A Compilation of My Thoughts!
I have been publishing my thoughts as 'This Week's Point to Ponder' since June 2, 2024, to a limited group on WhatsApp.
These are my life experiences, and a few are related to traffic anomalies, observation of people's behaviour and such others.
Most of these were widely acclaimed by members of my limited-circulation group, and this prompted me to keep writing about relevant topics.
Below is Part 3 of the weekly collection.
Hope you will enjoy my thought-provoking 'Thoughts'!!
This Week’s Point to Ponder: 16/03/2025
Electric
Vehicles – EVs (4-wheelers in particular) are sparsely sighted on roads after
sunset!?
With the
proliferation of EVs in mainline traffic, we see them zipping across during the
day. Whether two/three or four-wheelers, they are omnipresent in a crowd of
vehicles.
However,
come sunset, the bigger vehicles (4-Wheelers) are too shy to come out (like the
girls of yesteryear). My colleague and I, noticed this strange phenomenon
earlier this month while driving back from our office. In a total of 12 km, we
hardly found one EV SUV but found enough EV 2-wheelers.
I wonder if
it has something to do with the available power for these vehicles to ply after
sunset or if they are retired a tad too early for a recharge.
Alternatively,
are the drivers scared to bring out fully charged vehicles during the night,
lest it drains power from the source due to energy consumption for headlights,
etc.?
Have you
noticed this strange habit of EV Owners/Users, particularly of 4-wheelers?
Just pondering!
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 23/03/2025
It is
time for Elders to become Children, all over again!
Context: My
own life (style) and those of my friends.
During our
childhood, we were craving and so eager to get away from wearing shorts/half
pants and graduate to wearing trousers.
I still
remember my first pair of trousers, a light brown one at that.
I basked in
the limelight for the best part of a month, wore it almost every day till the
novelty wore off!
Wearing
shorts after progressing to our High School life was considered a taboo, and we
wore trousers for almost the next 35-40 years.
For
those who went out of the country, many of us considered it below our dignity to
wear shorts/half pants at any time.
Fast
forward to the last decade!!
Life has
come full circle for us, and these days we are back to wearing shorts/half
pants with passion and at the drop of a hat!
We don't
even blink an eye at wearing this outfit at any time of the day, except while
working in an office environment or partaking in formal gatherings.
"Just
another example of elders becoming children all over again"!?
Can't say the same to ladies, though!
Just a thought!
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 30/03/2025
Laws,
Rules, Governance and Short Memory of the Public:
Post-Nirbhaya Case – remember that horrible rape case that shook the nation in the
last decade!? Well, policing all over the country was strengthened to prevent the use of any vehicle with dark tinted glasses or films on the glasses below a
particular percentage of transparency.
How soon will the public, and especially those involved in the governance of laws, forget this
inhuman act of violence against women?
We see dark
tinted glasses on the vehicles these days, and the police are turning the other
way. What can be more ironic than Government vehicles sporting these dark
tinted glasses?
Does it
require a sacrifice from another Nirbhaya to implement these rules all over
again?
Just a thought!
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 06/04/2025
It is
IPL Season again! How about a quick peek at the type of Commercial Ads?
I wonder
how many of you have noticed the logic in the type of commercial ads during
the breaks, on your handheld and on your TV, that are churned out by the
Channel – Jio Hotstar?
Well, I
suggest you take a peek at it to get a full picture if you haven’t noticed.
There is a
distinct difference between the types of commercials played on the handheld
versus those played on the TV.
You will be
shocked to see only Gaming and Pan Masala ads on the handheld and mostly
FMCG and other commercials on the TV.
Why is
there such a sudden diarrhea of such commercials on handhelds?
IMHO,
cajoling the user to download the Gaming App or forcing the customer to visit
the nearest shop for a Pan Masala fix is very easy when you are on a handheld.
Can you
see the bigger picture of this logic!?
Just a thought!
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 13/04/2025
Context:
Genesis of the Ride-hailing Apps, Pros and Cons.
Looking
back at the last decade-and-a-half or so, commuters were exhausted by
the attitude of the Autorickshaw drivers to ply on a particular route,
demanding excess fares from their passengers; the non-availability of cabs at the
beck and call of passengers, etc., was the genesis of the ride-hailing apps à la Uber, Ola et al.
These apps, to some extent, crushed the High & Mighty attitude of the drivers of the
vehicles that weren’t affiliated to the ride-hailing apps.
Indicative
Pros to the Commuters who are users of these Apps – No haggling of fares or
destination, route or guiding the driver to destination, safer travel at any
time of the day or night, etc.
Indicative
Cons – More expensive than the regulated metered fares; waiting period could be
irritating,
Major
disadvantages are for those commuters (including many senior citizens) who are
non-users of these Apps. The Autorickshaw drivers rarely switch on their fare
meters, and mostly a fixed amount is negotiated. Otherwise, the demand is for a
specific sum of money over the metered fare. This is pale when we consider the
high and mighty attitude of the drivers who refuse to ply to the destinations
of the commuters and if they agree, it will be a ransom fare.
Any thoughts??
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 20/04/2025
Lack of common sense amongst Gen Z and, queerly, in elders too – particularly road sense!
A peek at
some of the atrocious behaviour currently exhibited on our roads by road
users, irrespective of their age!
1. Wriggling and squeezing through the
traffic as if playing a game on TV.
2. Overtaking on a road curving to the left
– why can’t they understand they are in a blind spot?
3. Honking at the traffic signal – will
the honking make traffic move faster?
4. Making a right turn from the extreme
right of the road – where is the place for vehicles turning to the left!?
5. Disregarding signals and ploughing
through the Red!
6. Disrespecting traffic laws and rules
– Not wearing Helmets/Seatbelts, using cell phones while driving or riding a
two-wheeler, etc.
7. Driving a four-wheeler with a child
on their lap!
8. Passengers on the front seat wearing
seatbelts but carrying a child on their lap!
9. Children sitting on the front seat,
extremely dangerous, though wearing seatbelts.
10 Children standing on the seat and
peeking through the sunroof! Sudden braking will launch them into orbit!
I’m sure
there is much more to add to the above list.
What do you think!?
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 27/04/2025
Is there
a need for glass-panelled buildings, Sunroofs on four-wheelers, etc.
Do we need
so many glass-panelled buildings in our country? Such buildings are more beneficial in
countries where sunlight is scarce and the weather is cold. Won’t the cost of
air-conditioning such glass-panelled buildings go through the roof, while the
cost of maintaining glass surfaces is far more than that of conventional
buildings?
Similarly, why
do our four-wheelers need a Sunroof? Except for aesthetic value and satisfying the egos of the vehicle owners, this has been heavily abused by the users of such vehicles.
Children and adults alike peep out of the sunroofs, posing a huge risk should
the vehicle come to a sudden stop! Additionally, with most vehicles in already congested cities with scant parking, a small mishap like the falling of a
tree branch or a coconut, etc will mean an expensive repair.
Why then do we
have the craze for such buildings and four-wheelers, except to show off or to
blindly emulate the countries where necessity compelled them to have such
buildings and vehicle aesthetics!?
Just thinking!
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 04/05/2025
Context:
Cricket, since IPL is in full swing! Past, Recent Past, and Present celebrations
at the fall of a wicket.
Being
referred to as a gentleman’s game, in the past, any fall of a wicket resulted
in a subtle celebration amongst the fielding team. There was no swearing by the
bowler or by other team members.
With the advent
of the likes of Jeff Thompson, Merv Hughes, etc from Australia and some others
from other countries, the complexion of celebrations at the fall of a wicket started getting animated and intimidating the batsman who got out. The crowd of
spectators too started crying for the blood of the batsman, more so if it was
in their home team playing the visitors.
Sledging is
a topic for another day.
Currently,
such celebrations at the fall of a wicket have reached a different level, and
all matches have been a proxy war, if not less. Competitive spirit apart, the
game and the attitude of the players do get on to the psyche of the spectators
even, creating a very unhealthy atmosphere.
Any thoughts?
This
week’s Point to Ponder: 11/05/2025
Context:
The recent decimation of terrorists’ training grounds in Pakistan, Escalation
by Pak forces, a thumping offensive by India, and the Ceasefire thereof.
The definition
of war in agreement with the ceasefire, may perhaps include – any further act of
terrorism on Indian soil by any Pakistan-sponsored group or faction (if not
verbatim, in as many words, to mean any act of terrorism).
Intelligence
Agencies must now be extra vigilant and very particular about the terror
inflicted by local outfits, sympathetic to Pakistan’s agenda or sponsored by
Pakistan, in disturbing the peace in our country, and in containing these
disturbances.
Any thoughts!?
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 18/05/2025
Capabilities
of many in our mid-to-late 50s and above – also called Gen-X & Baby Boomers,
respectively!
We, the
people in our mid-to-late 50s and above, are one of the most versatile and
adaptive generations as compared to our successive ones – Millennials, Gen Z
(we blindly follow what the US defines).
Take, for
instance – most of us started our lives not knowing ‘Computers’ in our
vocabulary, graduating to start operating them when we were introduced to their personal computer (PC) version in the mid-to-late 80s, mastering the use of
laptops in the 90s, and being productive at our workplaces.
Similarly,
we were adept at learning the basics of operating a Pager (remember those small
windowed gadgets that we used to show off hanging around our waistbelts or on the belts of the handbags of female users) or the first mobile phones, which
could just operate on making calls and sending text messages and graduating to using
the all-in-one gadgets, making a lot of usual productive tools redundant.
Who thought
the evolution of a cell phone would see the end of wristwatches, alarm clocks,
radios, music systems, calendars, diaries, and a few other tools? The best part was, you
could still make and receive calls on that handheld gadget and play a game as well!
Our
generation excelled in adapting to the changing times, and I think we are
perhaps more versatile than other generations, as we were thrown in at the deep
end to survive the fast-growing technological advances, should we be
interested in staying relevant to the times!
What do you think!?
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 25/05/2025
Impractical
and lopsided pre-election manifestos of most Political Parties.
We, the
electorate in India, are always starry-eyed when various political parties
propagate their manifestos to lure us into voting them into power.
At the drop
of a hat, we have a law for this, that, and sundry other things. This is despite the repealing of so many redundant laws in the last couple of years.
What
prevents the common sense of the powers that be, in promulgating a law, from preventing any and all political parties from publishing their manifestos if
it is harmful to the country or a State (Province) or will cause a severely
damaging hole in the budget of the exchequer?
In my
humble opinion, there must be a compulsory audit by Accountants and Economists
of all such manifestos, prior to their publication by the political parties, and
particularly if it involves freebies and other social grants that are lopsided
and only benefit a particular section/s of the population!
The Supreme
Court of India acts high and mighty in so many instances. Can’t it Suo Moto take
cognisance of such issues that are of wider public interest?
Any thoughts on this!?
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 01/06/2025
Today marks
52 completed weeks (except 2 weeks of bereavement when my youngest brother
passed away earlier this year) of the publishing of my first ‘This Week’s
Point to Ponder’.
The initial few
weeks were dedicated to the haphazard traffic system, highlighting a ‘Method in
Madness’, accidents waiting to happen, caring two hoots about Safety, lack of common sense on roads, etc., and many more current issues were touched upon.
It gives me
a great sense of satisfaction that many of you have appreciated my write-ups for
bringing many of the issues, seldom discussed but were ‘elephants in the room’.
Though I
have plenty of topics for my readers to ponder over, I invite you to send
pointers to some of the points that you may lack time or inclination to write
about.
Nevertheless,
my point to ponder for this week is the usage of public transport in daily life.
Many
Western countries lack public transport infrastructure, though many of them
have an elaborate rail system, more by design than by default. The motor industry cartel has perhaps prevented the development of an effective public surface
transport infrastructure in those countries.
Take the USA, for example; Most cities there lack a good network of surface transport. One
has to rely on cabs or own vehicles to take you from Point A to Point B.
On
returning to India, though I came from a country lacking a decent and safe
public transport system, I have never hesitated to take the City Bus transport
and Metro services. Metro in particular, as it is probably the fastest mode of
travel.
A few of my
friends were gobsmacked when I mentioned about me taking the public bus
transport. They probably feel that they can’t be seen taking this mode of
travel.
Any thoughts on this?
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 08/06/2025
Disturbing
sleep and peace at midnight. Reason – Celebrating Birthdays &
Anniversaries!?
This happens mainly in India, and that too in
cities with a majority of Educated Illiterates who lack civic sense. Can you
believe it?
For the last couple of months, particularly post-Deepavali, the residents of the whole area have woken up to the cacophonic
sounds of bursting fireworks, bang at midnight!
Well, one man’s food is another’s poison,
and the reason is that when you enquire with the perpetrators about this frenzy of
bursting fireworks at midnight, forget an apology for disturbing the peace, but
they proudly and coyly respond that they are celebrating a birthday (some,
even of their pets) or a wedding anniversary.
So much for the civic sense of the educated
class. These same people will behave and respect the law when they go to
another country. Why this lackadaisical attitude in our own country?
Is it because their itch for such unruly
behaviour gets unshackled here, or is it because there is no enforcement here, or, better still, they can use influence and act high and mighty to all those who
question their unruly and rowdy behaviour, or are they trying to exhaust the
stock of fireworks and crackers they had overstocked?
What are our enforcement agencies doing to
control such acts of civil disobedience?
Just a thought!
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 15/06/2025
Evolution
of Personal Payments – Cash to Credit/Debit Cards to Scan & Pay!
Somewhere in one of the WhatsApp Groups, there was a
message recently about how impulsive and compulsive buying of unnecessary items
stemmed from the use of UPI Payments like Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, etc.
There was a mention that the use of hard cash in the years
gone by had a placebo effect on the buying pattern of consumers, as they
avoided many purchases lest they have to part with hard cash, and how, with the
advent of modern payment methods, it has increased spending on frivolous
items.
My observation – the spending pattern changed when Credit
cards were introduced. The lure of procrastinating payment for today’s
enjoyment is too tempting to avoid, what with so many Banks and Finance
companies vying for a share of the spoils at the expense of consumers. Many
ended up paying part of the balance due and were forced to pay huge interest on
the overdue balances. With Debit Cards, however, the case is a bit different,
as you can only spend if you have money in your bank account tied to these cards.
Now, with UPI being pervasive, there are no holds barred, as
long as you have money in your bank account linked to your UPI app. Yet, the
ease with which we scan and pay, at the drop of a hat, for all and sundry
things, is mind-boggling.
Icing on
the cake is the availability of disposable surplus amongst the middle class,
who are the major spenders using UPI!
What are your thoughts!?
This
week’s Point to Ponder: 22/06/2025
Cutting down trees along Public Roads.
Last week,
a couple of trees in front or my place were chopped off. Agreed, this caused a
peril to the tin shed of the neighbouring temple, and I accept that this was done
with the full approval of the powers that be to take such decisions.
Won’t the
contractors, entrusted with this job, contact necessary service departments
like Electricity Supply, Telephone service providers, TV Cable Operators,
Broadband service providers, Municipal Cleaning Service personnel, etc.?
Many in our
neighbouring buildings were impacted by loss of connectivity, power, etc., and
also the broadband service provider suffered damage to the distribution boxes,
which were destroyed completely by falling branches. I must commend the prompt
response from my Airtel broadband service for restoring my service in a day.
But the engineers on the site complained that if they were provided information
before the start of cutting the trees, they could have saved some cables that
were cut off by falling debris.
During
earlier years, the horticulture department of the Municipality would plant and
take care of these by the roadsides, only to be chopped off by the Electricity
service providers, lest they cause a short circuit by touching the overhead lines.
Many such
trees still exist as arrogant specimens, while many of their brethren had
succumbed to torrential rains and strong winds. Simple science tells us that
regular, unscientific chopping of trees would render them out of balance, and
eventually the skewed weight would topple the tree. Another reason: concrete
surfaces all around the tree's roots, with no space for water to nourish or soil
to breathe, rendering no support to strengthen the roots.
What are your thoughts!?
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 29/06/2025
Technology
doesn’t assist in improving the ill-habits of educated illiterates!
Context:
Indicating turn signals without or with the aid of indicators.
In the
decades gone by, indication to turn left or right while driving the two, three
or four wheelers would be by show of hand. This was one of the tests conducted
by the RTO authorities while testing the candidates prior to the issue of
their driving licenses.
While most
vehicle drivers were religiously following the traffic rules in those years,
there were truants even then.
Vehicles
evolved over the last few decades and electronic indicators were introduced by these
manufacturers progressively.
However,
the habits of vehicle drivers have regressed – while some religiously follow
the traffic rules, most care two hoots about these rules and for them, the
indicators in their vehicles are optional extras, perhaps!
And for a
few more drivers, it is the question of puncturing their egos as to why they
should let others know if they are turning left or right, on the lighter side
of it!
Be that as
it may, the users of the road on which such errant drivers recklessly drive are at risk of accidents waiting to happen and injuries or fatalities,
following it!
Any thoughts on this!?
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 06/07/2025
A bit
off-subject this week around – How about …… Liquor!?
Having been
in the Alco-Bev industry for over 3 decades, I must discuss this point on the
subject of Alcohol, in the Indian context.
India
annually produces 15-18 million tonnes of molasses, as a by-product of the sugar
industry. Most of this is converted to RS (Rectified Spirit), the basic raw material for distilling ENA (Extra-Neutral Alcohol).
The final
product – ENA- has been used by the alcohol industry for the last century or
so, as the base material in the manufacture of all types of liquor, viz.
Whiskey, Brandy, Rum, Gin, etc.
You may be
wondering – how could this ENA be the mother of all liquor? There is something
called food flavours and colourants used widely in the food and beverage
industry. These have been the magic ingredients and formulae for the run-of-the-mill brands at the bottom of the segment. The better ones were a blend of this
base with the spirits distilled from grains like rice, etc and the premium ones
were purely a blend of grain and malt spirits, aged or otherwise. The
super-premium ones were blended, additionally, with imported whiskies. So much
for Whiskies.
Brandies,
on the other hand, were made with a blend of grape spirits in addition to the
base, while Gin was a blend with an extract of Juniper Berries.
The
industry has gone through a metamorphosis after the opening-up of the economy
and liberalisation. The consumers are spoilt for choice, what with the advent
of multinational liquor giants in the last few decades, excessive disposable
incomes, exposure to fine liquor from their trips to foreign countries, et al.
You must be
wondering if I missed out on Rum! Well, Rum is basically a spirit made from
molasses and therefore, all the so-called Indian Made Foreign Liquor – IMFL of
the yesteryears, was just a Pseudo-Rum with added colour and flavour.
And Beer –
well, it is a topic for another day!
Any thoughts on the above?
This
Week's Point to Ponder: 13/07/2025
How
about something on Discipline, Enforcement and Culture?
Time and
again, I have seen that Enforcement of rules has been diluted by Cultural
Practices that have led to the failure of Civil Discipline.
A case in
point is the Culture of not wearing helmets for short distances by two-wheeler
riders, hindering enforcement of penalising helmet-less riders and enforcement
officers falling for the pleading errant riders.
Another
case in point is that of riders of a particular religion, not wearing helmets
but feeling that protection of their heads with caps is more than enough.
Mediocrity
in enforcement agencies is the hallmark of such civic lacunae.
What are your thoughts?
This
Week's Point to Ponder: 20/07/2025
How
about something on extreme dependence on the so-called Mobile Numbers and smartphones?
Our mobile
number (let alone the phone as an instrument) has become such an integrated and
inseparable part of our daily life: including the government's Aadhaar
authentication, any bank-related issues and payments in particular, security,
hospital admission, insurance, AMC of various equipment at your house or office,
food delivery, cab hailing services, IT return filing, quick commerce, service
of your vehicles, and also the pollution under control certificates for your
vehicles, et al.
It's so
ingrained in our lives that we virtually cease to exist without a mobile number,
whether we use it for talking or not. It's more important than our Aadhaar or PAN
(of Income Tax).
Added to
this, the advent of smartphones in the last 2 decades has pushed the dependence on these phone numbers further.
Gone are
the days; when you had a contact number of a landline, that you proudly dished
out to all and sundry. Landlines these days are the dinosaurs left far behind
by advanced technology. However, I see a section of the population using the
old 2G-compliant phones that are used to send SMS, make calls – and just that!
The status
symbol of having a landline in the last 2-3 decades has been replaced by
having the latest and most expensive Mobile Phones.
At the end of
the day, as a single piece of equipment, it has replaced more than 10 separate pieces of equipment
used for various needs.
What are your thoughts?
This
Week’s Point to Ponder:
Reiterating
my point to ponder, on unseasonal veggies!
Just this
evening, I saw a cartload of fresh green peas on sale by a greengrocer. I was
flabbergasted, as this vegetable is predominantly a winter crop, along with
cowpeas or hyacinth beans (Avarey Kayi as it is known in my mother tongue,
Kannada) and a host of other similar crops.
On cowpeas,
I did a bit of research and found that there is a new cultivar named Hebbal
Avarey Kayi that can yield crop throughout the year sans the Sogadu (the
characteristic Aroma).
Genetically
modified food has been the hallmark of excessive yield, but at what cost!?
Any thoughts on this?
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 10/08/2025
How
about charging full fare for female passengers (who travel free in my
home state), for occupying seats supposed to be for male passengers (who face
the full brunt in subsidising their counterparts) and won't vacate their seats
to the standing gentlemen⁉️
Any thoughts on this⁉️
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 17/08/2025
Aesthetics
of the City destroyed – one cable at a time!
In the
earlier decades, the explosion of Cable TV networks that had sprouted in most
areas was the culprit in destroying the aesthetics of an area. What with
cables dangling from rooftops, pole-tops, and even tree-tops, let alone hanging
in midair, that destroyed the beauty of any area.
Prior to
that, we just had either electricity or telephone cables messing with the
aesthetics.
Now, cometh
the direct-to-home (DTH) cables for broadband, fibre optic, et al.; the beauty of
any residential or commercial area has been rendered close to that of an
informal settlement (loosely called a slum). Is this the way to provide
service to residents and commercial establishments? It is such a pathetic sight, resembling huge cobweb-like strands, except that these are black in colour!
Providing
utilities like broadband, telephones, electricity, etc. doesn’t mean you mess
up the appearance of buildings or an area.
What are
the Town Planning, City Corporations and other Enforcement Authorities doing
about this menace?
It is
high time that somebody has to take the responsibility in bringing back the
beauty to our Cities, Localities and Streets!
Any thoughts on this⁉️
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 24/08/2025
How
about discussing the retirement age for politicians, our elected
representatives!?
When there
is a retirement age for the civil servants and employees of most of the public
and private sector enterprises, why not for the elected representatives (MLAs
& MPs)?
The hunger
for power and the associated money as collateral advantage leaves behind a
megalomaniacal attitude as a residue in these persons. The clout they exude
with sadistic pleasure is really obnoxious and obscene.
I wonder if
we can change our system by letting those who complete two full terms of their
office (10 years), either continuously or in broken periods, be compulsorily retired.
That their
pension for life, after even completing one term in the office, is a discussion
for another day!
Any thoughts on this⁉️
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 31/08/2025
How
about the orphaned cables left either hanging from poles, rooftops, or just left
on the roads and footpaths!?
Two weeks
ago, I pointed out the blue murder of our city’s aesthetics. This week I
bring out the horrific accidents or those about to happen inevitably and/or
imminently, due to this menace.
I have seen
or heard many accidents happen due to these orphaned rolls of cables left on
the footpaths, which are meant for people to walk on. As such, most of the
footpath is usurped either by shops illegally displaying their boards or by
parking of vehicles, if not used as a pseudo-road by two-wheeler riders.
People,
particularly senior citizens, trip on these left-behind cables, as happened
to my cousin a week or two ago. Luckily, he escaped with bruises and no bones
were broken or had head concussion.
Who is to
blame for this? What is BBMP doing? Why can’t the enforcement agencies take
cognisance of such things? Are they on the payroll of these companies who leave
the cables behind? Why can’t we even protest and stop availing services of such
cable companies till they behave in a socially responsible way?
We
Indians are so fascinated by anything from a foreign country, but if such a
thing happens in any foreign country, the enforcement agencies will be taken to
task first, and then the companies to whom these cables belong will be
stripped naked by the courts.
Any thoughts on this!?
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 07/09/2025
How
about deaths at a young age and dependency on various supplements!?
These days,
we are inundated with deaths of young people, be it at the gym, on the playground, or in the office, in a very unexpected and horrifying way.
Studies
must be done on these instances to check the correlation of these untimely and
ghastly deaths with the use of food and medicinal supplements, resulting in
these deaths.
Alas, who
will check this, as the companies manufacturing these supplements are just
interested in lining their pockets, and hospitals and other agencies (including
irresponsible media and advertising agencies, models representing these
companies) are more than interested in running all the way to their banks.
Medical
Associations care two hoots about the health & welfare of the youngsters, but they only look at what is in it for them by supporting these companies.
Who will
protect the naïve or innocent youngsters who use these products and are led
astray!?
Just thinking and what are your thoughts on
this!?
This
Week’s Point to Ponder: 07/09/2025
Why are
Mobile Phones called Smartphones these days?
We are so
dependent on these gadgets. Not even a single hour or tens of minutes goes by
without us consulting our omnipresent and omniscient gadget for one reason or
another!
Be it for a
simple calculation, taking a quick photo, listening to a music track, a quick
look at social media apps, browsing the internet, catching up on our email or text
messages, or just using the gadget for what it was primarily meant for - yes,
making or receiving calls!
You just
can't avoid this ubiquitous gadget for whatever it is worth, and it has made us
all its slaves.
In a way,
it has made us all duds, making us all severely dependent on it while it is
getting smarter with every new version of it.
What are your thoughts⁉️
This
Week's Point to Ponder: 21/09/2025
Evolution
of Eating & Drinking Habits & its impact on human health and
consequential drain on their resources in the treatment of ailments!
Gone are
the days when we were eating simple food (unprocessed) and leading a healthy
life. Agreed, in those days, the life expectancy was low when compared to the
current period. Yet, illness wasn’t as rampant, and spending on healthcare
was minimal.
As the
saying goes, ‘You Are What You Eat’, and we are being truthful to this
axiom.
Processed
food these days, IMHO (In My Humble Opinion), is the main reason for many
illnesses that has manifested amongst us. Protein and other supplements, have
added their own flavour in impacting the health, particularly amidst
youngsters. Influencers (mainly film and sports personalities) create an
illusion about the perceived positives on using these products. At the same
time, all the negatives are relegated to fine print that needs a magnifying
glass to uncover their hidden flaws.
Additionally,
there is a nexus between Medical, Pharmacy, and Insurance Companies to
prioritize the ROI (Return on Investment) of their shareholders and to promote
these products using unfair means.
I wonder
when the so-called intelligent people realise this and call the bluff of all these
companies.
What are your thoughts⁉️
This
Week’s Point to Ponder:
Making a difference, one girl child at a time!
I was invited to the 8th
Induction Ceremony of an NGO specialising in not just funding the financial
needs of girl child/ren in economically challenged families, but also
developing their character with the intervention of Mentorship and other
programs. Due to preoccupation, I reached the event a tad later than I anticipated.
First impression – what a
gathering, as the auditorium was packed while my eyes searched for some familiar
soul, and there she was. Dimple, the cherubic and chirpy beneficiary of this
NGO, who had assisted me very efficiently in my first assignment, welcomed me
and ushered me to sit amongst the mentors.
The event was conducted by the
girls who were incumbents and alumni of this NGO, and what an event it was!
Inspiring words from a plethora of Social Activists held, not just the girls,
but the whole audience in awe. Experiences of the Alumni were not far behind,
and the roll of drums didn’t cease till it was time to call it a day!
Hats off to the NGO, its
organisers, mentors, and the children who are benefiting from this ecosystem.
I am really lucky to be
associated with this NGO, albeit in a minuscule way, and wish the team and the
beneficiaries all the best! May your tribe increase!
Any thoughts on this or such NGOs?
This
Week’s Point to Ponder:
When will
India decide to levy Tax on Agricultural Income⁉️
World over,
though there is a distinction between the types of income one derives for a
living, they are taxed homogeneously.
Why then,
in India it has been a non-taxable income? Reasons are various, and no political
party wants to stir the hornets’ nest, lest they get flak during elections from the powerful agri-lobby.
That said, I
know I’m touching a raw nerve here by deliberating on this taboo topic.
Nevertheless, somebody has to bell the cat, and I don’t have any qualms doing
it. During the 70s, the then government came out with the ‘Land to the Tiller’ concept
that deprived many land hoarders who used to let their land be tilled by tenants
and get rich (?), which prompted this reform.
However,
powerful (both materially and physically) individuals and groups started
usurping the lands of those small tillers, who were given their lands by these
reforms, for a pittance and dominating the Agri-World. Added to this, the nexus
with the middlemen to sell their produce, with the powerful ‘Farmers’, messed up
the whole ecosystem. Adding fuel to the fire is the tax-free status of central tax
on agricultural income in India, as it is a State (Provincial) subject and
dealt with differently.
This has
made “Rich Farmers” richer, and the others are getting marginalised gradually.
Isn’t it
time to bring about homogeneity in taxing all incomes⁉️
Just a thought!
This
Week’s Point to Ponder:
Autorickshaw
(Tuk-Tuk) Drivers’ attitude – A comparison between Mumbai and Bengaluru.
I have been
in Mumbai for over 10 days now, and my local travel, other than Metro Lines, is
mostly in autorickshaws (autos), as it is more in the suburbs than in Southern
Mumbai, where cabs rule the roost.
Surprisingly,
I haven’t had a chance to use the cab-hailing services as I’m sure to have
wasted my time if my choice of travel is by Autorickshaw. They are available at
your doorstep, and there is no need to wait for them, as we do in Bengaluru.
Additionally,
the metered amount is what the driver expects you to pay and nothing more. I
was reminded of the novel by Sidney Sheldon – Not A Penny More, Not A Penny
Less, in a different way. They don’t even expect you to forego small change of
a rupee or two, and to my surprise, none of the auto drivers have asked for a
rounded-up amount. They always have small change in coins and are ever-obliging to
receive the correct fare for your travel.
In short,
the attitude of these auto drivers hasn’t changed even a wee bit over the last
few decades, as I have experienced firsthand.
I can never
expect such an attitude from auto drivers in Bengaluru. Firstly, if you don’t
use the cab-hailing services for hiring an auto, God help you with your
transport need for an auto. If we are lucky to get an auto without the help of
the cab-hailing apps, the driver demands, repeatedly, an additional Rs.
30-50 over the metered fare if he activates the meter, he demands an
arbitrary amount. The ride-hailing apps are quick to encash our naivety by
suggesting a mark-up while we refresh our search.
This is
just one of the reasons Namma Bengaluru can’t be compared with Mumbai or some
other major cities.
What are your thoughts?
This
Week’s Point to Ponder:
How
about comparing a few points of interest between Mumbai & Bengaluru!?
Living in
Mumbai over the last couple of weeks, I have been trying to distil a few points
to compare my two favourite cities in India. Below are just two points of
comparison between them.
Having
lived in Mumbai for over a decade in the past, and visiting occasionally, I
find the metro city fascinating in more ways than a few when comparing it with
Bengaluru. The fact of the matter, just like we don’t get to choose our parents,
the two cities couldn’t choose their geographical environs. However, their
residents are the change drivers.
How we live
in these places and how residents adapt to the geo-environments make these cities
unique and comparable at the same time. While the uniqueness is the
geographical location and the way both cities' topography pervades their
character, the comparable points refer to the man-made adaptations.
Mumbai gets
a regular 2200mm of monsoon rainfall every year, predominantly in the summer
months, while in Bengaluru, it is scattered across the months from March to
November, showering around 1,000mm of rain.
Despite
this, the condition of roads in Mumbai has matured to withstand the onslaught
of rains, while the pathetic work of the Municipal Contractors who lay the
roads in Bengaluru pales in comparison with their Mumbai counterparts. Many, if
not most, of the Mumbai roads are concrete surfaces, which Bengaluru is now
trying to adopt for many of the arterial roads.
My second
point of comparison is the degree of traffic law enforcement. Just as an
instance (people who are conversant with the Mumbai topography can easily
appreciate and relate to this), Sion Circle in the mid-Northern suburb is a
major junction with Eastern Express Highway traffic merging from the east and
the traffic from Western Express Highway from the West. In the decades gone by,
this traffic junction was managed by just one Traffic Cop and there was never
any traffic violation in terms of jumping the signal, etc. Even today, many
busy intersections are just managed by a couple of Traffic Cops, and traffic
life goes on autopilot. I don’t say there are no traffic violations in Mumbai
at all, but it pales when compared to Bengaluru’s traffic violation woes.
Likening
this to Bengaluru’s traffic plight would be like comparing Chalk and Cheese,
what with unruly traffic and violations being the norm, while Traffic Cops are
busy on their Mobile Phones. The pretext is that there is a BIG EYE watching
the errant drivers and, ultimately, they will pay for their violations. There is
no will to even implement a deterrent.
And we
are debating about other big things – Global Business Entities setting up their
shop in other neighbouring States!
Any thoughts on this!?
This
Week’s Point to Ponder:
Role of
Olive Oil in Indian Cuisine!?
Olive oil is increasingly used in Indian cuisine for its
health benefits, light flavor, and versatility—especially in sautéing,
grilling, and salad dressings.
Of late,
there is a marked increase in the promotional ads for Olive Oil, with
influencers ranging from movie stars to other public figures, stressing it
as a Health-Conscious substitute. The stress is on virgin oil as well, and the
taste of food made using these oils is an acquired one.
Extra virgin olive oil has a distinct taste that will not
suit most Indian dishes, but light olive oil (when used sparingly) blends well
without overpowering spices.
While not traditional, it’s gaining popularity as a modern
alternative to ghee and refined oils, with so many in the populace visiting
European and American countries and having acquired a taste of this oil in the
cuisines native to those countries, wanting to show off their shallow knowledge
in adapting it to our cuisine.
One must understand to avoid deep frying with olive oil due
to its lower smoke point and cost. However, it can be combined with traditional
oils for hybrid flavour profiles in fusion dishes.
At best, IMHO, its cold application is what I like the most;
ideal for chutneys, raitas, and salad dressings, where its raw flavor and
nutritional value are preserved, Sautéing and stir-frying, and flavour
balancing.
Bottom line of Indian Cuisine: apart from the main
ingredients are flavours, fragrances, taste of the spices used in cooking, and
the presentation of food that creates an appetite for consumption.
What are your thoughts!?
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