Ethu Kaliyugam

It is only about ten in the morning. The Sun above kindled like a lit gas burner. Men could neither go out nor stay inside their houses. Every brick in the wall inside the house emitted heat. Times have changed. Even Mother Nature has failed to keep up her schedules. By this time of the year, we could have experienced occasional rains so as to keep the temperature a little above 35 degrees. But now it is something beyond 40. Fans inside the houses began murmuring as they are not allowed any rest. The Haves enjoyed much in the luxury of Air conditioners, where as the Have nots left everything to God to keep them in good fettle under the scorching Sun. Even animals have to bear the agony caused due to heat. But what on earth has brought all these changes in the climatic conditions? Scientists say that it is due to global warming. Some say it is due to a hole in the Ozone layer in the atmosphere. Whatever it may be, my grandpa has his own reasons for all this. The Eighty Five year old, still physically fit, remembers the olden days when they enjoyed every season according to the calendar. The Summer holidays from mid March to May with occasional Koda Mazha [Summer rains] bringing respite from the heat, the rainy season from June to August - when they had to wade through knee deep water to reach their schools which were Four to Five Kilometres from their homes. He clearly remembers those days when they reached their homes fully drenched in water, their books all soaked in water. They had to spread them on the floor to dry up so as to be carried to school the next day. In those days, there were no plastic or leather bags to protect their books from rain and no Rain coats for themselves.

Then comes the cold season from November to January. It will be chilling cold in the early morning hours that one would like to be in bed wrapped in woollen blankets till the sun got warmer.

 Within the last Fifty years everything has changed. Not only the climatic conditions but also the life style of the people. The Koottukudumbam [Joint Family] style of living gave way for nuclear families. Along with it went the binding relationships between the family members. Now a pitiable stage was reached where a son murders his father over property dispute and vice versa, bickerings among family members over sharing of family wealth. Some going to the cardinal sin of breaking harmonious relationships within family members. Men and women are attracted towards bogus pleasures. Changes are effected not only in dressing codes but also in their food habits.  In the name of  modern culture they began taking junk foods resulting in getting affected with fatal diseases. Seven out of Ten people have either Blood Pressure or Sugar complaints or both. Every now and then they use to run to the Doctor. Thus came Multi Speciality Hospitals where we are squeezed even for a simple head ache. In olden days elders in the house knew about Nature Cure called Paatty Vaithiyam. All those natural medicines were free from any side effects. But the story is pitiful now. One medicine for a particular ailment tend to cause another problem. Thus to cure our diseases one by one, we have to be at the hospital doors through out our life time.

Law and order problems is a major subject now a days. You cannot close your news paper without reading news about atleast a dozen murders, half a dozen sexual harassments on ladies and the least, unwanted attacks and counter attacks by various warring groups. Precious lives are lost in accidents on roads, rail, and waterways. Even learned men fall prey to these evil doings. Robberies and murders for gain have become the order of the day. Where are we going? Are we in the right path? Surely not. But we try to hide these under some excuses, that it is Kaliyugam now, prophecied by Lord Sri Krishna, wherein men will fight with men, there will be Dharmakshaya and Adharma will grow like a wild beast and swallow every thing.

My grandpa concluded- the kaliyuga foreseen by the Lord has at last arrived, bringing with it all the calamities in the world.

Results

So, this is how the calmness between the storms look like. After a couple of months of witnessing the non-stop  action, it is time for the people of Tamilnadu to get back to their regular life. Or is it? It is now results, they are bothered of. Though there are many who would be indifferent to these results, some see this as if their entire future were dependent on this. The below queries would be giving them sleepless nights. Who will fare well? Where will they stand when the overall results come out? Whether the state will see a person from the delta districts standing at the top or will it still be a person from the Chennai suburbs. Or would it be from somewhere unheard of? What would they talk to the press ?And more importantly, many would want to compare their performances with those of their acquaintances. After all, class 12 results assume equal significance as the general election results in Tamilnadu.

The parents and teachers tell the students from the time they were in their nappies that all their life would be decided by some exam in 12th. "Good marks - Good college - High pay - settled life - bla bla bla", all these, all the students would hear at least once about the 12th exams. " Oh! 12th a? My son's would-be's uncle's brother's daughter was the state topper last year. She is super brilliant . You know? ", we hear such statements coming out in some random conversations with strangers during travel when we tell that we are in class 12.

There are many institutions whose only motto is to produce atleast a couple of state ranks every year, no matter what, even if that meant that they have to suck all the energy and happiness out of the students. After all, students are brain-washed with the following statement " Study hard till 12th. Sacrifice all your enjoyments till the exams. Get good marks. You can enjoy for the rest of your life ".  Absurd.

The only time where the students enjoy is the time after the exams and before the results. The Class 12 results, some 20 years back were published only in newspapers. On the result day, parents used to wake up even before Mr.Sun takes a peek and rush to the nearby paperwallah's shop to see what their son/daughter got in the exams. Now with the smart phones, getting the result details instantly is just like a walk in the park. Whatever may be the mode of getting the result details, the after effects of it have barely changed. The victorious, celebrate it with more calories in the form of sweets and feasts. Their parents see this as the time to show their pattu mama and Rosy aunty of how brilliant their children are and how they burnt the midnight oil to attain this glory.  Whereas, the candidates who couldn't get the expected results go through trauma and stress and start thinking as if it were the end of their world.

Though these results would be used everywhere from college admissions to interviews, I still feel the hype surrounding this is a tad higher than required. Why don't people play down the significance of this results? After all we can see it as just another year of completed education, use the results to plan the future and not just to blame/bask on the glory of the past.

Habits

It is a belief that habits never die. Whether it is a fact or not, some people use to take shelter under this belief to justify what they are doing in the guise of habit.  What is habit? Is it an inborn phenomenon or a congenital one? One's genesis may have influence over his/her character, behaviour and outlook, but not habits. Habits are cultivated by the person himself/herself, may be from the childhood. It is the responsibility of the parents to see that their children always possess some good habits. If in the negative, they should take steps to nip that trend in the bud itself so that it will not tarnish the childrens' as well as their own images.

When detected, having practiced bad habits, the first question asked by others will be " whose child is this?" Hence the first culprit will be the parents. They should always keep their eyes on their children to see that they do not tend to cultivate bad habits, may be from their playmates, classmates, or neighbours. Whenever they get any doubt about that, they should take every endavour to correct their child or children.

Habits play a vital role in building one's career and status in the society. Habits once cultivated will always linger round you. Hence the excuse of somebody,  practicing bad habits, that they are slave to their habits, resulting  in the making of  habitual drunkards, habitual trouble shooters and so on. Can't these bad habits be eroded from oneself? Surely, if you have the inclination to cast them away. A habitual drunkard can be repatriated gradually and so with other persons with other such habits. They can be counselled properly to shed their inhibitions over their habits and can be brought back to a state where they are loved and respected by all.

I would like to recall to my memory that precious lines written by a famous author " Habits should be like a walking stick used for the ease of walking and not as a pair of crutches to lean on".