Memorial Day

Being memorial day holiday I slept overtime. While I was lying awake and lazy the phone rang and I saw Mrs.B answering and slamming it on the cradle at the same time. She came to me and said one Sumi called “Byju Chettan” from a phone company in Kochi. I was beginning to forget Elizabeth Kuruvilla . Now I again have to be prepared for insomnia, dizziness,unwanted hair growth, memory loss, flash backs, hot flashes, night sweats, tachycardia, arachnaphobia, fear of flying , and the possibility of my wife leaving me.

Malayalam newspapers are feasting on this Rajan guy. I don’t know who he is. But I am certain he is one crook with class and finesse. He swindled the government of easily more than 50 crores and did that in style! Bungalows, estates, farm houses, commercial properties, house boats, fish farms, fancy cars - That is one hell of a loot! I want to grow up and become like him.

Newspapers also reluctantly printed news about Padmaja Venugopal. She was busted for stealing electricity. What a cheapo! It is like Gavaskar stealing a cricket ball, or Tom Cruise stealing used underwear on sale from a thrift store. If you are a crook, show some class for guruvayoor appan's sake.


Memorial Day. It seems to be just a ‘long weekend’ holiday; the kick-off for summer; backyard barbeque; burned tandoori chicken and spicy gossips. Who said this is a day of reflection; a day to honor the dead soldiers? The meaning seems to be lost. That reminds me of our own Gandhi Jayanthi. It use to be a day of reflection too. Schools observed “sevana vaaram”, and people volunteered for community services. It too is reduced to just a holiday, a day for mammaathu khaadar to slaughter an innocent goat, a day for empty khadar shirts to lay wreaths, a day for news paper companies to hesitantly print the old man’s picture on front pages. Sadly, the meaning seems to be lost.