The US fiscal position is worse than that of major European triumvirates, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
The G-20 Meeting for the Heads of Governments will be held at Toronto, preceded by a meeting of the Finance Ministers in Busan, South Korea. The G-20 members, discussed managing common challenges in 2009, and the spread of the budgetary stimulus to bring the economy back to shape, but now, the focus has shifted on sustainable public finances, and the need for measures to deliver fiscal sustainability, while the emphasis will be identifying steps which would strengthen the private sector recovery. Retrenchment is going to be a major plan which will phase the second leg of stimulus- phased exit strategies. Southern Europe is feeling the heat on the debt markets, its needs to soothe this vulnerable area. Britain is over cautious as it is anticipating ‘years of pain ahead’ while Germany is seized of the $ 100 billion retrenchment plan while the French followed it by outlining $ 80 billion retrenchment plan.
The developed countries face a homologous situation, with dismal budgetary deficit averaging 9% of GDP in 2009, while the prospect of public debt ratios rising from roughly 70% of GDP prior to the crisis to more than 100% of GDP in 2015. The economists feel that to reach 60% debt ratio in 2030 would require a budgetary adjustment of almost 9% points of GDP on an average between 2010 to 2020. Though this is not impossible it is highly improbable and without precedent.
How to make adjustments? To make it real, one has to have exhaustive economic brain. In the past, some countries have enjoyed tearless consolidation due to launch of retrenchment programme, and with the long-term interest rates dropped, causing a decline in private savings, and a surge in exports, exchange rate depreciation, or all of these at the same time. But conditions today are characterized by low interest rates and high private debt, so none of these may help, except possibly for exchange-rate effects. Indeed, depreciation has already started for Europe, and many consider the euro's fall, from $1.5 in late 2009 to $1.2 in recent days, sufficient to offset in the short term the retrenchment's negative impact on growth. In the Indian perspective, large sideways movement in the value of the Rupee against the euro has led to severe problems. The evolving situation in the Euro zone does not inspire confidence. There are indications of buyers in the EU region going slow in placing their orders. There are also cases where the Indian Companies have been asked to withhold consignments. All these indicate that the Second phase of global recovery will be slower as compared to the first phase having a bearing on the pace of expansion of global trade. But this can work only as long as the US does not follow suit and continues to serve as consumer of last resort. This may not happen. More importantly, increasingly nervous bond markets will at some point start questioning the sustainability of US public finances. The US fiscal position is no better than that of major European countries EU is fragmented, so markets started off by questioning the solvency of the weakest countries within it, and because Europe does not benefit from a safe-haven effect that it was the first to suffer the pressure. Fortunately, the public-finance situation is entirely different in the developing world, which in some cases has been hit by capital flow reversals stemming from the collapse of world trade, but does not face an internal adjustment challenge. The fiscal challenges for them are of much lower degree than in the advanced world. So, what if Europe and the US both enter a phase of prolonged budgetary adjustment while the emerging world stays on course? What if the divergence between the North and South within the G-20 widens further? Present state of world economy may cause spider web growth or a significant drag on world growth. Even though emerging economies may sustain domestic markets and re-orient its export strategy by exporting more to developing countries other than EU, USA and Japan, the volume and content would be miniscule so as to have a base effect on world growth. Growth differential between emerging and advanced countries will widen intensifying flows of capital and labour to the developing world. But the developing world will not be able to sustain them on the medium to long term. Developed countries would need monetary support which would necessitate keeping low interest rates for years together, while the monetary needs of developing countries will be radically different. This will make fixed exchange rate links crack under pressure, as the same monetary policy cannot be appropriate for both the developing and developed regions.
Double dip growth was savaged by the developed and developing countries through sound, stymied and theoretical economic monetary policies. But as the world slowly turned to ‘V’ shaped growth with short and sharp contradictions, while rapid and sustained recovery is no where on the cards. G-20 needs to face the challenges, divergence in the new context of different pictures of movement of economy in the developing and developed G-20 nations. This will be a major test of resilience at the same time to demonstrate effectiveness in the Catch 22 situation in the passing phase of global economy. The outcome of the Toronto conclave will determine the road the economy will take.
. .
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Preposterious decision to hike petro prices
The Centre, ignoring the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council Chairman Shri C Rangarajan’s prophetic urge to tame the current inflationary situation which is a serious matter of concern, as the threat of inflation was initiatally confined to food articles (particularly cereals) have spread to manufactured products, has announced upward revision in Petroleum prices which will have cascading effect on the daily spend budget of the Common man. Shri C Rangarajan’s caution to the monetary policy makers to watch liquidity to keep the inflation under control has fallen on deaf ears of the GoM.
The Government’s stand is that the domestic price of Petroleum cannot be divorced from the way in which crude oil is behaving in the international market. This will only result in oil marketing companies incurring loss. Decontrolling the petrol price would mean the oil marketing companies will have the freedom in adjusting the prices as per Crude rates. If it was not done, the Government would have to find some way to meet the under-recovery of oil marketing Companies.
Inspite of Government having raised the price of petrol and diesel by Rs 3 a litre, around 3 months back, according to Government sources the present hike of Rs 3.50 per petrol, Rs 2 per litre per diesel Rs 35 per (LPG) cooking gas cylinder, and Rs 3 per litre of kerosene oil is a move aimed at narrowing down its fiscal deficit, and the generated funds will be utilized for Social schemes. The Government has forgotten the spiral inflation which continues to daunt and haunt the common man would make the present hike, a severe jolt in his monthly budget. The petrol prices will be de-regulated, and in the case of diesel there will be a partial deregulation with total decontrol happening in a couple of months. The Government accounts for an incidence of Rs 17.92 a litre on Public Distribution System kerosene, and Rs 261.90 per an LPG Cylinder. Public Distribution System prices should be admeasured with the subsidized prices for kerosene for Below Poverty Line people, whose statistics is inaccurate, as much as Planning Commission itself not having a correct tally of the actual BPLs on a state basis. Even the state data is incorrect. Kerosene oil is given at subsidized prices to non existent BPL families and for lighting purposes when the recipient village is 100% electrified. There are cases when PDS Kerosene is diverted to black market. Yet, unconcerned to plug the loopholes, the Government has thought of a straight jacket hike which will squeeze the middle income groups. In the name of import of edible oils due to scarcity in the domestic market, Government is loosing annually Rs 24,000 Cr. The import is higher by 30% over requirement. Yet, no body is concerned over the loss to the exchequer.
It is an irony that the Petroleum Ministry justified the hike quoting the figures of kerosene in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The Economic Advisor to the Government holds that regulation does not mean an act of raising prices. When the Government increases every quarter the prices of petroleum products by Rs 3 a litre, when the international prices of oil has not made any commensurate jump so as to warrant a hike, which would cause food inflation to frenzy heights, then what do we call the unjustified hike?
When Government fails to control prices to tame inflation, thinks in terms of only making available more spending for Social schemes, a populist act, it is doing a great disservice to the country and people, who voted them to power. The Common man has been treated shabbily and horribly. There will be spiraling effect on transportation and freight costs. Railways alone will have its fuel bill jacked up from Rs 4,500 Cr to Rs 5,000 Cr. per annum. Likewise, the petrol and diesel bill of Government cars would go up, disproportionately, causing a huge drain on the exchequer. The Finance Ministry had experimented with various measures but continuously failed. The prime minister of India, need to be cautious on this, as Government is not in control of the runaway inflation. The monetary and economic policies of the Finance Ministry cause more distortions on the monetary system and economy than any other. FM has lost his control and grip on the monetary situation.
There is a strong historical “snap back” relationship between the strength of economic recovery and the severity of the preceding recession. Thus, recessions and their recoveries have a tendency to trace out a “V” shape. Because the current recession that began at the end of 2007 started out shallow and only recently became deep, a simple time series model of the “snap-back” dynamic implies that the current recession may have a lower-case “v” shape, although the fact that the economy is likely to continue to contract further before a recovery takes hold argues for the possibility of an upper-case “V”. On the other hand, because the current recession was brought on by a financial crisis, there is clearly more of a downside risk than upside risk to the predicted strength of recovery, even given a robust policy response. Meanwhile, in contrast to the “V” shape prediction based on a simple time series model, the MA forecast is more in line with an “L” shape to the recession and recovery, at least in the near term.
UPA II has pilloried the common man, with a spate of direct and indirect taxation, Bank’s interest rates has been tinkered, upsetting people’s appetite for going for Savings, which will show monetary instability in the medium to long run. . Interest rates need to be higher than inflation, so savers get rewarded for saving – which isn’t the case right now. The banks will fret and fume, but they belong to the people after they were nationalized. The objective was to serve the people and not help the billionaires get into Forbes list. The people who save or put the money in the Bank are the oldies; and not the smart professionals who get 5 figure salaries. These people who paid their taxes regularly also need the support of the Government as much as the BPL. They just want a reasonable interest on their money, not alms from Government. These savings do not cause inflationary growth, as the savings are too little for the old man to spend for his living.
If you don’t act now, you will never get the opportunity. Sooner or later, our economy is expected to collapse like the World Trade Centre.
The Government’s stand is that the domestic price of Petroleum cannot be divorced from the way in which crude oil is behaving in the international market. This will only result in oil marketing companies incurring loss. Decontrolling the petrol price would mean the oil marketing companies will have the freedom in adjusting the prices as per Crude rates. If it was not done, the Government would have to find some way to meet the under-recovery of oil marketing Companies.
Inspite of Government having raised the price of petrol and diesel by Rs 3 a litre, around 3 months back, according to Government sources the present hike of Rs 3.50 per petrol, Rs 2 per litre per diesel Rs 35 per (LPG) cooking gas cylinder, and Rs 3 per litre of kerosene oil is a move aimed at narrowing down its fiscal deficit, and the generated funds will be utilized for Social schemes. The Government has forgotten the spiral inflation which continues to daunt and haunt the common man would make the present hike, a severe jolt in his monthly budget. The petrol prices will be de-regulated, and in the case of diesel there will be a partial deregulation with total decontrol happening in a couple of months. The Government accounts for an incidence of Rs 17.92 a litre on Public Distribution System kerosene, and Rs 261.90 per an LPG Cylinder. Public Distribution System prices should be admeasured with the subsidized prices for kerosene for Below Poverty Line people, whose statistics is inaccurate, as much as Planning Commission itself not having a correct tally of the actual BPLs on a state basis. Even the state data is incorrect. Kerosene oil is given at subsidized prices to non existent BPL families and for lighting purposes when the recipient village is 100% electrified. There are cases when PDS Kerosene is diverted to black market. Yet, unconcerned to plug the loopholes, the Government has thought of a straight jacket hike which will squeeze the middle income groups. In the name of import of edible oils due to scarcity in the domestic market, Government is loosing annually Rs 24,000 Cr. The import is higher by 30% over requirement. Yet, no body is concerned over the loss to the exchequer.
It is an irony that the Petroleum Ministry justified the hike quoting the figures of kerosene in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The Economic Advisor to the Government holds that regulation does not mean an act of raising prices. When the Government increases every quarter the prices of petroleum products by Rs 3 a litre, when the international prices of oil has not made any commensurate jump so as to warrant a hike, which would cause food inflation to frenzy heights, then what do we call the unjustified hike?
When Government fails to control prices to tame inflation, thinks in terms of only making available more spending for Social schemes, a populist act, it is doing a great disservice to the country and people, who voted them to power. The Common man has been treated shabbily and horribly. There will be spiraling effect on transportation and freight costs. Railways alone will have its fuel bill jacked up from Rs 4,500 Cr to Rs 5,000 Cr. per annum. Likewise, the petrol and diesel bill of Government cars would go up, disproportionately, causing a huge drain on the exchequer. The Finance Ministry had experimented with various measures but continuously failed. The prime minister of India, need to be cautious on this, as Government is not in control of the runaway inflation. The monetary and economic policies of the Finance Ministry cause more distortions on the monetary system and economy than any other. FM has lost his control and grip on the monetary situation.
There is a strong historical “snap back” relationship between the strength of economic recovery and the severity of the preceding recession. Thus, recessions and their recoveries have a tendency to trace out a “V” shape. Because the current recession that began at the end of 2007 started out shallow and only recently became deep, a simple time series model of the “snap-back” dynamic implies that the current recession may have a lower-case “v” shape, although the fact that the economy is likely to continue to contract further before a recovery takes hold argues for the possibility of an upper-case “V”. On the other hand, because the current recession was brought on by a financial crisis, there is clearly more of a downside risk than upside risk to the predicted strength of recovery, even given a robust policy response. Meanwhile, in contrast to the “V” shape prediction based on a simple time series model, the MA forecast is more in line with an “L” shape to the recession and recovery, at least in the near term.
UPA II has pilloried the common man, with a spate of direct and indirect taxation, Bank’s interest rates has been tinkered, upsetting people’s appetite for going for Savings, which will show monetary instability in the medium to long run. . Interest rates need to be higher than inflation, so savers get rewarded for saving – which isn’t the case right now. The banks will fret and fume, but they belong to the people after they were nationalized. The objective was to serve the people and not help the billionaires get into Forbes list. The people who save or put the money in the Bank are the oldies; and not the smart professionals who get 5 figure salaries. These people who paid their taxes regularly also need the support of the Government as much as the BPL. They just want a reasonable interest on their money, not alms from Government. These savings do not cause inflationary growth, as the savings are too little for the old man to spend for his living.
If you don’t act now, you will never get the opportunity. Sooner or later, our economy is expected to collapse like the World Trade Centre.
Through the Lanes and bylanes of the Past
After completing my education in the seventies, I left the city of Cochin, which thanks to its quietude, was like an old damsel, sitting all by herself, waiting for something to happen. I return to the same City, after 40years, having lived in some of the sober Cities, pensioners’ paradise, fast cities, historical Cities, and thukkamunji (Tamil word :) (Sleepy town) cities, etc. Mattancherry, which was a hub of hill produce, with the aroma of spices, with the majestic Kochi Synagogue overlooking a dainty road, fishing industry at Kochangadi, was now deserted. Was Pompeii disappointed when he visited the devastated Rome? I had a couple of Jewish friends, especially Leslie Benjamin, and Simon, Ernakulam Station master’s son. I have also visited S Koder, an elderly Jew, who was well known. Unlike Sherlock of Merchant of Venice, Koder’s munificence will echo in Fort Kochi (also known as Dutch Kochi). Even though Portuguese constructed the Palace at Anavathil, the Dutch who subsequently came, and displaced the Portuguese named the Palace as ‘Dutch Palace’. The Palace is a replica of Portuguese architecture, with fleet of steps abutting the Palace in symmetry, and one end touching the parapet wall of the Palace and an archway as the door entrance, with its high rooms, etc. The murals depicting Ramayana and Mahabharata, in Tanjore style adorns the walls. You can see similar houses in Fort Kochi built by the Portuguese during their early occupation in the 15th century. The Dutch Governor’s house was where the present Bishop’s Residence stands adjoining the St John De’ Britto School. One of the Governors Van Rheed, compiled an encyclopedia of Kerala herbs with the help of three Scholars, and this publication was published from Holland as Hortus Malabaricus, the first book on the various famous herbs which are widely used as Ayurvedic medicines. There is a Dutch cemetery near-by which is a historical national monument. Near the flame of the forest standing adjoining to the Parade Maiden is the St Francis Church, and visible in front of the church is a cenotaph inscribed, ‘Vasco-da-Gama was buried here’.
In the chronicle of every City, there appears a period of transition. Cochin is a mosaic of Castes, Creeds and religions. Jews were given sanctuary here. The first disciple of Christ, converted natives to Christanity. Islam came here even before the world was aware of it; Tamil Brahmins, Gowda Saraswats, Namboodiris, Nairs, Menons, Naidus, Chettiyars, Mudaliyars, Iranians, Kutch Muslims, made this their home. Gujaratis, Jains and Marwaris, Marathis, Biharis, came here as businessmen. Not only they brought their families, they also imported their cultures, which went for a fusion with the existing culture, and a new transformed culture cemented the people of different regions, different languages and castes. There was lot of inter-mingling with the people of foreign origin, as a result of which there is sizable Anglo-Indian population in the City. It is a cosmopolitan city, which welcomes any visitor with the slogan, “adithi devo bhava”. The visitor gets absolved with the sinews of its culture. That is Cochin for you, which breathes history. In the ancient days, the Dhows, caravans, ships with masts which runs more on wind than machines, carrying cargo landed in Muziris (the present day Kodungallur), the first trade emporium in the World, and carried pepper and spices to the Arab world. The Sea route was well known to the Arab travelers, Phoenicians, Romans, who came here to trade and left their imprints and indelible marks. It was never their aim to colonize. But the European powers that came subsequently, though their mission was trade, through cunning strategies and uncanny plots annexed many smaller Kingdoms and imposed their rule. Cochin’s culture changed, its rural canopy gave way to imposing concrete jungles, and waste lands became houses, villas, high domed apartments. Flats which were align to Kerala culture became land marks, and the gentle people of Kochi, who used to walk nonchalantly had to do acrobatics to cross even narrow roads, as traffic congest the Roads leaving little space for the pedestrians to cross. The broadest Road in Cochin was Broadway, which compared to today’s standards is the narrowest road. 70 feet Road or MG Road as it is called today was considered as a wonder by Cochinites. The beautiful Ernakulam water line became monstrous with high tall flats. Fine Arts Hall, TDM Hall, Durbar Hall, and other auditoriums, which lifted the musician’s raga to an enchanting climax, the Anantharama Dikshiteer’s solo rendering of Narayaneeyam, and Yesudas’s Gana mala reverberated, and Kathakali artists performed on a daily basis at the Sea India foundation.
In Kerala generally, and Tamil proliferated areas specifically, the Tamil Brahmins converged, set up agraharams, padashalas, temples, brought in priests, vocalists, dance and cultural forms and rooted it firmly in the psyche of their areas of domination. Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar and Semmungudi who popularized Swati thirunal kirtanas were great practitioners of Carnatic music and were responsible for its development widely. Sir C P Ramaswamy Iyer, the last Diwan of Trvanacore, was responsible for bringing a number of Mylapore tamilians and their settlements are concentrated around Sri Padmanabhaswami temple and Pazhayangadi areas of Trivandrum. The Enipadikal (Ladder) by Thakazhy Sivashankaran Pillay (who wrote Chemeen) has illustrated CP’s rule and his traits more correctly than anybody else. L K Ananthakrishna Iyer was a great anthropologist who wrote two volumes, “Kerala Caste and Tribes”, which is an authoritative book on the various castes, tribes, sub castes, etc. The Tamil Brahmins is said to have migrated to Palaghat in the 14th century. They dispersed to various locations in the district and set up around 96 Agraharams of which 18 are within the precincts of Palaghat Town. They stay put in agraharams which are unique line houses, and Brahmin clans stay as a group. The Tamil Brahmins or Vedic Brahmins adhere strictly to the Tamil Brahmin culture. The Kalpathy Rathotsavam (Car festival) conducted in the last week of Tamil month of Aippasi and concludes on the last day of the Tamil month, is perhaps the biggest festival in Malabar in the erstwhile Madras presidency (in November). This festival closely synchronizes with the festival celebrated at Mayiladuri in Tanjore district.
The Cochin, I lived and stayed during the mid 20th century was the original historic Cochin where European powers vied with each other, to wrest Kingdoms, establish their supremacy, plunder black gold through barter, and slowly annex the provinces to establish their colonies. Today, it is disquiet, having lost its importance to Kochi which was Ernakulam, on the other side of the Channel. The Island of Wellingdon is a man-made island, and Sir Robert Bristow precisely did that, and the ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’ was declared open to the world roaming steamers with S.S. Padma, the first vessel to anchor at Cochin port arrived in 1929. In the year 1930, with the arrival of ‘Coxeth Hall’, Cochin port was launched. Most of the Cochinites, who studied in St Albert’s and Maharaja, are used to take the boats as the travel for college students was free. The boats overloaded with students and office-goers to Wellingdon Island would start at 8 a.m., touch Embarkation jetty, where office-goers will get down, and as many who alighted, will get in. Around 8.45 a.m. the Boat would touch the Ernakulam ferry jetty, and a 5 minutes walk would take us to Maharaja’s. I had changed classes from the History bloc to the Economic bloc to Hindi bloc to English bloc, hour after hour, day after day. Long years of study in one College, in the College known for its formidable history, with past students in various high of life, gives you satisfaction that you were also part of the great alma mater. After Matriculation, most of the boys went and studied typing and shorthand at Gopalakrishna masters’ Typing institute at New Road. There was an enclosed room, where accountancy was taught between 6 pm to 9 pm at one hour intervals. The aim of this training is to pack off to Bombay, and get a Stenographers post. Godrej mama, Srabhai Iyengar, DunlopRaju, Bank Vaidyar, Brooke bond Vaithi, all started their careers as Stenographers and ended up as General Managers. Bombay was an outlet for a positive job for which Education in casserole form was a must. Graduation plus short-hand, typing and accountancy. Sridhar talkies at Ernakulam Shanmukham Road(named after Sir Shamukam Chettty, last Diwan of Kochi and the first Finance Minister of independent India, who presented the first budget for Rs 6 Cr), when newly built screened Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra and Richard Burton as Mark Antony. Chameen also was screened here. Nadhi which was a sensational hit with its ‘Aluwapuzha pinnayam ozhiki’ comes back to memory. Zaina theatre at Fort Kochi, will broadcast old Malayalam songs between 9 am and 10 am. We used to flock to the theatre to listen to them. Star Talkies screened English movies and Hindi latest cinemas. Today, Star Talkies has become history. Mohammed Rafi, the famous Hindi singer, whom Cochin people loved, came and sang at Coronation Club in 1961. It was a historic event. Cochin College had not become a full fledged College. The Gujarati School had classes upto ten only. The rice crispers ’ghatiya’ dokra, made by the Gujarati sweetmeat shopwallah opposite to Gujarati School, with masala chilly, and half cup masala tea, was often frequented by Cochinites and the smell that emanated from the shop threw an open invitation to people to visit the hotel. These were long long ago. I left Cochin. Went places in search of greener pastures.
January 2010, I am back in Cochin, which is a suburb of Kochi, and all the important offices are in Ernakulam, Palarivattam, Vyttila, Edapalli, while Cochin which was the mainland has become subsiverant to the growing metropolis of Greater Kochi which is centered on Ernakulam. Kochi became just a structure of Greater Kochi while Ernakulam was its super structure. Cochin breathes History while Ernakulam which was full of swamps, dumping grounds grew to become a major metropolis, over powering its more popular Cochin Town which illuminated in the pages of distinct history. Ernakulam became a glowing town, while in Cochin it was black out. Conclave of agraharams are still there, Thekkamadam, 10 Rooms, 40 Rooms, Iyengar madam, Shasthanagar, Thekkamadam, Vadakkamadam, Thoppu, Madapalli madam, with shades of white and grey typified the Brahmin domination of yore. They are landmarks, pieces of history web into ebb and flow of the history of the Brahmins of the 20th century. Newspaper Harihara mama, Cherpu mama are no more, so also Chandramoli mama, who was the first President of Brahmins Welfare Association, his two sons, Cheenu and Seetharaman, my intimate friends. Kolapathi (A man with height) Venkatraman of Indianbank was GM somewhere, while Sattunatha mama, Mani, Hindi master, Guruji who taught us ‘Rudram’ on a daily basis at Thekkemadam, had all left for heavenly abode. The past beckons me pulling the strings of memory; the mamis of Thekkamadam clad in Kancheepuram best, golden and diamonds glittering away, fragrance of lowers on their plait filling the air waiting for the distribution of plantain leaf(on which food is served) during Thekkamadom Sasthaprathi. After Thekkamadom Sasthaprathi, Parur Sasthaprathi comes, and later Noorni Sasthaprathi. It is a confluence of Brhamins from all over the State at these places. Like the trade mark, Ambalapuzha payasam, each Sasthaprathis have specialities based on the venues. The Sita Kalyanam is conducted at Madapalli madam. The sadya would be impressive. During the evenings, there will be concerts from famous musicians during the Rama Navami. These are occasions, Kochinites will never miss.
Tamil Brahmins have merged themselves with the spirit of Kerala and relish Malyali traditions, rituals and celebrate Malayalam festivals. Vishu and Onam are celebrated by Tamil Brahmins with gaiety; thiruvathira, unique to Kerala is celebrated with thiruvathira kali and has a separate dance form. The Navaratri festival has the disply of dolls in decorated wooden steps (bommaikolu). Young maidens and mamis come and sing kirtanas, bhajans, and part-take sweet meats, which have varied menus during the nine days. Sraswathi pooja and the ninth day programme is something to cherish. The Tamil Brahmins speak a dialect which is different from classical Tamil. It is a mixture of anglicanized Malayalam. The Trichur Brahmins will speak the language with a musical overtone. The Pazhayannur Bhagavati Temple and Pallirakkavu temple where Bhagavatis’ are the presiding deities have a charm of their own. The thalapalli celebrated during end December will see the entire Cochin people at the Anavathil temple ground.
Gopu has gone to Chennai, as he is serving in a nationalized Bank, Vaithy is in America, Suresh has gone to Bangalore to be with his daughter, Kasturi is somewhere in Tamilnadu, Raman has settled in his Village, while Raja died in a fatal rail accident. Prabhu, our neighbour has sold his house and settled in Edapalli, Mani mama’s daughter has returned from Dubai and is in Elamakara. Narayana Mama is still in his old house at Lalan Road, while Sabasen is busy with his press and astrology. Seshadri mama’s house is locked, perhaps he has gone to his daughter’s house at Coimbatore. Hari anna has left lock, stock and barrel and is staying in some old age home at the outskirts of Coimbatore. There are many youngsters, whom I do not know. Times goes on. As ever.
I remember that on a few occasions legends mingle with mortals. But often, legends are far from truth. That is man, trying to mould his destiny. More often, he leaves behind tales to be told and retold. But today’s generation, do they have the time? They are busy with Laptop and Blackburry. Kochi is as old as it was. Old never gets old. Only we get older to drink the tankard of joy of the past, the buried past of which we were a part, parcel. .
In the chronicle of every City, there appears a period of transition. Cochin is a mosaic of Castes, Creeds and religions. Jews were given sanctuary here. The first disciple of Christ, converted natives to Christanity. Islam came here even before the world was aware of it; Tamil Brahmins, Gowda Saraswats, Namboodiris, Nairs, Menons, Naidus, Chettiyars, Mudaliyars, Iranians, Kutch Muslims, made this their home. Gujaratis, Jains and Marwaris, Marathis, Biharis, came here as businessmen. Not only they brought their families, they also imported their cultures, which went for a fusion with the existing culture, and a new transformed culture cemented the people of different regions, different languages and castes. There was lot of inter-mingling with the people of foreign origin, as a result of which there is sizable Anglo-Indian population in the City. It is a cosmopolitan city, which welcomes any visitor with the slogan, “adithi devo bhava”. The visitor gets absolved with the sinews of its culture. That is Cochin for you, which breathes history. In the ancient days, the Dhows, caravans, ships with masts which runs more on wind than machines, carrying cargo landed in Muziris (the present day Kodungallur), the first trade emporium in the World, and carried pepper and spices to the Arab world. The Sea route was well known to the Arab travelers, Phoenicians, Romans, who came here to trade and left their imprints and indelible marks. It was never their aim to colonize. But the European powers that came subsequently, though their mission was trade, through cunning strategies and uncanny plots annexed many smaller Kingdoms and imposed their rule. Cochin’s culture changed, its rural canopy gave way to imposing concrete jungles, and waste lands became houses, villas, high domed apartments. Flats which were align to Kerala culture became land marks, and the gentle people of Kochi, who used to walk nonchalantly had to do acrobatics to cross even narrow roads, as traffic congest the Roads leaving little space for the pedestrians to cross. The broadest Road in Cochin was Broadway, which compared to today’s standards is the narrowest road. 70 feet Road or MG Road as it is called today was considered as a wonder by Cochinites. The beautiful Ernakulam water line became monstrous with high tall flats. Fine Arts Hall, TDM Hall, Durbar Hall, and other auditoriums, which lifted the musician’s raga to an enchanting climax, the Anantharama Dikshiteer’s solo rendering of Narayaneeyam, and Yesudas’s Gana mala reverberated, and Kathakali artists performed on a daily basis at the Sea India foundation.
In Kerala generally, and Tamil proliferated areas specifically, the Tamil Brahmins converged, set up agraharams, padashalas, temples, brought in priests, vocalists, dance and cultural forms and rooted it firmly in the psyche of their areas of domination. Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar and Semmungudi who popularized Swati thirunal kirtanas were great practitioners of Carnatic music and were responsible for its development widely. Sir C P Ramaswamy Iyer, the last Diwan of Trvanacore, was responsible for bringing a number of Mylapore tamilians and their settlements are concentrated around Sri Padmanabhaswami temple and Pazhayangadi areas of Trivandrum. The Enipadikal (Ladder) by Thakazhy Sivashankaran Pillay (who wrote Chemeen) has illustrated CP’s rule and his traits more correctly than anybody else. L K Ananthakrishna Iyer was a great anthropologist who wrote two volumes, “Kerala Caste and Tribes”, which is an authoritative book on the various castes, tribes, sub castes, etc. The Tamil Brahmins is said to have migrated to Palaghat in the 14th century. They dispersed to various locations in the district and set up around 96 Agraharams of which 18 are within the precincts of Palaghat Town. They stay put in agraharams which are unique line houses, and Brahmin clans stay as a group. The Tamil Brahmins or Vedic Brahmins adhere strictly to the Tamil Brahmin culture. The Kalpathy Rathotsavam (Car festival) conducted in the last week of Tamil month of Aippasi and concludes on the last day of the Tamil month, is perhaps the biggest festival in Malabar in the erstwhile Madras presidency (in November). This festival closely synchronizes with the festival celebrated at Mayiladuri in Tanjore district.
The Cochin, I lived and stayed during the mid 20th century was the original historic Cochin where European powers vied with each other, to wrest Kingdoms, establish their supremacy, plunder black gold through barter, and slowly annex the provinces to establish their colonies. Today, it is disquiet, having lost its importance to Kochi which was Ernakulam, on the other side of the Channel. The Island of Wellingdon is a man-made island, and Sir Robert Bristow precisely did that, and the ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’ was declared open to the world roaming steamers with S.S. Padma, the first vessel to anchor at Cochin port arrived in 1929. In the year 1930, with the arrival of ‘Coxeth Hall’, Cochin port was launched. Most of the Cochinites, who studied in St Albert’s and Maharaja, are used to take the boats as the travel for college students was free. The boats overloaded with students and office-goers to Wellingdon Island would start at 8 a.m., touch Embarkation jetty, where office-goers will get down, and as many who alighted, will get in. Around 8.45 a.m. the Boat would touch the Ernakulam ferry jetty, and a 5 minutes walk would take us to Maharaja’s. I had changed classes from the History bloc to the Economic bloc to Hindi bloc to English bloc, hour after hour, day after day. Long years of study in one College, in the College known for its formidable history, with past students in various high of life, gives you satisfaction that you were also part of the great alma mater. After Matriculation, most of the boys went and studied typing and shorthand at Gopalakrishna masters’ Typing institute at New Road. There was an enclosed room, where accountancy was taught between 6 pm to 9 pm at one hour intervals. The aim of this training is to pack off to Bombay, and get a Stenographers post. Godrej mama, Srabhai Iyengar, DunlopRaju, Bank Vaidyar, Brooke bond Vaithi, all started their careers as Stenographers and ended up as General Managers. Bombay was an outlet for a positive job for which Education in casserole form was a must. Graduation plus short-hand, typing and accountancy. Sridhar talkies at Ernakulam Shanmukham Road(named after Sir Shamukam Chettty, last Diwan of Kochi and the first Finance Minister of independent India, who presented the first budget for Rs 6 Cr), when newly built screened Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra and Richard Burton as Mark Antony. Chameen also was screened here. Nadhi which was a sensational hit with its ‘Aluwapuzha pinnayam ozhiki’ comes back to memory. Zaina theatre at Fort Kochi, will broadcast old Malayalam songs between 9 am and 10 am. We used to flock to the theatre to listen to them. Star Talkies screened English movies and Hindi latest cinemas. Today, Star Talkies has become history. Mohammed Rafi, the famous Hindi singer, whom Cochin people loved, came and sang at Coronation Club in 1961. It was a historic event. Cochin College had not become a full fledged College. The Gujarati School had classes upto ten only. The rice crispers ’ghatiya’ dokra, made by the Gujarati sweetmeat shopwallah opposite to Gujarati School, with masala chilly, and half cup masala tea, was often frequented by Cochinites and the smell that emanated from the shop threw an open invitation to people to visit the hotel. These were long long ago. I left Cochin. Went places in search of greener pastures.
January 2010, I am back in Cochin, which is a suburb of Kochi, and all the important offices are in Ernakulam, Palarivattam, Vyttila, Edapalli, while Cochin which was the mainland has become subsiverant to the growing metropolis of Greater Kochi which is centered on Ernakulam. Kochi became just a structure of Greater Kochi while Ernakulam was its super structure. Cochin breathes History while Ernakulam which was full of swamps, dumping grounds grew to become a major metropolis, over powering its more popular Cochin Town which illuminated in the pages of distinct history. Ernakulam became a glowing town, while in Cochin it was black out. Conclave of agraharams are still there, Thekkamadam, 10 Rooms, 40 Rooms, Iyengar madam, Shasthanagar, Thekkamadam, Vadakkamadam, Thoppu, Madapalli madam, with shades of white and grey typified the Brahmin domination of yore. They are landmarks, pieces of history web into ebb and flow of the history of the Brahmins of the 20th century. Newspaper Harihara mama, Cherpu mama are no more, so also Chandramoli mama, who was the first President of Brahmins Welfare Association, his two sons, Cheenu and Seetharaman, my intimate friends. Kolapathi (A man with height) Venkatraman of Indianbank was GM somewhere, while Sattunatha mama, Mani, Hindi master, Guruji who taught us ‘Rudram’ on a daily basis at Thekkemadam, had all left for heavenly abode. The past beckons me pulling the strings of memory; the mamis of Thekkamadam clad in Kancheepuram best, golden and diamonds glittering away, fragrance of lowers on their plait filling the air waiting for the distribution of plantain leaf(on which food is served) during Thekkamadom Sasthaprathi. After Thekkamadom Sasthaprathi, Parur Sasthaprathi comes, and later Noorni Sasthaprathi. It is a confluence of Brhamins from all over the State at these places. Like the trade mark, Ambalapuzha payasam, each Sasthaprathis have specialities based on the venues. The Sita Kalyanam is conducted at Madapalli madam. The sadya would be impressive. During the evenings, there will be concerts from famous musicians during the Rama Navami. These are occasions, Kochinites will never miss.
Tamil Brahmins have merged themselves with the spirit of Kerala and relish Malyali traditions, rituals and celebrate Malayalam festivals. Vishu and Onam are celebrated by Tamil Brahmins with gaiety; thiruvathira, unique to Kerala is celebrated with thiruvathira kali and has a separate dance form. The Navaratri festival has the disply of dolls in decorated wooden steps (bommaikolu). Young maidens and mamis come and sing kirtanas, bhajans, and part-take sweet meats, which have varied menus during the nine days. Sraswathi pooja and the ninth day programme is something to cherish. The Tamil Brahmins speak a dialect which is different from classical Tamil. It is a mixture of anglicanized Malayalam. The Trichur Brahmins will speak the language with a musical overtone. The Pazhayannur Bhagavati Temple and Pallirakkavu temple where Bhagavatis’ are the presiding deities have a charm of their own. The thalapalli celebrated during end December will see the entire Cochin people at the Anavathil temple ground.
Gopu has gone to Chennai, as he is serving in a nationalized Bank, Vaithy is in America, Suresh has gone to Bangalore to be with his daughter, Kasturi is somewhere in Tamilnadu, Raman has settled in his Village, while Raja died in a fatal rail accident. Prabhu, our neighbour has sold his house and settled in Edapalli, Mani mama’s daughter has returned from Dubai and is in Elamakara. Narayana Mama is still in his old house at Lalan Road, while Sabasen is busy with his press and astrology. Seshadri mama’s house is locked, perhaps he has gone to his daughter’s house at Coimbatore. Hari anna has left lock, stock and barrel and is staying in some old age home at the outskirts of Coimbatore. There are many youngsters, whom I do not know. Times goes on. As ever.
I remember that on a few occasions legends mingle with mortals. But often, legends are far from truth. That is man, trying to mould his destiny. More often, he leaves behind tales to be told and retold. But today’s generation, do they have the time? They are busy with Laptop and Blackburry. Kochi is as old as it was. Old never gets old. Only we get older to drink the tankard of joy of the past, the buried past of which we were a part, parcel. .
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Autobiography-Anamalous Mumbai train Journeys
As I look at the tangy Mumbai life, I become restless rather than mature and confident. I am scared of the Past as I drink from my tankard of euphoria to toast the last (lost) one year of splendid isolation. History is not a no man’s island, but a stray tale of the Past. My Mumbai life spread over one winter. Baffling. We are no icons who are immortal. I am but a frail man, unknown. I look around to see the legacies of the Past, invading the Present, to stifle the Future.
With a sense of guilt, with buried remorse, I look at the alternate to my history, the grim reality of Today.
As I recollect the joy and sorrow of my Mumbai life, wondering deep back pulling the strings of memory, I get fleeting glimpses of my travel life, travel by electric train, by Car, by Bus- outward, inward bound, merry go round, etc.
I spent quite a time in trains: from Nerul (New Mumbai) to office, office to Andheri, Mulund, Thane and various other destinations. It was a new experience for me to travel by trains, over crowded, sometimes empty to and fro Chatrapathi Sivaji Terminus. When I saw the frames of the terrorists attacking the innocent bystanders and passengers one fateful evening of 26/11, I remembered Platform No 1 and 2 and 3, where invariably Harbour Line (CST to New Mumbai via Kurla is known as Harbour Line) trains used to alight and depart. I also had used the mode of taxis to travel from Dockyard to office (at Mumbai Central), office to CST, office to Fort, office to Andheri/Airport, Nerul to Airport etc. I had traveled plethora of times by auto from Nerul to Vashi and vice-versa.
I had tarvelled at all times- rain or shine, during morning hours, peak hours, office hours, afternoon hours, evening hours, late night hours, etc. More often, I traveled as a footboard tarveller, standing throughout the journey. The train exodus of people, commuters jostling, pulling, pushing, and to travel by Mumbai trains was an acrobatic exercise.
Just as dew drops trickle in the misty mornings, as the gentle breeze blows causing chill, I saunter up and walk my way towards Nerul Station, tidy, neat and clean by any standards for a railway station. I sit in the fleet of granite steps, along with many others, with my eyes directed towards Belapur so as to sight the incoming train. Along with the surging crowds, I used to jump into the Railway Compartment while the train is in slow motion so as to get a Seat. My seat was adjoining the window. Familiar faces, known faces, would get into the train, station after station. People have their favourite seats. No body would misuse the seating positions. They would not snatch your seat. That is Mumbai culture, discipline. Nobody would smoke in the train, which again is a Mumbai virtue. People implicitly imbued with Civic sense. People respect Law, tradition and rules. Safely seated on my seat, the train moves on its wheels over the rails. Lynches to Juinagar. Then Sanpada. Vashi arrives. Towards backwaters, gentle breeze blows across from window to window. The morning birds appear and swim across in the backwaters. Mankhurd appears. That was the last point of mainland Mumbai before the connection was bridged to the twin city New Mumbai. Slowly comes Govandi- famous for the Gawli chawl, named after the notorious gangster! Chembur is the next halt, known for its proximity to Madrisis. The abode of late Varadaraj Mudaliar brought back to life by Kamal Hasan!
At Tilak nagar, you disembark for the mainline Kurla Terminus. For the trains coming from Kerala, this is the Terminus to alight.
The local crosses Kurla station, a junction of sorts as it is the meeting point for the main trains, electric trains coming from Kalyan and Harbour lane. Every time, you see a sea of humanity. The next halt is at Chunnabati, after which Koliwada (sub of Sion) swirms along.
In the twilight of the evening, I walk across the Road to hire a taxi. The taxi wades its way through
Today, sitting in isolation, my mind wanders on my travails of that fast life. It is itched in my memory. Jumping out of the running train at Nerul, and marching with full speed towards the exit to reach home, sweet home, brings a sigh of relief. Oh! Today, is gone, and with expectations of tomorrow, go to sleep.
Sweet experience, monotonous adventure, day after day. But the thrill was in the frills. A dream of the decadent past.
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