Alumnis of Muthedath High School

Good Morning Don't miss : A2 : Alumnis of Muthedath High School E : 2011 letter to the editor published in Business Standard. M G Warrier A Interaction 1) V N Kelkar Gandhi Jayanti "No doubt there is so much to learn from Bapu's life and his noble thoughts on this day. Let's also pay our tributes to Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri ji on his 116th birth anniversary today. He was humble and firm, epitomized simplicity and lived for the welfare of the nation. He is well remembered, inter alia, for his slogan 'Jay Jawan Jai Kisan' which he gave to the nation. He led the nation in Indo-Pak war of 1965. When he was a Railway Minister in Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet, he resigned after a major train accident owning moral responsibility. Although he was a cabinet minister for many years, he was poor when he died. All he owned at the end was an old car bought by him on instalments." (Thanks, Kelkar. Collage feels comfortable when readers fill in such gaps) 2) Interaction with alphabets https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/warriersviews/alumni-of-muthedath-high-school-26692/ I started writing about a person. "Wiser counsel prevailed" and then took a diversion which led me to unexplored territories. Please open the link to know more. I'm not alone. I find many of our friends struggling to make sense with letters, words and figures. Feel free to post online comments @Times. B World Smiles Day 2020 Yesterday, October 2 was observed as World Smiles Day, 2020. As there was not much to smile 😂 about, Collage delayed celebrations by 24 hours. Can't delay further. Here's why 😃 https://youtu.be/RZGZJpUzYaw https://youtu.be/DNKtAZLxsLk C Current Affairs 1) COVID Update https://wap.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/coronavirus-live-update-india-cases-64-lakh-death-toll-1-lakh-statewise-corona-update-120100200033_1.html Collage has been keeping aloof from commenting on such numbers. In India total number of cases at 64 lakhs works out to 0.47 percent of the population against 75 lakhs and 2.3 percent in US. Number of deaths in India so far is 99,800 constituting 0.007 percent of population against 2.07 lakhs and 0.06 percent in US. When it comes to figures, Collage suggests comparison of comparable figures. Take COVID as a case study. Access corresponding figures for 10 countries chosen at random and attempt the comparison I have done, adding two more parameters : Recoveries and active cases. If you are not surprised, let Collage know. D Readers Write 1)V Babusenan Like all other arts, the Science of Deduction and Analysis is one which can only be acquired by long and patient study, nor is life long enough to allow any mortal to attain the highest possible perfection in it. Before turning to those moral and mental aspects of the matter which present the greatest difficulties, let the inquirer begin by mastering more elementary problems. Let him, on meeting a fellow mortal, learn at a glance to distinguish the history of the man, and the trade or profession to which he belongs. Peurile as such exercise may seem, it sharpens the faculties of observation, and teaches one where to look and what to look for. By a man's finger-nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boots, by his trouser- knees, by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirtcuffs-by each of these things a man's calling is plainly revealed. That all united should fail to enlighten the competent inquirer in any case is almost inconceivable. This was what Sherlock Holmes wrote in an article which formed the basis of the methodology of his crime investigations. Did Sherlock Holmes have a model? Yes he had. The famous American Novelist Irving Wallace did some research in the matter. He found that Dr.Joseph Bell, the reputed surgeon and professor of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Holmes, studied medicine, was the model. Dr Bell's out-patient sessions were a marvel to his students on account of his quick and always correct deductions about the patients and their ailments. In a dinner talk, Dr Bell narrated an incident. In an out-patient session, he was about to examine a patient. He told his students that the fellow had been a soldier in the Highland Regiment and probably a bandsman. The man denied this and said that he was a shoemaker and never had been in the army. Dr Bell had him physically examined by his students. They found out that he was a deserter. He confessed to having played band in the Highland Regiment during the Crimean war! How did he make the correct guess? From the swagger in the fellow's gait and the shortness of his stature. Hearing this someone jokingly remarked: "Why ,Dr Bell might almost be Sherlock Holmes." Dr Bell replied: "My dear Sir, I am Sherlock Holmes." 2) Anasuya Warrier Two freedom fighters* They, Achen and Amma were two who left aside their lives to give a hand to those who were exploited, crushed, cheated, harmed, etc., not because of the political lean they always had but because they loved India as one would their own child. They had lovingly wached their first born Babu born in 1948 and India grow big together. They suffered disappointments on occassions they saw her being tossed wrongly by currupt, selfish, rude so called politicians and bureaucrats but they still harboured high hopes about her. The day Gandhiji was imprisoned on Aug 9th 1942, I have heard them proudly say that as students they poured out of collages on to the roads to join the protests.They were all badly beaten up by the mounted police and Achen was rushed to the hospital with a bleeding head and a broken arm. Amma sought him out at the hospital and was upset seeing him thus, I believe Achen told her 'Devaki this is not the time for you to cry, go back on to the roads'. (They were not married then.) After the division when fight between Hindus and Muslims started they worked hard to do what little they could to counter the madness around. Having gone through such experience it is no wonder they loved their India thus. On the day India won her indipendence at midnight, they joined the huge river of men and women who were rushing to witness the tri-coloured flag being proudly hoisted at the Marina beach. Till their last breath we all know they loved her and did whatever they could for her. Cancer took Amma away when she was 79 and Achen left in 2011. All of us are sorry they no longer are with us but the communal divide that was on its peak in the late forties still sadly continues in another form today." (*Forward received from Dr T V Surendran, Mananthavady. The writer Anasuya is wife of film director Shaji N Karun and daughter of Dr PKR and Devaki Warrier. She is a well known social worker in Kerala following her parents' path. Beena M's tribute to Dr P K R Warrier written in 2011 (link below) gives more details about the life and times of Dr Warrier-Collage http://bodhicommons.org/index.php/commentary/dr-p-k-r-the-legend-from-a-bygone-era) (Disclaimer : Devaky & Dr P K R Warrier are my relatives. More than that, their family was and is close to us since 1973 -Warrier) 3) R Jayakumar Lived once, buried twiçe* After succumbing to a fever of some sort in 1705, Irish woman Margorie McCall was hastily buried to prevent the spread of whatever had done her in. Margorie was buried with a valuable ring, which her husband had been unable to remove due to swelling. This made her an even better target for body snatchers, who could cash in on both the corpse and the ring. The evening after Margorie was buried, before the soil had even settled, the grave-robbers showed up and started digging. Unable to pry the ring off the finger, they decided to cut the finger off. As soon as blood was drawn, Margorie awoke from her coma, sat straight up and screamed. The fate of the grave-robbers remains unknown. One story says the men dropped dead on the spot, while another claims they fled and never returned to their chosen profession. Margorie climbed out of the hole and made her way back to her home. Her husband John, a doctor, was at home with the children when he heard a knock at the door. He told the children, “If your mother were still alive, I’d swear that was her knock.” When he opened the door to find his wife standing there, dressed in her burial clothes, blood dripping from her finger but very much alive, he dropped dead to the floor. He was buried in the plot Margorie had vacated. Margorie went on to re-marry and have several children. When she did finally die, she was returned to Shankill Cemetery in Lurgan, Ireland, where her gravestone still stands. It bears the inscription “Lived Once, Buried Twice.” *Forward received from R Jayakumar (Collage is informed by other readers that this story has different versions. Most of such stories have multiple interpretations.) E Blogs and Links https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/letters-reserve-bank-of-india-s-income-and-reserves-111082900004_1.html Just to give an idea as to why my focus is on RBI since I took up responding in the media seriously and why I'm spending a part of my pension and precious retirement time writing and publishing articles/books on RBI which other RBI retirees are diverting to charity and social work. F My New Book https://notionpress.com/author/m_g_warrier My second book "India's Decade of Reforms" was published by Notion Press, Chennai in 2018. Available in 3 formats (eBook, Paperback and HC) with the Publisher and major online outlets like Amazon, Flipkart etc Access this link to read the first few pages. The same publisher, namely the Notion Press has agreed to publish my third book with focus on RBI and Monetary Policy in October 2020. This will be a "Companion Volume" of "India's Decade of Reforms". Collage will give more updates shortly. Follow me at www.warriersblog.com for updates. This Blog has crossed 2.8 lakhs pageviews.