THE MADURA COLLEGE MADURAI

 

THE MADURA COLLEGE, MADURAI

Why should I caption it thus, when the reader band is almost our colleagues?  It is just not for colleagues, as anyone else may visit the blog. Ironically, outside Madurai, if you spell the name of the college, be ready to face a number of doubts/ questions like Which college?, is it a government college or a private college? So, it is not American college and so on. Such has been the modesty of our institution that has served the society with distinction for over 130 years plus.

In plain terms, over the decades, the institution has not made any aggressive publicity of ‘claiming’  “the only one of its kind” label. “Only one of its kind”, can always be a safe assertion, since any institution has no replica elsewhere. So, the claim is simultaneously right and wrong. Gladly, The Madura College, has never been guilty of such false claims. In fact, even the finest qualities of the institution have been merely cherished as nostalgia by all beneficiaries without making a hue and cry of it. Now, it is important to substantiate as to what we reckon as ‘the finest qualities’. The college is run by a management; but is totally free from the nagging presence of the management breathing down the teachers’ neck to oversee the ‘activity’ of the persons. Even the clerical cadres enjoy respectable freedom.Honestly, everyone was treated for a gentleman and it meant our abiding by the expected reciprocity in our functioning.  Simultaneously it was a boon and a bane.

BOON and BANE

With none to oversee or reprimand, personnel had their free mode of functioning. Those, who never preferred to be questioned for any omission, stuck to the official plan of work and were the genuine models to emulate. They had only one agency to answer- viz – conscience. That none ever questions our work was interpreted to convenience, saying that “X” DOES NOT WORK, ‘Y’ GOES EARLY, ‘B’ COMES LATE, as instances to defend their own follies. Either category of personnel [work or shirk], was too well aware that, irrespective of work or shirk, wages were never altered, nor would there be reward or reprimand. Being committed when not scrutinized is a hall mark of decency and seldom does it care for ‘recognition’ of any kind. We need not dwell at length as to how a shirker of work would have felt within self, though managing overt postures. Certainly, pulling up someone for dereliction of duty would not be hard for an authority. Yet, they refrained from those embarrassments is a fine quality to take cognizance of. At the same time, with no scrutiny or reprimand a certain set of people went about their duty in all sincerity is a finer quality for everyone to emulate. That the institution provided for ‘personal choice’ of employees in work ethos, is a sign of grand maturity by the administration. Those who made a mark of brilliance in teaching used the freedom to hone their skills and turned ‘reputed’ in the bargain; the other segment earned nomenclature exclusive to selves. In no way one can suggest lack of opportunities to teach. This contention of mine is fortified with the facility of autonomy to the institution since 1978 –one of the early birds to the experimentation. Autonomy and PG programmes in departments threw open wider canvas to work on. It was always for the individual to scale up and achieve higher. Obtrusive controls would easily have pegged efforts to the essential minimum while curbing the efforts to go that extra mile. In posterity, freedom of the kind we all enjoyed at The Madura College reveals to have sharpened our faculty to be receptive and responsive. At this point, most of us would be unanimous to concur with the blessed advantage of God-sent team of like-minded tolerant teachers across subject territories. It really made our horizons liberally expand; we were quite ‘at home’ as academicians. 

Despite schedules of work, our friendship always cut across barriers of subjects, though there were some territories not frequented – largely because such entities were envisaged late in the history of the system. Also, in all traditional domains, from 1966 -73 or so, many youngsters were recruited. Major examples were English, Tamil, Physics, Chemistry and Botany. Commerce and Zoology almost had a full new team. Together, all these factors foisted a natural ambience for us to move more or less un-inhibited.

I had my share of luck in the departments of English and Zoology besides what I could get from Botany. It must be laid bare here that in all departments my friends included HODs and most other members in the hierarchy. Substantial interactions with Prof. K.R N, Prof. K.S and Prof. T. Sriganesan simply elevated my confidence for details, interpretation and communication. The benefits I managed from K V, KGS, NM, KRA, RKM and the INIMITABLE G. Gopalan are worth a special write-up. Also, our canteen [which has assumed a new avatar ’Cafeteria’], library, garden are places pregnant with nostalgia. Our activity for over 35 years involving varied interactions stays etched in memory. Items like the college office, board office, salary delay, condolence meetings, blood donation, Sankara Iyer hall, Rector’s day, the hostel- a cauldron of effervescent emotions-all can engage us for days.  May be our friends can add their observations.  Thank you       Prof. K. Raman  31-Jan 2022.

MASTIFF

 MASTIFF

Human civilizations across continents have had a culture of domesticating certain animal breeds as pets in household. Despite a range of animal pets, perhaps the most preferred has been the Dog. Of them, mastiff seems to have at least 5000 year old history. From then on humans have taken comfort in keeping dogs, cats, horses, birds and in certain instances even elephants as pets. Needless to state that a sense of ‘mutual tolerance’ is the basis of domesticating the pets;  even if the economy of the family has not been all that sound, keeping pets has never been viewed a burden. It gives us the opportunity to recognize how many different categories or breeds of dogs have won approval for being pets with humans. Having given a place of pride at the title, let us begin with ‘Mastiff’.

Mastiffs are among some of the oldest breeds known to humans. They feature in legend, as well as recorded history, and were among the first canines to accompany humans on their migrations across the globe. The mastiff family is full of powerful breeds, each with its own unique personality. European and Asian records dating back 3,000 years show dogs of the mastiff type. Most versions of mastiff are preferred as “Guard dogs” which protect areas and handlers from obtrusive men.

Several other breeds of dog have gained value as pets among humans.

Labrador retriever has earned the top spot on their annual survey of the most popular dog breeds in USA

French bull dogs are also regarded important in US.  Another breed of global acclaim is the German Shepherd.  Golden retriever is another popular breed of mastiff category. The English bull dog with its compressed face is an instant frightener.

Standard Poodles seemingly dressed up in warm clothing is yet another popular breed among guard dogs.

Beagle and Rottweiler are smaller in physique; of them the latter has jetting eyeballs and does not frighten the observer.

German pointer with its slender frame implies agile movements and poses an instant threat of hot chase.

Dacshsund is literally a horizontal dog and about 10 inches high from ground.   In India,it reminds us of the earlier Binaca tooth brush container capped by a dog’s face and forelimbs at the front end and capped by hind limbs and a small tail at the rear. The dog swings the hip [like a duck] as it walks.

Doberman:  One of the most loyal dog servants to its master. Can turn ferocious if need be, especially at intruders. It can be a good foil to children if both are grown from infancy. These are alert guards of home or garden.

Popular South Indian breeds

The Chippiparai or Sippiparai is a south Indian breed of dog. It is a strong and single-coloured breed. It is also called Kanni which comes in colours like black and tan, black and sand variants. It is primarily used for hunting wild boar, deer and hare. It is also used to guard the house. Originally these dogs were bred by royal families of southern Tamil nadu. Now-a-days they are trained as police dogs. Their ability to sniff is used to advantage in crime detection.

 

RAJAPALAYAM BREED

As the name goes, it is a local breed from Rajapalayam. Breeders suggest that this breed is the most ideal for domestic security and is a quick responder to situations.  

KOMBAI BREED

Though small, they are athletic, agile, intelligent and quick for hunting. They can also be of value in home security.

In addition to the traditional uses, these canines are reliable in tracking land mines in war zones, detection of explosives, and precise pinning down of men carrying Narcotics in person or in cargo. They have the innate intelligence to take instructions only from the handlers  and obey them even in adversities.

Thus, humans have learned the art of using animals to advantage by training them.

Prof. K. Raman

AUDIO FORMATS

 

AUDIO FORMATS  

Change of format has been an unchanged mode of functioning in any industry and cine industry cannot be an exception. It would be bordering on folly, if we conclude that the change is envisaged or executed by cine industry itself. In fact, cine industry entrusts certain category of operation to allied functionaries. One such activity is audio recording that takes care of recording cine songs for marketing. Honestly, the present system of operation in this segment is not too clear to me. But, nothing wrong in our trying to recall the broad changes that have come about in this domain.

GRAMOPHONE RECORD

An early format on which audio products of songs from celebrated singers of classical art and other instrumentalists of classical /carnatic version and songs from movies were presented on graphite discs called “gramophone records”. These records could ‘reproduce’ the song in human voice or in instrumental play. But, to replay the item, the disc had to be played through a device named gramophone. In the beginning it was a mechanical device, with a coil, mechanically wound by a lever from outside. The spring load of the coil when permitted to relax, rotates a horizontal platform on which the record is placed. The rotating record has a groove from periphery to centre. A special needle held on a mini speaker running on the groove [due to rotation] can regenerate the recorded sound that can be amplified suitably. Being a horizontal disc, each record can store 2 songs or one single long song. Graphite [ also shellac]discs were heavy and prone to break to pieces.

 So, vinyl records were developed to help transport and to avoid breakage.  But, vinyl versions were not long lasting since the ‘groove’ used to get shallow by repeated use [unlike the graphite version].Heavier vinyl records were marketed to help the ‘life’ of the record. Another critical feature has been the RPM [revolutions per minute] which were 33, 45 and 78. Depending on the time span over which a record could play, they were designated EP or LP respectively –extended play or long play record as against the standard play time. Despite the popularity of the records, the primary store of songs composed by Music directors were stored [documented ] on SPOOLS 6” which had magnetic tapes that could re-recorded after erasure.  

There are many benefits in the use of magnetic tapes compared to other storage media. Especially  for  durability. Unlike other data storing media, tapes have a much longer useful life and are less prone to the risks known of modern drives. Magnetic tapes can be read even after 30 years, while the average hard drive scarcely lasts five years. Physical problems such as damaged disks, or software failures or interrupted software updates can lead to loss of saved data. Data on magnetic tapes, on the other hand, can be read even after decades, if have been stored appropriately. [courtesy Wikipedia].

Later cassettes of magnetic tapes of variable play time like 30 minutes or 45 minutes were brought out for popular entertainment and tape player / recorders were common in most household.

In due course with SW industry witnessing an upsurge tilted balance in favour of computer-based recording cum storage facilities like CD, Pen drive and so on . Miniaturization has been the guideline for all user–friendly gadgetry.

Prof .K. Raman 

THE BELL

 THE BELL

Of the so many items known to humans, what makes this item so significant would be a point of astonishment for many. Be that as it may – let us look at this item for its ubiquitous occurrence. Literally, every human endeavour has a place for the bell. A casual evaluation reveals that the item has enough ‘avatars’ big and small besides form and shape. 

Office manager

Till recently personnel designated ‘Managers’ had a compact bell on the table which could generate a ‘ting’ or a longer ‘’trinnng”. The former is a plain stuff while the latter is a spring trigger. Such signals were meant to draw the attendant to the chamber for further directives to the person. Lately, such ‘old fashioned bell‘ is replaced by ‘buzzer’ which draws the attention of most at the same time. Based on the number of times the buzzer sounds, either the attendant or some other official visits the chamber to take instructions. Even ‘paperless’ offices are not noiseless. Why so much?  How do we realize our getting a phone call?  Only by bell or some chime which calls attention.

Hotel Manager

Another person known to keep a bell on his table is the hotel manager of yester decades. Mostly those were traditional hotels providing typical ‘regional’ food like tiffin in the forenoon, lunch in the afternoon, tiffin by evening  through night. In such places, sounding the bell was resorted to by manager to invite the ‘service personnel’ to attend to the needs of customer[s].

Vendors

In our day to day life, every vendor, delivery boy, gas distribution agency manages to call attention by activating the ‘call bell’ at our doorstep. In multi-storey structures, every apartment has the chime facility. Some of them are pneumatically operated to preclude inactive states during power shut down.

POOJA ROOM

Most houses have a secluded arrangement for worship respectfully christened ‘The Pooja Room’. With all images and idols in place, worship by pooja occurs frequently. On all such occasions, the offerings and holy camphor lighting are accompanied by sounding a small bell –bronze or silver to generate a holy fervor of divine nature, under the pervading influence of holy lights. In some traditional house hold ancestral bell is maintained with all reverence for offering domestic pooja / “Aradhana”. Such bells are relatively large, made of bronze and they reverberate by resonance.

THE SCHOOL

Another place to notice the bell is the school. Unlike the hitherto cited instances, schools generally use a  short segment of the rail , hung from a tree branch by heavy wire. The method of ‘sounding’ the bell is to hit with a heavy iron rod. It marks the start or end of the session –as required. The closure for the day’s work is by long bell.  Lon bell is an unwritten practice by which any unforeseen closure could be effectively conveyed.

COLLEGES

Colleges have class rooms spread out across the campus. So, the different class rooms spread over the entire campus need to be simultaneously alerted of ‘start’ or ‘stop’. It is convenient to operate electric bells installed at different buildings and served by a common switch. Long bell service is also utilized in colleges.

TEMPLES AND CHURCHES

Temples and Churches have mega size bells –specially cast for generating heavy noise. It notifies the onset of preparations for prayer or procession from a place of worship. Being of a massive dimension, they are mounted in high towers; with a long rope, the bell or the heavy rod within is dragged to bring off noise. Such bells have fairly long resonance.

THE RAILWAYS

Without exception all stations on Indian Railways use ‘the bell’ mostly in the form of ‘rail bit’ or Gong. The latter is hit by wooden hammer and the former by iron rod. There is a defined way of using the bell to notify the train arrival. Train arrivals are indicated by 2 stages called ‘block’ or ‘out’. If a train has arrived at the previous station, it is ‘block’ and if the train is on the way to the present station it is ‘out’. Also, ‘block’ intimation is preceded by a long series of hits ending in 3 hits [train bound northward] or 2 hits [train bound southward]; ‘out’ is directly intimated by 3 hits or 2 hits.

Besides we set our alarm bell for alerting us to get up early on specific requirements. Thus, all through the day AND OUR LIFE every occasion has some bell or the other keeping track of our needs. 

Prof. K. Raman

 

MADURAI EATERIES --II

 

Madurai Eateries – II

An obvious curiosity for non-Madurai readers would be –what is that makes Madurai a prestigious destination for snack eaters? I am duty bound to alert readers that not just snacks every item of any description known across the state has a place or two in Madurai which specialize in those items. Hotels also provide delicacies typical to their popularity. Often a ‘talking point’ about Madurai food hubs is the range of side –dishes served with Idli, Dosai or the various species thereof. Yes, under the generic item named Idli or Dosai a variety of formulations is common. A colourful presentation of side-dishes takes the new visitor by storm and [s]he looks in disbelief as to what if a heavy bill awaits us soon after. Often the visitor is delightfully surprised that there is no extra-cost on account of the side- dish varieties. It is logical to recognize that the visitor is tempted to visit the place again at least once before [s]he leaves for the next place.

An assertion would just be in place, if I make it clear that a common trend in all eateries –hotels, stalls or carts and such other short term arrangements, courteous addressing of the visitor is conspicuous by dominance. The same is unmistakably felt by visitors from Chennai. Obviously, Chennai has a ‘culture’ of its own –the likes of which none prefers. Being used to high pricing in their places, visitors feel special warmth in polite utterance and in reasonable pricing of items, though good quality and courteous service are sustained.

A funny trend in Madurai -- ‘vadai’ is a delicacy in both the morning and in the evening, though several other items are preferred only in the evenings. The beverage named ‘badhaam milk’ is an evening item, so also ‘Jigarthanda’.

One need not conclude that eateries like the stalls alone help people. A number of outfits-the hotels do thrive.  In several localities, they function on a full time basis; they too have rapport with their customers. Largely, the rapport is from the delicacy they have specialized on. For instance, a 100+ year old eatery –M/S Gopu iyengar hotel has die-hard fans who throng the place around 3-00 pm with fond desire of ‘ vellai appam with Kaara [hot] chutney ‘ which can activate digestive mechanisms that have become dormant for 10 +years. Enzymes would gush by the sheer chilli force that instantly works. On certain days they make ‘jeera bholi” –another favorite of customers. Likewise, several small outfits have picked a reputation for items like Wheat halwa, mixture, ‘kaara sevu’ and other specific items. There are shops in vogue since 1880 or so and are viewed with respect for their antiquity and long-standing reputation.

Some shops offer puddings in rice / ragi [called ‘puttu’ in vernacular] and some fine noodle-like Idiyappam – a steam baked rice noodle. Quite a few sellers make ragi vadai, greens vadai and cooked pulses [sundal in vernacular] and coconut –jaggery stuffed coconut bholi.

Cotton-seed extract [paruththippaal] is peculiar to Madurai. The concoction is largely made of cotton seed extract, gently boiled in low heat and blended with jiggery or palm sugar, dry ginger [chukku] and pepper –a combination suggested to alleviate throat congestion/ disorders.

One may wonder how often in a week can one take trips to these places to taste all these. All these items and their social popularity have been assessed over the years. Outstation friends, please make it a point to try some of these in your next trip to Madurai and carry delightful memories. I am reminded of a local saying, which suggests ‘EVEN AN ASS ROAMING AROUND IN MADURAI WOULD SELDOM CHOOSE TO GO ELSEWHERE’. If so, what to say of the people deeply entrenched with Madurai ethos?

Prof K.Raman

MADURAI EATERIES

 

Madurai eateries

Madurai is a special type of setting –especially for its varied tastes, facilities and peculiarities. As such  it stands distinct by its innumerable options for any given stuff-say beverages, tiffin  centres, varieties and small time hubs operating for about 3 + hours daily, and at select spots. The sellers and buyers know when and where to buy a stuff, either for taking home or for ‘on the spot’ consumption, fresh from the oven. Interestingly, options for both tastes [vegetarians and non-vegetarians] are numerous and widely distributed across the city and its suburbs. For any on-looker Maduraites appeal to be voracious , tireless eaters who have an eye for variety in every type of eatable. They appear to be ardent admirers of fried stuff ranging from tiny items to some ‘mega bites’, which are curiously confined to Madurai. For a Madurai consumer, taste is first concern and cost ought to be reasonable, lest they should settle for some munch always available through the day [day also includes night].

To cite evidence of my conviction, let me throw a poser. Does any other city’ boast of MILLET PORRIDGE, RAGI PORRIDGE, COTTON SEED Extract AS ‘TIMEPASS’ drinks?  Or for that matter the mind-boggling ‘JIGARTHANDA’. [In certain towns I have the experience of tasting ‘mind boiling’ stuff, but never in Madurai].Mind you, these are evening items, besides any number of items as wayside feeds before supper. Even big metropolis like Chennai does not offer tasty snacks ‘on your path’. It means one needs to go in search; But, Madurai is different, things encounter you on the way. All you need is the right sense of perception- visual, nasal and readiness to enjoy variety. Abruptly you would notice palm tree crown, laid on a cart and sold as thin slice. It is the tender bud of coconut tree not felled but fallen by accident.  Unhesitatingly people buy such stuff and enjoy it then and there. People do not feel inhibited to eat in roadside stalls any item fresh /salivating. Simply no fuss about it, after all, any life time effort has its basis in ‘eating’.

 Many of these preparations happen before your eyes and no need to fear that these could be old or stale by hours. You can see them being prepared and they vanish in like speed. The buss begins by 4.00 -4.30 pm in mobile cart mounted on 4 wheels of cycle with a roof and a bottom  partition holding the raw dough, other additives, a stove, frying pan, a large plate to dump the prepared items , 2 or 3 of them as distinct groups, +a couple of containers holding side dishes. All these jump to the upper partition with passage of time. Of late, these stalls are illuminated by bright light powered by storage batteries. Illuminated stalls draw more people, as things are in bright light. Each person selling the items has dishes which enjoy distinct popularity among buyers.

Some buyers also take the stuff for inmates back home and one should see these eateries receiving a bee-line of patrons who relish the delightful delicacies. It is not as if they visit for ‘knowing’ rather they have known them and are drawn to the place by the typical formulation. Even more curious is the relentless pursuit of Maduraites, who keep unearthing more such outlets both for locating opportunities and for treating them as potential alternatives. Even more intriguing is the interest evinced by women of Madurai for these stalls – a fact that could be ascertained by the groups of women who brief their associates as to what could be had from where. In short, eateries thrive in Madurai largely because, the people patronize snacks of quality priced nominally to suit every purse. 

Where these stalls are? is a nagging question and would receive a vague reply. The honest answer is they are everywhere through the inner town on all streets. To have the experience of these around 6.00pm or later is the most ideal to have the opportunity to ascertain facts.

To continue      Prof. K. Raman  

 

 

PILOT --II

 PILOT –II

A major concern for Pilots has always been relatively ill-defined work hours. There is an agreed pattern on hours of work; but, the lapse of time on any given day cannot be a reason for leaving the engine. The crew has to hand over duty to the official team, on arrival at a place defined for duty change. Any delay due to engine failure or traffic mismanagement by way of unforeseen goods traffic can never be a source of complaint by staff. Sometimes, if the next person to have reported does not turn up for work, the earlier pilot proceeds further at least until the next junction hoping for duty change there. In all such ‘duty change centres’ railways have facilities for stay, rest and relaxation until the same crew performs a return travel as pilots and get back to the head quarter. In all key places, railways operate their own hospitals where all treatments are available as needed for a person. Fitness rules are very rigid especially for loco pilots. The pilots are thoroughly assessed for perfect vision / hearing every year under the annual schedule; railways do not accept certificates from outside agencies and insist on the check up only by railway medical team. If some driver is found defective in vision, he has to revert to non-passenger loco no matter how senior he is. Equally, auditory alertness is also considered crucial for pilot. 

SAFEGUARDS

There is intercom link between the Pilot’s cabin and the train guard; the latter signals the train to move or halt by waving a flag [by day] or light [at night]. Fine co-ordination prevails between the two and they exchange notes even as the train is on its journey. Whenever the ‘alarm’ is pulled in a compartment it reaches the driver cabin and the vacuum link gets snapped with the compartment. Also, a shaft protrudes from the roof of the compartment to pinpoint the coach from which alarm chain was pulled; the crew would identify the place and the person for interrogation. Only after appropriate restoration of vacuum link, the train can resume its journey. The last compartment on every train has a bold ‘X’ PAINTED AT THE REAR IN VISIBLY CLEAR SIZE AND IN YELLOW COLOUR to signify the last compartment and the train is moving intact with all compartments in the assembly. ’Such functional safeguards keep the system reliable.

What has changed

From the days of steam engine, substantial improvement is noticeable in the way of life of crew. Earlier pilots used to wear the handkerchief tied over the forehead, to shield from burning heat in the furnace and also to protect the ear from the soot deposit liberally ejected all the way. It was a common sight along small rail stations for women requesting the pilot to release water from the engine tank. The loco drivers used to oblige to some extent --say one vessel per person. Some used to request for hot water and that too was provided to an extent. A TRAIN ON A LONG RUN WOULD HAVE ENOUGH HOT WATER AND STEAM. The villagers know that and try to avail of hot water from the engine outlet. Two other irksome jobs for steam loco crew were dumping off the ash and letting off the steam from the engine. Unless the boiler pressure is lowered, risk of explosion has to be faced. Generally steam release is from static engine and not while running. So, pilots used to choose junctions for releasing steam as generally women do not congregate near engines in junctions. Moreover, steam escape would be a noisy gush and a cloud of white vapour surrounds the front of engine. The driver has to also monitor the drop in steam pressure to just sufficient levels so that further journey can continue unaffected.

Releasing of ash is another story. There are select zones near some junctions where ash can be  evacuated from the engine. As there is a potential risk of fire hazard, from burning coal getting out with ash, dump yards were created.  Those places have metal bottom to avoid incidences of fire on the track. People of Madurai are familiar with the name ‘Kari medu’ which refers to heap of ‘kari’ [coal] from dumped ash. So, it was a routine for steam engines to ply to dump yard and unload the ash clogging the furnace. With Diesel locomotives and also Electric engines these exercises have become redundant.

There was another requirement for steam loco engines to be re-oriented to keep the front forward and the rear backwards as the ‘reverse hauls’ by those engines were slow. But, with the advent of technology engines are named ‘dual’ machines capable running alike in both directions and the design shows no difference in looks. So, time spent in re-orienting at specific places is no longer needed. For re-orienting, the steam engine used to be ‘stood on the rails over a shallow well; by lever the engine and the rails together turned through 180^o,such that from east face, the engine comes to west face. Such wells were available in select junctions alone. Cumbersome repositioning has been given a go-by now-a-days.

Even greater refinements are in place with electric locomotives. These are quite efficient in hauling long stretches of coaches and also are non-polluting. Unlike their predecessors, the electric locomotives are tidy in cabin space; a seat is available for the pilot. The pilots are free from the prospects of grease, oil, dust, soot and smoke. Because of such refined arrangement, no need to make use of muscle power. Most such locomotives on short trips are handled by women and they also serve the railways.

In all, the Indian railway is a massive network divided into 9 zones serving the whole nation. Being of Pan India presence, all rules of service and operation are common to all zones. Further, every zone sends trains to other zones; Some service cadres of employees are transferable and so, all zones adopt uniform rules. Without hitch, people travel to all regions through a booking facility well connected by network.                          

Prof. K. Raman  

PILOT

 

PILOT

Once again the title is less- leading though not misleading. This time, the reference is to the traditional Engine Driver in Indian Railways. Just to confer a level of dignity on to the cadre, the Railways have named the position as Pilot and the deputy – the co-pilot. Obviously, men on those cadres, feel higher of selves. Of late, women also serve on those positions. Earlier it was an exclusive domain of men for apt reasons. Engine versions earlier were heavy duty machines requiring muscle power to turn certain levers and themselves to keep standing all through the journey. It was meant to be so to discourage tendency of sleep while on work. In fact, steam engines are devoid of seats; yet, the drivers would manage to perch on the window sill, to relax a bit from the tedium of standing on a rhythmically jolting travel. Round the clock vigil is a basic requirement for safe handling of engine for any exigency on the track, signal reading and obeying of caution en route.

Technology a blessing indeed

Formerly engines were steam locos fuelled by carbon-rich coal; they would bale out huge columns of soot-ridden smoke and were of low efficiency. Those days, persons from train journey appeared a bit dark from the engine soot. Engines were classified –M, YP and YG; Y Grades were used for long trains or goods respectively [YP =Passenger hauling], [YG = hauling Goods], M= Short distance passenger trains. Each of them needed 3 persons, Driver, Assistant and a Fireman. Within the engine, Driver was the boss and the other two should just do what the boss says. Railways are very rigid about function protocols and violation of any kind is dealt with in all seriousness. All the 3 have to co-exist and cannot sustain hatred. Fireman used to load raw coal to the running engine whenever temperature / steam pressure dropped and the driver used to alert him. Loading coal is a demanding task , as the hot furnace is opened [offensive heat would spread into the engine] and directly the fireman faced the heat as he had to load 3 or 4 shovels from the rear half and had to quickly shut the furnace door. This operation used to go on every now and then through the travel.   In fact it was the fireman who initiated the ignition schedule for steam engine about 5 hours before the scheduled departure on a journey. The drivers used to take charge of the initiated engines. The advent of Diesel loco eliminated the preparatory schedules and the need for a fireman at all. So, the hierarchy witnessed a shrink and 2 personnel are needed as Pilot and co-pilot. Further, these engines are far more efficient in hauling heavy load and in sustaining speed, rendering comfort of travel free of soot and smoke.Travel times have been reduced considerably.

DUTIES ON BOARD

Pilot or Driver does not drive the train [in sharp contrast to the automobile drivers of cars / buses/ lorries]. The rails offer the surface on which the wheels glide and move. But then, what do the drivers do? They keep vigil of signals; watch if the train is on the right track as per the signal; if not they would refuse the move the train as the error of signal operation must be fixed on signal staff. Later it may be shifted on to the pilot as of disobeying the signal. Even for stations where the train does not stop, signal clearance is of paramount importance and no driver on the Indian Railways would take anything for granted. Signal violation by a driver can result in his demotion or dismissal irrespective of experience. Also, the driver and co- driver cross check signal information by standing at a gate one on either side and calling out ‘Signal open road no 6 ‘ and the other also calls out ‘signal open road no. 6 ‘ provided the two read the same . If they do not concur, as viewed by them, the driver would slow down the engine until reaching the pre-signal limit. Still if signal is not clear the engine is halted at a safe POINT before the deadline. Observance of caution is a day to day requirement for drivers. Any station Superintendent can pass on caution message, much like an ECG RECORDING STRIP, which carries caution note/ speed limit at KMs with reference to a railway station. Irrespective of day or night, drivers implicitly follow these guidelines issued on a daily basis.

To continue          Prof. K. Raman

CAPTAIN COOK -II

 CAPTAIN COOK --II       

Captains carry immense responsibility of providing the ‘best’ food as per the menu agreed upon. They know to make the best use of expertise available in the town. They may even engage select experts to make specific items –delicacies in general demand and popularity. Besides they know the tricks of preparing items according to the number of guests on a session. Also, they readily substitute items for any shortfall in quantity during a session. Without batting an eye lid the captain would plunge into action like ‘damage- control’ or ‘replace a specific dish which got exhausted due to avid consumption by guests. However, later –arriving guests are taken care of with suitable substitute of a dish quickly pressed into service by all-too alert captain who keeps tight vigil over needs and replacements.

It is a delight to watch the captain and his team at work. Not without reason the captain plays a lead role. He knows to estimate the level of food consumption as a function of time and is always ready to retrieve the balance in supply –demand chain. Besides, these captains ensure that the men, second in command are as good in decision-making and execution of the exercise of culinary organization. They keep a tight control over the production rate of dishes based on the consumption rate of them.  At no point of time the captain or his men look bewildered or exhausted. They have a systematic sequence in work. There are works parallel in execution like grinding some ingredients, boiling certain items like component vegetables for an item and so on. On and off, the lead cooks in the group [at least 2 are around] monitor the taste of each item at the critical stage to ensure palatable quality.  In fact, different stages of preparation are handled by different persons, who are at different levels of hierarchy in the captain’s team. The higher level functionaries are more authoritative by experience and can participate in any stage of work. They also co-ordinate the work of lower level functionaries and get the work done in the right sequence.

If we manage to visit a marriage kitchen hours before the dining time, things appear to be in pell-mell; that is because, various items are through different stages of preparation. Once ready, the dishes are kept in large vessels. Prior to beginning a session of serving the dishes, the top men in the team in discreetly assess the number of guests and the volume of feeding material on hand ; then they signal the lower level workers to arrange for distribution. All these operate at the signal from the ‘leader’.

Prior to these steps, one should watch captain at work. Captains always keep stock of boiling water; it is a working scheme that readily helps them to enhance the quantum of dish[es], divert to some other dish and also quickly prepare a certain volume of additional rice for serving. Captain never panics at all. He quickly takes from rice in a vessel and adds rice and boiling water and lets it cook for 2-4 minutes; abruptly he rolls out a fresh palm leaf meat and spreads the already cooked rice; to this, he adds the newly made semi cooked rice   and rolls up the mat into a cylinder and ties it up with a strong thread;  keeps it for 5 minutes or so. The heat of the cooked rice makes the semi cooked rice get cooked under the intimacy of heat in a rolled up vest. In no time, fresh hot rice is ready for serving. No guest ever feels that [s]he had to wait for food.

The artistry of work

 Captain stays a few feet away from the raging fire from the oven. Cooks use large vessels to prepare items in sufficient volume. Captain uses his skill of compounding a dish by adding suitable volumes of ingredients and spices, besides salt or sugar as the case could be. Standing where he has been  the captain gathers the material in handfuls [uses both this hands like a bowl] and tosses the stuff in to the correct vessel with the accuracy of legendary wicket keepers. The stuff lands where it should. Then he signals the assistant to go about mixing the recipe as it boils and later, like a ‘man possessed’ he gets near the brawl,  lifts a little quantity on a spoon and delivers it on his outer fist and waits a minute for it to cool and quickly sniffs it recognize the features of flavour, blending and the degree of cooking; now he rapidly makes amends if need be. For all key dishes, the captain personally pays attention. The assurance with which they go about has certain working practices which ensure high degree of success. For instance, these cooks never use ready-made powders. They use raw materials and hand-pound them with heavy pestle-like stones and use the broken fragments; fractioned items render captivating flavour to the dish.  Also, they reserve the garnishing exercise to the final stage, just prior to serving. Now,  a small question. Women manage these activities daily. But, when large scale handling and high volume output are required, only men take over the work. Why?  Probably managing volumes and mega vessels and tackling emergencies are the forte of men. Salute the captains who help us sustain our social esteem in all celebrations.

Prof .K. Raman

CAPTAIN COOK

 

CAPTAIN   COOK

Please do not get perturbed that I am trying something of the distant past. Certainly, it is not about someone credited for identifying the Hawaiian islands.  The personality is too familiar to all. The leadership qualities and the power vested in the person prompted my designating him the ‘Captain’.

Yes, he leads a team of men and a few women who are indispensible on varied occasions like celebrations of Wedding, betrothal, smaller functions where the guests are in larger number – unwieldy for traditional household facilities to manage. On all such occasions, ‘the captain’ looks a ‘God incarnate’. Yes, obviously, his familiarity with the traditions that go with those celebrations and observances thereof, convince us that ‘we can ill-afford’ to miss him. In all his utterances, the man sounds encouraging and positive. He never retracts from any responsibility requested of him. All these make him the ‘best choice‘  for the occasion. How is it? The moment some event or function is decided upon –the elders in the ‘alliance team’, sound a caution [or is it a warning?] that they command lot of social esteem and that it should reflect in the food served on all the events connected with the occasion. Further, they go on to tender advice that ‘without delay‘, engage the best culinary services in the place.

The lady of the host household whispers something into the deaf ears of the husband who precisely ‘reads’ what the lady intended him recognize.  The very first thing he rushes [ wearing the shirt inside-out , in a hurry] to is to catch hold of the captain who is in demand on all weddings of a specific description. Yes. Captains conform to specific requirements for Iyers, Iyengars , Madhwas and every other denomination and faithfully present themselves in typical forehead display of the particular version they stand for. They have a nice demeanour  which convinces the new comer of having landed on an appropriate support for the occasion. Invariably, the ‘captain’ addresses every other ‘employer ‘  as ‘ANNA’ more as a submissive reference than in any due regard for age. Also, whatever he has to say something, he would prefix it with a ‘safeguard’ –‘please do not mistake me ‘as a strategy of preempting your enforcing anything on him. If you insist on your clinching a deal with him, then and there he would simply thwart you telling ‘I would visit you by 11.00 am Sunday next. He gently gets on your nerves by not committing of his undertaking your assignment. For the next day or two,  you run through hyper-acidity before he meets you on Sunday 11.o5 am in all grandeur of presentation  which  outright  takes the steam out of any argument from your side, especially that of the lady of the house. He would stay firm like a rock of Gibraltar and tender fitting replies to all queries and would offer to provide a detailed menu and the list of items to be provided for each occasion through the wedding. He would accept any small token of money as advance and faithfully leave his visitor card with at least 3 phone numbers.

At times, like Sidhdhas, these captains appear in two more places on a ‘wedding Day’ just to make the important bosses feel that the Captain is personally handling things in their function. Captains are too clever for all the organizers put together. They just move around visibly to make it appear that they are  devoting attention to this place.  At a suitable moment, the captain makes good his escape to another venue where his team is taking care of culinary arrangements. It is a way of accepting more offers on a day only to fill the coffers and survive through lean days / lean months. Should the boss of a place fail to notice his presence, the captain draws attention by some conscious effort to register his presence. All said and done, captains are excellent managers of crises. Should some preparation fall short of quality, the captain can amend  it to ‘ acceptable’ taste and many would seek to have a second helping of that ‘amended stuff’ which passes for a delicacy unheard of. These are the tricks from captains to keep the event free of skirmishes on account of poor food. They have several timely ‘correctives’ which save face for all including the captain’s.

To continue                             Prof. K. Raman          

SOME BY-GONE ITEMS--II

 

SOME BY-GONE ITEMS- II

Several trade activities have undergone changes never conceived in those days. I am afraid the younger generation may dismiss the information as untenable or as concocted. However, persons of my age-group would concur and endorse the information.  Let us recall them.

Physicians and visits

Hospital visits were rare; Private practitioners used to treat common disorders. Prescriptions and antibiotics were infrequent. Often fever and common ailments were treated with carminative fluid dispensed by the ‘compounders’ who could compound medicines prescribed by the physician. A few tablets were ground to powder in pestle and mortar and powder spread on a porcelain slab and divided to parts by a knife and given as single doses individually folded in paper. The physician bill was either paid to the compounder or paid on monthly basis. If someone was down with fever, the Doctor would visit the patient and provide medical care / advice for further care.

Everyday buttermilk, curd, butter were sold by vendors in streets. The items could be procured at very nominal price except of course-- butter.  Besides, some sellers established trade with certain households  for butter or ghee. Often butter was preferred over ghee from such vendors. Depending on need ,  families would buy them once or twice a month and bill settled on a defined date. More or less, a near clientele was established in several towns by traders from different districts. Such sellers had built a reputation for catering to needs and were known to stick to quality.

Another daily occurrence was buying of coriander/ curry leaves on barter for a fistful of rice. The vendor would carry a small basket and the rice is delivered into the basket. In exchange, curry leaves and coriander leaves were given.  In this particular custom, people did not weigh the value of items exchanged. They were just happy to get fresh leaves daily.

Groceries, edible oil, Tamarind ,  jaggery were sold on streets in long cart drawn by bullocks. Measures were in ‘veesai’ , oils in measures like ‘padi’. Sunflower oil was unknown then.

Another street sale was garments or cloth or sarees of different measurements as 6 yds or 9 yds. Those vendors would display their material in some prominent house and women from neighbourhood would throng the place and manage to select material, paying a part of the price and the rest would be cleared in installments. There was genuine goodwill between buyers and sellers. Such relaxations / deferred payment schedules were necessitated by the then lean economy of families.  Indirectly, quality had to be sustained lest payments of dues should suffer.

Another 11’o clock trade was selling of stainless steel utensils. Invariably, utensils were bought by women in exchange for old silk sarees +some little cash. Why I name it 11’o clock trade is, men would not easily agree to such procurement of vessels as they would always argue that such utensils are not essential. Further they would debae that the old saree is a worthier material as against the utensil. But, women would murmur that only items not in use are profitably converted and the man would yell ‘converted  at a loss’. Just to avoid the protracted arguments, sellers would visit streets only after the men have left for work [latest by 11 am]. Silently the sale would pass off and the vessel[s] would go underground until a safe incubation period. Men are relatively poor judges of appearances or disappearances of vessels. 

A very important activity in those days pertained to making of gold ornaments at our door steps; also specific items like diamond ear studs were ‘constructed’ to the desire or design of the people and goldsmiths would visit the house hold. New ornaments were made by melting the old ornaments or raw gold; they were also done at our doorstep during day time. Precise weighing of the raw material and the final weight of the product after allowances for ‘wastage’ were done to customers’ satisfaction and making charges were collected by goldsmiths. .All making was before us and it was widely accepted by people as a standard practice.

Washer men worked for a nominal fee calculated for 100 pieces [roughly 15 – 20 Rs per hundred items].Every week ‘to be washed’ clothes were dumped in a basket of cane . When the washer man handed over the previous lot, the next load of clothes would be handed over, after recording the number and types of clothes. The washer men used to keep track of ownership of clothes by a typical indelible mark- the dhobie mark . The dhobie mark is for the house and not for dress material of individuals. All these have simply faded in to the oblivion. Now for everything people move to shops , laundries / market and hospitals. All those doorstep help are by-gone.                               Prof. K. Raman

SOME BY-GONE ITEMS

 

SOME BY-GONE ITEMS

Several things flash in my mind, all at a time just to remind me as to  how much of change we have come through without being conscious of those. Where to start from is a dilemma. What to prioritize is another dilemma. So, let us begin with the day break.

With very few exceptions, toothpowder has nearly disappeared from household, obviously bringing in the paste version. Another forgotten habit is the neem twig plucked early in the morning, for brushing the teeth.

Yet another facility eternally lost is fetching Cow’s milk, drawn from cow’s udder right on our premises and accounting of the supply by leaving a stain painted on our exterior wall by the index finger of the supplier. Counting the number of bars, monthly bill would be settled-- amicably of course. These days, milk is largely served in packets held in cold store till distribution. Though milch animals are not in sight, huge volumes of milk are delivered by several independent milk supply agencies across the country.

News paper versions have multiplied; but all of them have one or the other political slant. So to say objectivity in reporting is a bygone culture. Another intriguing occurrence is the progressive decline in patronage for English News papers. Clearly the old belief of improving one’s English by reading English paper has taken a fatal blow and rightly so. Often those papers report in a shabby language devoid of elegance and grammatic precision. Quite often we find literal translation of words from regional language; worse still is out right printing of words from Indian languages, practically denying the reader the opportunity to learn the corresponding usage in English. Both English and English news paper look pathetic to say the least.   

The use of bicycle looks a habit confined to students of higher secondary schools in Tamil nadu.

Another neo-pattern is some gadget plugged to the ear, making it hard to decipher if the person is hearing impaired or insulating self from the immediate environment by obstructing the noise.

Even the language in vogue among the youth calls for a special learning by elders before they can  engage in a meaningful conversation with them. Even vernacular utterances are contrived to mean a specific thing not familiar for the elders. Eg; In Tamil, journals  claim “mokka jokes”. It is neither convincing nor comforting. There are several short terms which refer to some event or gender and unless briefed it is beyond comprehension / common sense.

Another bygone feature prominent among the present PG students in Tamil nadu  is ‘fearless use of English’ even for official transactions.  

Prof.K.Raman  

WHERE HAVE THESE GONE/ --II

 

WHERE HAVE THESE GONE? – II

After a degree of drying, further structural addition is done to ‘fix’ the bottom. The fairly dried pot or pitcher or the container is laid inverted over a fairly broad wooden cylinder; the open end is sealed by adding fresh clay on to the wood. Using a wooden hammer, the wet clay tapped to spread it across the width of the vessel.  The edges are carefully hammered to merge the added bottom to the circumference of the vessel. This work is carefully done to achieve complete fusion such that the vessel is not leaky. Once fusion is complete, the vessel is lifted off the wooden base and left to dry in shade.

Curing

All earthen ware require to be ‘hardened so that, the vessel does not dissolve even if soaked water. All dried pots/ pitcher / vessel are carefully kept in a place to cure them thermally. Thermal curing is literally baking the clay product so that it turns hard and does not dissolve in water even if soaked in water for days. All ‘to be cured’ vessels are piled up in a place and are covered by dry grass. Substantial volume of dry grass is heaped over the vessels. The whole hay-laden heap is set on fire. Raging fire engulfs the mass of vessels which are under the heat of burning matter. The heat cures the vessel and makes it hard and brittle.

For well over 10 hours the pots are baked by heat.                                                                                                                    After total baking, the pots are brittle and dry with minute pores on the wall. Water or liquids do not leak off the vessel. But through the fine pores in the pot, general surface seepage releases tiny droplets of water.  This seepage helps in heat shedding by water stored in the earthen vessel. That is why in summer, people prefer to store water in earthen pots and its thermal balancing is quite pleasant and does not drastically lower the temperature. So it offers the best cooling effect and is the most preferred across the nation.

Some buyers prefer pots, surface-painted with red mud. Such mud painted item offers a shiny surface for cosmetic looks. Many people choose to use mud pots for summer. Through summer, these pots offer the most ideal cooling system for potable water.

All said and done earthen pots are viewed as ‘cheap’ items meant for the poor and the down trodden. But, earthen wares are samples of excellent utility. So, items of modest origin do not command social status by virtue of their low cost until some agency comes forward to offer help to such items as of commendable craftsmanship. Thus, seemingly common samples like mud pots have so much of skillful labour in their making and they deserve wider patronage.    Ironically, we rate items by their price tag instead of according value to the craft.           Prof. K. Raman 

WHERE HAVE THESE GONE?

 

WHERE HAVE THESE GONE?

As a nation we have witnessed several changes, some by improvement, some by reorganizing, some by drastic change of design while some have been nearly displaced by more modern products. Of the last category, two things that hold attention are the coarse grass mat and the earthen pot. The former has been substituted by the plastic fibre stuff and the latter by stainless steel utensils. But, neither has satisfied the needs of our geographic zone especially through summer. The plastic floor mat is more an irritant than any soothing through the hot stuffy summer nights. Equally repulsive is the thought of trying to quench thirst by taking water from a stainless steel vessel on a scorching summer after noon. These machine-churned products are omnipresent by their sheer numbers, since the earthen pots and the grass mats are hand-made and low in production rate. Hand crafted furniture, products from natural fibre and cooking vessels of earthenware are low in number but high in desirability. They retain ideal temperature through best part of the day or night and confer some degree of pleasant taste on to the item stored therein.

Crafting of earthen ware  

Earthen wares require patient schedules of careful crafting. The production of such items is a multistep process by itself. Being hand-made, these are items of dexterous creation by trained hands which literally play wonders. It should be amply clear that there are no pre-formed frames for size or shape; the size and shape are determined by the artisans who go by a working logic based on the quantum of raw material taken for a piece.  It all begins from raw clay. Huge chunks of clay are taken from select locales on earth. That is why such items carry prestigious tags of their origin as ‘Maanamadurai pot’. Honestly such items richly deserve Geographic index tag. A lot depends on the quality of clay chosen. Besides, certain percussion instruments like “Ghatam” demand accurate choice of material and precise schedules of making to sustain tonal qualities typical for such gadgets in music.

Chosen earth is pounded by heavy objects like hammer to reduce it to near powder so as to easily sift and remove any gritty matter. All other debris is also removed as such contaminants would hinder the quality of final products. Such powdered clay is heaped in a place and water is added. Clay absorbs water and retains it for long due to its cohesive bondage. Wet clay is crushed by human weight by stamping of feet. Several rounds of compressing the clay make it attain a paste like consistency -a state amenable for craftsmanship. Fortunately, the clay paste stays wet for days on end and at best may require some little wetting at a later point of time.   Such sticky clay mass is handled by craftsmen to make vessels of varied description.

Shaping the clay

For most utensils of earthen ware, a cartwheel laid horizontal on ground is used as a rotor. Of course it ought to be of a convenient dimension and weight to hand-mobilize it to make fairly brisk circular rotations on its axis. The artisan takes a lump of clay [ at the start of the day’s work] and offers prayer to Sun god before placing the lump on the ccntre of the wheel and turns it anti-clock wise  to start its  rotation. When it reaches a certain momentum, the man plunges his hand into the lump and exerts pressure. The clay under hand pressure while on a rotor, raises like a wall on all sides, forming a hollow inside. Apparently, it looks easy ; but calls for precision of all parameters, quantum of clay in right consistency, just enough pressure to make the correct shape and of course the wheel ought to be kept moving in right pace. When all these occur in right sequence, a lump of clay assumes a typical shape of a pot or pitcher, as yet incomplete. The object moving in a circular track is  comfortably shaped by applying pressure at different zones of the expanding ‘container’. Upon the stuff attaining the required height a little of clay is added to the rim and gently held under slight pressure to form a collar-like extension. Any ‘disobeying’ segments of the vessel are tamed by wet fingers which gently tap the wet vessel to appropriate surface free of blemish. Once the required size, shape, surface are formed, the vessel under making has to be taken off the wheel. It is done by rotating the wheel and inserting a tautly held thin wet thread which severs the vessel from its parent clay still on the wheel. Such a wet ‘bottomless’ pot is left [to dry to some extent] in shade upside down.

To continue                         Prof. K. Raman  

THE ART OF SPEAKING -- V

THE ART OF SPEAKING -- V

If the speaker has to turn the head off the “optimum gap” from the microphone, a slight raise of voice would compensate and keep the audience comfortable. Ignoring these basics automatically destroys “continuity” in listening. A couple of such breaks are enough to damage the attitude of listening. Any speaker desires,being heard. But, [s]he seldom accords the due priority to acoustic-based delivery of speech. Many persons have the belief that a microphone would take care of these requirements. Shouting or whispering to a microphone does not help a bit. Tuning our volume to suit the gadget is a simple and an effective tool to tap the audience. Making oft-repeated ritualistic statements does not help any one including the speaker. As far as possible a speaker should try to bring in fresh and appropriate combination of words or phrases. This would rapidly penetrate and permeate the minds of listeners. Use of such skills keeps the audience alert and ready to receive more. Trying to relate an earlier observation to another facet of the topic is the real technique that hooks the audience to the speaker. Most people enjoy the relevant continuity and feel that a wholesome picture is emerging. Therefore, it is all the more important that a speaker does not embark upon dealing with a topic in all its totality. This is a very vital point to keep in mind in the sense that, relating the varied facets and the intricacies that go with them is the honest duty of every speaker. The job carries the risk of suddenly slipping in to boredom unless it is neat and compact. Unwieldy territories can not be meaningfully handled unless several sessions are allotted. If a speaker makes a useful contribution, certainly [s]he would be availed of on every conceivable occasion. Besides, the organizers would also deem it fit to have a special seminar or symposium catering to that domain. So, a lot depends on the speaker’s ability to make the best of an occasion.                                                                                                            At this juncture, I feel it is my duty to tell that, every speaker has to cultivate very clear styles of pronunciation, subtleties of vowels and some consonants. Quite a few in the audience are thorough with these nuances and a speaker would look “raw” unless [s]he takes to the right intonation and easy paced delivery. Even well known information can be made more attractive by appropriate infusion of decent “punch” to keep the tempo intact.

Summing up:

This is an essential component any good speech. The speaker has to elegantly touch upon the territories in a simpler style, avoiding a repeat performance. [S]He should recapitulate in a manner that benefits those who came late as well as the compere to sum up the topic. If there are any standard sources that could be referred to for greater clarity and the speaker should make it public. Now-a-days people use “Power Point” presentations to ‘cover’ large segments of a topic. There is nothing wrong about it if the speaker is well equipped. The “equipment” of the speaker reveals itself the moment power supply goes off. How often a speaker keeps interacting without repeating from the “slide” is a measure of depth and familiarity of the person to the topic.

What a does a speaker need to do [if success is desired]                                                           Speakers should recognize that better brains are on other side of the podium- even  as they address the gathering

Please ensure that the topic suggested is ‘clear’ to you and do the precise home work needed thereof .Make it a habit to be punctual to the venue. The status of ‘main speaker’ accorded to you is no freedom to be a late comer to the event.

Address the audience from the podium and keep visually surveying the gathering in an orderly sequence; it  keeps the audience attentive,  DO NOT GAZE at anyone; it embarrasses that person.

Ensure that you are always audible; never murmur.  Lowering and again  raising the voice is a strategy to draw attention to a POINT or two It cannot be oft-repeated.  Should you need to quote, quote in clear tone and in a slow pace to facilitate the interested persons to note down the actual quote. Better still, say ‘I quote’ and then quote to help the cause. Whenever convenient acknowledge the source.

Please avoid vulgar eulogy of the organizers of the event in a bid to attract more opportunities from them.

Always stick to the domain of the topic if you are keen to win respect among the listeners.

Articulate all ideas in a neat language punctuated by quality expressions and clear pronunciation. 

Kindly avoid any political overtones in your talk ; lest your image of neutrality should suffer.

Vote of thanks:

Every session culminates with a vote of thanks. On many occasions it has become drab affair that people do not even wait for its completion. Thanksgiving is a duty and not a ritual as it has come to have been recognized. People handling this portfolio should do a pleasant job of recalling the most salient element of the speech instead of a mere reference to ‘sparing the valuable time’.

This session gives a compact opportunity for a neat assembling of facts. If all these are done, I am confident that the entire session would prove beneficial to all.      

                 The topic has been begun as “The Art of Speaking”. Though we have considered how to go about in a systematic way [Scientific?], the process is an art, as the maneuvers undertaken need not confine themselves to any known fetters of Science. I trust the spirit is recognized.     

                

Prof. K. Raman.

 

                                    

THE ART OF SPEAKING -- IV

 

The Art of Speaking --- IV

Some ill-informed people under-rate the audience based on a personal visit to US. A good speaker would choose to be accurate and would avoid irrelevant references to personal trips.

What makes a speech good?

After all, a good speech is one which “reaches” the audience as acceptable. The notion of acceptability suggested here is restricted to the extent that the listeners feel rewarded or at least happy to have sat through the session. Like any message, the extent to which the recipients feel enthused or kindled to ponder over, is a measure of success. However, despite the divided taste among people, a broad acceptability is the hall mark of a good speech. Some are delighted, some are happy and a vast majority acknowledges the quality.  Therefore, it is obvious that people are unbiased in accepting quality. At best they may differ in minor details of the proposals made.

The effort:

It is wise to understand the intricacies of a topic chosen for a speech. Every topic has several facets of information. It is unwise to touch upon every facet of an issue because different determinants come in to play in deciding the success of a suggestion. An avid speaker would merely identify the components of an issue and also declare that [s]he would confine to certain specific items. Now, the territory having been restricted, it is easier to analyze the intricacies of the chosen items. Conflicting views if any may be presented. Sometimes the speaker may have a preference among them. On such occasions [s]he may indicate the reasons for preference so that the listeners perceive the intention better. Quite some homework may have to be gone into as a preparatory exercise in augmenting the panorama of the concept.

It is not necessary that one should try to exhibit the volume of effort that has gone in to the exercise. A larger survey is suggested for achieving the maximum clarity for the speaker. Once the panorama is clear, it is easy to drive logic in all the interpretations that together account for comprehension.  Comprehension is the first requirement and the last reward respectively for the speaker and the listeners. If the effort serves this ably, it signifies a good speech. A number of attributes determines the quality of a speech. Reaching the audience is the intention; but how elegantly it is done determines the bondage [rapport] between the speaker and the listeners. A good speaker achieves it with in a couple of minutes of beginning the speech.  

The strategy:

The foremost need in making a speech acceptable is to be thorough with all the factual details relevant to the topic. Divergent views must be also well known to the speaker. This is essential for answering questions during interactions. A ready gist of points for reference is an ideal tool to provide the necessary back-up for discussion. A ritualistic reading from a “prepared text” is bound to depress the enthusiasm to listen.

Voice matters the most in all public speaking. Voice is not just the volume; it is a blend of components like pitch and pace ideal for the occasion. A speaker has to be “alive” to the situation in the sense that, appropriate volume of the voice must be arrived at to suit the acoustics. An optimum space between the receiver of the microphone and the mouth of the speaker determines the comfort in listening. While sticking to the optimum gap the speaker can still slightly wobble the head to sustain body language and natural disposition. Staying at the microphone should not be a rigid formality.

To continue   Prof, K. Raman