Indian elections - the Biggest Democratic Celebration

The summer of 2019 saw the biggest democratic elections the world has ever seen. Being a keen observer of society i am overjoyed to write about this for the Club newsletter. Here are the few things that i admire from this whole event:

Size

India as a nation is gargantuan. So big that there are about 134 crore people and the are 82 voters across the length and breadth of this vast nation. Just having a look at the numbers makes you feel previlaged to be a part of something special. After casting my vote i could feel the sense of being part of the the society. To be a part of this grand event makes one feel indeed special. 

Unity

The democratic elections is a unique platform where people from different walks of life, profession, gender, cast or religion are all looked at as one. No one person's vote is valued higher or lower than the other. Despite the differences in society the Election is where one finds his or her presence felt amidst a billion people. The belief that a little something that we do can make a difference is a reflection the power of One. 

Success

We, in Toastmasters see how difficult it is to organise one meeting. Imagine the magnitude of the Indian election and make it a success. The preparation that goes into making of this grand event is meticulous. From the training of individuals, distribution of voting machines, nomination, etc- the working of this organisation is in itself a spectacle to watch out for. 

There are so many admirable attributes to the election but It is a matter of Pride that we belong to the biggest democracy in the world right now. There's a lot to learn from how this works. The curious little child in us should be able to recognise and appreciate it.  

DTM Mayur Venkatesh S

Coimbatore Toastmasters club

The power of curiosity

I've always had a fascination towards learning new languages and trying to build new relationships. I realised how much fun it was to speak a foreign language during my postgraduate days. I was in Calicut, North Kerala.

My mother, being from Palakkad, Malayalam was somehow always around the house as I grew up. Either in the form of movies, TV shows or relatives who dropped by.My mother's Tamil vocabulary was woven with Malayalam words. As I came of age, I had a sudden fascination towards Malayalam movies which were rich in content and message.

So, when I was in Kerala for my studies my knowledge of Malayalam was put to test. I was in for a surprise when I was able to communicate what I wanted to say to a tea seller, early in the morning. I was able to strike a conversation with him and when I walked off the 50 year old tea seller had not just made his first sale of the day but also a friend. Over the next few months every morning used to be a ritual where I would meet friend, Bala Krishnan, fondly called as Krishn-etta and bond over the events from around the world.

Photo © Petr Vaclavek, Collection: Hemera, Thinkstock

Having learned Hindi in school, speaking Tamil at home, learning Malayalam from the air and knowing English as a way of life, I'm happy to call myself a Polyglot.

In the recently conducted multi lingual meeting at CTC, where there were speech slots available in Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, French and Malayalam, I dared to put my knowledge of Malayalam to the acid test. At the end of the speech, I was left with a contentment of having accomplished a special milestone. A 5 minute speech in a language in which I have no formal education, no regular practice or a language that I learned from the wisdom of curiosity was a moment to savor.

Having realised the potency of a language's knowledge, I tried to used the time I spent on mobile phones to good use. I came across an app called Duolingo, which uses an interactive platform to teach languages. I enrolled into the German course and started learning Deutsch.

One of the first phrases that I learned was “deutsche sprache schwere sprache” which literally translates to “German language difficult language”. I smiled at the irony of the moment but I was not to bogged down by this threat. Daily lesson notifications were at times irritating but I persisted and after a few months I completed the course on Duolingo.

During a casual chat with my friend, Sivadas, a fellow Toastmaster who I befriended from the yesteryears, suggested why don't I take up the German exam and get certified. I was excited at the possibility of getting certified. With the help of a professional German tutor, I appeared for A1 German exam at Goethe zentrum and passed the exam. Mission erfüllt (mission accomplished).

When I look back at my journey of learning languages, I am intrigued at how a grain of thought that grew from curiosity, supported by persistence had turned out to be a valuable skill. Today I'm not just able to make friends from around the world but also add value to my business profile as a Entrepreneur - Sales Engineer in the Textile industry.

Inclusion

I'm a big fan of Harsha Bhogle, the admirable cricket commentator. When I was watching one of his videos on YouTube, I saw his speech at the India inclusion summit. I became curious and decided to find more about the event.

The India inclusion summit was an annual event happening at Bangalore, founded in 2012 by a gentleman called VR Feroze. This event is similar to a TED talks conference, where eminent personalities talk about Inclusion. They were trying to bring about awareness of inclusion to specially abled people in everyday life. I was intrigued and decided to register for the upcoming annual event in 2017 and persuaded my friend Raghav Ravichandran to also come along.

At the event there was a plethora of amazing speeches. From an awe inspiring quadruple amputee who was a record breaking athlete, a UPSC rank holder who defied polio to redefine boundaries, a jaw dropping dance by a visually challenged girl, the event had me completely absorbed. It was an unforgettable experience, where I got to witness some exemplary talents despite their adversities. When I walked out of the day long event, I was left with a sense of surreal amusement and inspiration.

The one thought that still lingers in my memory is that by Mr. Tom Harkin, a former US Senator. He said “Clearing the path for people with special needs, clears the path for everyone.”. I realised that how it would take just a small effort to consciously create a user friendly product for the specially abled but it would go on to be useful for Everyone. That lesson has made me look at the world with a different perception.

Being Inclusive is a choice, but if we do choose to be inclusive, we could have made the day a little less challenging for a special person.

The voice that led me

In 2010, I was going through the most testing times of my life. A road accident had left me crippled. When I got back to University in my 4 semester, my health had deteriorated so much that I had lost 25 kg. My vision was blurring and the ever so challenging engineering syllabus looked like a Himalayan challenge before me. It was then that cricket was widely followed. The year long international tours and IPL was engaging to watch. But what catch my attention was the voice of a cricket commentator - Harsha Bhogle. I used to look forward to his commentary segments in each game. He had enumerable likeable attributes.

(Pic: Economic Times)

Put the others before oneself

Whenever he is on the mic, he would make other commentators feel at ease by discussing about their opinion and occasionally have his say. He would put the limelight on the others and see to it that their opinion is heard.

Entrepreneurial spirit

Unlike all the other cricket commentators Harsha Bhogle was not a professional cricketer. He had played for his University cricket team but his passion for the sport fuelled his desire to become a sports journalist. The videos in which he recollects his days when he used to work for all India radio and newspaper are indeed a treat to watch.

Stay neutral

Harsha Bhogle often takes a neutral stand and supports good talent irrespective of what team they belong to. During the T20 world cup in Bangladesh, he had spoken in praise of Bangladesh and was penalised. But recognising talent and wholeheartedly appreciating others is indeed a great characteristic.

With these admirable attributes, Harsha Bhogle inspired me to talk. As a speaking role model he has guided me to an awesome Avenue. I got to know about Toastmasters when I was watching one of his videos and journey has been truly enriching. So, if we all have a role model for our ventures, we can benefit greatly from their teachings.  

5 reasons why I look forward to the Eng Vs Ind 2018 Test series

I have closely followed Indian cricket in the past few years. These are the 5 reasons why the 2018 India tour of England, 5 Match Test series is such a juicy treat.

1. The form of Indian cricket team.

The Indian cricket team has been on a roll for the past few months. They are the #1 ranked trea side in ICC taking rankings right now. Most attributes of the team are well aet and look stabilised with ample resources to replace if need be. Earlier this year the way they played in south Africa was really good.

2. The battery of Indian fast bowlers.

In the past decade there have been many quality fast bowlers who have blossomed from India. Special thanks to the IPL for unearthing these talents. Ishanth, Bhuvi, Shami, Umesh and Bumrah have been stand out bowlers. I'm reminded of the dream run that Indian bowlers had in the 2015 WC where they took all 10 wickets on 7 straight matches.

3. Battle of Two well equipped teams.

England are coming from a successful series against Australia. With a good balance of players in their squad, they will be bearish in home conditions. India on the other hand are able opponents who can give the Brits a run for their money.

4. Playing conditions.

With the mercury hitting various highs this year, the pitches in England are looking more hospitable to the Indian players. With conditions being compared to that of Chennai or Mumbai, the India team will have to make the best of the conditions that could favour spin.

5. Testing ground for the WC, next year.

With the limited over stage of the game ended, the team management will further get a chance to text the preparedness of players for the world cup next year. Ashwin, Jadeja, Ishanth, Vijay and Dinesh Karthik could prove their worthiness in English conditions with stellar performance in this 5 Match long test series.

This series looks to be a good test of character, grit and skill for the Indian players and a delicious treat for ardent followers of Cricket. 

The magic ingredient

           I reluctantly opened my eyes hoping I wouldn’t have to get up. But I managed to roll out of my bed and looked outside the window. The first light of the August morning enticed my attention as I shrugged off my beautiful sleep. I stepped outside my room to the welcoming call of the morning birds. After a quick refresh, I geared up and crossed the road to the running track around Agara Lake, The then not so polluted water body in Bangalore.

The perks of being a morning person are to enjoy the serene beauty of dawn. As I jogged into my regular track, the sky was lighting up. As my knees kept bending and moving ahead, the biting chillness of the morning became bearable. My heart pumped faster and I could sense my joints get oiled up for the day ahead. Beads of sweat battled their way out despite the chillness out there. My lungs filled up and so did my zeal with every step. Despite wanting to give up midway I pushed and puffed ahead. I could feel my throat and lips dry up when i was almost done with the run. Phew!!!  

This ritual every morning reassured me of the strength that was innate in me whenever I wanted to give up. Not just being a physical challenge, the endurance of my character was tested. The sense of fulfilment that the morning run gave me could match no other.

It is disheartening to know that today our lifestyles have tagged physical exercise as a chore or obligation rather than a routine or habit. Rolling a heavy ball is indeed a challenge at first. But as it turns and turns the ball gathers momentum and rolling it becomes easier. Likewise the habit to get out of bed and sprint is only a challenge until it becomes a daily habit.

               Every morning, that extra mile we run, those additional push ups we take or just the drive to get out of bed in the morning could be the one magic ingredient needed to light the thunder for that day.

Step out- Explore- Discover

Im technically single, but my heart is all taken up by her. After a long days work I would look forward to spending time with her. She always had time for me and never said NO. I was truly, madly deeply in love with her. Isn’t she pretty? This my dear friends is Jennifer, my dear Recliner.

My laziness had got me graduated from being a couch potato to reclined watermelon. I had become so lazy that i would eat, sleep, watch TV and browse the internet all at one place. My Sundays were dedicated exclusively for her, there were no TM meeting also on Sundays. On one such lazy Sunday afternoon I was comfortably relaxed with my dear Jennifer I received a call from my friend Ankur after a very long time. “Hey, how about we go out somewhere? Im bored at home”. I was in no mood to ditch my dear Jennifer, but he somehow persuaded me to pick myself up and go out. It was 3PM and the Sunday sun was burning my skin but Ankur was upbeat and asked me to hop on to his scooter.

 

I had no clue where we were going. We were talking about our lives and then in a matter of few minutes from having left my house a sudden cool breeze passed me. I was pleasantly surprised and inhaled a lungful of fresh air. When I looked around I realised were going towards the mountains, North-west from Coimbatore. The empty road had a lot of tall old chimneys puffing smoke like an old rail engine. The enticing fragrance of eucalyptus signalled that we were in the foothills of Aanaikatti. We rode into the mountains and the temperature had dropped a few degrees despite the 3:30 sun. The roads twisted and turned as per the topography of the region.

25Km and an hour long ride from my house we reached the Niligiri Biosphere Park. I had not known about such a park in such close vicinity from Coimbatore. Having been greeted by a few butterflies, we got  tickets and with the excitement of school boys on a field trip we explored the park. It was teeming with flora and fauna. There was a small hillock in the park and we trekked to the top to get a scenic bird’s eye view of the region. With a separate section for the domestic animals and reptiles, where we saw a group of young kids playing.  The aquarium was a treat to the eyes with lots of colourful fishes. For a geek like me, all exhibits had the details of the exhibit along with the scientific and specific name coupled with interesting facts

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The sun started to hide behind the mountains and we rode back to the city after a cup of hot Chai. On our way back we were greeted with some showers but we managed to reach home before getting drenched. It was definitely an evening well spent.

What was planned to be an evening that was supposed to be spent with Jennifer, my dear recliner turned out to be a blissful and memorable experience. My decision to step out of my house and explore the nearby places has been extremely rewarding with wonderful experiences and memories to cherish. Coimbatore is a city that is close to many such exciting and vibrant biosphere hotspots. So I urge all of you to travel and explore the region and not shy away from opportunities to discover something new.