"We do not need to be shoemakers to know if our shoes fit and just as little have we any need to be professionals to acquire knowledge of matters of universal interest."
- Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
The name Madras is believed to have originated from the word “Madarasapatinam”. It was a fishing village in the north of fort St. George. According to British map makers, Madras was originally Mundir-raj or Mundiraj.
Sujatha, noted Tamil writer, has in one of his stories has told it might also have derived its name from the ruler of this part “Matharaju” or from a community named “Marakal Nayar” that vanished later or from a affluent Portugese person named “Emanuel Madras”, whose tombstone inscriptions were found while digging to lay the foundation of a church in Mylapore of Chennai.
It is also said Madras would have derived its name from “Madrassa”, a Persian word meaning Educational Institution having its ground on the surmise that there might have been an “Muhammadan College”
Origin of the Word “Chennai”
Almost the whole of Chennai (From Pulicat to San thome) was ruled in 17th Century by Damarla Venkatapathy Nayak and his brother Ayyapa Nayak. On 20th February, 1640, the agents of the East India Company, Francis Day and Cogan managed to secure a grant from the rulers to build a fort – St. George Fort (named after a saint of England) and set up their factory in Madarasapatnam. The fort St.George and the settlements of English were named as Chennapatnam, after the name of the father of the two rulers, Damarla Venkatapathy Nayak and Ayyapa Nayak - ChennapaNayak. The English preferred to use name of Madarasapatnam, while the Indians chose to refer the area Chennapatnam. In course of time, Madras was regarded as the site of the Fort and Chennapatnam as the Indian town to the north. Thus, it is said that the current “Chennai” derived its name from the word “Chennapatnam”
Another theory states that the name is derived from “Chenakesava Perumal Temple”, which was built in the year 1646.
From “Madras” to “Chennai”
The Tamil Nadu in the period after independence was called as Madras State, which included the coastal parts of modern-day Andhra Pradesh, northern Kerala (Malabar) and Bellary and Dakshin Kannada districts of Karnataka. Under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, the States of Kerala and Mysore were separated from the Madras state. In 1969, Madras State was renamed to Tamil Nadu.On 17 July 1996, Madras was officially renamed Chennai. In 2016, approval has been accorded for naming "Madras High court" as "Chennai High court".
This happened to me during my college days. I studied in Loyola college,Chennai and I stayed at my college hostel. Since I am bit introverted guy, I did’t have many friends that time and I used to eat alone in my mess. To pass boredom and to go unmindful about the taste of food served at my mess, I used to call my mom daily during my dinner time and start speaking with her summarising all the happenings of the day. One day, I chose to dine outside. As usual I was having a lengthy conversation with my mom.
I ordered a plate of Idli and a Dosa (and also a filter coffee, if I remember right). I finished eating everything and the server handed me over the bill. It was an unsophisticated hotel, where people used to pay the bill themselves after eating at the counter. That time, I was somehow more deeply involved in my narrations of the day.
Just like, going out of the hostel mess after eating, washing my hands, I started moving out of the hotel.
I left the hotel and entered my college premises. Even then my dialogue didn’t end. After walking some 60 yards inside my campus, it hit my mind.
I said, “ Aiyo, Amma saaptutu panam kodukama vandhuten”
(Mummy, I forgot to pay after dining)
My mother, being a typical Tamil mother, got even more shocked.
She said, “Dei.. Ippa enga iruka..Pinadi yaaravadhu varangalanu paaru”
(Where are you? See someone is chasing you)
I felt myself this way. :)
Incident No. 2
During my CA-Articleship, there used to be a friend of mine who is known for naive character. He, being the senior most in the office, used to handle the case of one of the high income tax payers among our clients regularly. The particular tax payer passed away during the year. For the past three years he has been filing IT returns for the tax payer.During the month of September, CA-s would be extremely busy. They would not find time to pay attention towards each filing of return.
As per Income tax act, if a tax payer dies his legal heir should file IT return in respect of the tax payer.
That guy filed the return of income as if the dead assessee is filing the return of income.
Our principal asked him during the 3rd week of September, when we are doing under peak pressure “Did you file the return for that assessee?”.
He replied enthusiastically “ Yes sir”.
Our Principal with a smile said this - “Very good. When did you collected documents from his son?”
Only then he realised his mistake. With a scanty smile, he replied “ Siiiiiir, I forgot that he is dead”
Rest of us had a hard time that day in finding some private place to burst out our laughter.
This song from 1984 movie "Neengal Kettavai" directed by Balu mahendra is one of those songs, which soothes by its profound, thougt-provoking lyrical content.
The screenplay would be excellently designed with visuals bringing a deeper pondering on the lyrical theme of the song as Illayaraaja's music melliflously hypnotizes.
-A life driven only by desires is just a short -lived joy. Without the drive for actions, it is equivalent to a boat which considers even the oar as a burden.
This reminds me of this famous line of Jim Rohn
"Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all you want"
Put simply, Dispassionate navigation towards our dreams.
2. The Second Charanam:
காலங்கள் மாறும்.காலங்கள் மாறும்கோலங்கள் மாறும் வாலிபம் என்பது பொய் வேஷம்தூக்கத்தில் பாதி..தூக்கத்தில் பாதிஏக்கத்தில் பாதி போனது போகஎது மீதம் பேதை
மனிதனே பேதை மனிதனேகடமையை இன்றே செய்வதில் தானே ஆனந்தம்
- Meaningful action that could do some goodness to the people around us is the only thing that could last while others will get effaced without even leaving their slightest traces.
One of the beautiful pieces of art, I have come across. Set to tune in the raga Anandha bhairavi, whose notes has the habit of triggering ecstasy by default.
-I have seen many a family, where the sole reason for the family to remain seamless is the endurance of the woman in the family. Particularly, in the Indian background, where they suffered oppression for centuries, any exhibition of revolt would have led many families to have gone shattered.
Put simply, Her unexpressed grief sheathed by her smiles is the shadow price of the prosperity behind many families.
2.பூங்குயிலே பூங்குயிலே பெண்ணும் ஆறும் வடிவம் மாறக்கூடும்
நீர் நினைத்தால் பெண் நினைத்தால் கரைகள் யாவும் கரைந்து போக கூடும்
-Could there be a better simile?
This scene from the movie "Bharadhi", depicts the silent suffering the women of the pre-independence India undergone and chauvinistic temperaments of the men at that age .
·World bank commits $1Billion for India’s
solar energy programme.
·CAG proposes auditing of regulators like
RBI.
·India
entered into Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement(DTAA) with Cyprus. Cyprus is to
be removed from Notified Jurisdictional Areas specified in the Income tax Act
retrospectively with effect from 1st November 2013. Any
payment to a Person located in the Notified Jurisdictional Area would be
regarded as International transaction with Associated Enterprises attracting
Transfer Pricing provisions under the Income tax act, 1961.
·N.S.Viswanathan appointed as new Deputy
Governor of RBI.
·The country's biggest oil refinery to be set up at
the west coast by the IOC, BPCL, HPCL, EIL together at a cost of $30Billion.
·A joint study conducted by Texprocil and
EY has said that Textile and apparel sector will create 29 Lakh jobs only in
the next 5 years as against the earlier estimate of 1 Crore jobs. The shrinkage is
due to the automation in sector.
·Apparel Exports Promotion Council(AEPC)
has said that the Apparel sector expects Rs.5000 Crore investments in the
current Fiscal year.
·China’s OPPO Electronic corp. becomes
the first company to approach the government for expansion since the relaxing
of the FDI norms in single-brand retail and wholesale in June 2016
·April – June of 2016 witnesses highest quarterly mobilization
in IPO-s in the last 9 years
·India’s
13th Major port at Enayam near Colachel in Tamil Nadu got ‘in-principle’
nod from cabinet.
·CBEC has issued a circular directing
revenue officials to not to collect tax during stay by the Appellate
authorities.
·Ministry
of Labour and Employment has issued notification increasing the ceiling of
salary for Pension from Rs. 6500 to Rs.15000. Government has also fixed the minimum
pension at Rs.1,000.
·ICDS
implementation deferred by 1 year. ICDS to be with effect from 01.04.2016.
·Government to divest its minority stake
in 51 Firms, which it holds through SUUTI(Specified Undertakings of UTI)
besides closing sick firms that are beyond revival.
·Congress, which has been demanding to
cap the overall GST rate at 18% and scrapping of an additional 1% to compensate
manufacturing states now proposes ring-fencing tax rate.
Words of the teacher
"John Keatings" to his students persuading them pursue their calling
in life.
"Boys, you must strive to
find your own voice. The longer you wait to begin the less likely you are
to find it all. Thoreau said most men lead lives of quiet desperation.
Don’t be resigned to that. Break out." (around 44
:00)
Now we all have a great need for acceptance. But you must trust that your
beliefs are unique your own. Even though, others may
think them odd or unpopular. Even though the herd may
go "That's bad." Robert Frost said "Two roads
diverged in the wood and I took the one less travelled by. And
that has made all the difference." I want you to find your own
walk right now; your own way of striding pacing any direction. Anything
you want whether it's proud whether it's silly anything. Gentlemen the
courtyard is yours. You don't have to perform. Just make it for yourself.
(around 01:04:50)
Quote of Henry David Thoreau,
written in the first page of the book of the "Dead Poets Society"
“I went to the woods because I wanted to live
deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.
To put to rout all that was not life. And not when I had come to
die discover that I had not lived.” (around 01:51:10)
In contrast to the theme of the movie "Dead Poets Society", the Tamil movie "Maayakanadi"(Occult Mirror) presents a different idea on pursuing passions. On juxtaposing and analysing the ideas of both the movies, the later sounds be more realistic and reasonable.
Life comes with constraints. Few are blessed to lead a life with Midas touch. Given this reality, patience in going about things in life with a resilient mentality to smile even after expectations meets harsh dismays is the real enlightenment.
The climax scene of the movie, where the words of wisdom about pragmatism comes from Radha ravi.
•Raghuram Rajan announced his
decision to not to continue as RBI Governor, when his term ends on September
4,2016.
•Bandaru Dattatreya, Union Labour
minister has said that the ministry would consult Ministry of External affairs
and Commerce ministry for inserting provisions related to treatment of labours
in the trade agreements between countries after facing opposition from
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), a RSS affiliated organization against the
India’s stand in the recently concluded ILO conference in Geneva. Earlier India
has expressed its dissent to include labour standards as part of the provisions
in trade agreements as it would affect India’s prospects for export and
economic growth.
•Boeing and Tata Advanced systems laid
the foundation for setting up joint venture “TATA Boeing Aerospace Ltd” in Hyderabad
to co-produce Boeing AH-64 Apache Helicopter Fuselages.
•Government has relaxed FDI norms to
permit 100% foreign investment in aviation sector, Greenfield pharma projects,
Cable networks, DTH and Mobile TV and food product e-commerce and 74% in
Brownfield pharma projects. Previously, FDI in Defence sector is permitted over
49% only if the investor brings in “State-of –the –art” technology. Now the
condition to bring in “State-of –the –art” technology has been done away with.
• Ministry of Finance has announced that Public Provident Fund (PPF) account can be closed prematurely
after completing five years for reasons such as higher education or expenditure
towards medical treatment.
•Y.C.Deveshwar to step
down as MD of ITC in 2017 and stay as Non-executive chairman. Under Deveshwar’s
tutelage ITC grew tenfold and forayed into FMCG business.
•PSB-s to get Rs.10,000 to 12,000 crore
in the current fiscal year in addition to the Rs. 25,000 crore provisioned in the Budget to tackle the problem
of rising NPA-s.
•GST Bill to be taken up this moonson
session- Nirmala Sitharaman,
•Reliance communications and Aircel are
set to sign a merger deal to merge their wireless business and form the 4th
largest telecom company in the country.
•Britain has voted to leave European
Union in the referendum conducted across the nation. The
terms of Britain exiting EU will be decided through negotiation that is to happen
over a 2 Year period. David Cameron will step down as Prime minister.
•India’s bid to get NSG membership didn’t
succeed in the NSG Plenary session at Seoul, South Korea. But countries like US
have expressed hope that India might get membership around the end of the year.
•India has become a member of Missile
Technology Control Regime (MTCR). MTCR is a partnership of 35 Countries to
prevent proliferation of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology. Interestingly,
China, which stymied India’s membership in NSG is not a member of MTCR.
•RBI
deputy governor Urjit Patel, former deputy governors Rakesh Mohan and Subir
Gokarn, and State Bank of India chair Arundhati Bhattacharya in race for the
next RBI Governor.
