Serendipity : Musings of an Islander

ANNULAR ECLIPSE OF THE SUN 26 December, 2019

Implementation of amended MV rules - high on application of law on motorists, lax on everything else By Debkumar Bhadra The amended motor vehicle act which came into force on 1 st S eptember has hit motorists in ways harsh than those moon shaming craters in their path. The amendments brought in to make roads safer by reducing the number of accidents, in practice has been turned into a revenue collection exercise with enforcement agencies singularly applying the revised law on motorists, while the real cause of accidents such as faulty design, poor maintenance, awful condition of roads and the erring road owning agencies, finding itself in the implementation shadow, is having a good laugh. Hefty penalties levied on motorists On the very third day of implementation of amended MV rules, police turning the heat of enforcement on motorists issued a challan for R s 23000 on a two wheeler owner accusing him of driving without licence (DL) , registration ce...

Island villagers opposed to liquor outlets in their area – a success story By  Debkumar Bhadra Apropos news item “ V illagers oppose opening of liquor outlets in LA ” carried in E cho of I ndia dated A ugust 21, 2019. Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to congratulate the villagers for raising objection against liquor outlet in L ittle A ndaman. My thanks are also due to E cho of I ndia for giving prominence to the news item. Representational Image It is well established fact that alcoholism is the mother of all evils, the root cause of deteriorating social values, failing morals, matrimonial discord, diminished productivity, loss of livelihood, poverty, poor health and a variety of other ailments. Women, children and a large section of the population belonging to the lower income group are the worst affected. Easy availability of liquor is adding to their woes; there are reports that say school going juveniles and youths are increasingly ...

Man Vs Wild With Bear Grylls And PM Modi Survivalist Bear Grylls explores the Indian jungle with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bear talks to the PM about protecting India's vast natural resources. Two men known for their impeccable will power and determination to conquer every challenge, come together for Man VS Wild. Watch master survivalist, Bear Grylls and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi on an epic adventure, premiering in India on 12th August at 9 pm. Global premiere across 180 countries. Repeat telecast on 13/08/2019 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM #PMModionDiscovery

Bank levies penalty on MAB exempted minor’s account Concerned bank drags feet, parent take it to the banking ombudsman, gets penalty amount reversed. By Debkumar Bhadra To have an idea of how the banks are draining customers deposits to fill its own coffers, take a look at this : According to information presented by government in the Lok Sabha, Indian banks collected Rs 10,391.43 crore between April 2015 and September 2018 by charging customers for just two things – one failure to maintain minimum or monthly average balance (MAB) in their account and two for exceeding the number of free ATM transactions in a month. This amount is huge, not only because it is more than what Vijay Mallya reportedly owe to banks (Rs 9,000 crore) or it being more than the budget allocation for India’s first man mission to space – Gaganyaan (Rs 10,000 crore). For a country which has just taken first step towards financial inclusion, it is unfortunate as well since this amou...

K P Mammu: South Andaman Fireman Who Became a National Record Holder in Masters Athletics By Debkumar Bhadra At an age when most athletes would have stepped away from competitive sport, K. P. Mammu was breaking national records. Representing the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, he clocked timings that placed him among India’s best in masters athletics. Age, in his case, never stood in the way. Recently, I caught up with the master athlete, who reflected on his journey, future plans, and a long-cherished dream of winning a medal for the country at the international level. This article captures the story of the late resurgence of the Police Constable (Fireman) from a small island village who, through sheer grit, rose to the top, rewriting national records and continues to push his limits. Early Life, The Turning Point: 2015 State Championship Born on December 12, 1973, in Mannar Ghat village in rural South Andaman, K. P. Mammu showed early promise in athletics. From the age of 12, he w...