Vasu Reddy from Chicago
17th February 2005
Have you ever lived somewhere for a quarter of a century? I am almost getting close to this with Chicago. It is hard to imagine how many things have happened and how many instances are required in ones life to build that many years in a place. I really like this town. It is a city that is cold and hot and warm and damp and full of experiences I am fresh with.
Recounting the experiences of Chicago is always wonderful. As I continue to write weekly, it is also a great pleasure to recount some of the experiences of the town and what my recollection of the past and present.
Swami Narayan Mandir, Bartlett, Illinois
On February 14, 2005 I went to visit the Swami Narayan Mandir. In the beginning of August of 2004, I covered the inauguration of the Mandir in Bartlett, Illinois. Visiting this temple is always a wonderful experience. It also happened to be Valentines Day morning. First thing that struck me is the spiritual calmness of this place. Every time I visit it seems cleaner and holier to visit this temple. Today we participated in the abishekam for Swami Purushottam, which was conducted by Mehul. It was wonderful to do this in pairs and no grandness with the ceremony but Mehul explaining the significance of the event. Right after that we went upstairs to attend the Aarti, which was conducted by Swami Tyagaratna Swami. Kannubhai was very gracious in accompanying us to the Mandir and walking me through the Aarti process. Once the Aarti was done Kannubhai introduced me to the Swami Tyagaratna Swami. The Swami before his current holy vocation was a dentist. He smiles very easily and very kind with his words. I recollected my covering the inauguration of the temple and my visit with the Pramukh Swami Maharaj, and the joy of working on the stories of the Mandir with the Swami. He offered to sit down speak to me at leisure and I promised to work on covering the temple at every opportunity I get. I promised myself that I would visit often and feel the peace of this wonderful Shrine. I encourage all the readers to make it a point to visit this holy place and experience the peace. They have a wonderful gallery depicting the many contributions to the arts and sciences along with religious contributions between corridor connecting the main hall and the temple and great space to sit and meditate. Although a new contribution to the many great places of the greater Chicago area, the BAPS center in Bartlett is definitely a place I am sure will be one of the most spiritually enlightening places of the great city. For more information on the Mandir visit www.swaminarayan.org.
Cold Weather and Winds of Chicago
I originally came from Andhra Pradesh in India. I think by end of February the mild winters of Andhra Pradesh are done, and by March it is hot and gets hotter and hotter. Some evenings the temperatures get to about 100 degrees and you feel the relief if there are mild winds. I remember that in a City like Hyderabad in temperatures of about 75 or 80 degrees, people thought it was cold and wore sweaters. As I write this there are about 15 to 20 mile winds blowing and cold but in 40’s in Chicago. This evening I was walking with just my shirt without a coat on while shopping and did not find it too cold. The weather is not too cold not too hot in Chicago, but if the weather gets to some 40 degrees in Andhra Pradesh as it is in Chicago as I write this week’s column, or in Southern India I am sure there will be catastrophes with people unable to cope with the winters. Then again who doesn’t like the weather of Chicago. It is always changing and by the time I finish this paragraph it might be cold again.
When I first came the cold never bothered any of my friends or me. We simply had limited cold experience and most times enjoyed the snow and cold of Chicago. I don’t remember my being worried too much at the temperatures or snow or wind in my new days of Chicago. Now a day I don’t worry either except the Internet keeps reminding me how cold or hot or snow or wind in Chicago. One thing for sure the weather is beautiful all the time in Chicago as it keeps changing all the time, and you will eventually get the type of weather or wind you like. Just stay for a little while and your weather wish will come true.
Time Warp With My Folks in Chicago (or is it in America)
My Indian habits of speaking and eating remain the same, as they were when I first left India for good for the good old USA. Lately there are a lot more Indians in the USA and as is in Chicago. So you find a lot of folks to speak Telugu, Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Malayalam or any of your choice Indian language in any suburb or city. I still remember the days when the only Indian folks we had were family or friends from school. When I was in school, we sought out any one who looked Indian (really any one from the Indian Sub-Continent) was a friend as they were so few of us. My friends Yash, Jay, Shahid, Nagesh, Eric, Raj, Arvinda, Kirti and Selvi (forgive me if I forgot names as there are a lot of them I was good friends with and still cherish my time with them) were together a lot and did a lot of things together. I think of them often and some of them I speak on an irregular basis. I am always happy to find my friends from school, and when I hear of them or read of them I am proud. As we all are a part of the Chicago landscape it is wonderful to have these guys as a part of your Chicago experience. Hey guys if you do read this, believe me that I was and will always be fond of my time with you all and I still miss you guys.
My favorite subject of food is still on the top of my list of same habits. I also notice that everyone around me also cherish the same type of food as was many years ago, and the favorites continue to be the same old Indian dishes. Aloo, dal, rotis and rice still feature in almost all meals at home and restaurants. Something new that has come into life is the Chinese combination of Indian food in some buffet restaurants. I am not too sure of this as there is plenty of Indian food available and I may not do justice to the term buffet with two types of great foods in one sitting. But it has a popular flavor and people seem to enjoy the Indian Chinese combination. In any case I eat the same stuff and with same style of food and if so much more conscious of what I what I eat in the Indian foods. Quarter century has not made me change any of my eating habits.
One big change in our daily habit of having lunch has dramatically changed. I am used to eating lunch in the cafeteria or eat a sandwich at my desk, or a quick bite with colleagues in a nearby restaurant. Now a days folks go home and eat a full hot meal. This is a trend that has become normal with the influx of IT folks, and commendable as a great big lunch (along with a great big breakfast and perhaps a great big dinner) everyday is a killer on the old gut, and must be tempered with generous doses of exercise. By the way where do you find time for exercise with all the work and time allocated for eating and family?
I remember the Krishna temple near Devon on Lunt Street well still. I think on Fridays the guys went there to say prayers and have a free feast. The food was great as I did go there one time in 1981, and they did not charge you for this. Today we have a great many temples (and very grand ones) all across the greater Chicago area. I like temples, and go to as many as I can. Once a week visit to one of temples helps in ask the big guy to give peace and prosperity, and our community is making sure we have the opportunity to form the bond with our beliefs. Our temples are now great places to congregate, and some of them have huge halls to facilitate the gatherings, weddings and cultural happenings. One good thing is most of them have good size parking lots to cater to a few hundred people and kitchens to support the Indian food being served with parties. The only time they get crowded is when they have to handle thousands of people on major festivities, and some of the temples are planning better and better to cater to the ever expanding devotee population. Also most of the temples have great kitchens, usually managed by volunteers and have great hot food. Try them out next time you are in a temple, and the kitchens of the temples nowadays contribute greatly to the income of the temples. So, by visiting the temple and donating generously, and also frequenting the temple kitchen and eating generously will help reduce the debt burden of the temples that still have debt, and help manage the ones better if they don’t have debt. I only wish all of them are debt free.
Speaking Indian language everywhere was uncommon as you hardly found anyone in the early 80’s except when you went to a party or to Devon. Even then you needed English as folks may not know your mother tongue and you ended up speaking in English to communicate. Nowadays that is never a problem. I have been practicing ample doses of multiple languages with people from India. Restaurants, mall, mailbox, grocery store (even the Mexican stores), movies, parties, temples, associations and any other avenue including work are great places where you find a great many number of Indian folks with whom you can easily converse in multiple languages. As I had written a few columns ago, many times in a combination of multiple Indian languages, and grammar, context and Indian idiosyncrasies are all included in the discussions.
Devon Then and Now
One place that remains the same is Devon. In 1981 or so Gandhi India Restaurant was opened (sorry if I get the date wrong), and is still there. I used to frequent this place as they had a buffet for fewer than five bucks (I think), and was a great deal to eat for hungry students. Some days I would eat the buffet and not eat for a whole day as I was so stuffed. All the guys like my good friend Ramu who for a period I lived with may be the cause that the buffet no longer serves unlimited tandoori chicken, and serve limited number of pieces of chicken at the table. We used to eat too much of this stuff. There are lots of great eating-places in Devon and the greater Chicago area. The difference is that Devon still has these little places that serve great food that still reminds me of India. Although the posh down town and suburban Indian restaurants are great to dine in, but the Devon Avenue still offers great treats. From sweets to biryani, no better place and no better bargains. The Jewelry shops look a little grander, the clothes merchants charge stiff prices, the roads and parking as dirty as they were a quarter century ago, with lots of the people still intact. The only difference is it is a lot more crowded, with a lot more of the newer immigrants crowding the place. I can’t complain as they bring new money and new enterprise to Devon. Devon still has great bargains, great food, the Indian look and lots of the same good folks. I don’t want to forget India Tribune (although not on Devon Avenue, but close by) has been around for more than a quarter of a century. Make sure you visit www.indiatribune.com. One major improvement I notice is that many shops have improved the outside architecture and overall features of the shops. This is great as they do attract more visitors and make the place look cleaner. And again the old problem of crowds, and non-available parking, dirt and papers on the road, poor maintenance is still there, while adding to the ambiance of the Indian Street we call Devon.
I have many more things that I am continuing to experience after all these years in Chicago, but I know that my publishers don’t want to publish my personal journal. But for those of us who live in Chicago I am sure you will agree this is a good place to call home. I am sure I will find someway to integrate more of Chicago into my columns. I love Chicago.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Upwardly Mobile Desi
Vasu Reddy from Chicago
16th June 2005
From apartments crammed with new generation of software engineers walking around with leather jackets to transformed suburbanites is the Upwardly Mobile Desi ("UMD") of the today’s America. While reading the news someone was Bill Gates for hiring cheap software labor through H 1 B visas and paying people small wages. I suddenly thought if 60,000 plus dollars all the way to 150,000 plus a year in income is not cheap labor, and here is the UMD living and prospering in the USA.
The wealth factor is very different for the new UMD. Previous immigrants needed to have multiple years of education, training and living in their new environment before they made it possible to earn wages to afford families and homes and common luxuries that are of immediate accessibility to today’s UMD. Life in the USA is as simple as getting H 1 B, landing in the USA and getting a nice paying job. Many of the old immigrants spent years accumulating the necessary wealth to marry, buy a home and a reasonable car, but today’s immigrants can do this almost instantly. The continued inflow of new immigrants have the training and will to make things happen fast and have the courage to pick and choose day-to-day needs. Many of them are very mobile and have traveling jobs on a regular basis.
What I thought in the 80’s was a luxury is no longer even worth giving a second thought. Making a phone call to India or for that matter to anywhere else is a routine habit now days. Eating out, going to movies, watching a concert or simply having a party was of great expense in the olden days, which is a daily occurrence due to the UMD today. Small vacations in the USA were a big deal and going to India was not a small deal. It required a lot of careful planning and a lot time spent saving and before undertaking the trip much thought was given to affordability. Today it is as good as going to a picnic. Our folks can afford to take breaks, go to India at will, and travel frequently to destinations that were so far out of reach for a new immigrant.
I have always looked critically at the difficulties of social integration of immigrants into a new society. It seems no longer a necessary thing to worry about, as UMD is capable of both retaining the ability to be who they are and also work and earn effortlessly in this age. Not just software professionals but all types of entrepreneurs are able to easily leverage their skills into work and business and become successful. America or western societies seem to be full of new immigrants who seem to find their own space in integrate into their own way of building comforts. For generations it seemed so foreign to move out of India and settle in a foreign land. Now it is the opposite of that with new immigrants not only are quick to make use of the opportunity in their newly migrated homes, but also create necessary infrastructure in their hometowns in India. What once used to be a dream of all immigrants is quickly a reality with UMD. Building homes in India, acquiring businesses and frequent trips were only thing of the affluent immigrants in the old days, but it is of common nature to today’s UMD. They seem capable of working hard and also investing hard.
Going back to the criticism of cheap labor and making software professionals into that category, it is difficult to imagine how these professionals can be called inexpensive. It takes many years for a local graduate to educate, find employment and earn 50 plus thousand dollars a year. This is nothing but a starting salary for many UMD. The contribution from UMD to specific industry is explicit when it comes to software and engineering enterprises. The value chain is driven from demand and supply and the UMD ability to grasp to the need of the industry and the world. The phenomenal vertical integration of our people into software and technical fields around the world is unparalleled, and shows our people’s ability to not just migrate but cultivate into the services field. This is with minimum help from the government in education, with minimum facilities to learn and train from, and minimum experience when they get started. The barriers of language, distance and newness is quickly being transformed into wealth that makes the UMD a group of new socioeconomic force that has the ability to live in two different continents and make things seem simple by being confined to the specifics of work and habits that doesn’t require major shifts into sociopolitical issues of their new home.
16th June 2005
From apartments crammed with new generation of software engineers walking around with leather jackets to transformed suburbanites is the Upwardly Mobile Desi ("UMD") of the today’s America. While reading the news someone was Bill Gates for hiring cheap software labor through H 1 B visas and paying people small wages. I suddenly thought if 60,000 plus dollars all the way to 150,000 plus a year in income is not cheap labor, and here is the UMD living and prospering in the USA.
The wealth factor is very different for the new UMD. Previous immigrants needed to have multiple years of education, training and living in their new environment before they made it possible to earn wages to afford families and homes and common luxuries that are of immediate accessibility to today’s UMD. Life in the USA is as simple as getting H 1 B, landing in the USA and getting a nice paying job. Many of the old immigrants spent years accumulating the necessary wealth to marry, buy a home and a reasonable car, but today’s immigrants can do this almost instantly. The continued inflow of new immigrants have the training and will to make things happen fast and have the courage to pick and choose day-to-day needs. Many of them are very mobile and have traveling jobs on a regular basis.
What I thought in the 80’s was a luxury is no longer even worth giving a second thought. Making a phone call to India or for that matter to anywhere else is a routine habit now days. Eating out, going to movies, watching a concert or simply having a party was of great expense in the olden days, which is a daily occurrence due to the UMD today. Small vacations in the USA were a big deal and going to India was not a small deal. It required a lot of careful planning and a lot time spent saving and before undertaking the trip much thought was given to affordability. Today it is as good as going to a picnic. Our folks can afford to take breaks, go to India at will, and travel frequently to destinations that were so far out of reach for a new immigrant.
I have always looked critically at the difficulties of social integration of immigrants into a new society. It seems no longer a necessary thing to worry about, as UMD is capable of both retaining the ability to be who they are and also work and earn effortlessly in this age. Not just software professionals but all types of entrepreneurs are able to easily leverage their skills into work and business and become successful. America or western societies seem to be full of new immigrants who seem to find their own space in integrate into their own way of building comforts. For generations it seemed so foreign to move out of India and settle in a foreign land. Now it is the opposite of that with new immigrants not only are quick to make use of the opportunity in their newly migrated homes, but also create necessary infrastructure in their hometowns in India. What once used to be a dream of all immigrants is quickly a reality with UMD. Building homes in India, acquiring businesses and frequent trips were only thing of the affluent immigrants in the old days, but it is of common nature to today’s UMD. They seem capable of working hard and also investing hard.
Going back to the criticism of cheap labor and making software professionals into that category, it is difficult to imagine how these professionals can be called inexpensive. It takes many years for a local graduate to educate, find employment and earn 50 plus thousand dollars a year. This is nothing but a starting salary for many UMD. The contribution from UMD to specific industry is explicit when it comes to software and engineering enterprises. The value chain is driven from demand and supply and the UMD ability to grasp to the need of the industry and the world. The phenomenal vertical integration of our people into software and technical fields around the world is unparalleled, and shows our people’s ability to not just migrate but cultivate into the services field. This is with minimum help from the government in education, with minimum facilities to learn and train from, and minimum experience when they get started. The barriers of language, distance and newness is quickly being transformed into wealth that makes the UMD a group of new socioeconomic force that has the ability to live in two different continents and make things seem simple by being confined to the specifics of work and habits that doesn’t require major shifts into sociopolitical issues of their new home.
Valentine’s Day
Vasu Reddy from Chicago
3rd February 2005
Every February, across the country and the world, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.
But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday?
The history of Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.
History of Valentine’s Day
As early as the fourth century B.C., the Romans engaged in an annual young man's rite to passage to the God Lupercus. The names of the teenage women were placed in a box and drawn at random by adolescent men; thus, a man was assigned a woman companion for the duration of the year, after which another lottery was staged. After eight hundred years of this cruel practice, the early church fathers sought to end this practice. They found an answer in Valentine, a bishop who had been martyred some two hundred years earlier.
According to church tradition St. Valentine was a priest near Rome in about the year 270 A.D. At that time the Roman Emperor Claudius-II who had issued an edict forbidding marriage.
This was around when the heyday of Roman Empire had almost come to an end. Lack of quality administrators led to frequent civil strife. Learning declined, taxation increased, and trade slumped to a low, precarious level. And the Gauls, Slavs, Huns, Turks and Mongolians from Northern Europe and Asian increased their pressure on the empire's boundaries. The empire was grown too large to be shielded from external aggression and internal chaos with existing forces. Thus more of capable men were required to be recruited as soldiers and officers. When Claudius became the emperor, he felt that married men were more emotionally attached to their families, and thus, will not make good soldiers. So to assure quality soldiers, he banned marriage.
Valentine, a bishop, seeing the trauma of young lovers, met them in a secret place, and joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. Claudius learned of this "friend of lovers," and had him arrested. The emperor, impressed with the young priest's dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the roman gods, to save him from certain execution. Valentine refused to recognize Roman Gods and even attempted to convert the emperor, knowing the consequences fully. On February 24, 270, Valentine was executed.
From Your Valentine
While Valentine was in prison awaiting his fate, he came in contact with his jailor, Asterius. The jailor had a blind daughter. Asterius requested him to heal his daughter. Through his faith he miraculously restored the sight of Asterius' daughter. Just before his execution, he asked for a pen and paper from his jailor, and signed a farewell message to her "From Your Valentine," a phrase that lived ever after.
Valentine thus became a Patron Saint, and spiritual overseer of an annual festival. The festival involved young Romans offering women they admired, and wished to court, handwritten greetings of affection on February 14. The greeting cards acquired St. Valentine's name.
The Valentine's Day card spread with Christianity, and is now celebrated all over the world. Charles, duke of Orleans, sent one of the earliest cards in 1415 to his wife while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. The card is now preserved in the British Museum.
History of Cupid – God of Love
Cupid is the most famous of Valentine symbols and everybody knows that boy armed with bow and arrows, and piercing hearts. He is known as a mischievous, winged child armed with bow and arrows. The arrows signify desires and emotions of love, and Cupid aims those arrows at Gods and Humans, causing them to fall deeply in love. Cupid has always played a role in the celebrations of love and lovers. In ancient Greece he was known as Eros, the young son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. To the Roman's he was Cupid, and his mother was Venus.
There is a very interesting story about Cupid and His mortal Bride Psyche in Roman mythology. Venus was jealous of the beauty of Psyche, and ordered Cupid to punish the mortal. But instead, Cupid fell deeply in love with her. He took her as his wife, but as a mortal she was forbidden to look at him.
Psyche was happy until her sisters persuaded her to look at Cupid. As soon as Psyche looked at Cupid, Cupid punished her by leaving her. Their lovely castle and gardens vanished too. Psyche found herself alone in an open field with no signs of other beings or Cupid. As she wandered trying to find her love, she came upon the temple of Venus. Wishing to destroy her, the goddess of love gave Psyche a series of tasks, each harder and more dangerous then the last.
For her last task Psyche was given a little box and told to take it to the underworld. She was told to get some of the beauty of Proserpine, the wife of Pluto, and put it in the box. During her trip she was given tips on
avoiding the dangers of the realm of the dead. She was also warned not to open the box. But Temptation overcame Psyche and she opened the box. But instead of finding beauty, she found deadly slumber.
Cupid found her lifeless on the ground. He gathered the deadly sleep from her body and put it back in the box. Cupid forgave her, as did Venus. The gods, moved by Psyche's love for Cupid made her a goddess.
Today, Cupid and his arrows have become the most popular of love signs, and two hearts pierced by an arrow, Cupid’s arrow, most frequently depict love.
Valentine’s in Modern Times
In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all-social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.
According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas. Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.
Although the Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the middle ages written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400, and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. Esther A. Howland created the first commercial Valentine’s Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. in the 1840s. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap".
Definitions of Love
1 a (1): strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties (2): attraction based on sexual desire: affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3): affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests b: an assurance of love
2: warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion
3 a: the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration b (1): a beloved person: Darling -- often used as a term of endearment (2) British -- used as an informal term of address
4 a: unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1): the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2): brotherly concern for others b: a person's adoration of God
Definitions of Valentine
1: a sweetheart chosen or complimented on Saint Valentine's Day
2 a: a gift or greeting sent or given especially to a sweetheart on Saint Valentine's Day; especially: a greeting card sent on this day b: something (as a movie or piece of writing) expressing uncritical praise or affection: Tribute
I wish a very Happy Valentine’s Day to all our readers.
3rd February 2005
Every February, across the country and the world, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.
But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday?
The history of Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.
History of Valentine’s Day
As early as the fourth century B.C., the Romans engaged in an annual young man's rite to passage to the God Lupercus. The names of the teenage women were placed in a box and drawn at random by adolescent men; thus, a man was assigned a woman companion for the duration of the year, after which another lottery was staged. After eight hundred years of this cruel practice, the early church fathers sought to end this practice. They found an answer in Valentine, a bishop who had been martyred some two hundred years earlier.
According to church tradition St. Valentine was a priest near Rome in about the year 270 A.D. At that time the Roman Emperor Claudius-II who had issued an edict forbidding marriage.
This was around when the heyday of Roman Empire had almost come to an end. Lack of quality administrators led to frequent civil strife. Learning declined, taxation increased, and trade slumped to a low, precarious level. And the Gauls, Slavs, Huns, Turks and Mongolians from Northern Europe and Asian increased their pressure on the empire's boundaries. The empire was grown too large to be shielded from external aggression and internal chaos with existing forces. Thus more of capable men were required to be recruited as soldiers and officers. When Claudius became the emperor, he felt that married men were more emotionally attached to their families, and thus, will not make good soldiers. So to assure quality soldiers, he banned marriage.
Valentine, a bishop, seeing the trauma of young lovers, met them in a secret place, and joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. Claudius learned of this "friend of lovers," and had him arrested. The emperor, impressed with the young priest's dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the roman gods, to save him from certain execution. Valentine refused to recognize Roman Gods and even attempted to convert the emperor, knowing the consequences fully. On February 24, 270, Valentine was executed.
From Your Valentine
While Valentine was in prison awaiting his fate, he came in contact with his jailor, Asterius. The jailor had a blind daughter. Asterius requested him to heal his daughter. Through his faith he miraculously restored the sight of Asterius' daughter. Just before his execution, he asked for a pen and paper from his jailor, and signed a farewell message to her "From Your Valentine," a phrase that lived ever after.
Valentine thus became a Patron Saint, and spiritual overseer of an annual festival. The festival involved young Romans offering women they admired, and wished to court, handwritten greetings of affection on February 14. The greeting cards acquired St. Valentine's name.
The Valentine's Day card spread with Christianity, and is now celebrated all over the world. Charles, duke of Orleans, sent one of the earliest cards in 1415 to his wife while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. The card is now preserved in the British Museum.
History of Cupid – God of Love
Cupid is the most famous of Valentine symbols and everybody knows that boy armed with bow and arrows, and piercing hearts. He is known as a mischievous, winged child armed with bow and arrows. The arrows signify desires and emotions of love, and Cupid aims those arrows at Gods and Humans, causing them to fall deeply in love. Cupid has always played a role in the celebrations of love and lovers. In ancient Greece he was known as Eros, the young son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. To the Roman's he was Cupid, and his mother was Venus.
There is a very interesting story about Cupid and His mortal Bride Psyche in Roman mythology. Venus was jealous of the beauty of Psyche, and ordered Cupid to punish the mortal. But instead, Cupid fell deeply in love with her. He took her as his wife, but as a mortal she was forbidden to look at him.
Psyche was happy until her sisters persuaded her to look at Cupid. As soon as Psyche looked at Cupid, Cupid punished her by leaving her. Their lovely castle and gardens vanished too. Psyche found herself alone in an open field with no signs of other beings or Cupid. As she wandered trying to find her love, she came upon the temple of Venus. Wishing to destroy her, the goddess of love gave Psyche a series of tasks, each harder and more dangerous then the last.
For her last task Psyche was given a little box and told to take it to the underworld. She was told to get some of the beauty of Proserpine, the wife of Pluto, and put it in the box. During her trip she was given tips on
avoiding the dangers of the realm of the dead. She was also warned not to open the box. But Temptation overcame Psyche and she opened the box. But instead of finding beauty, she found deadly slumber.
Cupid found her lifeless on the ground. He gathered the deadly sleep from her body and put it back in the box. Cupid forgave her, as did Venus. The gods, moved by Psyche's love for Cupid made her a goddess.
Today, Cupid and his arrows have become the most popular of love signs, and two hearts pierced by an arrow, Cupid’s arrow, most frequently depict love.
Valentine’s in Modern Times
In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all-social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.
According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas. Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.
Although the Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the middle ages written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400, and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. Esther A. Howland created the first commercial Valentine’s Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. in the 1840s. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap".
Definitions of Love
1 a (1): strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties
2: warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion
3 a: the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration
4 a: unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1): the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2): brotherly concern for others b: a person's adoration of God
Definitions of Valentine
1: a sweetheart chosen or complimented on Saint Valentine's Day
2 a: a gift or greeting sent or given especially to a sweetheart on Saint Valentine's Day; especially: a greeting card sent on this day b: something (as a movie or piece of writing) expressing uncritical praise or affection: Tribute
I wish a very Happy Valentine’s Day to all our readers.
Watching News For Entertainment
Vasu Reddy from Chicago
7th April 2005
Only recently we acquired the pleasure of viewing two Indian channels on a 24/7 basis. Being a Telugu home naturally we subscribed to Gemini and Teja Television channels along with the dish network. The experience of subscribing to the service and getting service installed it self is an entertaining experience, but the value of these channels is immense when you watch these Indian channels. As a late acquirer of the pleasure of subscribing to these channels, I allowed my little experience of about five weeks to reflect on the entertainment value of the highly priced service.
The daytime soap operas on American television probably continue to enthrall the audiences for generation’s prior and generations to come. I still remember the afternoons being packed in the common room where a television was available, when the soaps were on. People were glued to the television, and nothing happened for a year or so but the audiences closely followed the twists and turns of the daily drama. In the 80’s I was an avid watcher of the primetime drama called “Dallas”. Watching the weekly drama was not just entertaining but something dramatic. The weekly wait for the hour long show was well rewarded with the predictable events that seemed melodramatic, while taking a great deal of tension away when you finished the hour. I think I might even contemplated on guessing what could happen this week. Although I don’t think I started watching “Dallas” when it first came out I am sure I was one of the avid followers of the drama. It was an experience I no longer can describe. Coming back to my current experience of watching television, the brief latest muse is nothing like watching “Dallas”. It is predictable and entertaining. First comment on this is that the news is not live in the USA homes, although the screen says it is live. For that matter all talk shows and or news shows say live but they are at least 12 hours time delay to provide the USA audience their daily fodder of news, movies, music, talk shows and serials (soaps).
The reason I elaborated on the “LIVE” is that after the first one day cricket match between India and Pakistan that India won (I knew this from scanning the Internet and knowing Sehwag and Dravid scoring centuries), Teja made some comments on their nightly news. As usual the comments were about the ground, the respective team captains comments on their team’s upcoming performance and the weather report for the match. Although about 12 hours behind the LIVE label on the television.
My Favorite Television Watching Session
Around 8:30 PM each night and repeated with the same 30 minutes news on Teja Television is the most entertaining part of my watching the news in Telugu. Although I admit the news half hour is no longer the same entertainment since the assembly sessions ended for the Andhra Pradesh state. First thing that entertains me is the language that is used on the assembly floor. Fir those of my readers who do not know the current political background in the Andhra Pradesh state, the current ruling party is Congress and the opposition party is Telugu Desam. There are a number of smaller parties who have won seats in the assembly including TRS. Dr. YS Raja Sekhar Reddy is the Chief Minister of the state representing congress and Mr. N. Chandra Babu Naidu is the leader of opposition party Telugu Desam. Congress came into power about a year ago, by winning margins and replacing Telugu Desam, which was in power for about nine years. Forgive my political history of Andhra Pradesh, as I am at best spotty with it.
The daily assembly sessions were presented in short segments, so they capsulated news presented quite intense personal attack each day by the opposition and challenged by the ruling party. Both leaders were on the assembly floor (they were most days when I watched the news during the sessions) and were part of the verbal exchanges. Not surprisingly no matter that was relevant was allowed to come up on the floor by the opposition party, that has a couple of senior leaders who constantly cribbed and challenged every aspect of the ruling party’s agenda.
As a deviation I made a list of things I thought I would follow if I ever became a politician:
If I am in Power
1. Pretend that everything that you do is only for the good of the people.
2. Anger is not a good emotion when you are already in power. Pretend to be above board even if you are really pissed off at the comments being made at you and your family and friends by the opposition.
3. Make sure that the people remember the promises you made by attempting to keep them on the agenda.
4. Do good things for at least your own districts.
5. Don’t fear the opposition party’s remarks as if you remember you made the same comments and they did not stick and you won.
6. You did something right or did something to convince people you deserve to be the ruling party, so do the good things you promised when the budgets and time allows them.
7. If the same party you belong to is also in the center make sure enough central leaders come to your state as it is unbeatable to get big powers who don’t speak your language come to your state and say lots of good things about you although in a language most commoners won’t understand.
8. I think you definitely must look like the winner as long as you are in power so the opposition looks like they are crybabies when they complain. Simply respond with a smile or let the public know you are there as they want you there and the public was democratic in throwing the opposition out.
If I am in Opposition
1. Never allow any issue that has any bearing on public needs to come on the floor. It might help the ruling party.
2. All things you did right must be wrong as you are out of power. So, even the most progressive aspects of the new government must be obstructed.
3. Make sure you raise the stink on the new governments major projects by blaming them for nepotism, grating favors and political anarchy.
4. Make sure any personal holdings you have acquired are accounted for and legally protected. Otherwise give them to charity.
5. Put really smart guys on television so they make no sense to common folks by speaking in English or some other foreign language that no one understands including the TV anchors. The TV anchors are really always in the opposition, as they want the dirt to keep their 30 minutes of coverage live everyday. If you are really smart and you do the people’s work when would you find time to talk to someone who is wearing sponsored clothes and has no idea of politics and asks you subjective political questions and expect you to answer them.
6. When you make noise on the assembly floor share that with your fellow politicians so you won’t be the only person asking irrelevant questions that are fully avoidable.
7. Walk the Gandhi path, as it will always work to follow the nations father. If nothing people will give you sympathy if not votes.
8. You might want to be nice to some one in the ruling party just in case you want to change parties.
Going Back to Entertainment
Both parties really yell pretty hard and address their rhetoric to the speaker, yelling “adhyaksha” meaning president of the house in my translation. That gentleman must have gone mad everyday, as no one seems to care for quorum or manners. They simply yell their hearts and speak out of turn. Sometimes even the chief minister gets interrupted while he is explains the issue or debating the opposition. The opposition leader specialized in walk out with his party every single time he has no more yelling or debate left to counter the ruling party. I must assume that the ruling party or the majority did not care much as they pass the laws or budgets with simple majority, and the opposition was taking early lunch break or had something more important than finishing the daily sessions. This walk out business is wonderful as they simply go away and don’t have to sit and listen to the ruling party really do some good work for the people. It will not help the opposition if the ruling party really does the good deeds for the people, and walk out supposedly is a form of protest that is lodged against the wishes of people, where are the opposition is taking time off from people’s work.
I have to say a few words on the speaker. This gentleman was a handsome and well-attired politician. But he never got heard and spoke to the yelling and screaming members with as much decorum as possible reminding them of the rules of the house and behavior that befits the house. He spoke English and Telugu very well, and I wonder if the speaker’s job is worth keeping for a full five-year tenure if this year’s exhibition is going to continue every year. I seem to like him, as he seems to be coolly reminding everyone of the rules, but no one seems to care. God Bless Him.
I was sad when the assembly sessions ended at the end of April and thus ended up recounting my entertaining sessions during the brief time I had the pleasure of the Indian channels. I also was full of pointers for both the ruling and opposition parties on their exemplary behavior in public. Lastly I think the TV channels need to find capsulation of them into a daily serial as the viewers will enjoy the daily drama of yelling and screaming while the parties are away and not in the assembly.
7th April 2005
Only recently we acquired the pleasure of viewing two Indian channels on a 24/7 basis. Being a Telugu home naturally we subscribed to Gemini and Teja Television channels along with the dish network. The experience of subscribing to the service and getting service installed it self is an entertaining experience, but the value of these channels is immense when you watch these Indian channels. As a late acquirer of the pleasure of subscribing to these channels, I allowed my little experience of about five weeks to reflect on the entertainment value of the highly priced service.
The daytime soap operas on American television probably continue to enthrall the audiences for generation’s prior and generations to come. I still remember the afternoons being packed in the common room where a television was available, when the soaps were on. People were glued to the television, and nothing happened for a year or so but the audiences closely followed the twists and turns of the daily drama. In the 80’s I was an avid watcher of the primetime drama called “Dallas”. Watching the weekly drama was not just entertaining but something dramatic. The weekly wait for the hour long show was well rewarded with the predictable events that seemed melodramatic, while taking a great deal of tension away when you finished the hour. I think I might even contemplated on guessing what could happen this week. Although I don’t think I started watching “Dallas” when it first came out I am sure I was one of the avid followers of the drama. It was an experience I no longer can describe. Coming back to my current experience of watching television, the brief latest muse is nothing like watching “Dallas”. It is predictable and entertaining. First comment on this is that the news is not live in the USA homes, although the screen says it is live. For that matter all talk shows and or news shows say live but they are at least 12 hours time delay to provide the USA audience their daily fodder of news, movies, music, talk shows and serials (soaps).
The reason I elaborated on the “LIVE” is that after the first one day cricket match between India and Pakistan that India won (I knew this from scanning the Internet and knowing Sehwag and Dravid scoring centuries), Teja made some comments on their nightly news. As usual the comments were about the ground, the respective team captains comments on their team’s upcoming performance and the weather report for the match. Although about 12 hours behind the LIVE label on the television.
My Favorite Television Watching Session
Around 8:30 PM each night and repeated with the same 30 minutes news on Teja Television is the most entertaining part of my watching the news in Telugu. Although I admit the news half hour is no longer the same entertainment since the assembly sessions ended for the Andhra Pradesh state. First thing that entertains me is the language that is used on the assembly floor. Fir those of my readers who do not know the current political background in the Andhra Pradesh state, the current ruling party is Congress and the opposition party is Telugu Desam. There are a number of smaller parties who have won seats in the assembly including TRS. Dr. YS Raja Sekhar Reddy is the Chief Minister of the state representing congress and Mr. N. Chandra Babu Naidu is the leader of opposition party Telugu Desam. Congress came into power about a year ago, by winning margins and replacing Telugu Desam, which was in power for about nine years. Forgive my political history of Andhra Pradesh, as I am at best spotty with it.
The daily assembly sessions were presented in short segments, so they capsulated news presented quite intense personal attack each day by the opposition and challenged by the ruling party. Both leaders were on the assembly floor (they were most days when I watched the news during the sessions) and were part of the verbal exchanges. Not surprisingly no matter that was relevant was allowed to come up on the floor by the opposition party, that has a couple of senior leaders who constantly cribbed and challenged every aspect of the ruling party’s agenda.
As a deviation I made a list of things I thought I would follow if I ever became a politician:
If I am in Power
1. Pretend that everything that you do is only for the good of the people.
2. Anger is not a good emotion when you are already in power. Pretend to be above board even if you are really pissed off at the comments being made at you and your family and friends by the opposition.
3. Make sure that the people remember the promises you made by attempting to keep them on the agenda.
4. Do good things for at least your own districts.
5. Don’t fear the opposition party’s remarks as if you remember you made the same comments and they did not stick and you won.
6. You did something right or did something to convince people you deserve to be the ruling party, so do the good things you promised when the budgets and time allows them.
7. If the same party you belong to is also in the center make sure enough central leaders come to your state as it is unbeatable to get big powers who don’t speak your language come to your state and say lots of good things about you although in a language most commoners won’t understand.
8. I think you definitely must look like the winner as long as you are in power so the opposition looks like they are crybabies when they complain. Simply respond with a smile or let the public know you are there as they want you there and the public was democratic in throwing the opposition out.
If I am in Opposition
1. Never allow any issue that has any bearing on public needs to come on the floor. It might help the ruling party.
2. All things you did right must be wrong as you are out of power. So, even the most progressive aspects of the new government must be obstructed.
3. Make sure you raise the stink on the new governments major projects by blaming them for nepotism, grating favors and political anarchy.
4. Make sure any personal holdings you have acquired are accounted for and legally protected. Otherwise give them to charity.
5. Put really smart guys on television so they make no sense to common folks by speaking in English or some other foreign language that no one understands including the TV anchors. The TV anchors are really always in the opposition, as they want the dirt to keep their 30 minutes of coverage live everyday. If you are really smart and you do the people’s work when would you find time to talk to someone who is wearing sponsored clothes and has no idea of politics and asks you subjective political questions and expect you to answer them.
6. When you make noise on the assembly floor share that with your fellow politicians so you won’t be the only person asking irrelevant questions that are fully avoidable.
7. Walk the Gandhi path, as it will always work to follow the nations father. If nothing people will give you sympathy if not votes.
8. You might want to be nice to some one in the ruling party just in case you want to change parties.
Going Back to Entertainment
Both parties really yell pretty hard and address their rhetoric to the speaker, yelling “adhyaksha” meaning president of the house in my translation. That gentleman must have gone mad everyday, as no one seems to care for quorum or manners. They simply yell their hearts and speak out of turn. Sometimes even the chief minister gets interrupted while he is explains the issue or debating the opposition. The opposition leader specialized in walk out with his party every single time he has no more yelling or debate left to counter the ruling party. I must assume that the ruling party or the majority did not care much as they pass the laws or budgets with simple majority, and the opposition was taking early lunch break or had something more important than finishing the daily sessions. This walk out business is wonderful as they simply go away and don’t have to sit and listen to the ruling party really do some good work for the people. It will not help the opposition if the ruling party really does the good deeds for the people, and walk out supposedly is a form of protest that is lodged against the wishes of people, where are the opposition is taking time off from people’s work.
I have to say a few words on the speaker. This gentleman was a handsome and well-attired politician. But he never got heard and spoke to the yelling and screaming members with as much decorum as possible reminding them of the rules of the house and behavior that befits the house. He spoke English and Telugu very well, and I wonder if the speaker’s job is worth keeping for a full five-year tenure if this year’s exhibition is going to continue every year. I seem to like him, as he seems to be coolly reminding everyone of the rules, but no one seems to care. God Bless Him.
I was sad when the assembly sessions ended at the end of April and thus ended up recounting my entertaining sessions during the brief time I had the pleasure of the Indian channels. I also was full of pointers for both the ruling and opposition parties on their exemplary behavior in public. Lastly I think the TV channels need to find capsulation of them into a daily serial as the viewers will enjoy the daily drama of yelling and screaming while the parties are away and not in the assembly.
Water And Politics
Vasu Reddy from Chicago
12th August 2005
Andhra Pradesh has been receiving heavy down pours this season. If we remember last season was a good season for rain and crops, and probably impacted the voter’s decision to bring YSR and congress into power. Lot has happened in the past year and some months. The new government has done I think the best it could with projects, politics, promises and scandals.
In recent weeks lot of rain has been falling and adding to the flow of rivers and filling the reservoirs. Godavari and Krishna and other rivers are over flowing and filling all the water reservoirs in their way. Dams, canals, waterways, reservoirs, water projects and anything to do with water are full and overflowing. I am hoping the season will be great for the farmers of the state. I hope the good corps will eliminate a bit of debt, give enough to survive the next year or until the next crop comes, and save enough to send kids to school and save for the next years plans. I am also hoping the good rains and good crops will stop the farmer’s suicides. I am also hoping that the cost of money goes down to pay off the debts the farmers and small businessmen had to take. I am hoping that the rains will wash away the dirt and grime and pollution and make the villages smell nice and clean the cities.
Setting out to write the article, I really thought of two big ideas for the current government:
1. Water management
2. Politics of Water Management
Water Management
YSR government as did all the previous government’s has been announcing and inaugurating a bunch of projects. They have been accusing the neighboring states of depriving our state’s people of the heavenly gift of water. Every project seems to have the name Rajiv or Indira or some of the congress leader’s of the past. Big projects with big names have been launched with big celebration throughout the year. For each project started with fanfare, the opposition has raised entertaining questions in the assembly and after the assembly in the media. During the summer the water shortages were a topic and now the heavy rains seem to have stopped the opposition hue and cry over the projects launched. I am guessing it is a temporary lull in the daily rhetoric of the opposition on the water projects launched.
Water management probably is the most important aspect of managing the needs of India. In July I was in India and enjoyed the heavy (heavenly) rains for the weeks I was there. Two instances that stand out the same day I was in Hyderabad were:
· It rained all day but the guesthouse I was staying did not have water. Imagine my plight with upset stomach and a lot of work to do, and it was pouring all day outside, but no water in the home.
· The same day one of the guys calls and says his motorcycle was washed away. It rained and rained and rained and the rains were heavy. People spent hours just going from place to place and stalled the way of life in Hyderabad. But no one seems to worry too much about missed meetings or not making it to the other side of the city. They just said it will stop and things will be normal.
Although simple instances on a rainy day in Hyderabad, it kept me thinking of how simple it would be to manage the resources that are raining on us.
Politics of Water Management
Be it YSR or Babu or any other leader of our state will not be able to build the necessary infrastructure to store, manage and reap the benefits of the rain god’s mercy on our state or our country. Five years will not be enough to build the dams, water management projects, canals and manage them to the best use as needed by the people and farmers.
It will take probably decades of improvements to the infrastructure that was outdated at the independence of India and continues to fall behind the ever rapidly growing population and its growing demands on resources. I can’t even reflect on how far behind the infrastructure is as it will be wasting effort. We all know we are behind. Even the most advanced infrastructure of the USA sometimes gets floods and water into the cities. No amount of planning or infrastructure can stop the nature’s fury. We can only manage the resources to the best our ability.
Here were some simple things I thought the current government and perhaps the future governments could work on despite the opposition’s rhetoric on wasted money or cheating.
· Build water tanks, lakes, systems and purification units for every conceivable human habitation. I mean even for the smallest village to the biggest cities. However small or big start building storage and purification facilities and keep them clean.
· If the government cannot do it let people do it for themselves and devote voluntary or charity to build water facilities. Perhaps government can offer tax incentives for such works undertaken by the general public.
· NRI folks make water management number one in every village or town you come from. Perhaps as we did with scholarships, water projects should be funded regularly to maintain clean and usable water. Let us try as we did with education and medicine and water will add very high value to the life of our state.
· Government try to build a water storage project in every 50 KM or so, and build interlinking systems to make sure that the water is not wasted. It is ambitious but the water projects will bring employment in all wakes of life.
· Develop the current projects to their maximum and implement the plans that were drawn for big projects like Nagarjuna Sager and Mylavaram and Srisailam, while building the next round of big projects. Build their offshoots, draw simple water saving plans and deploy them. When people see the benefit of such projects they will appreciate the vision of your past actions.
Water, water and water should be the top agenda of the government. Maximum utilization of the monsoon will maximize the value of our lands and people and health. Imagine the clean water that will eliminate the need for plastic that we are using for bottled water, and the cost of recycling and the trash that is all around the state. Many benefits of water will begin to show in the way of life. The current government may have to make hard decisions in starting to get water management as their number one priority, but the benefits of next year will present great rewards for both their political and personal legacy. No one will ever forget the continued need for clean water and creating sustained water supply will be the greatest legacy of our leaders.
12th August 2005
Andhra Pradesh has been receiving heavy down pours this season. If we remember last season was a good season for rain and crops, and probably impacted the voter’s decision to bring YSR and congress into power. Lot has happened in the past year and some months. The new government has done I think the best it could with projects, politics, promises and scandals.
In recent weeks lot of rain has been falling and adding to the flow of rivers and filling the reservoirs. Godavari and Krishna and other rivers are over flowing and filling all the water reservoirs in their way. Dams, canals, waterways, reservoirs, water projects and anything to do with water are full and overflowing. I am hoping the season will be great for the farmers of the state. I hope the good corps will eliminate a bit of debt, give enough to survive the next year or until the next crop comes, and save enough to send kids to school and save for the next years plans. I am also hoping the good rains and good crops will stop the farmer’s suicides. I am also hoping that the cost of money goes down to pay off the debts the farmers and small businessmen had to take. I am hoping that the rains will wash away the dirt and grime and pollution and make the villages smell nice and clean the cities.
Setting out to write the article, I really thought of two big ideas for the current government:
1. Water management
2. Politics of Water Management
Water Management
YSR government as did all the previous government’s has been announcing and inaugurating a bunch of projects. They have been accusing the neighboring states of depriving our state’s people of the heavenly gift of water. Every project seems to have the name Rajiv or Indira or some of the congress leader’s of the past. Big projects with big names have been launched with big celebration throughout the year. For each project started with fanfare, the opposition has raised entertaining questions in the assembly and after the assembly in the media. During the summer the water shortages were a topic and now the heavy rains seem to have stopped the opposition hue and cry over the projects launched. I am guessing it is a temporary lull in the daily rhetoric of the opposition on the water projects launched.
Water management probably is the most important aspect of managing the needs of India. In July I was in India and enjoyed the heavy (heavenly) rains for the weeks I was there. Two instances that stand out the same day I was in Hyderabad were:
· It rained all day but the guesthouse I was staying did not have water. Imagine my plight with upset stomach and a lot of work to do, and it was pouring all day outside, but no water in the home.
· The same day one of the guys calls and says his motorcycle was washed away. It rained and rained and rained and the rains were heavy. People spent hours just going from place to place and stalled the way of life in Hyderabad. But no one seems to worry too much about missed meetings or not making it to the other side of the city. They just said it will stop and things will be normal.
Although simple instances on a rainy day in Hyderabad, it kept me thinking of how simple it would be to manage the resources that are raining on us.
Politics of Water Management
Be it YSR or Babu or any other leader of our state will not be able to build the necessary infrastructure to store, manage and reap the benefits of the rain god’s mercy on our state or our country. Five years will not be enough to build the dams, water management projects, canals and manage them to the best use as needed by the people and farmers.
It will take probably decades of improvements to the infrastructure that was outdated at the independence of India and continues to fall behind the ever rapidly growing population and its growing demands on resources. I can’t even reflect on how far behind the infrastructure is as it will be wasting effort. We all know we are behind. Even the most advanced infrastructure of the USA sometimes gets floods and water into the cities. No amount of planning or infrastructure can stop the nature’s fury. We can only manage the resources to the best our ability.
Here were some simple things I thought the current government and perhaps the future governments could work on despite the opposition’s rhetoric on wasted money or cheating.
· Build water tanks, lakes, systems and purification units for every conceivable human habitation. I mean even for the smallest village to the biggest cities. However small or big start building storage and purification facilities and keep them clean.
· If the government cannot do it let people do it for themselves and devote voluntary or charity to build water facilities. Perhaps government can offer tax incentives for such works undertaken by the general public.
· NRI folks make water management number one in every village or town you come from. Perhaps as we did with scholarships, water projects should be funded regularly to maintain clean and usable water. Let us try as we did with education and medicine and water will add very high value to the life of our state.
· Government try to build a water storage project in every 50 KM or so, and build interlinking systems to make sure that the water is not wasted. It is ambitious but the water projects will bring employment in all wakes of life.
· Develop the current projects to their maximum and implement the plans that were drawn for big projects like Nagarjuna Sager and Mylavaram and Srisailam, while building the next round of big projects. Build their offshoots, draw simple water saving plans and deploy them. When people see the benefit of such projects they will appreciate the vision of your past actions.
Water, water and water should be the top agenda of the government. Maximum utilization of the monsoon will maximize the value of our lands and people and health. Imagine the clean water that will eliminate the need for plastic that we are using for bottled water, and the cost of recycling and the trash that is all around the state. Many benefits of water will begin to show in the way of life. The current government may have to make hard decisions in starting to get water management as their number one priority, but the benefits of next year will present great rewards for both their political and personal legacy. No one will ever forget the continued need for clean water and creating sustained water supply will be the greatest legacy of our leaders.
Winning Elections
Vasu Reddy from Chicago
27th September 2005
Since 2005's Congress win in AP, I have been reading a bit more on the political scenario in Andhra Pradesh, and definitely in the past few days keeping a watch on the municipal election campaign and aftermath. It is no surprise that Dr. Reddy and Congress did well. Before I delve into the big win, what I thought was a masterstroke was two things that caught my attention after Congress winning the election:
1. Sonia Gandhi visiting the rain drenched areas of Andhra Pradesh, that too day after Congress winning the municipal elections.
2. All Congressmen including Dr. Reddy simply expressing the Telangana issue is put in front of Sonia Gandhi and Mrs. Gandhi will deal with the issue in Delhi.
I thought both were masterstrokes, which too after the big win in the elections. Sonia did not visit Rayalaseema in the trip, just visited the past stronghold of TDP. Imagine the big wins Congress got this election, and the day after Sonia visits the flood effected areas. There will be a definitive on central funding coming to Andhra Pradesh as relief, no doubt along with the goodwill Mrs. Gandhi brings to the region it just voted Congress in. If Dr. Reddy can plan such master strategies with people and strategy, then he will be elected CM for long time to come.
The two major issues that also were negative to the opposition were:
1. TRS continuing to enjoy the central ministry positions with Congress cabinet, while criticizing the party, its leaders and everything else in the State. What did they think? People were sleeping or unable to understand Telugu? The biggest farce in the world is trying t get the best of both worlds, and TRS leaders tried this very hard and as with anyone else trying to burn both ends of a candle they also did. How can politicians have such personal ambition publicly displayed, and not think of the needs of people they represent? What happened to the cause of people of Telangana? Who was representing the people? What was the message? Lot of questions form me to these guys, and I am sure people they were speaking to did not even bother to listen. They just used their democratic vote to spell out their needs to the party they believe will help with their needs. I think Congress was already listening to the people, and not listening to the TRS rhetoric.
2. TDP, I think simply was lost. I believe that expression of continued anger everyday in public, and not having a single issue that identifies with the needs of the people of the state is their issue. I have yet to hear a TDP leader express a view without blaming Congress for everything they can think of, and many times families and friends included. I think next time they fight elections they should put a manifesto to talk of the needs of the people. What is worse is the no remorse, after election comments of the so-called leaders of the party. Actually what leaders, any way if they cant win any votes, and still talk of nonsense after losing so badly. Why can't they simply say we lost because we are lost? They are actually lost for actions, words and deeds. They not only behave badly in front of the media but simply are bad politicians, bad leaders and just badly behaved. NTR would be ashamed of these guys.
The just concluded local elections really were quite peaceful I think, except the exasperated comments of TRS leaders and continued scam finds of Mr. Naidu. Both parties fared terribly by simply not focusing on the people's issues, but trying to blame every conceivable thing on Congress and Dr. Reddy. People of AP are very smart and have heard the rhetoric before.
Last season we had good rains, and this season floods. I always thought rains bring prosperity, and too much rain may not be too bad for the State (actually it is much better than not having rains). Congress seems to focus on water projects and I sincerely hope they bring them to life quickly. Harnessing the water in the State will make it a great place to live and work, relieve the farmer's woe. The opposition to the many planned water projects should weaken now. Any development of irrigation, irrespective of the region should help the overall state affairs.
Congress must heed to the voices of the people of Telangana. The region is rich with great industry and has great river resources. Godavari flowing at a 25 year high is a great example of a natural resource that can bring great prosperity and jobs by planned water management. Congress should act quickly to meet the needs of people of Telangana. They should look at all districts and regions and peoples issues, while they meet the needs of the people of Telangana. I would like to underline that they should meet the needs of the people not the demands of politicians. This current election clearly shows that the opposition parties are far from realizing the needs of the people, and people are very smart to separate the political rhetoric and political reality.
I also like the after election comments from Dr. Reddy's (I think they are polite) that Mr. Naidu should stop coming up with scams that don't exist, but work on a constructive legislative agenda. I also like the olive branch he extended to TRS that where necessary they would coexist. To send such political messages are masterful I think.
When you win and that too convincingly, it is wonderful to extend good messages both politically and personally. There is no more self-glorification necessary after you kick you opponents to the ground. Dr. Reddy' past aggressive behavior has been becoming model politician's behavior now a days. I also liked the fact he personally did not campaign while the two major opponents campaigned hard for their parties. Perhaps they all should learn from restraint and politeness.
Well, Congress is still the party of Gandhi and Nehru, more so today of Rajiv and Sonia and perhaps a lot of Man Mohan Singh's reforms thrown in. Dr. Reddy and Congress can bring much needed peace and prosperity to the state. Last year when I wrote in support Factionalists (Dr. Reddy) and Foreigners (Mrs. Gandhi), many people wrote back negatively, and did not agree that Dr. Reddy and Mrs. Gandhi would be any good for the state and the country. I thought they could do well for us, and with the new election and time in the office I continue to believe that congress will do well for the state and country.
Stable politics and sustained growth will go hand in hand and while I hold no political affiliations to any party, I wish the current government would focus on the needs of our people. Political reality is that the politicians who deliver to the needs of the people will continue to get the mandate, irrespective of the party. Realistic and forward going policies and practical implementation of programs will help to meet the needs of the people and also keep political parties in power. Better water, better education, better transportation, better power, better communications and better politics, is all I hope for us.
27th September 2005
Since 2005's Congress win in AP, I have been reading a bit more on the political scenario in Andhra Pradesh, and definitely in the past few days keeping a watch on the municipal election campaign and aftermath. It is no surprise that Dr. Reddy and Congress did well. Before I delve into the big win, what I thought was a masterstroke was two things that caught my attention after Congress winning the election:
1. Sonia Gandhi visiting the rain drenched areas of Andhra Pradesh, that too day after Congress winning the municipal elections.
2. All Congressmen including Dr. Reddy simply expressing the Telangana issue is put in front of Sonia Gandhi and Mrs. Gandhi will deal with the issue in Delhi.
I thought both were masterstrokes, which too after the big win in the elections. Sonia did not visit Rayalaseema in the trip, just visited the past stronghold of TDP. Imagine the big wins Congress got this election, and the day after Sonia visits the flood effected areas. There will be a definitive on central funding coming to Andhra Pradesh as relief, no doubt along with the goodwill Mrs. Gandhi brings to the region it just voted Congress in. If Dr. Reddy can plan such master strategies with people and strategy, then he will be elected CM for long time to come.
The two major issues that also were negative to the opposition were:
1. TRS continuing to enjoy the central ministry positions with Congress cabinet, while criticizing the party, its leaders and everything else in the State. What did they think? People were sleeping or unable to understand Telugu? The biggest farce in the world is trying t get the best of both worlds, and TRS leaders tried this very hard and as with anyone else trying to burn both ends of a candle they also did. How can politicians have such personal ambition publicly displayed, and not think of the needs of people they represent? What happened to the cause of people of Telangana? Who was representing the people? What was the message? Lot of questions form me to these guys, and I am sure people they were speaking to did not even bother to listen. They just used their democratic vote to spell out their needs to the party they believe will help with their needs. I think Congress was already listening to the people, and not listening to the TRS rhetoric.
2. TDP, I think simply was lost. I believe that expression of continued anger everyday in public, and not having a single issue that identifies with the needs of the people of the state is their issue. I have yet to hear a TDP leader express a view without blaming Congress for everything they can think of, and many times families and friends included. I think next time they fight elections they should put a manifesto to talk of the needs of the people. What is worse is the no remorse, after election comments of the so-called leaders of the party. Actually what leaders, any way if they cant win any votes, and still talk of nonsense after losing so badly. Why can't they simply say we lost because we are lost? They are actually lost for actions, words and deeds. They not only behave badly in front of the media but simply are bad politicians, bad leaders and just badly behaved. NTR would be ashamed of these guys.
The just concluded local elections really were quite peaceful I think, except the exasperated comments of TRS leaders and continued scam finds of Mr. Naidu. Both parties fared terribly by simply not focusing on the people's issues, but trying to blame every conceivable thing on Congress and Dr. Reddy. People of AP are very smart and have heard the rhetoric before.
Last season we had good rains, and this season floods. I always thought rains bring prosperity, and too much rain may not be too bad for the State (actually it is much better than not having rains). Congress seems to focus on water projects and I sincerely hope they bring them to life quickly. Harnessing the water in the State will make it a great place to live and work, relieve the farmer's woe. The opposition to the many planned water projects should weaken now. Any development of irrigation, irrespective of the region should help the overall state affairs.
Congress must heed to the voices of the people of Telangana. The region is rich with great industry and has great river resources. Godavari flowing at a 25 year high is a great example of a natural resource that can bring great prosperity and jobs by planned water management. Congress should act quickly to meet the needs of people of Telangana. They should look at all districts and regions and peoples issues, while they meet the needs of the people of Telangana. I would like to underline that they should meet the needs of the people not the demands of politicians. This current election clearly shows that the opposition parties are far from realizing the needs of the people, and people are very smart to separate the political rhetoric and political reality.
I also like the after election comments from Dr. Reddy's (I think they are polite) that Mr. Naidu should stop coming up with scams that don't exist, but work on a constructive legislative agenda. I also like the olive branch he extended to TRS that where necessary they would coexist. To send such political messages are masterful I think.
When you win and that too convincingly, it is wonderful to extend good messages both politically and personally. There is no more self-glorification necessary after you kick you opponents to the ground. Dr. Reddy' past aggressive behavior has been becoming model politician's behavior now a days. I also liked the fact he personally did not campaign while the two major opponents campaigned hard for their parties. Perhaps they all should learn from restraint and politeness.
Well, Congress is still the party of Gandhi and Nehru, more so today of Rajiv and Sonia and perhaps a lot of Man Mohan Singh's reforms thrown in. Dr. Reddy and Congress can bring much needed peace and prosperity to the state. Last year when I wrote in support Factionalists (Dr. Reddy) and Foreigners (Mrs. Gandhi), many people wrote back negatively, and did not agree that Dr. Reddy and Mrs. Gandhi would be any good for the state and the country. I thought they could do well for us, and with the new election and time in the office I continue to believe that congress will do well for the state and country.
Stable politics and sustained growth will go hand in hand and while I hold no political affiliations to any party, I wish the current government would focus on the needs of our people. Political reality is that the politicians who deliver to the needs of the people will continue to get the mandate, irrespective of the party. Realistic and forward going policies and practical implementation of programs will help to meet the needs of the people and also keep political parties in power. Better water, better education, better transportation, better power, better communications and better politics, is all I hope for us.
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