Aircraft identification No. - clairvoyance - and Airlines changes No..

TAM Airlines operates in Brazil. The company is currently the largest Brazilian airline by market share and fleet size.  Just as the Transport corporation buses have Nos.. eg., 21H runs on OMR passing Karapakkam …. it originates at Broadway and winds its way  through Kamarajar Salai; LB Road; OMR for Kelambakkam with scheduled time of 85 minutes for the 21 stops in between  … akin to route No. in MTC and IMO in Ships,  there is IATA codes.  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is the trade association for the world’s airlines. It represents some 240 airlines or more than 84% of total air traffic.  IATA airline designators are used to identify an airline for commercial purposes in reservations, timetables, tickets, tariffs, air waybills and in telecommunications.

The term clairvoyance (from French clair meaning "clear" and voyance meaning "vision")  refers  to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known senses, i.e., a form of extrasensory perception.  Premonition is the  feeling or belief that something is going to happen when there is no definite reason to believe it will.. then there is ESP (Extrasensory perception)  that involves reception of information not gained through the recognized physical senses but sensed with the mind. Foretelling the future is a complicated subject !

Nooravathu Naal (Hundredth Day) directed by Manivannan starring Mohan, Vijayakant, Nalini and Sathyaraj was released in 1984 ….the suspense thriller was of a psychopath who abducts young women and kills them.  In the film, they will see a weekly magazine with a cover photo of horse (much before the release of the magazine) and sooner the same will hit the stands ….more  such premonitions would follow ……… including killings..  In the 1990s, Malayalam films of Mammootty, Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi had good run in Chennai, especially in Saffire theatre… ‘Iyer the Great; was one such psychological thriller directed by Bhadran, starring Mammootty & Geetha.  The storyline was on ‘ESP’…..it was about Vaikundam Surya Narayana Iyer (Mammootty), a normal business executive who on a day climbing a tall tree in order to capture an escaped pet parrot, undergoes acrophobia (fear of heights) and suddenly acquires  the power of clairvoyance. A couple of days later, he foresees a train accident with exact train number, and time of incident and warns the railway authorities. A couple of days later, Iyer foresees a terrible airplane accident and informs the authorities about a future bombing at a flight in Delhi.

Ever wondered what will happen in real life, if somebody claims to have such power and forewarns about an accident, providing details including the area and the flight number – simple change the flight number ! – stumped by the answer – read this report that appeared on MailOnline on 24th Nov 2014.

TAM airlines left nothing to chance for a Sao Paulo flight to Brasilia following the warning from renowned psychic Jucelino Nobrega da Luz. The man who claims he predicted the deaths of both Princess Diana and Brazilian racing hero Ayrton Senna, claimed TAM flight JJ3720 would develop engine trouble and crash on Sao Paulo’s main Paulista Avenue.  He claimed he also correctly predicted the death of presidential candidate Eduardo Campos. However, his predictions that a cure for AIDS would be discovered in 2008 and the outcome of Brazil's 2006 elections did not come true.

Superstition over flight numbers is nothing new. Airlines don't ever schedule a flight 13 and many airlines opt not to have a row 13 on board their planes. Other numbers avoided include flight 911 and 666. Airlines also retire the flight numbers of jets that have crashed, with US Airways ditching flight 1549 following the 2009 crash which saw hero pilot safely land the plane in the Hudson River, as did Malaysian Airlines MH 370.

Brazilian authorities were concerned over the prediction. In light of the 'indispensable information', TAM changed the flight code to JJ4732, stating that passengers security was paramount at all times. Jucelino Nóbrega da Luz, 51, is considered the clairvoyant with greater credibility in Brazil. 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

25th Nov. 2014.

Cranes flying ! and ... white finger nails !!

Life has changed in fast lane !  - perhaps modern day kids do not play as much – simple and silly games, beliefs too have changed !! 

A couple of decades ago, when one spotted a Crane (Kokku) – kids (especially girl children) would rub their fingernails – கொக்கே! கொக்கே!  பூ போடு !! -  asking heavenly for white patch on nail, considering it to be a beauty !! 

Having rubbed many a times, many of us found that nails looked very ordinary .. .. years later learnt that a patchy white nail is not good to have as it could mean a low   red blood cell count.  Pale White nails could be  indicative of any or a combination of the conditions including anemia, overuse of nail polish, weak nails, and some other diseases. 

Moving away, one need not go to exotic places to see flowers – just now saw these 3 flying over Triplicane !! 

Love - Echo - Narcissism and more

A cliché heard in Tamil movies – ‘better marry someone who loves you than one whom you love’ – life will be good ! – have you ever been loved ?  In Mythology, there is a character, who is so infatuated with a beautiful looking person but that beautiful person was fully engrossed in love with his own reflection that he continued gazing at his own reflection .. .. .. ..

In caves, in rooms, words, sounds echo.  Echo is a   repetition of sound produced by the reflection of sound waves from a wall, mountain, or other obstructing surface.  It primarily is the sound heard again near its source after being reflected. In audio signal processing and acoustics, echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the listener. Typical examples are the echo produced by the bottom of a well, by a building, or by the walls of an enclosed room and an empty room.

Amazon Echo (shortened to Echo) is a brand of smart speakers developed by Amazon. Echo devices connect to the voice-controlled intelligent personal assistant service Alexa, which will respond when you say "Alexa".  The features of the device include: voice interaction, music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, and playing audiobooks, in addition to providing weather, traffic and other real-time information. It can also control several smart devices, acting as a home automation hub. The Echo featured prominently in Amazon's first-ever Super Bowl broadcast television advertisement in 2016.

There is another ! - Amazon's Echo Look camera, which analyzes your clothing style and makes fashionable recommendations through machine learning, available to customers in the United States. Until now, the $200 device had been available only through invites.  The Echo Looks features a camera that can snap a shot or video of your current outfit with hands-free voice commands. You can add your favorite closet selections to the Echo Look app and organize those items using the Collections section. Daily Look lets you take a quick photo of whatever you’re wearing each day for easy reference later on. But the device’s marquee feature is Style Check, which will review photos of two different outfits to provide “a second opinion on which looks best on you.” Amazon says it does this through machine learning algorithms — but also human fashion experts. The process takes around a minute, and the Echo Look evaluates “fit, color, styling and current trends.” When the result comes back, it includes an explanation as to why one outfit won out over the other.

There is news that the  Echo Look and its companion app will cease to function on July 24 as Amazon announces it will discontinue the standalone fashion device. The Echo, which was made with clothing junkies in mind, harnessed artificial intelligence to give users fashion advice. If you love the device, you'll still be able to access many of its features, such as recommendations for new clothing and accessories and help organizing your wardrobe, elsewhere. Amazon has let users know they'll still be able to access "Style by Alexa" functionalities with the Amazon Shopping app. You can also talk to any other Alexa-enabled device. Just ask it the question: “Alexa, what should I wear?"  And if you have videos and photos stored on the Echo Look app after Alexa photographed you from head to toe, you can back them up through July 24, 2021 by creating Amazon Photos account.

Now moving to mythology for Echo !  In Greek mythology, Narcissus   was a hunter from Thespiae in Boeotia who was known for his beauty. According to Tzetzes, he was a Laconian hunter who loved everything beautiful. Narcissus was proud, in that he disdained those who loved him, causing some to take their own life to prove their devotion to his striking beauty. Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, a fixation with oneself and one's physical appearance or public perception.

                            The classic version is by Ovid, found in book 3 of his Metamorphoses  is the story of Echo and Narcissus. One day Narcissus was walking in the woods when Echo, an Oread (mountain nymph) saw him, fell deeply in love, and followed him. Narcissus sensed he was being followed and shouted "Who's there?". Echo repeated "Who's there?" She eventually revealed her identity and attempted to embrace him. He stepped away and told her to leave him alone. She was heartbroken and spent the rest of her life in lonely glens until nothing but an echo sound remained of her. Nemesis, the goddess of revenge, noticed this behaviour after learning the story and decided to punish Narcissus. Once, during the summer, he was getting thirsty after hunting, and the goddess lured him to a pool where he leaned upon the water and saw himself in the bloom of youth. Narcissus did not realize it was merely his own reflection and fell deeply in love with it, as if it were somebody else. Unable to leave the allure of his image, he eventually realized that his love could not be reciprocated and he melted away from the fire of passion burning inside him, eventually turning into a gold and white flower.

In Greek mythology, Echo  was an Oread who resided on Mount Cithaeron.  Zeus loved consorting with beautiful nymphs and often visited them on Earth. Eventually, Zeus's wife, Hera, became suspicious, and came from Mt. Olympus in an attempt to catch Zeus with the nymphs. Echo, by trying to protect Zeus (as he had ordered her to do), endured Hera's wrath, and Hera made her only able to speak the last words spoken to her. So when Echo met Narcissus and fell in love with him, she was unable to tell him how she felt and was forced to watch him as he fell in love with himself.

Echo and Narcissus is a myth from Ovid's Metamorphoses, a Roman mythological epic from the Augustan Age. The introduction of the myth of the mountain nymph Echo into the story of Narcissus, the beautiful youth who rejected Echo and fell in love with his own reflection, appears to have been Ovid's invention. Ovid's version influenced the presentation of the myth in later Western art and literature. The Metamorphoses is a Latin narrative poem by the Roman poet Ovid, considered his magnum opus. Comprising 11,995 lines, 15 books and over 250 myths, the poem chronicles the history of the world from its creation to the deification of Julius Caesar within a loose mythico-historical framework.

Interesting ! ~ now read the cliché in first para again !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

7.6.2020

Photo of Narcissus : from Wiki Commons - By John William Waterhouse - cgGohYq-VdecNw at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21878879

Fascism, liberalism and upholding human rights - the Commie way

வரலாறு மிக முக்கியம் அமைச்சரே ! ~  I do not see political debates in TV – mostly because some favourites of  channels would use clichés ‘fascism’; worker’s unity, human rights and more –  perhaps not knowing or knowing yet choosing to ignore (they knew their audience would never know) that the party to which they are affiliated is the biggest killer of liberty and voice of common man.

Fascism is a form of far-right, authoritarianism, characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society   Zindabad is a suffix in Odia, Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi and Bengali of Persian origin which is used as a shout of encouragement or as a cheer, and literally means "Long live [idea or person]". Sad to observe that ‘workers unity zindabad’ reverberated in many small scale industries in TN industrial estates – now after 3 or 4 decades, the units have turned sick, the employers could not sustain, employees lost the job and the industry itself would present a pale shadow of what it was – some self-inflicted by those protesters !!  - Here is some history of what happened to ‘uprisings by students’ and those protesting for human rights in the land of communism – China, from where Corona spread everywhere.

The Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace), is a monumental gate in the centre of Beijing, widely used as a national symbol of China. First built during the Ming dynasty in 1420, Tiananmen was the entrance to the Imperial City, within which the Forbidden City was located. Tiananmen is located to the north of Tiananmen Square, separated from the plaza by Chang'an Avenue.

The Treaty of Versailles was the most important of the peace treaties that brought World War I to an end. The Treaty ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919 in Versailles, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which had directly led to the war. The other Central Powers on the German side signed separate treaties.  Although the armistice, signed on 11 Nov 1918, ended the actual fighting, it took six months of Allied negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference to conclude the peace treaty. The treaty was registered by the Secretariat of the League of Nations on 21 Oct 1919.

Hong Kong has prohibited a planned annual march to mourn the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and effectively banned a candlelit annual vigil that has taken place without interruption for 30 years, the organizer said Thursday. The Hong Kong police banned a march and two rallies that were to take place on May 31, citing the risk of COVID-19 infection, said Richard Tsoi, spokesman for the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. The government has also effectively banned the vigil for the Tiananmen Square massacre, which has taken place annually since 1990 and been attended by tens of thousands, sometimes more than 100,000, people.  Tsoi said while police have yet to formally respond to an application for the annual vigil, to be held in Victoria Park, they were not optimistic. Tsoi expressed his group’s dissatisfaction with the government’s decision.

The Tiananmen Square protests or the Tiananmen Square Incident, commonly known as the June Fourth Incident were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing during 1989. The popular national movement inspired by the Beijing protests is sometimes called the '89 Democracy Movement.  The protests started on April 15 and were forcibly suppressed on June 4 when the government declared martial law and sent the military to occupy central parts of Beijing. In what became known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, troops with assault rifles and tanks fired at the demonstrators and those trying to block the military's advance into Tiananmen Square. Estimates of the death toll vary from several hundred to several thousand, with thousands more wounded.  Ever heard an Indian Communist talk on human rights of those students ?

Set off by the death of pro-reform Communist general secretary Hu Yaobang in April 1989, amid the backdrop of rapid economic development and social changes in post-Mao China, the protests reflected anxieties about the country's future in the popular consciousness and among the political elite. The reforms of the 1980s had led to a nascent market economy which benefited some people but seriously affected others, and the one-party political system also faced a challenge of legitimacy. Common grievances at the time included inflation, corruption, limited preparedness of graduates for the new economy, and restrictions on political participation. The students called for greater accountability, constitutional due process, democracy, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech, although they were highly disorganized and their goals varied.  At the height of the protests, about 1 million people assembled in the Square.

Just in case you thought the iron-hand bloodshed and killing of political leaders of 1989 is what Tiananmen is all about – you are suddenly mistaken, there is more – for 1989 is not alone.  The May Fourth Movement was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement which grew out of student protests in Beijing on 4 May 1919.

Students protested against the Chinese government's weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, they especially protested against its decision to allow Japan to retain territories in Shandong that had been surrendered by Germany after the Siege of Tsingtao in 1914. The demonstrations sparked nation-wide protests and spurred an upsurge in Chinese nationalism, a shift towards political mobilization, a shift away from cultural activities, a move towards a mass base and a move away from traditional intellectual and political elites. Many radical, political, and social leaders of the next five decades emerged at this time. In a broader sense, the term "May Fourth Movement" is often used to refer to the period during 1915–1921 more often called the New Culture Movement.

The Western Allies dominated the meeting at Versailles, and paid little heed to Chinese demands. Britain and France were primarily interested in punishing Germany. Although the United States promoted Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points and the ideals of self-determination, they were unable to advance these ideals in the face of stubborn resistance by David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau and the U.S. Congress. American advocacy of self-determination at the League of Nations was attractive to Chinese intellectuals, but their failure to follow through was seen as a betrayal.

Learning history is important ~ more important is to present only the side that suits and call others Fascists !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

23.5.2020.

name of the child of Elon Musk ~ real poser to Goundamani !!

Elon Reeve Musk is an engineer, industrial designer, technology entrepreneur, and philanthropist.  He is a citizen of South Africa, the United States (where he has lived most of his life and currently resides), and Canada. He is the founder, CEO and chief engineer/designer of SpaceX;  co-founder, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; founder of The Boring Company; co-founder of Neuralink; and co-founder and initial co-chairman of OpenAI.    As of May 2020, he has a net worth of $39.4 billion and is listed by Forbes as the 23rd-richest person in the world.       Elon Musk is working to revolutionize transportation both on Earth and in space.    His automaker, Tesla Inc., which was founded in 2003, is bringing fully-electric vehicles to the mass market.

                  In the Shankar directed Kamal starred movie ‘Indian’ [Bharatheeyudu] -  amidst a crowd in front of Regional Transport Office, Goundamani will at first sight tell  Crazy Mohan,  his name as   Parthasarathi – indicating that it is so typical a brahminical name !! –  Of course, there are many  Parthasarathis’ from Triplicane,  Ranganathans  and Ranganayakis     from Thiruvarangam;  Perundevis from Kanchipuram !!

Have seen English pace bowler Bob Willis bowl at Chepauk (he was one hit for 6 fours in an over by Sandip Patil) …. a search on him would reveal the name as ‘Robert George Dylan Willis MBE’ – initially could not identify the tall Bob with this long name…… then understood that in England there are some common abbreviations -   Jon (Jonathon), Rob (Robert), Will (William), Mike (Michael), Dave (David), Tom (Thomas), Doug (Douglas), Chris (Christoper), Alex (Alexander), Sue (Susan), Chris (Christine), Meg (Meghan), Nance (Nancy) and some times Cindy (Cynthia), Becky (Rebecca), and some oddity like -  Bob (Robert), Bill (William), Jim (James), Maggie (Margeret) ……………..

Names, Naming and more …. Mankind’s desire know no limits…. You study to earn and become rich; you aspire to get married ~ have kids – bring them up – save or keep wealth that would last for few more generations and in between you keep re-revising your earlier targets as ambitions [unbridled wishes] keep growing. When a child is born or much earlier to that, parents start thinking of naming the child.  The Naming ceremony is celebrated on different days in different fashion ~ many have religious significance.   In Hinduism, naming is considered sacred ~ called Namakaran, it is an elaborate festivity.  It is usually done on the 10th day. In Vaishnava tradition, naming is mostly after the presiding deity of the famous temples……… thus you have so many Balajis, Srinivasans, Parthasarathis, Narasimhans, Devarajans and after Acharyars like Ramanuja.  Periyazhwaar in his ‘Periyazhwaar Thirumozhi’  (Nankam Pathu – Aaram Thirumozhi) devotes 10 songs on the need to name the children after Sriman Narayanan – those who are named after Maha Vishnu will be bestowed with all goodness and their parents will not go to hell is a firm belief.  That is for the believer.

Now with people’s increasing faith in many faith, including Nameology, a particular alphabet is chosen as considered to be lucky depending on the birth star, the month, and more.  For many, picking the right name for the child is a daunting task. Some adopt fancy names, which the children might find a tad difficult as they grow.. some students would claim that names starting with alphabet ‘a’ places them in some disadvantage as their name would be called first in many forums, tests by the teachers at school. The common Indian names for Girls  are : Sneha; Aditi; Priyanka; Kavitha; Anjali …. And for boys Raj, Ram, Dhruv, Rakesh, Aditya …. Now read elsewhere that there are babies named in more strange fashions including naming after ‘cartoon characters’, famous sportspersons and more… the hot flick ‘finding nemo’ has inspired some to name their child ‘Nemo’ ~ some other bizaree male names include :  Sailor, Buzz-Bee, Zed and Blade.  Out-of-the-ordinary girls’ names included Tinkerbell, Buttercup and Bliss. 

Elon Musk and singer Grimes announced the birth of their first child together on Tuesday, telling fans their son's name is X Æ A-12.The unusual choice immediately had fans guessing what it might mean, and how to pronounce the series of letters and numbers.  It appears the name may have also been partially inspired by one of the songs from 32-year-old Grimes', real name Claire Boucher, 32, last album - 4ÆM. Others noted the Lockheed A-12 was built for the Central Intelligence Agency.  It was not immediately clear if new dad Musk was having fun with his followers in announcing the name but others joked it would be 'tough on the teacher'.

Elon Musk shared the first pictures of his newborn baby boy with singer Grimes on Twitter on Tuesday - it's the singer's first child and his sixth son. In response to a user's Tweet that read: 'We need the name we literally need it,' Elon replied, 'X Æ A-12 Musk.' It was not immediately clear if new dad Musk was having fun with his followers !  After announcing the birth of his son, Musk, 48, also shared pictures of him holding the baby and with a quirky tattoo filter added to the newborn's face.  After telling fans the baby was called X Æ A-12 Musk one Twitter user suggested:  'X for SpaceX, AE for After Earth and A-12 for the original SR-71 designation which was the first reusable vehicle to go to space.' Another shared links to pages explaining the unusual stream of letters and deduced it would mean the name is: 'Ash Lockheed Musk. Final Answer.'

The unusual choice immediately had fans guessing what it might mean, and how to pronounce the series of letters and numbers.  While some tried to decipher what it means, for many the name was just too confusing. The tech mogul is father to five sons, Griffin, Xavier, Kai, Saxon and Damian from his previous marriage. Musk lost his first child Nevada in 2002 at 10 weeks old as result of SIDS.   Shares of Tesla Inc tumbled more than 10 per cent on Friday after Musk tweeted that the electric carmaker’s high-flying stock was overly expensive.

Interesting !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

5.5.2020.

Pronounce - Hydroxychloroquine; Brazil President invokes Lord Hanuman Sanjeevini

Brazil  is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most populous. Its capital is Brasília, and its most populous city is São Paulo. The federation is composed of the union of the 26 states, the Federal District, and the 5,570 municipalities. It is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas.  Sadly, Brazil is the epicenter of the new SARS coronavirus in Latin America. No country has more cases, now standing at 14,034 as of April 7. To make matters worse, no country in South America is least prepared for the outbreak, at least as measured by BNP Paribas in a report released on Tuesday.

It’s not because Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro downplayed the coronavirus. The country is in quarantine, having done it around the same time as the U.S. as governors took action per recommendations of Bolsonaro’s own Public Health Secretary.

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), sold under the brand name Plaquenil among others, is a medication used to prevent and treat malaria in areas where malaria remains sensitive to chloroquine.  Other uses include treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and porphyria cutanea tarda.  It is taken by mouth.  Hydroxychloroquine is in the antimalarial and 4-aminoquinoline families of medication.   It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the safest and most effective medicines needed in a health system.  India is emerging as a top exporter of medicines.

Military police are now a fixture outside São Paulo governor João Doria’s home in the city’s tree-lined Jardins neighbourhood. Since last week, the leader of Brazil’s largest and wealthiest state has received death threats after he publicly criticised President Jair Bolsonaro’s flouting of international health guidelines on self-isolation and social distancing. The stand-off between the two men is just one flashpoint in a growing conflict between the populist leader and Brazil’s political establishment, most notably influential state governors, over how to respond to the coronavirus crisis, which has already claimed the lives of 550 citizens.

A quick search revealed some conflict in Apr 2001, when India was requesting consultations with Brazil concerning-    the determination by the Brazilian government to continue to impose anti-dumping duties on jute bags and bags made of jute yarn from India, and its  refusal to reconsider the decision to continue anti-dumping duties on Indian jute products despite the fact that the non-existence of that company was brought to the notice of the authorities.  Life and more importantly Government at the Centre has changed !

The epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Latin America, Brazil's Sao Paulo state, has said it expects 111,000 deaths in the next six months, and extended its stay-at-home measures another two weeks. The forecast -- an official projection, the state government said -- would appear to put Brazil on track to become one of the worst-hit countries in the world.  Sao Paulo, the teeming industrial hub where the new coronavirus first appeared in Latin America, has confirmed 4,620 cases and 275 deaths so far.  Governor Joao Doria, who closed non-essential businesses on March 24 and advised people to stay home, said containment measures would be needed for at least two more weeks or the situation would get far worse. Police are already authorised to break up crowds by force if necessary, he said.

Hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malarial drug that US President Donald Trump touts as cure for coronavirus patients, has become one the most sought after drugs worldwide. However, it's India that has seen itself caught in the middle of this heightened demand. After some media touted America's threat of 'retaliation', Brazil has now invoked Ramayana to request New Delhi it's export.  "Just as Lord Hanuman brought the holy medicine from the Himalayas to save the life of Lord Rama's brother Laksmana, and Jesus healed those who were sick and restored the sight to Bartimeu, India and Brazil will overcome this global crisis by joining forces and sharing blessings for the sake of all peoples. Please accept, your Excellency, the assurances of my highest esteem and consideration," read the letter from President Jair Bolsonaro to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reports almost all mainline media now.

The government had put a hold on exports of hydroxychloroquine as well as on the pain reliever, paracetamol, saying stocks were depleting because of the hit to global supply chains after the coronavirus emerged in China late last year. But Trump spoke to PM Modi over the weekend seeking supplies.  India's neighbours, including Nepal, have also sought the anti-malaria drug.  Foreign ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said, "It has been decided that India would licence paracetamol and HCQ in appropriate quantities to all our neighbouring countries who are dependent on our capabilities." "We will also be supplying these essential drugs to some nations who have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic," he said.

US President Donald Trump did a u-turn a day after suggesting retaliation against India by praising Delhi and pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was helpful as he backed India’s position on Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). In what would signal change of course Trump in a telephone interview to Hannity on Fox News said, “I bought millions of doses. More than 29 million. I spoke to PM Modi, a lot of it comes out of India. I asked him if he would release it? He was Great. He was reall .. He was Great. He was really good. You know they put a stop because they wanted it for India. But there is a lot of good things coming from that."

“Given the enormity of the COVID-19 pandemic, India has always maintained that the international community must display strong solidarity and cooperation. This approach also guided our evacuation of nationals of other countries. In view of the humanitarian aspects of the pandemic, it has been decided that India would license paracetamol and HCQ in appropriate quantities to all our neighbouring countries who are dependent on our capabilities. We will also be supplying these essential drugs to some nations who have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic. We would therefore discourage any speculation in this regard or any attempts to politicise the matter,” the note said.

In the absence of a vaccine or a cure for the coronavirus infection, the National Task Force of the Indian Council of Medical Research had recommended the use of HCQ under certain conditions for high-risk persons like health care providers. The drug, according to the ICMR, has been found effective against COVID-19 in laboratory and in-vivo (processes taking place inside a living organism) studies and was approved by the Task Force on March 22 for prophylaxis of high-risk persons. The eligible individuals were, one, asymptomatic health workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 and, two, asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory symptomatic cases. The drug was not to be given to children under 15 years of age or to persons with known case of retinopathy nor was it to be given over the counter without a medical prescription.

Interesting and by coincidence, Hanumath Jayanthi is celebrated in many parts of the country this day.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

8^th Apr 2020.

New Year 2020 revelry ~ is not Jan1, just another day ?

Another year has fleeted past ! ~ 2019 is gone and year 2020 has born.  2020 is a leap year and would it make any changes in your lives ? – is there hope, fear or just no expectations at all !

Years add one more to your age ! – exactly an 100 years ago, occurred ‘First Red Scare’.  The First Red Scare was a period in  the United States marked by a widespread fear of Bolshevism and anarchism, due to real and imagined events; real events included the Russian Revolution and anarchist bombings. At its height in 1919–1920, concerns over the effects of radical political agitation in American society and the alleged spread of communism and anarchism in the American labor movement fuelled a general sense of concern.   The year 1920 also marked the coming into effect of ‘Treaty of Versailles’ that brought the raging  World War I to an end.  It was signed on 28 June 1919 in Versailles, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which had directly led to the war but took 6 months to come into effect.

This year too there were crowds in Marina beach heralding the New Year 2020 at the drop of midnight.  There were shrills, shrieks, sirens and other sounds.  There wre many fire-crackers too, making one wonder, what the fuss about Deepavali and eco-impact were !  While fireworks exploding over Sydney harbour usually symbolises the start of global New Year festivities for most Brits, it may surprise you to hear that Australia is not the first country in the world to welcome the New Year.

                     New Year is first celebrated on the small Pacific island nations of Tonga, Samoa, and Kiribati. New Zealand follows next in celebrating the New Year, followed by Australia, Japan, and South Korea, while the last place to celebrate New Year is Bakers Island.  The Pacific island of Tonga is first to ring in the New Year and celebrated at 10am GMT on December 31 - making the tiny island nation the first to head into a fresh year.  After travelling all around the world, the New Year eventually comes full circle – or near enough. The last place or places to ring in 2020 will be the tiny outlying islands of the US. Baker Island and Howland Island will see the New Year at 12pm GMT on January 1 – but as it's uninhabited, we tend to forget about it.

When I say, 1st Jan is just another day and that New Year should be welcomed in a saner way ! ~ many are likely to frown .. .. yet, I have been witnessing disturbing trends over the past decade or so ..   – tomorrow when I walk on beach road, certainly I do not want to see another mangled bike .. .. accident by a tipsy nervy youth !! ~ but today’s media showed couple of accidents and some youths arguing with the Police after they were rounded up in the arterial Mount Road for over speeding !  Love it or hate it, many people  feel compelled to count in the New Year at midnight, whether celebrating at a party or freezing outside watching fireworks.  The partying and revelry drops to late or early mornings too.

A few decades ago, New Year would usher in with hundreds of ‘Greeting Cards’ personally written wishes from relatives and friends that would make one happy.  That was the time when people thronged Post Offices for Post cards, Inland letters and covers – are they still in use ? – then e-mail took over ; now even sending e-mail is considered old-fashioned in the era of Facebook, twitter and other medias.  How many of us know the price of a Post card or Inland leter…

As the city raced towards the finish line of 2019 on a musical high from Margazhi, sabhas are busy putting together their own itineraries to welcome the New Year in a way that will be memorable.  At many city sabhas, audiences will be treated to freshly brewed filter coffee  and delicious South Indian meals too, not to miss out the bondas. For others, Chennai City Police had  made elaborate arrangements for crowd control and traffic management to tide over New Year celebrations safely. More than 15,000 police personnel were on duty.  This day, I visited D3 Police Stations only to observe that all the Police cops were severely drained, devoid of sleep engaged in patrolling and crowd control for the New Year. 

Hours after ringing in the New Year with much cheer, joy and fireworks, residents of Chennai woke up to a pleasant surprise as heavy rains descended on the city. Around 6 a.m., showers began in several areas of the city - Meteorological department officials said these rains are the result of Northeast monsoon activity and are likely to taper off in a few.

Sadly, we would be reading in newspapers tomorrow of some deaths on city roads arising out New Year revelry.  Down under, furious  Australians have branded Sydney's firework display a 'slap in the face' after organisers decided to go ahead with the world-famous celebration despite wildfires raging across the country.  The multi-million dollar display lit up the night sky over Sydney Harbour on Tuesday night as thousands of locals and tourists flocked to ring in the new decade, but the joy was not shared elsewhere.

Hundreds of bushfires have destroyed dozens of homes in New South Wales and Victoria, killed at least 12 people and left another five missing in Australia's worst summer season in decades.  Witnessing the fireworks amid the devastation, one person tweeted: 'My parents are without power, their town is cut off, and the southerly is blowing another fire towards them. A fireworks show feels like a huge slap in the face.' Another added: 'Members of my family are spending tonight huddled together on a boat ramp waiting while bushfires bear down, and our PM is throwing a party.'  Sydney went ahead with its New Year firework display despite calls for it to be cancelled amid wildfires raging across the country.

4,000 people got trapped on a beach in the town of Mallacoota, in Victoria state, after being surrounded by out-of-control bushfires which turned the sky blood red.  As the city's famous skyline was lit up with colourful pyrotechnics, thousands remained trapped on a beach in the coastal town of Mallacoota amid apocalyptic scenes after getting surrounded by raging bushfires.  Responding to calls to cancel the event and reallocate the funding to fire-affected regions, Sydney mayor Clover Moore said planning for the fireworks began 15 months ago and most of the budget had already been allocated. The event was also a boost to New South Wales' economy. Moore added that people viewing the fireworks around the harbour will see a donation link projected onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons throughout the night. Meanwhile, haunting pictures from Mallacoota show how the sky turned blood red as smoke from nearby fires shrouded the sun and reduced visibility to just a few yards. Witnesses told how ash and embers were raining from the skies accompanied by a deafening roar from the flames, while the sound of exploding gas canisters could be heard in the distance as the fires closed in. 

Is not New Year just another day ?

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

1^st Jan 2020.

Sabarimala sacrilege ~ Govt punishes devotees; provides comfort to infidels !!

In our Country, Article 26 in The Constitution Of India states :  26. Freedom to manage religious affairs Subject to public order, morality and health, every religious denomination or any section thereof shall have the right: (a) to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes;(b) to manage its own affairs in matters of religion; (c) to own and acquire movable and immovable property; and (d) to administer such property in accordance with law.

Religious beliefs are held to be sacred by those who have faith.  Religion does not merely lay down a code of ethical rules for its followers to accept, but also includes rituals and observances, ceremonies and modes of worship which are regarded as integral parts of the religion  In matters of religion and religious practises, Article 14 can be invoked only by persons who are similarly situated, that is, persons belonging to the same faith, creed, or sect.   yet against the majority community, Apex Court decided against on a petition made by those who did not even  claim to be  devotees of Lord Ayyappa !!

~ and today is a day of sadness, anguish, betrayal, ridicule, mockery and barbaric cruelty  by the State who has violated the rights of Hindus  - something brought about by thousands of Police force and the commie Govt.

To us Hinduism is a way of life  ~ it is with deep sense of anguish that we received the verdict which contravenes the  beliefs and conventions followed for thousands of years in Sabarimala overruled by a Court judgement …. Now today it is more !The argument that women are barred from entering the Sabarimala shrine is farcical and untrue. The absolute truth is that lakhs of women come to Sabarimala every year. That itself goes to prove that this whole debate is misplaced and based on a wrong premise. Restrictions are in place only for those women aged between 10 and 50 and this is primarily due to “Naishtika Brahmacharya Pratishta” wherein the reigning deity of the Sabarimala shrine is an absolute celibate.

The first thing that strikes any traveller in Kerala is the crowds of devotees thronging Sabarimala and more the lack of even basic necessities – bare minimums are luxuries for the devotees who undergo vratham for a mandalam, preparing for ‘kallum mullum kalukku methai’ ~ barefooted they would bear the thorns and stones on the path to the holy Sabarimalai.  One can see thousands getting down from every train at Thiruvalla, Chengannur and other stations – and everywhere you can see devotees lying on the ground, eating little food that comes their way – all in their penance to have glimpse of Lord Swami Aiyappan.   Offer my obeisance to these young devotees, who know not, what difficulty is !

In the literate State of Kerala, observed that there was not a single English board in Kaloor bus stand at Ernakulam ~ devotees including the child and old aged used to go the Pamba and trek their way or walk the arduous path of periya pathai.  Now in a cruel move, the Commie Govt imposed a ban on vehicles reaching Pamba, stopping vehicles at Nilackal – incurring the wrath of devotees, putting hardship on them, at the same time earning blood money by ensuring that they have to travel only by rickety Govt buses at the rates fixed by them.  More hardship awaits them as there is no stay facility, no food, and they cannot worship after fixed hours !!

That is for devotees ~ for infidels, whoever says they don’t believe in God but want to go to Sabarimala, the Govt would provide Police protection, provide their own uniform, take them on Police jeep, provide them food and allow the jean-clad infidels walking with shoes ..   today two such women (!) clandestinely dressed as male, with full police escort, allowed their presence in the shrine at early morning 3.45am, took photos and videos recording evidence of such betrayal and gleaming over this achievement ! Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan confirms the visit and says :  "It is a fact that the women entered the shrine. Police are bound to offer protection to anyone wanting to worship at the shrine." "We did not enter the shrine by climbing the 18 holy steps but went through the staff gate," one of the women was quoted by AFP as saying and they further claim they were   protected by small group of policemen, both in uniform and plainclothes and taken inside the temple through the backdoors !

What an achievement Red Govt ~ and Pinarayi Vijayan who ignores all Court orders when it is Mullai Periyar or that of other faiths ! – the entire Police force had been spending sleepless nights for stage managing this, at the same time preventing devotees.  The Govt with all its might organized ‘vanitha wall’ where ladies of other religion stood and held placards against ‘Brahminical patriarchy’ – something which they perhaps cannot read, neither understand – nor come out of their own veils, nor reach to their places of worship .. what matters, is ridiculing Hinduism – that too on a State sponsored platform. 

Sanathana dharma ~ our religious protocol is well defined.  We worship idols (Archavatharam for Srivaishanvaites) – Our deities are present in both  physical/  temporal and philosophical form.  Our beloved deities are  capable of having different physical and spiritual forms or manifestations. Worship of each of these forms is unique, and not all forms are worshipped by all persons. The form of the deity in any temple is of paramount importance. For instance, Lord Krishna in the temple at Nathdwara, at Mathura, Guruvayur is infant ~ at Thiruvallikkeni divaydesam, He is the Supreme avatar – charioteer of Arjun hence, Sri Parthasarathi.

The holy Sabarimala draws millions of people – Lord Ayyappa,  the presiding deity of Sabarimala had his human sojourn at Pandalam as the son of the King of Pandalam, known by the name of Manikandan, who found him as a radiant faced infant on the banks of the river Pampa, wearing a bead (‘mani’) around his neck. Lord Iyappa is the Lord of masses - the cult of Sabarimala broke the ‘divide’ created internally within the Hinduism and also created by ‘’divide and rule’’ model of invaders. During the Sabarimala season, you can see millions of people wearing coloured dhotis, wearing the mala and sandal paste on their foreheads. They observe strict ‘’brahmacharya’’,strictly follow food restrictions, live a dharmic path. These *Iyappa samis*  mingle freely with each other without any discrimination based on caste, age, social status etc etc.. address each other ‘Sami’.  Faith has been deeply rooted in society's political and moral behaviour.  Any challenge to that  faith, offends followers and believers,  seriously threatens the very fabric of religious beliefs.  

Hon’ble Justice  Indu Malhotra, the only woman on the bench, said that the petition does not deserve to be entertained. She was of the view that it is not for courts to determine which religious practices are to be struck down except in issues of social evil like ‘Sati’.  Adding that the issue is critical to various religions, she said, “Issues of deep religious sentiments should not be ordinarily be interfered by the court. The Sabarimala shrine and the deity is protected by Article 25 of the Constitution of India and the religious practices cannot be solely tested on the basis of Article 14.” “Notions of rationality cannot be invoked in matters of religion,” said Justice Malhotra, adding: “What constitutes essential religious practice is for the religious community to decide, not for the court.  She also said that “Religious practices can’t solely be tested on the basis of the right to equality. It’s up to the worshippers, not the court to decide what’s religion’s essential practice.”  .. ..

Now  the cruel Kerala Govt gloats that two women have entered the temple premises. Brother of one of them had  filed a missing persons complaint last week after she did not return home following her aborted attempt to enter Sabarimala. They even called a press conference to highlight her disappearance.  The woman responded through a video in which she said she was under police protection: “I will return home after a couple of days. For security reasons, I cannot divulge details about my whereabouts now.”  .. .. .. so a stage-managed betrayal of faith

~ what will the Hindus, the believers, do !!!

With anguish – S. Sampathkumar

2^nd Jan 2018.