Between you & me

CHENNAI

IT IS now four weeks since the United States started bombing Afghanistan. The major cities have borne the brunt, and vital installations like radio stations and airports have been destroyed. It is difficult to figure out what the cost in human terms is, for Taliban obviously exaggerates the numbers which the U.S. equally rejects. Since the U.S. has considerable accountability to the media and its own people, I tend to believe American statements. But no one wants a wholesale massacre of uninvolved persons. There is already criticism from friendly countries and from its own people of the saturation bombing the U.S. is doing. It is not as if it is an easy job that the U.S. has undertaken. It is certainly not a case of taking a howitzer to kill a fly. The terrain of Afghanistan is as wild as the moonscape. The land is rugged and there are innumerable hills and caves where one can take shelter. This is what many Afghans are doing, finding refuge in the caves, especially the top brass. And the Afghans are tough people, being hardened by the weather and the rugged terrain, and quite willing to suffer endless privations. They are not easy people to subjugate. There is an apocryphal story to the effect that after the British lost the war to Afghans, a British Officer asked his counterpart how they were able to defeat the much better armed British, the Afghan replied with surprise: But we did not have tea-breaks as you did. Several American leaders and officials have suggested that the war will not end soon.

In the meantime, both India and Pakistan, allied in their support of the U.S., somehow manage to maintain their belligerence towards one another. Pakistan has come a long way from the Agra talks. It keeps harping on Kashmir and silent on cross-border terrorism. India is flexing its muscles in retaliation. One only hopes for intelligent restraint from both countries.

* * *

ANTHRAX IS something I was vaguely familiar with as a disease that attacks cattle. I little realised that the material that causes anthrax can be manufactured in laboratories. This newest biological weapon has to be taken seriously, but fortunately there are antidotes, which act effectively. The problem is every call regarding anthrax has to be taken seriously - there are bound to be hoaxes, resulting in loss of time, remembering those sick jokers who call, warning about bombs hidden in airplanes.

In our own backyard, the elections to the local bodies duly took place. All the expected illegal electioneering, including violence, were gone through. It now remains to be seen how many election petitions are going to be moved. In the mean time, the voters get back to their roadless villages, thinking wistfull about the Arcadia the candidates had so cheerfully promised during electioneering.

* * *

A FEW weeks ago, I had mentioned the strange use of the English language in Tamil TV series (for all I know, English is mangled in the other languages too, but I know only Tamil). Quite a few readers responded, mentioning their pet aversions. Two which I had overlooked: neenga romba over ah pesareenga, meaning, I presume, you are talking too much. The other is a beauty - edathai kali pannunga, which literally means, vacate the place, but on TV it means, get out.

Being confined to the house for a while, and having nothing to do, I got to watching Tamil programmes on TV. It was interesting for more than one reason. First of all, smoking. In several shows the characters puff away like mad. This at a time when everybody is inveighing against smoking, and the Supreme Court has asked for a ban on smoking in public places. Also, drinking by several characters, lead characters I should have said, often in bars, steal the scene in nearly half the show. I was also struck by the fact that subjects which had to be shown, if at all, enjoy pride of place in Tamil TV; abortion, adultery, illicit sex, divorce, cheating of every kind. I was also impressed by the sets which apparently are rented for the day.

* * *

A BRIEF story this time, Parthasarathy. A man, who had a grandfather clock to be repaired, carried it on his shoulder to the clock- repairing shop. A woman came along, and was unfortunately knocked down by the clock. She picked herself and asked in deep indignation: Why don't you wear a wrist watch like everybody else?

S. KRISHNAN

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Features
Previous : Of food and cooks
Next     : Sparkling with messages