harikumar1964's blog

So the king of pop is no more. He was the Emperor of pop. A true pop icon who revolutionaised the way pop music is enjoyed the world over. The mass hysteria his programmes generated was unparrelled.  I still remember Prabhu deva’s comments during MJ’s Indian visit- Prabhudeva managed to get near MJ and shake hands with him, and he said he will not wash that hand for a week.

Pop music was not so popular in India till the mid 70s when ABBA, Boney M and BeeGees came along. MJ carried on from where they left. And if anybody thought “Off the Wall” was a fluke, then Thriller proved otherwise. “ Beat it” was a sensation, and  “thriller” pure rage.  The music video of Thriller was probably the best ever made one in the history of music videos. The lyrics still is as fresh as it was 26 years ago. This was followed up with blockbusters like Bad and Dangerous. Probably History was the only album which disappointed the fans. No body can forget Billy jean or They don’t really care about us. We are the world and Heal the world still pains us. As the world waited eagerly for his return – which was supposed to happen next month, he left us- with out even saying a final good bye.

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I am not a political enthusiast or an expert commentator on politics to write a blog on elections. Yet I am trying my hand at something in which I am not even a novice. This is just penning or typing my impressions on what we call the biggest democratic process in the world- and truly India is the largest democracy ( if we call what ever is happening as democracy and not demo –crazy ).

As a young boy, politics meant strike- with  lots of red flags and inquilab zindabad. The first time I saw a big political leader  was in 1971 when Indira Gandhi visited my hometown Trichur as a part of her election campaign. I still remember waiting under the hot sun in the grounds with my mother . And the brief speech she made was incomprehensible to me- as both politics and the English language was incomprehensible to me. During those days like many Indians, I knew and only knew Indira Gandhi. This was one of the two times I have seen her- the other being in the Parliament when I got a chance to visit Rajya Sabha (the upper house) during my 1974 Delhi visit with my parents.  I have also seen V.V Giri – then president of India when he visited an institution very near to my house – and as his motorcade rolled right in front of my house,  we stood at our doorsteps  watching him, with no interference from police or commandos. As such during the 70s I have seen Vajpayee, Morarji Desai etc.. from very close range and it was unimaginable then  to have high security zones (where even chappals are not allowed) around a leader and dress rehersals with three helicopters and three landing strips.   This reminds me of an article I read in paper sometime back – that in 1967 in the Regal Cinema at Connaught Place here in Delhi, during one of the night shows of “The Sound of Music” a Lady was watching the movie from the balcony, almost unnoticed by others in the audience- and at the end of the show, she just moved out, and drove her Ambassador car back home- and that was none other than the then Indian PM Mrs Indira Gandhi. And this was the India of my childhood.

Coming back to the just concluded elections, at last the people have given a somewhat meaningful mandate- giving more than 200 seats to the congress. Even amidst the sympathy wave following Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, congress could not get past 200 mark in 1991. And we can expect a stable govt for the next five years.  Even though Cong will need the support of such eccentric and unpredictable allies like Mamata Banerjee, still they will not be powerful enough  to take congress for a ride . With DMK, emerging as a formidable force this time as well, Cong could have been forced to intervene in the Srilankan conflict. But thankfully, it seems, the Srilankan conflict is almost over- with Prabhakaran  dead or in Army custody. So in all probability, DMK would be happy to have some meaty portfolios. The dozen or so members needed for the magic figure can be picked up- borrowing Vir Singhvi’s words – off the shelf of the supermarket of politics- with independents and players like Ajit singh readily available.

The defeat  of Lalu and Paswan is the true music to a vast majority of Indians. They had grown to a status  larger than their legends. But if the political commentators are to be believed, Sonia has a softcorner for Lalu and may still be offered a birth in the cabinet.

The loss of the left in Kerala and west Bengal was the real watershed in this election. Results of kerala was a foregone conclusion, but the extend of defeat in Bengal really surprised most.  It was hard to believe that Singur and Nandigram would have such a great impact. To my knowledge, (as I have a considerable Bengali friends’ circle) these were not the reason- already the people were disillusioned with the way CPM ruled the state. Nandigram and singur just acted as a trigger. With infighting in Kerala’s CPM leadership that would make the 80s & 90s groupism in congress appear like child’s play, and arrogance and utter disregard to its allies  that had alienated its associates of many decades, the kerala result has not surprised even the Kerala chief Minister.  But what was more striking was the response of the AKG Bhawan- who still don’t want to admit that their mass base or appeal has waned. They still pretend to put it this way- that people just thought it wise to vote for Cong to keep BJP away. Otherwise their support is as strong as ever. But then why not third front? Atleast the educated India still believes the nuclear deal is for the country’s good and the rural poor is unconcerned.

The fate of BJP was the most pathetic. This was the last chance for Advani. But BJP is time and again failing to understand the insignificance for  the vast majority of Indians of a Ram Temple . There are thousands  of other pressing issues which are far more important to the masses than a Ram Temple. I would rather admit that , the six year Vajpayee rule was one of the best for the country. The national highway programme  started by them , has only slowed down during congress regime. The improvements in railways for which Lalu always claimed credit, was actually started by Nitish Kumar during BJP period.  They chose one of the best Presidents- the most lovable one- for India.  But the presence of  hardcore hindutwa elements in the party , has alienated BJP to certain extend, with no regional players wanting to formalize pre-poll alliance with BJP which would have aided them in a coalition that worked well during 1998-04.

Politics is a roller coaster ride, and there is always a second chance. So those who are down and out today  may bounce back tomorrow to be a formidable force. That is what makes the politicians get going- they are eternal optimists, something we ought to learn and put in to practice in our daily  life. That could be reason for the longevity of many of our political leaders.

The media and the so called psephologists again failed miserably in the  extrapolation of their survey. No exit polls   gave cong and UPA more than 215 seats. They always projected it as a neck and neck race between Cong and BJP. But this has become now a very regular stuff. 2004 was no different.  Exit polls are becoming increasingly way  off target.  But no channel is candid enough to admit that they were way off the target.  Psephology, probably  started in India by Pronoy Roy,  was reasonably accurate during the late 80s and early 90s when parliament elections were fought on certain issues or under the cloud of some waves,  not anymore. It is fought on local issues, with local parties. So extrapolation is bound to be inaccurate. And this time, the youth which constitute a large chunk of electorate has opted for Rahul’s Charm than Advani’s Ram.

Coming back to India today, we are bound to witness economic roller coaster rides, educational upswings, social changes which has positive and negative aspects to it. These are the things on which successive govts and oppostition claim credit and start blame game. But my only question to the political leadership is that can you redeem the India of my childhood back to me? A safe India. Where  leaders and followers and commoners could rub shoulders, where political assassination was rarity , where suicide bombing and serial blasts were unheard of, where the only ism known was capitalism and communism-not terrorism. Will there be another day, when we will be watching a movie in a multiplex , here in Delhi, among the audience seated the Prime Minister of India? Jai Ho.

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Earth hour is an annual international initiative organized by WWF ( world wide fund for nature) on the last Saturday of March every year  since 2008 to raise awareness among people towards the need to take action on Climate Change. It is operated through a request to individuals and organizations to switch off non-essential  electrical devices for one hour- the period being 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM local time this year.

Let me give a brief history of Earth hour. Even the fiercest skeptics have started acknowledging the human induced climate change. We all have to accept the very basic fact that at least for another 1000 years or so, this planet will be the only dwelling place for life forms of earth. We can use the bounties nature gave us but can’t abuse it. We need to get out of the carbon dependent  economy we have built so far. Earth hour is an initiative in this direction.

From an experimental power switch off drive in Thailand in 2005, WWF Australia took a cue and organized the first ever Earth hour in 2007 in Sydney. This was a huge success with over 2 million participation.

Global observance of  Earth hour started in 2008 at the behest of WWF. Internationally more than 30 million took part in this event. And this year India- one of the emerging and leading emitters of CO2 - is also actively taking part in the event.

You may wonder what impact it can have by switching lights off for one hour? Let me give some calculations with an Indian perspective.

CO2 is formed when 1 atom of Carbon (atomic weight of 12) and 2 atoms of oxygen (atomic weight of 16) combines to form CO2 with atomic  weight of 44. This means 1 Kg of Carbon produces roughly 3.6 Kg CO2.

Generally Indian Power generation Coal (F grade) has fixed carbon percentage of 25-30. That means 100 Kg coal contains roughly 25-30 Kg carbon. Of the total power generation of India of around 1,30,000 MW( Installed capacity), almost 70% is through thermal. That means, of the total generation of around 1,00,000 MWhr ( at 70% Plant load factor), 70,000 MW will be through coal based power plants.  Our plants on an average consume 0.75 tons of coal per MW power generation. That means every hour, for 70000 MW power generation we burn 52500 tons of coal. This produces almost equivalent amount of CO2 (52290 tons).

Now let us assume, through this effort of earth hour, we could bring down the power consumption by 10% (this is highly ambitious and factually unlikely). With power generation from coal  coming down to  63000 MWhr instead of 70000 ,CO2 emission would also fall to  47600 tons. This works out to,  in  this one hour, we pump 5000 tons less CO2.

We all know, one of the major absorbers of CO2 is trees. But do you know, a tree roughly absorbs only  15-20 Kg of CO2 per year. This  5000 tons reduction in  CO2 emission is equivalent of the total  CO2 absorption of 3,33,333 trees in a year! Just think about it. And these figures are for just one country.

So I request each one of you to kindly be a part of this global initiative. Switch off your residential  electrical appliances between 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM tomorrow (28^th March), spend some time out in the open with family  -  enjoy a quiet stroll or play with the kids in a park. Watch the twinkling stars and enjoy the night sky like never before.  

Let’s  make this event a big success. We have inherited this planet in reasonable good health from our predecessors. It is our responsibility to hand it over to the posterity in the best possible condition. Let us all work towards that. Thank you.

Hari Kumar

(The author is a friend of WWF india, but ironically working in coal based power industry)

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SWIFT AND SMART

The clearing in the Junglistan was filled and overflowing with animals big and small. Prime Minister Lionel was seated at the centre - surrounded by  The Big Boss Madame Foxy ( who the forest knows is the real PM ) and her coterie. Contract for the Multiplex cum mall at the centre of the forest is to be awarded- but it is the forest, so no tendering and L1 bidder. The two contractors - Rabbi Rabbit and Toni Tortoise are vying for the prime contract and the winner will be decided on the basis of a race between the two. Whole jungle has turned up in the clearing to witness the race.

Both were confident of their victory- one because of his speed, the other because of the other’s foolhardiness. They both were oozing with confidence in the pre-match press conference which was aired in all major channels live. Even the race was live on almost all the channels, so those who missed out at the clearing, could watch it live on ‘TV and then umpteen times repeat with experts who is anything but an expert giving finer tips and how the winner has actually won and the loser actually lost - with special breaking news of who bribed whom and who cheated whom with special jerking effect of the final moments, till you lose your tempers and -with much of your hair plucked out and most of the glass ware broken, and nothing else to break but to -smash the idiot box.

At the fixed time of 10:00 FST, on that fine Sunday morning, the whistle was blown by the match referee (sorry he is not a whistle blower- but a confidante of Madame) Mukhu the Koel. In no time, the swift Rabbit galloped the stipulated 200 metres, crossed the line marked by the waving of the chequered flag and kept on running till he reached below the podium  bowed before Madam and Lionel in a show of utter obedience much to the liking of madame, and all these while the Tortoise had taken just a few steps. Now it was the turn of the bookies to scratch the head and pluck the hair in despair, as they are about to loose huge sums - rabbit being the underdog, was sold for huge odds, where as tortoise was the favourite to win, based on past performance.

Madame was immediately up on her feet, blessed Rabbi, handed the packet that contained the detailed award letter to the PM to be presented to the winner. Unmindful , the tortoise was still crawling along, but  raised his face on hearing the applause  just in time to see Rabbi getting the contract , decided to call it a day, moved out of race track , hailed his Mercedes and swiftly made exit and was not available for comments- much to the disappointment of the Sansani Khabar News channels.

In the post race conference, Rabbi was exuberant, and made the victory speech tailored in the typical Oscar fashion. He thanked everyone whom he would have probably met in his life, but showered  boundless gratitude to Madame as more such tenders are in the offing, and concluded it with the emotional remark that he grew up hearing the old story of his ancestor being disgraced for  overconfidence. So this time around he made it a point  not to repeat the past mistake. And with speed on his side, tortoise stood no chance. He was happy that finally he could clear the blemish that had tormented his folks for so long. He waved his hands cheerfully before the flashing cameras, shown live all over Junglistan. And thus dawned a new catchphrase.

IN THESE DAYS OF THE SWIFT AND SMART, THE SLOW AND STEADY CAN ONLY BE ALSO RANS.

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On this day in 1809, the man -who redefined the origin of life in the world forever with his theory on Natural selection- was born. His was the first comprehensive treatise on Natural selection and evolution. His book “On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection” based on his experiences in his trip aboard HMS Beagle between 1831- 1836 was published in 1859 creating an upheaval in the world. It may be that this process of natural selection was not really a spark originated in his brain. This theory was in circulation even before him, but his journey aboard HMS beagle collecting botanical samples and his visit of Galapagos Islands and seeing species nowhere else seen- but perfectly well adapted to the environment of Galapagos- an archipelago of volcanic islands in Pacific ocean separated from South America by almost 1000 Kms- that gave him compelling evidence for his theory. This separation made the flora and fauna unique in the island. And this provided the first visible example of Natural selection. Darwin completed the work on natural selection in 1844, but kept his research paper locked for fear of angry  reaction from Church and believers. And this would have remained locked till his death had he not got the letter from his junior Alfred Russel Wallace in 1858 seeking his opinion on a  theory similar to his own based on his separate studies in the East. This sounded alarm bells for Darwin and he without wasting anymore time published his works in 1859. The scientific world received his theory with Surprise, awe and consternation. People who till date were believing that we came into being by the Intelligent design of a supreme being suddenly had a big jolt. But Unlike Galileo and Copernicus, even though he faced criticism and outrage from the church, he was never persecuted. His second book “ the Descent of Man” was even more stunningly controversial but since the world was already familiar with the theory, this book was received with less of an outrage.

Contrary to popular belief, Darwin never coined the term Survival of the fittest in his book. It was coined later by someone else. Even after  150 years of publication, concepts of  his theory is still not understood fully. Even today we see people arguing – if we descended from monkeys, why then are monkeys still around- all monkeys should have become men. – This is a sheer case of lack of understanding. Natural selection only proposes organisms change to adapt well to the changing environment, and those which adapt well has a better chance of survival. So it  is not that monkeys are becoming humans. Some 6-7 million years ago, some ancestral  apelike forefathers due to compulsion from their environment in which they lived, gradually evolved into homo category and gradually evolved into homo sapiens may be some 200000 years ago.

Despite partial acknowledgement by Vatican, even today people in US and many other countries still don’t accept this theory and are compelling their governments to teach in science class the concept of Intelligent Design of Bible along with Natural selection. As late as in 2008, Ben Stein starrer film Expelled: No Intelligence allowed tried to propagate the idea of Intelligent design and the evils of  natural selection. This is how misunderstood the concepts are even today.

Charles Darwin may not be an Einstein as far as the originality of the concept is concerned. But definitely his works changed the way we understood the biological world and the research that followed helped understand our position in the world vis-à-vis other animals. This is even more relevant in the times of Global warming and ecological disasters as a direct outcome of human actions.

I salute this great naturalist on his 200^th Birth Anniversary.

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So Barack Obama has become the 44^th president of US of A. Well the country had to wait for more than 200 years to get a coloured president. And they are  still to get a female head of state. Where as US is considered  the most vibrant democracy, there are definite areas where other nations are ahead of them. Obama has assumed office at the time of economic turmoil. So it will be difficult times ahead for him. Also no sane man will ever want to emulate Bush  Jr. ( given second chance, even Bush will not). So Change is something he is promising to undo or restrict whatever damage Bush Jr has done. But it remains to be seen  as long as US is governed by the business and industrial lobby, how much liberty will be allowed to  the president of the nation which boasts of being the symbol and statue of liberty.  We Indians seems to beoverexcited by the victory  of Obama- I don’t know why. Is it because he is black ( but then we are not) or is it because of the rumour that he carries a Hanuman statue in his pocket as a lucky charm? . Otherwise if his statements on policies are heard rightly, there is hardly any reason for Indians to cheer.

Whites in general are always accused of racism. Whites may be racist, but then who is not- in our case casteism is another form of racism- which is essentially discriminating a section on the basis of their birth- not on the basis of their merit- our society is still to reconcile to the fact like occupying high offices by  low caste born - we expect them to toil under the sun serving us in most servile ways. We expect them never to rise to any level of dignity. So probably it is sheer hypocracy on behalf of we Indians to comment of racism. Also we still acknowledge a white foreigner with respect and a black with some disdain. I still see many of my colleagues searching the personal documents to find out who all belong to which category and alludes it at every possible opportunity.

Last week I saw the live coverage of Makar shankranti of Shabarimala temple of kerala. I always acknowledge shabarimala as a model shrine where there is no discrimination against any religion or caste and every one on way to the shrine is a Swamy. I visited the temple twice – even though that was more than 20 years ago.  But the foulplay of the govt and the governing body of the shrine is something always annoyed me. Income is mostly generated from the devotees from Andhra and Tamilnadu . And they are lured into the temple by the so called divine makaravillakku- the holy lights which appears from the hills opposite the hills on which the shrine is presently located. it is rumoured that that location is the  real abode of Ayyappa  and gods descend on that day and light up divine light (makarajyoti)  after the evening pooja(sermon). Even though we live in 21 st century,  there is no dearth of believers for this story. The real drama being unfolded behind this show has been exposed several times and one chief minister even confessed the foulplay  that this camphor lighting is done not by any heavenly gods but by the administrators of the shrine with the help of Kerala police.    The so called atheist CPM govt and its ministers are also cashing in on this superstition spread by interest groups just for the sake of a few rupees more.  Had there been no such stories, I am sure, people out of the state would not be knowing such a shrine. Rather than eradicating superstition we are promoting and cashing on  it. Even today the TV commentators (including the CPM channel hail this as holy light.)

Slumdog millionaire had got 10 Oscar nominations a week after winning at Golden globe. There was certain criticism about the movie which is being released today in India. Even Amithabh expressed his anguish over the way India is portrayed in the western films. It seems the only thing Indian that is saleable in the west is poverty. But on second thought, is this not a state of poor and destitute?  5% of the superrich doesnot have time to think of anything except for making more money and enjoying their life kingsize. May be around 25% middle class to which we belong  generally interact only among ourselves and thinks that the whole India is like this- of possessing new gadgets and holidays , bigger homes and payhikes. We conveniently ignore the major chunk of Indians who still live in the fringes.  Whether we like, ignore, reject, or disregard, poverty is a fact and will remain a major problem for millions of Indians.  Our cities are some of the worst in respect of hygiene in the world – just think of the condition of our slums and dwellers! Once I met an American during a programme at Kolkata and he had a terrible shock seeing the state of affairs on his way from Kolkata airport to Hotel. That was his first visit to Asia. I just asked him what is his programme after that day. He replied he had another session at Jhamshedpur next day and will be going there by train. I told him to hold on for he is in for a greater shock  at Howrah station and its suburbs. If our film makers can cash in on any bomb blast and ignominious event of the country, why can’t the westerners make a few dollars showing our poverty! Ironical isn’t it?

A large ice sheet by the name Wilkins Ice Shelf which is about 15000 sq km in the western Antarctic ( Does arctic and Antarctic has any east or west side?)  is now hanging by a thread(!) and is about to break away.  And they believe this rapid separation of ice sheets can only result in all probability from anthropogenic green house effect.  The rapidly shrinking Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets can have major consequences to the rest of the world in the coming 50 years. Last year an entire passage was formed in the arctic region. But we greedy humans is trying to fish in troubled waters- we are trying to claim areas in arctic and planning to exploit untapped oil reserves in the region in the event of thinning of ice sheet.  Sentient  creature need not be sane!

While writing this blog, I was thinking of a title and finally the title “The world this week” struck me. This was a successful TV show of the 80s hosted by Pronnoy Roy during the Doordarshan days which we youngsters eagerly awaited and avidly watched. I am borrowing that title for this blog.

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This is just for the sake of blogging- just to keep my page alive. It is almost two months since I last blogged and due to a reasonably busy schedule at office with lot of outstation tours and an element of laziness that seems to have crept into me, blogging took a backseat. And since around new year I was away, I could not wish my Iland friends a happy new year through this medium. It just occured to me that I should blog something to keep my page alive.

First of all A belated but still relevant

HAPPY NEW YEAR

to all of you. May this year be the one in which all your dreams come true.

Last year like any other year had its highs and lows. Personally I lost my father last year March. I realised his influence in me much more after his death. Healthwise also it was not a good year for me. But otherwise it was fine.

For the citizen of the Universe, it was a nice year- we ventured into Moon- establishing our technical capability. Probes landed in Mars and found real evidence of subsurface water. May be future missions will reveal whether there ever was life on that planet.

For India, it was not typically good year. We had the Kosi river tragedy, a series of bomb blasts in various indian cities, culminating in Mumbai siege. Even with clearcut evidence , we seems incapable of doing anything. Ofcourse we are not Israel and I don’t feel it right to follow Israel example. For the Jewish state it is the question of survival , not for us and no sane man can support the inhuman attitude of Israel towards Palestine. But we always fail to impress upon the international community to take strict action against the neighbouring terrorist heaven called Pakistan. Initially it always  appears that the international community is with us only to discover later that they are bothered only about themselves and make contradicting statements according to convenience while on either side of the border( if they visit one, they invariably visit the other also). It seems we may have to live with this menace.

As always, global warming remained one of the serious problems - and still remained just that- a serious problem. This year the leaders gathered at Poland and discussed causing more greenhouse gas emission ( through travel and power consumption at venues) without any clear policy and way forward. This is one menace we all acknowledge but are reluctant to counter. And probably it will remain  this way  in 2009 as well unless Barack obama takes a 180 degree opposite stand to Bush- but will the Industry lobby allow him that liberty?

Last year also saw the emergence of Hindu terrorism which even further cemented by belief that religion is essentially bad. (If you believe that Malegaon is fabricated vote bank politics,- I also do have my doubts-  still what happened at Khandamal is nothing short of terrorism). Religion  never teaches you true love. The love it preaches is conditional and conditional love is hate disguised as love. It thrives on fear. Many may be disturbed and critical of my statement, but this is my firm feeling. Let me hold on to it. Detailed explanation may need many more pages of blogging.

And today astronomers at Max Plank Institute announced that Our Milkyway galaxy is almost 50% more massive than initially thought - at about 280 billion times the mass of our Sun. Also it is moving at a much higher speed of almost a million Kmph and the headon collission with andromeda galaxy will happen earlier than expected which will eventually vanquish both. Don’t worry it will still not happen in another seven billion years. In astronomy, the figures are always truly astronomical in nature.

Finally let me once again wish you all  a Bright -and more relevant at this moment - a Peaceful New Year.

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Infinite, incomprehensible,  inexplicable the cosmos that is

how foolish for the man in this ordinary planet to think he knows  a lot.

-          Rough translation of a Malayalam poem.

Surface of the earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean. From it we have learnt most of what we know. Recently we have waded a little out to the sea, enough to dampen our toes or at most wet our ankles. The water seems inviting. The ocean calls. Some part of our being knows this is from where we came. We long to return.

-            From Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos”.

There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.

-          From Douglas Adam’s” Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy, Part –II-Restaurant at the end of Universe.”

As promised, Moon impact probe (MIP) successfully impacted the moon on children’s day- giving some very close up photographs of the lunar surface. Upon landing the probe was destroyed but then our tricolor was painted on MIP making our presence in Moon. This is just a prelude to a planned surface rover launch by 2012. Fresh from this success, ISRO has ambitious plans to send man to space in the next 5 years and then missions to the Sun (Aditya) and  to the red planet (Mars). Hats off to ISRO scientists.

Human beings have always been explorers. Our ancestors set out on a voyage out of Africa on foot and spread all across the globe excepting Antarctic by  the end of last ice age some 12000 years ago.  Our body is composed of matter which is of cosmic in origin- as we know most of the matter in the universe was formed within the first few seconds of  big bang. Those atoms passing through so many inanimate and animate objects has reached us and will eventually return to the cosmos. We are made of stardust. It is natural  for  one to explore his origins- and by spacefaring , we are just exploring our roots.

Last week also marked the demise of Phoenix- the Mars lander which  confirmed the presence of water in the form of ice on Mars.  But life is still elusive on the red planet. Phoenix could not find any traces of life – present or fossilized -  on mars. Probably this is a reminder to all those alien crazy public, that life in the universe is very difficult to detect. All those alien invasions and abductions are pure fantasy. Phoenix mission which was supposed to last for three months outlived it by another three months-  with the onset of Martian winter ( the probe was landed in the arctic region of the planet) solar energy starved battery system went dead marking the end of the mission. But scientist are still hopeful and mars reconnaissance mission orbiting mars is still trying to contact Phoenix. And some scientist believe, with the onset of mars spring some 6 months later, probably Phoenix will spring back to life. Will this Phoenix emulate the mythical one by rising from its ashes? Lets be optimistic.

Universe if full of surprises. Last week astronomers photographed (?) for the first time an exo planet. If subsequent analysis proves this dot around a star is that of a planet, then we will be seeing for the first time the photograph of an exoplanets. So far we have detected their presence through indirect means ( wobble and change in intensity of light of parent star). Space exploration is an area of limitless possibilities. India has ventured into it at the right time. So let us embark on a journey of exploration to  those areas where no man has gone before. Happy voyage.

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Today morning India got entry to another select group of space raring nations – following the successful preliminary stage launch of Chandrayan-I- our very own probe to the moon. This is not a lander, but an orbiter with a moon impact probe (MIP) to be launched to the surface of moon by the middle of next month which will plant our national flag on the surface of moon. If every thing goes well we will be the sixth nation to have a lunar probe. This has instruments  from NASA, ESA , Bulgaria apart from 5 probes of our own. This should be in moon’s outer orbit by early next week- just in time for the Diwali celebrations.

Among other things, this mission has ambitious plans of  mapping  Lunar surface in greater detail providing a 3-D atlas of moon and look for  Helium -3 – an isotope of Helium. This is a fuel for the future Nuclear fusion reactors- generating non polluting power and an end to the power crisis on earth.

Helium is the second lightest element. It has two protons and two neutrons in its nucleus with two electrons in orbit. This is the general form. Helium isotope-3 has 3 neutrons  in its nucleus and is ideal for nuclear fusion. This material is extremely rare on earth and is expected to be present in larger quantities in Moon. It could be an efficient fuel for nuclear fusion reactors. Today’s fusion reactors uses Tritium ( an isotope of Hydrogen) obtained from sea water, but Helium-3 will be more efficient producing even less radioactive waste.

The helium-3 found in the lunar soil comes originally from the Sun. A stream of particles from the Sun, called the solar wind, contains helium-3 which is deposited on the Moon’s surface. Earth’s magnetosphere protects us from the harmful charged particles from the sun called solar wind. Moon – being non magnetic , is exposed to solar wind and hence richer in Helium-3.

Energy is the key to all future lunar expeditions. The energy gain from the mining of lunar soil for Helium -3 and bringing it back to earth is 250 times- making it highly viable source of energy and it is estimated that 25  tonnes of this will  power the United states for an entire year. That is truly a cheap bargain.

Presently the lunar orbiter Chandrayan is in the lower earth orbit from where it will be gradually lifted to the transfer orbit and sent to sent to moon where initially it will establish an orbit at 1000 kms which will be lowered further to 100 Kms where it is designed to last for two years.  

Certain sections of society is questioning the rationale behind sending a lunar probe costing 3.8 billion rupees and that too to a place explored through manned mission four decades ago when  a quarter of the billion plus population is still struggling to get one square meal a day. Is it not re-inventing the wheel again at the expense of starving millions? Well our mission is slightly different. The world has not carried out serious study of Moon since the early 70s, and with modern instruments our study of moon will be much more comprehensive for rare minerals, and of course Helium-3 is the biggest attraction- and we will be one of the pioneers in this area – Remember Energy is might- money- Persian gulf being the perfect example . - and don’t forget we need enormous amount of energy to power this nation. My reasoning may not be very forceful and plausible, but then when more than 3 decades ago we started space exploration, half of our population was in dire poverty. And things have only improved economically. So lets keep our fingers crossed- may be this country could be the future hub for space exploration.

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Day-2 ( 20.09.08)

Sound of chirping birds woke me up. It was still drizzling but just a light one. It was overcast. But from the balcony of my room, I could see clear skies at the distant horizon- giving rise to hope of a adventure filled day ahead. The surrounding hills and the distant landscape looked really spectacular. From my balcony I could look down the precipice – a vertical fall of almost 200 metres – which is nothing short of spectacular- with lush green trees and sound of small streams of water. For the city dwellers, the air breathed freshness unimaginable in any Indian cities leave alone megacities like Delhi. This was reinvigorating. But alas , at a distance- probably in Haryana or Punjab, I could see smoke spewing chimney of a power plant. Well these power plants seems to follow us wherever we go!.

After a shower, we assembled at the dining hall. Our co-ordinator decided to venture into adventure sport irrespective of the drizzle. A quick breakfast and we boarded the bus for the location of our first adventure. For a group whose average age must be over 46 (except for 10 of us who are in the early 40s most of the group are in their 50s.) I saw a childlike enthusiasm on the faces of all. Motoring the bus down the hill through the narrow road from the fort itself was a mini adventure. Once down below, our bus took a right turn and started the ascend of the first hill. Suddenly the scenary changed. Within a couple of kilometers, we were well inside a hilly terrain, rains of the last couple of days had caused landslides everywhere. We had to stop atleast twice to remove rocks and boulders from the road to clear for the bus and it took some efforts. We could see the deep gorges and a small river- named Chikni- which is a tributary of Sutlej. After some ascend, our descend started and at a point we crossed the river from one hill to the other. And again ascend . It was narrow and winding road- which reminded me of Kenny Roger’s song-

 “ this road was so long and winding- it was such a hard road, but we could not stop – once we have started- we’re always getting closer - suddenly it happens – suddenly- chance of a lifetime- we gonna take it, we can make it- when you put your heart in it, it can take you anywhere”   - 

Suddenly after a bend, our bus stopped by a gurudwara- Gurudwara Gurukund- and as we alighted, we could hear the roar of the river may be 50 metres below. The whole area was truly out of a picture postcard. Huge mountains, gushing river, a small bridge across the river, waterfalls all around and to make it  even more spectacular, everything drenched in rain. A milestone indicated that we are on a state highway with a marker “Simla 90 Kms” . Up above in one of the hills, we could see an old dilapidated fort – Ramgarh fort- which is more than 4000 ft above MSL.

A team of three led by Manish had come all the way from Almorah in Uttarakhand to guide and assist us in the various activities. First was the crossing of river. Because of the overnight rains, the river was in its full fury. The location where we had to start is on the other side of the stream. And that required a difficult trod across a small hillock full of slippery rock and dense vegetation. This itself was a sort of adventure with most of us slipping at every step. But with some effort  we made it. The final landing point across the river was a rock near the Gurudwara.  The nylon rope which could carry a weight of 2000 Kg was tied to a tree atop a rock at our end and to another tree at the other end. In the real life situations it is used a rescue tool – helping people to cross rivers and rivers and difficult stretches, but one person adventurous enough has to cross the river or the obstacle to tie the rope at the other end. The method is called Terolene traverse. The harness attached to the body and hooked to the nylon rope with the help of a belt slides smoothly and helps us in crossing is called Terolene.  In our case since it was a planned one, and both banks were accessible rope tying was just a formality, but while tying when the rope touched the river, we felt the real fury of the water – four of us had to pull with all our energy to prevent it from being carried away by the river. And I wondered in a real life situation, how could any one swim the river across and tie the rope at the other end for people to safely cross! After a demonstration by the team from Almorah, we – in turn- followed. In my case the parallel safety rope (a safety rope running parallel through the terolene  to pull the person across  in case the person loses strength or loses confidence in the middle.) got stuck up on another hook at the loading point half way through my crossing. For a moment, I could not understand why I am unable to pull myself across- then I was told of this, and till they released the safety rope, I was suspended in a sitting position( as adviced by the instructors ) moving up and down just above a river in thunderous flow. But let me assure you this was the most memorable moment and I did not panic for a moment enjoying every second of it (which lasted almost a minute).  Once released, I started off to complete the crossing.  Most of my colleagues except a few ( who had high BP) did this with reasonable ease.

Once this was over it was almost lunch time and we returned back to the resort crossing the two hills with the view of Chikni river down below. By this time the rains have stopped completely and the sun had come out for the first time.  (our original plan was to have lunch at the Gurudwara – free meals called Langhar. But then we realized that the Gurudwara is not fully functional as some civil works is still going on.).

After the lunch, we proceeded for the next adventure. This was called “Rappling”- a technique used to climb up or down vertical cliffs the way reptiles like monitor lizards do- and hence the name. Once upon a time reptiles were used for this by such historic figures as Shivaji to climb vertical precipices of forts by the great Maratha Shivaji. Our original location was a vertical rock by the side of our terolene traverse adventure. But because of the heavy flow of river, we could not find a dry landing area. So the venue was shifted to the resort/fort and the vertical wall of 60 ft was used for rappling. To tell you frankly this was much more difficult that the river crossing. To make matters worse, the vertical wall was very slippery. Half of our team quit- when one among us- Mr Sharma-  a short and heavy man in his 50s slipped while taking first step into an awkward inverted position of head down suspended in the rescue rope and we had to pull him up with great difficulty. For somebody with BP, this could have been quite serious if not fatal. But fortunately nothing happened. Reciting  Gabbar Singh’s   Sholay dialogue - Jo dar gaya samcho mar gaya- I decided to go ahead and do it. I also slipped at the beginning but then I slipped to my normal position of legs down, so I could regain my horizontal position ( one has to bend backwards to almost 60 to 90 degrees to the vertical wall- that is you should almost be vertical to the wall and horizontal to the ground below)  and after 4-5 meters of sliding down, I gained confidence and started the jump descend. The one thing I learned was that in the  position vertical to the wall, the feet should be achored on the heels and not on the toes. That will make rappling all too easy.

In the evening some more funny games were arranged by our co-ordinator like making tent blindfolded. The team of six of which 3 will be blindfolded and will make the tent, the other three will give instructions without extending any physical help. It was truly funny especially with the members of the other team trying to disturb the blindfolded. It gave us so many hilarious moments to cherish. We had long bursts  of hearty laugh not experienced since our childhood days. This was truly de-stressing.

In the evening it was time to unwind. A party was thrown up by organizers in the top terrace of the resort overlooking the town with a cool breeze blowing across. The usual Anthakshari and jokes were part of the intoxicating party which ended just before midnight and we slipped back  to our rooms for a well deserved night’s sleep.

Day-3 ( 21.09.08)

It was a stunningly beautiful day. From the balcony, the landscape looked truly heavenly. A thin layer of mist  blanket gave an exotic look to the green landscape at a distance. The air was refreshingly fresh- whatever pollutants in the air were washed away by the two days of rain. Early morning sun’s orange rays gave a mystic look to the mist blanketed landscape. Alas for the first time I regretted not having a still camera with me- I had one handycam- and this scene can be captured best in still photography not in moving picture. But then I did not want to miss it. So I captured the areal view of the landscape.

After breakfast we assembled for a thanks giving and mutual appreciation session- where we scribbled the best of each one in their cap.  Then a few of us climbed down the hill for a trek/ walk and if possible some interaction with locals. We met on the way a family of 6- husband , wife and 4 kids all of them under ten. They mistook us for some govt officials and immediately started complaining about the losses of their mustard crop due to the heavy rains- and how they could get the compensation. We told them to approach the village officer for the compensation. And one of us – a doctor- gave a lecture on family planning- and the importance of having small family. I don’t know whether he appreciated it – even though he nodded to whatever doctor said. We saw a couple of schools- small primary schools- full of students. They waved enthusiastically to us and we promptly reciprocated.  For a moment I wondered how many of them would be lucky enough to get higher education? Probably very few lucky ones whose parents can afford to send them to towns. Atleast these famer community in a remote landscape is understanding the importance of primary education. And most importantly it was almost 60 to 40 boys to girls. Our brief trekking expedition was curtailed because of shortage of time as we have to leave by 12:30. So we went back, packed the baggage and had our lunch. By 12:30 all of us boarded the bus. After the customary exchange of wishes with hotel staff and the support staff, we moved out of the fort at 12:45. Sun was shining brightly and so the AC was in full. It took almost two hours to reach Pinjore. The rains had damaged the roads to such an extend. As we had our tea, some among us went inside the Mughal gardens. And then suddenly the driver intimated us that the air pipe of air break had cracked. So we went in search of some fast adhesi ve- and managed m-seal quick for the temporary repair. By 4:15 we were back on the road, but then driver wanted the pipe to be replaced at the nearest garage and so we stopped by a garage at Panchkula and got the pipe replaced. So another hour was lost. Since no dinner was planned on the way, (dinner was arranged at our training centre at Noida) we cruised along stopping briefly for a tea at Karnal. But strangely enough even without rains, we could manage to get back to Noida at only 5 minutes to midnight.

It was truly memorable- there was never a dull moment- we enjoyed every bit of it , not only the adventure and trek, but even the bus ride along the bad roads, and a bus breakdown. Probably this group of middle aged men needed some adventure which was lacking in their daily routine. I felt that the stress we felt while doing the adventure sport is a great destresser. A rejuvenator for the body and soul- and only with the proof of photographs, our kids will believe that their dad had done all these and still there is some youth left in us.

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