THE TAPIOCA PARADOX

Those who are familiar with the jargon of economics will be familiar with the basic concepts of normal good and inferior good. But for the non- economics readers let me elaborate on the two terms. Normal goods are those whose demand increases with an increase in income. Inferior goods on the other hand are those goods whose demand falls with an increase in income. Now the question is does a product remain an inferior good across time or is it relative? There is no universal answer for this question because this will depend on the good. Here I consider the case of tapioca. (Apology to non- Keralites as they will not be very familiar with this delicacy of Malayalis). Tapioca which is considered as staple diet of Kerala, of course next to rice, has made three square meals a day for the people of Kerala. It was the common man’s (poor man’s) food. The popularity of tapioca was attached to the high calorie levels it offered which equipped people work in farms and does other manual labour. Also it could be grown conveniently grown on a small scale in a small plot of land with minimal capital. With the increase in income people gradually shifted from tapioca to rice. The dishes they consumed diversified. Today Kerala has attained better standards of living. The poverty in absolute terms is coming down in Kerala. The per capita income in Kerala is also tracing a positive trajectory. Is this indicative of the demise of tapioca? Definitely the answer is in the negative. The tapioca has surely made a comeback as a special invitee in the cuisine of Malayalis. No get together of Malayalis go complete without tapioca and fish curry, no hotel menu in Kerala is complete without this combo delicacy. In fact tapioca has become a major ingredient of five star menus. Thus, tapioca has transformed itself from an inferior good to a normal good or a luxury item at times. Kudos to tapioca.

When I was in my petticoats

Time just flies away…today when I look back the memories of the good old days rush into my heart…life was so much different…so much of fun and enthusiasm enlivened life…the innocence of a child added colors to it…beyond the horizon set by the real world, I cherished a world of my own, where butterflies danced with me…flowers smiled with me…the chirping birds sang chorus to my songs…the splashing river made my days brighter…be it sunny or rainy the day seemed always welcoming…a sanguinity lingered around my life…oh! How I wish those good old days may return…
Comics and stories made my world…nature was so close to me…the compartments set by society were distant to me…conventions and customs of good living unknown to me…I was always moving around in my colorful petticoats, unconcerned and unaware of the life ahead…though there were no tensions and anxieties, there was always something to think about, beautiful thoughts ever filled the system…neither I was anxious nor was I a cause of anxiety for others…but alas! Time just flies, years race and my petticoats are replaced by skirts…skirts again by salwars and kurtis and then by saris…
The complexities in dressing reflects in life…yes, I am no more in my petticoats and if I am the world looks at me with suspicion…rather mocks me, ridicules me…I am blamed of neglecting the custom, I am accused of forgetting the traditions, I am charted as western, my parents are criticized of poor parenting…the whole world comes down on me…
When in petticoats I loved my secluded life…I loved to be alone and had bliss in solitude with the company of my fairy world…then I was pestered to be part of the society, forced to identify with the social milieu…when in salwar I am directed to be quite, rather lead a life of solitude keeping away from the venomous society…polluted ecosystem looks at my transformation with a dangerous thirst…I find it strenuous to identify the unfathomable and frightening depth seen in the eyes of society…it frightens me, deserts me, agonizes me…and lo! When I resurrected myself to fit the salwar, I am asked to move back to my petticoat ways…donning the petticoat life in the mould of salwar is as maddening for me as is for a drop of water to find identity in the fathomless sea…
Oh petticoat!!!Why did I ever have to shun you??? Sadly, I am unable to fit myself into you again…but I wish I could…

VERTICAL CAR PARKING

Parking is a major problem faced by the urban areas in the recent times. With the increasing number of automobiles on road, and the increasing density of population, the land area available for parking has reduced drastically. The ratio of automobile to land has shown an adverse trend. Taking the environmental hazards into consideration, reducing the proportion of automobiles on road is the need of the hour, though no possible mechanism could be devised to reduce the purchases, as it solely depends on the attitude of the people.

Kerala is a state with high density of population. Today people hardly have any area to construct dwellings and hence, there has been an observed trend towards vertical expansion. The inability to expand horizontally has led to the increased number of flats in Kerala in the recent times. Today most of the people reside in multi storied buildings, not only in Kerala nut also in other parts of India. Day by day there is an increase in the construction companies coming up with newer projects of vertical expansion. Though suspected to adversely impact the geological balance, vertical expansion is the only panacea of development in the coming future.

In the present times, residential as well as office buildings are multi storied. The ‘skyscrapers’ decorate the metropolitan and the big and small cities of the country. Then why can’t parking also follow a vertical expansion pattern? Naturally, a doubt arises as to how the two and four wheelers reach the first floor (and the subsequent floors) as they are unable to climb the staircases. By constructing a spiral way to the upper floors, this problem can be solved. The sliding landing will ensure the free movement of the vehicle to the subsequent floors. This has been successfully implemented in various countries of the west.

With the government of Kerala proposing to take up land for parking lots, this vertical expansion technology will definitely improve the intensity of the parking efficiency. If a three or four storey parking lot is constructed, three to four times the actual capacity of the allotted land can be utilized for parking. Such a facility can also be ensured by the shopping malls and big showrooms in the towns, which face heavy, rush of customers, thereby, contributing to the traffic congestion.

With the ever increasing traffic and the menace created by traffic, all remain the culprits and bear the effect of this crisis. If timely step is not taken, all efforts at road widening will only result in the widened roadsides being transformed into parking areas, which will definitely mean all money and efforts aimed at road widening has gone waste!

MANAGING THE WASTE

Today one of the hot picks of the print and electronic media in Kerala is the waste management in Thiruvananthapuram city. The system has been running safe in the hands of Kudumbasree, but somewhere things went wrong. Our responsibility ends when we hand over the waste from our homes to the Kudumbasree activists, we hardly bother where this waste is being taken to! Here lies the crux of the problem.

VILAPPILSALA STINGS!
The wastes generated in the city are a curse for the people of the small village of Vilappilsala. The life at Vilappilsala has become difficult, the dirty smell of waste and the unclean premises of the place have made the residents to revolt. The negative externalities generated by the wastes being dumped there have crossed its levels to make compromise with the people by making any compensation. Hence, there is no ground to blame the people of Vilappilsala, rather every token turns in their favor. Just think of the stingy smell of a single day’s waste at home, poor fate of Vilappilsala is just imaginable.

BIO-DEGRADABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT
What ought to be done? The waste generated at houses, shops and markets can be categorized as two: bio degradable and non- bio degradable. Despite the type of waste the core of waste management is reducing the quantity of waste. The attitude of individual is of prime importance. People must engage in maintain a kitchen garden in their terrace or in the plot accompanying their house. The vegetable waste generated at home can be profitably used as manure for the garden. The vegetables from the garden can be freshly picked for cooking, that too pesticide free. The required soil for the same must be made available by the agriculture department by charging a nominal amount.
But this does not mean that all the bio degradable waste generated at home can be used for gardening. The service Kudumbasree friends are further needed.

BIOGAS PLANT
The above said is just a short term solution. Let us see how the wastes collected by Kudumabasree can be fruitfully disposed. With the combined effort of the Government of Kerala and the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Biogas plants must be established in the Government office complexes as also the Government schools. These plants will be managed by the Kudumbasree activists. Plants can also be established in markets. This will bring about a perpetual solution to the problem of bio-degradable waste disposal. Moreover the employment of Kudumbasree friends is also ensured. The financial assistance to run the plant is to be provided by the Corporation. The manure generated in these plants can be marketed by Kudumbasree. The energy generated can be used to meet the energy needs of respective complexes (as cooking gas in canteens, lighting etc.).

NON BIODEGRADABLE WASTE DISPOSAL
The major players in this category are paper, metals and plastic, the villain being plastic. But to completely stop the use of plastic all on a sudden is difficult. Substituting plastic with paper will lead to many environmental problems (more trees to be cut down for paper manufacturing). There must be steps from the part the part of the individuals to do reduce the quantity of plastic waste generated. Carrying bags while going for shopping should form a part of our routine, thereby reducing the plastic bags.
Recycling emerges as the sole solution. The recycled plastic can be put to different uses. Here arises the need for establishing plastic treatment plants. The plastic which is of very low quality (below recycling standards) can be used for tarring roads. The road of Gandhipuram area near Sreekariyam stands out as a solid example with a high durability road. Why does Public Works Department turn a blind eye towards this?

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM MODEL
The Government and the corporation instead of blaming each other must cooperate to evolve a sustainable solution for this problem. Let us not be searching for models of waste disposal, rather frame our own model suiting our socio- economic environment. It’s high time we recognize our domestic potential at waste management, and present our own ‘Thiruvananthapuaram Model’ to the world at large. Let us hope the worries of the people of Vilappilsala and Thiruvananthapuram city will soon get a long lasting solution.

A CALL FOR SELF DEFENSE

The offenses against humanity are increasing day by day. The cruel acts against the common man by the anti social elements pose a great threat to the freedom of movement of the people. Action needs to be taken at the earliest as it is the violation of the basic human right as well constitutionally granted fundamental rights. Despite all the hue and cry made by human right activists and other social activists, the toll on humanity continues.
As in many other cases, here also the most affected are the womenfolk. These anti-social elements restrict the movement of the women. They cannot move freely even during the daytime. The vultures are waiting with their cruel nails to rip apart the poor womenfolk. The attitude of the society towards such crimes is yet another disappointing factor. Due to the fear of being involved in such issues even as an eye witness, the people do not interfere. This in turn indicates the lack of civic awareness among the people. Moreover, this also elaborates the fact that personal interests dominate social interests. The refraining nature of the public could also be attributed to the complexity of the law which may turn the witness into the culprit. Now the question arises as to who is to be blamed?
Prior to finding an answer to this question, the more immediate answer must be sought for the following question: what ought to be done? So as to ensure protection to the womenfolk as well as the men, the only panacea is self defense. ‘Self defense is the best defense’. The government must take a policy to make martial arts a part of the school curriculum. This will equip the future generation to face the adverse situations into which they are to step in. It not only ensures the physical health and development of the students but also the mental fitness. By the regular practice of martial arts they get the boldness to face most difficult situations in life as also they improve on their concentration skills.
This will also have a twin advantage. The traditional martial arts of the respective states, which face the threat of being extinct soon, will get an opportunity to be popularized, especially among the younger generation. Moreover, with the guarantee of an employment in the schools, people will be interested to pursue learning the martial arts and take up its study seriously.
For those states where trainers are not available for the regional martial arts, more popular versions like the karate or judo could be adopted. The Union Human Resource Ministry must recognize the importance of self defense and take necessary steps to implement the above said plan, in collaboration with the state governments. This will definitely pave wave for a better and safer life for the future generation.

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE! NOT A DROP TO DRINK!

The most classic example in the economic theory is the diamond- water paradox formulated by Paul. A. Samuelson. It is the availability of a product that determines its value, more than its user value. To be more specific, scarcity often increases the value of a product. As in Samuelson’s example, the utility derived from water is not at all comparable to the utility derived from diamond. But on the contrary, the monetary value attached to diamond is incomparable to that of water. When water is available almost free of cost, diamond is unaffordable to many. The contradictions do not end here. One can survive without diamond but what if no water is available!
Yes, this is the crucial stance at which we stand today. In the yester years water was considered one of the renewable resources. But today safe and clean water is one of the scarce etiquettes available. It is rightly said that the next world war will quintessentially be a ‘Water War’. The latest draft water policy of the Central Government stands evidence to this. The move to privatize the water distribution is alarmingly dangerous. This will definitely have serious implications on the lives of the individuals at the micro- level and the economic development at the macro level. The proposed water policy ensues to do away with the subsidies available on water. This in turn will deprive the common man of his entitlements and he will be devoid of the freedom from non- availability of water.
The appropriate solution to this problem lies in striking the right balance between the distribution and judicious use of water. Charging a nominal amount on the water being supplied and formulating a slab system (as in a case of electricity) is a viable solution. But the privatizing the natural resource will definitely lead to more dangerous situations. Inequality will breed even in the distribution of water and remember the silence of the oppressed will erupt with a bang!

ELECTION 2011

The Election 2011 in Kerala has become a historic one with the United Democratic Front registering a win with a small margin of four seats. This is peculiar; particularly with respect to Kerala as the election results in Kerala follow a cyclical suite. With the exception of Shri Achuta Menon earning a second tenure consecutive tenure as the chief minister of Kerala, all other periods have shown a cyclical nature. Every five years the trend of the United Democratic Front following the Left Democratic Front has been maintained. This has implicit damaging effects. Lose in one election is promised by a sure win in the consecutive election for either of the fronts. This in turn will lead to a bad governance and poor opposition. The politicians are able to rightly predict the action of the public and this will inevitably make the elections a cakewalk. This year marked an exception with the LDF led by the great warrior, the hero of the 2011 election, Shri V S Achuthanandan, putting in a commendable performance in the elections. The good show by LDF is not a testimony to their flawless governance but the n number of issues that were raised by VS, especially towards the end of his tenure. These issues had direct linkages to the lives of the common masses. The cause of corruption, environmental protection, crimes against women all have essentially shaken the minds of the people. Added to this the act of putting the big names behind the bars by the government has raised the confidence of the people on VS.
The win posted by UDF also demands reference. Despite the negative events faced by the front especially during the election period, the UDF has been able to put up a good show in the elections. And finally the rule has not been changed; the UDF has followed the LDF, to take turn to rule the state for the coming five years.
Though the history repeated, the election 2011 has come in as a time of realization for both fronts. For the UDF that good governance must essentially aim at the good of the common man and for the LDF that good opposition is inevitably a remarkable responsibility to hold. If both the fronts realize these factors and work for the betterment of the state, ultimately it is the people and the state that are going to benefit.
JAI HIND!