kurian's New Age Blog

The   Age  of  Scandals  ( Satire ) In the year 2030, Thattippu  Nadu  (  formerly  known as Kerala ) was ruled by the  CDF ( Corrupt Democratic Front )  and  the  ODF  ( Outdated  Democratic Front )  sat in the Opposition. It  is a falsehood  to say that the ODF sat in the Opposition, because ,in fact, they usually  stood in the assembly in  protest, or walked out. The Chief  Minister of that period was Mr Chacko  Thommen, and it was the third year of his stewardship  of Thattippu Nadu. Power  changed hands between the two Fronts  every five years because the people became bored and disillusioned with the incumbents and threw them out. But the misery, insecurity and hardships of the' am admi ' continued  regardless of whoever was in power. Actually  power was in the hands of Goondas, Mafias and lobbies, who were a law unto themselves, and held the whole Thattippu Nadu to ransom. The Goonda  bosses  were  so audacious that, sometimes even Chief minister Chacko was su

15 December 2013 Another fine day. It  rained unexpectedly yesterday, like an unexpected bonus paid into the account. There's golden sunshine and ever-increasing greenery around. The peaches in my orchard are ripening, with the golden colour increasing every day. But there are few takers, because the birds want them to be fully ripe and juicy. The  quality of the fruits isn't so impressive  because of the lack of rains in the last few months. What's enjoyable is the sight of the branches bending down and touching  the ground due to the weight of the ripening fruits. South Africans and the entire world have been focussing on the final farewell to Mandela. The wheel has come full circle, with Madiba's body  arriving at his birthplace. Ram is constructing his fifth nest ,and I don't know for what purpose. I don't see any residents coming to occupy them. Perhaps he builds the nests just as a pastime. There's a mystery  surrounding the nests. As for Ap

10 November  2013 Delareyville, South Africa One of the nicest days of the year, for two reasons. First, this is a memorable day when people all over the world have paid their respect to Nelson  Mandela, sending their heads of State  to FNB  stadium to participate in the unprecedented  event. Second, the skies opened lavishly, yesterday  and today, bringing in the most comfortable weather, and bringing great relief to the farmers who have been suffering under a severe drought. 100 mm of rain fell yesterday, bringing hope for all the people. The downpour  that coincided with the Memorial  Service is an indication of the blessings that  Mandela has brought to this country and to the whole world. Appu is very shrewd in catching birds, but he is very stupid when it rains. He doesn't know how to find shelter from the rain, and sits under trees, while the outhouse and the car shed is wide open. I don't know where Ram  takes shelter, but he doesn't get drenched. He

Delareyville, 30 November 2013 The usual euphoria of the month-end was muted due to extreme heat and lack of rain. Strangely enough, around Johannesburg, 330 kms away, heavy rains and hails have wreaked  havoc. Nowadays I don't  show any interest  in Ram's nests, because he is in the process of  replacing the nests he himself had dismantled. He is like 'Narayanathu  franthan' ( a mad man ) who used to push big boulders  up hill  ,and then rolled them down for enjoyment.   My cat ,Appu, spent the whole day  sleeping under the shade of the peaches.Our conversation began :                                                              Appu Why  did  you come late on  Thursday ?                                                                Kuri We  had  our year-end party  at our  principal's place.                                                       Ram Why didn't you invite us ?                                                  Kuri Sorry.It

Delareyville, 24 November  2013 It's the dull end of the dullest  week of the month. Delareyville and the surrounding areas baked   under the scorching  heat of the sun. There are fears of a drought. Ironically, the Western Cape is plagued by flooding. But it's far away. The extreme heat dampened the holiday mood. Schools  are closing after two weeks. The last paper of the matric exams of our learners is to be written tomorrow. Our exams started with English Paper 1, and end with Paper 3, thus completing a full circle, or brackets ! This is my last batch of Grade 12s, and I expect  outstanding results  before my exit. In the morning, Ram shocked me by  dismantling his two prestigious  nests, which looked like twins, fixed on a palm . He was in the final stage of his suicidal deed when I noticed the the devastation. I could hardly believe my eyes. The labour of three months in tatters within minutes ! I approached him in utter  shock and disbelief. He was sitti

Delareyville, 16 November 2013 At last, abundant  rains have fallen in and around Delareyville. The temperature came down to 26 Degrees C from Thursday's  37 Degrees. The dust in the air was wiped out, and the soil became wet, giving impetus for growth. The birds around are happier and  are in a festive mood, redoubling their activities. Despite ideal weather conditions, the weekend is dull; with shops and parking spaces relatively empty. The town looks almost deserted. The people don't have enough money at mid-month, and they enter a stage of self-imposed hibernation, counting the days to the next 'moneynadam' on the cell phone. Despite the nice weather, I felt sad and disturbed, after watching the images of senseless violence and vandalism that took place in Thamarasserry  and other places yesterday. The acts of violence and destruction have surpassed all limits ,and  are shaking the very foundations of democracy and the rule of law. My friend  Ram, the y

The  attack on  Oommen  Chandy- a  Pravasi's  perspective   ( opnion ) The vicious attack  on Honourable  Chief Minister  Sri Oommen Chandy  at  Kannur, allegedly by CPM goondas, has shocked and  saddened  civilised , peace-loving  Malayalees  in India  and abroad. But , unfortunately, there are some people ,who are uncivilised anarchists  who celebrate ,rejoice, and justify  the cowardly and barbaric attack  on the Chief Minister. They are happy that , at least, one of them was able to injure Ommen Chandy, and of course there are others who regret that he escaped death. Such people can be found on the social media, making crude jokes about  Sri  Chandy's injury. It's  a true reflection of the scum that are baying for the blood of Oommen  Chandy. Some gutter channels play second fiddle to these  barbarians ! But  every  decent Malayalee  has reacted with  utter shock, indignation and grief  following the callous  attack on  Sri  Chandy, who has served  Kerala  sel