Tag: india

Posted in Economic

Why I changed my mind on Amazon and Swiggy.

Posted on by veeskitchen

In Middle east where we are based, I was struck with a very severe viral fever when I ran a temperature of 108 F for a continuous 10 day period. I needed at least two IV injections. Even so, my temperature would be back within 2 hours. I don’t know where I picked up this virus early this year = whether from mall or from our walking in the parks. Later I was told that most of the residents had received a vaccination for this mysterious virus that I didn’t. Many were falling sick and some required hospitalization.

In this period I was asked to have ORS for regaining my lost strength, being a vegetarian. My problem is that I am borderline diabetic. I am not on any pill but I am not supposed to take direct sugar as much as possible = and that too something equal to glucose. I try to keep control by adopting lifestyle changes. Sugarfree ORS was not available over the counter or by order anywhere in Middle East. I was forced to have the ORS with sugar pumped in in generous millies ! The doctor who attended me told me that ORS sugarfree possibly was available in India. Market in India is vast that there is nothing that is not available. I made a mental note to get it during my next home visit.

I asked for sugarfree ORS in pharmacies but nobody had it including the Apollo. There I placed my order, just in case, because they normally source it from others if they don’t stock it. The pharmacist told me only the tetrapacks of 100 ml were available. ORS tetrapack sounded funny even if priced at 45 bucks one pack. Again, you cannot take liquids abroad beyond 1 liter by air. The tetrapacks came in handy whenever I came home from a harsh sun, chilled in my fridge.

During this visit I searched the Amazon and was surprised as well as shocked to note that a whole long list of sugarfree ORS is available as sachets to be dissolved in a glass of water – just the like the sugared ORS sachets I found in Doha. More than delighted. We don’t take the Glucon D kind of thing regularly but when we feel extremely week after travel etc., drained of our energies, this can come in handy.

I don’t regularly order food from Swiggy but their Instamart definitely benefits me. Even the quality of vegetables and fruits is good. Within 10 to 20 minutes maximum on order, I get the subji. We can order the veggies after turning on the gas stove! Living in a polluted metro like Chennai which is also dug up entirely for Metrorail expansion plans facing the wrath of the monsoons at the same time, Instamart is a godsend with quickest service time. For working couples, it can’t get better.

Ten to fifteen years back, I used to order kurtis (rarely) online from those like Jabong. My books were ordered from Flipkart. Flipkart sold out to Walmart. Myntra is owned by Flipkart. Jabong sold out to Myntra. Why should these desis sell out to Amazon and Walmart and bow out. They make a quick profit and then they make a beeline for exit. Big global brand thrive on REINVESTMENT, not on selling the business once you make a landfall. Ploughing back of profits into the trade is the business mantra that our Indian entrepreneurs fail to grasp.

Compared to Ola I have also felt that Uber has better discipline and working ethics. Learn what is best from others.

I have reached the age where comfort and service matter to me most for which I am willing to pay the right price. If the Indian service providers fall short of standards, it is their problem.

Tata’s used to be grotesque car 15-20 years back. But both Tata and Mahindra upgraded themselves and they are the fastest selling India=made sedans and suvs in India today that are also being exported. Their steel and safety features have earned them 5 star rating.

https://www.acko.com/car-guide/safest-cars-in-india/

At least 5 of the top 10 safest cars in India are now India made.

I also notice that Amazon sources its supplies from numerous small sellers and traders. India Mart is there as well but here, you have to bulk-order. India Mart is mostly for wholesalers. Amazon allows for lowest unit of order.

Would rather put my faith and trust on Amazon and Walmart than on Ambani and Adani!

Posted in Economic

Ratan Tata leaves behind a matchless legacy.

Posted on by veeskitchen
this man could have easily been within top 10 of world’s richest. instead he chose to become a philanthropist with hospitals founded for the masses. a humanitarian and son of India like none other. he was also a minority Parsi who chose to stay LOYAL to India/Bharat, his motherland.

Ratan Tata is no more. A son of India like none other. A visionary who took India forward step by step. His global conglomerate employs millions across the world. The legacy he leaves behind is immense and matchless. A huge fan of Tata both for his ETHICAL business ways and for the humanitarian he was. Men like these are born once in a millennium. After looking at the likes of Elon Musk etc., you reckon why men like Tata matter more for not just India but for the entire universe. An aspect called decency: that sets apart Tata from crude others. We have also had the Ramdev kind of so-called spiritual entrepreneurs. We have witnessed in recent past the rise and fall of the Patanjali Ayurved he founded as a practising yogi! Tata to me was also a yogi, only not in saffron robes. Men like Ratan Tata won’t have a punar janam (rebirth) but if he must, may he be reborn in Bharat/India again and again. Thank you so much Tata ji for what you gave back our ancient motherland. Words cannot describe what I feel from the bottom of heart, for you. Go in peace. But bless Bharat from wherever you are. A life so well lived in public service. Patriotism can take different shades. Like Tata’s for instance. What a selfless life! Business tycoons need not have to be always as brash as the Ambanis and as selfish as the Adanis who are profit motivated and nothing more. Industrial corporations need not have be as ruthless. Somewhere there can be a middle ground. There are those like the Tata group who still engage in ethical businesses who are the reason Bharat is still ticking. My heart feels heavy losing you Ratan ji even if I am aware, all of us have to come to this day sometime. Losing you is like losing a precious diamond. A real Ratan. There is not an area of economy that you have not touched. Its news to me that Tata even brought out the first CBS India cassette recording Nazia and Zoheb Hassan from across the border bringing them international fame. You brought respectability to this country, acquiring foreign manufacturing industries and firms. From TCS (Tata consultancy service (IT company)) and Air India to star hotels to Tata manufactured sedans with Tata buying out international brands like Jaguar of UK and Tetley tea, to Tata steel (that acquired Corus steel) to Tata telecom – and even those like Tata tea, Tanishq (designer jewelry brand) and Westside (fashion and accessories), you have carved a niche for yourself (Tata brand) in (gold) standard in the business world. You leave behind big shoes hard to fill. You are inspiration Ratan ji for generations of Indians. The biggest take away from you for all of us is that, you can keep your ethics and still make it a viable trade; you can engage in selfless public service and still run industrial corporations and manufacturing industries. You can transform societies if you have the will.

Posted in Interests

Manu Bhaker first Indian woman to win 2 (bronze) medals for India in a single edition of Olympics.

Posted on by veeskitchen

I am not watching the Paris Olympics. But this is super news. Media should also give equal credit to Sarabjot Singh who won the second medal for India with her.

https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/another-bronze-for-india-manu-bhaker-creates-history-wins-second-medal-with-sarabjot-singh-in-shooting-at-paris-olympics-439416-2024-07-30

Posted in Political

Onion Politics.

Posted on by veeskitchen

Missed the Indian onions in Doha in last few months. Never settle for the Chinese. Sudan onion was there along with a few more. But there is simply no substitute to the great Indian onion! Spicy with its natural pungent odour, for garam masala gravies and for hot, simmering Indian curry, there can be no better alternative. Others come sweetish. Even as I was wondering why the famous fiery Indian onion was conspicuous by its absence, it registered in me that the Indian Lok Sabha elections were scheduled for April-May! Onion price rise turns masses against ruling government! Onion is emotion for India! Smart move by the Modi govt stopping onion export so foreign countries including the GCC nations had to switch over to other secondary options. Not only the Indian onion, a few more specifically Indian things sought out by international shoppers went missing from the supermarket shelves since the year beginning. Finally as phase by phase the elections are on, the onion is released by the Indian govt for supply in the overseas markets.

Posted in History-Culture

What Pervez Hoodboy must be like really.

Posted on by veeskitchen

He must be like this man. This is also a son of India/Bharat. Muslim by birth but Hindu by culture. Archeologist who held the highest office.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pinIMhUGO

When a man of science harbours intellectual dishonesty, he can naturally come only from somewhere like Pakistan. This is the essential difference between India and Pakistan. Ayodhya is Bharat’s truth. What a sore disappointment is Pakistani intelligentsia . The omission of Hagia Sofia is a big gaping hole. Why is India ticking. Shri KK Mohammad says, India is secular only because India is Hindu majority. A nation’s demography decides its democracy.

Well, there is no point in trying to educate Pakistan or their media because their views don’t matter. In fact Pakistanis don’t matter anywhere as Saudis told them just last week.

Posted in Political

and when they walked barefoot for him…

Posted on by veeskitchen

What impressed me most about the just concluded G20 summit in New Delhi is not the Delhi Declaration 2023 or the grandeur of the venue or the gala buffet, but the way the heads of most powerful states of the world walked barefoot to Rajghat, the samadhi or tomb of father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi, led by our prime minister Shri Narendra Modi ji. Such a respect for Bharat/India almost makes me weep. There are puddles of water from previous evening’s monsoons that must have dirtied their socks or plain foot (as in case of the UK PM etc) but they don’t seem to mind the one kilometer stroll in the wet grounds. The Japanese PM ‘s wife showcased the ultimate respect resplendent in a bottle green silk sari complete with a bindi on her forehead. Thank you world for putting your trust on Bharat/India. We shall live up to that through eternity.

Our prime minister is well past his retirement age. He is working overtime for the nation and he has nothing to show by way of personal/material gain. India used to breed brahmacharis like him. Hindu culture is full of men like him starting from Bhishma pitamaha in Mahabharat times to those like Vivekananda, Ramana Maharishi and even Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Abdul Kalam etc., in recent times. These men chose celibacy and bachelorhood over marriage and family life to serve the nation/community in various walks of life. Mentored from very younger years, they lived up to their promises and made a difference to the society at large. This rare cultivated breed is now dying in Bharat sadly as such a sense of selfless service is getting scarcer to find day by day.

Posted in Political

The DELHI DECLARATION, 2023, G20, NEW DELHI, BHARAT

Posted on by veeskitchen

updated 10th, september

Bharat is scripting history hosting and chairing the G20 summit in the capital New Delhi, attended by the top 20 powerful nations on earth: United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, Japan, Turkey, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Canada, South Africa and the European Union. Notable absentees may be Russia (reason Ukraine) and China (delhi belly 😀 )that have sent their second level teams. The venue is Bharat Mandapam whose architecture, interior and decor reflect the rich ancient heritage of the oldest and only continuously surviving civilization on earth, which is also the world’s largest democracy. India is already reverted to ‘Bharat’ as one can observe from nameplates etc. Security in Delhi is beefed up. The guest countries include the UAE and Oman from Middle east and Mauritius, Bangladesh, Spain and the Netherlands among others. India seems to be breaking the ice with Turkey. For the first time in Independent India history, India-Pakistan ties couldn’t have been better. Modi-Jaishankar brand of diplomacy is phenomenal. Together with Doval, the trio are the greatest plus for India. The G20 talks focused on climate change. The Delhi Declaration is out and the joint statement is signed by the member countries who have principally and unanimously arrived at a consensus on the state of political affairs of the world (read Ukraine-Russia war). Very bold, yet mature and restrained drafting by Bharat (India) chairing the G20.

So is India, officially ‘Bharat’ already? We are only reverting to our original name after some three centuries. G20 is a good platform to make the official global announcement. Besides, Bharat is mentioned in our constitution. This is after all the land of Bharatha, ancestor of Lord Ram. Interestingly, I get to watch Pakistan tv here in Doha. Never have I heard them mention us as India. Their Urdu news bulletins and discussions always mention India as Bharat only. Tamil/Malayalam and other vernacular news channels also refer to us as Bhaaratham. Poet and freedom fighter Subrahmanya Bharathi sang thus: Paarukkulle nalla naadu, engal Bhaaratha naadu. And of course, Bharat it has been with national/desi Hindi news channels. Nothing new. So DMK hypocrites have lost deposit already in the subject. Matter closed for further discussions. Meanwhile China can keep out of Bharat’s internal matters as the communist country does not even grant the rights for debates to the Chinese citizens. I loved Modi ji’s picture with the Bangladesh PM draped in a sari. They seem to have an understanding friendship-partnership which is crucial for bilateral ties. This third world nation could have gone the Pakistan way but they chose not to repeat the historical mistake. The conscious choices individuals/nations make decide their destiny. India’s neighbourhood concerns me more over the distant west.

By the way, impressive menu for the statesmen for dinner hosted by President Smt. Droupadi Murmu as chef Sanjeev Kapoor reveals. The daawat is a spread of finest cuisine, pan India, put forth with the millet theme, millet having been the superfood of our Hindu ancestors. Millets are making back their way into our homes now like never before and are here to stay.

The journalists got a share in the pie as well.

Here is the pretty picture! Sari goes well with the wife of the Japanese PM. She is comfortable draping the Benarasi which is commendable.

Before the closing note and wrap-up was the visit to the Raj Ghat by dignitaries led by PM Shri Narendra Modi where the leaders of G20 paid tributes to father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi. Good job India!

Posted in Science Engineering Technology

Findings from Chandrayaan 3

Posted on by veeskitchen
Pragyan rover clicks Vikram lander!
Pragyan takes a walk of 100 m near lunar south pole
vikram softlands for a second time taking a leap. a step for vikram, a giant leap for India

Pragyan the probe from Vikram lander has so far discovered oxygen, aluminium, titanium and sulphur besides other minerals on the moon’s surface closer to the south pole. India’s Chandrayaan 3 rover also has registered seismic activities (natural vibrations) in the lunar surface. As the rover has been put to sleep along with the lander during the moon’s night time, hopes are kept alive for the rover to wake up exactly after the 14 day interval, during the lunar day when its batteries can get charged from the solar power. A single lunar daytime typically lasts 14 earth days and a night in the moon extends to 14 earth days as well. Vikram also took a leap and soft landed again near the south pole, the darker side of the moon which is a remarkable feat for ISRO.

This page shall be updated when Pragyan and Lander wake up after their siesta and set on to discover water ice, essential for human colony at a future date in the moon.

Posted in Interests

Congratulations Pragg!

Posted on by veeskitchen

Congratulations to world No.2 and silver medalist from my hometown Chennai again, the 17 year old Praggnaanandha who lost the final in the Chess world cup in Azerbaijan to world no.1 Magnus Carlsen (who he has beaten incidentally in an earlier occasion). Prag becomes the youngest chess player in world history, creating another record for India, to enter the Chess world cup final. Nee superaa varuja raja! You have your whole life ahead of you and you are so very young! Looking forward to another genius world No.1 chess player from Chennai again in near future after Anand. More than his game, I am bowled over by his humility -something missing in certain brash loud empty vessels. Watched a you tube video in which Anand says, fatigue got upto Prag as he never lost a game until the final. He lost the final to former world champion from Norway in a tie breaker.

Omg how balanced he is at the young age of 17!

Indian Parenting is all about this: we are enough. this is enough. we are good. this is good. This Indian mother showed the world what it is to be an Indian mother.

Posted in Environment

The damaging Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, India

Posted on by veeskitchen

The VAN (SANRAKSHAN EVAM SAMVARDHAN) ADHINIYAM Act

Very disheartening learning about the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, passed by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the lower and upper houses of the Indian Parliament, that can make way for taking over of shoulder lands abutting forested areas for developmental activities of national importance (as claimed by the tenets of the bill). This means, highways can crisscross India’s forest reserves and wildlife sanctuaries in future without legal implications. Of particular concern is the virgin forestry we have in north eastern India that is home to myriad species of wildlife. The nation boasts of ecologically diverse zones from the Western Ghats (Nilgiris – the Blue Mountains) in the south with the primary rain forest reserves and the Thar desert in the west, the Sundarbans with its mangroves in the east and the mighty Himalayas in the north. Central India or the hinterland is home to a range of hills including the Vindhyaas and Satpuras and lakes and plateaus. The long peninsular coastline of India is rich with an impressive array of marine life. There are natural harbours and coral reefs and the world’s only surviving dugongs among others in our waters. Mountain ranges and valleys and passes and peaks of India together with rivers and streams and seas and islands and seasonal monsoons facilitate survival of a stunning range of flora and fauna, as next to Africa, only India has lions, tigers, leopards, elephants and single horned rhinos – the big five – in the entire world, and winged species gracing and sharing the congested land with some 1.3 billion strong human population. India is home to highest number of tigers in the world. Lion count is also on upswing. Conservation efforts are afoot but for every single step forward, the naturalists get pushed over by a dozen steps backward. What is the need for eco-tourism in a country like India where wildlife and humanity have to jostle for space and the man-animal conflict is getting worse with each passing day claiming lives on both sides. As someone has posted in the comments, this is clearly a DEFORESTATION move:

Even without the Bill, elephant corridors have been illegally but smartly taken over by those like Jaggi Vasudev in Tamil Nadu – right under the nose of both the central and state governments or perhaps under the auspices of our government. Ramdev & co., reportedly encroached on north eastern forests for Ayurvedic production unit. The environmental degradation we see in India is mindboggling with our rivers polluted and air toxic and soil poisoned. Now look at the further damage the Bill can do. Adani and Ambani can set up five star hotels without approval from Forest department right next to the wildlife sanctuaries and promote upscale tourism for celebs and page 3 socialites from India and abroad. Is it not the motive of the bill, after all? Who knows, whether Mahindra mooted the bill or any other business house. Agroforestry and afforestation are hogwash. Then there is the case of the tribals of India who have been living alongside wildlife right within our forest reserves or in settlements adjoining forest areas with their livelihood tied to the forests, traditionally for centuries. It will be piece of cake for Adani and Ambani to remove the tribes from their native lands and rehabilitate them in cramped neighbourhoods erasing their roots cleverly and systematically. A well planned strategy. Under the aegis of our prime minister himself, I hope? What a sad story. Following up NCF, Bird Count of India etc., I have been on a high noting the conservation efforts even if painfully aware that only a small percentage of it all succeeds. If I have it my way, a good portion of my meagre, petty and insignificant estate shall go to wildlife conservation in India (and NOT to temples). Its my wish and unregistered will (!) as of date. The kids can fend for themselves -god shall give them the strength.