Easy bucks... Danger ahead...

This photo was taken by my ride pal photographer Chandra. He was my pillion on this particular ride and got down somewhere to have some snaps taken at a picturesque place and found me surrounded by these kids- some enthusiasts, he thought initially.

What do you think those kids doing around me?

Some of my friends said...
- seems like you are having a good time with them.
- it looks like you discuss some serious matter with them.
- Clarifying route to somewhere

Guys, believe it or not... They are begging for money, they do not look like beggers, rather they are not. I was surprised to see the the way they open their hands for money is same as those at the traffic signals.
When they see no prosperity in dealing with me all are looking at another vehicle comes that way. Not many vehicles comes that way. So they need to be opportunists.

About their begging instincts... Here is the fact.
The place is somewhere close to the Mysore road. If you go 2km further inside taking a left turn from the Art of Living centre, you will find an old village. These kids belong there. Some day from someone they learned something new that if you ask people from the city they may give you money. You just need to tell them that its for some pooja in their temple and ask for contribution. If they give, good; if not there is nothing to lose. I feel pity for those kids.

I have ridden through typical villages, near by kavery shores and other places. I've never seen a begging type anywhere there. But their living conditions are much much poorer than what we see in our modern villages with city attachment. But those people don't seem to believe in begging for money and earn few free bucks.

So where do our 'city villagers' and the 'village villagers' differ. The difference definitely is in the attitude. The city villagers carry the opportunist attitude, they don't care how they earn, they just look at what they earn. The innocence of village life has been lost in the evolution. They have been infected by the evils of the city life, pampered by the so called contributors who just know one thing if someones comes near your car's windshield with an open bandaged hand and darkened face- give'em few bucks and get satisfied as though they have done the greatest thing a human can do in life.

Stop this encouragement, do not spoil kids by teaching them earn quick and easy bucks.
If not..........
that's what we experience on roads at night. People complain about being looted at night, car stopped by strangers and taken money, cell phone etc, taken forcefully to ATM center and drawn and stolen all the money in the account...

Where does all these start?
I have no doubt... All these start at a certain stage when they find out that there are several options for easy bucks. All these start when they discover that it's working...

Future generation is in the making and you are a part for the making. So, next time, if you happen to have a mishap, blame yourself and walk away as though nothing has happened...

Bottom line:-
One incident; this happened in Hyderabad, I think around 6 years back. We are in Nampalli railway station waiting to receive someone. There was a nun belonging to the Mother Teressa’s Missionaries of Charity (Hyderabad) with us who is a relative of one of my friends. I have visited their ashram which is home to hundreds. We even had instruction to call and inform them in case if we see anyone in the city who is in need and suffer, then Missionaries of Charity will send vehicle to pick and take them to their ashram.

Back to the story at the rainlway station, while waiting there, one kid, a girl, not more than 7 years old, came near us begging for money. The nun asked her why she begs. She said, she doesn't know who her parents are, no one to take care of, no place to live and nothing to eat. Then sister said, you come with me, I will parent you, will give you food education and accommodation. That girl literally ran away as though she heard the most unpleasant of all what she'd heard in her life.

My Car Won't finish a Long Drive without a Puncture!

This time, on my way from Bangalore to Home at Thodupuzha, my car had two punctures. Puncture is not at all new to me and that has made me experienced in replacing the tyre like a formula one pit crew. I haven't checked the time yet, and if I do, I might beat professionals.

There was a time when it used to be nail punctures only. I still cant explain the reason why my car used to be so much in love with nails and debris on road. It doesn't listen to me when I say it's suicidal. I feel jealous when some of my friends say that they never had any puncture and some don't even know how to replace tyre.

This time leaving all those nailing stories behind, the tube just failed twice, not the same one of course. One failure took the tyre too with it to heaven. Good bye to that 'good year' soul. This isn't the first time i lose tyres. This, i think was the 4th time, if my memory is right. I have even lost count. All those were when Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri stretch was at its utmost destructed state. Now we don't find much roads there. majority of the surface is Patch. It's a patch road now.

This road definitely will remain in the same condition for a long time, will always be a nightmare to me. Better you have a lorry to go ride this road. Apart from protection from bad roads, a 'rule the road' feel is guaranteed.

How pathetically shameless can a cop be?

Just listen to this before you answer.

04.04.2007; For easter holidays, I'm on my way home (Thodupuzha, Kerala) from Bangalore in my car with my Friend and his wife. It was around midnight, somewhere close to Dharmapuri when the highway police stopped us for checking. Wanted me to get out of the car, open the boot and show the luggage.
Before the cop could comment i explained to him that the big pack of old clothes kept in the boot belongs to me and has been taken with me to donate to some orphanage in Kerala.
Then a surprising question from the cop: Do u have the bill with you for these cloths?! That was followed by other questions too...

What is this, this, this and this....
This is tool kit, this is the car cover folded and kept in a plastic cover, and this is spare tyre, this is some spare oil...

Do you have anything else in the car other than these?
There is nothing illegal in this car and all what I have inside are either our personal stuff or essential accessories of the car. Nothing else at all... I tried to put a period.

It is clear to me that this guy is gonna make me mad..

Now, let me see the vehicle documents...
I did show him the documents.

Is this your car?
- Yes it is. My name is so and so and this is it written on the RC book.

Where is your photo on the RC book?
- Photo on the RC book?! There is no such practise of attaching owners photo on the RC book, anyway it is there on my DL and here it is, if you want to see.

Now comes the critical part of his 'interrogation'...
Who all are these people in the car?
- My friend and his wife.

You cant take them, this is a white board vehicle which is a private one- not a taxi and you can take your parents and siblings and close relatives in the car; not your friend or anyone else.

I feel like losing my control, but tried my best not to lose my cool.
- Sir, I know this is a private vehicle and it would definitely be me who decide whom to take in this car. I will of course take my friends in this car. Till yesterday there wasn't any low preventing this in India. So if this is a new low just passed in TN.......

hay hay, take out your DL and come with me, I need to charge case. I kept all the documents inside the car, walked out to him and said, if you are done with your checking I am leaving.
No no, you cant leave without paying the check post fee.
- WHAT???

That "WHAT" made the difference.
Another cop walked up to us and asked me to leave and took him away with him.
How can a cop be senseless like that?
Doesn't he know that the people he interact with are not tribal?
Doesn't he know the meaning of the word shame?
Who would he have become if not a cop?

My head was full of questions. We asked among ourself for answers. We talked and laughed so much about this incident.
I have seen cops on road sides threatening and taking money, seen them taking 'coins' from vegetable sellers on roadsides.
But this guy beat them all, finding it difficult to believe that a cop can be pathetically shameless like this.

We salute you officer. You are an asset to our nation.

Barachukki falls- a sad story

An 18 year old college student, at his prime age, on picnic with his friends… who can possibly imagine that he’s going to say bye to all of them for ever…

It took only few seconds for things to turn upside down… The group can’t digest the fact that one of them got drowned in the fall.

I still don’t understand how someone can drown in such a shallow looking pool.

Barachukki falls is located around 20km away from the Shivanasamudram and is more beautiful than the later. It is the wonderful spot to spend weekend splashing water, swim around and have fun.

No one will really think of going to the extreme end where this trap is located. There is a small fall which ends up in a pool of swallow water which is as quite as a swimming pool. Since there is very less flow, water doesn’t look quite clean and so few people spend time there. Instead there is another fall area which is quite picturesque.

24^th March 2007, late night, one of my friends got a call from someone with the news that his cousin is missing at the falls. We headed to his friends place and got details about the events. 3 people went to explore the decent looking danger zone and got trapped there. It could be the flow bellow the surface which caused the pull just like some kind of a black magic as described by one of the cops. Two of them managed to swim away and reach shore, one of them tried his best to save the diseased chap, but he couldn’t. He did his last attempt to get out of there by holding the trousers of the other, but couldn’t hold on to it and went down in front of him. (Remember the scene Jack going down in one of the final scenes in Titanic) Time is 2:30 noon. Search carried out till night fall and body couldn’t be found out.

Then next day morning we reached the falls and amazed to find the way people do search for the body- Two guys in a basket boat rowing around in the pool pulling a few fishing ankles. I still don’t know what result they expected from that exercise. What we expect in such a situation is a massive search may be with divers who can do it professionally. But this was utter disappointment. Second day too passed by with no result. The body finally was found on the third say floated up in water, at the same place he got drowned two days back.

A comment by one of the cops: This place has got some magical power. Though shallow the pool swallows humans, it’s some kind of black magic. Don’t you too feel going down there. I never felt anything. I don’t believe that cop either. But why did one of my friends said that even he could have tried swimming in the same spot for the reason that the surface is pretty quite and inviting for a plunge.?

Anyway remember… Water could be dangerous. It holds mysteries beneath.

Barachukki Falls Pics