Coyotes-Amazing and Fascinating Animals

Coyotes belong to the Dog FamiNly.They are very similar to the wolves.The dog Family include Dogs,Jackals,wolves and Coyotes.Coyotes are generally found more in number in North America and Canada. San Diego is the finest and beautiful city of USA.There are many mountains and Hills and magnificent Landscapes .Around the Landscapesc there are green jungle growth and places to dig holes .The Coyotes stay in such places made by them.They are never seen in the days .But in urban areas towards evening when darkness approaches ,they come out of their shelters to go for hunting their food. Mainly they look for livestock, mices and rabbits.They are afraid of human beings but at the same time they do not avoid them as enemies.They come out in the open even in Highways where heavy traffic forms in the evenings. Recently, we had an encounter with a Coyote while we were on Evening walk in the late hours of SanDiego,USA. In San diego ,nowadays ,night is small and Day longer.Until 8-00 PM Sunlight is available.The incident occurred around 7-15 PM.We as well as the Coyote remained stunned for about five seconds staring each other face to face. And then the Coyote crossed over the road to the other side without indulging in any attack on us.It looked as though the Coyote was more afraid of us than it did to us.To be frank,we were really nervous during those 5 seconds. Any how,this unexpected encounter prompted me to attempt a study on Coyote.The results are berifly as under: Wolves and Coyotes share many common features.They both are members of dog family besides Jackals and Dogs. Both Wolves and Coyotes are Doglike in appearance.Both are threat to livestock.There are also differences between Wolf and Coyote.Though both look similar in first glance,the Coyotes have longer ears and Sharper nose than Wolves. Their legs are shorter and thinner than wolves.Coyotes have bushier tails

The above illustration would more or less distinguish the Coyotes and Wolves. Besides,one major difference is in their size.Wolves are much larger and heavier than Coyotes.A male wolf can have Length of 7 feet inclusive of 20 inches of their tail and may weigh 100 to 125 Pounds( 2.2 pounds =1 KG) whereas Coyotes' length can be 5 feet and Weight 25 to 75 Pounds.Eastern Coyotes are Larger than Western counterparts. Coyotes have amazing capability of adapting to Wide ranges of Environment including urban Areas. Wolves and Coyotes ,as large predators often compete for same habitats and food. The Coyote population in the World is on an increasing trend while Wolves appear to be decreasing.However,where wolves population is existing,the Coyotes population is found to be reducing. Both Wolves and Coyotes are well known for their Howling habits.Even jackal also howls. Both Wolves and Coyotes howl to communicate with their packs to co ordinate hunting or to locate their pack members. Coyotes rarely attack people in urban landscape.instead if people offer them any kind of food they accept and try to become friendly and habituated to people. Coyotes are ,however,not advice able to get friendly or tamed because they also like any warm blooded animal may contract rabies. Their close kinship to Dogs Places Coyotes at greater risk Where there are population of Unvaccinated Domestic dogs. Coyotes are amazing creatures.Theyv tricksters and have many cunning ways tobsurvive. Unlike wolves who always stay in packs ,Coyotes stay single,with mate or in packs like wolves. Coyotes ,generally being threat to livestock,they are sometimes in some places are being subjected to mass killing also. Despite all threatsbto them from human beings,Coyotes are Adaptable,intelligent,Socially complex creatures and deserve respect from human. Coyotes are model animals for adaptability in amazing ways and should be lovedvand respected for these qualities. Ssreedharan 28th July 2015

"Nalla kalam Varukirathu"( Good days are coming).

There are fortune tellers in south India .This is a regular sight in Tamil nadu and Kerala.They are accompanied by a bull called " Appakkala" .They roam around Houses in villages announcing " Nalla Kalam Varukirathu" which means "Good days are fast approaching".The villagers who normally believe them pay handsomely because when he announces tha Bullock accompanying him would also nod it's head. I remembered these scenes in villages after seeing many reports in the News media and social net works about the Government representatives announcing such promises.What the fortune tellers announce might sometimes happen.But whether what the Government tells about Good days approaching one will have to wait and see.Mostly what we have experienced is that what the Government announces remains in papers and do not reach the people. During Every Election in India we have heard this announcement.Some are fuifilled.Some never.Even fulfilled announcements do not reach people. It has become a regular joke india and people are tired of hearing such announcements. There is one more joke which we are seeing everyday especially when Elections are approaching.This is about Political Parties blaming each other about irregularities and Mal practices. No political party leader/ member ruling or in opposition has the virtue about doing things correctly instead of blaming the Predecessors. Without doing anything visibly good for the poor, blaming the predecessor for the lapse is a greater sin. In India ,there was a change in the Government recently.The new Government after assuming power promised many things for the poor among which was one announcement " good days are coming".But the Party chief says it would take twenty-five years for good days to materialize while those who in Power say good days already arrived. It may be true that good days have already arrived .But it is for the rich and for poor."The rich become richer while the poor become poorer" still holds good in India.Announcing huge amounts for poor is good.But whether the benefits under the projects for which funds are announced are ,in fact implemented and reaches the poor people is more important than making the announcements. The earlier Government , did such a deed by introducing a " Food security Act"In September 2013.The aim of the Act was to give subsidized food for 2/3rd of the population of India.the cost of the project envisaged under the Act was in the region of Rs 1,25,000 CRORES.India has 30 states and 7 Union Territories. With over 1.2 billion people,India is the most populous democracy in the World.It is a Federal Constitutional Republic Governed Under a Parliamentary System.The benefits envisaged under "Food Security Act 2113" are aimed to reach the poor.Under this scheme envisaged in the Food security act the most beneficiary were women,particularly pregnant and Lactated women and innocent Children. Women and Children are the pillars of the society.The very essence of a democracy is the basis of the growth of Women and Children.out of the 30 states just 12 states have opted to come under the Act so far.Can it not be considered as the responsibility of the Government to see the benefits reaches all the people particulary poor What the poor got so far is increase in prices of commodity.Even subsidies are being thought of getting reduced or stopped..The farmers are committing suicide.The free drinking water in Railway platforms which was a boon for the poor is being stopped and bottled water at nominal prices are being introduced. The funniest part of the Government Machinery is that although food and other needs are not secured to the poor,the Yoga and Dhyana are being given Priority.Both Yoga and Dhyana are divine matters and should be followed by people. There is absolutely no about this. What could not be relished is how the people who follow Yoga and Dhyan are able to blame and find fault with the Political rivals.A person who systematically and with faith perform yoga and Dhyana is supposed to have a clear heart and mind free of any kind of disturbance and could never be able to find fault with others. When can we Indians enjoy the sweetness of Democracy instead of suffering from irritating exchange of words by the Politicians? sreedharanMundanat 25th of July 2015 Ruling us?

'AVIYAL' Cricket of India IPL- A gamblers' Paradise

Kerry Packer ,was responsible for introducing Commercial cricket as early as in 1970, in the form of World Series Cricket ( WSC) which gained fascinating momentum in Australia converting cricket into a festival with tremendous Popularity among people.This also paved way for the birth of One Day cricket. Famous Australian cricketers were more prominent in WSC than other cricket playing Nations those days. Until now for the last eight years India also staged an " AVIYAL" Cricket called Indian Premium league( I.P.L). There is reason behind my calling it AVIYAL cricket.in Kerala there is one popular and tasty Vegetarian Dish Called AVIYAL which is a mixed form of left over vegetables but very tasty and popular.IPL is also very popular and Tasty among cricket fans in India. besides,just like mixed Vegetables,the players sponsored by Fanchises are also of mixed variety from all over the World. THE IPL CRICKET IN INDIA: **********************+*+++ The IPL Cricket commenced in India in 2008.Lalith Modi was instrumental in launching the Indian Premier League( I.P.L) based on Twenty20 Cricket.Under the leadership of Lalith Modi ,who belongs to a business family,the IPL grew into World's biggest Sports league worth over 4 Billion american Dollars.The Commercial success of the League lead Modi to associate with his family and it later on developed into a family affairs securing high profit from it. Suresh Chellaram ,the brother-in- law of Lalith Modi had a majority of Share in the Rajasthan Royal Franchise.His Step- Daughter Karima's Husband Gaurav Burman was a stakeholder in Global Cricket Venture which won the digital ,mobile and Internet rights of IPL.similarly,Gaurav's brother Mohit Burman was a stakeholder of Kings X1 Punjab.One of the Owners of the Kolkatta Knight Riders ,Jay Mehta is said to be the childhood friend of Lalith Modi. Thus ,it is said that Rajasthan Royal,King's X1 Punjab and Kolkatta Knight Riders were the cheapest Franchises of IPL and this is said to have lead to the speculation that Lalith Modi had passed on insider information to the Owners. Lalith Modi had tremendous influence in the Rajastan politics as well as Rajastan Cricket.gradually he is said to have interfered with the Kerala Tuskers Franchise also .This also resulted in the resignation of Shashi Tarur who was a state minister in the central cabinet.Lalith Modi's activities with IPL continued through to what the Media celebrated as " Modi Gate" and finallyLalith Modi was ousted from BCCI and Rajastan cricket Association. The Enforcement Directorate is in the process of serving final Penalty Notice in 16 alleged Forex Violations Involving an estimated RS.1,700 Crores On Lalith Modi for alleged Irregularities in the various editions of iPL T20 cricket. He is in Exile at London for the time being and has not been convicted in any case. In India ,in the IPL series, 8 teams were taking part in the popular Hangama of Cricket.Eight Editions of the Cricket Festival was held until now with Cheergirls promoting & contributing to the entertainment part of the Hangama. Of late ,however,the much celebrated Cricket League had such a Disaster ,a fatal fall from which it is doubtful Whether it could recover and Stage yet another season of the festival, the 9th Edition. A Panel appointed by the Supreme court has suspended two top teams of the super league called Chennai Super Kings and Rajastan Royals on finding them guilty of Betting and Match fixing probe conducted by the Panel. The IPL is the richest of the World's Twenty20 Cricket League.Astronomical amounts of money in many many Crores of rupees were being spread over this event in regard to auction of Players .The Sponsors mainly depend upon for their commercial profit on advertisements from the game and share of proceeds from TV Broadcast. Perhaps,this not being sufficient to manage the event without additional income ,the Sponsors seemed indulging in Betting and Fixing of the matches. This is being resulted in the very sanctity and good name of cricket. The Chennai Super Kings(CSK) is being captained by Mr.M.s.DHONI the most successful Captain of India and the Rajastan Royals by Steeve Smith of Australia.The Captains are Great people in all respects and can not be imagined to have indulged in the dirty process of Betting. The Two people,Gurunath Meyyappan( owner of CSK) and Raj Kundra ( co- Owner of Rajasthan Royals) were banned for life in taking part in cricket events in India on account of betting and earning Illegal money. When the sponsors themselves indulge in illegal patterns& practices,one can imagine the damage caused to the quality ,purity& Priority of the game. After being arrested for suspected involvement in the illegal matters of the game,s/Shri Shanthakumaran Sreesanth,his colleague in Rajasthan Royal Ankeet Chavan Were banned for life by Board of Controlof Cricket in India( BCCI).Their fate relating to cricket carrier still hangs in Balance awaiting Apex court verdict. Betting and Match fixing are not new phenomenons in cricket.From Late Hanse Cronjea of SA many foreigners and Indians were banned for match fixing/ Spot fixing. Still cricket went ahead. Now it has come to a stage that the IPL sponsors themselves involved in it and allowed players to have late night parties involving wine and women.Still cricket went ahead as if nothing has happened. In fact,cricket has become just like a commercial BusinessHouse running with profit that can not be closed. Cricket fans and public have started rethinking about the clean state of affairs of cricket instead of deviating from the Genuine pure cricket of yesteryears. Of late with introduction of IPL,It has become more or less like a Gamblers' game. It is time now to think about banning cricket leagues like IPL to save the interest of the Glorious Game of Uncertainty. Once this is banned in India other nations where similar leagues are being staged would follow suit. Thus there is still hope for cricket to regain it's old Glory.Let us hope and wait for clean cricket in India and international level playing with Patriotism for the nation and not for personal Gains. Sreedharan Mundanat 23rd July 2015

White Veggies

This Blog is basically indebted to Katherine Brooking,M.s,RD from Columbia University and is an expert Nutrition expert. Bright colored Fruits and Vegetables are generally considered as possessing nutrients and disease- fighting antioxidants which help reduce the risk of Heart diseases and certain Cancers.This does not mean that white Vegetables are less in nutrient values.An advanced study on Nutrients shows that they contain many beneficial & essential Nutrients like VitaminC,Fiber,Potassiun,VitaminD and Calcium.These are not necessarily color associated or color oriented. Here are 4 such white vegetables which could be usefully and wisely added to the Family menu of Veggies. 1)POTATOES: Potatoes are very often mistaken to be a vegetarian junk food - empty calorie Carbohydrate.This assumption is wrong. In fact,Potatoes are Energy- Boosting Nutritional substance.A medium Potato has nearly half ofdaily Vitamin C needs and Potasium than a Banana of 620mg just in 110 calories.The Potassium content makes Potato Hearty healthy diet. Thus ,Recent Research confirms Potato an ideal For reducing Blood pressure because of high presence of Potassium and low in Sodium contents.This also helps to avoid strokes. steamed,baked,Smashed or roasted Potatoes are excellent excellent addition to any meal. 2)CAULIFLOWER: For about 25 calories per cup,Cauliflower is an excellent source of VitaminC&K besides Fiber.It also provides calcium,Potassium,magnesium & Vitamin B.Cauliflower and similar Green leaf vegetables ,according to Researches carried out point out they contain anteoxidants which help fend offChronic diseases,certain kinds of Cancers and Temper chronic inflammation.. 3)ONIONS: There is a very popular saying in Bombay that there is no food without Potatoes and Onions.This is true in respect of most of the vegetarian Dishes that are found in Bombay.In any kind of Vegetarian Meals in Bombay Potatoes or Onion are found in one form or other.Onion has also earned a name that it is the healthiest food of the World. With the help of certain Chemicals produced by plants ,onions are rich in Nutrients.Onions are high in VitaminC Dietary fiber,and Folic Acid.Onions also are rich in Calcium and Iron.One special feature about Onion is that it Contains Quercetins( a plant pigment found in many fruits and vegetables) which is very rich in Red Onions and help protect Cataracts,cardiovascular diseases and certain types of Cancer. The peculiarity about onion is that It is a tasty addition virtually to any kind of Cuisines.No wonder why Bo baited add Onion to almost all dishes they prepare. 4)MUSHROOMS:

The picture above is called Maitake Mushrooms. The Mushrooms are the only natural resources of Vitamin D.as in the case of our skin which can make Vitamin D from Ultraviolet rays of the Sun,the Mushrooms can also make vitamin D just by exposure to Sunlight.In fact serving of Mushroom known as Maitake Mushrooms can Get all the Vitamin D requires for a day.mushroom also contain VitaminB All the above mentioned are results of research and dependable in all respects.But every individual has own constitution which dictate terms to them.One should know their body from experience as to which food does suit them and which doesn't.Those who are suspicious of the nature of their body and are reluctant to follow general belief and scientific results should always consult their trusted Doctor .After all, belief is above all in regard to selection of Food,Cloth and Shelter. SreedharanMundanat 21st July 2015

Waste Management - A menace & Burning problem for the Nation

Waste Management is the worst menace India faced in the recent time.There had been many cases of Epidemics like Dengue Fever which affected people all over india.A clean Environment is the right of people.in the recent past there were many unified protests and Agitation all over India .Perhaps after corruption and Increase in Fuel prices protest against waste had been the topic of concern all over India in recent times.Altthough there were a few cases of Judicial interference and consequent remedy measures,the acute problem still remains unsolved and is likely to become a matter of crisis unless State and Central Government afford priority with a view to ensuring a clean environment for the future Generation. Unlike India ,all the advanced Nations of the World have arrangements to remove Industrial and Domestic waste and treat them in Waste management Plants.The Government should stop the attitude of not wasting time on a matter of waste and instead take steps on a war footing to ensure the good Health conditions of the people Recently in Kerala a big agitation had to be staged against Waste management in Trivandrum.The story is briefly as under: Since July 2000,a major portion of waste in the Trivandrum city was being sent to waste composing plant In a place called vilappilsala where there was a dumping site also.Later on,Respiratory illness increased in the village.It was reported that there was an increase of cases of Respiratory Disorders from by 10%.this was attributed towards the bad smell and infections caused by the Garbage waste dumped.Many connected health problems were found to have become a routine matter in the area.It was also proved that there were not a single family in the area who were not affected by Respiratory illness.The villagers began to prevent the waste truck reaching the area for treatment in waste Processing plant.The agitation by the villagers found result.The transportation by trucks had to be stopped.This also resulted in the accumulation of Garbage wastes in the streets ofTrivandrum city. When authorities started interfering with dumping of waste in streets using law enforcement forces,people began to dump the waste in plastic covers in the jungles on the road side during the dark hours of night.The corporation began using cameras in many areas to find the lawbreakers .But this did not prevent the issue.Later on the Municipal corporations enforcesd various measures like insisting on Waste management plants in houses The use of plastic was banned .Inspite of all these measures the problem of waste management still continues. A similar situation arose in the Town of Thrissur also.The garbage waste and other plastic waste were being dumped in a village called Lalur. This was a system started by the Royal Kings more than 60 years ago and was being continued since then to the present day. Since1983 many Agitations were staged .But there had been no permanent solution until now. Virtually Lalur became a Wastebowl of the city of Thrissur ( picture below is relevant)

The Municipal corporation insisted some procedure by providing waste management plants at concessional subsidy rates.some buildings in the city have introduced this plants .But the personnel supposed to reach the buildings to burn the wastes do not appear regularly.They, however,claim their monthly payments from residents.Many residents have since discontinued their services and began burning in the Terrace of their buildings themselves. Besides this,burning wastes on streets continues.Every year when the biggest festival of the city called "Thrissur Pooram" approaches the Municipal corporation used to introduce a cleaning drive .This is because the event is an important occasion when International tourists also arrive in plenty in the city.So the Thrissur residents also get a relief from the bad smell in the city for some time until next Pooram arrives. Thus the waste management programs still remains without any proper and permanent solution. The cases in respect of other corporations like Kochi,Kozhikode,Kannur and major cities in the state are not much different from Trivandrum and Thrissur. Karnataka: ************ similar situation was prevailing in Karnataka state also for sometime. In Bangalore ,the capital of theState of Karnataka ,things were a little more serious.The beautiful streets of once upon a time Bangalore were spread with bad smelling garbage waste for months together as a matter of ceremony for people to watch and enjoy.As a result the Municipal commissioner was removed from his office and replaced by another person to address the debacle on the road. Against the will of Local residents,A Landfill which was closed based on a report of pollution control department Had to be reopened as the city could not locate another suitable Landfill place. The action had to be taken to satisfy the public who staged an Agitation which was very much reasonable as there was threat of epidemic also in the city SRINAGAR IN jammuKashmir: ************************** It was reported that the threat of Raby was worst in Srinagal as there were cases of more than 50,000 people bitten by Stray Dogs in 3to 4 years as compared to lesser figures in Bombay and Chennai.The Stray dogs were roaming over dumping sites of Municipal waste. In India More than 20,000 people were reported to have been killed from rabies from Dogbites every year. West Bengal: Dengu Fever: *************************** Prior to 2012,there had been acute cases of Dengu fever in India and particularly in Kolkotta where alone 550 cases were reported out of which 60 people were dead.During the same period in Mumbai also Malaria fever was spread In many areas.All these were the result of improper Waste Management in cities.The accumulation of rain water in non biodegradable Waste littered all over The cities as a result of which low lying areas of the cities became the breeding ground for Mosquitos.This also resulted in the increase in manyfold the mosquito density in cities. This made it easier for the spreading of Malaria,Dengu and yellow fever all over the different cities of India. In villages and interior parts of the country the disasters relating to this kind of epidemic were less as people were able to find their own arrangements to dump wastes in their own land by digging the earth. While this kind of diseases were increasing on one side the authorities were blinking helpless on the other side to find a permanent solution for the menace. The inability to provide solution to the waste management problem was not a feature in Kerala,Karnataka,chennai, Jammu and Kashmirm & West Bengal alone.This problem exists in almost all cities of India. However,there is one city New Delhi, which deserve special mention,to find solution for the problem of waste Management.Sinnce 2011 Delhi alone is one city in which a plant which can convert waste to Energy (WTE) was established.The government of Delhi and the Municipal corporation deserved all praises for this effort. 1300 Tons of waste went to this plant on a day to day basis to convert it into Electricity. The laudable and Tremendous dual success of this project gave room for suggestions to introduce the system in other cities also.But the proposals, it seems ,are still sleeping in papers alone. The Trivandrum and Thrissur corporations introduced Biogas plants on subsidy basis.The other corporations also are trying their best. Even though the nation is going ahead with various measures like court orders and consequent processes and different measures of burning wastes even in streets ,there does not appear to have any definite solution for the problem anywhere except Delhi. Thecurrent Status of the Waste Management in India is in no way adequate to meet the need Of the cities.In fact the crisis has deteriorated after the Agitations in different places. In 2000 the waste management Rules were introduced by the Ministry of Environment and Forests with a view to handling and managing Municipal Solid waste.However,most of the cities in India have not complied with the provisions of these Rules and instead Open dumping,open burning besides Landfil ( dumping sites)fires are being continued every where.As a result,human and animal exposure to Waste have become common.This leads to Various Environmental Hazards such as air,water( ground and surface),soil pollutions besides odor nuisance This also involves in the increase of the worst carriers of viruses and infection such as Rats,mosquitoes,stray dogs and monkeys. The only solution for the waste accumulation and it's management ,it would appear,is to introduce the Waste to Energy ( WET) plants of the Delhi Model in all cities of India.This not only helps in disposing the Waste but Enables generation of additional electric energy.The introduction ofvthis kind of Waste tot Energy plants all over India is indeed an extremely costly affair.But Central and State Governments will have to find funds by bringing up drastic reforms in the Economic Affairs.India is not a Nation without sufficient natural resources.Diverting the resources in the right direction is what is needed in India today. The centre recently introduced a project of " Swach Abhiyan".But the problem in India is that while the Government Is very much enthusiastic in introducing projects with photo sessions for publicity ,the implementation of the projects for the benefit of people is not properly monitored with the result that the benefits do not reach the people. Similarly, in the matter of protection of Environment which is an acute need of the nation,the efforts from the government ends with planting some saplings and watering it on the morning of Environment day besides taking photographs for publicity Until and Unless seriously thought of and implemented strictly,the burning issues of Waste Management & protection of Environment are not going to materialize for the benefit of the people of India.India is a Democracy which believes in OF THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE and BY THE PEOPLE. Sreedharan Mundanat 20th of July 2015 (NB: For the figures in this blog indebtedness is for the WTERT Council of India ,Bombay)

Mal Nutrition& Integrated Child Development Scheme.

Mal nutrition is a condition that results from not having balanced Diet.Persons become susceptible to Mal nutrition if their Diet does not provide them with required Calories,Vitamins,Minerals,and Micronutrients.As per the remarks from the World Food Progamme"A malnourished person finds that his/ her body has difficulty in doing normal things such as growing and resisting Diseases.Physical work becomes problematic and even learning abilities can be diminished. For women,pregnancy becomes risky and they can not be sure of producing nourishing breast milk.Malnutrition at an early stage reduces physical and mental development during childhood.Iodine deficiency is stated to be one of the main causes of mental retardation and Brain damage. Undernutrition affects school performance and very often affects income from work when they become adults.Undernutrition is also a cause for women giving birth to Low weight Babies" With a view to overcoming these kind of difficulties in the carriers of children and women an Integrated Child Development Scheme ( ICDS) was introduced in India in 1975.It is India's primary Social Welfare Scheme sponsored by the Government of India to tackle Malnutrition.The main beneficiaries of the scheme are children below 6 years ,pregnant women and lactating mothers. The Mid day Meal Scheme also is more or less a similar welfare measure for school children. Recently the former Central Minister for Environment and a senior person in the UPA had said that in the last 10years the malnutrition among children had reduced From 45.2 percent to 30 percent during the rule of UPA as seen from a concealed report from UNICEF which is unreleased by the present Government because it also describes the Gujrat state as shockingly below even as compared to Bihar. The child Immunisation level in Gujrat was too low to reveal.Out of 29 States in which the survey was carried out ,the Gujrat State ranked 21. Jayaram Ramesh also claimed that the Child Mainutrition Is still very high And unacceptable in India,but it had come down significantly because of Social sector Programs like ICDS,Mid day meals Schemes in Schools and Janani Suraksha Yojana which were given Highest priority by the UPA Government. He also said about much unwise cut of Allocations drastically in the Budget presented by the BJP/RSS(NDA) Government for the financial year 2015-2016 as Indicated below: 1)Allocation for ICDS from Rs.18,000 Crores reduced to just Rs.8,000 Crores. 2)Allocation for Mid Day Meals from Rs3,000 Crores reduced to just Rs.1,200 Crores. Based on the above ,Shri Jayaram Ramesh raises two valid issues such as that for the 14 months of rule of the NDA,Goverment the facts have been suppressed from the people much against the Principles of Democracy and this obviously was with the intention of not bringing into light about the achievements of the previous Government This alone was not the reason behind hiding the survey report,says Jayaram Ramesh,but with a view to not letting Public know about the failure of the state which was ruled by the present Prime minister. Let It be anything.But even if the above are allegations from Sri.Jayaram Ramesh, there is a big threat to the nation, especially in regard to Children and Women, in cutting the allocation drastically. In every state this would help to turn into a tragedy for Women and Children for want of funds to provide Nutritious food for children.Similarly, women especially pregnant would suffer for want of Funds which were available to them during the regime of the previous Government. Following the pattern of Gujrat's much- touted Record in respect of other states in India does not appear to have any reasonable logic behind it. INDIA is the most populous Democracy in the World.It is a federal Constitutional Republic Government under a Parliamentary System consisting of 29 States and 7 Union Territories.Depriving them of the benefits and facilities Available until now by reducing the availability of funds instead of increasing it does not appear to be fitting to the democratic principles of a Nation. Women and Children are the Essence of the basis of Growth of a Nation. Sreedharan Mundanat 19th of July 2015

A Tribute to Omer Sherrif -A Great Actor of Movies

I am not a regular visitor to English movies nowadays.But I was during my Bombay days.there was one movie House called Aurora cinema near to the place where I was residing .In this movie house tickets used to be available without reservation for the late night shows especially for English movies.in those days it was very difficult to to visit a movie house without reservations.TV& U tube were not popular those days.U-Tube was not even introduced. My most favourite film those days was" Mackenna's Gold" starring Gregory Peck and Omer Sharif.The other favorite films were Arizona'Colt,Kill them all and come back alone,Dr.Zhivago,Lawrence of Arabia and many more.out of the above ,Mackenna's Gold,Dr.Zhivago,and Lawrence of Arabia were movies in which The famous actor Omer Sharif ,who passed away recently had outstanding roles to play. Although, Lawrence of Arabia and Dr.Zhivago were the most acclaimed and award winning movies for Omer sharif which in fact established his name in movie Industry,my favorite was Mackenna's Gold which had many thrilling sequences and scenes.inspite of GregoryPeck being the hero of the film and the story the role of Omersharif and the style of his speaking English were more attractive and mind catching than Gregory Peck.The film had many scenes of horse rides and chasing which I am not sure which later on had anything to do with the style of Amitab Bachan,Dharmendra and Sanjivkumar in the famous film of Hindi viz SHOLE. OMER SHARIF recently died of Heart attack in a hospital in Cairo.He was 83.his co- Actress Hammama whom he had married also died few days back.He has a son who acted as a child artist in the movie Dr.Zhivago representing Dr.Zhivago as a child.He is from Egypt converted into Islam after marriage.he was a graduate from Cairo University in Mathematics and Physics. May his soul rest in eternal peace. SreedharanMundanat

Gumbo vegetarian recipe- Maxican stle.

Recently I had an opportunity to taste a Maxican vegetarian Dish called Gumbo.this is a kind of mixing of vegetables wherein one has the choice of adding any vegetable of liking.The vegetarian dishes so made are to be again mixed with the soup .All together when mixed gives a taste you will never forget to the extent that when you hear the name Gumbo your mouth would start to become flooded. There are a few vegetables suggested and is being used in Maxican Restaurants.But if those vegetables are not readily available locally ,Vegetales of your choice also can be used.Coriander is an important ingredient for Maxican Gumbo. The Maxican Gumbo is generally prepared By using Rice ( Brown or white according to choice),Beans,Soup,And Sauce of different types( in Maxican way it is called Salsa). But for Indians to make it tastier other favorite vegetables can also be used as ingredients.These special vegetables could be Corns,Tomatoes,Lettuce and Green Pepers to make it indo Maxican style .The taste this way is double folded for Indian styles.( I enjoyed it to a very large extent). The required ingredients of Gumbo can be prepared separately. Tortilla soup(Tortila is nothing but a chapathy like bread spread made from Wheat flour).picture below :

. The tortilla so made can be cut into smallPieces and fried in vegetable oil or olive oil and spread in the soup of choice made. The next is The preparation of Cilantro Rice( Coriander rice):The ingredients for this are 1)Cooked Brown or white rices 2 cups. 2) Oil 2 teaspoons. 3)Lime Juice from one small Lemon 4) Chopped Cilanto (Coriander)- 1/2 cup. 5)Garlic clove-1( those who do not like it can omit it) 6)Salt as required. Preparation: Cook the rice brown or white either in water or Vegetable Broth. Vegetable Broth is ideal.how Vegetable Broth can be made is very simple.Take some onions,Carrot& Celery ( picture below)

Preparation of Broth. The three vegetable together with leftovers of other vegetables and the grains of your choice for example Rajma are to be cooked by adding sprigs of thyme and parsley for about 15 minutes.Thereafter take the cooked water and again cook in it the brown or white rice set aside earlier.this gives a special taste to the preparation of the rice. Next is the preparation of Black beans The ingredients required are : 1)Black or Pinto Beans 2 Cups( Soaked and cooked) 2)Oil- 1 Teaspoon 3)Chopped Red Onion-1/4 cup. 4)Vegetable broth -1 Cup. 5)Cummin powder-1 Teaspoon 6) Lime Juice - 1 Table spoon. 7) Salt as required Preparation: 1) Fry onion in a Teaspoon of oil 2)Drain and wash black beans and add it to a sauce pan along with Vegetable Broth Over medium heat. 3)When it starts boiling add Cumin powder,Lime Juice and a little salt. Cook for 2 minutes and turn off Heat. ( picture below)

Now finally comes the Hot Salsa.the hotvsalsa is nothing but hot Sause made of Chilly or Green pepper.This is available in plenty in market in small bottles. It can be prepared at home also The ingredients required to prepare at home: 1)Tomatoes-2 2)Chopped Red onions - 3Table spoons 3)Chopped bell peppers -2 Table spoons 4)A handful of Cilantro chopped 5)Garlic cloves1 ( if not liked can be omitted) 6)Fresh Lime juice -1 table spoon 7)Chilly powder -1/4 teaspoon 8) Finely chopped Spring onions 1 Table spoon. 9)Olive oil 1 teaspoon. 10) Salt as required All the finely chopped vegetables above are to be mixed in a Bowl with Lime juice ,oil,Chilly powder and salt. Grind it in a mixer for a couple of times and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. All the above are to be mixed and spread Over it cream ,cheese,chopped coriander leaves and small pieces of Tortilla chips. The Maxican Gumbo Vegetable is now ready to ea. The taste is beyond explanation to be experienced .pickle of choice if preferred can be taken along with Gumbo Vegetable. As a change from traditional daily routine of Rice,Sambar,Rasam,thoran,uppri,Pappadam with pickle once in a week. Trying this food would be ideal as a deviation in our menu like Chapathy & Curry which was added to the Kerala Menu long back. Sreedharan Mundanat