35 years ago ! ~ on this date - Indira Gandhi was assassinated

I was too young .. .. yet Triplicanites could make me understand the electoral politics. Clearly there was a wave ~ in houses the elder generation was for Congress, the youth wre for the newly created Janata party  .. .. and in 1977 – newspapers screamed in bold letters [was that half page !!] ‘Indira defeated’ ~ nothing else mattered.  The man who defeated her in 1977 Lok Sabha elections was Raj Narain, a freedom fighter and politician who had won a famous electoral malpractice case against the then PM Mrs Indira Gandhi that led to her disqualification and subsequent imposition of Emergency in India in 1975 !!

To many of Cricket fans – it would be a news that Mohinder Amarnath, the gritty batsman allrounder, Vice-captain of famous World Cup 1983, did captain India in an ODI.  That was ODI no. 273 – 2^nd  ODI against  Pakistan at Sialkot.  It was not exactly bonhomie. After the first Test in Lahore, which the home side had dominated, Gavaskar lashed out at the officiating, saying, "despite the best efforts of the Pakistan umpires to favour the home team, we have managed to draw the Test and that is a miracle. Before embarking upon the tour of Pakistan we expected close decisions, but what happened in the Lahore Test was pre-planned and predetermined."  At Sialkot at Jinnah Stadium, Indian Captain Mohinder Amarnath won the toss - Gavaskar sat the game out with an injury - and decided to bat.  India was 210/3 after 40 overs ~ a good score those days ..   Anshuman Gaekwad and Ghulam Parkar failed; Sandip Patil made 59;  Dilip Vengsarkar was all set to make his maiden century at 94 but came the unusual stoppage.

In October 1984, TN Chief Minister MG Ramachandran  was diagnosed with kidney failure, which was further complicated by diabetes, a mild heart attack and a massive stroke.  MGR did survive all that and died much later in Dec 1987. After days of treatment  in Apollo [when Greames Road reportedly was not allowed for commoners ~ huge crowds thronged the Road to get nearer MGR, anxious of his health], on the night of 5^th  Nov 1984, MGR left for New York. The  then PM Ms Indira Gandhi  visited MGR at hospital on 16/10/84.  She was hale and healthy ! Earlier in Oct 1984, N.T. Rama Rao's visit to New Delhi  led to wild rumours. Four days after his wife's death due to cancer, he came from Hyderabad in the morning, met President Zail Singh and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by appointment. He saw no opposition leaders and made no attacks on Mrs Gandhi. After a "tame" press conference, he flew back home. This led to speculation that he may have struck a secret deal with Mrs Gandhi, that he would show no more interest in getting the Opposition parties together to light her in the coming general elections. In turn, she will let him rule Andhra Pradesh undisturbed.

You may or may not like her – but certainly would feel very anguished by the way she was eliminated.  Indira Gandhi,  charismatic ‘Iron Lady’ of India, was assassinated on the morning of October, 31, 1984.

She was the then Prime Minister of India. The assassination was carried out by her ‘Sikh Bodyguards’ Satwant Singh and Beant Singh. The assassination was the aftermath of the ‘Operation Blue Star’ carried out by the Indian Army at her behest.   The Indian Army’s June 1984 assault on the Golden Temple in Amritsar left the Sikh temple heavily damaged. Hundreds of people lost their lives and this included both the militants and the Army. However, what followed the assassination was brutal, the recuperations were massive. For the next four days, the country was engulfed in the fire of riots. The country’s capital bore the most of its brunt.

Even to those who opposed her, Indira Gandhi,  the first lady Prime Minister of the country was a tall leader. Despite the Emergency and the Operation Blue Star, she was popular among the masses. The country was shaken at her death.  On that fateful day, she was on her way to meet British actor Peter Ustinov, who was filming a documentary for Irish television. He was going to interview her. At around 9:10 am, Indira was walking through the garden of the Prime Minister’s Residence at No. 1, Safdarjung Road in New Delhi. As soon as she crossed the gate, bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh  opened fired at her. At around 9:30 am, Indira Gandhi was rushed to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in a white ambassador. Within six minutes of opening firing on the Prime Minister, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh were nabbed by Indo-Tibetan Border Police – sadly of  the 33 bullets that were fired at Gandhi 30 had hit; 23 had passed through her body while seven were trapped inside.  As the news of assassination spread, the country plunged to sorrow and reacted wildly at places.  Remember walking from Parrys corner to reach home as buses had halted.   Though the PM of the nation succumbed at around 2.20 pm, it took hours for the official announcement to be made. 

The only daughter of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi was destined for politics. First appointed prime minister in 1966, she garnered widespread public support for agricultural improvements that led to India’s self-sufficiency in food grain production as well as for her success in the Pakistan war, which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. After serving three terms, Gandhi was voted out of office for her increasingly authoritarian policies, including a 21-month state of emergency in which Indians’ constitutional rights were restricted. In 1980, however, she was reelected to a fourth term.

The match at Sialkot, captained by Mohinder and Vengsarkar stranded at 94 was played on that fateful day – and as the news of assassination reached, the match was abandoned, in fact the tour too was called off.  Read in newspapers that the announcement was made with riot police on high alert, not knowing what the crowd's reaction might be !  but, sadly, to the utter disbelief, it was reported that people started clapping and went away peacefully. Indira Gandhi was deeply unpopular in Pakistan, as she had was the popular Indian PM when Bangladesh was born and Pak defeated in 1971 war.

Today, 35 years after the assassination, her party is in news for wrong reasons.  Clashes erupted in Ernakulam District Congress Committee (DCC) office during the Indira Gandhi commemoration ceremony.  The programme was disrupted after block vice president Norman Joseph demanded that Mayor Soumini Jain should be removed from the position. Soon after mayhem followed with group clashes within the party.   

Decades ago, Indira Gandhi was brutally attacked in Maudrai and a person, Nedumaran shielded her taking body blows.    He walked out of the Congress to form a regional outfit, the Tamil Desiya Ekkam, which does not contest elections. After Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, Nedumaran, known for his strong commitment, was in the news for collecting funds to defend the 26 accused in the case. He in an interview stated that the DMK showed black flags to Indira Gandhi. It turned violent. They tried to attack her. I protected her. Not a single blow fell on her.

Nation should remember and pay homage to  that strong lady who was murdered this day, 35 years ago ! 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

31^st Oct 2019

Incoterms 2020 to hit the market soon ! ~ what would be its effect on us ??

Life is not always simple ! ~ when you buy vegetables in market – there is Sales – transaction between Seller and buyer ! – transferring goods in exchange of money. The obligation of the Seller is to keep the vegetables ready, buyer pays and takes the vegetables .. .. ‘good condition or concealed’ – once bought, deal is over ! – Q could be how good you are in bargaining .. !!  Commercial sales transactions are not as simple – there is much more – division of costs, obligations, responsibilities, passing of title of goods and more !

How good are you in Insurance ? – are you well acquainted with nuances of Marine Insurance ! .. .. ..   the attraction of Marine is its International character and that it is ever changing with the times.   Come January 2020,  there is going tobe another revision to Incoterms.  ICC Incoterms are global rules that clarify the costs, risks, and responsibilities of both buyers and sellers. Developed by ICC and used by companies to move goods around the world, ICC Incoterms® have become the standard in international business rules setting. “Incoterms®” is an acronym standing for international commercial terms.

Marine Cargo Insurance is insurance of goods in transit – mostly from seller to buyer, often across boundaries of Nations.  In the interests of international trade, it desirable that merchants of different countries agree on a common interpretation of various terms and abbreviations they use in their foreign trade contracts.  If there is mismatch of the agreement, one of the parties would suffer beyond his perception and would end up in litigation.  There could be difficulties arising out of lack of adequate information and lack of uniformity of interpretation.  These days, all International contracts of sale contain standard shipping and delivery terms.  However, even the most common terms such as FOB or CIF do not necessarily have the same meaning in different Ports or centres of Trade or to those people between whom the contract was concluded cordially.  One could well imagine those olden days, when International trade had evolved but lacked these clear codified interpretations.  

Key : do not search for ‘incoterms’ on a Bill of Lading – you can find it on Commercial Invoice !

Incoterms or international commerce terms are a series of international sales terms, published by International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and widely used in international commercial transactions. Though Incoterms is not LAW, they  are widely accepted by governments, legal authorities and practitioners worldwide for the interpretation of most commonly used terms in  international trade. This reduces or remove altogether uncertainties arising from different interpretation of such terms in different countries. They closely correspond to the U.N. Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods.  The purpose of the Incoterms is to:   provide a set of international rules for the interpretation of the most commonly used trade terms in foreign trade”

The first version was introduced in 1936 – amendments and additions were later made in 1953, 1967, 1976, 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010 ~ and now comes the latest revision in 2019 – called ‘Inco 2020’.   Way back in 1936 when they were first adopted, there were 10 codified terms.  They were “1) Ex works 2) FOR 3) FAS 4) FOB 5) C & F 6) CIF 7) Freight or Carriage paid to 8) Free or Free delivered 9) Ex-ship and 10) Ex-Quay”.   Clearly these Incoterms referred to the relationship between the Seller and buyer and none of the provisions affect, either directly or indirectly the relationship between the consignor and carrier as defined in the contract of carriage.

Going by the well agreed upon,  codification between the Seller and Buyer the following are to be complied with : “Provision of goods in conformity with the contract, payment of the price,  obtaining licenses, authorizations and formalities, arranging contract of carriage and contract of insurance, taking delivery, transfer of risks, division of costs, providing notice to buyer on movement of goods, providing proof of delivery, inspection of goods and any other obligation”. All these aspects of international trade are taken care of by Incoterms (International Commercial Terms). 

The 1990 version had 13 terms broadly classified as :  E – Departure (ExW); F – Main carriage unpaid :  FCA, FAS, FOB; C –  Main carriage Paid : CFR, CIF, CPT, CIP and D – Arrival : DAF, DES, DEQ DDU and DDP. These were further reviewed in 2000 and no. of changes in the terms of previous versions were made.  For example the customs clearance and payment of duty were codified in FAS & DEQ – so also in FCA – loading and unloading obligations were specified.   In contrast to the previous four classes, E,F,C and D, Incoterms were separated into 2 groups  :  I  Any mode of Transport   & II  Maritime and Inland waterway transport Only :

In 2010, as against the existing 13 sets of terms, became only 11.   The new ones were DAT (Delivered at Terminal)  and DAP (Delivered at Place).  They 11 were :  (applicable   for all modes of transport) : EXW : ex works; FCA : free carrier; CPT : carriage paid to; CIP : carriage and insurance paid to; DAT : delivered at terminal; DAP : delivered at place; DDP : delivered duty paid..   [applicable for sea and inland waterway transport]: FAS : free alongside ship; FOB : free on board; CFR : cost and freight  &*  CIF : cost, insurance and freight.

The news is - ICC has launched Incoterms® 2020, the newest edition of the renowned trade terms for the delivery of goods, providing certainty and clarity to business and traders everywhere.   Incoterms 2020, the 9th version of the Incoterms® rules has been in the making for a while now. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) chose its centenary year 2019, to launch the 9th version of the Incoterms, the Incoterms 2020.. More accessible and easier to use, Incoterms® 2020 includes more detailed explanatory notes with enhanced graphics to illustrate the responsibilities of importers and exporters for each Incoterms® rule. The introduction to Incoterms® 2020 also includes a more detailed explanation on how to choose the most appropriate Incoterms® rule for a given transaction, or how a sales contract interacts with ancillary contracts.   Incoterms 2020  were drafted  by a Committee of Experts (Drafting Group) that for the first time included representatives from China and Australia, although most of the members are European.

The new Inco terms will  enter into force on January 1, 2020.  Some of the new issues and changes that would be evaluated to be included in the new edition of the Incoterms 2020 are:

Removal of Incoterm FAS  :  FAS (Free Alongside Ship) is an Incoterm very little used and, in fact, does not contribute almost anything to FCA (Free Carrier Alongside) that is used when the merchandise is delivered at the port of departure in the exporter’s country. With FCA, the exporter can also deliver the goods at the dock, as in FAS, since the dock is part of the maritime terminal.

Unfold FCA in two Incoterms :  The Committee is thinking about the possibility of creating two Incoterms FCA; one for terrestrial delivery and another for maritime delivery.

FOB and CIF (perhaps the oldest and most common terms in practice)  for container shipping :  The modification made in the edition of Incoterms 2010 that when the merchandise is transported in a container, Incoterms FOB and CIF should not be used but their counterparts FCA and CIP are not being applied by the vast majority of exporting and importing companies, nor by agents involved in international trade

Creation of a new Incoterm: CNI  :  The new Incoterm would be denominated as CNI (Cost and Insurance) and would cover a gap between FCA and CFR/CIF.

Two Incoterms based in DDP :   the revised terms would be  •          DTP (Delivered at Terminal Paid): when the goods are delivered to a terminal (port, airport, transport center, etc.) in the country of the buyer, and the seller assumes the payment of customs duties. •   DPP (Delivered at Place Paid): when the goods are delivered at any place other than a transport terminal (for example, at the buyer’s address), and the seller assumes the payment of the customs duties.

DAT is changed to DPU :  In Incoterms 2010 DAT (Delivered at Terminal) means the goods are delivered once unloaded at the named terminal. User feedback was that users wanted an Incoterm that allowed delivery at not just a terminal.  Therefore the reference to terminal has been removed to make it more general.

ICC states that over  the next few months, the Committee will meet periodically to address these and other issues that will eventually be incorporated into Incoterms 2020. Hopefully, the version of Incoterms 2020 that comes into force on January 1, 2020, will serve to facilitate international trade between exporters and importers, adapting to the changes that have occurred in the last decade.  It is stated that the 2020 edition is available in no fewer than 29 languages — from Estonian and German to Pashto and Spanish.

To add some spice, transformation from 2010 to 2020, none should be searching for Inco 2012, Inco 2016, Inco 2018 – as simply they do not exist !  Inco 1990 was a complete revision; 2000 addressed Customs clearance obligations and 2010 reflected the contemporary trade landscape.  To keep pace with the ever-evolving global trade landscape, the latest update to the trade terms is currently in progress and we would be knowing more in detail about Inco 2020.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

27^th Oct 2019.

celebrating Deepavali grandly - 2019

3 decades ago came Mani Ratnam’s ‘Nayakan’ – story of an Underworld don – even before the film was released, the songs became a super hit – there was this old themed song  "Naan Sirithal Deepavali"   - sung by yesteryear stars - K. Jamuna Rani, M. S. Rajeswari and chorus.  Read that this scene was shot at the spot where the Taj Club House, (Club House Road opp to Spencers) is located today. The old building previously located at that spot was called the "Indian Express Building" by film industrialists as it was adjacent to the Old office of the Indian Express. Thota Tharani converted the building's exterior into a brothel and used the opposite end of the building for Velu's house location.

pic credit : Mrs Sreepriya Iyengar

Deepavali, the festival is all about happiness .. .. the way to celebrate is a simple routine.  Have Ganga snanam, wear new clothes, burst crackers gleefully, eat sweets unlimited, respect thy elders, be kind and courteous to all around, be happy and make others happy by sharing – sweets, food, crackers and more – simply spread the happiness.  Come Deepavali, the noice of advocates of crackerless Deepavali is more din than the sound of crackers.  Can any of these authorities think of a similar ban on say – sale of liquor, at least restricting the timing or say screening  of cinema etc., if not meatless, turkey-less festivals.

For those with some memory – last year or so, ~ responding to petitions !  seeking a ban on firecrackers in India, Supreme Court  imposed several restrictions on firecrackers, refraining from a blanket ban. Apart from setting a window of only two hours,  for fireworks during Diwali, the apex court also said that only Green Crackers will be allowed in the country. Green crackers are low pollution firecrackers that scientists have developed in recent years but not yet available in local markets.  Some cine stars immediately joined the bandwagon telling .. ‘let us celebrate crackerless Diwali’, but the same star during her wedding bash ensured that crackers lit the sky !! 

Deepavali, the festival of Lights enthuses everyone and is celebrated all over the Country with so much of enthusiasm.  People wear new clothes, eat lot of sweets and celebrate with crackers.   The very thought of the festival would enthuse – as it would provide everything in abundance – sweets, visiting and sharing with friends and relatives, watching movies and more…. and .. .. fire crackers – the small explosives designed to produce noise and the eye-capturing fireworks – both on the ground and on the air have captivated people.   Every year you get to hear newer names –they say AK47, Break dance, Golden Bonanza, Mumbai Indians, Oh Calcutta are some of the names quoted in the circles as wonders……… – at Triplicane, Sri Parthasarathi Swami purappadu in the mada veethis every year takes 4 to 5 hours as residents celebrate with crackers, fireworks and more !

To those who feel - Crackers pollute !!  ~  do you travel on road, drive your car or by bus ?go on picnics and more ??  -  there is so much   PM2.5 on air on Highways.  PM2.5 refers to tiny atmospheric particulate matter (PM) that have a diameter of up to 2.5 micrometers. In addition to the exhaust of a vehicle, brakes and wearing out of the tyre and resuspension of road dust can result in PM2.5 emissions. Thanks to their small size, they can be easily inhaled and penetrate the respiratory and circulatory systems. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 can cause asthma, lung cancer and cardiovascular disorders. CO is a toxic gas a high concentrate of which can lead to unconsciousness and death.  So will we vow to reduce the unnecessary travel ?

How  addicted are you to your air conditioner? – don’t rich and powerful use air conditioner in their cars, room air conditioners at home and centralized a/c at offices – now a days, people are using air conditioners almost throughout the year, as in Chennai and other places –the climate, is hot, hotter and hottest .. ..   Air conditioning can cause – dry skin, muscle contractions, air borne infections,   respiratory problems, eye conditions and more – it is harmful for the society, more bad for those outside where the air is let out .. .. .. but it is for rich and famous !  -  they cannot live without refrigerators – be it in Office or at home – there is no harm perhaps in fridges as such - the problems occur when they escape. CFC's are ozone depleters, each CFC molecule can destroy thousands of ozone molecules. Ozone protects us from high levels of UF light. High UV can cause cataracts, skin cancer, DNA damage.

There are times when one feels, judgments are against the common man – and at times against the majority community .. .. .. sad !  ~  and in case you are sad, that politicians here are not extending Deepavali wishes – here is one !!!  ~ and some more photos of cracker shops at Island grounds, Chennai.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

26^th Oct 2019.

PS :  Julie Ann Owens,  is an Australian politician who has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since October 2004, representing the Division of Parramatta, New South Wales.

Aussie PM greets Deepavali ~ also enters Cricket field carrying water !!

The festival of lights ‘Deepavali’ is around the corner – John Morrison has tweeted wishing Diwali celebrations !  .. in case you do not know, Scott John Morrison is the 30^th  and current Prime Minister of Australia and Leader of the Liberal Party since August 2018. He previously served in the Cabinet from 2013 to 2018, including as Treasurer of Australia. Morrison was born in Sydney and studied economic geography at the University of New South Wales. He worked as Director of the New Zealand Office of Tourism and Sport and was Managing Director of Tourism Australia.   

With the T20 World Cup less than a year away, Sri Lanka believe this month's tour of Australia - where the World Cup will be held - will prove the ideal testing ground for their crop of youngsters to prove themselves in conditions Down Under. "I'm happy [that such a young team] managed to beat the number one team [Pakistan] in the world," T20I captain Lasith Malinga said at Friday's media briefing in Colombo. "It's important to show Sri Lanka's depth of talent. But the conditions and wickets [in Australia] will likely be different. "If we perform well in those conditions, then it will bode well for our preparations for the World Cup. And if you perform well on this tour, there will be a good chance of those players making it to the World Cup as well."

Sri Lanka will also be touring India for a T20I series before the World Cup, where conditions will be markedly different from those expected in Australia. For Malinga, while identifying form players is important, equally as important is identifying a set of players capable of making the right decisions under pressure.  "In T20 cricket it's important to understand that decisions need to be taken quickly on the field and it is  just as important as talent is a player's decision-making in matches, the way a player thinks in the middle of a game. So we're looking for intelligent players capable of winning a game. "We need around 11-12 players of this calibre in our squad, and that way we can always have about six to seven at the very least in a game, players capable of winning matches in key moments," said Malinga.

From the new faces that were included in the squad that toured Pakistan, the selectors have retained the two standout performers in Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Oshada Fernando. Making their way back into the squad, meanwhile, have been Lasith Malinga, Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Janith Perera. For interim head coach Rumesh Ratnayake, the hope is that the returning players will make a winning combination even stronger. In terms of selecting the final playing XI, Chief Selector Ashantha De Mel admitted that it would be a challenge considering that some of the returning players hadn't played cricket in quite some time. Eventually, he said, form would be the deciding factor. Sri Lanka play Australia in three T20Is with the first game taking place in Adelaide on October 27.

Yesterday they played their first tour match at Canberra traditionally against Australian Prime Minister’s XI losing the match by a solitary wicket and with a ball to spare.  A sublime 79 from South Australia youngster Harry Nielsen and some last-over heroics from Fawad Ahmed allowed the Prime Minister's XI to squeeze home by one wicket with a ball to spare against a rusty Sri Lankan side in the T20 tour match in Canberra. Kasun Rajitha looked as though he had stolen the game when he dismissed Nielsen off the second ball of the final over with nine still needed for victory. Nielsen had batted magnificently to hold the chase of 132 together while his team-mates collapsed against a very skilful Sri Lankan attack. The home side had done their best to lose it after an impressive bowling display from the Sri Lankans. Pace and late swing from Rajitha and Nuwan Pradeep reduced the home side to 3 for 26 inside the first five overs.  Co-captains Christian and Peter Siddle were so confident the Sri Lankan tail would not wag they bowled spin in two of the last three overs of the innings. The home side also had the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison run out drinks at the fall of a wicket ! ~ what ?

In a rare occasion on a cricket field, Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison acted as a water boy during that  practice game between the Prime Minister's XI and Sri Lanka at the Manuka Oval on Thursday.  Morrison was seen carrying drinks for the Prime Minister's XI and pictures of him doing the job has left the world pleasantly surprised. Meanwhile, Morrison also garnered a lot of respect in social media for his humbleness.

In India, a section of the media would have termed it ‘publicity stunt’!

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

25^th Oct 2019.

joy of giving ! ~ celebrating Deepavali - SYMA distributes sweets to students - 2019

  Deepavali ‘the festival of lights’ is always enchanting – an occasion to wear new clothes, eat sweets, burst crackers, be with friends and relatives – a festivity which brings enjoyment…. – the festival would be grandly celebrated all over the country on 27^th Oct 2019.  

At SYMA, we are feeling very elated ~ Deepavali celebrations have already started.  On 20.8.2019, we brought happiness in the lives of our 100+ students at SYMA Growth by providing all of them new clothes; also clothes to their parents .. .. and followed it with a sumptuous lunch for all of them including parents.  

சந்தோஷத்தை தரும் பண்டிகைகளில் மிக சிறப்பு வாய்ந்தது *தீபாவளி திருநாள்*.  பண்டிகைகளின் நோக்கமே, நாம் சிறப்புற கொண்டாடி, மற்றவர்களையும் மகிழ்விப்பதுதானே !  கடந்த 12 ஆண்டுகளாக 'சைமா கிரௌத்" [ SYMA  Growth] கல்விமையம் வாயிலாக ஒவ்வொரு ஆண்டும் நூறுக்கு மேற்பட்ட மாணவ மாணவியர்களுக்கு தரமான கல்வி -  வழங்கி வருகிறோம்.

தீபாவளி பண்டிகையை நாமும் கொண்டாடி, நம் மாணவமணிகளும், அவர்தம் குடும்பங்களும்  ஆனந்தமுற - கடந்த ஆண்டைப்போலவே, இவ்வாண்டு ஞாயிறு 20.10.2019 அன்று  - நம் மாணவ மாணவியர்களுக்கும், அவர்தம் குடும்பங்களுக்கும்   புத்தாடைகள் வழங்கி,  மதிய உணவுடன்  கொண்டாடினோம். இன்று சைமா சார்பில், நம் மாணவ மாணவியர்களுக்கு இனிப்புகள் வழங்கி தீபாவளி பண்டிகையை கொண்டாடினோம்.

Deepavali, the festival is all about happiness .. .. the way to celebrate is a simple routine.  Have Ganga snanam, wear new clothes, burst crackers gleefully, eat sweets unlimited, respect thy elders, be kind and courteous to all around, be happy and make others happy by sharing – sweets, food, crackers and more – simply spread the happiness.  

The festivity could be felt in the air even before a fortnight, when one walks either in T Nagar area, where every shop be it selling Gold, silver or clothes – are overcrowded – the entire area would be flowing with people jostling to buy more and more.  In our childhood, a small sum of rupees spent would provide a bagful of crackers which would be our pride possession of exhibit to friends and neighbours.  

At our fulltime tuition Centre – SYMA Growth, we are now training 100+ students [X – Tamil & English medium; +2 Commerce & Science Groups English] in our twelfth  year of operation [2019-20].  We talk to them, nurture them, guide them, make them understand the good and bad and realize the need for studying well. We strain ourselves to make them feel happy – with Deepavali around the corner, if the students are to be asked, what would make them happy – there would be a list [no our students will not say ‘holidays’ !!]

~ this evening too proved to be different to them.  At around 0730, SYMA Office bearers went to the class rooms,  wished the students a Happy and Safe Deepavali.

Mr Karunakaran Inspector of Police D3  was kind enough to be in our midst, talk a few words to our students and distribute sweet boxes in the class room.  SYMA distributed sweets to Growth Teachers, Doctors at our Medical centre, our Staff members and our volunteers at Medical centre and Growth.

The glee on the faces of our students was a clear reflection of the happiness and our joy knows no bounds – by the pleasure of giving and sharing our happiness with those children from the economically weaker sections of the Society.

Deepavali pervades happiness ~ and at SYMA we are feeling happy

சமுதாயப்பணியில் என்றென்றும் சைமா

அன்புடன் ஸ்ரீ சம்பத்குமார், செயலாளர்.  25.10.2019

Vijay Hazare Finals - cheer for Tamil Nadu

Shivam Dube, who bats left-handed and is a right-arm medium pacer, has been chosen for his ability to hit big and bowl seam-up at a brisk pace, a readymade replacement for the injured Hardik Pandya.  Before you read further – do you know of the finals between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka at Bengaluru ?  .. ..

In the din of IPL – most domestic Cricket would be forgotten – gone are the days when Triplicanites used to follow Palayampatti Shield… after the Pongal Tests of Chepauk ….. ODI treat came years later to Chennai – in between the limited overs tourney most enjoyed was Deodhar Trophy held since 1973 – the 50 over match between Zones… Remember in 1980-81 Deodhar match at Chepauk, Thirumalai Echampadi Srinivasan shred to pieces West bowling scoring a masterly 129 outclassing Krish Srikkanth, and eventually getting selected for that tour of Australia – Newzealand… that was an innings of class written all over. Then there was the KS Subbaiah Pillai trophy – the One day tournament between State sides.   Today it is Vijay Hazare Trophy finals !

38 teams played the league phase.  Chandigarh competed in the tournament for the first time. The tournament retained the same format as the previous edition of the competition.  It  had four groups, with nine teams each in Groups A, B and ten teams in Group C and the Plate Group.  The 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Trophy is the 18th season of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, a List A cricket tournament in India.  Seventeen out of the first thirty matches that were scheduled to be played across all four groups were abandoned or finished in a no result.  Kerala's Sanju Samson scored the fastest double century in List A cricket.  It was the highest individual total in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with an unbeaten 212 runs from 129 balls.  After the final group matches, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Karnataka, Mumbai and Punjab finished in the top five places across groups A and B. They were joined by Puducherry in the knockout stage, who finished top of the Plate Group.  The first semi-final saw Karnataka beat Chhattisgarh by nine wickets, with ten overs to spare, after Devdutt Padikkal scored 92 runs.  In the second semi-final, the match was delayed due to a wet outfield, and eventually shortened to 40 overs per side. Tamil Nadu went on to beat Gujarat by five wickets, with Shahrukh Khan making an unbeaten fifty, to advance to the final.

Five hundred-plus runs with the bat. Eleven wickets with the ball -  direct hit to run out Uttar Pradesh's Piyush Chawla in the Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-final on Thursday. All of this, despite a family bereavement midway through the tournament.  B Aparajith's paternal grandfather passed away on the eve of Tamil Nadu's Group C clash against Railways in Jaipur. But the allrounder stayed back with the team and produced a brilliant all-round performance - 4 for 30 and 111 not out - to trump Railways.  Chasing 178 for victory, Tamil Nadu were 96 for 5 but Shahrukh Khan's 56* off 46 balls saw them pull through with an over to spare, enthralling the handful of neutral fans who turned up at the Just Cricket Academy Ground on the outskirts of Bengaluru.  Both teams had star-studded line-ups. R Ashwin, fresh off India's Test series win over South Africa, flew in on Tuesday to join the Tamil Nadu squad for the semi-final. He had M Vijay, Washington Sundar, Abhinav Mukund and captain Dinesh Karthik in his side. Gujarat, too, had their share of India cap-holders, with Axar Patel and Piyush Chawla being led by Parthiv Patel.

Let us cheer for Tamil Nadu win in the Vijay Hazare finals .. ..  Mumbai allrounder Shivam Dube has earned himself a maiden India call-up, figuring in the squad for the three-T20I series against Bangladesh at home in November. Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson has got a recall, having played his only previous international game - a T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare - back in July 2015. Against Karnataka in  Vijay Hazare Trophy just over a week ago, . Dube had hit a century (118)  off 58 balls, going from fifty to hundred in a mere 17 deliveries.  He hit ten sixes during his knock, and the ball had to be replaced a fair few times.

Bangladesh, torn by striking players is to tour India.  The three T20I games will be played from November 3 to 10 in Delhi, Rajkot and Nagpur. The T20I squad also saw the return of Shardul Thakur and Yuzvendra Chahal. Thakur returned to the international fold after a year and replaced Navdeep Saini. Prasad confirmed both Saini and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who also missed the South Africa T20Is, weren't available because of fitness issues. Kohli is, however, a part of the squad for the two Tests - Indore (November 14 to 18) and Kolkata (November 22 to 26) - and will lead a side featuring the first-choice 15 from the recent series against South Africa at home. Shahbaz Nadeem, who replaced an injured Kuldeep Yadav for the final match of that series for his Test debut, was left out with the left-arm wristspinner fit for action again, so he will have to wait longer for his hat-trick ball.

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan's aggressive attitude during the Wednesday meeting between the board officials and the striking cricketers, especially his takedown of allrounder Mehidy Hasan, apparently threw the players off to start with, one of them even saying that the incident "rattled" them. One of the puzzling sidelights of the meeting came in the form of Obeid Nizam, CEO of Bangladesh Premier League side Dhaka Dynamites, attending the meeting. Nizam is neither a BCB director or a BCB employee, and raised questions of conflict of interest, as the franchise is owned by Beximco, the company where Hassan and board directors Ismail Haider Mallick and Khaled Mahmud are employed. It also left many of the board directors irate, one of them saying it was "a slap to our face".

Interesting !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

25.10.2019