tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69651326317355519522024-03-13T19:04:36.744-07:00Articulations OnlineReflections of an articulate laymanMVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.comBlogger186125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-52232327106599145242019-10-06T22:15:00.000-07:002019-10-06T22:16:46.886-07:0050-50 : The Vishnu Principle<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Chandrayaan-2
:</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> </span><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 24.0pt;">50-50
: The Vishnu Principle</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">
No matter how close moonlander Vikram got to making a perfect </span></em><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">
touchdown, its chances of success were just 50-50 at every stage</span></em></span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">"I've been telling you for 25
years!" Prof. Vijay Vishnu exclaimed. "The only chances of
anything happening ever, if they aren't zero or 100 per cent, are 50-50, and
nothing else! This fellow is just talking rubbish!" </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">My distinguished
long-time friend, who is a professor emeritus in the Old Madras
University, has a passion for perfect logic and is constantly
disturbed by the liberties everyone tends to take with facts and
figures.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">We were talking -- like millions
of people all over the world, perhaps -- about India's second moonshot
Chandrayaan-2, which flew so flawlessly all the way across space to the South
polar region of the moon carrying the lander Vikram, which seems to have
tragically collapsed just a couple of kilometers above the chosen landing spot
on the lunar terrain. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">What made Prof. Vishnu so
angry was some self-styled expert saying on Twitter that since the distance
from the earth to the moon was about 400,000 kilometers, the lander had a
200,000 - to - 1 chance of getting down to the surface safely and properly, but
still somehow failed at the very end of its amazing journey. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">That was
just an amusing joke, of course ; but the good professor had drained so
much of his time and energy questioning constant distortions of the concept of
probability that he wasn't able to see the humorous aspect of the comment in
question. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">"That's pure, unvarnished nonsense!" he
declared. "You do agree with my 50-50 Principle, don't
you?"</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Of course I do! In fact, I
know his argument by heart because I've heard it so often ; moreover, I
earnestly believe in the theory myself, and can explain it with additional
inputs of my own. So here we go :-</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Mirror
image</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The Vishnu Principle states: <em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> The
probability of anything happening in any given situation, if it isn't either
zero or 100 per cent, is invariably 50-50, and never anything else.</span></em></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></em></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">All statements like “There’s a 60
% chance of success” or “The patient has a 90 % chance of surviving
the operation” are logically flawed and unsustainable, but such
predictions are constantly being made. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">They aren’t valid even
statistically, though they may seem to be so. For the figures only recall
what had actually happened in a certain set of past cases, and do not really
foresee what's likely to happen in the next case, or even in the next set
consisting of the same number of cases.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Let us say A is an average senior
citizen. Space travel is not yet a routine activity, and isn't likely to
be so in the near future, so the chances of A travelling to the moon are
zero. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">All men and women must die sooner or later, so the chances of A
passing away eventually are 100 %. But when the doctors tell A that he or
she has a 90 % chance of surviving an impending heart surgery, they’re getting
it all wrong. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The basis for their pep talk is
that in the last 1o cases (let’s say) only one patient died, and 9
survived. But the same ratio may or may not recur in the next 1o
cases. Perhaps two patients will die; if that happens the doctors
will start saying that the chances of survival are 85 %, since 17 patients out
of 20 lived on. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">And after 100 cases they may well say: “Only 20 cases
went wrong, so you have an 80 % chance of survival”. Thus, a
retrospective view of facts relating to a variable past period is given a
statistical twist and becomes an untenable prediction of the shape of things to
come. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">In other words, the mirror image
of a given past picture is simply projected as a future scenario!</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Which
side?</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">But just for argument’s sake, let
us assume that the ratio will be the same in the next set of 1o cases as it was
in the previous set of ten. Even then the question arises : will A
be the one who will collapse, or someone else? Similar will be the
uncertainty facing patients B to J lined up in the wait-list. For every
one of them, the chances of survival in the given situation are precisely
50-50, no more and no less! </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">This will be true not only in the
beginning, but even as the operations progress, till one of the patients
dies. And, of course, if the first nine patients survive, the last one
will be the one who must die ; but even that may not happen because
neither the patient nor the surgeons may have the courage to go ahead with the
surgery. It only shows how precarious such predictions can be.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Or consider the following
statement in Wikipedia: "The estimated long-term prevalence of
retinal detachment after cataract surgery is in the range of 5 to 16 per 1000
cataract operations." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> Supposing you have just undergone a
cataract operation ; on which side of the odds will you be? Of
course, you have no idea! Which is the same thing as saying that your own
(and anyone else's) chances of suffering retinal detachment after cataract
surgery are 50-50, and nothing else! </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Logic
trap</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">This kind of logic trap is almost
universal in the medical field, and many eminent surgeons and researchers all
over the world keep falling into it constantly. Even Dr. Christiaan
Barnard, the pioneering heart-transplant wizard, seems to have been no
exception!</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The given examples are very
elementary, of course, but the same unassailable logic governs even highly
complex and intricate situations arising in the affairs of all individuals,
organizations and nations, not just in the medical field, but in all spheres of
life -- including space research and exploration, of course.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Now let us take the specific case
of Chandrayaan-2, and try to imagine how we might be arguing if we fell into a
logic trap of the same kind. There were 15 crucial stages from launch to
landing (launch ; 5 earth-orbit and 5 moon-orbit maneuvers for
escape/capture ; orbiter-lander separation ; 2 de-orbit
maneuvers ; powered descent). So we would have progressively
calculated the chances of Vikram's successful landing as follows :- <br />
<br />
Just before launch : 7 % (because something might go wrong with any one
of the 15 crucial steps). Just before going into moon orbit : 11 %
(9 steps to go). Just before separation : 25% (only 4 steps
remain). Just before starting descent : 50 % (last step for
landing). </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Did I hear you screaming :
"That's all very cleverly said, but it doesn't make any sense! If
anything had gone wrong at any stage, there would have been no eventual
landing, would there? So the odds would have been 50-50 at every stage,
wouldn't they?" </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Well, I didn't say that -- you
did! And that's precisely what the Vishnu Principle says :<em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> The
probability of anything happening in any given situation, if it isn't either
zero or 100 per cent, is invariably 50-50, and never anything else.</span></em></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></em></span>
<br />
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_________________________<o:p></o:p></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">PostScript</span></em><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">ISRONAUTICS
</span></strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">For
my reflections on India's first moonshot and other recent adventures of the
Indian Space Research Organization, please see the following posts :-</span></em></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></em></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
<a href="https://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2010/10/bravo-isro-bravo-nasa.html" target="_blank">Bravo, ISRO! Bravo, NASA!</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
<a href="https://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2013/12/destination-mars-bravo-isro-bravo-india.html" target="_blank">Destination Mars : Bravo, ISRO! Bravo, India!</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
<a href="https://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2014/01/india-joins-exclusive-and-elusive.html" target="_blank">India Joins Exclusive And Elusive Cryogenix Club</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
<a href="https://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2014/09/after-exclusive-moon-club-and-cryogenix.html" target="_blank">India Now Joins The Elusive and Elite Mars Club Also!</a></span></div>
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<o:p> </o:p><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> </span><a href="https://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2014/10/mom-mars-and-comet-close-encounter-of.html" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;" target="_blank">MOM, Mars And Comet : Close Encounter Of A Cosmic Kind</a></div>
<br />MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-25759783146125420702018-12-29T11:36:00.005-08:002018-12-29T11:36:41.718-08:00Adventurous Saga Of Aruna SairamEvery year the ultimate day-dream
of every highly-accomplished Carnatic musician comes true for just one of them,
in the form of the title of 'Sangeetha Kalaanidhi', awarded by the prestigious
Music Academy in Madras (now called Chennai). The Sanskrit-Tamil
expression literally means 'Music Art Treasure', and can be freely translated
as 'Cultural Wealth of Music'.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The distinguished musician
presides over all the events taking place in the Academy during the fabulously
massive music season which blows like a hurricane across the city all through
the winter month of Maargazhi, in December-January. For an
insightful analysis of the unique extravaganza, please see :<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2016/01/winter-music-festival-in-madras-ever.html" target="_blank"><em><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt;">Winter Music
Festival In Madras</span></em></a> . . . (<span style="font-size: 7.5pt;">condensed)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 7.5pt;"> <em><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></em></span><a href="https://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2013/12/massive-winter-music-season-in-mecca-of.html" target="_blank"><em><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt;">Massive Winter
Music Season In Mecca</span></em></a><em><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt;"> .</span></em><span style="font-size: 7.5pt;"> .
. (original)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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This year's Kalaanidhi is vocalist
Aruna Sairam. Exactly 30 years ago I had written a rave review in the New
Delhi edition of THE HINDU, about a concert she gave in the Capital as a
visiting artist from Bombay where she was based. I didn't hear her music
for a long time after that ; but both of us having settled down in Madras
eventually, I've been able to attend many of her concerts from 2007,
and I've written about them in glowing terms in my column <em><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Musicscan</span></em> in the THE HINDU. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So then, here are 16
reviews which project the adventurous saga of Aruna Sairam on a
very wide screen. (In this blog I usually provide a glossary and
annotations for the benefit of international readers who aren't likely to be
familiar with some names and expressions figuring in the texts ; but
this collection is mainly meant for enthusiastic lovers of Carnatic
music, so I am skipping what might be a distraction for them). Please also see the PostScript I've added after these texts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">* * * * *</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">THE HINDU</span></strong>, New Delhi, 23 Dec. 1988<o:p></o:p></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Colorful pallavi
creates panic</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
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Creeping at a snail's pace along
the road leading from the southernmost bridge towards the trans-Yamuna
colonies, I was afraid that I was going to miss the vocal recital of visiting
artist Aruna Sairam of Bombay, organized by the East Delhi Music Circle in the
Guruvayurappan temple in Mayur Vihar on a bitterly cold evening last
week. There was an excruciating traffic jam congesting the highway, and
it was 7-30 p.m when I reached the venue. Much to my relief (or was it
disappointment?), the concert had not yet started, as the young violinist
Sunder Rajan had also not arrived. Later on I learnt that he had been
trapped in the same traffic crisis.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The singer was to catch the Tamil
Nadu Express bound for Madras at 10-45 p.m., and she had very little time before
her when she began the recital at 8 p.m. But the sight of the small
audience which had waited patiently for nearly two hours seemed to kindle her
spirit, and she gave a fine performance, well assisted by Sunder Rajan and the
mriangam-player V. Raghuraman. She had some trouble with her voice in the
chill weather, but controlled it well with frequent doses of hot water poured
from a vacuum flask.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Such was the rapport Aruna
established with the listeners that she seemed to become quite unaware of the
limited time passing. The organizers became restless when she took up a
brilliant elaboration of Kraharapriya after 9 p.m. They got really
worried when she followed it up with a thaanam, and they panicked when she
started a colorful pallavi.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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But she just ignored their frantic
signals and sang on and on in a leisurely way -- choosing, of all things,
the first stanza of the Thyagaraja krithi 'Chakkani Raja-maargamulu', which
wouldn't bear any condensation. The marvelous exercise was consolidated by a
fulsome chain of svaras in raaga-maalika.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The singer somehow managed to
conclude the recital after 9-45 p.m., and dashed towards the waiting
taxi. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We have read stories about how
some handicapped persons, in the process of using their will-power to overcome
their weakness, actually end up by accomplishing truly great things.
To this encouraging literature I am glad to add the story of a
talented musician's superb performance in the face of such extremely
trying circumstances. <o:p></o:p></div>
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* * * * *<o:p></o:p></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">THE HINDU</span></strong>, Chennai<o:p></o:p></div>
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MUSICSCAN, 23 Feb. 2007<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Majestic procession</span></strong><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
</span><o:p></o:p><br />
It was a bitterly cold winter evening in Delhi 18
years ago, and Aruna Sairam from Bombay was to sing in a suburban temple in
Mayur Vihar, far away from the New Delhi railway station where she was to catch
the Tamil Nadu Express leaving for Madras at 10-45 p.m. The violinist had been
trapped in an awful traffiic jam on a congested bridge across the Yamuna, and
the concert could begin only at 8 o'clock, which left very little time for her to
sing.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
But what a marvelous performance it turned out to
be! A small but earnest gathering had waited patiently and hopefully for two
hours to hear her recital, and she must have felt she owed them something
special in return. Totally ignoring the frantic signals of the organizers who
were getting into a state of panic, she rendered a colorful
raagam-thaanam-pallavi in Kharaharapriya in a very leisurely style, choosing
the first stanza of Thyagaraja's composition, "Chakkani Raja" for the
lyric, followed by a sparkling string of swaras in several ragas. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Somehow she managed to conclude the recital just
before 10 p.m. and rushed to the waiting taxi. I don't know whether Aruna
was able to catch the train for Madras that cold and memorable night in Delhi,
but she didn't certainly miss the boat for the hearts of music lovers in Madras
or anywhere else! <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Year after year, as she has steadily grown in
stature as a musician, she has recruited more and more admirers wherever she
happens to perform regularly. No wonder the spacious outdoor venue of
Hamsadhwani was overflowing with eager rasikas when she sang there recently.
Matching their consistent adoration with her characteristically intense
commitment, she gave a profoundly moving performance likely to be remembered
for a long time.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Meditative
style </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
What makes Aruna Sairam's recitals so memorable is
the meditative and soulful quality of her music, which is the result of a
beneficial combination of several significant factors, including the influence
of her great teacher Brinda. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Endowed with a rich, low-flung voice which is
admirably suited to the extremely slow tempo she likes to adopt, she explores
the subtle nuances of melodies and songs in a calm and unhurried manner, which
enables her to project the spiritual vision of the classical composers on a
very vast screen. Her overall bearing and stately style forcefully remind us of
the monumental music of M.D. Ramanathan.<o:p></o:p><br />
Quite predictably, just as in the case of MDR's
recitals, the highlights of the Hamsadhwani concert (`Sri Satyanarayanam,
Sabhapathikku Veru Deivam,' `O Rangasayee') came and passed before us like a
majestic procession of the divine images. In the Subhapanhuvarali krithi,
Muthuswami Dikshitar conveys a profound sentiment with a simple phrase : Sarvam
Vishnu Mayam. In the Khambodi song,Thyagaraja is lost in wonder singing in
praise of Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam. In both cases the grandeur of the ragas
is matched by the depth of devotion that the words convey. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Aruna deserves a bouquet for invoking the true
spirit and divine message of the songs, to touch the hearts of a thousand
spellbound rasikas.The singer owed much to the excellent support provided by
all her accompanists: H.N. Bhaskar (violin), J. Vaidyanathan (mridangam), S.
Kartick (ghatam), and B.S. Purushottam (kanjira). <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
* * * * *<o:p></o:p><br />
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MUSICSCAN, 21 Dec. 2007 <o:p></o:p><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Truly
glorious!</span></strong></span></b><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Aruna Sairam is quite used to attracting a full
house wherever she happens to be singing these days. But even by her own usual
standards, the highly excited gathering in the premises of the Chettinad
Vidyashram School near San Thome could not be fully accommodated even in
the very spacious Muthiah Hall there. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The program was part of the winter series of
Carnatic music concerts organised by Jaya TV, and television cameras were
capturing the whole scene, making the occasion extremely glamorous. <o:p></o:p><br />
The recital had a sharp focus on Lord Muruga, so
most of the songs were in Tamil. After an initial spell in Sanskrit — a slokam
from Subrahmania Bhujangam, a Dikshitar krithi and a composition by
V.V.Srivatsa — Aruna rendered a couple of songs composed by Papanasam Sivan, a
pallavi with her own Tamil lyric, a Thiruppugazh verse, and Madurai Somu’s
favourite song ‘Enna Kavi.’ <o:p></o:p><br />
She had excellent support from the accompanists,
H.N.Bhaskar (violin), J. Vaidyanathan (mridangam) and S. Kartick (ghatam). <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
There’s invariably a stage in Aruna Sairam’s
performances when she achieves a heart-to-heart communication with the adoring
listeners, which makes them all forget her glamorous personality and
concentrate intensely on her earnest music. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
In the concert under review, that point was
reached in the course of the unconventional raagam-thaanam-pallavi. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Midway through the pulsating thaanam which
followed a calm and meditative elaboration of Thodi, Aruna switched over to a
resounding mode with strong percussion accompaniment. <o:p></o:p><br />
That set up a lively prelude for the pallavi and a
dynamic tempo for the swara-prasthaaram featuring a string of six melodies
(Sunaada-vinodhini, Ataana, Ranjani, Darbaari-kannada, Senchuruti and Aabheri).
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Aruna has an intriguing way of infusing a
worshipful flavor even into a normal series of improvised swaras. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
On this occasion, after each colorful spell of
sol-fa notes she inserted a line of her own Tamil lyrics visualising Lord
Muruga as enshrined in one of six sacred locations in South India, which
greatly enhanced the emotional element. And singing the whole sequence in a
soaring crescendo, she took the spellbound audience on a whirlwind tour of
Thirupparan-kundram, Thiruchendur, Swamimalai, Pazhani, Thirutthani and Pazhamudhir-solai,
giving us some flashing impressions of the youthful God. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
That was the stage when the self-conscious rasikas
even lost sight of the television cameras, and just swam in a strong current of
sacred music which flowed gloriously on. According to the Oxford and Chambers
dictionaries, the word ‘glory’ means (among other things) ‘great beauty,’
‘magnificence,’ ‘resplendent brightness,’ ‘summit of attainment,’ and ‘worship
and thanksgiving offered to God.’ <o:p></o:p><br />
Judged even by the most severe standards, Aruna’s
performance was truly glorious in every sense of the term as defined above.<o:p></o:p><br />
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MUSICSCAN, 17 Dec. 2009<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Magic moments and an awesome oeuvre </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Like a cluster of comets they're all suddenly visible
together on the Chennai sky in the winter months, having gone away somewhere on
their respective orbits in space during the rest of the year. We are, of
course, talking about the most popular vidwans and vidushis of Carnatic music.
Some of us get to see many of them in a particular Sabha where we happen to be
regular members or have anchored ourselves with season tickets. But some of us
rush here and there to buy expensive and usually hard-to-get daily tickets to
attend several concerts of the same set of our favourite musicians.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
One of the most popular singers who invariably
performs in a full or overflowing house even in the largest concert halls in
the city is vocalist Aruna Sairam. And wherever she sings, she usually casts a
spell on the listeners midway through the recital. The point where the rasikas
collectively feel transfixed in a mesmerised state of mind differs from concert
to concert, depending on the given ambience and audience; but it doesn't
normally fail to materialize.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
In Aruna's concert in the Maargazhi Mahaa Utsavam
organized by Jaya TV at Kumara Raja Muthiah Hall in South Chennai, the crucial
stage was reached when she began singing ‘Jaago Thumi Jaago!' following a
soulful rendering of Papanasam Sivan's Tamil krithi ‘Unnai Allaal Vere Gadi' in
Kalyani. ‘Jaago Thumi Jaago', the beautiful Bengali song, is rendered before
dawn every day in the Kaalighat temple in Kolkata, calling on the Goddess Kaali
to awaken. It is quite unfamiliar in Carnatic music circles today; but is no
longer likely to remain so, because Aruna has just created yet another
favourite number for which her admirers are bound to clamour again and again.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Of course, prominent among the rasikas' favourite
songs in Aruna's repertoire are the Maraathi devotional songs known as
‘abhangs.' Usually these are sung in praise of Lord Vittala, but there are also
worshipful abhangs on Lakshmi ; and Aruna sang one of these, composed by
Samartha Ramdas, adding to it part of a traditional Maraathi folk chant on
Kolhapuri Lakshmi. This accorded well with the theme of the whole concert,
which was exclusively devoted to the Supreme Goddess.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
A few days later Aruna sang a resounding Vittala
song towards the conclusion of her performance at the Krishna Gana Sabha. In
that hallowed venue of Carnatic music, the magic moment of mesmerism had
arrived during a monumental rendering of Thyagaraja's krithi ‘Kaddanuvaariki'
in Thodi. So intense was the singer's involvement in the effort that the swara
improvisation progressively became a stormy crescendo which made the audience
breathless, and not the singer!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Superb and dynamic accompaniment was provided on
these two occasions by violinist H.N. Bhaskar and percussionists J.
Vaidhyanathan, S. Kartick and S.V. Ramani; and Aruna Sairam certainly owes them
a vote of thanks for enabling her to shine so brightly.<o:p></o:p><br />
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MUSICSCAN, 2 April 2010<o:p></o:p><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">A question
of integrity </span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
The task of reviewing Aruna Sairam's unusual
concert in the superb auditorium at the Seva Sadan's Harrington Road premises
is a very intricate one, because the context of the event as well as the
performance had many different dimensions, mainly social, cultural, national
and spiritual.<o:p></o:p><br />
The highly-priced concert was organised by a
couple of institutions concerned with a pension fund meant for providing a
lifeline to languishing musicians -- viz., the Interface (described as ‘social
investment managers') and Global Adjustment Services (‘a relocation, realty and
cross-cultural services company').<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The event was organized on a grand scale, with
special stage settings by Thota Tharani and colored lighting effects, and a
commentary in English provided by Ranjini Manian, the social service
entrepreneur who runs Global Adjustments.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Unity in cultural, national and spiritual terms
was the theme of the show, and songs in a dozen different languages were
featured. Of course, all Carnatic music vocalists are usually familiar with
songs in six languages -- the four Southern ones (Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and
Malayalam) as well as Sanskrit and Hindi (the last one usually involving
‘bhajans'). Aruna has also consistently rendered abhangs in Maraathi in her
Carnatic music recitals, and occasionally taken up devotional songs in other
Indian languages such as Bengali.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
All the languages mentioned above naturally
figured in the concert.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The singer had only to add the immensely popular
national song ‘Vaishnava Janato' in Gujarathi, a Sikh hymn in Punjaabi, a
traditional musical prayer in Oriya, and an ode to the Virgin Mary in Italian,
and presto! The score was a dozen!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Perfect
pronunciation</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
Among the factors which ensured the authentic
tenor of the whole performance were Aruna's perfect pronunciation of all the
selected languages and her earnest and intimate association with various
musical cultures and traditions of India, as well as the Gregorian chants of
medieval Italy.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Another notable feature of the event was that four
Northern musicians, playing the harmonium, thabla, pakhawaj, and a set of minor
percussion instruments (such as folk drums, cymbals, bells and jingles, with
names like chimta, ghungru and manjira) had been brought over from Mumbai to
supplement standard Carnatic instruments, viz., the violin, mridangam and
ghatam. This further enhanced the authentic sound of the music drawn from
such wide-ranging sources. (There was the Carnatic flute also).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
It is difficult to identify any particular song as
the highlight of the recital, because all of them were rendered with an equal
measure of élan and exuberance. However, given the central theme of the concert
and the prevailing communal tensions all over the world, one must say that the
most moving song was Bharathiyar's 'Allah! Allah! Allah!', said to have been
composed by the immortal Tamil poet standing in front of a mosque not far from
where he lived, in Chennai.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Universal
appeal</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
The spellbinding impact the music seemed to have
had on the gathering was an eloquent tribute to Aruna Sairam as a Carnatic
musician with universal appeal.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
But what about thousands of Aruna's admirers who
turn up regularly at her Carnatic music recitals, and who couldn't afford this
performance? Surely it will be a great idea for the organisers to let some
leading Sabhas in Chennai and elsewhere re-enact the show. Of course, that
would perhaps mean that the expensive Northern instrumental support cannot be
imported.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
But even with the usual Carnatic instruments --
with the addition of just a morsing or kinnaaram -- this diva is quite capable
of moving the spirit of the listeners. For ultimately it's a question of the
integrity of the music, and not merely its packaging.<o:p></o:p><br />
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MUSICSCAN, 15 Oct. 2010</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Let Thodi come live! </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
It is well known that even some of the seniormost
Carnatic vidwans and vidushis used to be intimidated by the redoubtable music
critic (the late) Subbudu, whose acid comments were balanced by his sparkling
sense of humour, whether he wrote in English or in Tamil. But he could also be
extremely lavish in his praise, when he so wished.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
One of the most memorable compliments ever paid by
Subbudu was his breezy statement that if he was exiled to an isolated island,
the only things he would want to take with him would be some betel-leaves/nuts
and tobacco, and an LP record of Sudha Ragunathan's music. (I am quoting
roughly from memory, and not accurately from records; but this was more or less
what he declared).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I don't know whether Subbudu ever took any of
Sudha's records along with him when he travelled, to listen in blissful
solitude; but I have certainly brought a few selected CDs with me half way
around the globe, to the U.S., to enjoy them in peace when I am not playing
with my grandchildren, watching television or reading.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
One of these selections is the first of a twin-set
of CDs titled, ‘Arunambujam,' featuring the compositions of Ambujam Krishna,
sung by Aruna Sairam. And the focus of my interest is the Tamil song,
‘Kandathum Kanavo' in Thodi, on Track 4. Taking up the phrase, ‘Nan Unaik
Kandathum Kanavo, Rama!' (Was it a dream that I saw you in, O Rama!) as a
refrain Aruna melts your heart with one of the finest niravals in Thodi I've
ever heard in my life.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I wish to hear it again live in all its glory in some
concert hall in the coming winter season! Will it come true or will it remain
only a dream? <o:p></o:p><br />
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MUSICSCAN, 31 Dec. 2010<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">A vision so colourful </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The basic framework of Aruna Sairam's kutcheris is
so substantial that she may have run the risk of letting her music sound too
heavy, if she hadn't developed certain effective methods of levitation which
lift the listener's spirit and invariably gives him or her a wonderful vision
of mystic beauty.<o:p></o:p><br />
One might be tempted to think that it is the
extremely colourful manner of her presenting a string of attractive songs in
the concluding section of her recitals which accounts for this amazing
phenomenon. Such an impression is true to some extent, but that's not the whole
truth. The majestic progression of her music in the initial and middle stages
of the concert is a major factor which conditions the listener's soul to
get stirred properly by those lively songs -- which, in turn, is due to the fact
that Aruna infuses her music from beginning to end with a powerful and
transparent spirit of devotion<br />
.<o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Popular
composition</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
The climax of Aruna Sairam's recital was
‘Chinnanchiru Kiliye Kannamma.' This extremely popular classical song has
been heard in our concert halls on countless occasions, but I've never heard it
rendered in a more heart-warming manner.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
It was preceded by a traditional Kaanthimati
Temple verse, ‘Varaathirundal,' with a similar theme; and according to Aruna,
the legendary dancer Balasaraswati's depiction of the sentiment was the source
of her inspiration.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Earlier, she had projected other wonderful images
of the Goddess in several krithis -- especially Shyama Shastri's ‘Palinchu
Kamakshi' in Madhyamavati (which was the main number of the concert), and
Ramamurthi Rao's ‘Shringeri Sharada' -- and brief slokams/verses rendered as
preludes (‘Jaya Jaya Kamakshi' and ‘Sweta Padmaasana').<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
And before them came lovely versions of Ambujam
Krishna's ‘Kandathum Kanavo' in Thodi, and Bhadrachala Ramadas's ‘Ennagaanu' in
Panthuvarali. One might as well mention here that the concert began with an
earnest Thiruppaavai verse!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Aruna was accompanied sensitively (as usual) by
H.N. Bhaskar on the violin, J. Vaidyanathan on the mridangam and S.V. Ramani on
the ghatam. <o:p></o:p><br />
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MUSICSCAN, 20 Oct. 2011<br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Triple A for
Aruna </span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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Aruna Sairam's special concert
organised at the Music Academy's acoustically marvellous main hall on Sunday
last was in connection with the release of her latest CD featuring a set of
seven Abhangs, produced and distributed by Nadham Music Media. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
At a brief function, the first CD was presented to
Leela Samson, director, Kalakshetra, by veteran Tamil cinema director K.
Balachander.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Aruna Sairam rendered all the songs figuring in
the CD, as well as a few others, in a memorable performance which turned out to
be as spirited as it was spiritual. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Aruna has succeeded in creating an authentic sound
effect in the CD by having several North Indian instruments, such as the sitar,
harmonium, Hindustani flute, thabla, pakhwaj, dholaks, dholki and cymbals as
accompaniments.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">North
meets South </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
In the concert under review, the same instruments
(minus the flute) were featured, supplemented by the Carnatic violin, mridangam
and ghatam. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
An interesting and not very obvious fact in this
context is that all the Northern instruments were also played by competent
musicians based in Chennai as recording artists (mainly from the film
industry). <o:p></o:p><br />
Some of the rousing devotional songs in Maraathi which
effectively transcended the language and secular barriers and held a very large
cosmopolitan audience spellbound and spiritually moved for more than an hour
were compositions by Sant Namdev (‘Teertha Vittala,' ‘Bhaktha Jana Vathsale');
Sant Eknath (‘Majhe Majhe Pandhari,' ‘Omkaara Swaroopa'); Sant Jaanabhai
(‘Dalitha Kaanditha,' ‘Pandharichya Raaya') and Sant
Ramadas (‘Kadaakadani'). <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
In addition to the above songs, all of which
figure in the CD, Aruna rendered a Tamil verse from the ancient music of the
Aazhwars (‘Pachchai Maamalai Pol Meni'), and demonstrated the striking
sentimental and lyrical resemblance it has with the Maraathi song, ‘Savale
Sundara Roopa Manohara,' by Sant Thukaram, which happens to be one of the
abhangs, Aruna is fond of featuring in her Carnatic music recitals. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The fascinated audience left the auditorium in a
euphoric mood.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The performance warranted a triple A rating --
Aruna's Abhangs were Awesome!<o:p></o:p><br />
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MUSICSCAN, 5 April 2012<o:p></o:p><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Delightful soirée</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Sri Ariyakkudi Music Foundation organized a cultural soirée of song
and dance at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Audiences were treated to a fine
Kathak performance by Sharmishta Mukherjee and a concert by Aruna Sairam.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The evening started with a short but resounding
naagaswaram recital by Thiru-meignaanam Brothers (Ayyappan and
Meenakshi-sundaram), accompanied forcefully by Thiruvalaputhur Kaliamurthy on
the thavil.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
This was followed by an impressive performance by
Sharmishta and her troupe comprising four other women and two men.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The cleverly-conceived show effectively integrated
Bengali and English poetry (of Tagore and Shelley) as well as Rabindra Shangeet
and Western music (Tagore/Vivaldi).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
This didn't come as a surprise really because the
Ariyakkudi Music Foundation seems to be currently stretching its own mission
beyond Carnatic music and traditional artistic boundaries.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The graceful movements of Sharmishta and her
colleagues had a universal appeal which tastefully blended music, poetry and
language. The response of the audience to the rather unusual performance was
remarkably warm.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Pleasing
the rasika </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
Commencing her vocal recital well beyond 9 p.m.,
Aruna Sairam wisely chose to render a kriti in Kalyani in a concise manner, and
then gave the rasikas what they were clamoring for -- a couple of abhangs, a
unique thillaana and a Kannan song.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
All told, it was quite a delightful soirée of
song and dance.<o:p></o:p><br />
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MUSICSCAN, 12 July 2012<o:p></o:p><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Spiritual
transfusion </span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
“It is necessary for us to reconcile in our minds the apparent contradiction
between artistic tradition and innovation and the evolutionary relationship
which exists between them. This is a universal phenomenon, which is as complex
as the evolution of life itself. Art is also a living organism, which needs to
renew itself in order to survive . . . Innovation, therefore, can never
be forbidden. Obviously it would be impossible for anyone to draw an arbitrary
line somewhere and say: ‘Thus far, and no further!’ In the last analysis, it
all depends only on who innovates, and how . . . (‘Innovative base of
tradition’, <em><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Musicscan</span></em>,
Oct. 9, 2009).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
“. . . Such experiments in innovation can
result in fascinating and permissible performances only if the musicians who
undertake them are not only well accomplished, but actually function at the
highest level of imagination, excellence and integrity. In the case of Carnatic
music, it is vitally important that the spiritual quality of the music is never
sacrificed.” ('The logic of fusion', <em><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Musicscan</span></em>, Oct. 4, 2010)<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I couldn’t help recalling the above opinions
expressed by me in this column on past occasions, as I sat mesmerized by Aruna
Sairam’s highly innovative vocal recital (labelled ‘fusion’) at the Music
Academy’s main auditorium last Saturday evening. The event was organized by the
Cancare Foundation, to raise funds for providing effective care to cancer
patients.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The main artistic objective of the concert was to
demonstrate the amazing melodic similarities between the ongoing classical
Hindu tradition of Carnatic music and the historically significant Gregorian
Chant, which was the Christian liturgical music tradition of Central and
Western Europe during the medieval era preceding the 17th century.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
One of the fascinating aspects of Aruna Sairam’s
wide-angled musical vision is the way she strives to share the ecstatic
experiences and authentic impressions she gains in different, far-flung musical
environments with the rasikas, who flock to her concerts.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Thus, with the lilting ‘Kaalinga Narthana
Thillaana’ (which she has made so popular that music lovers everywhere clamor
for it endlessly) Aruna conveys the immense thrill she feels whenever she
actually visits the sacred spot in a temple in Oothukkaadu village, where
there’s a lovely statue depicting Lord Krishna as a young boy dancing on the
hood of the vicious serpent Kaaliya. Similarly, with the rousing Bengali song
‘Jaago Thumi Jaago,’ she gives us a glimpse of the devotional fervor, which
overflows in a Durga temple at Kaalighat, in Kolkota, at dawn every morning, as
the song is recited by a chorus of devotees to wake up the Goddess.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
In the same vein, Aruna tried to recall in the
concert under review her exciting experience of singing certain Carnatic ragas
inside several churches and concert halls in Western Europe, precisely matching
the melodies of some Gregorian-Chant verses recited by the distinguished French
musician Dominique Vellard, in partnership with whom she has been exploring the
intriguing similarities between the melodic patterns prevailing in these
totally unrelated musical traditions.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The highlights of the concert were a couple of
Gregorian-Chant songs titled, ‘Ave Vergene’ and ‘Rosa Das Rosas,’ with Latin
and archaic Italian lyrics respectively. These songs are set to medieval
European melodies, which have a close resemblance to the Carnatic ragas,
Kalyani and Bhimplas. And Aruna, who rendered the Latin and Italian texts with
apparently high fidelity, matched them with Aadi Sankara’s Sanskrit verse
‘Shabda Brahma Mayee’ in Kalyani and Bharatiyar’s Tamil song ‘Vellai Thaamarai’
in Bhimplas.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
While the resemblance between the parallel flow of
these mutually alien melodies was quite remarkable, no less significant was the
close affinity between the devotional spirits of the two different musical
systems and cultures. Aruna’s true achievement was to preserve the authentic
character and mystic spirit of both traditions equally well, while letting them
also crystallize into a common idiom which was saturated with Bhakthi. In this
sense, the whole exercise was, in my opinion, a case of spiritual transfusion,
rather than mere ‘fusion.’<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Apart from the phenomenon of similar
Carnatic-Gregorian melodic streams, there were certain other significant
aspects of this unique performance, including the overall theme (Divine Mother)
and the splendid instrumental component. Let us take a close look at them in
the next essay in this column.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">(To be continued)</span></em><o:p></o:p><br />
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MUSICSCAN, 12 Aug. 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Horizons and
hazards of 'fusion' </span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
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Continuing my review of Aruna
Sairam's recent concert containing elements of both Carnatic and Western music
( <em><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Musicscan</span></em>, Spiritual transfusion,
July 12), I had intended to conclude the comments this week. Meanwhile, colleagues
at the Online desk were good enough to insert, alongside the above article, a
clickworthy list of 20 earlier essays in this column which had analyzed the
highly complex issue of 'fusion' music rather extensively.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
For the benefit of readers who may not have the
time or inclination to go through all that voluminous material, I wish to
reproduce here some selected paragraphs from those articles (which, though not
in chronological order, somehow sum up the whole scenario in a logical
sequence). Accordingly, the concert review is bound to overflow into the next
article in <em><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Musicscan</span></em>!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Horizons
of exploration </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
"The necessity to introduce legitimate
innovations, which do not dispense with the basic elements and principles of a
musical tradition, arises mainly from two important factors. One of them is the
increasing sense of monotony created by endlessly recurring features, and the
constant need to find more exciting methods of performance. The other factor is
the progressive and dramatic transformation of the social and cultural
environment caused by successive technological revolutions -- reflected in the
lifestyles and attitudes of the musicians and music-lovers -- which creates an
urge to trim some conventional modes of performance and introduce some new perspectives."
[The logic of fusion, October 4, 2010].<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
"And if they happen to have a very wide
musical vision which transcends the system in which they are functioning as
successful performing artists, their exploration too tends to cross the borders
and enters the frontiers of some other system, particularly when there are some
elements common to both . . . That’s the point where they come across
like-minded musicians belonging to the other side, and begin to visualize
collaborative ventures like North-South jugalbandis (in the case of Carnatic
and Hindustani music, which have many similar and almost identical elements),
and experiments in East-West integration (as when Indian classical music is
harmonized with jazz, or even with Western classical music)." [Of
credentials and criteria, July 6, 2007].<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Hazards
of experiments</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
"Indian classical musicians even at average
levels of competence are nowadays having more and more opportunities to visit
Western countries on the invitation of the ever-growing Indian communities
there, and they find it quite easy to line up some ordinary foreign musicians
to join them in a free-for-all musical merry-go-round. And back home in India,
of course, their CV and image get boosted by cryptic references to their
‘experience in fusion'. Who is to review and critically evaluate their
activities abroad?" [Colors of sound, July 25, 2008].<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
"Far more alarming is the fact that even some
reputed and accomplished Carnatic musicians tend to fall into a ‘fusion trap'
and embark on such ventures without a proper perspective, the damage caused to
the culture of Carnatic music being in direct proportion to their high
accomplishment and reputation. One can say, 'Go slow on going global!'
But who is to confront them all and enforce restraint, and how?" [The
fusion trap, August 19, 2010].<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
"Of course, many new trends can be extremely
damaging and must be discouraged. But the dividing line between progress and
perversion in all visual and performing arts is so thin that it is often almost
invisible . . . There’s no hard-and-fast rule in this regard, and every
manifestation of change must be judged on the basis of its own merits. And
naturally, you must be a very imaginative and fair judge if your verdict is to
be valid and valuable." [Thyagaraja Jazz Suite, June 22, 2007].<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
"We would certainly like our adventurous
musical ambassadors to perform in their own country now and then with their
foreign collaborators, and subject their credentials to our critical
scrutiny." [Alien connections: why, who and how? August 2, 2007].<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Mystic
vision of fusion </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
In such an extremely intricate scenario, it must
have taken great courage of conviction for Aruna Sairam -- who is a leading
exponent of our sacred classical music in its purest form -- to give us such a
transparent view of her experiment, right here in the Mecca of Carnatic music.
I do find her mystic vision of 'fusion' truly admirable, and I hope I have the
proper credentials for saying so!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> (to be continued)</span></em> <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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MUSICSCAN, 23 Sept. 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Western colors </span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
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“Aruna’s true achievement was to
preserve the authentic character and mystic spirit of both traditions equally
well, while letting them also crystallize into a common idiom which was
saturated with Bhakthi. In this sense, the whole exercise was, in my opinion, a
case of spiritual transfusion, rather than mere ‘fusion’.”<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
That’s how I had summed up my impressions of Aruna
Sairam’s presentation of the intriguing similarity between the melodic patterns
of Carnatic music and those of the medieval West European musical tradition of
Gregorian chants, in a recent article . . . There were certain
other important elements and aspects of the concert under review, which I had
intended to discuss subsequently. But as things turned out actually, in the
next article I was tempted to recall several significant comments I had made in
this column during the past several years about the ongoing trends of alien
connections of Carnatic musicians. This substantial set of quotations couldn’t
be accommodated in the Friday Review for want of space, but it was published in
the Online edition . . . .<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I had concluded the article with the following
observation: “In such an extremely intricate scenario, it must have taken great
courage of conviction for Aruna Sairam to give us such a transparent view of
her experiment, right here in the Mecca of Carnatic music. I do find her mystic
vision of ‘fusion’ truly admirable, and I hope I have the proper credentials
for saying so!”<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Moderation
and integrity </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
Now, let me resume my comments on the concert
under review: The couple of Gregorian chants which Aruna rendered in Latin and
archaic Italian -- and the corresponding Sanskrit sloka and Tamil song -- were
only a small segment of the 90-minutes-long performance, which included several
songs in Sanskrit, Tamil, Marathi and Bengali (Dikshitar’s ‘Hiranmayeem’ in
Lalitha; Mysore Vasudevachar’s ‘Maamava Saraswati’ in Hindolam; Papanasam
Sivan’s ‘Naanoru Vilayaattu Bommaiya?’ in Navarasa Kannada; Subramania
Bharathi’s ‘Chinnanchiru Kiliye’ in Ragamalika; the abhang ‘Bhaktha Jana
Vathsale’; and the Durga song ‘Jaago Thumi Jaago’).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The underlying theme of the concert was the Divine
Mother, and quite appropriately the performance began and ended with a short
but soulful recitation of selected names of the Supreme Goddess figuring in
Lalitha Sahasranaama Sthothram. On the Gregorian Chant side, this was matched
by the two odes to the Virgin Mary.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Some of these songs were rendered with a
Westernized touch, with subtle undertones of church music and jazz, produced by
organ-like effects on the keyboard, and by acoustic/bass guitars and Western
drums. But this never took away the authentic Indian flavour of the music,
because it was all accomplished with extreme moderation and sensitive aesthetic
perception.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The accompanists were Embar Kannan on the violin
and Patri Satishkumar on the mridangam, and a set of bright youngsters
belonging to the enterprising band, Oxygen.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
What strikes one most forcefully is the absolute
integrity which characterizes Aruna Sairam’s music even in her highly innovative
ventures. In the concert under review, the subtle Western colors she introduced
just looked like some exotic flowers grown in her own beautiful Indian garden!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
(concluded)<o:p></o:p><br />
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MUSICSCAN, 14 March 2013<o:p></o:p><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Sculptures in
sight and sound</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
“Malavika, in the chiselled lines of her dance,
has perfected Bharathanatyam to a point where its geometrical exactitude cannot
be bettered.” That's what the eminent dance critic Leela Venkatraman had said
in this newspaper about Malavika Sarukkai's accomplishment, 15 years ago. And
this is what she wrote recently: “While artistic freedom is every dancer’s
right, for one of Malavika’s stature exploring fresh avenues, the challenges of
living up to expectations and standards set by one’s own prowess can be
daunting.” ( The Hindu, Friday Review, October 5, 2012). <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
These were the significant comments I recalled
specifically in the course of an innovative joint performance of music and
dance in the Music Academy's main auditorium on Saturday last, where the stage
and limelight were shared by diva Aruna Sairam and dancer Malavika Sarukkai.
For both those observations would have been remarkably true of Aruna's music
also!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
With her leisurely and majestic singing style, she
does invariably seem to be chiselling the melodies and songs into lovely
sculptures in sound. And as regards that second statement, you have only to
change the names, and the seasoned critic might have been talking word for word
about Aruna Sairam!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The first half of the program was devoted to a
clinical presentation of a couple of Tamil verses from Sri Aandal’s ‘Naachiaar
Thirumozhi’ rendered in ragas Hindholam and Aarabi; a brief vocal sketch of
raga Kharaharapriya, followed by crisp, danceworthy sequences of improvised
swaras; a soulful Hindi Meera bhajan in Kalyana Vasantham; and a romantic
Sanskrit song from Jayadeva's ‘Geetha Govindam.’ These initial numbers,
which depicted the feminine devotee’s adoration of Lord Krishna in spiritual
and romantic terms, progressed more or less on conventional lines.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Spell-binding</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
It was in the second half of the program that the
collaboration between Aruna and Malavika resulted in a performance which
acquired a grand and truly fascinating dimension. The magic materialized as
soon as Aruna began to sing one of her favourite Abhangs ‘Theertha Vittala’ in
Maraathi. For many years now Aruna has bound the rasikas in a spell with her
vigorous Vittala songs; and here was Malavika creating an actual visual
impression of the listeners’ subconscious awareness of devotees in temple
scenarios dancing in ecstasy!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
And that mood was reinforced by the number which
followed -- Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi's ‘Kaalinga Narthana Thillaana.’
Music-lovers have always consciously imagined a dancer when listening
rapturously to Aruna's version of this lively piece of music -- and here was
Malavika again, providing an actual visual extension of that mental vision,
enacting the roles of both the awesome and evil serpent and the young God
Krishna vanquishing it. Truly a rewarding and mutually beneficial encounter between
diva and dancer!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Excellent accompaniment was provided by: S.
Srilatha (Nattuvangam), Nellai A.Balaji (mridangam), Sai Shravanam (Tabla),
Vishnu Vijay (flute) and Srilakshmi Venkataramani (violin).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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MUSICSCAN, 20 Sept. 2013<o:p></o:p></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">On the charming
cowherd </span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Versatile vidhushi Aruna Sairam's music has so
many different dimensions that even in the endless repetition of some of the
most popular songs in her rich repertoire, one often finds some unusual
elements which add new colors to those familiar songs. This fact was strikingly
evident in her recent Oothukkadu Temple benefit concert at The Music Academy.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
In recent years, Aruna has been playing a major
role in popularizing the compositions of Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi, which have
several different dimensions.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Rare
krithis on Krishna</span></strong> <o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
On this occasion, which coincided with the
celebration of Janmaashtami, she included some of his familiar as well as
unfamiliar krithis on Lord Krishna - in a delightful selection of songs tracing
the birth of the beautiful infant and the pranks of the playful child to a
lullaby.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The songs were further enhanced with the lively
dancing of young children trained by dance gurus Narasimhachari and
Vasanthalakshmi, in a pleasing stage setting reminiscent of Gokulam and
Brindaavan, the abode of the Divine Cowboy.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The addition of the flute and the thabla was
another feature that added novelty to the presentation. Excellent performances
by the following accompanists enhanced the lively atmosphere: Padma Shankar
(violin); J. Vaidyanathan (mridangam); Dr. Kartick (ghatam); Sruti Sagar
(flute); Kiran (thambura).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
A cheque for Rs. 10 lakhs was presented by the
organizers of the benefit concert, SS International Live, to representatives of
the Oothukkadu Temple.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
This reminded one of the way the legendary M.S.
Subbulakshmi had raised funds for the Ramakrishna Math.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Also present that evening was Dr. Kris Yogam from
the U.S., who made a substantial donation of Rs. 10 lakhs to the temple fund.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Beautiful garland
of songs </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
The songs that Aruna chose to trace the birth of
Krishna and enumerate his pranks are: <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>‘Vishamakkaara Kannan’ - Oothukkadu’s hilarious
song on the mischievous child. </li>
<li>‘Mandha Maarudham’ in Bhairavi – the birth of
Krishna in a tense atmosphere concerning his security. </li>
<li>‘Tamadbhutam Balakam’ - A sloka from Bhagavatham,
on the glowing looks of the baby. </li>
<li>‘Oru Puram Nandarum’ - A viruttam in raagamalika,
on the infant’s secret transport across the river. </li>
<li>‘Oruthi Maganai...’ in Behag - An Aandal verse
from Thiruppavai. </li>
<li>‘Uthi Uthi Gopala’ in Bhoopali - A Maraathi song
featuring a chorus by the gopis to awaken the lovely infant. </li>
<li>‘Thatthi Thatthi Nadanthu’ in Chenjurutti - This
talks about the child that starts walking. </li>
<li>‘Dekhori Dekhori’ - A cradle song in Brijbhashi,
by Saint Paramanand. </li>
<li>‘Thaaye Yashoda’ in Thodi - The popular song by
Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi, on young Krishna's endless antics. </li>
<li>‘Maatrariyaadha Pasumponne’ in Nadanamakriya -
Yashoda's plea to the mischievous boy to stop his antics. </li>
<li>‘Brindaavani Venu’ in Abheri - a Marathi abhang by
Bhanudasa describing the fascination with which wild and tame animals alike
listen to Krishna's flute in the forest. </li>
<li>‘Manamayakkum’ - A virutham by Venkata Kavi, on
the beautiful cows and calves of Gokulam. </li>
<li>'Kaalinga Narthana Thillana' - the glorious dance
of Krishna on the serpent Kalinga. </li>
<li>‘Maadu Meikkum Kanne’ - Yashoda's protests about
young Krishna’s forays into the forest herding the grazing cows, and the boy's
humorous response. </li>
<li>‘Maanickam Katti Vairam Katti’ in Neelambari - A
paasuram by Periazhwar. </li>
<li>‘Mani Noopura Dhari’ - A lullaby in Neelaambari,
by <span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Oothukkadu</span> Venkata Kavi.</li>
</ul>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Aruna Sairam
meets Agam </span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
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There is nothing new about
associating Indian classical music with Western rock. Fifty years ago, the
Beatles and Rolling Stones introduced Indian colors marginally into their
music, giving rise to a trend known as Raga Rock.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Today, with the proliferation of
television channels and music shows, numerous talented rock bands have sprung
up in India, with many trying to mix the nuances of Western rock with Indian
classical and popular music. For many such bands in the South, the main source
of inspiration is Carnatic music, and outstanding among them is Agam, a band of
seven music-minded software professionals from Bengaluru.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The 12-year-old ensemble, which
has been steadily gaining popularity, suddenly found itself catapulted into the
stratosphere last week, performing at The Music Academy in the exalted company
of Aruna Sairam, one of the most popular vocalists in Carnatic music today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Aruna is well-known for her
majestic projection of the conventional elements of Carnatic music such as
outlining melodies, articulating sacred compositions, elaborating selected
phrases of lyrics, and improvising melodic variations, which establish her
credentials as a formidable Carnatic vocalist.<o:p></o:p></div>
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She has an exuberant way of
rendering specific songs that invoke compelling spiritual visions — such as
Krishna dancing on the serpent’s hood, earnest devotees appealing to Durga to
wake up at dawn, or a boyish Krishna pleading with his mother to let him go
cow-herding in the forest. And Aruna’s adoring audiences everywhere clamor
endlessly for these visions to be re-enacted.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Aruna has a natural flair for
innovation, and she has effectively integrated a genre of lilting Maraathi
devotional songs called Abhangs into her Carnatic music concerts, which is one
of the main reasons for her immense popularity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The same adventurous spirit
induced her to team up with French musician Dominique Vellard in 2012 (to
marvelously transfuse the bloodstreams of Carnatic music and the Gregorian
chant) and with Indian classical dancer Malavika Sarukkai in 2013 for a
sight-and-sound collaboration. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It wasn’t, therefore, surprising
that Aruna’s quest for innovation should have led her to collaborate with Agam,
but the idea was intriguing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Obviously, it could not be an
initial attempt to discover common ground between two alien systems of music,
because Agam had already started that voyage. Rather, the issue here was more
about just how far the joint venture could add value to the accomplishment of
the seasoned diva and the enterprising set of younger musicians.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was obvious, too, that there
wouldn’t be much scope for the rock idiom to enhance the quality of Aruna’s
glorious music in any manner. So, the question really boiled down to this: how
far would Aruna’s association enhance the quality of Agam’s evolving art?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The answer, I found, was this: her
very presence on the stage as a performer lifted the image, morale and standard
of the ensemble sky-high. By merely putting her stamp of approval on their
enterprise, it certified the integrity of their objectives.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The program featured, among other
things, four sacred songs of the venerable composers Thyagaraja (‘Manavyaala’
in Nalinakaanthi, and ‘Bantureethi’ in Hamsanaadam) and Muthuswami Dikshitar
(‘Rangapura Vihaara’ in Brindaavana Saaranga and ‘Subrahmanyena’ in Suddha
Dhanyaasi).<o:p></o:p></div>
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The band had a vocalist and half a
dozen instrumentalists playing a synthesizer, electric guitars and drums. Aruna
chose to play only a marginal role, and did not overshadow the strong voice of
vocalist Harish, the band’s frontman. But her judicious interventions and moral
support inspired Harish to soar to a far higher altitude than his usual
standard, as can be seen from several videos available on YouTube.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Subsequently, Aruna did take the
lead with a vigorous abhang and her evergreen cowherd song. But even here, the
prima donna could not resist letting the limelight fall on Harish, by assigning
him the role of the boyish Krishna.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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* * * * *<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
MUSICSCAN, January 06,
2017 <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Fresh approach </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These are days when exponents of
Carnatic music have started globalizing the sacred tradition — thanks to the
eager response of the formidable South Indian diaspora, and the initiatives
taken by enterprising organizers abroad. At the same time, there is also a
growing awareness among organizers here, in South India, about the need to
disseminate Carnatic music to wider audiences representing diverse communities
and cultural orientations as well as different generations and outlooks<o:p></o:p></div>
A unique example of such a milieu is the
just-concluded Chennayil Thiruvaiyaaru festival organized by Lakshman Sruthi,
in the spacious auditorium at the Kamaraj Arangam, featuring a continuous
stream of music and dance events, attracting more than 1,500 people, including
hundreds of youngsters. Although the title gives the impression that it is
exclusively about Carnatic music, its predominant elements are dance and
light-music programs; there are also many devotional concerts.<o:p></o:p><br />
Among the leading Carnatic artists who support the
venture is Aruna Sairam, whose annual performance in this forum usually
features simple and technically uncomplicated pieces — including some of the
songs she has made popular in Carnatic music circles —which have universal
appeal.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
In her concert on Christmas evening, however,
Aruna adopted a fresh approach, and rendered a composition of her own in the
form of an unusual Raagam-Thaanam-Pallavi. That was preceded by some
conventional numbers which had set up an intensely spiritual mood in the
overflowing auditorium: ‘Jagadhaananda-kaaraka’ and ‘Naada-thanumanisam,’
‘Kalyaanarama’ (Hamsanaadam; Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi), and ‘Mahaadeva Sambo’
(Revathi, Thanjavur Sankara Iyer).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Seven
pallavis</span></strong> <o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
The RTP in Thodi featured short versions of the
melodic outline and the pulsating phase, and a concise rendering of the lovely
twin-lines: ‘Murugane, Guhane, Unadu Paadam Thunaiye / Vadivelane,
Valli-Manaalane’, followed by improvised swaras.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
While it is usual to render the swara sequences
following a pallavi in raagamalika, Aruna added a twin-line pallavi composed by
herself for each of six different ragas, corresponding to the six sacred
‘kshetras’ where the ancient temples of Lord Muruga are situated.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
So enthusiastic was the audience response that
Aruna was induced to lend a touch of sophistication, by singing side-by-side a
Sanskrit verse and a Gregorian chant in praise of Mother Mary, to celebrate
Christmas.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The subtle instrumental support provided by Padma
Shankar (violin), J. Vaidyanathan (mridangam), and S.V. Ramani (ghatam)
enhanced the quality of the soiree.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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* * * * *<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">PostScript</span></strong>, Dec. 2018 <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Roots and branches </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></strong>
In recent years I've been on a long
sabbatical away from Carnatic music and music criticism. But marking
my rare attendance in one of Aruna's concerts in the ongoing
winter season, I got the impression that the roots of her many-sided
music are still buried very deeply and firmly in the classical
soil, though some of its branches have
developed exotic colors. Some soulful spells of her performance
once again made me think of the intensely meditative and mystic
quality of M.D. Ramanathan's music, my impressions about which
can be seen in the following sketch :- <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><em><span style="color: black; font-size: 7.5pt;"><a href="https://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-maestro-gave-me-glimpse-of-god-and.html" target="_blank">How The MaestroGave Me A Glimpse Of God . . . </a></span></em><a href="https://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-maestro-gave-me-glimpse-of-god-and.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: 7.5pt;"><br /></span></i></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><em><br /></em></span>MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-31316508488495495082018-09-29T19:02:00.000-07:002018-10-17T21:09:15.237-07:00An Adventure Called CCMB : A Sci-Fi Encounter Of A Constructive Kind<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Just before I joined
the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in New Delhi as its
Financial Adviser in 1983, I was working as Accountant-General, Rajkot in
Gujarat State for a little less than a couple of years. For nearly
ten years before that I had been doing some pioneering work at the
Center, devising and developing an unprecedented culture of innovative
audit investigations concerning the economic and commercial activities of the
Government of India, mainly in the areas of exports and imports. So I was
afraid that the Rajkot spell -- which would be essentially routine-oriented --
was going to be hopelessly dull in comparison ; but soon after taking
over the new job I found that there were two vitally important morale-related
problems which were crying out for urgent and effective solutions, requiring
extremely resourceful initiatives and actions and promising a tough but
exciting time ahead. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">One of these twin
problems was an ambitious proposal to acquire ten acres of land from the State
Government and build 300 apartments for the staff numbering about a thousand
persons. The idea had turned out to be quite unrealistic and demoralizingly
elusive -- with no reasonable prospects of any land-allotment by the State
Government or of any effective engineering action by the zonal office of the
Central Public Works Department (CPWD) in Bombay, located in the neighboring
State of Maharashtra.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">This is not the
place to tell the intriguing story of what all happened progressively in
the following months, so let me just say that in the second year of my posting
I was able to lay the foundation stone for precisely 300 staff quarters -- on a
spacious plot of land with a lovely brook rustling along its border on one side
-- in the presence of a jubilant crowd of staff members, and also the
Collector, Rajkot (the seniormost officer of the State Government in the
district), and high-level officers from the CPWD in Bombay, which had set up a
special task force in Rajkot for implementing the construction project.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Soon after that I
was back in New Delhi as the Financial Adviser of CSIR, and found that there
were many formidable problems troubling the organization for a long time and
clamoring for effective solutions. Moreover, there was a severe personal
problem for the financial adviser : this was the proverbial and
intrinsically hostile collective attitude of the scientific community in Government-owned
scientific institutions towards Finance -- both internally towards the FA, and
externally towards the Finance Ministry, represented in the case of CSIR by a
high-ranking officer as the Member (Finance) of the Governing Body.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Languishing lab</span><o:p></o:p></b><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">CSIR had about 40
constituent laboratories and Institutes scattered all over India, grouped
according to major branches of science like physics, chemistry, biology,
engineering and information. Going through their annual reports and other
relevant records during the first few weeks of my new assignment, I took stock
of the progress and constraints of the organization as a whole and also those
of some important laboratories and institutes. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">One of the
intriguing impressions I obtained was that the Center for Cellular and
Molecular Biology (CCMB), which was headed by a very distinguished scientist,
had no building of its own but was functioning in very inadequate space
provided within the Regional Research Laboratory in Hyderabad. An
ambitious building project had come to a standstill at an early stage for want
of adequate resources, which was naturally holding up the healthy growth of the
infant laboratory in terms of manpower as well as equipment and essential
facilities. I was told by scientist-colleagues in the Planning Division that
the project had run into serious trouble because the Director of the lab, Dr.
P.M. Bhargava, who had wide international connections, was having extremely
unrealistic ideas about creating sophisticated infrastructure comparable with
the very best in the world. "He wants to build a five-star
hotel!", they said derisively.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">And there I was,
fresh from the successful launching of the building project in Rajkot, which
had also dragged on for several years and had actually been given up as an unrealistic
idea, till I revived it : and I felt a strong urge to see if I could
somehow breathe new life into the languishing scientific venture. Of
course, in terms of dimensions and specific features there was a tremendous
gulf between building a few hundred staff quarters on conventional lines and a
state-of-the-art laboratory in a frontier zone of science. But in terms
of principles and strategies -- effectively overcoming all resistance and
constraints, and gainfully influencing external factors governing the
generation of funds and facilities -- the two scenarios did have a certain
resemblance ; and given my status as CSIR's financial adviser, I could
imagine playing a key role in the whole drama, if only as a supporting
actor. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b>Frustration and fury</b></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">But first of all I
had to find out whether the laboratory and its apparently controversial head
really deserved my earnest support and deep involvement, which would be
absolutely necessary if one had to secure adequate resources for a very
expensive scientific venture. So I went down South to Hyderabad,
expecting to spend a couple of days there taking a close look at CCMB's
mission and assessing its significance in a national and global
perspective.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">As I entered Dr.
Bhargava's chamber on the first morning, I found him in a morose mood.
What was bothering him specifically that day was the serious trouble he was
having in acquiring a couple of indispensable (and expensive) instruments,
which was holding up some vitally important research. He expressed the
hope that having just taken over as CSIR's financial adviser, I would take an
unprejudiced view and authorize the expenditure. I said I'd certainly
like to do so, but first I would like to know what his credentials were for
making extremely heavy demands for funds.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Of course, that was
a rather blunt way of putting it, though I had meant no offense and was only
trying to open up a frank and useful conversation. But I must have set
light to a sensitive fuse, since Dr. Bhargava seemed to be nursing a long-drawn-out
and frustrating grievance against conservative colleagues in CSIR's
Headquarters. Anyway, he just blew up in an explosive rage, and refused
to give me an answer. "And I'd like to know what your own
credentials are for asking me that question!" he fumed. "May I
know your qualification in science? Do you have a science degree?
What do you know about microbiology?"</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">"None -- no --
nothing!" I said. "Economics was my subject in
college. My knowledge about microbiology is almost zero."<br />
<br />
"There you are! And still you think you have the right to question
my credentials as a scientist? Am I answerable to you?" Dr.
Bhargava asked. And his tone was so aggressive that it was my
turn now to blow a fuse. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">"I am not
questioning your credentials, Dr. Bhargava!" I
said. "I am just asking you to make me clearly understand what
they are, that's all! But let me tell you something : I will be
asking you and your scientists a hundred other questions about CCMB as we go
along, and will expect to get crystal-clear answers! Just give me ten
minutes, and I'll explain precisely how I think I can help you to
build the lab you're dreaming about. After that, we can
continue this conversation if you think it will be useful -- otherwise you can
ask your office to cancel my return flight tomorrow evening and get me a seat
today, and just let me go back to my room and read some magazines! Will
that suit you?"</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">That outburst
surprised even me, for I hadn't meant to be rude at all. But the shock
seemed to moderate the eminent scientist's furious and hostile response.
"All right, go ahead! I am listening!" he said, desperately
trying to regain his composure. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b>My role visualized</b></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Both of us were now
in a feverish mood, and my short monologue which followed had a sharp
focus, like a precis being written in an examination hall, and it
crystallized all relevant ideas which had been floating around in my mind for
several weeks. Dr. Bhargava heard me out with intense concentration,
which helped. Paradoxically, what I had to say was quite elementary but
also immensely significant :- </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Any important
project in an externally funded organization would be largely governed by
external factors. In the case of CSIR, which was almost wholly funded by
the Government of India, the external forces were the Finance Ministry, and the
Secretary (Expenditure) who represented it in CSIR's Governing Body as the
Member (Finance). Apart from CCMB's overall budget allocations and
staff sanctions, there would be many specific contexts calling for special
dispensations and relaxation of normal rules, which would need the approval of
the Member (Finance).</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The
concerned Government officials were not likely to be very familiar with
specialized areas of science, though their general knowledge (like mine) did
include a smattering of scientific information. For them to be convinced
about the justification for providing extraordinarily heavy funds for any
project, certain important conditions must be fulfilled. They had
to have total and personal faith in the concerned scientists, as well as
in the internal financial adviser who endorsed their demands. And they
had also to clearly understand the national and social significance and
value of the venture -- in an overall sense as well as in terms of many
specific aspects and items of expenditure -- although the standard scientific
terminology might not make much sense to them. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Both
in building up their confidence in the concerned scientists' <em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">bona fides</span></em> and in enhancing their comprehension of the
issues involved, I could add value by reinforcing the scientists' arguments
with convincing arguments of my own. Obviously, my arguments could be
convincing only if I had been convinced by them myself in the first place.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">In addition to such external factors, moreover, there would be many contexts in
which CSIR's Director-General could approve specific dispensations, with the
concurrence of the financial adviser. Here again, I would need to
record convincing reasons for giving my consent. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">So
far as I could see, the construction of the buildings and other basic
infrastructure for CCMB had got bogged down because the Director's obsession
for achieving excellence (and parity with the best standards in the Western
world) was overflowing beyond the scientific field into peripheral areas like
interior decoration and luxurious fittings and furnishings -- which,
unfortunately, tended to undermine his credibility in purely scientific
contexts as well. But if he could convince me 100% about the scientific
aspects and agree to moderate his approach wherever necessary, I might be able
to create a credible image for him and try to get things moving soon. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Well, those were my
credentials for asking any questions I liked, no matter how elementary or
ignorant they might sound. If that would be a nuisance, I was perfectly
willing to let things proceed in the normal course, wherever that might
lead. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Dr. Bhargava seemed
to be spellbound by my machine-gun-like salvo, which clearly visualized the
crucial role I could play in the given scenario. When I had finished
talking, he said simply :</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">"All right,
Ramakrishna, let me just set the ball rolling by telling you why I need these
two instruments so urgently! Then we will have all the time in the world
to talk about anything else, whenever you like, won't we? And by the way,
do call me Pushpa!" </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">And that instantly
converted the whole fiery episode into a Science-Finance encounter of the most
constructive kind, and the prelude to a great adventure in Dr. Pushpa
Bhargava's life and mine.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /><b>
Unique testimonial </b></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Four years later, in
1987, CCMB was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in a
spacious, state-of-the art campus, with scientific infrastructure comparable to
the best in the world (and the whole ambiance not altogether lacking in
beauty and elegance!). The keynote address was delivered by Nobel
Laureate Sir Francis Crick, and the event was reported in the world's leading
scientific journals in glowing terms. People in CSIR circles still liked
to joke about the Hyderabad Hilton, but not without a trace of respect and
admiration.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Precisely
how this mission was accomplished is a saga which calls for a separate
narrative. But I must mention here that I couldn't
have had any effective influence on the course of events if the
Director and other senior scientists of CCMB (especially Deputy Director
Dr. Bala, who had figured in the two preceding posts) hadn't taken extreme trouble to educate me
sufficiently about many vital aspects of their ongoing and potential
research. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Let
me also add that my role as supporting actor was even more
formidable than I had imagined, for there were certain delicate contexts
in which I had to take enormous personal risks and place my own neck on the
chopping block by taking decisions far beyond my powers -- securing <em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">ex-post-facto</span></em> approval of the
competent authorities after the successful outcome -- because processing
those intricate and speculative issues in the normal course would have
carried still greater risks of deadlock and failure.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Pushpa
knew it all well, of course. He wrote a sincere letter thanking me
in the context of the inauguration, which took place a few months before my association with CSIR came to an end (to be followed by a radically different kind of assignment in the realm of art and culture) :- </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fGSJXaflQ5g/W7AuZPkQBHI/AAAAAAAAGpE/CDBpHmymUp84ZxBp-WNy-EEjezTx3fkQgCLcBGAs/s1600/ccmb.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1223" data-original-width="953" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fGSJXaflQ5g/W7AuZPkQBHI/AAAAAAAAGpE/CDBpHmymUp84ZxBp-WNy-EEjezTx3fkQgCLcBGAs/s640/ccmb.PNG" width="498" /></a></div>
<br />MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-84493397780113258732018-06-15T14:05:00.000-07:002018-06-15T14:05:00.577-07:00Is There Symmetry In life? : A Question Of Scientific & Semantic Perspectives & Perceptions<br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">As I mentioned in the preceding blog, my earnest effort to write a
comprehensive set of essays on Symmetry had turned into an
interesting discussion about the connection (or disconnection)
between symmetry and life. In the event, it all depended
on one's perspective and perception -- in other words, it was just a
question of science vs. semantics!</span></em><o:p></o:p><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></em><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">++++++++++++++</span></strong></span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Glossary </span></strong><span style="color: black;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">(in same order as in text)</span></em></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<em><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">For scientific terms, please see Glossary in preceding
blog. </span></u></em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Semantic -- </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Concerning meaning in language and logic. (<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Semantics</span></em> --
Related branch of linguistics). </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Balasubramanian -- </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> Pronounced <em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Baala-Subra-Manyan </span></em>('u'
as in 'put').</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Hyderabad </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> -- A State capital in South India. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">P.M. Bhargava</span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> -- Internationally
known Indian scientist, dynamic pioneer in the field of cellular and
molecular biology in India.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">++++++++++++</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">THE HINDU</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Sunday
Magazine </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">23 February 1992</span></em><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Of symmetry and life</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"> The merits of a
scientific paper and the distinction of its author are often measured in
terms of the number of times they are cited by other scientists in their own
papers published in reputable scientific journals. This is called the
'Citation Index'.</span></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
All scientists would naturally be glad to see their papers appearing in
important scientific journals, but usually they are even more pleased to see
their findings or views figuring in the contributions of other distinguished
scientists. It makes no difference normally whether there is agreement or
controversy ; the mere fact that one's scientific output has made an
impact on the mind of a peer is usually a sufficient reward for one's
intellectual labors.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
I am not a scientist, and even my general knowledge is not superior to that of
the average layman. Therefore I was not only surprised but was quite
thrilled to see that something I had written recently was taken rather
seriously by an eminent scientist, who even offered a forceful rejoinder.
</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
I am, of course, referring to the article 'Lack of symmetry and life', written
by Prof. D. Balasubramanian of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology
(CCMB), Hyderabad, in <em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The Hindu</span></em> Science Supplement (Dec. 25). This was in
response to my Articulations on symmetry (Nov. 17 and Dec. 1). </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Scientific adventure</span></strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Prof. Balasubramanian and I are old friends But in our past interaction
he had encountered an official purser and not a self-styled thinker, for I used
to be the financial adviser of CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research)
when he was a deputy director of CCMB, with which he is now associated as an
independent scientist. The laboratory was in the process of being set up
as a constituent unit of CSIR at that time, and vast resources had to be found
for the project. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Even before the required infrastructure had fully materialized, the institution
existed in the buildings of the Regional Research Laboratory, Hyderabad (now
known as the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology), and was already engaged
in significant basic research which was attracting world-wide attention. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
Quite frankly, I was dazzled by the brilliance and breath-taking vision of the
senior scientists who were shaping this center of excellence under the dynamic
leadership of Dr. P.M. Bhargava. I never questioned their credentials or
even tried to hide my admiration for their adventure ; but I used to
grill them hard all the same, so that I would be able to present their demands
knowledgeably and effectively to the Planning Commission and the Finance
Ministry. Their response was always positive : they took special
pains to make a layman like me understand the intricacies of their mission and
its far-reaching implications. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
In other words, together we sought to create a symmetry between the scientific
objectives and the financial constraints. CCMB as it has finally taken
shape provides the evidence that we did achieve a large measure of success in
our efforts to reconcile these conflicting factors. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Every institution is like a living organism : its proper growth and good
health depend on the existence of a satisfactory balance between the different
elements which come together to constitute it. In every human endeavor
there is an inherent conflict between aspirations and limitations.
Accomplishment depends, among other things, on an effective equilibrium.
Within a physical and visual frame of reference, symmetry is concerned with
shapes, either identical, proportionate or reflective ; but on a
conceptual plane, equilibrium and symmetry would be synonymous even if the
different elements which contribute to the equilibrium are disparate or
asymmetrical in shape or character. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Startling conclusion</span></strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Now let us consider Prof.Balasubramanian's argument. Reacting to my
statement that "symmetry exists in nature, science, art and other concerns
of civilized life", he observes that "nature does not necessarily
prefer symmetry or order." He explains the concept of 'entropy'
(which represents the imperfect conversion of thermal energy into mechanical
work, and also concerns the disorganization of the universe), and says that
"some of the most important facets of nature and natural laws seem to
underscore this lack of order or symmetry." As regards sub-atomic
particles, he points out that the traditional view that their behavior has a
built-in symmetry has now been questioned by some leading
scientists. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Turning to cellular and molecular biology, which is his area of specialization,
he observes as follows : "Molecules can be right-handed or
left-handed in shape. Generally the two forms occur in equal amounts . .
. The distinct signature of life is the presence of asymmetrical
molecules which go to make it . . . All living systems on earth contain
polymeric DNA as the master molecule which controls hereditary and metabolic
events in the cells . . ."</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Prof. Balasubramanian goes on to say that there can be no life unless there is
"preferential enrichment of asymmetrical molecules." From these
observed facts, he draws the startling conclusion that<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> "where
there is symmetry, there is no active pulsating life." </span></em></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Symmetry in disparity</span></strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
I am not competent to question any of the observations which precede the above
conclusion ; but having regard to the definition of symmetry -- which is
a matter of language and not of science -- I do feel that such a conclusion
does not logically follow from the facts cited. This will be evident if
we scrutinize the nature of the nexus between synchronization and
symmetry. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
It is obvious that symmetry is inherent in sychronization. The uniform
adoption of the units of time on a global scale provides an outstanding example
of this. The simpler form of synchhronization is that which is achieved
between similar elements. A flock of birds in leisurely flight, a
formation of jet aircraft swishing across the sky, and the stately view of
marching soldiers and martial bands illustrate this.<br />
<br />
In many contexts, however, synchronization is achieved
between disparate things. The actual time at no two longitudes can be the
same, but within any given country a national standard time is adopted to avoid
confusion. The traffic of vehicles in the modern world is fraught with
the risk of confusion and chaos, for the types of vehicles as well as the
potential velocity of similar ones are widely divergent. However, there
is remarkable order in the way the fabric of traffic is woven on the roads,
railways, ocean routes and airways of the world ; a collision occurs when
a thread snaps. The parts of a sophisticated engine are of many different
kinds, but they are all in harmony with one another and the whole engine.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Harmony and balance</span></strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, 'symmetry' means, among other
things, the following : (a) harmony of parts with each other and the
whole, and (b) the condition or quality of being well-balanced. In the
light of this authentic definition, the second set of illustrations given above
implies that proper synchronization reconciles disparate or even clashing
elements to achieve symmetry in terms of one of its widest connotations. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Now, what is life if not a marvelous example of synchronization? Is
there any mechanism fabricated by man which is more intricate than the advanced
forms of life? In the context of physiology, the OED further defines
symmetry as 'harmonious working of the bodily functions" -- could that not
also be a definition of life itself? </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
It is not my intention to suggest that everything in the universe and in our
world is in perfect order. My exercise has only been concerned with
observing how far symmetry does exist in nature and in our lives. Even
when we forcefully outline a picture of harmony as it exists, we cannot avoid
being acutely aware of the contradictions which also exist. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
We had noted in an earlier essay that the symmetry in science is only a
reflection of the symmetry in nature ; but scientific and technological
progress itself tends in a way to undermine the essential symmemtry of nature --
for it is increasingly polluting the environment with impure and ecologically
damaging substances, and altering the character of living organisms through
cosmetic or genetic interference. No integral observation of the reality
can legitimately ignore this obvious paradox.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">+++++++++++++++</span></strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">PostScrip</span></i></strong><em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">t, 2018</span></em></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">A question of credentials</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">I had mentioned in this article that I never questioned
the credentials of the senior scientists in CCMB. That
was quite true after I came to know them well ; but in
my initial encounter with Dr. P.M. Bhargava, I did ask him to show
me his credentials for demanding exceptionally massive funding and very
special dispensations. He flew into a rage instantly, and refused to
answer my question at first ; but on cooler reflection, he did
give me a clear insight into his track record and future
potential, with convincing evidence -- which laid the
foundation for an extremely productive rapport between us, making us close
partners in an exciting and successful project of institution-building. But
that, as they say, is another story!</span></em><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-85993205420418029862018-06-12T14:00:00.000-07:002018-06-12T14:08:24.047-07:00'No Symmetry In Life' : An Eminent Scientist Responds To My Reflections On Symmetry<div class="MsoNormal">
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<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I had just
finished writing my third and final essay on Symmetry (please see the preceding
blog) and mailed it to THE HINDU, when the newspaper published a
forceful argument by an eminent scientist in response to the first
two essays, asserting that symmetry is not a characteristic feature of
life. </span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The
author, Dr. D. Balasubramanian, and I were old friends. He was
a Deputy Director of the Center for Cellular & Molecular Biology in
Hyderabad -- a constituent unit of the Council of Scientific &
Industrial Research in New Delhi -- when CCMB was physically and
technically being built in the 1980s ; and as CSIR's friendly
Financial Adviser, I was a discerning source of constant financial and moral
support. He was (and still is!) writing regularly in the
Science & Technology section of THE HINDU, and had won the UNESCO's Kalinga
prize for popularization of science in 1997. </span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Finding it
difficult to pronounce his name? Try </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Baala-Subra-Manyan <em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> ('u' as in 'put') -- there you are!
Or just call him Bala, as his friends do!</span></em></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">+++++++++++++++</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Glossary &
annotations</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">(in same order as in text)</span></em></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Hyderabad </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">-- A State Capital in South India.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">New Delhi </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">-- Capital of India.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Thermodynamics </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> -- Science exploring relationship between heat and other
forms of energy.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Nutrinos</span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> -- Sub-atomic particles similar to electrons but
having no electrical charge, with extremely small mass. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Macroscopic </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> -- Visible to naked eye (among other meanings). </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Beta ray </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> -- An energetic sub-atomic particle. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Molecule</span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> -- Minute basic
component of matter, consisting of two or more chemically bonded atoms. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Valency </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">-- Number of bonds which a given element's atoms can form.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Amino acids </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">-- Biologically significant chemical
compounds, generally containing carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and
nitrogen, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Chirality</span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> (pronounced 'kairality') -- Preference of matter
for asymmetry. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Polymeric</span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> -- Pertaining to chemical compound with large
molecules made of similar smaller molecules.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">DNA (Deoxyribo-nucleic acid)</span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> -- A
macro-molecule encoding genetic characteristics of life forms. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Deoxiribose </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">-- a deoxy sugar (in which a hydrogen atom replaces a
hydroxyl group -- never mind what that means!).</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Double helix </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> -- Twin-stranded molecular structure of nucleic
acids. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">+++++++++++++++</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">THE HINDU</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
Science, Technology, Engineering</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">25 December 1991</span></em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
</span><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Lack of symmetry and life</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
"If one took a careful look at things one would realize that symmetry
exists on a wide scale in nature, science, art and other concerns of civilized
life." So writes Mr. M.V. Ramakrishnan in his two-part
'Articulations' article in The Hindu Sunday Magazine of November 17 and December 1, 1991.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
Interesting as it is, this reflection unconsciously highlights but one
analytical mode of the human mind. This mode uses patterns and symmetry
as bases for analysis, and naturally finds them in many things that it
perceives and analyzes. A case of what you seek, or "I think, therefore
it is" -- or <em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Cogito ergo est</span></em>, to paraphrase the famous remark of the
16th-century French philosopher-scientist Rene Descartes, who said <em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Cogito ergo
sum </span></em>or "I think, therefore I am."</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Powerful role</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
The tendency of the human mind to recognize patterns and deduce order within
them cannot be gainsaid. Symmetry plays such an extremely powerful role
in such analysis that the mind actually 'fills in.' The accompanying
picture shows four black discs with bites taken out of them. The four
incomplete discs are placed symmetrically in a shaded background. The
background prompts the brain to fill in the outline and leads one into
perceiving the illusory circle as if it is actually drawn. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PLYJe2iHxjM/WyA2DOo3VcI/AAAAAAAAElk/C7WslfdE0tk3icQoC3aHqREe0Q-g6ThuwCLcBGAs/s1600/symmetry%2Bdiagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="983" height="222" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PLYJe2iHxjM/WyA2DOo3VcI/AAAAAAAAElk/C7WslfdE0tk3icQoC3aHqREe0Q-g6ThuwCLcBGAs/s400/symmetry%2Bdiagram.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
Professor V.S. Ramachandran of the University of California at San Diego has
been working on this aspect of the brain which is best termed as visual
psychophysics. The key point is the psycho part in the term, as he shows
that it is the mind that does the filling in, to aid pattern recognition.
Showing such pictures at a recent lecture at the Center for Cellular and
Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Prof. Ramachandran wondered if a computer would
do such 'filling in' -- or even whether other animals would do so, or would
they perceive the pattens as incomplete sketches. "Cogito, ergo
est" or "Cogito, ergo sum"? </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Chaos in entropy</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
It is actually rather uncomfortable for the human mind to discover that nature
does not necessarily prefer symmetry or order. In fact, some of the more
important facets of nature and natural laws seem to underscore the lack of
order and symmetry. The concept of entropy, borrowed from thermodynamics
and applicable to even societal processes, is one such. Denoting
disorder, randomization and dissipation of energy, it is indicative of the
downhill trend that is built into natural processes. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
Nicolas Leonard Sadi Carnot (1796-1832), a French physicist and pioneer in the
study of the efficiency of steam engines, showed that no engine can ever be 100
per cent efficient. There will always be a loss due to friction and other
dissipative pocesses. This discovery was soon found to be not so recondite
after all, but applicable to any situation where energy is exchanged or transformed.
It paved the way for the realization that nothing can come out of nothing, and
that it is not possible to ever build a perpetual-motion machine that operates
efficiently forever. With time, the system will tend towards losing order
and gaining entropy. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Time's arrow</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
Hence the pithy statement that entropy is time's arrow. It is as if the
clock of time unwinds. One cannot wind back this clock of an isolated
system. One cannot win, and what is worse, also break even. Friction,
dissipation and entropy take care of that. The universe itself, being
isolated from anything else, unwinds towards dissipation and greater
entropy. It is isolated by definition -- since if there is anything else,
that would be included as part of the universe. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
Time is thus the direction in which the order or the system decreases or the
entropy increases. There is therefore no inherent symmetry in the natural
history of the universe itself. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
The remarkable point about thermodynamic laws is that they are applicable to
all systems -- from a collection of neutrinos in an ensemble of human populations
to the universe itself. Whether the universe began with a big bang of
primal matter/energy at the start of time and flows downhill since, or whether
it is a steady state of cycles . . . it is an one-way street that
goes towards greater entropy or disorder. No symmetry here, in the
largest possible perspective. The second law of thermodynamics dictates
it in the macroscopic world. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
When man analyzes the nature and behavior of matter, he looks for pattern,
repetition, symmetry, correspondence and connections between parameters that he
uses in the analysis. Some of the more important parameters concern the
position (the co-ordinates) of the object of study , its motion, electric
charge, magnetism, and so on.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
In the description of sub-atomic particles, one particularly interesting
parameter concerns the symmetry properties of these particles. For quite
some time, a major rule concerning the behavior of sub-atomic particles was
that it has an in-built symmetry. This is termed conservation of parity,
where parity refers to a type of symmetry analogous to that which exists
between the left and the right hands. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
About 40 years ago, however, Professor (Mrs.) Wu of New York found indications
in certain experiments involving the release of beta rays, that parity was not
conserved. The system and the experimental set-up themselves were
symmetric, with no bias towards one-handedness or the other, yet the stream of
beta rays corkscrewing their way out of the system showed a bias towards
one-handedness over the other. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">'Weak interactions'</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
Now, one of the four basic forces of nature is the so-called 'weak
interactions', which is manifested in the Wu experiments. The observation
that parity is not maintained in these interactions therefore leads to the
important but unsettling conclusion that nature may inherently display
asymmetric behavior. Subsequent to this, two other American scientists
also of Chinese origin, C.N. Yang and T.D. Lee, confirmed the property and
provided the theoretical perspective, for which they received the Nobel prize
in Physics. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
An even more remarkable manifestation of nature's asymmetric tendencies occurs
in the living world. All living beings are made of molecules, and in
particular carbon-containing ones. The carbon atom has a valency of
four, and these four arms of the atom are flung out in space, making the
molecule three-dimensional and thus analyzable in terms of symmetry
operations. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
One of the most notable findings in chemistry is that molecules can be
right-handed or left-handed in shape. Generally the two forms occur in
equal amounts, have the same properties, and can be distinguished from the way
they interact with polarized light (such as the one coming through plastic
sun-glasses). </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Pasteur's finding </span></strong><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">A momentous discovery was made a century ago by
Louis Pasteur, who showed that microbes contain sugar molecules that are
preferentially right-handed and amino acids which are left-handed. He
asserted that all life forms are to be recognized through their ability to
prefer and enrich molecules of one-handedness or <em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">chirality</span></em> over the
other.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
In contrast, the inorganic world is symmetric and abounds in materials and
molecules where both right-handed and left-handed forms occur in exactly equal
amounts. In othe rwords, the distinct signature of life is the presence
of asymmetrical molecules which go to make it.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Two-stranded pigtail</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
What Pasteur found as life's signature has been borne out by molecular
biology. All living systems on earth contain polymeric DNA as the master
molecule which controls heredity and metabolic events in the cells. And the
DNA in all cells is made exclusively of the right-handed form of the sugar
deoxyribose. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
On top of this asymmetry, the long molecular chain of
DNA winds upon itself in the form of a pigtail with two strands, or as a spiral
staircase, as a double helix, with the winding in the right-handed mode rather
than the other way. This leads to the further feature of dissymmetry which
is defined with respect to a mirror-like plane of reflection.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
Asymmetry is defined with respect to inversion at a center or point. Inorganic
substances in general are not asymmetric but can occasionally be organized in a
dissymmetric way. A typical example is quartz which is a form of silica
and by itself symmetric. When organized as a crystal, the individual
silica units can be put up dissymmetrically as a right-handed spiral or as its
mirror image, a left-handed helical arrangement.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
When the crystal is dissolved and the single silica molecules are obtained, the
handedness is lost and the system is symmetric again. On the other hand,
when a molecule of life such as DNA is broken down, the dissemmetry is gone but
the resultant deoxyribose is still asymmetrical. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Symmetry in death?</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
Handedness or chirality is such a manifest feature of life that one can
actually detect sneaking small amounts of molecules of the wrong handedness
(right-handed amino acids or left-handed sugars) in tissues that are ageing or
dead, such as the eye lens or the tooth enamel. Death is characterized by
the inability of the system to handle or enrich asymmetric molecules
preferentially. This feature is so vital in life and death that it is
exploited in the search for extra-terrestrial life. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">
Samples from the Moon and Mars have been analyzed, as also organic matter from
meteorites that have fallen on earth from space. To date, none of the
extra-terrestrial organic matter has shown any preferential enrichment of
asymmetrical molecules. Based on this, it can be tentatively inferred
that as of now, there is no life detected in outer space. From microbes
to Martian matter is a unified theme : where there is symmetry there is
no active, pulsating life.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">+++++++++++++++</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<strong><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">PostScript</span></i></strong><em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">, 2018</span></em><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Check and counter-check</span></strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">When I read Dr.
Bala's article, I felt like sitting in front of a chess board and facing
a formidable champion! With the asymmetrical leaps and bounds of his
twin knights he had certainly pushed my king into a tight corner ;
but with the smooth movements of my linguistic rooks and queen, I mounted a
strong counter-attack. I have no idea whether either of us could have won
the game : I was quite happy to call it a draw! </span></em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">
(Next : A question of Science vs. semantics)</span></em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-90922127268966593562018-03-11T19:16:00.000-07:002018-03-11T19:16:03.338-07:00How The Infinitely Wide Spectrum Of Symmetry Makes It A Universal Phenomenon<br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Here's my third and concluding essay on the awesome concept
of Symmetry. I thought I had said the last word on the subject, but I was
wrong. Just read on!</span></em><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">++++++++++++++</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Glossary & annotations</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">(in
same order as in text)</span></em></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Nataraja </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">-- Alternate name of Lord Siva. the Hindu God, depicted as a
vigorous cosmic dancer striking a standard pose in all statues and
pictures. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Raaga/Taala </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">-- In Indian classical music, established patterns of
melody/rhythm.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Aarohana/Avarohana</span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> - Established order of ascent/descent of notes in a
raaga. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Ballet</span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> -- Classical dance of Europe.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Bharatha-naatyam/Odissi/Kathak </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> -- Classical dance
systems of South/South-East/North India.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Scotch reel</span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> -- A traditional dance of Scotland, set to bagpipes
music.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Flamenco</span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> -- Dance tradition of Spain, with a bullfight
orientation and gypsy colors.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Waltz</span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> -- A graceful, swirling type of
Western music, ideal for ballroom dancing. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> <em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> (Look
for above dance forms in YouTube, for a rich experience)</span></em></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">+++++++++++++++</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">THE HINDU </span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
Sunday Magazine </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">29 December 1991</span></em><o:p></o:p><br />
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></em>
<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Articulations</span></u><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The panorama of symmetry</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
Turning our view from the visual arts to the performing arts, we find that
symmetry still figures as a fundamental criterion, which can be given up only at
the cost of excellence. This truth is most clearly visible in the case of
dance, where the impact is mainly visual. There is a strong resemblance
between a well-performed dance and the steady flame of an oil-lamp (especially
one exposed to a gentle breeze) or the lively flames of a fuel-wood
fire. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Naturally, in a good dance we observe the same quality of symmetry
which we find in flames. Good choreography obviously calls for a
symmetrical vision. The ancient temple sculpture of India was, among other things, a celebration of the symmetry of dance : perhaps the most
magnificent example of this is the classic pose of Nataraja. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Music & symmetry</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Symmetry in music concerns the logical flow of its sound. One may look
for it separately in melody, harmony or tempo (incorporating rhythm), or in the
balance achieved when integrating these elements. In Indian classical
music there is remarkable symmetry in the 'aarohana' and 'avarohana' of the
ragas, and in the meticulous tempo set up by the various taalas. Given
these established patterns of melody and rhythm, the symmetry of Indian
classical music is to a large extent pre-determined. In the West, where
no such compulsory patterns restrain the process of composition except in the
case of certain forms of dance music, the structure of any arrangement for
instrumental or vocal music is normally governed by a far more flexible regime
of symmetry.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
A vital source of symmetry in Indian classical music is the 'sruthi' -- a
continuous shimmering backdrop which not only anchors the basic tonic at the
proper level but also provides a reassuring sound which is part of the music in
its own right. Western music does not normally adopt such an organic
device for regulating the pitch or reinforcing the sound ; but the
persistent anchoring efforts in pop music and in instrumental jazz do give rise
to a kind of sruthi, whether this is based on any theoretical requirement or
not. There is, by the way, a constant drone similar to sruthi in certain
types of Swedish music. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Dancing to music </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Except perhaps in very unorthodox displays of virtuosity, dance cannot be
performed without appropriate parallel music (usually with an accent on
rhythm). We can easily recognize the symmetry between a system of dance
and the music which is meant for it -- whether we are thinking of ballet or
Bharatha-naatyam, Scotch reel or Odissi, Kathak or Flamenco. The steady
pulse of a beautiful waltz contributes to the graceful swirl of ballroom
dancing, and also reflects it. Folk music and dance everywhere are more
closely bound together than art music and dance, therefore this consonance
between sound and vision is more prominent in their case.<br />
<br />
There are, of course, exceptions to this rule.
For instance, the showy gyrations and gymnastics of disco dancers or pop
musicians (especially in video productions) often degenerate into wildly
discordant movements and images, while the parallel music usually maintains a
stable sonority.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Drama and cinema </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Is there symmetry in drama? We do not have to search hard for an answer
: it would be enough merely to consider the composite nature of the
dramatic art, which incorporates the elements of literature and the visual
arts,, and often the other performing arts too. In all shades of drama,
ranging from simple rustic drama to sophisticated urban theater, there has to
be a fine balance between artistic disciplines of different kinds. It all
boils down to a question of symmetry, of course. In this regard, what is
true of drama is also true of motion pictures, with appropriate modifications. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Artists and audience</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
In the case of the visual arts, architecture, audio and video recordings and
cinema, the interaction of the viewers is not with the creators of art, but
with their creations. But in the case of live music, dance and drama, there
is a direct communication between the artists and the audience. The
success of a performance depends to a large extent on the symmetry which exists
in this sensitive relationship. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Language & literature</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Let us now take a look at language and literature. In an earlier essay we
had noted that there is considerable logic in the grammar and composition of
language. It is a fact that wherever there is logic there is
symmetry. We had also seen that there are certain illogical elements in
language, especially in the case of script and spelling in relation to sound
; to that extent, symmetry is missing in language. Of course, it is
visibly present in the maintenance of alphabetical order, the compilation of
dictionaries, and in the techniques of short-hand transcription. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
There is obvious symmetry in the rhythm of poetry in any language, and in its
rhyming and alliteration. John Ruskin, the English art critic of the 19th
century, talked of the "symmetrical clause of Pope's logical metre."
While poetry can express profound and beautiful thoughts, it may also be
majestic and lovely in its mere form, like music. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Elegant prose too has a distinct rhythm, but this depends more on
meaning. Herbert Reed, the distinguished literary critic, says in his
book 'English Prose Style' : "Rhythm is born not with the words but
with the thought . . . The paragraph is a plastic mass. and it takes
shape from the thought it has to express. The words are like clay on a
potter's wheel . . . " But obviously thought is the seminal source
of all literature, not merely of prose. The ultimate symmetry of
literature, whether it takes the form of a poem, essay, novel, short story or
play, lies in the delicate equilibrium between thought and articulation -- in
other words, in the balance achieved between perception and language. It
is equally true that elegance and beauty of style basically depend on the
symmetrical arrangement of words, not only as they look on paper, but also as
they sound when spoken.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Universal law of symmetry</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
This survey will not be complete unless we take stock of certain other
manifestations of symmetry -- which are illustrative and not exhaustive, and
reinforce the impression that there seems to be a universal law of
symmetry. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
Let us consider sports, for instance. There is symmetry in the whole ambiance of a hockey or football ground, tennis or badminton court, billiards
able or carom board, ski slope or skating rink, athletic track or velodrome --
not only in the visual impact of the events, but in the competition between the
sportspersons and (where relevant) the cohesion of team-work. A high
degree of symmetry exists in the infinite permutations of chess and in the
intricate equations of bridge.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
There are many aspects of management where symmetry is a major factor.
Institutional success depends a great deal on the kind of balance which exists
in the relationship between employers and employees, between management and
ownership, and between the organization and its clients, customers and associates.
There must be order in the maintenance of accounts and the contents of balance
sheets. There must be compatibility in the planning of projects, and
consistency in their implementation. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
Symmetry is of paramount importance in the context of rational argument,
whether it concerns legal issues. audit scrutiny, political and social
commentary, scientific inquiry or the pursuit of pure wisdom. The force
of impartial argument is derived from the balance implicit in
objectivity. One naturally looks for perfect logic in judicial
pronouncements, the Auditor-General's reports to the legislature, editorials of
responsible newspapers, scientific papers and philosophic treatises.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
As mentioned earlier, wherever there is logic, there is symmetry. This is
true whether we relate rationality to thought processes or to the scheme of
things which exist in nature or in a man-made environment. But symmetry
and logic are not synonymous terms, and we must carefully note the distinction
between them. An important fact that needs to be underlined is that while
there may be logic in something which is not symmetrical, there csn be no
symmetry in anything which is not logical.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">+++++++++++++++ </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">PostScript</span></i></strong><em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">, 2018</span></em><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Scientific sequel</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">When I started exploring the concept of symmetry in my monthly
column 'Articulations' in THE HINDU, I knew it would call for several essays of
the usual length permitted by the Editor. But</span></em><strong><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></i></strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">just
when I had finished writing</span></em><strong><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></i></strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">the
third one -- which I imagined would successfully conclude the extremely
intricate exercise -- the first two attracted a strong rejoinder from an
eminent Indian scientist. </span></em><o:p></o:p><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></em>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">It took me some
time to respond, but after a few weeks I turned the argument into a
question of science vs. language, proving my point. That, of course, will
be the topic of the next post! </span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-49278423456339793052018-03-09T19:14:00.000-08:002018-03-09T19:14:14.454-08:00Significant Aspects Of Symmetry In Art & Artistic Settings, Architecture & Artifacts <br />
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<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Here is the
second of my three comprehensive essays on Symmetry, which have survived -- and
will surely continue to survive -- the severe tests of time :- </span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">+++++++++++++++</span></strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">THE HINDU</span></strong><span style="color: black;"><br />
Sunday Magazine</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">11 December 1991 </span></em><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
</span><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Symmetry in art</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> <br />
In the first part of this essay we had noted
the widespread presence of symmetry in nature and science. Transferring
our attention to the field of art, we find the role of symmetry to be no less
significant. Like science, art also has its deepest roots in
nature. The earliest forms of art in human experience were apparently an
endeavor to represent nature in rudimentary drawings or etchings on rocks, or
in carvings of wood and stone -- picturing the prominent landmarks of nature,
which include the physical forms of life. With such a spontaneous beginning, it
was inevitable that the symmetry inherent in nature would be permanently
imprinted on the artistic instinct and perspective of mankind. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
It is not therefore surprising that even after superior techniques of sculpture
and painting were developed with the progress of civilization,
preoccupation with nature has continued to be a compelling element of art for
many centuries. The highly symmetrical form of the human body was
captured in the superb marble sculpture of ancient Greece in an idealized
manner, and artists of Imperial Rome had looked mainly to Greece for
inspiration. So exquisite is the symmetry of the statue of Venus de Milo
(second or third century BC) that even an ordinary viewer with a little bit of
imagination can visualize, in his or her own way, the lovely shape of the
lady's missing arms which have been lost to the ravages of time.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
In terms of reposeful grace, this masterpiece of Greek art has a striking
parallel in the nude figure of David sculptured by Michelangelo more than 1500
years later in Italy. Indeed, the whole art of the Renaissance in the
15th and 16th centuries in Europe -- whether in sculpture or painting --
reflected an intense nostalgia for the grace, beauty and symmetry of the
classical art of ancient Greece and Rome. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Conflicting trends</span></strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Subsequent artistic trends in the West veering away from the instinctive
affinity with nature were presumably the result of accumulated and growing
intellectual ennui in the realm of art, particularly since the last quarter of
the 19th century. But even where artists have revolted against merely
copying nature, they have not always sacrificed symmetry in the works they have
created.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
It is true that there have been several artistic movements in which
arbitrariness has been the predominant element -- such as Expressionism
(Munch), Fauvism (Matisse), Cubism (Picasso, Braque), Dada (Duchamp,
Ernst), Surrealism (Ernst, Dali), and Abstract Expressionism (Pollock).
But there have also been parallel trends where even artists with unconventional
attitudes did not give up their concern for harmony -- such as those belonging
to movements like Realism (Courbet), Impressionism (Manet, Pissaro, Renoir),
and Post-Impressionism (Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh). There is fascinating
symmetry in the severe straight lines and austere rectangles which figure in
the abstract art of Mondrian.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
Moreover, the asymmetrical and anti-symmetrical elements of modern art have
also tended to create their own brand of ennui in the artistic spirit :
and as the dawn of a new century draws closer, there seems to be a growing
inclination among artists in the West to revert to less arbitrary styles. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
There is great symmetry to be found in the classical forms of Oriental art,
whether Byzantine (Turkish-Roman), Greek Orthodox, Persian, Indian or
Chinese. In India, modern art styles have tended to copy bizarre and
asymmetrical European models quite indiscriminately ; and by and large they have
failed to make a forceful impact on the people, whose collective vision of the
visual arts has always been rooted deeply in traditional concepts. No
wonder the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, which is supported by
the Government at great cost, has only marginal relevance to the cultural life
of the people. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Architecture and designs</span></strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
While symmetry can be devalued to some extent in the case of painting and
sculpture, it is almost indispensable in architecture. Buildings, bridges
and other permanent constructions need to have a stable framework for retaining
their forms ; and stability in physical terms is invariably enhanced by
symmetry in structure. This is obviously the reason why, from the most
ancient times to the present day, architects all over the world have generally
tended to adopt symmetrical designs. Architecture is concerned with
engineering as well as aesthetics. While science provides the foundation
and the basic features of the framework, art prescribes the appearance which creates
the visual impact and appeal of a structure : and on both counts,
symmetry happens to be a crucial factor. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Another area in which science and art have a common concern is that of
industrial design. Considerations of utility and engineering have an
important bearing on the shape of innumerable products of modern industry
; but the attractiveness of the package -- or of the shell enclosing
mechanical, electric or electronic systems -- depends largely on its artistic
value. The design of a product may either be influenced by the preference
of propsective consumers, or may be meant to influence their tastes ; in
either event, the designer usually faces questions of symmetry and visual
appeal. And in important functional matters like sreamlining an
automobile body or devising a well-balanced internal mechanism, the engineer is
vitally concerned with the connection between symmetry and efficiency. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Symmetry in settings</span></strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
When discussing painting and sculpture, we have so far referred to symmetry
only in the sense of an artistic work displaying a symmetrical pattern, whether
as a reflection of the symmetry which exists in nature, or in a different form
altogether. We must also observe the fact that when a faithful or even
impressionistic image of a real object or person is created in a painting or
sculpture, there is a symmetrical relationship between the subject and the
work of art. This aspect is more conspicuous in the case of photography,
where the picture seeks to represent a subject or scene faithfully unless any
deliberate distortions are introduced by manipulating the normal process
itself. And what is true of photography in this regard is also true of
cinematography, TV transmission and video recording.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
In the case of cinema, there is a symmetrical link between the scene which is
shot and the film, and between the film and the immensely magnified image on
the screen. Similarly, in a video recording there is a symmetrical link
between the original scene and the magnetic tape, and between the tape
and the monitor screen. In the case of live television, there is a direct
symmetrical link between the image telecast and the one received, just as there
is a symmetrical bond between inputs and outputs in the case of the telephone,
telegraphy, gramaphone, sound-recording tape or compact disc. The continuing
efforts of inventors to develop more and more sophisticated techniques -- with
the ultimate objective of reproducing sound and vision with the highest
fidelity -- are in fact a constant search for finding effective methods for
achieving greater symmetry in the whole system. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
There is, however, a serious paradox in the evolving situation.
The state of technology in cinema and television has already reached a very
high level today ; and the possibility of duplicating reality with still
greater accuracy by deveoping perfect three-dimensional imagery creates the
legitimate fear that it may only lead to a reduction in the artistic value of
the viewer's experince. This would mean that a delicate equilibrium which
is conducive to artistic excellence may be lost, spoiling the symmetry of the
whole equation. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Decorations and
artifacts</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
Symmetry would seem to have been a basic element of decoration
from the earliest times, whether in relation to objects of art or articles of
utility ; and by and large it continues to be so today. In
architecture, symmetry is found not only in the harmonious shape of a structure
and its constituent parts, but in interior and exterior xevoration as
well. Thus, the symmetry visible in the arabesques, friezes, mosaics,
frescos or stained glass of olden days is matched by the symmetry one sees in
the carpets. mantels and chandeliers of more recent times, and in today's
linoleum, wall-paper or even functional tiles.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
We have noted the relevance of symmetry in modern industrial
products. This is reminiscent of the symmetry which has generally charaterized
the artifacts of human workmanship from pre-historic periods to the present
times, through successive civilizations. There is a compulsive urge in
human nature to look for beauty in addition to utility even in things which are
intended to serve ordinary purposes. This calls for elegance and symmetry
in curtains and carpets, cutlery and chinaware, cooling and washimg machines,
and so on endlessly. To what extent this need is actually satisfied by
contemporary industrial culture geared to mass production is an issue which has
to be studied separately.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">(to be continued)</span></em></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">+++++++++++++++</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
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<strong><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">PostScript</span></i></strong><em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">, 2018</span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
</span><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Blending beauty and utility </span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">As I was
writing the last paragraph of this
essay in 1991, I could hear loud echoes of
the following thought expressed by Mr. P.N. Haksar, the
distinguished Indian diplomat-turned-cultural-philosopher, a couple of years
earlier :-</span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
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<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">"It must be
ensured that the cultural life of the individual, no less than that of the
community, should seek to relate aesthetic fulfilment to the everyday
activities of life. Encouragement should be held out to creative activity
which locates both beauty and utility in the artifacts of cultural as
well as material production." </span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">A significant
sequence of his profound reflections can be seen in my blog : </span></em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2017/07/when-how-chairman-haksar-wrote-his.html" target="_blank"><em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">When & How Chairman Haksar Wrote His Monumental Essay On Art & Culture</span></em></a><em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">. </span></em></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-3013785706945994992018-03-07T19:11:00.002-08:002018-03-07T19:13:00.160-08:00The Intricate And Intriguing Dimensions And Manifestations Of Symmetry <br />
<em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">My contributions to THE HINDU, one of India's most prestigious
English-language newspapers, were spread over half a century in successive spells and columns which had several different characters and colors. The
initial spell in the 1960s featured articles cast in the mould of classical
English essays ; this was followed by reviews and sketches on the
Carnatic and Western music scenarios in India's capital city New Delhi in the
late '80s and early '90s. </span></em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></em>
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<em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I also wrote a
column titled 'Articulations' in 1990-93, recording the reflections of an
articulate layman on the intricate manifestations of art and culture, as well as some psychological or philosophic aspects of life. In the following
recent blog I had explained how this column happened to be launched :
<a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2017/07/when-how-chairman-haksar-wrote-his.html" target="_blank">When & How Chairman Haksar Wrote His Monumental Essay OnArt & Culture</a>. </span></em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></em></div>
<em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Earlier, in several successive blogs I had also recalled half a
dozen essays on friendship, starting with the following one : </span></em><em><span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2014/03/" target="_blank">Frontiers Of Friendship : How, Beyond Natural Boundaries, Close Friendship Becomes Troublesome Bondage! </a></span></em><i><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">
</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Let
me now share with you a set of three seminal essays on the concept of
symmetry, which were followed by a lively exchange of clashing ideas between an
eminent Indian scientist and myself
:- </span></em></span></i><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<em><b><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 24.0pt;">__________</span></b></em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">THE HINDU</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Sunday
Magazine</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">17 November
1991</span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Reflections on symmetry</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></strong><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> In my last column I had
expressed the view that other things being equal, the universality of music in
terms of space and time depends on the degree of its symmetry. This
raises a pertinent issue : what exactly constitutes symmetry in music?
For finding a convincing answer one must naturally start with a proper
definition of symmetry. However, the effort to expain tends to become an
exploration, and one is astounded by the far-reaching significance and apparently
unlimited manifestations of symmetry. So then, let music wait!<br />
<br />
The true meaning of symmetry is not limited to
parallelism -- namely that two things (or two sides of the same thing) look
alike in an absolute or inverted sense -- although that is the most popular
connotation of the word. In a much larger frame of reference,
symmetry implies good proportion, balance, harmony and equilibrium ;
concordance, congruity, consonance and consistency ; and even
orderliness, grace and beauty. And if one took a careful look at
things, one would realize that symmetry so defined exists on an
intriguingly wide scale in nature, as well as in science, art and other
concerns of civilized life.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Symmetry in universe</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">
Nowhere in nature is symmetry present as a more awesome phenomenon than in the
meticulous order of the universe, where countless celestial bodies of colossal
size exist in the form of noble spheres -- either in a solid form or as a
mass of energy -- and are endlessly tracing elliptical paths in the cosmos
without collision, indicating a perfectly balanced equilibrium. The
gravitational forces which are responsible for this amazing consistency in the
perpetual motion and recurring relative positions of stars and planets do not
operate in an arbitrary manner, but obey certain eternal laws of nature.
That is why astronomical research and predictions are able to reach out to
infinity in terms of time and space. </span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">
There is great symmetry in the way light behaves . . . in the infinite
directions in which it tends to get dispersed unless obstructed . . . in
the constant and inexceedable speed at which light beams travel, and in the
absolutely straight line of their course which can stretch over millions of
light-years till they encounter something which stops, retracts or reflects
them. There is symmetry in the refraction of light . . . in the way
a prism breaks it up into the basic colors of the spectrum, or a wet sky
conjures up a magnificent rainbow. There is symmetry in the constant
speed of sound, and in the echo which results when it is reflected. There
is symmetry, too, in the velocity of electricity and radio waves, and in the
radiation of heat and other forms of vital energy. </span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Symmetry
on earth</span></strong></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
There is symmetry in the shape of the earth, and in the composition of its
atmosphere. One can see perfect order in the latitudes and longitudes
which are man-drawn lines on paper or on a globe. There is symmetry in the
directions -- north, south, east and west -- and in the compass which indicates
them. There is consistency in the altitudes at which different kinds of
clouds float or cruise in the sky ; there is symmetry in the waves of the
seas and their </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">alternating</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> tides. There is symmetry in one's view of the
horizon, which resolves itself into a perfect arc or circle as one moves up in
the sky regardless of the nature of the landscape, in the way lighthouse beams
constantly sweep and scan the horizon, and in the way they are observed from
any given spot as flashes which recur with unerring regularity. </span></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
There is great symmetry to be found in crystals and snow-flakes. Trees
may not always be symmetrical in shape unless they are coniferous or palm
; but leaves, flowers and fruits are almost always symmetrical in
form. Even where trees and plants grow in irregular shapes, the
configuration of forests has an inherent pattern. There is symmetry in
the atoms and molecules of the elements, whether they are in a solid, liquid or
gaseous state, and in the temperatures at which those conditions are
altered. There is precision in the annual cycle of the seasons :
spring, summer, rain, autumn and winter. There is symmetry in the way
water invariably finds its mean level no matter how intricately it is </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">connected</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> -- particularly in the way the surfaces of all the oceans have a common,
immutable level which forms the basis for all geographical calculations of
altitude and depth. There is symmetry in the flame of a candle or
oil-lamp, and even in the volatile flames of a blazing log-fire. </span></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
There is a strong element of symmetry in the physical features of most living
creatures . . . in the limbs and bone structures of mammals ;
in the twin eyes and ears which make three-dimensional vision and stereophonic
hearing </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">possible</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> ; and in the almost invariable matching of the left and
right sides of animate bodies. There is remarkable balance in the shape
of fish, which are streamlined by nature to overcome the resistance of water, and
in the wings which sustain the airborne condition of birds. There is
symmetry in the traits which characterize any given species on this earth
; and even between different species there is a striking similarity
in the sexual division and functions. </span></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Symmetry
in shapes </span></strong></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">
So far as shapes are concerned, symmetry invariably concerns two
dimensions, and sometimes three. It will hardly be disputed that the
circle and the sphere are the most perfectly symmetrical shapes which
exist. Symmetry can be axial, radial or bilateral, depending on whether
it has a reference to a bisecting line, central point or dividing plane.
When we consider only two dimensions, we observe the symmetry of the circle,
ellipse (or oval), square, rectangle, and equilateral triangle, pentagon,
hexagon, and so on. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">
In three dimensions, we find symmetrical structures in the sphere, cone,
pyramid (which you might call a 'square cone'), cylinder and cube. The
whole exercise of solving the intricate problem set up by the Rubik's Cube is a
quest for restoring a symmetrical scheme of things from an extremely disturbed
state.</span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Symmetry
in science </span></strong></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
fundamental connection between nature and science is obvious, and has two
distinct aspects. Science is concerned with the discovery and
interpretation of natural phenomena or laws ; it also seeks to counter or
harness the forces of nature for the purposes of mankind, whether these are
constructive or destructive. And since symmetry figures strongly in nature,
so it does in science also.</span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Thus,
the discipline of physics is concerned with deciphering the symmetry which
governs the universe as well as the microscopic atoms of the elements.
Physics and astronomy together deal with complex issues concerning gravity,
relativity, displacement in space and time, homogeneity of space, properties of
heavenly bodies -- all of which raise vital questions of symmetry. In
chemistry, we come across equations and formulas which indicate the reactions
which ensue when elements interact with one another, altering the symmetry of
things. Geology studies the symmetry of the earth's structure. In
biology scientists are deeply rooted in nature, studying the symmetry of plant
and animal life ; research in microbiology is essentially
concerned with the symmetry of living cells.</span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">
No less significant is the status of symmetry in mathematics. It has a
conspicuous presence in geometry, which deals with magnitudes in space and the
visual shapes of things ; it is also present, though less perceptibly, in
other branches of maths like algenra and calculus. Of course, it is
difficult to mark the borderline between mathematics and certain other sciences
like physics and astronomy which are concered with the symmetry inherent in the
laws of nature. In statistics, there is always symmetry in the
compilation and tabulation of data and their systematic analysis.</span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Symmetry
in technology</span></strong></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
Symmetry can be found in the elementary tools devised by primitive men as well
as in the sophisticated machines produced by high </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">technology</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> today. There
was symmetry in the blunt instruments of the stone age and in the original
wheel whenever it was invented, as there is in the complicated gears or
mysterious electronic systems of modern machinery. There is symmetry
in the way a sensitive gyroscope works, or in the way a simple bicycle in
motion balances itself. </span></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">
The physical shapes which vehicles have assumed from early times to the present
day provide sriking examples of symmetrical forms. The streamlined
structure of boats and ships, aeroplanes and rockets is the result of the
necessity to overcome the resistance set up by natural forces. The basic
objective of hydrodynamics and aerodynamics is to discover the most effective
symmetry of objects moving in water and air. Of course, it took
researchers condiderable time to realize that automobiles and rail-bound trains
moving on the ground also need streamlining. </span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Symmetry
in standards </span></strong></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
Symmetry is inevitable in standardization, whether it concerns instruments,
weights and measures, currency or the diverse products of modern
industry. A forceful illustration of this is provided by the identical
specifications of </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">gramophone</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> records, photographic and cinematic film and
magnetic recording tapes adopted all over the world. We tend to take
things for granted when we casually play a long-playing record or video
cassette made in India or Bulgaria on a reproducing machine made in America or
Japan. The remarkable symmetry of the whole system which makes this
possible may not be perceived unless one consciously looks for it, but it is
there on a global scale all the time. By contrast, the
spread of the computer culture in the world today is perhaps retarded to some
extent because of the inadequate symmetry of the existing software, although
the computer itself represents a marvelous symmetry in science and
technology. </span></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">(to
be continued) </span></em></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></em><em><b><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 24.0pt;">_________</span></b></em><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">PostScript, </span></i></strong><em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">2018</span></em><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Symmetry in articulations</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></strong>
<em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Looking at this tightly-packed text written more than 25
years ago, I can't help feeling that it couldn't be so relevant and
readable today -- as I am sure it's likely to be even after a
hundred years from now -- if there hadn't been a substantial
element of symmetry in the whole composition. This impression
is strongly reinforced by the two essays which followed, as you will
see. But then, of course, that must be true of almost all my
reflections as an articulate layman!</span></em><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-17530336069828047992017-12-31T20:10:00.003-08:002018-03-05T01:15:23.060-08:00My Kung-Fu Adventure : How I Entered The 36th Chamber Of Audit<i><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Contrary to the
expectations of some of my close friends, who were convinced that my column 'India
of C-A-G' couldn't last long without becoming extremely tedious to write and
read, it became as entertaining as it was profoundly insightful, thanks mainly
to the absolute freedom of expresssion, style and presentation which the
Editor, Mr. N. Ravi, had given me. The articles on tobacco exports, which I
posted recently, clearly showed how exciting my recollectiions and reflections
could become. And here's another excellent example of how unlimited my
boundaries were :-</span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18pt;">_______________</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Glossary & annotations
</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
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<em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">States
-- </span></em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">There
were 26 States in India at the time of this story (now there are 29, due to
subsequent partitions).</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Lok Sabha
-- </span></em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Lower
House of Indian Parliament (in India's prime language Hindi,<em> Lok = </em>people ;<em> Sabha </em>= assembly). </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Madras </span></em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> -- South Indian
metropolis, capital of Tamil Nadu State (and my own home city!).</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">_____________</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">THE HINDU </span></strong><b><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
</span></b><em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">11 December
1996</span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<u><span style="color: #0c343d;">India of C-A-G</span></u></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><u><span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span></u></span></div>
<strong><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The 36th Chamber of Audit</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Two
years have passed since this column was started, and more than sixty articles
have appeared so far. Some of them described the functions of the
Comptroller and Auditor-General of India, as well as the nature, scope,
attitudes, environment and quality of Government audit in India, but most of
the articles were devoted to disseminating the contents of the CAG's Audit
Reports.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Regular readers of this
column must be wondering where exactly the Audit Reports are
leading. Are they having any perceptible and positive impact on the
Central and State Governments? </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Are the institutions
responsible for following up the CAG's reports under the Constitution -- the
Public Accounts Committees (PACs) and the Committees on Public Undertakings
(COPUs) of Parliament and the State Legislatures -- doing a useful job?
This is a problem with which the CAG has been wrestling for 50 years, and a
proper solution still seems to be as elusive as ever!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">And that reminds me
forcefully of the Shakdher Committee, which had gone into the related
issues on the States side a few years ago. I happened to be the
Member-Secretary of that panel, which had been appointed by the CAG. But
before I explain the background of the Commitee, I must recall the memory of a
certain young exponent of the ancient Chinese martial art Kung-Fu.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Crusade against tyranny</span></strong></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span></strong></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">In the Chinese film 'The 36th
Chamber of Shaolin', which ran to full houses in several Indian cities 15 years
ago, the hero is a handsome young boy who grows up in the terrible and
repressive regime of a merciless tyrant in ancient China, and resolves to fight
the oppressor effectively. Now there is a sequestered monastery called
Shaolin, where the finest masters of Kung-Fu live and teach. But they
teach solely for the sake of keeping the art alive, and an inflexible tradition
does not allow any master or disciple ever to leave the premises and practice
it outside.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The boy decides to learn
Kung-Fu, and smuggles himself into Shaolin by hiding in a cart carrying
provisions. He makes a good impression on the elders, who take him in as
a monk and accept him as an apprentice. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The monastery has 35 chambers
specializing in different aspects of the martial techniques, ranging from the
physical to the spititual. Our hero proves to be the best disciple ever
to have been taught there, and very soon masters all aspects of the art
comprehensively. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">In a decisive final test,
held in front of all the elders, he bows humbly before his chief master asking
for forgiveness, and proceeds to defeat him in a spectacular demonstration of
skill and power. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">So impressed is the doyen of
Shaolin that he not only nominates the boy on the spot as a teacher, but
directs him to choose any one of the 35 chambers, which would be his for the
asking. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">However, our hero humbly asks
for the 36th chamber. "But it does not exist, my son!" says the
puzzled doyen. "Yes, master, it does -- outside Shaolin,"
replies the boy. He proceeds to reveal the true reason for learning
Kung-Fu, and pleads for a chance to fight the tyrant and end the oppression.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The supreme monk is so
impressed by the boy's earnestness that he breaks the rigid tradition by
ostensibly expelling him from Shaolin but implicitly permitting him to
leave the monastery, practice the martial art outside and accomplish his
mission -- which, of course, he does in a triumphant climax. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Tyranny of indifference </span></strong></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span></strong></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Well, by now the reader must
be wondering what all this has got to do with the CAG of India and his Audit
reports. Let me explain!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">I spent the final years of my
civil service in the CAG's Headquarters office in the Capital, and during that
period I was supervising the work relating to the production and editing of the
CAG's Audit Reports concerning all the States. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">One of the very old and
vexing issues we were grappling with was the abysmally poor response of all the
State Governments to the CAG's reports, and the extremely lethargic manner in
which the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) and the Committees on Public
Undertakings (COPUs) in all State Legislatures were functioning. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The contents of the Audit
Reports were voluminous, and the PACs and COPUs could hope to keep their work
current only if they could adopt a very selective approach in holding detailed
discussions, as was done at the Center. But in the States they were
adopting a very rigid approach, trying to discuss all the material, so that
several past years' work had accumulated into a formidable backlog, becoming a
heavy and permanent burden.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">So much so that in 1992 many
of the State PACs and COPUs were still trying to discuss the contents of the
CAG's reports relating to 1984-85 and 1983-84. In West Bengal they were
still debating the issues raised in the 1981-82 report! And the current
year's reports invariably got placed at the end of the long pipeline, to await
disposal several years later. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Mr. C.G. Somiah, who was the
CAG then, felt extremely concerned about this state of affairs, and wanted to
do something to improve the situation. So all through 1991-92 the
Accountant-Generals in all the States went far out of their way, meeting the
Governors, Chief Secretaries, Finance and other Secretaries, Chairmen of PACs
and COPUs, and Speakers of the State Legislatures, and pleading with them to
improve the situation. But all those extraordinary efforts were leading
nowhere, and the fossilized system was just not responding to any stimulus we
could think of.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">By mid-1992, I had reached
the conclusion that nothing more could be done by the Accountant-Generals
without sacrificing their own dignity, which would be counter-productive
anyway. So I suggested to the CAG that we should call off the special
drive and let things take their own course.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">I recorded my views in a
note, strongly stressing the fact that it was not really the job of the Audit
Department to activate the Governments, PACs and COPUs, and that only some
forceful extra-mural influence -- like the conferences of PAC and COPU Chairmen
annd those of the Speakers -- might have any positive impact on this totally
negative environment. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0c343d;">Enter 'The Author'</span></strong></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span></strong></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">It was in this extremely
distressing context that Mr. Somiah thought of appointing a committee, to be
headed by an exceptionally influential person, to take stock of the whole
muddle and try to alter the environment.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">"Ramakrishna, you wanted
someone to take some extra-mural initiative," he told me.
"So let us organize it now. I shall nominate you as Member-Secretary
of a Committee. Let us find a proper Chairman. You can retain the
office facilities here, but you can go out and do something!" </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">And that is how, after
serving the Indian Audit and Accounts Department for 35 years, I had a chance
to go out and try to influence the outside environment in the 36th year, in
what I like to think of as the 36th Chamber of Audit.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Anyway, I did find the father
figure in the Committee's Chairman, who was none other than Mr. S.L. Shakdher,
the former Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha and former Chief Election
Commissioner. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">If you are now in a mind to
ask whether the Committee altered the environment and killed the tyranny of
indifference and lethargy, the honest answer must be no, it certainly did
not. </span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m2177129405534694752m-8629235535512702474m4231368644733929227gmail-a3s">
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif;">But I do think its efforts were worthwhile in a way, for in a
conference in Madras in 1993 the Speakers of Parliament and all State
Legislatures unanimously endorsed the Committee's recommendations '<i>in
toto</i>'. It was Mr. Shakdher's towering image as a Parliamentarian (and author
of the standard reference book on Indian Parliamentary practices) which brought
about such a firm resolution. . . .. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> (This
scenario and the sequel were amplified </span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">
in several essays which followed) </span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-49969689950455927942017-10-18T09:39:00.000-07:002017-10-18T09:39:20.891-07:00Concerns And Constraints Of CAG's Colossal Audit Mission<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Here's the second of the twin
seminal essays I wrote as an overture to my column 'India of C-A-G' in THE
HINDU towards the end of the 20th century. </span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The published text contained
some detailed information on the specific scope and processes of the CAG's
audit, which I am skipping here (. . . . . . ), occasionally adding a
phrase in square brakets for continuity :-</span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">__________</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Glossary
& annotations</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">C-A-G</span></em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> -- Comptroller and Auditor-General
of India, a Constitutional authority.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">British
regime/Raj</span></em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> --
Political set-up in colonial India, from late 19th century to
1947. In Hindi, 'Raj' means (among other things) 'Rule'
in a political sense.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Presidency</span></em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> -- This should have read
'Province'. (Please see <em>PostScript </em>below).</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">'Dak'
pad </span></em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> -- 'Dak' means
'mail' in Hindi. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Peon</span></em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> -- In colonial
India, unskilled helpers in Government offices were called 'peons',
an expression of Spanish origin. In independent India, they are
technically designated as 'Class IV employees' and are popularly
known as 'messengers'.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Rs.
325 crores </span></em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> --
Rs. = Rupees. One crore = 1,00.00,000 [10 million]. One US
Dollar = about 65 Rupees. So, Rs. 325 crores =
about US $ 50 million.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">__________</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">THE
HINDU</span></strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
Business Review</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">17
November 1995</span></em><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<u><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">India of C-A-G</span></u><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The mills of the C-A-G</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">"Although
the mills of God grind slowly, they grind exceeding fine . . ." </span></em><o:p></o:p><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></em>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">I always recall those famous lines
from Longfellow's poem <em>Retribution</em> whenever I reflect on the colossal
organization of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India and its
wide-ranging and far-reaching activities. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The main function of the CAG under
the Constitution and an Act of Parliament is to audit the transactions of the
Central and State Governments, and those of the autonomous bodies substantially
funded by them, as well as their public-sector undertakings. He has also
certain accounting and entitlements regulation functions. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Before India became independent,
the Auditor-General -- as he was called in the British regime -- was not
answerable to the People of India, and his loyalty was to the British
rulers. His job was only to find out what, if anything, was going wrong in
the Government's day-to-day financial affairs, which were not very complicated.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Government audit accordingly was a
relatively simple matter those days, and it continued to be so well into the
1950s . . .[and was mainly concered with routine checks of expenditure on
establishment and public works]. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Expanding horizons</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">As the activities
of the Central and State Governments grew rapidly in independent India, their
expenditure expanded spectacularly. Various schemes began to be conceived
and implemented under the Five-Year Plans for the welfare the people -- to generate
higher levels of employment, ameliorate education, modernize roads and
highways, improve irrigation, agricultural practices, health services, etc.,
provide subsidies for industrial development or export promotion, and so on.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">In course of time, the concept of
efficiency-cum-performance-audit (ECPA) -- now known as value-for-money-audit
(VFMA) -- was developed, looking beyond regularity and propriety, and judging
the effectiveness of Government activity, not only in respect of large schemes
but also in the context of individual transactions of very large magnitude and
the overall performance of specific offices, organizations or departments.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">From the early Seventies onwards,
this kind of investigative expenditure audit became a constant preoccupation of
the CAG. But that was not all, for his horizons were expanding on all
sides. On a different plane, Audit had also started checking the receipts
of the Government. Here too, the audit perspective widened as the
receipts were progressively enlarged ; thus. not only were the actual tax
collections checked against the dues, but the efficiency and soundness of the
operations and systems also began to be reviewed. On yet another plane,
the CAG started auditing the transactions of the public-sector enterprises,
superimposing his own scrutiny on the usual verification of accounts by
Chartered Accountants ; and this too is a well-established audit practice
now. . . . . .</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Then and now</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">In the good old
days of the British Raj, when the concerns of Audit were far less, the
Auditor-General and his senior officers in the filed apparently used to lead a
very leisurely life. It was even said (and believed) that a certain
Accountant-General of a Presidency, who was an Englishman, would arrive in his
office on horseback, and would glance through a thin 'dak' pad handed over to
him by his secretary or peon while he was still astride the horse near the
gate. Maybe he would also sign a couple of letters sometimes without dismounting, and then he would ride away back home or on to the golf
course! But today the volume of audit activity is so great that it has
been found necessary to have two, three or even more Accountant-Generals in
almost all the States [earnestly working full-time] . . . . .
. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Considerable
preliminary research is usually undertaken before commencing the Statewide and
countrywide reviews of important schemes. Where the Government of India
extends financial assistance to the various State Governments to implement
Centrally sponsored schemes, the concerned audit officers in the Capital
undertake pilot studies and prepare suitable guidelines for audit which the
audit officers in the States broadly follow, subject to their own initiatives
and innovations which are encouraged. The results of such investigations
and further research in the field are consolidated in the CAG's Audit Reports
on the Central Government, and are also featured in his Audit Reports on the
respective States . . . . . . </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">On an average, the
CAG issues about a hundred Audit Reports every year. On the Central side,
there are about two or three volumes of what is called the Civil Audit Report,
and also separate Audit Reports on the Railways, Defence Services, Posts and
Telecommunications, receipts, public-sector undertakings and autonomous
bodies . . . . . . There is an Audit Report on each of the
25 States every year, and in most States there are separate Reports on receipts
and PSUs as well. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">During 1992-93, the various field
officers totally inspected about 35,000 units spread all over the country on
the Central side, and about 52,000 units on the States side. During the
same period, the number of vouchers and other records checked in the field
offices themselves amounted to more than six million in the case of the Center
and nearly 13 million in the States. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">The CAG's organization (the Indian
Audit and Accounts Department) has a network of . . . . [about a hundred
offices, not counting their branches . . . . The staff strength is about
60,000 persons, and the annual budget is over Rs. 325 crores, or about US $ 50
million].</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The
time factor </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></strong>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">It is often said
by senior officers of the Central and State Governments that the CAGs Audit
Reports tend to raise issues which are so old that they are not worth pursuing.
There may be a small grain of truth in this assumption, but it is generally not
valid. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Often it is very difficult
for audit officers to gain access to all relevant information, because they
encounter considerable all along the way ; it is inevitable that
there should be a generous lead time for converting impressions into
conclusions, especially for ascertaiing the views of the Government, which is
vitally important in a precedural as well as ethical sense.
Moreover, when schemes running for several years are reviewed, some issues
relating to several preceding years are bound to figure in the Audit Reports.
Such instances are often cited as cases of delayed reporting, which is very
misleading. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">It is true that
sometimes there are undue delays in the preparation of Audit Reports by the CAG
and their printing by the State Governments. There is certainly scope for
accelerating things all round, and the CAG constantly strives to do so.
However, his performance cannot be said to be slack in the long run. The
quest for achieving better quality of audit and improving the audit officers'
sensitivity too the Executives's genune constraints and compulsions is also a
continuing objective of the CAG. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">The really serious
delays, which ought to create far greater concern, tend to occur in the
pursuing of the Audit Reports by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the
Committee on Public Undrtakings (COPU) of the Legislature in most States.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">We shall examine later the diverse
aspects of the facts mentioned here. Meanwhile, one might well declare,
paraphrasing Longfellow's celebrated lines quoted in the beginning : <em>"Although
the mills of the CAG of India grind and roll rather slowly, yet they grind
exceeding fine, and they roll none too badly . . ." </em></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">__________</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">PostScript,
</span></i></strong><em><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">2017</span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Presidency,
Province, and Puerto Rico</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">From
my schooldays in British India more than 60 years ago, I've been
under the honest impression that the colonial set-up just before India
became independent in 1947 had consisted of four vast Presidencies
(Delhi. Bombay, Calcutta and Madras). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">But only this
morning, checking the British background in Wikipedia before annotating
the expression 'Presidency' in this blog, I made the shocking discovery
that it was in the earlier days of the East India Company's
administration that Presidencies had figured, there were
seven of them and not four, and there was no Delhi Presidency at all
; and that under the British Government's rule from 1857 the major
administrative units were called Provinces and not Presidencies. So how
did I ever gain the impression that my father was an Executive Engineer in the
Madras Presidency, as I've said in several contexts with
conviction? </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">By the
way, this revelation comes just a few days after I made an
equally surprising discovery that Puerto Rico, which was hit recently
by two furious hurricanes, is not an independent country in Latin America
but just a just a 'territory' of the United States. Surprising
because, as a frequent companion of my grandchildren who live in America, I
happen to know the names of all the States by heart, and can even recite
them backwards alphabetically from Wyoming to Alabama.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">All of which only
shows how imperfect our perception of history and geography can be,
even in the case of our own native lands and the countries where our
children live, leave alone the rest of the world!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">
<em>Next : The 36th Chamber of Audit </em></span><o:p></o:p></div>
MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-14372828173485754022017-09-10T09:26:00.001-07:002017-09-10T09:26:51.426-07:00The Dispassionate Mission Of The Comptroller & Auditor-General Of India<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The three vintage
essays on the attitudes, environment and quality of government audit which I
had recalled in the three preceding posts were written just after my column
'India of C-A-G'</span></em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> <em>in THE HINDU had completed
its first year of successful publication. Let me now share with you a
couple of historically significant essays I had written a year earlier, as an
overture to this unprecedented (and subsequently unmatched) column in Indian
journalism. </em></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 24pt;">__________</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Glossary &
annotations</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">C-A-G</span></em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> -- Comptroller
& Auditor-General of India, an independent authority under the Constitution
of India. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Karmayogi </span></em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> -- In Sanskrit, India's
ancient /classical language, <em>Karma</em>
in a narrow sense means work or action, but in a wider sense denotes the
individual's social, spiritual and moral obligations (and has other deeper
connotations also).<em> Yoga</em>
means, among other things, a spiritual exercise, and <em>Yogi</em> is one who intensely practices
Yoga. Thus, a <em>Karmayogi</em> is a
person who goes on performing his or her duties with absolute detachment,
neither aspiring for rewards nor being discouraged by failure. (<em>Karmayoga</em> and the Stoic philosophy
have much in common, though the concepts are not identical. Yes, the
Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was certainly a <em>Karmayogi</em>). </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Bofors affair</span></em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> -- A
long-drawn-out and inconclusive probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) into the Indian Army's purchase of anti-aircraft guns from the
Swedish firm Bofors. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Parliament </span></em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> -- Independent India's Parliament broadly follows the
British model, with two Houses : Lok Sabha (People's Assembly) and
Rajya Sabha (National Assembly, with State-wise
representation). </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The Capital
-- </span></em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">New
Delhi, in North India.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Yamuna </span></em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> -- One of India's major
rivers, which borders the Capital as well as Old Delhi, with
ever-expanding suburbs on the other side. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Bahadurshah Zafar
Marg -- </span></em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">A busy thoroughfare named after a 19th-century Muslim
monarch, where some leading English-language newspapers have their
editorial offices (and referred to sometimes as the Fleet Street of New
Delhi). </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">PAC and COPU </span></em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> -- Public Accounts Committee, and Committee on Public
Undertakings : panels in Lok Sabha, with the Chairmen usually
belonging to the Opposition. There are corresponding bodies in the
Legislative Assemblies in the States. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Governors <u>
</u></span></em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">--
The nominal head of each of the 2-dozen+ States in India is the Governor,
a Constitutional authority appointed by the President of India. Real
executive power rests with the Chief Minister, who belongs to the party winning
the elections (just like the Prime Minister at the Center).</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 24pt;">__________</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong>THE HINDU </strong><br />
Business Review</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal;">10
November</span></em><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> 1995</span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<u>India of C-A-G</u></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The C-A-G is a Karmayogi</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">This article
marks the beginning of a new column which will observe the public financial
administration in the country through the periscope of the Comptroller and
Auditor-General of India, and will also review related issues. The author
was an officer of the Indian Audit & Accounts Service from 1957 to
1992. He has since then worked as a full-time consultant to the CAG
(1992-93) and the Press Trust of India (1993-94).</span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">*</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">"And
how'z the cag?" asked a friend of mine who is a business executive, at a
dinner party in New Delhi a few years ago. For a split second I couldn't
follow what he was saying. A blank look must have flashed across my face,
for he quickly added: "I mean . . . your boss!". He
was,of course, referring to Mr. T.N. Chaturvedi, Comptroller and
Auditor-General of India, whose Special Report on the Bofors gun deal was
making him quite famous at that time. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I had been an officer
of the Indian Audit & Accounts Service (IAAS) for more than 30 years
by then, but I had never before heard anyone inside or outside the Government
referring to the CAG of India as 'cag' -- rhyming with bag, lag, rag or
tag. In the bureaucratic and legislative circles both at the Center and
in the States, he was always called C-A-G (pronounced see-ay-jee) or
C-and-A-G. The general public rarely used to think of him, and many
well-educated persons hardly knew anything about the institution of the
CAG. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The Bofors affair did
greatly increase the public awareness of his existence, and even led some
clever fellow to coin the amusing expression 'cag in the wheel'. However,
it is not easy to dispel the mist surrounding the public image of the CAG,
and there is still widespread ignorance in the country about his stature, role,
powers and responsibilities as defined by the Constitution of India and a
relevant Act of Parliament. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong>CAG and AGCR </strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">An interesting story
which was circulating among the IAAS officers in the Capital some 20 years ago
would illustrate this point well. The CAG's office is not far away from
the office of the former Accountant-General (Central Revenues), now called the
Director of Audit (CR). This senior officer of the CAG occupies an
imposing office building near the banks of the Yamuna, opposite the
headquarters of the Income Tax Department. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">There used to be an
enormous colored bas-relief sign 'AGCR' on the facade of this building, and it
is still there. The crowded bus-stops on both sides of the wide road are
popularly known as 'ITO' and 'AGCR' even today, and the place is an important
and well-known landmark in the city. The offices of the CAG and the
AG[DA]CR are both located within walking distance of a busy traffic junction on
Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, the Fleet Street of New Delhi ; but the CAG's
office, like the University Grants Commission, is tucked away neatly on a short
crescent road nearby and is not very conspicuous. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">It seems Mr. A. Baksi,
who was the CAG in the mid-Seventies, was fond of driving to the office and
back home in his own car sometimes, preferring it now and then to the exclusive
chauffeur-driven official vehicle provided for him. The story went that
he was stopped one evening by a policeman at the intersection for some minor
traffic offense. "Where do you work?" the policeman asked
him. "In the C-A-G's office," Mr. Baksi replied.
"Oh? And in which Department is that?" queried the policeman
sarcastically. At this stage a bright idea occurred to the CAG.
"Look, I am a senior officer of the AGCR's Department!" he
declared. At once the constable snapped to attention and saluted
respectfully. "Sorry, Sir! You may go!" he said,
and waved the boss away.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">None of us who helped
to spread this story round in the Service knew whether it was true or not, but
that hardly mattered. It might well have been invented by Mr. Baksi
himself on some hilarious occasion! The important thing was that it was
meant to underline the relative anonimity of the Comptroller and
Auditor-General of India those days. In fact, even today the CAG is far
from being a familiar public figure in New Delhi. If such is the case in
the Capital, one can well imagine the extent to which ordinary people elsewhere
must be ignorant about his activities and mission.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong>Glamor and restraint </strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Obviously the
celebrity status and glamor achieved in the late Eighties had belonged to Mr.
Chaturvedi personally, and not to the institution of the CAG. Moreover,
it had materialized mainly by chance, and not on account of any design or
unusual action of the CAG. After all, he had no choice but to investigate
a certain massive Government transaction which had already become the subject
of furious controversy and speculation in the national Press, and he could
hardly have avoided the extraordinary publicity received by his own report on
it. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Mr. C.G. Somiah, who
succeeded Mr. Chaturvedi as CAG in 1990, has not so far found himself in any
situation which would compel him to step into the glaring limelight, although
it nearly happened in a certain case which need not perhaps be discussed
here. He has been quietly able to continue the very long tradition of
restraint, which expects the CAG to remain strictly within the shade of the
prescribed procedures and to function as an almost invisible force governing
financial discipline in public administration. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Of course, external
conditions are no longer the same as they were in the past ; and with the
increasing interest shown by the Press in the CAG's Audit Reports, he is not
likely to be able hereafter to avoid publicity completely. Moreover, the
tradition of restraint rests on the fundamental assumption that not only the
CAG but all other authorities concerned would also be diligently performing
their respective duties under the Constitution, and honoring their obligations
as specified by the relevant rules and procedures. Who are these
authorities, and do they all perform their tasks satisfactorily? The true
answer to these questions would reveal some startling facts.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong>PAC and COPU</strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The CAG is totally
independent of the Government, and is answerable only to the people of India
; and the expression 'people' means Parliament, of course.
His main responsibility to the people is fulfilled when he submits his Audit
Reports to the President of India and the Governors, for placing them before
Parliament and the State legislatures respectively. By the way, the CAG
has some accounting functions also, which I shall explain on some other
occasion.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The
Audit Reports on government departments and autonomous bodies are required to
be processed further by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament (Lok
Sabha) or the respective State Legislative Assembly. The Audit Reports on
public-sector undertakings are to be similarly taken up by the Committee On
Public Undertakings (COPU), which exists in Parliament and most of the State
legislatures. In a few small States where there is no COPU, the PAC is
responsible for this also.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
The PAC and COPU are expected to study the contents
of the Audit Reports, consider the Government's explanations, discuss selected
issues with senior Government officers or other witnesses, and make
recommendations to the House. The Government must submit notes on the
action taken, for further consideration by the Committees. This is the
only Constitutional manner in which the CAG can hold the Government accountable
to the people. Of course, the public is free to read his Audit Reports,
which are priced publications.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong>Question and answer </strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">In the given
organizational set-up, therefore, even if the CAG produces some excellent Audit
Reports, their effectiveness would depend substantially on the response of the
Central and State Governments, and the expeditious functioning of the
Committees in Parliament or the State legislatures. So then, how do the
Governments respond normally, and how do the Committees perform?</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The answer is that
there is actually a wide gap between expectations and performance. Things
are not too bad at the Center, where the PAC and COPU have been fairly
active. They call for the Government's explanation in every case featured
in the Audit Reports, and they also try to keep their work current by adopting
a highly selective approach for holding discussions and examining
witnesses. Consequently the officers of the Central Government tend to be
fairly alert in taking follow-up action on the Audit Reports, and in answering
audit queries and comments preceding the inclusion of any material in the Audit
Reports.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">In the case of the
States, however, things have traditionally been much worse. In general,
not only has the State Governments' follow-up action on the Audit Reports
been extremely poor, but even their response to the initial audit queries and
overtures has been very unsatisfactory. Such gross indifference is
probably a consequence of the fact that the PAC and COPU in the States have
generally been slack in scrutinizing and discussing the contents of the Audit
Reports. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">In most of the States
there has been no selective approach in regard to discussion, and many
voluminous Audit Reports have been carried forward to subsequent years and
accumulated as progressive arrears of business. Old cases are
sometimes taken up for discussion so late that the proceedings do not serve any
useful purpose.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br />
<strong>Struggle and survival </strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The volume and range
of the CAG's outputs are formidable. On an average he issues about a
hundred Audit Reports every year on the various government departments,
autonomous bodies and public-sector undertakings. All the voluminous
activity leading to these finished products is undertaken by a vast network of
the CAG's organization, which is spread out all over India and employs more
than 60,000 persons. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">How frustrating it
must have been to successive CAGs that all these strenuous efforts usually seem
to be leading nowhere in the States, and perhaps only upto a short distance at
the Center! And yet none of them has ever been unduly discouraged by this
distressing state of affairs which has existed for a long time. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Normally there has
been no slackening of the trouble taken to keep things moving. Backlogs
do tend to develop now and then in the preparation of audit reports ; but
time and again the arrears are caught up with, and the tempo restored to normal
levels. There have been ups and downs in the CAG's own performance, but
never any serious setback. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Moreover, successive
CAGs have been performing their Constitutional duties in a remarkably detached
manner, fully conscious of the fact that the immediate impact of their
contributions would perhaps be negligible. By pressing on with their
mission relentlessly, however, they have not only managed to maintain the
instrument of Audit Report in good working order, but have also
progressively developed better methods of auditing and presentation.
The struggle is still going on -- no doubt in hopeful anticipation of better times to come -- and it is not likely to be given up easily. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Indeed, if and when
things do improve all round and the Governments and Legislatures begin to take
their statutory obligations more seriously -- as they must surely do sooner or
later -- there will certainly be a steady stream of fresh Audit Reports rolling
out of the CAG's durable assembly line. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">On the other hand, if
the CAG had ever allowed any demoralization to grow within his own
organization, there might be no consistent production of Audit Reports today
and tomorrow, and the whole system of Parliamentary financial control might
have been seriously damaged. In the light of the various facts mentioned
above, would it be an exaggeration to say that the system owes its very
survival so far mainly to the <em>Karmayoga</em> performed by the C-A-G of
India? </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
<em>Next : The mills of the C-A-G</em></span><o:p></o:p></div>
MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-74400852017480649132017-08-21T19:30:00.000-07:002017-08-21T19:30:02.753-07:00Effective Audit Of Quality Calls For Excellent Quality Of Audit<div class="MsoNormal">
ATTTUDES OF AUDIT . .
. ENVIRONMENT OF AUDIT . . . QUALITY OF AUDIT . .
. Here's the last one of a set of
three essays I wrote long ago on the character of Government audit
practices in India -- (please see the preceding posts for the other
two)..<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By the way, these were by no means
the last words on the topic! There were several other articles
exploring those concepts directly or indirectly, in my column <em><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">India of C-A-G </span></em>(1994-99) in
the prestigious Indian newspaper, THE HINDU. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">_______________</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Glossary &
annotations</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
CAG (pronounced C-A-G)
-- Comptroller & Auditor-General of India, an independent
audit authority, under the Constitution of India. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Ahmedabad/Gujarat -- Ahmedabad is the largest city in Gujarat, a
major State on India's West coast.<o:p></o:p></div>
Bombay -- Anglicized name of the
Capital of Maharashtra, a major coastal State adjoining Gujarat. (Now called
Mumbai, its native name).<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Indian Civil Service
-- In the colonial era, the top bureaucrats of the
administration originally were British citizens belonging to the
Indian Civil Service. Progressively a few Indians were also enlisted in
the ICS, conferring a glamorous status on them both in official and social
circles. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Capital -- New
Delhi, in North India.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
HQ -- Headquarters.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">______________</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
</span><strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">THE HINDU </span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
7 February 1996</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The quality of audit</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Quality is a relative term. Expressions like 'good', 'bad', 'better' and
'worse' all mean different things to different people, at different times or in
different situations, whether it concerns the quality of a product, service
or performance. It all depends on the standards by which one judges
at any given time and place. Obviously, the quality of the standards
themselves is a relative thing, depending on who specifies them and how. Thus,
quality is always subject to different interpretations by different persons at
different times and in different contexts. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Nevertheless, over a long period it is possible to
evolve certain fundamental and widely-accepted norms by which to judge quality
and to discern trends of improvement or deterioration, although it must be
noted that even when quality shows a distinct improvement in the long run,
there are bound to be ups and downs in the relative excellence in the short
run.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Quality and constraints</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
This rule is universally valid, and the
performance of the Comptroller & Auditor-General of India is no
exception. The quality of his audit of government transactions has shown a
progressive and remarkable improvement during the past three decades, well
matching the spectacular expansion in the activities of various departments and
organizations of the Union and State Governments.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The CAG's Audit Reports have been increasingly
concerned with impartially critical evaluations of overall performance -- and,
wherever possible, even of policy -- although they do mention many
irregularities in isolation. Successive CAGs have always been
conscious of the need to achieve better results all the time, as can be seen
from their observations not only in internal forums within their own
organizations but in international audit conferences as
well. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The preparation of the CAG's Audit Reports is an elaborate
process which tends to take considerable time. Major audit investigations
often confront stubborn resistance from government officials in the field and
in the Secretariat, and overcoming such resistance and gaining access to
all relevant information is usually a time-consuming process.
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Further, it is an axiom in the Audit
Code that the point of view of the Executive must be ascertained and considered
earnestly before any comment is made in the Audit Report -- unless, of course,
the other side refuses to respond to the auditors' queries and overtures (which
is often the case in the States). Usually much time needs to be allowed
for these efforts also, even if there is eventually no response. In any
case the CAG has to line up indisputable evidence before he includes any
information in his Reports. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The CAG's audit is naturally a retrospective
exercise, always covering past events and transactions. Obviously, with
the procedures and safeguards also taking their toll in terms of time, the
Audit Reports do often tend to raise issues which appear to be rather old. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Successive CAGs and their officers in the field
have always been conscious of this inherent problem, and have constantly tried
to expedite the whole exercise. And in that process, they have often had
to sacrifice quality. Let me give you an interesting example from my
own experience as a former officer of the Indian Audit & Accounts Service<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">. </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Speed vs. substance </span></strong><br />
<br />
In the mid-Sixties I was working in Ahmedabad as a Deputy Accountant-General in
charge of administration in the office of the Accountant-General,
Gujarat. The AG, Mr. P.Y. Godbole, was a dynamic and impatient officer
who wanted to get everything done fast. We used to refer to him as 'Mr.
Speedbole' behind his back : and I believe he knew it and liked it. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Those days the consolidated material relating to
the State Audit Reports pertaining to a particular financial year (April-March)
used to be sent to the CAG's office in the Capital after a whole year or even
later. Thus the first draft of an Audit Report for say 1962-63 would reach the
HQ only some time in 1964. Editing by the HQ and getting the report
printed by the Government press would take their own time, and it would be
presented to the Legislative Assembly in late 1964 or even in 1965. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Now, Mr. Godbole resolved to accelerate the whole
process in such a way that the material for the Gujarat Report for
1965-66 (April-March) would reach the HQ before the end of December 1966.
If he succeeded, he would be the first AG ever to do so, and he was determined
to achieve the distinction.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
As I was looking after the administration, I was
not directly concerned with the actual field work and the scrutiny of the
results in the main office. But I was a constant and captive witness to
the extraordinary degree of pressure which the AG imposed on the officers
conducting audit inspections, and on the Reports section in the office which
was directly supervised by him.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
It so happened that he did accomplish the mission,
and the Draft Audit Report was ready for dispatch to the CAG's office on December
30. As it would reach the HQ only in the New Year if sent by post, the AG
issued an unprecedented sanction for the Audit Officer (Reports) to fly to New
Delhi and deliver the goods in time. So emotionally involved was Mr.
Godbole with this adventure that he even took the astonishing step of going to
the airport to see the AO (Reports) off! <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
But what was the quality of that Audit
Report? It was a different story altogether. Some of the material
was incredibly trivial -- for example, there was a paragraph accusing the
State Government of not salvaging the welcome banners used for decorating the
streets during the visit of a high foreign dignitary to the State!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Mr. Godbole was subsequently transferred to
Bombay, and was succeeded by a level-headed officer called K.C. Jain.
Next year Mr. Jain had to be absent on leave on the days the Public Accounts
Committee of the State Legislature was meeting to consider the last Audit
Report processed by his predecessor; so he nominated me to represent him
in that forum. giving me full freedom to depend on my own judgement. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I recall agreeing to drop nearly all the audit
objections which were discussed in the meeting -- which attracted a
grateful compliment from the Chief Secretary of the State Government (Mr.
Gidwani of the Indian Civil Service) who was present! And when I told the
AG about what I had done, he was greatly concerned and tightened up the quality
controls.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Quality and logic</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
To be sure, the above example did constitute an
extreme case, and I mention it only because it is so amusing. But many
less hilarious instances can be cited where the auditors' attempts to adopt
short-cuts in their anxiety to expedite things had led to very insubstantial
issues being raised. <o:p></o:p><br />
But over a period, many useful
procedures have been devised by the CAG to accelerate the pace of audit
without sacrificing quality. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
For instance, it is now a standard practice for
the field offices to send a continuous stream of draft material to the HQ in
small batches at short intervals throughout the year, to be consolidated
in the end -- usually well before the following December. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Admittedly some Audit Reports do still get
delayed, especially at the stage of printing by the State Governments. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
But the main challenge faced by the CAG in recent
years has not been posed by the risk of featuring dated material in the Audit
Reports, but the need to ensure absolute logic in the conclusions drawn by him
from the extremely massive information gathered in the course of audit
inspections and investigations.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
So voluminous is the audit activity today that the
officers in the field do sometimes tend to feel overwhelmed, and the consequent
tension often leads to logical flaws in the material processed. <o:p></o:p><br />
The HQ has to be ever vigilant and must guard
against this, and there has been a conscious effort to enforce superior
standards of logic and presentation. The CAG's quest for excellence,
apparently, is a never-ending exercise! <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
It is necessary that Audit Reports continue to
mention many routine points, so that minor irregularities do not go unnoticed
and snowball into major losses ; but the accent today is clearly on
performance reviews. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Either way, what Audit is vitally concerned with
is the overall quality of the Executive's functioning. In the CAG's
scheme of things, one might say, the quality of audit is ultimately a question
of the audit of quality. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">_______________ </span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">PostScript, 2017 </span></i></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Clever but not
clear!</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
When recalling the essays, reviews and satirical
sketches I had written 20, 30, or even 50 years ago as a
journalist, I am not usually tempted to wish I had written something
in a different way. Of course, there are exceptions to this
rule, and here is one of them! Reading this text carefully now, I
get the impression that the last sentence sounds rather clever,
but lacks clarity.-- ironically so, because it so closely follows an
earnest reflection on the importance of logic! I do wish I had written:- <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Either way, what Audit is vitally
concerned with is the overall quality of the Executive's functioning. In
the CAG's scheme of things, one might say, effective audit of
quality invariably calls for excellent quality of audit.<o:p></o:p></div>
MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-46651074788734096552017-08-18T19:34:00.004-07:002017-08-18T19:35:02.305-07:00Progressive Government Audit Practices, From Simple To Substantial And Sophisticated<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In
the preceding post, I had recalled an essay about the attitudes of
Government auditors, which I had written in 1995 in my column <em>India of C-A-G</em> in THE HINDU.
It has stood the test of time well and seems to have considerable historic
merit. I had quickly followed up that article with a couple of
others, on the environment and quality of audit and the
evolution of refined Government audit practices in post-colonial, democratic
India. So here's the next text :-</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">_______________</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
<strong>Glossary &
Annotations</strong></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">CAG
(pronounced C-A-G) -- Comptroller & Auditor-General of
India.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">British
regime -- 19th/20th centuries (upto 1947).</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">SANCTIONS
-- In the Govt. set-up in India, 'sanction' means Govt.'s approval of a
specific item of expenditure (on staff. equipment, etc.), entitlements (leave,
loans, etc.), or projects, specifying levels or limits of funds provided
(buildings, roads, development/welfare schemes, etc.).</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">_______________</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
<strong>THE HINDU </strong><br />
<em>10
January 1996</em></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
<u>India of C-A-G</u></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The environment of audit</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
As briefly mentioned in the preceding article
(December 27), there has been a metamorphosis in the whole environment of
Government audit in the past 30 years or so. This was not caused by any
sudden change in the attitude of the auditors, but has been the result of a
progressive widening of their functions and a gradual but fundamental shift in
their perception and outlook.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And this trend
has materialized along lines parallel to the remarkable expansion in the
Government's activities at the national and State levels in independent
India. When the Government had concerned itself mostly with routine tasks
(as in the British regime), there was not much scope for Audit to undertake any
substantial reviews of performance or systems : but with the profuse growth
of the Government's concerns, the audit activities also grew significantly in
terms of volume, scope and quality. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The increase in
volume was a routine development. The area-wise expansion of scope was
marked by the introduction of revenue audit and public-sector audit when Mr.
A.K. Roy was the Comptroller & Auditor-General of India in the early
Sixties. These new functions were consolidated by his successor, Mr. S.
Ranganathan. And it was during the tenure of Mr. A. Baksi for six years
in the Seventies that Audit made a quantum leap in qualitative terms. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I joined the
Indian Audit & Accounts Service (IAAS) nearly 40 Years ago, there was an
important chapter on 'Higher Audit' in the CAG's Audit Manual. This
concerned the scrutiny of all sanctions issued by the Government -- which was
considered to be such a special aspect of he CAG's audit that the Higher
Audit Department (HAD) in the Accountant-General's office in every State
usuaally functioned under the direct supervision of the AG, without the intervention
of any Deputy AG. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The
Superintendent in charge of the HAD was usually one of the most experienced and
competent officers in the cadre of the Subordinate Accounts Service
(SAS). Invariably he was thought to be so efficient and outstannding on
the basis of his previous track record that he continued to be rated very high
in this special slot also. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But the HAD would
normally produce no worthwhile material whatsoever for the CAG's Audit Reports,
because its efforts never went beyond an intelligent reading of the
sanctions. All Government sanctions naturally tended to look reasonable
on paper, for the simple reason that no sanction was ever issued without recording a '<i>prima facie</i>' justification for it in a Secretariat file. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The HAD would
often call for the relevant records and peruse the original notes leading to
important sanctions, but that hardly led anywhere. If there were any
serious flaws in any particular sanction, naturally they could not be located
simply by reading the notes written for the specific purpose of justifying
it! </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Any distortions
which might exist could never be identified unless the auditors took the
trouble of studying the whole background thoroughly and understood every
aspect and nuance of the situation in which the sanction had been issued.
But the audit tradition did not envisage such research being undertaken, so the
AG and his officers were no wiser after going through a Government file than
before doing so. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In due course
successive CAGs began to notice and recognize the futility of according such a
high-sounding title to a superficial scanning of Government sanctions ;
and they gradually replaced the concept of 'Higher Audit' with that of
'Efficiency-Cum-Propriety Audit', or 'ECPA'. Nothing much came out of
this either, because the old tradition could not be given up easily, and it was
difficult to pin down inefficiency and impropriety by going through Government
records in an unsystematic manner. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
<strong>Research and reviews</strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But somewhere
along the way 'ECPA' began to be expanded as
'Efficiency-Cum-Performance-Audit'. So subtle was this shift in
nomenclature that I do not remember exactly when and how it was effected.
But I do recall that as soon as the expression 'Performance Audit' started
figuring in the CAG's directives, the whole process of audit acquired a
new and formidable dimension. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
For it was no longer a question of scrutinizing some of the Government's
records in isolation : one had to examine them in an integrated manner,
sometimes in the light of overall knowledge of the context acquired from other
sources. And the new methods called for entirely new methods of scrutiny
and assessment, involving sustained research and investigation. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Of course, this
did not mean that routine audit of vouchers and other relevant documents could
-- or would ever -- be given up : for it did constitute an effective
element of the existing system of checks and balances, and had necessarily to
be undertaken for enforcing elementary discipline in public finance.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What the
transformation implied was that special efforts also had to be made --
adopting innovative techniques of audit -- for discovering how effectively
public funds were being spent and how effectively public revenues were being
collected. These efforts manifested themselves in different forms, on
several fronts. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For instance, the
true nature of the huge subsidies sanctioned by the Government of India for
promoting exports was assessed in the light of exhaustive market information
gathered from relevant trade journals and statistical compilations. On
one hand, serious logical flaws in the Government's perception and arguments
leading to specific sanctions of 'cash compensatory support' were pointed
out. On the other hand, the basic criteria adopted by the Government to
justify such subsidies were themselves subjected to severe tests, and found to
be very flimsy. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Such exercises
were extremely intricate ones which could be undertaken only by a few officers
of the audit organization. But an important new direction of the CAG's
audit along which many intelligent officers could proceed took the form of
overall reviews of the implementation of various massive development and
welfare schemes undertaken by the Union and State Governments in areas like
agriculture, industry, education, health care, family planning and employment
generation.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Audit also showed
increasing concern for evaluating the efficacy of systems, particularly in the
collection of taxes and oher revenues. And in the case of public-sector
enterprises and autonomous bodies belonging to the Central and State
Governments, overall appraisals of performance and the audit of specific
transactions tended to receive equal attention.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
<strong>Response and remedies </strong></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The response of
the Government departments and organizations to the initiatives and overtures
of the CAG's officers, both at the Center and in the States, has always been an
important element of the environment of audit.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When Audit began
to get a firm grip on the fundamental aspects of financial mismanagement or
mischief, the Executive's resistance tended to materialize at the highest
levels, making the auditors' task more and more difficult. The CAG's
organization had to adopt very intricate tactics to overcome such obstacles and
gain access to all relevant information.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sometimes the
best efforts of Audit actually proved to be counter-productive. When
inherent weaknesses in certain existing patterns of heavy expenditure were
exposed by complex audit investigations, the Government tended to dilute the basic
criteria governing them, making value judgements even more elusive than they
had been earlier. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The most striking
example of this was provided by Mr. Baksi's powerful crusade against highly
arbitrary export incentives. The Government's response was to go on
making the criteria more and more vague and diffused till a stage was reached
when the sanctions became still more arbitrary, and Audit had to struggle still
harder to come to grips with them.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A
significant facet of the environment of audit concerns the attention paid to
the CAG's Audit Reports by the Legislature and the remedial action taken by the
Executive. While these have not been too bad at the Center, they have
been extremely unsatisfactory in the States. This is a topic which deserves
to be analyzed in a separate set of essays.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <em> (to be continued)</em></span><o:p></o:p></div>
MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-57848812979816925452017-08-07T10:24:00.002-07:002017-08-07T10:24:42.457-07:00Attitudes Of Government Auditors : Tradition And Transformation <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the preceding
posts I had recalled an important high-level discussion in which the seniormost
officer of the Indian Audit & Accounts Service -- Mr. H.B. Bhar, Deputy
Comptroller & Auditor-General of India, for whose inflexible passion for
factual accuracy I had the greatest respect and even admiration -- went
seriously wrong and made an incredible <em>faux pas</em> in terms of pure logic.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The subject of
that discussion was a highly sensitive and intricate issue concerning the
Government's massive export incentives, and the financial and moral
implications of that mistake were enormous. And it wasn't the only
occasion on which Mr. Bhar had taken such a false step in a major context,
presumably because of an inflexible mind-set he had inherited from a long and
conservative tradition of routine audit in the British regime and in the early
decades of independent India. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Those situations
arose in the course of some extremely sophisticated audit investigations I was
conducting as a senior civil servant. But one doesn't really need to cite
such complex and expensive issues in order to show how intrinsically the whole
character of audit is conditioned by the rigid or rational attitudes of the
auditors. Even some simple scenarios can prove this basic truth, as I discovered
quite early in my official career :-</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">_______________</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Glossary & annotations </span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<em>(in
same order as in text)</em></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">British Raj
-- Popular bilingual expression denoting colonial India in the 19th/20th
centuries (till 1947, when India became independent). 'Raj' in Hindi
means 'regime'.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Executive Engineer -- In the British regime, the basic administrative unit
called District covered a much larger area than it does now ; and there
was only a single Executive Engineer in charge of all civil public works --
like roads, buildings, bridges and canals -- in the whole District. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Simla --
Beautiful hill resort in the Himalayas, summer headquarters of Government of
India in the British Raj -- now called Shimla.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Accountant-General
-- In the early days of independent India, when I joined the civil
service, each State had only a single AG, who therefore had an imposing image
in Government and social circles. Later on, when the scope of Govt. audit
went on expanding, the larger States began to have two or more AGs, which
diminished the official and social status of them all. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gorton
Castle -- Magnificent New-Gothic building, which used to
accommodate the summer headquarters of the Govt. of India in the British
Raj. Subsequently, it was occupied by the Accountant-General of the State
of Himachal Pradesh, with a few chambers reserved for the IAAS Training
School. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">IAAS --
Indian Audit & Accounts Service. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yarrows
-- A lovely mansion of the British type, housing the IAAS Hostel. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jack and the Beanstalk -- English fairy tale, about a young boy who climbs a
sky-high magic beanstalk, and finds a castle above the clouds where he
encounters a ferocious giant.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">West Bengal
-- Large Eastern State in India. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Calcutta
-- Anglicized name for Kolkotha, which is now the city's official name. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Treasury
-- District office dealing with all Govt. payments and
receipts. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">DRAFT PARA<strong> </strong>--
Not a paragraph really, but a draft narrative containing tentative audit
observations meant for inclusion in one of the CAG's numerous Audit
Reports. It is invariably sent to the concerned Govt. Department for a
rejoinder and/or discussions, which must be duly considered before the material
is finalized for publication. I have really no idea why it's called a
'para', because a draft para may contain any number of paragraphs, even a
hundred if necessary!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
Kangsabati Project -- An irrigation project in West Bengal, with
dam, reservoir and canals, for distributing water drawn from river Kansabati. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bankura
-- District in West Bengal.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gazetted
officers -- In the British and even post-British regimes, postings,
transfers and other matters relating to Govt. officers drawing salaries above a
specified level were/are notified in the periodical official Gazette -- hence
the term 'gazetted officers'.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SANCTIONS
-- In the Govt. set-up in India, 'sanction' means Govt.'s approval of a
specific item of expenditure (on staff. equipment, etc.), entitlements (leave,
loans, etc.), or projects, specifying levels or limits of funds provided
(buildings, roads, development/welfare schemes, etc.).</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maharashtra
-- Major Western State in India. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bombay
-- Anglicized name of cosmopolitan metropolis on India's West coast, now
called by its native name Mumbai. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">_______________</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></strong>
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">THE HINDU</span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<em>27
December 1995</em></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Of audit and attitudes</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recalling in recent
weeks the substance of most of the topics featured in this column during the
past one year, I couldn't help remembering some of my own varied experiences as
an officer of the Indian Audit & Accounts Service. This nostalgic
sentiment marked a remarkable if gradual transformation of my whole attitude
towards a civil service career in general, and towards accounts and audit in
particular.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My true ambition
when I was a student was to become a successful artist, writer and
journalist. But my father -- who had retired as an Executive
Engineer in the British Raj -- had other ideas, and he saw to it that I wrote
the civil service examination. I was hoping to fail, and even tried to
give some impertinent answers in the interview, but somehow the examiners
seemed to like it, and one of them even kept smiling benevolently all the
time. And soon afterwards I was enrolled in the organization of the
Comptroller & Auditor-General of India, as a probationer in the IAAS
Training School, Simla. That was in 1957.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Merely living in
Simla for a whole year was a thrilling adventure. The School, like the
Accountant-General's Office, was located in an imposing building called Gorton
Castle at the top of a magnificent hill ; and the hostel for about twenty
trainees -- which resembled an ancient mansion in England and was called
Yarrows -- was on the rim of a deep valley. Climbing up to the classes in
the morning and again in the afternoon, I was always reminded of Jack and the
beanstalk. Life, in short, was very enjoyable.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But the
curriculum was extremely drab and discouraging. Constitution of India and
Parliamentary Financial Control were interesting subjects, but
Fundamental Rules, Civil Service Regulations, Accounts Code Volumes 1 to 4,
Audit Code, Audit Manual, and Book-keeping : I could have found nothing
more forbidding! </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I failed twice in
the departmental examinations held in the School, but had two more chances in
the second year, when I was transferred as a probationer to the office of the
Accountant-General, West Bengal, in Calcutta. Sheer self-respect forced
me to work very hard that year and pass the tests. However, I was not
very pleased when I became an Assistant Accountant-General in the third year in
the same office -- although by the official and social standards prevailing
those days, it was a prestigious and glamorous designation.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Negative spirit</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To begin with I
was asked to look after some treasury and public works audit sections, and the
task was an endless ordeal, checking heaps of heaps of vouchers received in the
audit office every month from the treasuries and PW divisions. Every now
and then I had to bulldoze the papers on Sunday afternoons, after spending an
hour in a Chinese restaurant on the way and guzzling half a gallon of beer! </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The attitude of
my immediate boss, a Senior Deputy AG, was also not very reassuring. One
day he called me and said : "Ramakrishna, look at these two cases in
this old inspection report on the Kangsabati Project accounts. I want to
convert them into draft paragraphs for the Audit Report. Go and have a
discussion with the Superintending Engineer in Bankura, and come back with
a couple of drafts."</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I went on tour
to the project site and met the SE as directed. Now, this officer
insisted that the two audit objections -- which concerned some infructuous
expenditure -- were not justified at all because there had been certain
extenuating circumstances caused by unexpected floods ; and he
showed me some reliable evidence to support his argument. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The SE was an
elderly person, and asked me about my background. When I told him my
father had been a civil engineer, he said : "Young man, why don't
you write to your father about these cases and find out what he thinks?
Then if he says we were wrong, you can pursue the objections -- otherwise, just
drop them!" </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I was already
convinced that the objections were not quite fair, given all the facts ;
so I told him there was no need to trouble my father or anyone else, and agreed
to close the cases. What I didn't reckon with was how my boss would
react. When I went back to Calcutta and told him what I had done, he flew
into a fury and gave me a severe dressing-down.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"What do you
mean, you dropped the objections?" he raved, "I told you to come back
with a couple of draft paras, and you have just thrown away the whole
material! How can you prepare any case for the Audit Report if you
behave like this?"</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"But the SE
explained everything convincingly, Sir!" I said. "There was
really no justification for those objections. We can't include such
flimsy things in the Audit Report, can we?"</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But my boss was
in no mood to listen to any argument, and expressed great displeasure.
The negative spirit which governed his whole approach gave me a severe jolt
; and I was distressed to find later on that many other senior audit
officers too seemed to have a similar perception of things. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sanction vs. service </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take the case of
even the Accountant-General, who happened to be a very liberal-minded and
highly respected person. In my fourth year I was posted as Assistant AG
in charge of a set of sections auditing the salaries and other claims of
gazetted officers of the State Government, and I had the privilege of
working directly under the AG without the intervention of any Deputy AG.
And another shocking experience was in store for me. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In West Bengal
there was an unusual system of 'pre-auditing' Government expenditure.
There were special registers in which full details of the gazetted officers'
credentials, postings and entitlements were noted, and their monthly salary
bills had to be checked with the entries in those registers and cleared by the
AG's office for payment by the treasury officers.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, there was a
professor who was about to retire, and there was some confusion about the date
of his superannuation because two different dates were somehow figuring in
official records as his date of birth. The State Government was still
considering the problem, and meanwhile the professor continued to perform his
duties although the first of the disputed dates had already passed. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The section
officer put up a note saying that since there was a contradiction we could not
authorize the payment of salary for the current month. I did not
agree. I felt that since the officer was actually serving the Government
during that month, his salary had to be paid ; and that if the Government
ruled subsequently that the earlier of the two dates was the correct one, it
would have to sanction an extension of service to cover the delay in
superannuation caused by the Government's own delay in resolving the issue. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Opposing the
section officer's suggestion, I submitted a well-argued note to the
Accountant-General, confidently expecting that he would approve my stand.
But the AG wrote an elaborate note in which he made some profound statements
about the sanctity of sanctions, concluding that till the doubt was sorted out
by the Government we could not authorize the payment of the professor's salary.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I asked for a
discussion with the AG, and found myself at the receiving end of a pleasant but
one-sided lecture about sanctions and their inviolable sanctity. This episode
left a bitter taste of disbelief and frustration in my mind, particularly
because the AG did have a very liberal outlook but seemed to be overpowered by
the formidable force of a negative audit tradition.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was an
interesting sequel to this story. Several years later I was working as
the seniormost Deputy AG in the office of the AG, Maharashtra, in Bombay
; and an almost identical case arose, concerning a Government doctor who
was on the verge of superannuation and had overshot the first of two conflicting
dates. There was no pre-audit system in Maharashtra, but the office
suggested that the treasury officer should be told not to pay the doctor's
salary till the issue was resolved.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And with great
relish I over-ruled the proposal, recording a forceful note in which I argued
that the sanctity of service was no less important than the sanctity of
sanctions -- and that as long as the Government allowed the officer to go on
working while it was wrestling with the problem, it had no choice but to go on
paying his salary.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Changing environment </span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, the
whole environment of Government audit in India was already changing in
substantive terms. Not only had the sphere of the CAG's jurisdiction
progressively expanded (to cover Government revenues and public-sector
undertakings), but there was an increasingly wider perspective in which the
auditors were expected to organize their scrutiny of official records and
evaluate their findings. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And this trend
would continue for more than a quarter-century, creating splendid opportunities
for enterprising officers to undertake penetrating audit investigations and
significant performance reviews. I do look forward to sharing with the
readers, from time to time, some of my recollections and reflections in this regard.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">_______________</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<strong><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PostScript</span></i></strong><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, 2017 </span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I and the camera-eye</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What
I didn't disclose in the above article (and other similar ones in my column <em>India of C-A-G</em>) was my own vital
role in bringing about the significant transformation in audit
perceptions and the evolution of highly innovative and sophisticated audit
practices, because my policy as a journalist was to introduce a
personal element in my column only as an observer and not as an actor. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course, there
were some contexts (like the tobacco exports scene) where the dividing line
tended to get quite blurred ; but the Editor, Mr. N. Ravi, never chose to
restrain me or even moderate my texts.</span><o:p></o:p>MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-18041697205407859352017-08-04T21:42:00.004-07:002017-08-04T21:42:34.899-07:00The Mystique And Mannerisms Of The Dedicated SmokerTalking in the preceding posts about my serious-yet-lively conversation in
1995 with the Comptroller & Auditor-General of India about tobacco exports
and cigarette brands, I couldn't help recalling a hilarious essay I had written
in THE HINDU more than 50 years ago, about the mystique and self-conscious
mannerisms of the dedicated smoker.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Those were days when smoking, in the perception of well-educated and
imaginative young men in India, was a stylish symbol of sophistication, and not
a sinister, disaster-bound obsession -- and it was still possible to take a
light-hearted view of things.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This essay was inspired not only by personal experience but
also by powerful international literary and cinematic impressions
Therefore its perspective had a universal dimension, although
its field of vision was restricted to the well-to-do sections of society
and completely overlooked the widespread fashion of women's smoking in the
Western world.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And of course, like most humorous essays cast in the
classical mold, this one had its fair share of grains of truth as well as
exaggeration :-<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">______________</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">THE HINDU </span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday Magazine<br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1963</span></em><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">THE
SMOKER</span></strong><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The smoker sees the world through a cloud -- of his own making. It's a
blue and beautiful cloud, though, with a very thick silver lining to it.
He can look forward to pleasures which the non-smoking population knows nothing
about. Like the cosmonaut orbiting the earth in space, he looks at the
world with a different perspective. Like the spaceman, he faces dangers
which can be disastrous. But the smoker is courageous too, in his own
way, and is prepared to pay the price of his adventure. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The smoker is a much-reproached individual. People everywhere seem to
be bent on thwarting his fundamental right to smoke. Trains, restaurants,
street-cars, there's hardly a place where he's given a free hand. Placards
everywhere admonish him with a pitiless 'No!'. Managements of cinema
houses and concert halls, in particular, take an unholy delight in suppressing
the poor smoker. They're convinced that his sole purpose in life is to
set fire to their property, and/or undermine the health of their patrons.
The smoker has to be shown his place, and the meekest usher manages to do so
without meeting with any resistance.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Doctors, however, aren't so successful, presumably because they lack the
support of the police. The smoker is fed up with the spineless way in
which he has to put up with the tyranny of law and order, and in his own house
he would brook no opposition, not even his wife's. He vehemently resents
the interference of his critical friends. But the smoker knows only too
well that his case is weak. The more addicted he is to his habit, the
more clearly he can see it -- that's no doubt why the most outspoken advocate
of smoking is not your determined puffer, but the one who likes to call himself
a moderate smoker. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The latter does indeed go out of his way to establish the virtues of his
cult. Without any provocation he'll volunteer the information that
smoking is good for the digestion, and that it perceptibly improves the
appetite. It's a tonic for tired nerves, a tranquilizer for a troubled
mind. As for its evil effects, why, isn't moderation itself a sufficient
guarantee against them? The moderate smoker is ostentatiously proud of
his own moderation. He's quite sure he will never become an addict
himself. He sneers loftily at the diffident non-smoker, who, though
tempted, is reluctant to touch a cigarette for fear of its becoming an
obsession. This frame of mind lasts as long as he manages to remain
moderate. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The addict, by contrast, is rather subdued in his approach, and more or less
on the defensive. True, he might flare up if someone tried to hurt his
feelings, but he rarely starts an argument himself. He's all for peaceful
co-existence. So long as you don't force your opinion on him, he's
perfectly willing to leave you alone and puff away contentedly at his cigarette
chain or his pipe. He knows life isn't going to be a bed of roses for him
; and there are times when he wishes tea would smell like tea to him, and
food wouldn't taste like fodder. Often enough he's making an honest if
futile attempt to cut down his smoking. That's why, by and large, he
isn't so keen on picking up a quarrel with the opposite camp. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Not that the advanced smoker is all modesty : oh, no! Your
twentieth-century veteran has none of the rustic simplicity of the
pioneer. He likes to be noticed in company, and he's gleefully aware that
he stands out from the rest in any gathering. He tries to look glamorous
in many ways. He carries a smart tin of fifty cigarettes wherever he
goes, and places it prominently in front of him whenever he sits down. Or
else, he keeps pulling out a fanciful cigarette-case or a glittering lighter from
his pocket every other minute. If he affects a pipe, he might make a
great to-do about shredding the weed in his palm, and filling the magic
bowl. Back home, this gentleman always has two or three dusty, battered
relics on his mantelpiece -- he might never touch them, but he likes to have
them on display. Still more sophisticated is the fellow who rolls his own
cigarettes; apparently he's a perfectionist in his own eyes, no matter
how clumsy he actually is. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
But probably the biggest exhibitionist of them all is the cigar
smoker. He's a self-styled connoisseur who gives himself intolerable airs
merely selecting a cigar from a lot already bought and dearly paid for.
Of course, other people draw their own conclusion about his taste! With
the devastating aroma he weaves around himself, he intimidates not only
all honest non-smoking citizens, but his fellow-smokers as well. However,
for all his tough and blustering exterior the cigar man is really a child at
heart : he seems to derive such a divine joy from sucking the cold end of
his cigar and chewing it.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
One often wonders why there's no National Association of Smokers, seeing that
the smoker is so ubiquitous, and has so many grievances. If there's a
local union unique under smokers somewhere, I'm not aware of it.
Assuredly the smoker isn't clan-minded. The only time he recognizes the
brotherhood is when he spots one of them stranded without a match-stick.
Then the universal unwritten code of smokers demands that he should stop and
offer his own match-box or lighter, or at least the stub of his lighted
cigarette, whether he knows the person or not. The same code also
authorizes the stickless smoker to tap any other smoker on the shoulder
and ask for a light -- class, creed or even nationality is no bar. It's
marvelous to see this unique understanding among smokers all over the land,
though there's no tribal instinct in them.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
Lighting the other man's cigarette is a problem which has baffled the smoker
for generations, and doubtless it will continue to vex him for centuries to
come. "<i>Thou shalt light thy neighbor's fag</i>," bids the smoker's
gospel, but it's easier bidden than done. Usually thy neighbor puts out
the match himself, with his nervous breathing. In case he fails, a small gust
of wind does it for him. If he does manage to light his wretched fag,
it's seldom before thy hospitable fingers have been duly scorched. Often,
after making several useless attempts to help him, thou hast no choice but to
hand thy matches over with a sheepish grin. <o:p></o:p>MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-12187534474886665922017-07-30T20:33:00.000-07:002017-08-05T09:46:23.563-07:00When I Had A Lucky Strike During A Tough Discussion On Tobacco Exports<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The
1970s were a wonderful time in my official career, because as a field
officer conducting certain unprecedented investigative audits in the most
formidable economic Ministries like Commerce, Industry, Agriculture and
Supplies, I enjoyed absolute and unlimited freedom of action, and was able to
adopt my own audit principles and could device my own extremely innovative
audit procedures and practices. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In this context,
where I invariably encountered very forceful resistance from the Executive side
at the highest levels, , I received immense encouragement and moral support
from my superiors in the Audit establishment, including the Comptroller
& Auditor-General of India (Mr. A. Baksi, who always spoke to me in an
intimately friendly tone which bridged the enormous gulf which normally
separated us in rank and status). </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The CAG's audit
under the Constitution of India covered the financial concerns of the Central
Government and more than a couple of dozen State Governments all over India, as
well as the performance of all the commercial enterprises owned by them.
It was an awesome jurisdiction, and it wasn't usual at all for the CAG to have
any discussions with field officers in any connection. But he was so
fascinated by what I was trying to accomplish that he made a conspicuous
exception of my case, and would now and then send for me to find out the nature
and scope of ongoing and prospective investigations.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was in such a
context that I happened to outline my perception of the glaring anomalies in
the tobacco export trade, as explained in a recent post (Manifestation Of The
British Tobacco Empire In Independent India). Present in the smoke-filled
chamber of the CAG were Mr. G.N. Pathak, Accountant-General (my immediate boss),
and the redoubtable Mr. H.B. Bhar, Deputy CAG. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the course of
the earnest discussion, the CAG and Mr. Bhar subjected me to a
severe cross-examination, and I had a ready and accurate answer for
every intricate question they posed. Mr. Baksi -- who was intensely concentrating on the intricate issue while puffing away at his cigarillos -- seemed very pleased, and decided to have a little bit of fun to relieve the tension.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Are you
a smoker, Ramakrishna, by any chance?" he intervened.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"I used to
be, Sir, but not now." I replied.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"What did
you use to smoke?"</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Mainly a
pipe, Sir! But also cigarettes sometimes, especially if I could get a
foreign brand."</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Is that
so? Well then, let me ask you some tough questions!" the CAG said,
with a mischievous smile. "Are you ready?"</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Yes,
Sir," I said nervously, not knowing what to expect.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"What is the
difference between Philip Morris and Lucky Strike?"</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Lucky
Strike has a sweet taste, Sir, and Philip Morris tastes bitter."</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Not
Bad! Which Indian cigarette tastes bitter, like Philip Morris?"</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Char Minar,
Sir!"</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Right
again! Which pipe tobacco has a sweet flavor, like Lucky
Strike?"</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Three Nuns,
Sir!"</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"OK,
but hold on! Now I have a question I'm sure you can't
answer! What is Sobranie?"</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"It's
a cigarette made in France with Russian tobacco, Sir. It has an oval shape, and
is wrapped in black paper with gold lettering."<br />
<br />
Mr.Baksi seemed delighted, and exclaimed : "Well, I give up!
You win!" </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But
of course, it was a pure coincidence that I knew all the right answers,
and a couple of different questions were very likely to have floored
me. I just had a Lucky Strike, I guess! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, I
wasn't so lucky with the day's main business. As you'd have noted
from the earlier post, the Deputy CAG wasn't convinced by my perfectly
logical argument about the CAG's jurisdiction in the given context (even
though Mr. Baksi himself was strongly inclined to agree with me), and we
didn't process the red-hot material for the CAG's audit
report. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Anyway,
it wasn't really wasted, for I could use it so colorfully in my
column <em>India of C-A-G</em>
in THE HINDU twenty years later!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-55595256501298565122017-07-28T20:30:00.000-07:002017-08-05T09:47:13.571-07:00Tricks Of Indo-British Tobacco Trade : Seeing Through The Smoke Screen<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's
actually a good thing when a perfectly logical argument meets with strong
opposition, because that usually gives you an opportunity to reinforce the
narrative and make it still more forceful without letting it look like an
overkill. And here's an excellent example of such a 'blessing in
disguise' : I won the match 6-0, 6-0, 6-0, as you can see! </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">____________________</span></strong><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Glossary & annotations</span></strong><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(In
same order as in text)</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tobacco,
tobacco! -- Please see preceding post ( <a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2017/07/manifestation-of-british-tobacco-empire.html">Manifestation Of The British Tobacco Empire In Independent India</a> ).</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ITC
Ltd. -- Indian Tobacco Company.</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ILTDC
-- Indian Leaf Tobacco Development Company. </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Agmark
-- A seal of approval given to agricultural products by authorized
Government labarotaries, certifying conformity with standards specified by the
Directorate of Marketing and Inspection in the Ministry of Agriculture.</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Public Accounts
Committee -- A panel in the lower house (Lok Sabha, meaning
'People's Assembly') of Indian Parliament. One of its main functions
is to discuss important audit reports of the Comptroller and
Auditor-General of India, with senior civil servants as 'witnsses'
(who usually turn into defendants!). The Chairman of the panel is
normally a prominent member of the Opposition. There are corresponding
PACs at the States level.</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">BAT -
British American Tobacco Company, London.</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Maharashtra
-- A major State on the West coast of India. </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</span><strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">____________________</span></strong><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">1</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">THE HINDU </span></strong><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">11 May 1995</span></em><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">'Tobacco, tobacco!'</span></strong><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
<em>With reference to the article 'Tobacco,
tobacco!' published in these columns</em></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> on
April 13, Mr. P.B.K Murthy, Retired Deputy Chairman, ITC Ltd., writes :-</span></em><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mr.
M.V. Ramakrishnan's efforts in recalling certain intriguing stories relating to
tobacco exports in the early Seventies call for clearing of the smoke
screen. An adverse impression has been created through the article,
and it would appear government agencies, Indian officials, trade and industry
were less than honest and busily selling India cheap while other countries
fervently practiced nationalism. While this is not to hold a brief for my
previous employer or for their associates, I wish to bring a correct
perspective to the subject. </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Perhaps
the author refers to me when he speaks of the Vice-Chairman of the Tobacco
Export Promotion Council, Madras. I held those positions of trust for a
number of years in the Sixties and Seventies. He has alleged among other
things that the Managing Director or some other senior official of ILTDC had a
strong bias for settling extremely low prices for its exports to allied firms
abroad. The following facts would help to set right the erroneous
impression created by Mr. Ramakrishnan. </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Exports
of Indian Leaf Tobacco development Company (ILTDC) were mainly to countries
which did not bother about government minimum export prices. The ILTDC
was the largest single exporter to all the four largest manufacturers in the
U.K.and in Japan. It had no interest in government minimum prices, as our
export prices were well above them. The Tobacco Export Promotion Council
noticed that the other traders were also exporting to countries above the
government-fixed minimum export prices. </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Government
statistics would prove that at that time the price for any grade of
tobacco obtained by ILTDC was the highest. One of the simple reasons for
this was, whilst others generally had to export through intermediaries which
took a five per cent commission, ILTDC made direct exports mostly without
intermediaries. Even if some exports had to be made in the name of
an intermediary which supervised them, such intermediary was paid for its
services by the importer abroad. In the case of exports to Japan,
the Japanese government monopoly only imported through its agents,
and the commission paid by ILTDC to its agent was the lowest in the
industry. The ILTDC was aware that the company's interests would be
served best when the trade as a whole prospered. </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The
Tobacco Export Promotion Council did take care in recommending prices.
The concern for the Indian farmer and trade preceded any other parameter in
recommending or fixing prices. The recommendation was arrived at by
consensus of members, who included other members of the trade. The
recommendation forwarded to the Commerce Ministry by the Tobacco Export
Promotion Council was one of the inputs for the Ministry to decide the minimum
export prices. The Ministry was also aware of the export prices from
other producing countries to the U.K. It would be uncharitable to believe
that the Commerce Ministry did not apply its mind before finalizing the minimum
export price. Further, the Ministry indeed had men of experience and
integrity, and it would be absurd to paint all of them with the brush of
dishonesty.</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All
exports of tobacco had to be certified by the Agmark authority of
the Ministry of Agriculture. This certificate ensures that the grade
declared by the exporter is correct and consistent.</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The
importing manufacturers appreciated the services rendered by ILTDC to the whole
trade through its R&D and extension services. The importers abroad
respected ILTDC for its services to farmers and the trade while retaining its
integrity and reliability. </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ILTDC's
assets in India were purchased by ITC Ltd. at a reasonable price.
This brought substantial export business to ITC, which helped it in no small
measure. </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The
current controversy between BAT and ITC has been linked by Mr. Ramakrishnan to
the need to restore ILTDC/ITC as a passive supplier of tobacco to the
U.K. This must be an original interpretation unknown to both the feuding
parties.</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">____________________</span></strong><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">2</span></strong><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">THE HINDU</span></strong><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">18 May 1995</span></em><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">India
of C-A-G</span></u><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Oh tobacco !</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></strong><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I
am grateful to Mr. P.B.K Murthy, formerly Deputy Chairman, ITC Ltd., for
his comments (May 11) on my article on the tobacco export
scene. I am sure he is talking with conviction when he declares that my
view on tobacco export trends 'calls for clearing of the smoke screen'.
But conviction carries the hazard that one may quite sincerely believe what is
not true! </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It
is my belief -- as a former investigative auditor of the Government's affairs
-- that the thick smoke screen which has always surrounded India's tobacco
exports has been the result of the serious distortions caused by the traders
during the past several decades, which I had explained in the disputed
article. My recollections were not made from memory alone, but were also </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">based
on authentic information contained in certain notes I had jotted down 20
years ago in the course of my audit scrutiny of the Government's concerns on
the export front.</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mr.
Murthy says that according to me, "the Managing Director or some other
senior official of ILTDC (Indian Leaf Tobacco Development Company) had a strong
bias for its exports to allied firms abroad." That is not a correct
quotation! What I had said was that <em>the firm</em>
ILTDC had such a strong bias, and its senior officials used to play a
leading role in the business of the Tobacco Export Promotion Council, which had
the responsibility to recommend proper minimum export prices. Individual
officials of the company might well have had a different attitude ; but
being placed in a position where they could influence the environment in favor
of the clear corporate policy of the institution which employed them, they
could hardly have avoided doing so.</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Policy and practice</span></strong><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The
same thing might have been true of the Commerce Ministry officials also.
Mr. Murthy says : "The Ministry indeed had men of experience and
integrity, and it would be absurd to paint all of them with the brush of
dishonesty." But I never said the officials were all
dishonest! What I did assert was that, acting on the recommendations of
the Export Promotion Council, the Commerce Ministry used to fix extremely low
minimum export prices (MEPs) for FCV tobacco. In doing so, many of
the officials might only have been conforming to the overall policy laid
down by their political masters ; but that did not absolve the Ministry
of blame for encouraging a regime of deception! </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In
the late Seventies, Dr. P.C. Alexander, who is now Governor of Maharashtra, was
working in the Commerce Ministry as Additional Secretary for some time and then
as Secretary. He had attended some sessions of the Public Accounts
Committee of Parliament, as a witness during its discussions on certain strong
audit observations about the arbitrary manner in which cash subsidies were
being sanctioned by the Government for promoting exports. Can anyone
question or even doubt the honesty and integrity of Dr. Alexander? And
yet, he did find himself those days in a situation where he was forced to
defend some extremely wrong decisions which had been taken by the Government.</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Since those
issues had been raised as a result of my special audit investigations, I used
to be present in the PAC meetings as a shadow of the Comptroller and
Auditor-General of India, who was always there to assist the Committee and
guide its deliberations. Dr. Alexander is a very nice person ; although
he was miles above me in seniority and status and I was a constant nuisance in
the Commerce Ministry, he never showed any resentment towards me.</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On
one occasion, during a recess in the PAC's tough proceedings, he told me in a
frank and friendly tone : "My dear fellow, you must have some
sympathy for your fellow-officers in the Government! Tell me, what would
you do if you came on deputation to the Commerce Ministry as a Joint
Secretary? Would you be able to stop all this?" The only
answer I could give him was that I hoped such a situation would never arise
-- and luckily for me, it never did! I leave the moral of this
story to the reader's imagination.</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mr.
Murthy says : "An adverse impression has been created through the
article, and it would appear government agencies, Indian officials, trade
and industry were less than honest and busily selling India cheap . .
." -- Yes, Sir, the article was certainly intended to convey
the very adverse impression of tobacco trade practices which had crystallized
in the course of my audit research, and I had plainly said so! When Audit
justifiably finds fault with the Executive's actions or inactions, there can
only be one or both of two reasons : inefficiency and/or malpractices.
And when business enterprises gain enormously from Government error, it does
usually indicate a nexus between them and the Government or its
officials. Is this not quite obvious? </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Irrelevant arguments</span></strong><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now,
let us take up the specific question of minimum export prices of tobacco in the
Seventies. Mr.Murthy says that "ILTDC's exports were mainly to
countries which did not bother about government minimum export
prices." Indeed, why should those countries have bothered?
It was for India to worry about what was going
on! </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mr.Murthy
adds : "ILTDC had no interest in government MEPs, as our export
prices were well above them." Of course, they would have been
so! I never said that ILTDC used to export FCV tobacco at prices lower than
the minimum export prices. What I did say was that the MEPs themselves
used to be fixed at ridiculously low levels, so as to make the actual
realizations look reasonable. There was a striking parallel to this in
the case of steel tubes and pipes exports -- but let us talk about that
some other time!</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mr.
Murthy says : "Government statistics would prove that at that time
the price of any grade of tobacco obtained by ILTDC was the highest"
(meaning, of course, highest among prices secured by Indian exporters).
This might well have been so! ILTDC was the leader and trend-setter on
the export front ; and if it was bent on supplying large quantities of
fine FCV tobacco to associated foreign firms at abnormally low prices. Who
would pay more for similar grades of tobacco exported by other Indian
companies? Would the statistics prove that because ILTDC got better
prices than other Indian companies, it did not accept unreasonably low
prices in relation to what other exporting countries were getting for tobacco
of the same quality?</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mr.
Murthy goes on : "All exports of tobacco have to be verified by the
Agmark authority of the Ministry of Agriculture. This certificate
ensures that the grade declared by the exporter is correct and
consistent." But I had not said a word about any quality
deficiencies! On the contrary, I had highlighted the fact that India's
exported FCV was among the finest in the world, quoting the National Council of
Agriculture. And that is precisely why the actual export prices must be
considered to be far too low! </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">However,
the fact remains that in 1980 British Customs officials did intercept Indian
FCV consignments which were found to be of grades higher than those shown in
the invoices. It is not for me to say whether the Agmark certificates --
if they had been issued in those cases -- were right or wrong. One must ask
British Customs, I suppose!</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Accolades and award</span></strong><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mr.Murthy
says : "The importing manufacturers appreciated the services
rendered by ILTDC to the whole trade through its R&D and extension
services. The importers abroad respected ILTDC for its services to the
farmer and the trade, while retaining its integrity and reliability. Of
course, why wouldn't the importers abroad be happy, when ILTDC was
supplying excellent FCV tobacco to them at some of the lowest prices in the
world? : </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It
was in ILTDC's own interests (and those of the Imperial Tobacco Company in
Britain and its branches and associates elsewhere in the world) that good
R&D work was undertaken by the firm. But how does that alter the
reality of extremely low prices being secured for exports, and
correspondingly being paid for procurement of tobacco leaf in
India? </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m-1544522431281282115m-8922267694300883989m6145283524349166722m-5441086453307619786gmail-m-1331108212235158900gmail-a3s">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As for ILTDC's services to
Indian tobacco-growers, why look for accolades from foreigners? Even the
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) had given it an
award for that! And what were those services? </span></div>
<div class="m-1544522431281282115m-8922267694300883989m6145283524349166722m-5441086453307619786gmail-m-1331108212235158900gmail-a3s">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m-1544522431281282115m-8922267694300883989m6145283524349166722m-5441086453307619786gmail-m-1331108212235158900gmail-a3s">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Extending credit
(mainly in the form of fertilizers, seeds, coal, etc.), and in due course
mopping up their produce at the cheapest imaginable price on behalf of the
highly pleased importers abroad! Naturally, the importers must have found ILTDC
absolutely reliable! </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-1544522431281282115m-8922267694300883989m6145283524349166722m-5441086453307619786gmail-m-1331108212235158900gmail-a3s">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">East India Company </span></strong><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mr
Murthy concludes : "The current controversy between BAT and ITC has
been linked (by the author) to the need to restore ILTDC//ITC as a passive
supplier of tobacco to the U.K. This must be an original interpretation
unknown to both the feuding parties." Well, it would have
helped if Mr. Murthy had explained what precisely then is BAT's motive in
the ongoing confrontation.</span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">In the absence of
such clarification, the only logical impression which emerges is that BAT is
fighting this battle mainly for making ITC's Leaf Tobacco Division the East
India Company of the British Cigarette Empire, a unique distinction
ILTDC used to have earlier in this century! </span>MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-36551377957007510062017-07-26T20:27:00.001-07:002017-08-04T21:36:53.685-07:00Manifestation Of The British Tobacco Empire In Independent India<br />
In the preceding post (<a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2017/07/when-how-chairman-haksar-wrote-his.html">When & How Chairman Haksar Wrote His Monumental Essay On Art & Culture</a>), I had described the Sangeet Research Institute, Calcutta, as follows:- <br />
<br />
<i>A music-research unit in India's leading tobacco company (ITC) : a corporate contribution to Indian culture, meant to dilute adverse impressions arising from certain negative aspects of the company's cigarette business.</i><br />
<br />
The Company is also regularly organizing an annual festival of Indian classical music in major Indian cities by rotation, creating a highly visible spectacle, as part of its clever cultural camouflage.<br />
Another way the company tries to obscure its true character is by diversifying its business into other fields like consumer goods and hotels, and also by abandoning its real name Indian Tobacco Company, and (rather naively!) calling itself simply ITC. Actually its original name before 1970 was Imperial Tobacco Company of India, but hardly anyone remembers that fact!<br />
<br />
The negative aspects of the British-influenced company's cigarette manufacturing business concerned the alarming health hazards it was posing, and also the harm it was causing by paying ridiculously low prices to indigent Indian tobacco farmers. Moreover, severe distortions in the context of raw tobacco leaf exports (effected through a subsidiary firm) had very sinister economic, social and moral implications. <br />
<br />
I had thoroughly researched the whole export scene in the early 1970s from a performance-audit angle, and had recalled that exercise in my column India of C-A-G in THE HINDU in 1995:-<br />
<br />
<br />
____________________ <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Glossary and annotations </b><br />
(in same order as in text)<br />
<br />
<br />
The Capital -- New Delhi.<br />
<br />
One lakh tonnes -- In India, even when we write in or speak English, in two cases of numerals we adopt or adapt native Hindi-language expressions. Thee are :- lakh (same as in Hindi, meaning a hundred thousand, written down as 1,00,000), and crore (anglicized form of karod in Hindi. meaning ten million, written down as 1,00.00.000). There are no plural forms, and even in English we have to say '2 lakh' or '3 crore', and not '2 lakhs' or '3 crores' -- though in actual practice both versions are used. As for the singular, we never say 'a lakh' or 'a crore', but invariably 'one lakh' or 'one crore', just as in Hindi.<br />
<br />
Andhra Pradesh -- A tobacco-growing State in South India.<br />
<br />
Madras -- Old name of Chennai, to which some of us Madrasis desperately cling even now.<br />
<br />
____________________<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>THE HINDU </b><br />
14 April 1995<br />
<br />
India of CAG<br />
<br />
<b>Tobacco, tobacco!</b><br />
<br />
<br />
The late Mr. A. Baksi, who was the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India from 1972 to 1978, was a chain smoker. He was fond of thin cigars and long cigarillos. He would light them one after another and keep puffing away endlessly. There was always a gray, warm haze of tobacco smoke in his room in the office, which used to make some visitors feel quite uncomfortable! <br />
<br />
During Mr. Baksi's entire six-year tenure as CAG, I was working in a field audit office in the Capital, and undertook certain innovative audit investigations, particularly in the context of the Government of India's financial assistance for exports. In 1975, Mr. Baksi held a meeting with Mr. G.N. Pathak, Accountant-General and myself, to discuss certain significant aspects of India's tobacco exports, about which a very adverse impression had crystallized in the course of my research. Mr. H.B. Bhar, Deputy CAG, was also present. And the story I told them was certainly intriguing! <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Mother and sister companies</b><br />
<br />
<br />
Flue-cured Virginia (FCV) is the most important category of tobacco in the world, and is the basic leaf in the manufacture of cigarettes. In 1973 India was the fourth biggest producer of FCV in the world, after China, the U.S. and Canada. Raw tobacco (mainly FCV) was a major item of India's exports in the Seventies, the United Kingdom being the largest importer of Indian tobacco.<br />
<br />
In 1973-74, India produced about one lakh tonnes of FCV, and exported about 70,000 tonnes. Of this, 28,000 tonnes went to the U.K., while substantial quantities were exported to other countries where subsidiaries or associates of the London-based Imperial Tobacco Company and British American Tobacco Company were located. The National Council of Agriculture in India had once cited the 'common knowledge' that India's FCV was among the best in the world.<br />
<br />
There was no tobacco cultivation in the U.K., which was the world's second largest importer of raw tobacco, after Germany. Nearly all British cigarettes were manufactured from high-grade FCV, imported mainly from the U.S., Canada and India. India's share of such imports was 12.5 per cent in 1972. Imperial Tobacco Company (ITC) controlled more than 65 per cent of the British tobacco industry, which earned the highest profits among all British industries that year.<br />
<br />
British American Tobacco Company (BAT) was very closely associated with Imperial Tobacco Company, and was looking after the latter's foreign trade. BAT held a substantial share of the equity of India Tobacco Company (now called simply ITC).<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Colonial setting</b><br />
<br />
<br />
India's biggest exporter of FCV tobacco in the Seventies was the Indian Leaf Tobacco Development Company (ILTDC), located in Andhra Pradesh. This firm was wholly owned by India Tobacco Company ; in other words, it was also under the full control of BAT and the indirect influence of British Tobacco Company. (Later on it was merged with India Tobacco Company as the ILT Division). Year after year it used to win the Commerce Ministry's trophy for the best tobacco export performance.<br />
<br />
The prices at which ILTDC used to export unmanufactured Indian tobacco of the highest quality to its major markets abroad had been conspicuously low for a very long time, compared to the prices of similar grades of tobacco exported by other countries. Moreover, during 1966-72,, when the prices of U.S., Canadian and Korean FCV exports to the U.K. shot up by 50 to 100 per cent, the price of Indian FCV exports to that country went up -- believe it or not! -- by less than 10 per cent.<br />
<br />
ILTDC was also paying extremely low prices to the tobacco-growers, as indeed ITC and all other cigarette manufacturers in India were doing. Surely that was how it was able to export raw FCV tobacco to associated cigarette manufacturers abroad at absurdly low prices!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Floor prices, a farce</b><br />
<br />
<br />
From 1963 the Government had been fixing minimum export prices (MEP) for unmanufactured tobacco, thereby giving a wrong impression to the world at large that India was securing very reasonable export prices. These values used to be specified annually by the Commerce Ministry on the basis of recommendations made by the Tobacco Export Promotion Council, Madras. .<br />
<br />
The Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Council used to be the Managing Director or some other senior official of ILTDC, which had a strong bias for setting extremely low prices for its allied firms abroad. (The Tobacco Board was constituted in 1976, and one of its functions was to fix proper export prices, but the trade continued to exert great influence).<br />
<br />
The Government had traditionally been specifying minimum support prices for procurement of commodities like cotton, jute and sugarcane, where the usual beneficiaries were the owners of large estates and plantations. But in the case of tobacco, where the growers were generally small and self-employed farmers, the Government had no such procedure.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>CAG's jurisdiction</b><br />
<br />
<br />
When Mr. Baksi had heard the whole story -- grimly smoking a cigar chain and subjecting me to a grueling cross-examination -- he seemed to be quite fascinated. "Go ahead and process the case!" he exclaimed, with unconcealed enthusiasm. But Mr. Bhar's reaction was quite different, and he asked me what exactly the audit point was. He said that since the issue could not be directly related toany expenditure of the Government, it would not warrant any criticism in the CAG's Audit Report.<br />
<br />
Mr. Pathak and I argued that the Government was spending vast amounts of money as export incentives on many other items in order to increase the country's foreign-exchange earnings, and that it could save a substantial part of that expenditure if proper prices were secured for tobacco exports -- and therefore, the export of Indian tobacco at prices deliberately pitched low by the exporters (with the Government's tacit approval) did call for comment in the Audit Report. The CAG was inclined to agree with this view, but he could not make up his mind because of Mr. Bhar's strong conviction to the contrary. In the event, he left the decision to the Deputy CAG, who told us afterwards not to proceed further in<br />
the matter.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Subsequent scenario </b><br />
<br />
<br />
In 1980, there were reports in London newspapers that British Customs officials had found the grades of several imported consignments of Indian tobacco were much higher than those shown in the invoices. This development was quite consistent with the overall tobacco exports picture in India as we had observed five years earlier!<br />
<br />
It is true that in recent years the Indian Government has been announcing minimum support prices (MSPs) for procurement of FCV, based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices -- and has also been fixing minimum export prices (MEPs) on the recommendation of the Tobacco Board instead of the Tobacco Export Promotion Council. But the MSPs have been abysmally low (sometimes even below the cost of production!) -- and the MEPs continue to be far below the export prices secured by other countries for similar grades.<br />
<br />
In 1988, the Government suddenly started paying a cash subsidy for FCV exports, at five per cent of the export value. And the distortions in the export prices were still continuing. Now, the whole rationale of sanctioning cash assistance for exports (technically termed 'cash compensatory support' or CCS) was to enable exporters to reduce their prices effectively vis-a-vis foreign competitors. To sanction a 'compensation' for export prices willfully settled at low levels by the exporters in a system of colonial exploitation was to introduce another severe distortion in the scenario! <br />
<br />
Four years later, he whole policy of sanctioning CCS for exports -- which had been bristling with many serious anomalies ever since its introduction in 1966 -- was given up by the Government.. Meanwhile, the subsidy attracted by FCV exports made when the CCS was available was more than Rs. 25 crores.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The battle of BAT</b><br />
<br />
<br />
A sensational issue in the Indian business scene today is the desperate manner in which the British American Tobacco Company has been trying to wrest back complete control over ITC. What exactly is bothering BAT? To find the correct answer, you have only to take a look at the export trends in the past 20 years or so.<br />
<br />
India's exports of raw FCV tobacco, which were 70,000 tonnes in 1973-74 steadily declined in the Eighties, hitting an all-time low in 1088-89 at 29,000 tonnes. Then it picked up to reach 50,000 tonnes in 1991-92. The exports to the U.K., which were 28,000 tonnes in 1973-74, declined to 6,000 tonnes in 1988-89, and rose to about 10,000 tonnes in 1991-92.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, India's exports of cigarettes have been expanding -- from about 800 tonnes in 1973-74, they rose to 2,700 tonnes in 1983-84, and 3,200 tonnes in 1993-94. I do not have the latest figures for FCV exports, bbut it is quite clear that ITC's policy thrusts during and since the Eighties have been such that a traditional and once-reliable source of cheap but fine tobacco for the British cigarette industry and its world-wide operations has been threatening to dry up gradually!<br />
<br />
So then, it would appear that BAT's true objective in the ongoing power struggle is to restore the original role of ITC's Leaf Tobacco Division (formerly ILTDC) as a passive supplier of excellent low-priced Virginia tobacco for cigarette manufacturers in the U.K. and British-controlled cigarette factories in foreign countries other than India.<br />
<br />
____________________<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i>PostScript, 2017</i></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Logic and perceptions</b><br />
<br />
One of the reasons why this vintage article may be worth close attention even today is that it raises vital questions of logic and perceptions, and shows how an all-too-rigid interpretation of the rules of the game can be extremely counter-productive.<br />
<br />
It would be obvious to any intelligent observer that the tobacco muddle was a very valid topic for severe audit criticism, as it concerned the ruthless exploitation of one of the nation's important natural resources and the community of unorganized and poor tobacco farmers, in a setting so reminiscent of the former British colonial regime.. This was all the more so because there was no direct Government expenditure or specific loss of revenue, allowing the whole scam to escape the CAG's audit scrutiny in the normal course.<br />
<br />
I had great regard for Mr. Bhar, Deputy Comptroller and Auditor-General of India, who had a passion for taking a rational view of all issues arising in the course of our work. Particularly in the context of our pioneering efforts to undertake innovative audit investigations, he used to subject us to a grueling cross-examination, to survive which we had to have a very comprehensive insight into the scenarios we surveyed. <br />
<br />
It therefore came as a great shock that Mr. Bhar took such a rigid view of the question of the CAG's jurisdiction in this context, though the CAG himself was inclined to take the broader view. The serious error in perception could only be attributed to the pitfalls of extreme conservatism.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-9675345872221875482017-07-15T09:50:00.002-07:002017-07-15T09:50:46.110-07:00When & How Chairman Haksar Wrote His Monumental Essay On Art & Culture<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">As
mentioned in the preceding blog ( <a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-disadvantages-and-disconnections-of.html"><em><span style="color: blue;">The Disadvantages And Disconnectionsof Diversity</span></em></a> ), my long twin track records as a
professional civil servant and amateur journalist had brought me
a unique opportunity for blending hard work with soft play, as
the Member-Secretary of a prestigious panel which reviewed the performance
of four Government-funded apex institutions in the cultural sphere. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">At
the outset I had the assurance of the Chairman, Mr. P.N. Haksar, that I
would be solely responsible for writing the panel's report, which had to
survive the severe tests of time. I did produce an excellent
draft on specific issues concerning the arts, but found the
generic concepts governing the true dimensions of culture rather
elusive. In the event, it was the Chairman himself who wrote
the introductory chapter, which enhanced the flavor and force of the whole
report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">I
told the story in an essay a couple of years later, and submitted it to
the Editor of THE HINDU, Mr. G. Kasturi, suggesting it could perhaps be
the prelude to a monthly column on art and culture, to be titled <em>Articulations. </em>His instant
response was to launch the column with Mr. Haksar's exquisite articulations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">_______________</span></strong><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<em><b><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Glossary & annotations</span></b></em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">(in
same order as in text)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">P.N. Haksar
-- Distinguished Indian diplomat who had
wielded enormous power and influence as Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi's principal private secretary, and after
superannuation, had turned into a highly sensitive and widely respected cultural
philosopher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Sangeet
Research Institute, Calcutta -- A music-research unit in India's
leading tobacco company (ITC) : a corporate contribution to Indian
culture, meant to dilute adverse impressions arising
from certain negative aspects of the company's cigarette business. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">National
Akademis -- Three prestigious Government-funded institutions
in New Delhi, concerned with the promotion of art and culture --
called <em>Lalit Kala Akademi </em>(visual arts
and crafts : drawing, painting, sculpture), <em>Sangeet Natak Akademi</em> (performing
arts : music, dance, drama), and<em> Sahitya
Akademi </em>(literature). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">H.Y.
Sharada Prasad -- Civil servant and journalist, who was media adviser to
Indian Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Other
Members -- Ebrahim Alkazi (patron of Indian arts and former
Director of National School of Drama); Indira Parthasarathy (South Indian
novelist, writing in Tamil language); K.V. Ramanathan
(High-ranking civil servant who retired as Secretary, Planning Commission,
and then became Editor, Indian Express); Premlata Sharma
(musicologist); and Ghulam Sheikh (artist : oil-painting). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">_______________</span></strong><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">THE HINDU </span></strong><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Sunday
Magazine <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">3 February 1991</span></em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u>Articulations</u><o:p></o:p><br />
<u><br /></u>
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<strong><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The Chairman's chapter</span></strong><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Addressing
an impressive gathering of classical musicians and dancers, musicologists,
music and dance critics and members of the cultural bureaucracy in New Delhi
recently, Mr. P.N. Haksar outlined his wide-angled vision of culture in a
democratic society and polity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">The
occasion was the inauguration of a four-day symposium organized in the Capital
by the Indian Classical Music And Dance Fraternity and the Sangeet Research
Academy, Calcutta.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Not
so long ago, Mr. Haksar had chaired a committee which had reviewed the
performance of the three National Akademis (Sangeet Natak, Lalit Kala and
Sahitya Akademis) and the National School of Drama. Its report
was submitted to the Government of India in July 1990, and the Department of
Culture released a summary in August.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">There
have been several Press reports about the committee's recommendations since
then, but so far they have tended to be sketchy, distorted or
speculative. Although a thousand copies had been printed by the
Government several months ago, they have not been circulated widely.
There seems to be no clear awareness, even among the articulate journalists, of
what Mr. Haksar and his colleagues had actually said about the various issues
involved. I ought to know, because I happened to be the Member-Secretary
of the committee. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">The
main theme of the Classical Music And Dance Fraternity's symposium was the role
of the Government in the field of art and culture. The Haksar Committee
had gone exhaustively into that question because it felt that the activities of
the National Akademis had to be viewed in the widest possible perspective,
which naturally covered the legitimacy and limits of the State's intervention
and functions in this sensitive area. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">A
few months before we started writing our report, Mr. Haksar had asked me to
prepare a draft on the definition of 'culture' and the values which should
govern the cultural environment in India today. This had to be written at
the conceptual level, incorporating a historic and philosophic vision rather
than a clinical set of views.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">I
did try, but not for long. I just could not get a grip on the
composition, though I knew exactly what Mr. Haksar had to say on every aspect
of art and culture. I was confidently looking forward to initiating the
draft dealing with our findings and recommendations, but the chapter on the
definition and dimensions of culture was clearly beyond my credentials.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">It
occurred to me after some time that perhaps Mr. H.Y. Sharada Prasad, who was
one of the Members of the Committee, could undertake the job successfully. Just
before we started writing the report, all of us got together and had some long
discussions, so as to crystallize our views. During one of these sessions
I made my suggestion. Mr. Sharada Prasad's response was immediate and
decisive. He declared that Mr. Haksar should himself write the general
chapter. The Chairman said he would prefer to have a first draft, which
he could review and touch up. "Not at all," Mr. Sharada
Prasad told him firmly, "It's your job, Mr. Chairman, not
ours! We shall do some touching up, if necessary."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">So
Mr. Haksar had no choice but to agree, and said he would try. He declined
all offers of technical help and said he would be working "in his own
way". He dictated the entire chapter to a very capable
stenographer-friend called Mr. Unni, and took no assistance from anyone else in
the committee. After some time, when we were wrestling with the rest of
the draft, the Chairman's chapter hit us like a tidal wave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Profoundly simple </span></strong><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">It
was an intricate piece of writing, all 25 typed pages of it, so tightly packed
with ideas that it seemed to weigh like a large block of marble. I showed
the manuscript to Mr. Sharada Prasad and asked him whether I should try to
simplify the text.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">After
reading the chapter very carefully, he told me not to interfere with the text
except for cutting out some lengthy quotations. "Mr. Haksar should
be quoted, he shouldn't quote so much!" he quipped, repeating a thought he
had once expressed about Indira Gandhi's speeches, many of which he had
either written or edited. He also jotted down half a dozen other
suggestions -- to alter a word here, or moderate a phrase there --
and told me to get them approved by the Chairman tactfully. Apart
from that, he ruled, the text was not to be touched by anybody
including himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">"We
want this report to stand the test of time," he told me. "It is
Mr. Haksar's chapter which will make that possible. Those who can't take
it in quickly can skip it and go on to the next chapter, but this one will
ensure that the report lives on. We can't take liberties with a piece of
literature!" During our final deliberations, all the other
Members -- Mr. Ebrahim Alkazi, Prof. Indira Parthasarathy, Mr. K.V.
Ramanathan. Prof. Premlata Sharma and Mr. Ghulam Sheikh -- agreed with
him. In the event, the only addition we found necessary to make was a
single paragraph, in which Mr. Ramanathan succinctly articulated some of our
common thoughts on the regional diversity of India.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">I
certainly saw the point, but I was not quite satisfied. It was all
right for Mr. P.N. Haksar to address his peers on an exalted plane, but it was
my obligation as the committee's anchorman to produce a document which could be
wholly and readily understood by the ordinary reader. I went on groping
for a solution, and found it when I started drafting the final chapter
summarizing our recommendations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">I
had been worrying for some time about how to condense Mr. Haksar's profound
reflections into one or two pages of our report. It had looked like an
impossible task at first. I was about to give up the idea altogether,
consoling myself with the thought that the last chapter was to be a summary of
our suggestions and not our approach. But when I was brooding over the
problem, it occurred to me that the conceptual chapter contained, apart from a scholarly and philosophic dissertation on the history of Indian culture, certain statements
which had the force of recommendations of a generic kind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">These
were addressed not only to the cultural establishment and the artistic and
literary communities, but to our society as a whole. I realized that I
had only to extract these, and there would be no need to look any further for a
precis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">So
I just marked every sentence which contained a definitive expression of advice,
or of guidance, addressed to any intelligent reader. I arranged them in a
sequence I liked -- and I saw that the core of Mr. Haksar's cultural vision
stood out like a tower, and would be visible even to the layman's naked
eye. Mr. Sharada Prasad condensed and re-phrased my extracts a
little so as to match them properly in length and language with the rest of our
summary of recommendations -- and we had a short section containing a
far-reaching cultural testament, which could be read through and
understood effortlessly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Glowing vision</span></strong><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">I
have since reviewed the text, and made a fresh compilation which is only
slightly longer but fully restores the unique flavor of Mr. Haksar's
prose. Bulging with such a rich haul of gold, I am sure Chairman Haksar's
hold-all is not likely to escape the close attention of the cultural
authorities and the people of India. And what is true of our society, I
should imagine, is likely to be valid in the whole world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">--
The term 'culture', in its most comprehensive sense, refers to diverse creative
activities which give a sense of purpose to human existence, and provides the
reflective poise and spiritual energy so essential to the maturing of the 'Good
Society'.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">--
Thus defined, culture refers to a wide range of activities -- literature,
performing and visual arts, and various forms of artistic self-expression -- in
which individuals and communities are perpetually engaged. The definition
of culture, therefore, should not differentiate between the specialist
creator of culture and the lay citizen. Culture constitutes an integral
part of the social and political existence of human beings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">--
While the State has a vital role to play in the field of art and culture, its
political and ideological predilections can have adverse consequences.
Any rash political intervention into culture would be disastrous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">-- There
is a need for the exercise of extreme sensitiveness on the part of the cultural
bureaucracies of the Akademis and the Government departments concerned with
cultural affairs at the Centre and in the States, and by politicians.
Management of culture should be avoided.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">--
The State, through institutions specially designed to facilitate creative
activity, can only promote a congenial climate for the stimulation of
culture. It remains the task of the inspired artists to invoke that
spirit which reflects culture in the noblest form. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">--
It must be ensured that the cultural life of the individual, no less than that
of the community, should seek to relate aesthetic fulfilment to the everyday
activities of life. Encouragement should be held out to creative activity
which locates both beauty and utility in the artefacts of cultural as
well as material production. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">--
We must be constantly be on guard against any surrender to vulgar or populist
forms of artistic endeavor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">--
Manifestations of folk art and culture must not be considered as museum
exhibits for satisfying exotic interests. Their subordination to the laws
of commercial 'mass culture' is a threat against which it is necessary to
provide institutional protection and support. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">--
Cultural production today is accomplished in a social context in which the mass
media and the market have emerged as arbiters of taste and quality in
aesthetic activity. Modern economics have converted art itself into a
commodity. In the generation of cultural values, the market needs to be
tamed and harnessed to serve the interests of men, nature and society. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">--
The laws of the market of mass-produced culture should not be allowed to
annihilate the artist, even as the artist tries to wrestle with them.
This must be one of the desiderata of State support. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">--
Those concerned with the field of culture must sensitize themselves to the fact
that our country is involved in vast, complex and turbulent processes of
economic, political, social and cultural transformation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">--
Culture has to be an important component of our planning processes. Our
response to the 'hunger of the heart' and the 'famine of the brain' need
not await the response to the minimum needs of the body. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">--
Cultural development requires the planned and sustained creation of
infrastructure over a long period of time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">--
The approach to culture in India must positively encourage regional diversity,
and not merely tolerate it, so that no region or group can have the
threat of having a feeling of being swamped. There are no 'majority'
and 'minority' cultures. The smallest unit has its contribution to make
to the enrichment of the national sum total, and must be respected. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-52378323699424534322017-07-11T19:37:00.002-07:002017-07-11T19:37:55.373-07:00The Disadvantages And Disconnections of Diversity<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">A
rather discouraging thing about <em>Articulations
Online</em> is that it has no chance of uniformly pleasing a universal
audience, because its progress is characterized by so many sudden twists and
turns. The following facts will indicate the true reason for such a
kaleidoscopic perspective :- </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Recalling
my reflections as an articulate layman -- writing in some of the most
prestigious English-language newspapers in India for more than 50 years -- had
gradually evolved as the main objective of this column, as explained in the
preceding post (<a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-never-ending-expansion-of-great.html" target="_blank"><em><span style="color: blue;">The Never-endingExpansion Of The Great Cyberian Ocean</span></em></a>). </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Unfortunately my
contributions had never been collected in book form, which could perhaps have
made a progressive impact on more and more readers, especially those belonging
to younger generations. So it seemed to be a good idea to dig the best of
them out of cold storage and present them in this blog -- with suitable
introductions and postscripts to make them relevant today and tomorrow in a
historic sense (and also with helpful glossaries and annotations, to let the
texts make sense in global terms) -- thus consolidating them into a
durable, universally accessible source of reference.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">But my intellectual
excursions in the cultural, social and organizational realms, spanning five
decades, had been extremely diverse in character, content and style.
Naturally, readers of <em>Articulations Online</em> who are fascinated by some of my
vintage reflections tend to look for more and more recollections of the same
kind, and are likely to be disappointed when they encounter something totally
different -- which in turn may fascinate some other readers (who may not be
pleased by texts of the first kind, of course).</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">After all, even
bestselling novelists like Dick Francis or John Grisham must have displeased
millions of their devoted readers when leaving their standard settings
like race courses or courts of law and venturing into some far different
scenario on rare occasions. And who knows, at the same time they
might have pleased some other readers who found those unique novels more
interesting than the authors' usual works!</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Twin tracks </span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">At this stage, when I
set out to review the merits and constraints of this ongoing endeavor to
salvage and preserve some of my most significant articulations in a
universal source of recurring reference, I must explain my concerns
both as a professional civil servant and as an amateur journalist. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I was an innovative
officer of the Indian Audit & Accounts Service (IAAS) for more than 35
years in the second half of the 20th century, and also a forceful freelance
journalist for 30 years till the end of that period. Thus I had a
combined track record of more than 65 years as a successful bureaucrat-commentator when I retired from civil service towards the end of the century. On my
superannuation, I worked for a couple of years as a consultant to the
Comptroller & Auditor-General of India and the Press Trust of India
successively, on certain unusual assignments. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">On the
official front, whether as an accounts executive, internal financial
controller/adviser, or external auditor -- in the Audit Department as
well as other government departments or organizations on
deputation -- I invariably streamlined existing working methods or
introduced new ones, usually achieving impressive results (and sometimes
spectacular ones, as during an intensive ten-year spell when I emerged as the
leading pioneer in the field of investigative government audit in India).
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">As an
amateur journalist, I began by writing English essays of the classical kind in
THE HINDU (then published only in Madras), but later on wrote humorous articles
including satire, and turned to Indian and Western music as constant and
substantial sources of material -- writing successively in the <em>Free Press Bulletin </em>in Bombay, <em>Indian Express </em>in Madras,</span> <em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Shankar's Weekly</span></em><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> and <em>Hindustan Times Evening News </em>in
New Delhi, and again THE HINDU (music in the New Delhi edition, essays on art and culture in all editions). I had also drawn
cartoons to illustrate my light-hearted weekly column in the <em>Evening News </em>and the HINDU essays.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">There were a couple of
unusual contexts in which these parallel track records proved my credentials
for undertaking two unprecedented assignments. The first one, a few years
before I retired from government service, was when I was the sole candidate for
the position of Member-Secretary of a special panel in the Culture
Department reviewing the performance of four prestigious national institutions
concerned with music, dance, drama and literature -- a choice made personally
by Mr. P.N. Haksar, a distinguished ex-diplomat and cultural philosopher, who
was looking for someone who had achieved excellence as a bureaucrat, writer and
artist at the same time. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Style and status</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The
second occasion arose a couple of years after my superannuation, when THE HINDU
appointed me as a special correspondent on a semi-professional basis, mainly
for writing a forceful and unprecedented column on the audit reports of the
Comptroller & Auditor-General of India. This feature, titled <em>India of C-A-G</em>, explained the
substance of the most significant current audit findings in a historic
perspective, recalling relevant past scenarios, and analyzed important related
issues. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Mr. N. Ravi, the Editor, gave me absolute freedom of expression,
and allowed me to adopt a lucid personal style and illustrate the texts
with my own cartoons, which simplified even the toughest topics and
made audit and accounts almost as interesting as art and culture. He also
gave me a remarkably free hand to draw cartoons in a startling style in
a weekly feature called <em>Talk
Exchange</em> in the business section of the newspaper.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">That assignment,
which gave me a prominent semi-professional status among leading
newspapermen in India, was the summit of my progress as a journalist. I
thought it would never end, but it did after five years, for
some mysterious reasons. I tried continuing the CAG saga
in a monthly column called <em>Auditscan</em>
in the online edition of the <em>Business
Today</em> in New Delhi, but I couldn't cope for long with the tensions
created by criticizing the fraudulent
activities of businessmen in a business magazine.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">After that I went
on what amounted to a sabbatical for a few years, making an unsuccessful
attempt to transform into reality my lifelong dream of writing a humorous
bestselling book on management which would project some intriguingly
original ideas. But in due course I found my way back to my <em>alma mater</em>, THE HINDU -- once again
as an amateur contributor -- and wrote a fortnightly column
called <em>Musicscan </em>for
several years<em>,</em>
conveying many useful insights into concepts and trends relating to Indian
and Western music. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Changing tracks</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">O</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">bviously, presenting even some
selected articles on such diverse topics (written in several
different styles, depending on the contexts and contents) in a
single source of reference carried the risk of building up an amorphous
mass of writing, which would have no continuity and might please some
readers sometimes but none of them at all times. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Anyway,
I fished out more than a hundred vintage essays or reviews or
sketches from my old records and posted them in the blog at random, just
stringing together some of them now and then if they were of the same or a
similar kind or flavor. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">In
mid-2016, however, I lined up more than 30 articles in a row with a
common thread running through them, highlighting the perceptions
and and preferences of ordinary lovers of Western music in
India, which cried out (and still cry out today) for the serious
attention of local organizers and foreign musicians visiting
this alien land. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Actually
there were many more articles which would have reinforced the above theme,
but this exercise in continuity and total concentration on a specific idea had
to be halted at some point because it was excluding so many
significant articles on different topics which were
worth recirculation for the benefit of readers with other
expectations.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Thus,
whether there has been continuity or discontinuity in building
up this body of writing, I haven't been able to fully satisfy any set
of readers anywhere in the world. And of course, the fact that
I haven't been able to devote myself exclusively to this task due to other
important preoccupations, resulting in wide gaps between posts, has been
another source of dissatisfaction.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">As I
take fresh stock of things at this stage, I find that I haven't included in
this collection (or recollection, if you like!) some of my best essays, and not
a single one of my articles on audit or cartoons. So let me
change tracks again now, though I know I may be incurring the displeasure
of even some of the readers who have taken an extremely tolerant view
of the disconnections so far!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-76585035100081953182017-03-13T09:20:00.000-07:002017-03-13T09:20:02.688-07:00The Never-ending Expansion Of The Great Cyberian Ocean<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aHl">
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<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></span></div>
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<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">The
dawn of a New Year is always an occasion for taking stock of at least
some of our major concerns : so let me take a critical look at
the uneven progress made by <em>Articulations Online<strong> </strong></em>during the past six years.</span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">I
launched this online column in September 2010 with the intention of
taking a comprehensive look at the world as it was evolving in the first
quarter of the 21st century, in scientific, technological,
socio-economic and cultural terms -- </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">as
compared with the scenarios prevailing in the preceding three
quarter-centuries (during which I had grown up as a schoolboy and
college student, and evolved from a young civil servant and amateur
journalist into a senior citizen, superannuated man,
and semi-professional newspaperman, then U-turned to amateur journalism
again).</span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></strong></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>Articulations Online : take-off and travails </strong></span></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">In </span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">September/October
2010, which I spent relaxing in my doctor-son Vimo's home in Northwest America -- precisely at the opposite end of the world away from my own
home in Southeast India -- I outlined my perception of a century
of scientific and technological progress in the following substantial
essays in this column, hoping to follow them up with some detailed
survey and analysis :- </span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><em><a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2010/09/great-cyberian-ocean.html" target="_blank">Great Cyberian Ocean</a></em></span><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><em><a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2010/09/great-cyberian-ocean.html" target="_blank"> </a></em></span></span></span></span></span><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></span></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><em><a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2010/09/marvels-of-modern-world.html" target="_blank">Marvels Of The Modern World</a></em></span><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><em> </em></span></span></span></span></span></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<em><em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /><em><span style="color: black;"></span></em></span></em></em></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><wbr></wbr> <a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2010/09/tempo-of-transformation.html" target="_blank">T</a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><em><a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2010/09/tempo-of-transformation.html" target="_blank">empo Of Transformation</a></em></span><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><em> </em></span></span></span></span></span></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><wbr></wbr> </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><em><a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2010/10/transglobal-vision.html" target="_blank">Transglobal Vision</a></em></span><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><em> </em></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><wbr></wbr> </span><span style="color: black;"><wbr></wbr> </span></em><em><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2010/10/psychology-of-turbulence.html" target="_blank">Psychology Of Turbulence</a></span></em><em><span style="color: black;"> </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><wbr></wbr> </span></span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">I even marked the last text above as 't<em>o be continued'.</em> However,<em> </em>in the very next post I deferred further exploration of the formidable theme, with the following explanation :-</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><i>When
I started writing this online column last month with an awesome vision
of the Internet's apparently infinite dimensions, I knew I would find it
necessary to follow it up with some reflections on the impact of modern
science and technology on individuals and society. And I now realize
it will have to be a very long series of essays, because the theme is
extremely complex and bristles with so many intricate aspects. But
rather than risking mental fatigue by considering the same issue week
after week, let us spread out the core series a little, and take up some
other lighter topics in the intervals!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Well,
that's what I really hoped to do, relaxing in my son's hillside
house, with all the leisure in the world for meditation and
reflection ; and I did make a good start with the following posts in
Oct./Nov. 2010 :-</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> </span><em><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2010/10/bravo-isro-bravo-nasa.html" target="_blank">Bravo, ISRO! Bravo, NASA!</a></span></em><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
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<em><span style="color: black;"> </span></em><em><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2010/10/ochi-chorniye.html" target="_blank">Ochi Chorniye!</a></span></em><em><span style="color: black;"> </span></em></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
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<em><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><wbr></wbr> </span></em><em><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2010/11/blue-danube-blues.html" target="_blank">The Blue Danube Blues</a></span></em></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db" dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db">
<span style="color: black;">And although
I had taken up those topics merely at random, I felt tempted to explore
the related fields (space conquest, folk music, environmental
pollution) on a universal scale, in a historic/geographic/scientific
perspective. Actually, this was true of almost any context I could
think of ; and I soon discovered there were no such things as 'light
topics' at all if one's aim was to obtain and project a wide-angled view
of </span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db">
<span style="color: black;">things. </span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db">
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db">
<span style="color: black;">Moreover, back in my native habitat in South India, I began to get bogged down in the local music circles, writing my column <em>Musicscan</em> in THE HINDU, which called for frequent concert-going and intense concentration</span><span style="color: black;">. And <wbr></wbr>whenever I tried to resume my original theme in <em>Articulations Online</em>, I
found that the Great Cyberian Ocean was not only still expanding
constantly in volume and force, but was being convulsed by successive
tidal waves of ever-more-sophisticated and hazardous digital devices and
applications. </span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db">
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db">
<span style="color: black;">It
wasn't long before I realized that in my five initial essays in 2010 I
had already projected a comprehensive preview of these turbulent trends,
and I really had nothing more to add to those reflections. </span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db">
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db">
<span style="color: black;">Meanwhile,
I was alarmed to find that hundreds of significant articles I had
written over a period of 50 years on a wide variety of topics were lying
buried in bulky folders, and needed to be arranged in some orderly
fashion if they were ever to be preserved as an interesting and useful
collection -- and <em>Articulations Online</em> suddenly looked
like the ideal medium for salvaging and circulating my past writing to a
potentially world-wide set of new readers, with appropriate notes and
annotations.</span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db">
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db">
<span style="color: black;">And
that's how, after a couple of barren years, I completely re-oriented </span> <em>Articulations Online</em> <span style="color: black;">in November 2012 -- by retrieving a significant article I had
written 35 years earlier in the <em>Evening News</em> in New Delhi : </span><a href="http://mvrplus.blogspot.com/2012/11/spirit-of-adventure.html" target="_blank"><em><span style="color: black;">Spirit Of Adventure</span></em><em><span style="color: black;">.</span></em></a></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db">
<br /></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-a3s gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-aXjCH gmail-m_-4394975341180914487gmail-m_8756184709435841337m_-4964389480786630762gmail-m_-6180300013856961738m_-4392983048004684800gmail-m_-9200151713129416808gmail-m_417401497718651268gmail-m_-710341857026819141m_-8019207738216089138gmail-m_-2313580992727407957gmail-m_4400546575675877323m_8500161233030991958m_-5193367310036158632m_-3314729811537442252m_-3509398860093247252m_7710336541021048071gmail-m_-3931163234377904759m_-1443028359683836852m_2644579402364539655m_3381516912979216549m_8774638851310329682m_-1128631458740557697m_6452243928318624959m_-1468024099533325290m_1347047493186994577gmail-m1596a011d60ec0db">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><em> (to be continued)</em> </span></span></div>
</span></span></span></div>
MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-39478007586990258622016-09-06T11:19:00.003-07:002016-09-06T11:20:55.951-07:00When Cello Maestro Rostropovitch Held An Indian-international Audience Spellbound<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em>The
only globally legendary Western musician other than Yehudi Menuhin and
Zubin Mehta ever to visit India is the Russian cello maestro Mstislav
Rostropovitch. It was an unexpected and unforgettable windfall to hear
him perform in New Delhi in 1988 -- within a few months after I had
written a substantial essay on the global guitar legend Andrés Segovia
in THE HINDU, expressing regrets that we could (and would) never hear
his live music in the city. </em></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: x-large;">__________</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em><strong><br /></strong></em></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em><strong>Glossary & annotations</strong></em></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia";">(for readers across the world)</span></em></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></em></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><br /></span></em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="color: black;"><em>Stradivarius</em> -- Product of 17th/18th-century Italian family <em>Stradivari</em>,
famous as makers of the world's finest violins, violas and cellos. A
Stradivarius among string instruments is like a Rolls Royce among cars.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em>Azad Bhavan </em> -- Heritage building in New Delhi with lovely lawns, housing the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em>Kamani auditorium </em> -- Spacious (600+), modern concert hall in New Delhi.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>Lalgudi Jayaraman </em> -- One of the greatest violinists in Carnatic music.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>Ravi Shankar</em> -- Internationally known sitarist (the<em> sitar</em> is one </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">of the twin prime string instruments in Hindustani music, the other one being the<em> sarod</em>). </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>Carnatic/Hindustani music </em>-- Classical music of South/North India.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: x-large;">__________</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><strong>THE HINDU</strong>, <br />New Delhi</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em>23 December 1988</em></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia";"></span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia";"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>Soul-stirring cello music</strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em>"The
cello is my voice. It is an extension of my vocal chord. Through the
cello I sing. What is in my heart, what is in my head, it comes through
my hand, through my fingers, and finds expression in the cello's
strings."</em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em><br /></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">So
spoke Mstislav Rostropovitch, the legendary Russian musician who now
lives in Washington and divides his time equally between his activities
as Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra and a globe-trotting
cello virtuoso. He was addressing a press conference organized by the
Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the United States Information
Service and the Delhi Music Society in Azad Bhavan last Monday
afternoon.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">The
statement soon became a memorable one because it was followed that
evening by a soul-stirring demonstration of the musician's total
integration with his instrument, in the fully-packed Kamani auditorium.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Two
sonatas for cello and piano, by Brahms and Shostokovitch, with the
young London-based Indian Pali Pavri playing the piano, were rendered
beautifully. But it was in the <em>Bach Suite No. 3 for unaccompanied cello </em>that
the maestro's magic powers were in full display. Deeply absorbed in a
spiritual communion with his richly-toned 18th-century Stradivarius,
Rostropovitch literally played on the heart-strings of the spellbound
Indian-international audience. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: x-large;">__________</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em><strong>PostScript</strong>, 2016</em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<strong><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></strong></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><strong><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><strong><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: medium;">Not unique, but universal phenomenon</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></strong></strong></span></span></div>
<div>
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia";"><em>It
gives me great pleasure to revive my impressions of the magic touch of
Rostropovitch with the following and related recordings on YouTube</em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is6xz4pxLpk" target="_blank">Mstislav Rostropovich - Bach - Cello Suite No. 3</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">
</span></span></span></span></span>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";">
</span></span></span></span><div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em><em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>However,
taking a fresh look now at this old context and my own review, I wonder
whether I would have highlighted the Russian cellomaster's 'spiritual
communion with his Stradivarius' -- as if it was a unique phenomenon
-- if I hadn't heard him declare passionately that "The cello is
my voice . . . etc." </em></span></span></span></span></em></em></span></span></em></span></span><em><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em><em><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>in the press conference held a few hours before his performance. </em></span></span></span></span></em></em></span></span></em></div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>Looking at
that quotation now, I can see quite clearly that more or less the same
thing could have been truthfully said by any legendary instrumentalist </em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>anywhere in the world -- like, let us say, Yehudi Menuhin or Lalgudi Jayaraman about their violins, Ravi Shankar or Segovia</em><em> </em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><em>about
their sitar or guitar : or even by von Karajan or Zubin Mehta, if
you visualize a whole orchestra as the conductor's instrument! </em></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia";"><em>The
mystic rapport which invariably exists between a true grandmaster of instrumental music and his beloved instrument is a universal
phenomenon which needs to be viewed in a far wider perspective than that
of a concert review, or even a career assessment. </em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia";"><em>We never
think of it or even notice it while we are actually being moved by a
great performance, unless our attention is drawn to it in a specific
manner, as happened on this unusual occasion.</em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</span></div>
MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-73182434663329767532016-08-30T15:27:00.002-07:002016-08-30T15:27:37.900-07:00Summing Up The Stories Of Segovia And The Spanish Guitar<div>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">As I mentioned in
the preceding blog, live classical guitar music was a very rare
phenomenon in New Delhi when I was living there during the last 30 years
of the 20th century (except for a short break of four years). But the
versatile Canadian guitarist Liona Boyd's visit to the city in 1987
created both an opportunity and an obligation for me to study the
history and geography of the Spanish-guitar culture, so that I could
review the event in a significant manner. </span></em></div>
<div>
<em><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></em></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="color: black;"><em>My
main sources of information on Western music traditions were usually
the heavy volumes on the reference shelves of the excellent libraries in
the British Council, the US information Service, and Max M</em><em>üller </em><em>Bhavan -- particularly the Encyclopedia Britannica and the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Sometimes -- though </em><em>very rarely -- I also borrowed </em><em>books on
specific themes, composers or performing artists, or glanced at the
culture pages of important British and American newspapers and
magazines. </em></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><em> </em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="color: black;"><em>As
usual, I got so deeply involved in my research on this occasion that I
had gained far more knowledge than was necessary for merely conveying my
impressions of the concert I was reviewing as an articulate layman.
But within a few months after that event, the legendary guitar maestro
Andrés Segovia </em><em>passed away -- and I was able to write an essay
about him which was so substantial that it established my image as a
very knowledgeable critic in New Delhi's exclusive Western music
circles -- and yes, one who never showed it off usually!</em></span></span></div>
<div>
<em><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></em></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="color: black;"><em>In
fact, looking at this tightly-written text after 30 years, I am myself
surprised that it had such high specific gravity. But as you can see,
what it actually </em><em>contained wasn't any great knowledge of
classical guitar music (and Segovia's in particular), but some
crystal-clear insights into the stories of the maestro and his
instrument -- which was (and still is) true of all my endeavors as an
articulate layman.</em></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>__________</strong></span></div>
<div>
<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></span></strong></div>
<div>
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>Glossary</em></span></strong></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>Max Müller Bhavan -- </em> German literary and cultural center.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>________</strong></span></div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>THE HINDU</strong>,<br />New Delhi</span><br />
<br /><em><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">19 June, 1987</span></em><br />
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>The saga of Segovia </strong></span></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">The
passing away of Andrés Segovia of Spain a few weeks ago -- at the
advanced age of 94 -- marks the end of the long and fabulous career of a
remarkable man who had secured a new lease of life for the classical
guitar.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">The
history of the guitar is a rather checkered one. Like the lute, it was
introduced to European music in Spain by the Arabs in the medieval
ages. Although during the Renaissance period (14th to 16th centuries)
it could not compete with the lute for pan-European acceptance, it
developed very strong roots in Spain under the name of 'vihuela', in the
folk and art music traditions alike. Notable composers who arranged
works for the guitar in this early phase of the instrument's growth in
Western music were Luys Milan and Miguel de Fuenllano.</span><br />
<br /><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Growth and decline </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">During
the Baroque era (17th and 18th centuries), the lute became
over-stringed and unwieldy, though it continued to dominate the scene.
On the other hand, the guitar shed its cumbersome double-strings in
favor of five single gut strings ; moreover, with its bowl-like back
altered into a flat one, it became much easier to handle. As a result,
the guitar began to be played by music-minded amateurs all over Europe,
especially in France. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">In
the second half of the 18th century, the lute became quite obsolete,
but the guitar became still more popular in Europe, particularly in
England, France and Germany. Its ascendancy in Spain continued, of
course. The standard number of strings was increased to six, and
metallic frets on the fingerboard were introduced. Easily portable and
fairly inexpensive, the guitar was now an instrument played not only by
wealthy amateurs but by ordinary people too. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">During
the romantic period in Western music (19th century), the guitar became a
heavier and more solidly built instrument, and it continued to be
popular for some time. Composers like Schubert and Berlioz were known
to play the guitar. The dazzling technical genius Paganini too fancied
the guitar when he was not wielding the violin, and he even composed
some chamber music for it. Specific music for the guitar was composed
by the Italian guitarist Mauro Giulani and the great Spanish guitar
virtuoso, Fernando Sor.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">But
somehow, the guitar never became a successful concert instrument even
at this stage. On the contrary, in the second half of the 19th century,
it was almost totally eclipsed by the predominance of the piano in
Western art music. Two great musicians were mainly responsible for
preventing this classical instrument from fading out altogether, and
these were the Spaniards Francisco Tárrega and Andrés Segovia.</span></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<br /><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Revival and refinement</span></strong></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Tárrega
(1852-1909) was a talented guitarist and music teacher, and he
transcribed for the guitar more than a hundred works by Beethoven,
Chopin, and the folk-oriented Spanish composers Albéniz and Granados.
He also composed many original pieces for the solo guitar.
(Music-lovers in Delhi will recall hearing his tremulous composition <em>Recuerdos de la Alhambra</em>
in a pleasing recital by the visiting Canadian guitarist Liona Boyd a
few months ago). Apart from this, Tárrega took the initiative to free
the right hand from its traditionally fixed position, and developed a
more flexible modern guitar-playing technique. </span></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Andrés
Segovia (1893-1987) consolidated the progress, and found the most
sophisticated use for the right hand -- not only relaxing its movement
and increasing its mobility further, but also manipulating the strings
in subtle ways with finger-tips and nails, thereby achieving a wide
spectrum of tonality and nuances. Though not himself an original
composer, Segovia transcribed many works composed for the ancient lute
and the Spanish 'vihuela', and also pieces by such great composers as
Mozart, Handel, Chopin and Schumann. </span></div>
<div>
<br /><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></strong></div>
<div>
<strong><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></strong></div>
<div>
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Influence on composers</span></strong></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">In
fact, it would seem to have been Segovia's infinite regret that the
greatest composers of Western classical music had failed to create
specific works for the guitar -- music for which had, by and large, been
produced only by those who were themselves guitarists. He is said to
have declared that outstanding guitarists did not emerge because great
composers did not write for the guitar, and the composers did not write
for the guitar because there were no great performers.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">But
in a way, the maestro himself broke the vicious circle, for he did
inspire and influence several reputed contemporary composers to create
substantial works for the guitar, including some concertos and sonatas.
Among these were Manuel de Falla and Joaquin Turina of Spain, Albert
Roussel of France, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco of Italy, Heitor
Villa-Lobos of Brazil, and Manuel Ponce of Mexico.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Segovia
was an active concert artist till very recently, and had toured
extensively all over the world. Unfortunately, we in India have had no
opportunity of hearing his music in a live performance, but have to
rest content with our limited access to his recorded music.</span><br />
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Source of inspiration</span></strong></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Segovia
is noted for the great encouragement and guidance given by him to a
younger generation of guitarists represented by musicians like John
Williams of England and Alirio Diaz of Venezuela. He was also a source
of tremendous inspiration to a third generation of guitar virtuosi.
Thus, he not only helped to widen the classical guitar's repertoire, but
also influenced the growth of modern performing styles.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Spanning
practically the entire 2oth century, the maestro's extraordinary career
has been like a long bridge which has ensured the effective
assimilation of a noble musical tradition into the Western art music of
the present day, and surely of the future too. Such is the saga of
Segovia.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>__________</strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>PostScript, </strong>2016</span></em></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>Midnight summons to Maestro</strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>When
I said in 1987 that we in India had to be content with our limited
access to Segovia's recorded music, I was actually making an
understatement. For although we did have limited access to long-playing
records and audio-cassettes of Western classical music, classical
guitar never figured on the shelves of the music shops. The only way to
hear any recordings of Segovia or any other legendary guitarists was to
get them from somewhere abroad, which was never easy unless you had
some close friend or relative living there. </em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em></em></span><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>You
just couldn't ask even close friends or relatives in India going abroad
on short visits to bring you any music records, because with the
extremely small foreign exchange allowance available to them those
days, you'd have been asking them to make a great sacrifice. Speaking
for myself, I had friends in the foreign Embassies and cultural
centers who would have got me whatever I wanted, but I never felt
inclined to take or cause such trouble. </em></span></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>How
amazingly different are things today -- just 30 years later, even in
India -- when we can simply press a key or touch a screen, and instantly
take stock of any kind of music or dance anywhere in the world! Like,
for instance, even summoning </em></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>Maestro Segovia </em><em>to perform for us at midnight just by clicking on the following link : - </em></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><wbr></wbr><span style="color: black;"> </span><wbr></wbr><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><wbr></wbr><span style="color: black;"> </span><wbr></wbr><span style="color: black;"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW10W_qkW9s" target="_blank">Andrés Segovia</a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><wbr></wbr><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
<div>
<em><span style="color: black;"></span></em></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><em>Or even having a very close view of his sophisticated right-hand technique in the following video!</em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><wbr></wbr><span style="color: black;"> </span><wbr></wbr><span style="color: black;"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCeebWgjrrU" target="_blank">Leyenda by Albeniz - Andrés Segovia</a></span></span></div>
MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-2423205714513205272016-08-19T22:39:00.003-07:002016-08-19T22:39:50.013-07:00Versatile Canadian Guitarist Paints Spanish, South American And Classical Colors<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>Talking
about guitars and South America in the preceding blog, I couldn't help
recalling a memorable Spanish guitar recital I had attended and reviewed
in New Delhi 30 years ago.</em></span></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black;"><em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">One
of the rewards of writing on Western music in a prestigious English
newspaper in India's capital city was that when reviewing rare
performances of some genres of music unfamiliar in Indian music circles,
</span></em><em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">it was necessary to view the
events in a historic and geographic perspective for the benefit of
most readers -- thus creating opportunities for writing wide-angled
essays which would transcend the immediate context and would be readable
even long afterwards, as part of a useful cultural chronicle. </span></em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I hope the following text fulfils that expectation :-</span></em> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>__________ </strong></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /><strong><em><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></em></strong></div>
<div>
<strong><em><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"></span></em></strong><br /></div>
<div>
<strong><em><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Glossary</span></em></strong></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="color: black;"><em></em></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="color: black;"><em></em></span></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="color: black;"><em>Carnatic music</em> -- Classical music of South India.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em></em></span></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>Kamani Hall</em> -- Spacious (600+) modern concert hall in New Delhi. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>Tamil </em>-- South Indian language, with classical roots, mainly spoken in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.</span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>__________</strong></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>THE HINDU</strong>, <br />New Delhi</span></span></div>
<div>
<em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></em></div>
<div>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">20 February 1987</span></em></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>Glamorous Guitarist From Canada</strong></span></div>
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">The
powerful sound of the acoustic and electric versions of the
metal-stringed guitar (played with a piece of metal, wood or bone called
the 'plectrum'), accompanied by an array of other instruments including
drums, has become universally familiar as a result of the increasing
influence of Western popular music all over the world. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">But
the subtle sound of the Spanish guitar (the gut or nylon strings of
which are plucked or strummed with the fingers), played in a folk or
true classical style, is a rare thing to hear except in the Iberian
peninsula or the Spanish or Portuguese speaking countries of Latin
America. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">The
ancestry of the modern version of the classical guitar can be traced
back to the lute family of the Renaissance period ; but its present
shape, working repertoire and playing techniques have by and large been
developed only within the last hundred years or so. In Western
classical music, the guitar has only a marginal role to play, like the
clarinet in Carnatic music. Generally, classical music for the guitar
is provided by transcriptions of compositions meant for the piano,
harpischord, etc. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Although
in New Delhi these days we have a fairly good flow of Western music, an
authentic Spanish guitar recital is a very rare event. The virtuosity
of master performers like Andres Segovia, Manuel Lopez Ramos, Narcisco
Yepes, Alexandre Lagoya, Turibio Santos, Julian Bream or John William
-- or the works of composers like Fernando Sor, Frederico Torroba,
Francisco Tarrega, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Manuel
Ponce, Antonio Lauro, Frank Martin or Malcolm Arnold -- are quite
unfamiliar to us here in India.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Mixed colors </span></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Therefore,
the two guitar recitals given recently by the Canadian guitarist Liona
Boyd (who has studied under Lagoya and Bream, among others), as part of
the wide-ranging Canadian Week gala in the Capital, were very welcome. I
attended the second recital last Friday, and it was a rewarding
experience. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Under
the limelight, Liona's abundant blonde hair gives her the look of a
majestic lion, in spite of her frail figure. But the glamorous image
she projects on the concert platform owes as much to the excellence of
her performance as to the force of her presence. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">In
the first half of the recital, she presented, among other things, three
short classical works by Bach, transcribed from his scores for the
harpsichord and the flute, as well as three modern pieces composed by
the French-Canadian Richard Fortin. This was followed by a lilting
piece with a heavy Latin American accent, composed by the guitarist
herself. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">The
second half of the concert was exclusively tinted by Spanish and Latin
American colors, for which the finger-style guitar is ideally suited.
To start with, there were two transcribed numbers entitled <em>Mallorca</em> and <em>Asturias</em>,
by the pianist-composer Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909), who was known for
his patriotic fervor and had drawn considerable inspiration from the
rich tradition of Spanish folk music. This was followed by a famous
work called <em>Recuerdos de la Alhambra</em> ('Memories of Alhambra'),
by the Spanish guitarist-composer Francisco Tarrega (1852-1909), who had
written or transcribed nearly 200 pieces for the classical guitar. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Ms.
Boyd then took us on a delightful tour of South America. The
highlights of this section were two lively pieces with a Brazilian touch
, composed by the guitarist herself, and a folk melody of the Inca
tribes of Peru, which strongly resembled the nostalgic <em>Gurani </em>music of Paraguay and invoked visions of gray mountains, green valleys, and poncho-clad hillmen riding lethargic ponies. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="color: black;">The
performance was characterized throughout by the measured and immaculate
rendering of the chosen works, the tremolo sequences emerging as the
performer's strongest point, especially in her recital of Tarrega's
intricate composition <em>Alhambra.</em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="color: black;"><em><br /></em></span></span>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Apparently
the concert was a rare treat for the enitre international community in
the Capital, for the full gathering in the Kamani hall, which was
dominated by foreigners, responded to every number with resounding
applause.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>__________ </strong></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em><span style="color: black;"><strong>PostScript, </strong>2026 </span></em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><strong>Wide range of mixed menu </strong></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>There's
a Tamil turn of phrase which says that to test a whole pot of boiled
rice, it's enough to test a single grain of it. Seen in that light,
the memorable </em></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>performance by
Liona Boyd in New Delhi 30 years ago was a convincing cross-section of
the very wide range of her many-sided repertoire. </em></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><em>Reading my own review after such a long time, </em><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>I was tempted to look for her name </em></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>on YouTube, and found she's still very active. </em></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>Th</em></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>e following and other related videos will give you a good idea of her colorful accomplishment :-</em></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #7f6000;"></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="color: black;"><em> </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3FlG2uJgY8" target="_blank">La Malagueña<em> </em></a></span></span></div>
MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965132631735551952.post-57195216033167594822016-08-14T09:46:00.005-07:002016-08-14T09:46:52.102-07:00Intriguing Impressions Of Intrusive Instruments<div>
<div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">As
an earnest lover of European and other foreign music living in New
Delhi in the last three decades of the 20th century, I didn't usually
have any opportunity to attend a live performance of South
America's folk music. So when such a rare occasion did arise in
1992, I had very great expectations of not only getting entertained,
but also being enlightened. But what actually happened? . . . just
read on! </span></em></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>_________</strong></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong><em>Glossary </em></strong></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>ICCR </em> -- Indian C0uncil of Cultural Relations.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>Bombay/Bangalore</em> -- British-regime names of West/South Indian cities, now called <em>Mumbai/Bengaluru.</em> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>Kamani Hall</em> -- Large, modern auditorium in New Delhi, with 600+ seats. </span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>________</strong></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>THE HINDU</strong>,<br />New Delhi</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>21 February 1992</em></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>No fresh insights</strong></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">One
of the specific responsibilities assigned by the Government to the
Indian Council for Cultural Relations is to improve the cultural
relations between India and the Latin American countries. Of course,
much depends also on the initiatives taken by the concerned foreign
Embassies in India. Last week ICCR and the Venezuelan Embassy joined
hands to organize a performance by a visiting instrumental quartet from
Caracas, said to specialize in the folk music of Venezuela. The group
was to perform in Bombay and Bangalore also. </span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br /></span>
<span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Unfamiliar traditions </span></strong></span><br />
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">Certain
kinds of lilting South American band music (such as Rhumba, Samba and
Cha-cha-cha) are quite familiar to many of us in India, thanks to
Hollywood movies and gramophone records. In recent years, music-lovers
in Delhi were able to hear a little bit of the Brazilian composer
Villa-Lobos during the visits of some Western classical guitarists. But
so far as the folk music traditions of South America are concerned, our
awareness is very poor.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">There is a particularly attractive genre of South American folk music called <em>Gurani</em>,
which figures prominently in the cultural life of Paraguay. Some 15 or
20 years ago, an internationally known ensemble called <em>Los Chiriguanos</em>
popularized this music in Europe, singing and playing the Gurani harp
and the Spanish acoustic guitar. Their music was so authentic and
arresting that the contents of their audio album could invoke vivid and
romantic impressions of their homeland's hills and valleys, ranches and
forests, birds and ponies, cowboys and village belles, love songs and
rustic dances. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">What
kind of folk music exists elsewhere in South America? If one thinks of
Brazil, all one can visualize are feverish scenes of urban
festivities. Argentina does suggest the folk dance form of <em>Zamba</em>,
but what else do they have there? What do they have in Peru,Chile,
Uruguay, Bolivia, Colombia., Venezuela? There is hardly any knowledge
of this in India. So, naturally one imagined that the recital of 'folk
and traditional music' by the visiting group called <em>El Cuarteto</em> from Venezuela would bring fresh insights and valuable new knowledge. </span></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">Cosmetic treatment</span></strong></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">From
this point of view, however, the event turned out to be rather
disappointing. What kind of music does the petroleum culture inspire in
a land where Spanish blood mixes with that of African Americans and
American Indians? This question was not effectively answered by the
performance under review.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">What
the two guitarists and the double-bass and flute players did was to
reel off a series of Polkas, Waltzes, and sterilized Merengues, which
produced an impression of eclectic rather than ethnic music. Some of
the numbers obviously had their origin in folk traditions, which they
seemed to echo faintly ; but they were all cosmetically treated
versions which failed to evoke any strong local colors.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">It
would only be fair to mention that the evening's music
provided excellent entertainment, and the sizable audience in the Kamani
Hall responded warmly. The proceedings were enlivened by the humorous
explanations offered by the guitarists in mellifluous Spanish, which
were translated into good English.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong>Strident flute</strong></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif;">The
intruding element in the music of the ensemble seemed to be the wind
instrument. The flute was well-played, but its aggressive tone
obliterated the vibrant individuality of the guitars. (Apart from the
normal Spanish guitars, Venezuelan guitars with four and 12 strings were
also used). Whenever the flute fell silent over short spells, the
guitars came into their own, displaying powerfully evocative qualities.
But as soon as the listener would begin to be wrapped up in that
enchanting sound, the strident flute would step in and quickly erase
the half-formed impressions. Ultimately no nostalgic memories of the
music lingered in the listener's mind after the event, and only
impressions of the overpowered guitars survived. <br /> <br />The four
musicians who constitute the quartet are the brothers Miguel and Raul
Delgado Estevez (guitars), Telesforo Naranjo (double bass), and Jose
Antonio (flute). Each of them has some solid achievements to his credit
as a musician and/or music teacher in Venezuela. They seem to have got
together as a group to prove something important. Unfortunately it was
not clear from this performance what exactly they wish to prove,
particularly when facing foreigners living on the opposite side of the
world.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>__________</strong></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em><strong>PostScript, </strong>2016</em></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /><span style="color: black; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: medium;"><strong>Strong wind blows strings away!</strong></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>As
I keyed in this 24-year-old text here, I had a sudden misgiving that I
might have made a big mistake when I blamed the flute for
overpowering the guitars, because since then I have obtained many fresh
impressions of South American folk music -- (thanks to YouTube, of
course!) -- and am now well aware that wind instruments like the
panpipes do have a loud and aggressive role in the traditional music of
the countries situated in the Andes mountain range along the west coast
of the continent. </em></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>And it occurred to me that the quartet's interpretation of Venezuela's folk music m</em></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>ight have been quite authentic, and perhaps as an ignorant foreigner I had no business to question its character. </em></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><em>So
I found some videos of the El Cuarteto ensemble in YouTube -- (they
seem to be still very active) -- just to see if and where I had gone
wrong. And quite intriguingly, I got exactly the same impression as I
did 24 years ago in their live show in New Delhi : that the flute is
completely stifling the guitars and reducing their powerful sound to
mere characterless background noise, except when it rests for very short
spells. </em></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em></em></span><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;"><em>Just hear the following recitals and see for yourself : and p</em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>lease note how
forceful the guitars and double-bass sound when the flute isn't blowing
them away for a minute in the second video :-</em></span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></em><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxB3Mjh7_zA" target="_blank">El Cuarteto - Viajera del río </a></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"> <a href="https://youtu.be/nO8qSvbe5vg?t=233" target="_blank">Presentación de El Cuarteto. Carnaval</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>So
then, ignorant foreigner or not, perhaps I didn't really go wrong in my
response to their performance in New Delhi! But when I </em></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>take a fresh look at the whole issue now -- with the advantage of watching YouTube in a wider perspective -- </em></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>I
realize that perhaps the intrusive element in this context was (and
is) not the aggressive tone of the flute, as I had said in my review,
but the excellence of the forceful guitars. </em></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></em></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em>Wherever
wind instruments (panpipes, flute, etc.) are the backbone of any folk
music tradition, the guitar -- if used -- serves only as
a percussion instrument to regulate and enhance the flow of the rhythmic
pulse, merely as a substitute for drums. </em></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><em> On
the other hand, where the guitar is a prime instrument, it can produce a
very sophisticated blend of melodic and rhythmic sound effects. So
when very highly accomplished guitar players team up with a forceful
flutemaster, their visibly diminished role as mere providers of
percussion support creates a jarring element (which can be spotted by
sensitive music-lovers even in distant foreign lands). </em></span></span></div>
<div>
<em><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"></span></em><em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></em></div>
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></em><br />
<div>
<span style="color: black;"><em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">So
here's some sincere advice to the globe-trotting
Quartet of Caracas, from an earnest and articulate layman living on the
opposite side of the globe : by all means, </span></em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>Señores, </em></span><em><span style="font-family: Georgia;">do
carry on as you've been doing ; but in every performance you
give hereafter -- whether at home or abroad -- please also include a
couple of flute-free numbers which will create plenty of scope for the
twin guitars to shine brightly, and your whole performance will be
better balanced and far more exciting!</span></em></span></div>
MVRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12054461331736855853noreply@blogger.com0