Katapayadi is an ancient Indian system, perhaps more heavily used in Kerala, that denotes numbers using letters of the alphabet to form words that can be easily remembered. The table below explains the mapping between digits and letters. In addition to the letters mentioned in this chart, all stand-alone vowels are treated as zero and […]
Scorched Earth Tactics by Kerala Government
Continuing my support for the Government of Kerala in their fight against the illegal, unjustified and counter-productive blockade imposed on the Secretariat by the leftist opposition in Kerala, I am pleasantly surprised to note how well the Government has handled the protest so far. Intimidation – Calling in para-military forces and deploying them in key […]
Supporting Use of Central forces to Defeat an Illegal Siege
In line with the views presented in Egypt – a case study in democracy, I believe that for the success of democracy, it is imperative for all parties to use available non-violent and legitimate options (including legal recourse and no-confidence motion) to achieve their objectives, and not resort to holding the nation to ransom like the […]
Musings from a Night of Rummy
Had a fun-filled night, playing Rummy with my cousins and brother and, as much as we had fun, we were struck by the conspicuity of some philosophical principles with wider applicability Success brings adversaries – As one of us started getting richer in the virtual currency we used for the game, others developed a common feeling […]
Mahabali, Yudhishtira, and the Food Security Bill
Mahabali was an Asura king, grandson of the renowned devotee Prahlada, and himself a great devotee of the Lord. He routed the arch-rivals of Asuras, the Devas, and reigned supreme over the three worlds. He ruled ably, was loved by friends, feared by enemies, and respected by all. Under his rule, people were free from […]
Root Cause of Suffering
I recently read that Milkha Singh lost the Bronze Medal in the 400m event at Rome Olympics Games 1960 by just 0.1 seconds. “Such was his mental state”, it said, “that he cried for days after the agonizing defeat”. This set me thinking. I am not at all good at running, and have never even […]
Egypt – a case study in democracy
Egypt presents an interesting case study in democracy. As much as it helps us understand this political system, it also gives us a preview of what to expect if many other Islamic states in the middle-east were to become democracies. Historically, Egypt has always had trouble accommodating divergent views of its constituent communities, and the […]
Benefits of Fasting
Fasting, generally defined as voluntary abstention from food and drinks (including water in some cases), is an integral component of many cultures and religions across the world, and is recommended by several others including researchers in modern medicine. The Indian tradition, with its emphasis on simplicity and renunciation of bodily pleasures, prescribes fasting as an […]
Mirage of Gender Bias in Nursery Rhymes
I read an article in The Hindu (newspaper) yesterday, which talked about how Nursery Rhymes were sexist and reinforcing gender stereotypes, and how somebody was working to rewrite them as part of an effort in “gender sensitization”. An example given was the popular rhyme in which Humpty Dumpty falls from a wall and the King’s […]
Weaning – A Necessary Evil
My daughter is passing through a very difficult stage right now – she’s being weaned off her mother’s milk. More than just a source of nutrition, this milk has been, for her, a way to connect with her mother and an assurance of security and support. To lose that possibly means the loss of what […]