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Editorial Board

Chief Editors

Kuriakose Maniattukudiyil Sasi Pillai Email: sameeksha@kaneusa.org

Sub Editors

Steny Kalapurakkal Anuradha Warrier Cover Design & Layout Revathi Pillai

Youth Editors

Annu Kuriakose Mallika Govindan

Printed & Published by

Kerala Association of New England Email: secretary@kaneusa.org

Copy right All materials published in this magazine are copyrighted to the respective authors and KANE. No portion of this magazine should be reproduced in part or full without prior written authorization from KANE.

Editorial 3 From the President’s Desk 5 Articles

India-U.S. Nuclear Deal Running Out of Time – Chuck Leddy 6 What should I do with my life? – Anne Paul Varapadavil 16

cÁi¤¨T ±dJ¡m« ~ f¢Q¤ ©Q¡o® Y¥Ø¢v 20

Cartoon Dr. Thomas Kodenkandath 4

Poems

Doctorappa - Prabhakar T.Rajan 7 ©h¡p« - J¤j¢i¡©J¡o® hX¢i¡¶¤J¤T¢i¢v 17

Crimson Memories - Sasi Pillai 21

Stories Hy H¡X« J¥T¢ ~ k¢¿¢ ¨etX¡Ùo® 18 The Temple – Krishna 9

Business Corner

What income is Not taxable? – Shaju Jacob 23

Youth Corner

Wakeup, Mother Earth is Calling You – Tulasi Ravindran 25 The Doha Round – Meera Kallupurakkal 26 The Story of Onam – Christa Jacob 26 Squirrel – Jithin Palooparambil 28

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Editorial

cz¢ Y¢y©l¡X©h cz¢cz¢ Y¢y©l¡X©h cz¢cz¢ Y¢y©l¡X©h cz¢cz¢ Y¢y©l¡X©h cz¢ c£ l¼¤l©¿?c£ l¼¤l©¿?c£ l¼¤l©¿?c£ l¼¤l©¿?

J´¡T¢¨Ê lj¢Jq¡X¢l...‘oekh£ i¡±Y’ ¨i¼® c¡« o§i« l¢m§o¢´¤¼ Cª ±dl¡o Q£l¢Y·¢v, H¡X« ©d¡¨k L¦p¡Y¤joä¦Y¢Jq¤Xt·¤¼ h¨×¡y DËlh¢¿ hki¡q¢´®. F¼¡v, Bd·¤J¨q¡¼¤h¢¿¡¨Y, h¡c¤n¬¨j¿¡y¨h¡¼¤©d¡¨k B©h¡a©·¡¨T ¨FY¢p¬·¢k¤s¹¢i¢y¼ ©Jjqh¿ C¼® ch¤´® h¤ud¢k¤¾¨Y¼® ©lac©i¡¨T H¡t©´Ù oztgl¤h¡X¢Y®. J¡X« l¢v´¡¨Y Y¨¼ C¼® h¢´ hki¡q¢Jw´¤« H¡Xh¤»¡¨h¼ c¢k l¼¢Ù¤Ù®. C´r¢º c¥×¡Ù¢¨Ê lqtµ CT·j´¡j¨Ê Q£l¢Y©·i¤« Q£l¢Y oÆv¸¹©qi¤« A¸¡¨T h¡×¢ hs¢µ¤. ©k¡J¨· h¤r¤lu o§É« J¢T¸¤h¤s¢Jq¢v ¨J¡Ù¤l¼® GY® L¥V ©h¡p¹©qi¤« Y¦dí¢¨¸T¤·¡l¤¼ Yj·¢v l¢ljo¡©ÆY¢Jl¢a¬ l¢Jo¢µ¢j¢´¤¼¤. Cli¤¨T¨i¡¨´ Dd¡oJj¡i¢ h¡s¢i i¤lYkh¤si¤¨T Yk©µ¡s¢v ©d¡k¤« ‘¨¨lso¤Jw’ f¡b¢µ¢¶¢©¿¨i¼® o«mi¢©´Ù¢i¢j¢´¤¼¤. o¡h¥p¬c£Y¢´¤ ©hv o§¡tÏO¢É Bb¢dY¬« ©cT¢. Fɤ« fkh¡i¢ d¢T¢µ¤ ds¢µ¤ o§Éh¡´¡l¤¼ c¢ki¢©k´¡i¢j¢´¤¼¤, d¢Õ¤J¤º¤¹©q©¸¡k¤« d¢µ¢µ£É¤¼ d£Vc¡kih¡i¢j¢´¤¼, h¡©lk¢h¼¨Ê c¡T®. J¢V®c¢ h¤Yv J¢T¸¡T«l¨j Y¶¢¸s¢¨µT¤´¤¼ h¡e¢i o«M¹q¤« l¡TJ¨J¡ki¡q¢Jq¤« c½¤¨T ¨J¡µ¤ ©Jjq·¢k¤« d¢T¢ h¤s¤´¢i¢j¢´¤¼¤. ‘o«p¡j·¢¨Ê d¤oíJ’ ·¢v Bcz® Fr¤Y¢iY¤ ©d¡¨k, “lu Bi¤b¹w Dd©i¡L¢µ® j¡±né¹w cT·¤¼ i¤Ú¹¨q A©dÈ¢µ® ¨Os¤J¢T Bi¤b¹q¤« DdJjX¹q¤« ¨J¡Ù® l¬Ç¢Jq¤¨T Yk·¢v c¢táp¢´¨¸T¤¼ B±JhX¹q¡i¢j¢´¤¼¤ p¢«oi¤¨T ohJ¡k£c i¡Z¡tϬ«. hjX¨· AY® dTt´q·¢v c¢¨¼T¤·® lr¢i¢k¤« l£¶¤h¤×·¤« F·¢µ¢j¢´¤¼¤. l¢Jkh¡i l¢m§¡o¹q¡©k¡ o«miJjh¡i kȬ¹q¡©k¡ ci¢´¨¸T¤¼ d¤Y¢i p¢«oJt D¼« ¨li®́ ¤¼Y® Alyh¡i¢ fÜh¢¿¡·, Alt Y¢j¢µs¢i¤Ji¤« J¥T¢ ¨Oà¡·, lr¢i¢¨k o¡b¡jX hc¤n¬©ji¡X®.” c¥s¤® mYh¡c« o¡ÈjY, A¹¨c c¥¨×¡¼® mYh¡c« j¡Èo£iY´® lr¢h¡s¢¨J¡T¤·¢j¢´¤¼¤! H¸« BÅ£iY¨i Hy B©L¡q l¬lo¡ih¡´¢i J¤¨s Bw¨¨al¹q¤¨T Y¢yl¢qi¡¶¹q¤«... CY¡J¤©h¡, ‘¨¨al·¢¨Ê o§É« c¡T®’ F¼Y¢¨Ê iZ¡tÏ ¨d¡yw? h¤T¢º c¡T¢¨Ê h¤Y¤¨J¿¤J¥T¢ J¡t¼¤ Y¢¼¤¼ Ad¢mdíh¡¨i¡y j¡né£i¨· J¥T¢ Qc¡b¢dY¬·¢¨Ê©dj¢v ch¤´® O¤h©´Ù¢ l¼¢j¢´¤¼¤. ‘h¥¼¡q¢j¢©´Ù o£×¢k¢j¢´¤¼ c¡k¡h¨c©d¡¨k’ Ao§Ìh¡X® C¼® hki¡qc¡T¢¨c ©oîp¢´¤¼ G¨Y¡j¡q¢©Êi¤« p¦ai«... Cª a¤tl¢b¢Jq¤¨T hyg¥h¢i¢k¤« Hy c£ysli¡i¢ H¡X¨h·¢i¢ j¢´¤¼¤, Hj¢´v J¥T¢....F¿¡ BJ¤kYJq¤« hs¼® oªp¦a·¢©Êi¤« ©oîp·¢©ÊY¤h¡i Cª H¡k´¤T´£r¢v hki¡q¢Jq¡i c¡©hlt´¤¨h¡yh¢µ¤ c¢¼®, Hy c¢h¢n¨hÆ¢v Hyc¢h¢n«, oªh¬j¡i®, m¡Éj¡i® Cª Y¢y©l¡Xc¡q¢¨c FY¢©jv´¡«...

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oh£Èi¤¨T i¥·® FV¢×th¡j¢v Hj¡q¡i¢ h¿¢J¡ ©L¡l¢zu, A¼¤ J¤j¬¡©´¡o¢©c¡¨T¡¸« ©Oy¼ l¢lj« oo©É¡n« c¢¹¨q As¢i¢´¤¼¤. h¿¢J¨i FV¢©×¡s¢iv ©f¡tV¢©k´® S¹w p¡tÀlh¡i¢ o§¡LY« ¨O़¤. oh£Èi¤¨T h¡c¬ l¡ic´¡t©´lt´¤« ¨Fm§j¬ d¥t»h¡¨i¡y H¡X´¡kh¡m«o¢´¤¼¤..... o©oîp« mm¢ d¢¾ J¤j¢i¡©´¡o® hX¢i¡¶¤J¤T¢i¢v ¨Íc¢ Jqd¤ji®́ v Ac¤ l¡j¢it.

Cartoon by Dr. Thomas Kodenkandath

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From the President’s Desk

It is a time of celebration, enjoyment, and nostalgia. KANE Executive Committee wishes you all a meaningful and enjoyable Onam. Let us make our dreams a reality. Change is in the air: listen to radio, TV, or talk to someone. Talk of change is everywhere. Are there changes needed in your life? Do we need to make a change? Isn't it time to say goodbye to that IST (Indian Stretchable Time)? Or should we change that "My way or the highway" attitude?

I think we need to change as well, at least for the sake of our youngsters. One of the founding principles of KANE is to pass the culture and values that we hold close in our community to our youngsters. Our children will be watching us very closely. Our children will learn a lot from us and from the environment in which they interact. They will definitely make judgments based on what they see in us, what they experience with us. How can we ask them to walk forward while we walk backward? We want them to be proud of their culture and heritage. They should be able to declare it aloud in front of their peers. Are we making them proud of their culture? We have the responsibility to create such an environment if we want to be successful in our mission. This calls for some change. Let us start by arriving to our programs on time. For that to happen, our members need to be present and punctual. Let us attempt to be on time for our functions and other parties, agree to disagree courteously in discussions, and work with others on common causes. Many of us have influence and power in many areas, and many of you are doing a lot of good things for society as individuals. Are we making progress collectively, as a community? I feel we can do better. We are so preoccupied with our families and our own needs that we do not find any time to get involved in the communities in which we live. When one of us get involved, it is most often as an individual, and we do not seem to seek unity with any other organizations. However, the more awareness we create concerning our community in the Boston area, the more acceptance our kids will receive. They will be proud of our heritage. May God Bless You ! Jose Puthanpurackal

President KANE

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India-U.S. Nuclear Deal Running Out of Time

Commentary by Chuck Leddy

The present Bush administration has been,

at least in its public rhetoric, a passionate opponent of the spread of nuclear weapons and nuclear technology. Whether in dealing with Iran, North Korea, or Saddam Hussein’s Iraq before the 2003 U.S. invasion, the Bush administration has made nuclear nonproliferation a centerpiece of its aggressive global agenda. The U.S. invaded Iraq back in 2003 because it believed, and sold the American people on the fact (later proven false), that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD), including nuclear and chemical weapons. As U.S. Secretary of State Condi Rice famously put it, rebuffing public skepticism about Saddam Huusein’s alleged WMD: “We don’t want the smoking gun to be a [nuclear] mushroom cloud.” In other words, let’s shoot first and ask questions later.

Of course, the Bush administration was wrong about Saddam’s having nuclear weapons. The president’s record on nuclear nonproliferation has been, to put it mildly, a mixed one. While Bush says he’s ready to do almost anything to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, he keeps quiet about U.S. allies like Pakistan that already have the bomb (and may have used U.S. foreign aid to help build it). As the number

of nations in the “nuclear club” continues to grow, selective enforcement of international rules against proliferation is more common and more troubling than ever.

Keeping this background in mind, it now appears that the 2005 nuclear agreement between India and the United States is on the brink of failure. The deal would allow India to purchase nuclear technology and use it for commercial energy purposes. But opponents of the agreement, both in the U.S. and India, justifiably argue that India could easily use this technology to strengthen its nuclear weapons arsenal. India, like Pakistan, has refused to ban the testing of nuclear weapons. India has tested nuclear weapons in 1974 and 1998. With political instability in Pakistan, and the long history of animosity between Pakistan and India, the U.S.-India nuclear agreement could not only fuel India’s growing energy commercial needs but might also fuel a dangerous nuclear arms race in South Asia and put the world on the brink of nuclear disaster. As the nuclear club grows, regional disputes automatically become global crises. The U.S.-India agreement was approved by India’s Parliament by the narrowest of votes, with massive opposition coming from left-

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leaning members. Now the agreement is in front of the U.S. Congress. But it’s doubtful if Congress will approve the agreement before the end of the November election. President Bush, who championed the nuclear agreement, is now a lame duck and Congress will likely wait for his successor before voting on the agreement. Republican candidate John McCain has supported the agreement, but Democratic candidate Barack Obama has expressed reservations about it.

Equally problematic, the U.S. India agreement cannot work unless the 45-nation Nuclear Supplies Group grants a waiver allowing export of nuclear technology to India. The NSG wants India to ban nuclear weapons testing as a condition for its receiving a waiver. So far, the NSG has been split between nations backing the U.S.-India

deal and nations demanding the Indian testing ban as a precondition. After much passionate debate, China (which opposes granting a waiver) walked out on the discussions. Finally, in early September, the NSG granted the waiver, but bad feelings remain after this intense, often-heated diplomacy. What will happen to the U.S.-India nuclear agreement? Probably we’ll have to wait until after the U.S. elections to know the answer. If U.S. voters reject McCain and the Republicans, thereby tacitly repudiating the Bush administration, the agreement will doubtless be in serious jeopardy. Right now, the clock is working against the agreement. It’s supremely ironic that one of the last acts of the Bush administration, which will surely be defined by history for its questionable invasion of Iraq based on non-existing nuclear weapons, may be in support of spreading nuclear technology to India. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this

article are solely those of the author and do

not reflect the views of Sameeksha or KANE.

Doctorappa

- Prabhakar T. Rajan

I want to thank you for the beer I stole, smuggling it still warm

up to the open terrace where it lunged

at me as I sat with the clay tiles scorching my thighs. The still wall of afternoon dangled its feet. Below,

in dim parlors decked in hot snakes of air swirling from ceiling fans

the women sat with folded hands

staring into soft silences.

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We remained strangers almost

to the very end, you and I, grasping awkwardly at each other in fits and starts and coming away

with tufts of air. We couldn’t even synchronize an embrace. You

wanted a real boy. Something tough,

tousled, grinning. Not girly-plump and prickly. And I

wanted more of you, much more,

in the ordinary doorway of evenings, and in the crumbs

of burnt breakfasts, milk snorted laughter,

trouser splits, anecdotes wearing threadbare….

We had that moment alone before the end. You cried, very simply because you were afraid to die and I

held your hand. And I spoke to you of all the years of your fingers gentle

with the fear in large eyes. And that soft serious courtesy you stiffened into

with the very old

and the very poor.

After the funeral I went back

up to the terrace, before leaving. The evening was a parrot, red-green and screeching. I sat thinking about nights of hot milk and bananas

and noses in books. Of how quietly you shook us at dawn. Of the quivering

in your moustache before

gap-toothed laughter. Of the flowing narrative of your hands. And I made

peace with you, lifting up an offering of forgiveness asked and given. ‘Cheers,’

I said,

and took another swig.

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The Temple - Krishna

When Madhavan invited me to be his

guest during the festival in his temple, I never thought that the temple had such a story. I had already visited his home while we were in service, but this was to be a real occasion for celebration. And Madhavan seemed to be the one and only priest and authority in the temple. Everyone obeyed his words and direction. There were many interesting programs during the night also and Madhavan had made me sit at a convenient place to view it all.

The programs ended only by dawn

and then he sent me to his house to have some rest and to get ready for the return journey to my home. He had some more works in the temple and came home by 9’o’ clock. Then he walked me to the bus stand and on the way I said:

“When I came here the last time, I did not see this temple.”

“It was there. But the building was made only recently.”

“It seems that you are the man behind all this. Did you spend all the terminal benefits after this venture?”

“No. Nothing like that. It is public money. They made me the priest of this temple and I am looking after the affairs. After all, it is my duty to God.”

“But I can understand that you managed it all. How did you achieve this?”

He hesitated a little and then said:

“There is an incident behind all this. It is a secret known only to me and probably to one more person, if my guess is true. I did not do anything wrong or sinful and yet, I feel sometimes that I have cheated my villagers. It is becoming a total confusion.”

It was really interesting!

Then he turned to me and took my hand in his. “O.K. I will say it all to you. After all, you are not from this place and you can see it all in a different angle. So next week, I will come to your home. And there I will tell it all. I have to say it at least to one person. Otherwise, it will suffocate and kill me, I am afraid.”

And as promised, he came the next week to my house. There, in absolute secrecy, he narrated that story.

It was his routine since school days to go and sit under the Peepul tree whenever he felt gloomy. While sitting under it, he used to think about God and Nature and it gave him solace. Gradually, his mind started relating the tree with God and he began explaining his sorrows and disappointments to it. During those times, he had a feeling that the tree consoled him silently and lovingly.

One day, while sitting there, he saw

something lying in front of him. In the

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receding sunlight, it was shining with a reddish whiteness, looking very beautiful. On an impulse, he got up and took it in his hand. It was a piece of rock about six inches long with one end narrower than the other. He went on looking at it for quite sometime and then got up and dug a small pit and fixed the piece of rock in it vertically with the narrow end down. And then he noted that it had a slight bent at the top.

During that night, there was torrential downpour. And in the morning, when he went to the tree, he saw the stone submerged in water. But by afternoon, the water dried up and the rock piece stood there with mud all around and upon it. He cleared it all and kept some small stones around it. He put some flowers too on and around it. Then he remembered the cold dawns when his grandmother awakened him early and took him to temple. He liked always to pray in the temple, but the long walk to the temple was tiresome. Then a thought struck him. Maybe, this is the idol of God for me alone. Otherwise, why I was attracted to it yesterday, why I had fixed it here, and why there was the rain to clean the entire area?

So it became his temple, where he went and prayed daily and offered flowers.

Later, he got the job and had to be away from home with wife and son for thirty years, except while on leave. However, he never forgot to go to the tree at least once, whenever he visited his native place.

After retirement, he returned to his

place for permanent stay. His son had already got a job and was away from home.

Every day he visited his private temple. To him, it seemed a direct display of God’s affection towards him that even after a long period of more than thirty years, his idol stood there, clean and tidy, as if expecting his return to native place! With this thought in mind, he bought a small iron lamp and placed it in front of the ‘idol’ and lighted it every morning and evening. He kept a small box too near it for making offerings. He never invited his wife or anyone to his temple, although by this time a rumor had somehow spread in the village that it was an idol, which was always there and was worshipped by their forefathers from time immemorial! And once, when Madhavan faced a major financial problem, he prayed to the ‘deity’ to solve it and it indeed got solved! The government paid him the arrears of pension, which was long due! Thereafter, he had no qualms in believing that it was really an idol of a former generation and it is the grace of God upon him that he was to re-instate it. And he never went to any other temple thereafter.

By this time, he began to think that it was necessary to make proper shelter to the idol to save it from the sun and rain and storm. In fact, during rainy nights, he was unable to sleep and lying on his bed he wept with guilt for leaving the idol in the open to suffer the rain.

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Gradually, the thought became an obsession that day and night he planned about raising funds for the works. He even thought of spending his retirement benefits on it, but the fear of criticism from relatives stopped him from taking such a step. So he thought of collecting donations for this great work from the local people and relatives staying far away.

So, one fine morning, he started to Alappuzha, a town twenty two kilometers away, where a rich and god-fearing relative was staying. He explained the need to build a proper shelter to the great deity below the Peepul tree.

But the reaction was quite contrary to his expectation. The man heard it all patiently and then said that there are a lot of such places and it is not possible to build temple everywhere. Anyway, considering the long journey Madhavan had undertaken, the man donated a one hundred rupee note.

The very first experience itself being a disappointing one, he left the idea of collecting donations. But then, how was he to construct a small temple there?

All the enthusiasm of the morning deserted him and he felt weak and tired when he got up to go the bus station.

But the man did not let Madhavan to depart so soon. After all, they were close relatives and were meeting each other after a long time. So he compelled Madhavan to have lunch at his home and to take some rest and to go thereafter.

It had already become dark when he reached the bus station. His place being a village, the Fast Passenger or Express buses did not stop there and so he had to travel in

the slow-going buses, which was always crowded and took a lot of time.

He was in no mood to travel all the way in standing position in a crowded bus and so, after trying in two buses unsuccessfully, he returned to the bus station building to wait for a convenient bus. And it was already 8’o’

clock in the evening.

He sat on a concrete bench in a dark corner waiting for the bus to come.

After some time, another person came

and sat near him. He was smoking a beedi and in the dim, momentary light of it, he looked like and blackish, stout person. Then he threw away the beedi, opened the shirt buttons and blew inside as if he was feeling too hot. Thereafter, he turned to Madhavan and asked casually:

“Where you have to go?”

He said the place name and after a while continued: “I came here about one hour ago. Two buses also went that way, but they were so much crowded that I could not get in.”

“But there are very few buses now which stop there. So do not miss the next bus and get in it at any cost.”

“Where you have to go?” “Ampalapuzha.” Their conversation seemed to end

there. But Madhavan liked to have him there to talk and to forget his disappointment at least for the time being. So he continued:

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“What is your name?” “Krishnan.” “And my name is Madhavan.”

Madhavan said without his asking. Then the man asked: “What made you

come here? To meet somebody?” Madhavan replied in affirmative and

then an uncontrollable urge took over him and he began to narrate the purpose of his visit and his disappointment to Krishnan. He was so carried away during the process that his voice became wet with unshed tears by the time he stopped talking. And when he realized that he was telling all this to a stranger, he turned his face to hide the embarrassment.

The man did not say anything for quite

sometime. And then, he said: “Your bus may come any time now. “ And when Madhavan got up to go, the

man said: “God will find a remedy to your

problem. So, don’t worry.” And then, as if an afterthought struck him, he said slowly:

“I know a person who can help you in this.”

“Where is he?” Asked Madhavan with

eyes again alive with eagerness. “He is my friend and neighbor. But

you don’t worry; I will speak to him and arrange it.” After thinking for a while he continued: “And you do one thing. Next Thursday, you come here before 5’o’ clock. The Bangalore Express will come at 5.15. Get in it and take a ticket to Ernakulam. And when it reaches near the temple, tell the conductor to stop the bus and to let you get down there. Then my friend will see you and your temple and will rouse his hidden power

to help you. And pray to your God to make the mission a success.”

Madhavan could not understand as to

how it was going to work. By this time, his bus had parked.

Looking at the bus he asked: “Have I to pay anything to that man?” “No. But there will be a little

expense. About a hundred rupees. Keep it with you when you will get in the bus on Thursday. The concerned person will take it.”

“Thanks.” Said Madhavan and ran towards his bus, which was getting ready to go.

Throughout the journey and then

throughout the next two days, he was thinking about it. He wanted to discuss it with his wife, but had no courage, for fear of her laughing at him.

On Thursday morning he took the

decision. The time was now 5.20 and

Bangalore Express had already arrived. Madhavan got in the bus. He was trembling, as if he was doing something illegal. And when the bus started to move, he bought a ticket to Cochin, which was its first halt after Alappuzha. There was a vacant seat, but Madhavan felt that he was an outsider with no right to sit. But the conductor pointed at the seat and he sat down.

Half an hour passed. The bus was to

reach his place any time. Madhavan got up. He knew that his request to stop the bus there will make him a laughing stock among the passengers. His face went crimson.

Reaching near the conductor, he said

stiffly: “Please stop it near the temple there.”

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The conductor looked at him for a

while and then turned his face, as if he does not deserve a reply. And the passengers who heard him also looked at him with irritation showing on their faces. Why such foolish people enter in the Express bus, trying to waste our precious time?

Madhavan had no idea as to what to

do now. The bus was very near the temple. And in his anxiety to get down and to get rid off the trying experience, he said again, in a desperate voice:

“I say, please stop it.” And Madhavan could not believe it!

The bus stopped! It whirred and coughed for a while and then the engine went dead.

Now it was the turn of the conductor

and other passengers to look worried. They looked at Madhavan, who was going to get down, to escape from the bus. But the conductor stopped him.

“Don’t open the door.” And Madhavan removed his fingers

from the door handle.

But the bus did not move. The

conductor got up and went to the driver, who was trying to get it again started. And seeing the opportunity, Madhavan opened the door and got out. A sigh of relief escaped him and then only he realized that a wonder had really

occurred! The Bangalore Express stopping near his temple, for him to get down!

Trembling with excitement, he moved

towards the temple. With folded hands and eyes filled with love and reverence towards his God, he stood in front of the idol for quite some time. In that worshipful mood of total surrender, he felt that his life had become really meaningful.

Then he turned and looked at the bus.

It was still there. He went near it and said to the conductor:

“Go to the temple and make an offering. Only then the bus will move.”

As soon as he said it, he wondered as

to why he said it. But his statement had made the passengers restive and they all started asking the conductor to try it. One man even offered a ten rupee note to the conductor.

The conductor waited a little more and

then got down from the bus and moved towards the idol saying that he will do so just because the passengers asked him. And half-heartedly, he put a one rupee coin in front of the idol. And when he turned to return to the bus, to the astonishment of everyone, the engine started!

Surprised, the conductor turned to the

idol, looked at it for a moment, then folded his hands in veneration and put a five rupee note into the offertory box. The passengers too could not believe their ears and eyes! And Madhavan did not know what to think. He just moved towards the idol and stood there with closed eyes for a minute and then returned to the bus, which was already on the move and the passengers were looking at him with disbelief in their eyes. A few of them were even waving and saying good-bye to him. And one person put a coin in front of him as an offering to God!

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By this time, a few local people had

assembled there and were discussing the miraculous powers of the Peepul deity. And within no time, Madhavan had become the hero of the village. Overnight the story spread from house to house. Of course, one doubting Thomas asked him the reason for getting in the Bangalore express to come to that place, but before Madhavan gave any reply, other people interfered and explained that Madhavan already knew of the powers of the Peepul god and he was certain that it will stop the bus at the right place at the right time. And Madhavan humbly said that he was in a hurry and hoped that god will help him.

And the next morning, when he was

praying with closed eyes in front of the Peepul god, he heard a small noise behind him. He turned and looked and to his surprise and delight, he noted that about twenty people were there behind him, praying with folded hands!

Gradually, the villagers accepted the

Peepul god as the main deity of the village and began making offerings in cash and kind. They made Madhavan the one and only priest of the temple. (They had already accepted it as a temple). And it became almost a custom in the village that whenever somebody bought a new vehicle, it was to be brought first to the Peepul deity – who had already exhibited its power over vehicles – to get it blessed.

Madhavan gave them sandal paste and also applied a little of it on the vehicle and before taking away the vehicle, they put something in the offertory box.

After one year, he opened the box and

to his astonishment, it was filled with cash. A few one- hundred - rupee notes were also among them!

And with that money, he started

constructing the building and the minimum necessities for a temple. Knowing this, the villagers began making special contribution to the construction fund and the construction works as per his plan completed within a year.

When Madhavan finished telling the

story, I said: “I don’t think anything is wrong or

illegal or deceptive in all this.” “May be you are right. It is only a

doubt. But still I feel….” He hesitated to continue.

“Don’t talk in riddles.” I was feeling a sort of frustration. “Unless you make it clear, I cannot reply to you.”

“O.K. I will make it clear. I told you the entire story, no? But did not say one thing. When the bus had halted near our temple, I happened to see the driver. He was smiling at me.”

“So what? Can’t he smile?” “Not only that. The face looked

familiar. It was that man, I think.” “Which man.?” “The person whom I met in the bus

stand. Krishnan.” I thought for a while. It was quite

possible. In fact, it was the only possibility. But now my duty is to liberate

Madhavan from such thought, I decided.

And when the decision was taken, I turned to him and scrutinized his face for

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quite a while, as if he was telling a lie. And then I asked:

“But you said that both of you were sitting in darkness in the bus stand.”

“That is right. But….but, I feel that I saw his face once.”

“So nothing is certain. You are not sure that it was the same person. O.K? Now…., can you recognize him if you happen to see him again?”

“That I am not sure.” He said. “That simply means that you had not

seen him properly.” “But then why he was smiling at me.?

Will someone smile to a stranger while in an awkward situation? Now you may say that it is also my imagination. But I have no doubt about that. He smiled at me. I am sure. It was while I returned from the temple.”

I tried to visualize the scene. Then

suddenly, as if reminded by someone, I asked: “So it was after the bus started to

move again, no?” “Yes.” “Why you are seeing everything

upside down?” I asked. “He was in trouble. His bus was not moving. Naturally, he had been tense. Then suddenly, for reason unknown to him, it came to life. Now, do you mean to say that he should not smile at that moment? He might have smiled to himself. Or to God. A smile of relief. Or he might even have smiled to you. After all, you were the person, who became instrumental in bringing the bus back to life.”

He went on looking at my face. And I

was certain that I had won the case. He had no argument to contradict me.

“May be you are right.” He said at last. “It all may be my imagination. But then…” He tried to recollect something and then said: “But then…, he had told about some expenses. About a hundred rupees.”

I was thinking for an explanation that he shrieked out: “Yes. That was it. The bus fare. It was about hundred rupees.”

“So what? Anyway, the bus fare had to be paid.”

After some time I added: “Now suppose that it was the same

man. Even then, it is not you who arranged it. It all happened. Maybe that is how God bless us. And the promise of that man to help you was an expression of God. Or you take it this way. God manifested in him as the idea and he reacted to it positively.” I stopped and then continued to convince him fully. “Or maybe it was your will.”

“My will?” “Yes. Your will. You might have

heard the saying that where there is a will there is a way.”

“Oh. That will.” “Yes. That will. And may be, that will

is God or God is that will. Anyway, I hope that you have no more confusion now.”

“No. And many many thanks.” He said. ###################################

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What should I do with my life?

���������������� ������������

Often people say that life is short. It really is not, but it is damned to short and valuable to be lived on regrets and harping on the same string forever. I have had some regrets and God knows that I’ve done my share of harping but I try to tell myself that the time simply wasn’t right to do what I wanted or should have done back when my seeds of regret were planted. When I was about fifteen years old I dreamt about studying nursing, but that is not what I did after finishing high school. The time just wasn’t right then. Instead, the time turned out to be favorable when I turned forty-two. Timing, as well as not giving into fears, is important. Fears have a tendency of blocking all possible roads in life, no matter how widely open they actually are. If people are to feel regrets about something in their lives, then they should learn from these

regrets and try to do something about it instead of lingering on them. Lingering will only lead to the consumption of all one’s energy without leading to any results.

If I do not know what it is exactly that I want to do with my life, how am I supposed to know what road to follow? I believe that people’s souls know the way and it will lead them to the right road if they just stop and listen. When the soul is listened to and the path is followed, peace of mind will be found and one can be successful with whatever task one wants to start.

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Many people think that they know exactly who they are, what they want and so on, but somehow it is quite usual that people still are not in sync with their own soul. Trust in God. It is very important to always know who you are, where you are, and what you are really doing, not just on the surface, but deep inside also. When I feel in harmony with my own soul, I feel capable of almost anything. We all carry immense powers inside us. The problem is that the majority of people have not learned how to use these powers. They will always be there for you when you follow your heart and soul. They will never leave you even if you neglect them. Even though these powers may not be those of witches and wizards, they are still very important and useful to our beings. The greatest strength that someone may possess is their soul. We must learn what mental powers we possess, how to use them, and to trust them and not be afraid of using them. We must try to help others to be happy. If something nice is seen or if somebody does something, it should be told to others. There are always possibilities to

give compliments. Even the smallest compliment might make the biggest change in someone’s day. Laugh and the world will laugh with you. I know that helping others and giving compliments to others makes me feel better with my own life as well. The best gift I can get is the joy in the face of my clients. When I was younger, I always had the dream of moving abroad to work in some exciting country like America. Now that I sit here, I realize that my time here has been and will be filled with useful lessons and experiences. I really feel that I am now the right person at the right place. Now I can see that this is something that I like. I get a new perspective on everything in my life, a perspective on what I find to be good and bad in my home country of India, but I also learn to cherish my family, my hometown, and my friends. Time is what you put into it. Love life and love yourself. It is not always the best thing to just follow the flow. Enjoy all the small and simple things in life. This is what I want to do with my life.

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Crimson MemoriesCrimson MemoriesCrimson MemoriesCrimson Memories - Sasi Pillai

O dear, here I am again

At this splendid isolation

In this cemetery with no mystery

Where you rest in peace forever

Basking in the gleam of eternal silence

Hovering over you like an aura of serenity

I did not bring you white lilies this time

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I brought you a bunch of crimson roses

For it reminds me of that crimson blush

You wore on your face when our eyes met

For the first time in that cloistered breezeway

To seal my inexorable fate irreversibly forever

I was stumbling into the serendipity of my destiny

When you tripped over to my arms…

Against the gravity of your tender gait

When I searched the depth of your eyes

Which were locked in mine… in that blissful moment

I saw the crimson roses blossoming on your face

O dear, and don’t you remember that lovely evening?

On the beachfront, just before sunset

You and I walked hand in hand

I watched the parting sun casting its crimson rays

All over your face with a feeling of jealousy

You stood there crimson-lit, holding my hand tight

So did the sky above us, holding its breath tight

Then all of a sudden, a surging wave gently touched our feet

As if to tell us a sad tale frothing in its soul for long

Was it a premonition of everything to follow?

These crimson roses I am leaving for you

Will wither away in a day or two …..

But those crimson memories I hold dear to my heart

Never will wane, even after I embrace

That deep good night sleep…..

To reach you in your celestial tranquility!!

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Business Corner

What income is Not taxable ? -Shaju jacob

A client once asked an old accountant the above question. He answered: “All

income is taxable unless the tax law specifically says it is not.” Clever, but not very informative. For an average person, and perhaps even for an ordinary accountant, tax law is an intricate maze of perplexities. Generally speaking most everything of value received by an individual must be reported as income for tax purposes. But the federal tax law has many specific exclusions. Here’s a list of income that is generally not taxable to you. (There are always exceptions. That is why

most people seek the service of a trusted tax

professional like a CPA for preparing their

tax returns. This is where I can be of help to

you.)

(1) Life insurance proceeds and death benefits. (2) Gifts and most amounts you might inherit. (3) Interest you receive on state and local obligations, otherwise known as tax free municipal bonds. (4) Compensation for injuries or sickness. (5) Reimbursements for medical expenses or medical insurance provided as a fringe benefit by your employer.

(6) Some life insurance premiums paid by your employer under a plan to provide a similar benefit to all employees. (7) Disability benefits, so long you did not deduct the premiums. (8) Any amount of debt that a creditor agrees not to collect (accountants call it “income from forgiveness of indebtedness”) if your liabilities still exceed your assets after that forgiveness. (9) Amounts paid or reimbursed by your landlord for leasehold improvements to your business location. (10) Scholarships and fellowships, as long as you are not required to perform services in order to receive them. (11) Meals and lodging provided by your employer, on the employer’s premises, for the convenience of the employer, and required to be accepted by you as a condition of employment. (12) Gain from the sale of your principal residence (a dwelling used by you as your principal residence for at least two out of five years preceding its sale) subject to a $250,000 cap. ($500,000 in a joint return) (13) Insurance reimbursements for your increased living expenses if you are unable to occupy your principal residence due to fire, storm, or other casualty. (14) Up to $5,250 per year paid by your employer, pursuant to an educational assistance program, for your tuition and related costs of attending college. (15) Up to $5,000 per year paid by your employer for the care of your dependent child or disabled spouse as part of a dependent care assistance program.

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(16) Foster care payments you receive from the state or a qualified foster care placement agency to assist you in caring for a foster child in your home. (17) There are ten minor but valuable benefits related to your employment: (a) A service your employer regularly offers for sale to customers, for which no substantial additional cost is incurred when providing it to you, such as free flights for airline employees. (b) An employee discount of up to 20% on services or the employer’s gross profit on property (employee discounts for department store workers), (c) The cost of any property or service provided to you by your employer if you could have paid and deducted the amount yourself (uniforms or training), (d) Any property or service provided to you that would cost more to account for than the value of the thing itself (think donuts!), (e) Employer-provided transportation with a van pool, mass transit pass, or parking near the work place or the mass transit terminal (in 2008 the untaxed monthly benefit is $115 for transportation and $220 for parking), (f) Employer-provided transportation because of unsafe conditions (late night shuttles), (g) Any amount of moving expenses paid by your employer that would have been deductible if you paid them yourself, (h) Retirement planning services offered to all employees of an employer that maintains a qualified retirement plan, (i) The value of on-premises athletic facilities provided for your use by your employer, and (j) Any allowance or benefit (other than personal use of a vehicle) that you receive as a member or former member of the uniformed services. (18) Interest income on Series EE and I savings bonds when the proceeds are used

for higher education (subject to several limitations). (19) Up to $11,650 of adoption assistance payments received from your employer in 2008. (20) Any expense reimbursement you receive from fellow employees for transporting them to and from work (carpool reimbursement). (21) Any contribution to your household expenses by a child who is your dependent. (22) Relocation payments under provisions of various federal acts (such as the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974). (23) Receipt or use of frequent flier miles (although a basis adjustment may be required when miles are awarded in connection with an asset acquisition). (24) Payments you receive from federal or

state programs to encourage capital spending on conservation and pollution control measures. That’s quite a list . . . and as you might guess, each of the listed items has unique rules, conditions, and limitations that must be considered before you can take advantage of the income exclusion. If you have questions about any item on the list and how it might affect you, please call me. I will be glad to provide additional information to help you secure the full benefit of income that is not taxable.

- Shaju Jacob, MBA, CPA. http://www.SJacobCPA.com/

____________________________________ Note: The information contained in the above article

is provided for informational purposes only and shall

not constitute tax or legal advice. Each individual’s

tax situation is unique and you should check with

your accountant or other tax professional for

particular advice on your situation.

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Youth Corner WAKE UP, MOTHER EARTH

IS CALLING YOU!

- Tulasi Ravindran

It was an early morning time in Kerala during my school vacation. I was doing my daily jog. The sun had barely come out, the eastern horizon was smiling at me with its shining red cheek. While I was jogging, some of the fellow joggers wished good morning to me and I reciprocated with a smile. Suddenly I saw a white sheet of paper flying in the morning breeze soar like a flying carpet. I jumped and caught it. It was written on the paper “5kms to KAPT PARK BIRD’S NEST and the next clue is on the tree at the eastern corner”. I was confused, I did not think too much. I jumped into a passing bus that was going towards KAPT Park. The conductor with his money pouch came and demanded for the money, I bestowed the money. It did not take too long for me to reach there, I was doing some legwork around the park in search of the tree, and I found a tree in the far eastern corner. So for a lucky go, I climbed up the tree scouring for the clue. Then in the tiny fork of the tree I saw a small rectangular sheet. Filled with curiosity I opened up the sheet of paper. “Shall thou seek thy next clue beneath thyself” was what the paper contained. Hurriedly I dug into the rich soil, entangled in the roots of the shady tree was a plastic bag which contained my tip. My heart was thumping so hard that any moment it could have burst out, I grabbed the piece of paper. It contained “A place where an old man reads his news paper shall thy find the next clue”. So in a moments break I ran towards the

bench and found a white slip hanging from its handle. It read “Beside the grand fountain at the home of earth savers shall thy seek ones treasure”.

One could not number my pulse rate as it was beating so fast, I reached the fountain. It stood proud shining and reflecting the early noon rays of the sun with its silver embroidery. Standing in utter confusion, unable to understand the clue was scouring for houses. The fountain was located in the peak center of the park and there was not a building in sight. The words were repeating in my mind and constantly trying to unravel its true meaning. Then in a flash moment it struck to me. Earthworms! Who else could serve our mother earth in a better? So without a moment’s hesitation I dug underneath the earth when I suddenly stopped. To find a marvelous chest embedded with jewels like those one would find in the Mughal age. Snug in the cozy waves of velvet rest a tiny seed. Ring Ring! Sung my alarm clock as it did every morning. Wondering where I was and worried about the seed I woke up. When I realized it was just a dream, laughing I thought, was this just a simple dream or one which was meant to awaken my instincts and start to save our mother earth.

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The Doha Round - Meera Kallupurakal

The Doha Round is an on going international debate regarding international trade. These talks are headed by the World Trade Organization. The purpose of the debate this year was to lower the barriers international trade, and encouraging free trade among wealthy countries and their third world counterparts. Brazil, the United States, China, India, and the European Union were some of the big players in the talks. The Doha talks started in 2001, in Doha Quatar, and recommence every year, in a different location. This year’s talks took place in Geneva Switzerland over nine days, starting on July 21st. One way that countries are looking to lower barriers on international trade is through agricultural trade. Headed by Brazil and India, many developing countries asked that the US reduce trade-distorting domestic support for agriculture. Without this break,

many small farmers in developing nations will not be able to sell their grain to people because of the cheaper priced imported from other countries. Other issues that were discussed included the need for worker visas. These temporary visas are very important to the people of developing countries because they provide an important source of employment for skilled workers. Because of this need, both the EU and the US have agreed to offer more temporary work visas and made them more accessible. Although this goal was accomplished, the Doha talks will have to continue because many of the major issues, such as agricultural tariffs, have yet to be resolved. While this year’s negotiations did have a few policy breakthroughs, there are a lot more issues to be resolved in the next Doha Round.

THE STORY OF ONAM - Christa Jacob

Onam is one of the biggest festivals in

Kerala. However, there is a lot more to Onam than just a holiday. This is commemorated as a tribute to the King who reigned in Kerala

long ago. So it is celebrated to praise and give a warm welcome to the return of King Mahabali (in spirit). Onam takes place in the beginning of the month of Chingam, the first month on the Malayalam calendar

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(Kollavarsham). This would be the month of September on OUR calendar.

According to legend, he was a kind,

loyal, and generous man who ruled over the state with great care. Everybody in the kingdom was happy and content. There was no discrimination or crimes. There was no poverty or sadness either. The people of Kerala rejoiced him. Therefore, Kerala was experiencing its golden era. The gods became jealous and envied King Mahabali’s high power. So they came up with a conspiring scheme to prevent Mahabali’s increasing fame from going any further. Lord Vishnu disguised himself as a dwarf and a poor brahmin named Vamana. Then he set off toward the kingdom to request a piece of land, as much that could be covered by his three steps. Of course, the king agreed to give him the land. The king’s adviser sensed that Vamana was not an ordinary person and warned the king about making that promise. But the king said that it was a sin for him to back on his words, so he gave the Brahmin the land. At that, Vamana began to expand. With his first step, he covered the earth. With his second step, he covered the whole sky. Then King Mahabali realized that this really was no ordinary person, and knew that with his third step, he would crush all the people. So he told the Vamana to place his last step on his head, so Vamana pushed him down to patala (the nether world). There the King

requested the Brahmin to reveal his true identity. Lord Vishnu then appeared before the king. The lord told the king that he came to test him and he passed. Lord Vishnu also granted a boon to the king. Since the Mahabali became so attached with his kingdom and his people, he asked that he be allowed to visit Kerala once a year. The Lord was pleased to grant this wish. And now that day is what we refer to as Onam.

Onam was made the national festival of Kerala in 1961. The traditional clothing of Kerala is worn on this day. We eat a delicious vegetarian entrée served on a banana leaf. Not to mention the athapoo, this is a colorful array of flower petals skillfully arranged for display. There’s lots of singing and dancing, thiruvathira in particular; also, the dancing tiger, these are all parts of what makes Onam special. I’d like to wish every one a happy Onam and may Mahabali reign forever!

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Squirrel

- Jithin Palooparambil

Near an oak tree

The squirrel runs around Sniffs the air

Inhales, exhales Climbs the old tree

Quickly dodges Two branches;

Stops suddenly, waits; Snatches with tiny

Hands, at a passing leaf, Stares, jumps,

Falls on it’s back, Yells, with

No sound: Quietly Rests forever

In his carefree life.

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