at least in my school. It was a stark reminder of living in a different "STHANA, KALA, PATRA", i.e. place, time and association. A professor in my Engg college used to say " for coming in no permission is necessary, but for going out a definite permission is needed". One of my friends would deliberately utter "May I come in Sir, to make the professor repeat himself". Needless to say, walking away from the class could invite trouble. This generation simply doesn't fear or respect its teachers. In America they do fear and respect the law, the same needs to be sustained towards the teachers.

 

Reminds me of a few funny anecdotes involving lectures from my college days. The same professor while lecturing would say "you are living in the river and quarrelling with the crocodile", transliterating the Odia proverb "NAEE RE RAHI KUMBHIRA SANGE KALI KARIBA", roughly meaning "People who live in glass houses should not throw stones" stones". Chewing gum, wearing dark glasses or cap (unless you have shaved off your head) in front of teachers or superiors ( an IAS officer is being reprimanded these days for shaking hands with Modi, wearing sunglasses) was considered outright bad manners. Once a student entered the class wearing dark glasses, as he had conjunctivitis (pink eyes). The teacher promptly asked "you caught your eyes", which was a direct transliteration from AAKHI DHARICHI in Odia or getting a pink eye.

 

Pink or otherwise, many more such colorful episodes are associated to our student days. Once a teacher said " If you go DAALE DAALE (covering branches of tree), then I will go PATRE PATRE (covering leaves). It's a  blend of Odia and English, suggesting that I will be monitoring you. Came another request from the same teacher, sing a song so that GAGAN PABAN (sky and air) will be MUKHARIT (become musical). Meaning is self explanatory.

High court case about education

Per a recent news report on the oldest and ubiquitous Odia Newspaper SAMAJA, a 'Fact Finding Committee' has been set up by the government, to evaluate the failure of Odia students in major all India entrance exams. Commissions and omissions go hand in hand. It's a matter of any body's guess to anticipate any positive outcome from these commissions, so keep your fingers crossed.  

 

It has been noticed by many, that of late, the performance of the candidates from Odisha in all Indian competitive exams has gone down. Fewer Odias now Qualify for civil Services, IITs, IIMs and AIIMS etc. It's said that the courses taught in educational institutes in Odisha are not up to the standards, they lag behind their national counterparts. Over the years, due to domino effect that hiatus is widening. Unless something is done drastically, the students churned out en mass may not get up to speed to catch to catch up with the latest and greatest curriculum, ending up being in 2nd rate colleges.

The government controlled education system in many places is now rotten beyond redemption. My uncle topped his High School Board exam in the state of Odisha in 1971 from our Village High school. He later qualified for Civil Services, the most coveted job of his times. And he wasn't alone, many brilliant chaps from his generations completed their schooling in villages or small towns. Such a feat now could be some ones midsummer day dream. Those with options, move to cities to buy better education for their children. Though it has become fashionable to enroll in mushrooming Private English medium schools, not all of them are up to standard. No wonder, my own state of origin is further sliding into the educational abyss. It would need a herculean effort to drag it out of the morass.

Rattle Snake and Lord Siva

When I spoke to my mother in India, I told her the recent heavy rains here has filled the creek behind my home. I see a lot of frogs in my backyard and very soon I might see some Rattle Snakes to complete the food chain. As usual in a concerned voice she advised me to be careful  and pray Lord Siva to keep this slithery beast away.

Teasing her mildly (as we  often take liberty with our mothers though we can't take the same with dad) I said "Mummy, we all know Lord Siva has a stranglehold over Cobra, not sure if he has the same control over Rattlesnakes of America. Sanskrit SLOKAS (hymns) wont work here. Southern American accent filled sermons from the local Methodist church might help in keeping it away."

 

She chastised me as usual "Stop teasing and take my advise seriously. I will pray for you to Lord Siva to keep you safe from "Rattle SAAPA(snake)". No matter how far I am, her concern for me never ever wavers a bit. I have complete faith on her devotion. Now that I have outsourced my well being to her I can roam freely in my backyard. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to all.

Salman Khan Verdict

The media, social or otherwise is hell bent on judging the judgment delivered by the lower court on Salman Khan's drunk driving case. Scandals involving celebrities make headlines and it's a global phenomena. Reminds me of the  O J Simpson's case in 1994. It's trial was at it's peak,around the same time the World Cup soccer was hosted by USA. More Americans were aware about the OJ case, than the maga soccer event going on in their own nation. The American media made a huge coverage of it, it's public clearly divided among racial lines regarding it's verdict.

I have asked many Whites as well as Blacks about  OJ's case. All whites were anguished that OJ killed his wife, should have been punished but escaped. Blacks feel, though OJ possibly killed his wife, he did so in a spurt of rage as he caught his wife red handed cheating on him, inside his own house. It was an involuntary manslaughter, so if he escaped conviction, the rule of law has to be respected. I have not heard a single cross-racial difference of opinion on that subject as of yet.

In Salman's case the sympathy towards him hardly extends beyond some of his hardcore fans and CHAMCHAs (obsequious fellas who survive due to doles from the big screen guy). Justice delayed in justice denied. The lower court decision came after a decade of the incident. Some say he escaped with minimal punishment, 5 year being too few. A joke is going around that Madhuri's both SAAJANs (beloveds) are now convicted. It took Sanjay Dutt more than 2 decades to get the final conviction in a TADA case. It could take at least the same, if not more for Salman, who would be 60+ then, having lived most of his life.

A stay in jail is often termed in Odia as GHANA PELA or in Hindi CHAKKI PISNA, both meaning churning the wheel. As part of their daily chore during British days, which continued years post independence, jail inmates were kept busy churn mammoth wheels inside the prison to produce oil out of the sebaceous oilseeds. Now a days the wheels of fortune has turned full circle for the convicts. I doubt anybody is churning wheels inside the prisons in India, but the terms GHANA PELA or in Hindi CHAKKI PISNA have stuck around. I am sure Salman, if finally convicted in 2025, his wife (if he marries, I bet that will be another mega media event) or someone close could fall sick, enabling to "to and fro" from the jail like a pendulum on regular basis, emulating the co-SAAJAN Sanjay Dutt.

Can India ever get Dawood

Just now I watched for a few minutes, the usually cacophonous debate on Arnab's program about Dawood Ibrahim and his whereabouts. There was hardly anything new or novelty in their discussion. One may not be knowing his exact coordinates, but no prize for guessing who protects him. Air was thick with innuendos, hardly anything substantial coming from the esteemed panel, except forcing Pakistan to hand him over. Per latest developments, as if our western neighbor gloating under the prospect of getting arms and alms from China (their all weather friend), Russia (India's all weather friend) and America (nobody's friend), would handcuff Dawood and pack him in the next flight from Karachi to New Delhi.

A few months ago on Arnab's panel, a Paki guy was boasting "Our ISI is far superior than your RAW, you can't do anything more than shouting". He had a point. Pakistan perceives India as soft and not swift. It can't retaliate beyond token official condemnations, our economy and nuclear technology not withstanding. It's sad, but true.

Dawood, arguably India's most wanted fugitive not only lives happily, many of our cricketers and movie stars have a history of entertaining him. (Hard to imagine Michael Jordan or Angelina Jolie entertaining Bin Laden). It's said half of Bombay is in his pocket. ISI spreads fake currency liberally inside our nation using D-Company's vast network, spreading its tentacles further. We have hardly done anything noteworthy to hit them back.

It's just not limited to Pakistan. The leader of LTTE, said to be our own creation, killed our own Prime minister, on our own soil. A elephant poacher named Veerappan with an explosive Walrus mustache, planted explosives on regular basis to kill our policemen with impunity, for close to two decades  eluding our law enforcement. In August 1992, a Karnataka SP, T. Harikrishna and his deputy Shakeel Ahmed posed as sandalwood smugglers to catch him. But they were caught off guard as by some of miracle psychic power Veerappan knew about their arrival before hand, shot both police officers.

With such a history no wonder the proverb "one should command respect, can't demand it" immediately comes to mind. If Veerappan inside our heartland had powers to get prior information to nab him, Dawood who lives outside and much more resourceful, has 10 times more psychic power to get prior information. Though I sincerely hope, it will take a miracle for India to get him during our lifeime, dead or alive. Discussions in Parliament or Panels would hardly help.

Drinking water and immunity from it

Tired after mowing 3 bags of grass, I wiped off sweat from my forehead. Feeling thirsty, rushed to the closest faucet, washed of dirt from my hands and bent over to drink the cool, tap water. No sooner than I was done, my son promptly reminded me what I always tell him, to wash his hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before eating or drinking out of it. I did not do any of it.

 

In our school days, during our recess and after HPER (Health Physical Education and Recreation) class, we used to drink using our folded palm from the rusty faucet under a huge water tank inside the school premises. There was hardly any soap available to wash our hands before hand. It was rumored that many mice, lizards and cockroaches had taken water burial inside that tank. Yet nothing wrong ever happened to me. The immunity I got from drinking that water over years, has probably given my stomach a protective coating. I still have the confidence to drink straight from tap water using my palms. My son doesn't. The tap water here is safe anyway

 

Soon I moved to the hostel in REC (now NIT) Rourkela. During the monsoon the brown, muddy water from the tap was exactly the same as it's source Brahmani river flowing nearby. It could rival the yellow water served in our dining hall, (as the DAL was sarcastically referred to, you need to churn and scoop for minutes inside the container before you can find traces of the legume). The inept and corrupt authority hardly did anything to fix the water supply problem. No wonder typhoid, jaundice and water borne diseases were common, though I was lucky to escape any major ailment. The campus doctor, nicknamed as GHODA (horse) was a curse on the "Hippocratic Oath". He would give substandard medication to the poor students, while rumored to siphon off the more effective ones to grease his Superior's palms.

 

The same can't be said about my son. He can't boast of having the similar kind of immunity. During my last trip to India he picked up some bug, threw up and had loose motion for an entire day. Fortunately he recovered on time. I am sure, he is immune to that particular kind of stomach bug. Staying outside, over the years, I have started losing the immunity to loose motions, if I eat street food. One thing I have learnt the hard way. It's always best to eat the street food steaming hot and careful with the water you drink. Prevention is always better than cure.