thank you

NOYYAL

Those who are familiar with Coimbatore need no introduction to the Noyyal river. The Noyyal which flows through Kovai has long since been neglected and abused by the people of Coimbatore. Smt. Vanitha Mohan, who had organized "Project Siruthuli" - a concerted effort to revive the fast receding ground water, lakes and the like, was much applauded for her efforts to fight encroachments on the banks of the lakes at Kurichi and Valangulam; and removal of the water hyacinth from the lakes at the above two places and at Singanallur (where a boat house had been earlier declared open - but closed now, owing to the abundant growth of the water hyacinth).

Quite a lot of the people and organizations, business establishments contributed their mite for the 'Project Siruthuli' and good effort was made to remove the water hyacinth growing from the water, especially at Valankulam. Free from this plant menace, the lake looked very appealing. But, now the plant is growing fast again on the lake - which makes one wonder whether the effort was really worth it? Personally, I feel that it would be wiser to reach a permanent solution as far as these plants are concerned.

Following this she started another movement, "Noyyyalukku Nooru". It was effort to collect Rs.100/- per person for the upkeep and maintenance of the Noyyal river. Period. This is gaining momentum, though at a slow pace.

Second language

I don’t know about how others feel, but I feel that I should share my views about the recently issued state government’s order regarding the second language or Hindi being taught in the schools today.

All of us know that the present government is against Hindi being taught in the schools as second language. Fine. But what about those hopeful parents who wish that their wards would complete higher education and fill up those vacant posts in the north? And what does this bloody order do? Just dampen the spirit of a number of hopefuls.

As an affected parent, I can say that my child does not stand a fair chance with those who have already been taught Tamil as their second language. Why? Because my kid, from her pre-kindergarten to her Lower kindergarten has been learning Hindi. And what happens now? She is forced to learn what her friends have taken 1-2 years in just a month! Something similar to joining a marathon two laps behind of schedule. Doesn’t it sound absurd?? (One can imagine what it is to learn a language, a new one). And I am not the only one worried by this idiocy. Even the thought that you are not alone suffering this act of stupidity by the government does not offer any solace. The fear, the anxiety, and the uneasiness will last till the kid completes her education, where a ‘just pass’ alone isn’t enough in the highly competitive world.

I would certainly term this as act as yet another of its impressive failures. The earlier one was imposing a ban on ‘Da Vinci Code’. Yet another instance was the ban (of the Centre) on the blogs following the blasts in Mumbai. If the government were that much worried about blocking blogs that were causing/were bound to cause hate/anxiety, it should have considered blocking or banning only those which promoted hate, not order a general ban on all the blogs. This high-handedness was one more classic example of sloppy administration; proving that it does not have sufficient level headed politicians to manage the government.

Update: My stand against the state’s decision on the second language stands good. In fact, renewed every time I get to see my child’s grades in that subject in her class tests. LOL.

Ambulances -life saving or life threatening?

Just when you thought that the local speed demons had got over with their reign on the roads... (yes, the auto-rickshaws), the next one is on its way up to take its place. As all of us are aware, the medical tourism industry is beginning to pick up, (hopefully, it should be the next trend setter). We read about in the newspapers that people from various countries visit this place for undergoing medical treatment, which the visitors feel, are comparable to international standards and still leave them with a handsome balance in their purse. What more assurance does one need?

Well, I am going off-course, right?? Don’t you worry. I’ll recover. (It’s my habit, and I still try hard to keep to the mainstream. LOL). Okay.

Nowadays, I find that the ambulances operated by the numerous private hospitals (and which boast of/and provide excellent specialized medical treatment) go at breakneck speed. Yes, I do agree that it is because of the genuine concern on behalf of the critically injured persons being taken to the hospital. When there is less traffic on the roads or highways, such speed is understandable. But, when the traffic is almost snarling in the countless narrow roads, with the ambulance rushing up towards the non-existent gap in the traffic, its sirens and horns blaring, you just have a second thought whether you would reach home safely; or would be transported to some trauma ward in another such vehicle. Many a time, the fellow commuters present on these roads are gracious enough to make way for such speeding ambulances.

Of course, I have come across instructions printed over the rear door of the vans to the effect that in case you did see the vehicle being driven rashly to reach the contact numbers given below that notice. Unfortunately, such kind of instructions with contact phone numbers are seen only on travel cabs (more like 16 seaters or 18 seaters). And no, I am not against the life-saving ambulances, just that I wish that they do not become the reason for taking away or crippling the life of another.

The reason for this post is because I am alive now without being narrowly being run over by an ambulance, around a corner, coming towards the fly-over while I was on my way down.

Obesity - The war between the waistline and lifeline

There was an issue about the dangerously bulging waistlines of those serving in the department of police in the state of Tamilnadu. It had been suggested that such policemen could be asked to undergo vigorous workouts. To what extent?? Surely all the fat or cholesterol wasn’t collected in a single day. Right? On any given day, if all the policemen are made to stand erect in a single file, it would indeed be a sore sight to observe that an alarmingly large percentage of them will be sporting a big paunch (some of them, I am quite sure, will not be able to see their own toes!). The bitter fact is that even a sizeable number of the female constables too are beginning to start competing with their male counterparts in the department.

The surprise is that not only the adults are suffering from obesity. The percentage of young people, especially teens who are obese has more than doubled. The problem does not end there: this further results in hypertension, stroke, heart attacks, diabetes, and in some cases cancers. It is often said that waistline is directly linked to one’s lifeline. No wonder that obesity is one of the major causes of health concern the world over!

So it is safe if one keeps in mind that he or she is at a higher risk if they have a bigger waistline. And it is high time that all the offices, government and others make it a point to include physical exercise as a daily routine in their daily activities to lead a healthy life. Atleast, it will pave the way for a healthy younger generation, which is currently addicted to television or PC games.