Olympic hype in India.

As ever,the Indian media has gone overboard with their projections. Who is to blame? Is it the athletes? Is it the federations? Is it our photoshopping culture?

Athletes
Not one of them tells their true world ranking. Eg. Discus thrower Krishna Poonia. We know only from BBC that there are 8 people who have hurled the discus farther than her best this year.

Federations.
The less said the better. They couldn't control their tennis players and shooters. After permitting an intruder into the march past, now they are asking the IOC to explain.

Photoshopping culture.
Looking for the quick gain instead of the steady progress.

OK

R CHUDAMANI

Friday 19.08.2016.

R CHUDAMANI. 

Incidents about R Chudamani.

(1) Related to her work practice and habit.

About 15 years back, I used to travel with my office friends regularly by road between Tiruttanni and Sholinghur. On the way we passed many small hamlets and villages which have names ending in the word KANDIGAI. Like R.S. Kandigai, R.K. Kandigai etc. We were always intrigued by the meaning and origin of the word KANDIGAI. One day I decided to ask my Aunt Chudamani about it. 

So what did she do?

"Good question. Let me check the dictionary" or some such words she says and briskly walks across to her collection of multi volume tamil-tamil dictionary. Runs those frail and spindly fingers across the three volumes and pulls up the word and tells us the meaning.

On that day, I observed her work habit.

No evasion or putting off the question. Instead a habit clearly inculcated by daily practice of tamil reference and writing. 

Also, thats the day I learnt that KANDIGAI has three meanings (at least).

• A unit of land measure used in the pre independance days in northern districts of tamilnadu.
• A small decorated box containing a lady's "vanity" items. 
• An ornamental shoulder piece which was part of a soldier's armament in ancient tamilnad.

(2) Related to her relationship with visitors.
Even in a family of people who were basically very courteous, her concern for visitors and their sensibilities stood out.

IRRESPECTIVE OF WHO THE GUEST - OR WHAT THEIR BACKGROUND - WAS, she would first offer them what refreshments were available. This is in stark contract to many ladies from sophisticated families who treat guests according to their position. Eg: Peers or higher like gurus and samiyars always get refreshments first. Others get to finish the work or business first then only refreshments.

Chudamani's aunt Sushila also has the same observation about Chudamani and used to say that Chudamani was really special in so many ways.

Autofares in Chenni

2012_07_07
Back after a long time. Now retired and having one or two consulting gigs in IT.


Just yesterday, I got a mail from one of my friends asking me to subscribe to a petition to raise the fares for autorikshaws in Chennai. 


My first reaction was WTF?? aren't prices high enough? I thought about it and here's why.


Does anyone seriously doubt that whatever the fare agreed and mandated, the autorikshaw drivers will harass and squeeze the customers?

What are their compulsions?

1. Too many auto competing for too few passengers.
2. Rise of share auto - a boon to middle-class salaried commuters - has put more pressure on autorikshaws.
3. Most autorikshaw drivers hire their autorikshaws from a few bigger players (supposedly cops who are also moneylenders) and have to pay upto Rs.500/= per day as rent.
4. Drivers refuse to ply small distances. This is actually less beneficial for them.

So what are the solutions?

1. Do your math on petrol fares and distances. Even a Maruti car will give about 12 kms  per litre. Conservatively this works out to Rs.6 per kilometre. If we apply this to autos and add even 20% for maintenance overheads, it cant be more than Rs.7.20 per kilometre. Dont pay more.
2. Allow the number of autorikshaws to find it's optimum level by the laws of supply and demand.
3. Recognise the drivers' genuine problems (meeting the lenders demands) and have a separate body to process and sanction loans to genuine aspirants. In my view, this need not be a government initiative alone. I look to corporates and see the example of the introduction of the TataMagic 4 wheel share autos as an example. Initially the autos were sponsored and ran under the banner of two very popular labour unions in Chennai.

How about it? I would like a discussion and you can mail me at padmanabhan_anan@hotmail.com

OK

Introduction.

Hi, this is my first post.

I want to express myself about:

(1) Education in India,
(2) The job market and
(3) The share market in India.