A Brand New Agara Lake, Our Gift to Bengaluru

Tharakan Builders Pvt. Ltd.’s new project “Lake View Apartments” aligns itself on the banks of the beautiful Agara Lake. The luscious coconut trees swaying at the gentle breeze is only one of the many attractive features of the project. As an organisation, excellence has always been our motto; be it providing the best of amenities to the customers at minimal cost or fulfilling our responsibility to the environment and society.

Each and every part of the apartment such as roofing material, building material, cabinets, counters and insulation to your flooring is made out of environment friendly materials like reclaimed lumber, recycled plastic, recycled glass or natural products such as bamboo, cork and linoleum which are made of natural renewable materials. Solar paneling, an emerging and hot technology, helps us utilise the natural power that is available in plenty in that area. Installing rainwater harvesting system for all the dwellers, also and tankless water heaters for each individual flat, only proves our commitment towards making our environment a better place to live in.

Toxic froth and filth have carpeted Bellandur, Agara and Varthur, the three lakes in the city poisoned by industrial and domestic effluents, for long. Our company by undertaking the project along the banks of the Agara Lake, has contributed much to its restoration contrary to the public perception. In collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science, we conducted a study of the lake to accurately characterise the chemistry, biology, and hydrology of the lake and determine the amount and character of runoff from its watershed. Based on the results of the study, we are implementing an in-lake treatment as well as watershed techniques for the restoration of the lake. Physical measures like aeration and circulation, dredging, drawdown etc., which basically works to increase the level of oxygen in the lakes, giving life to underwater flora and fauna, chemical methods like Algal toxins that controls severe nuisances, such as algalblooms that interfere with recreation, plant control, fish control etc., and new a biological method called as biomanipulation is in the process of implementation. The results of such efforts are quite self-explanatory as to the state of the lake now.

The tendency to blame big builders for any and all environmental issues is the most easiest and escapist thing to do. Labelling the whole real estate industry as ‘mafia’ has to be discouraged too, as such falsified notions misleads the whole nation. As aware citizens, we must strive towards protecting, preserving and reviving Namma Bengaluru instead of indulging in trivial blame game.

 

To know more about our projects or to book our apartments at special discount please call: +919854367809 or send us an email to contactus@tharakanbuilders.com

Disclaimer: The events or entities depicted in this advertorial are entirely fictional. Any resemblance or similarity to any actual events and entities is entirely coincidental. 

Questions to Arnab Goswami

I've watched Arnab Goswami raising questions that the "NATION WANTS TO KNOW" answers to, although he ends up answering it himself. These are a few questions that I have always wanted to ask him. 

• You and you channel Times Now have been accused many a times of practicing TRP journalism. What is your take on that?

• People say that civility and ethics in journalism, especially TV journalism, is lost. Many point at you as an example of that. What is your opinion of that?

• In your debates, I have noted that more often than not, you pronounce the judgement about any issue and then the debate commences. You assume the role of the moral vigilante, condemning people's viewpoints that you think is not right.

• Many journalists have also said that your show is not news, but is just noise. What is your response to that charge?

• You seem have many detractors as well as appreciators. Your explosive personality divides people into either of these categories, is it?

• What do you think is the future of TV journalism with social media and internet taking over?

SAVE THE TIGER

As part of my college assignment, I was asked to make a public service ad of an issue that we felt was relevant and needed redressal. "Save the Tiger" slogan is being shouted from the rooftops, yet we see no sign of change. This ad showcases the idea of inter-dependence between man and tiger, and nature in general. Spread the awareness! 

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Ad Analysis

I. Advertisement: Boss Film - The Smartphone Network

   Advertiser: Airtel India

   Model Used: Hiebert, Urgurait and Bohn (HUB) Model

Courtesy: www.fuzionproductions.com

This advertisement portrays a female boss who commands her subordinates to work late, and the viewer later discovers that one of her subordinates is her husband for whom she cooks at home and asks him come fast.

The HUB Model perceives communication as a set of concentric circles much like the waves formed when a pebble is thrown in a pool. The communication content of the ad, which was to show how fast a smartphone network can make any relationship feel "special", causes ripples that widens until they reach the audience and comes back through feedback. The intention through which the ad was released was received in a very negative sense by the audience. Many questioned the need for the for the boss/wife to come home and cook an elaborate meal, which only re-iterates the patriarchal stereotypes. The feedback received from the audience prove that the purpose of the ad, which was to portray a progressive urban couple was defeated. 

II. Advertisement: Son's Birthday 

    Advertiser: For Fortune Oil By Ogilvy

    Model Used: Aristotelian Model of Communication

Courtesy: www.campaignindia.in

The advertisement shows a mother cooking for her son who is a navy officer and can't make ot home for his birthday. She decides to surprise him by cooking his favourite dishes and taking it to his workplace. 

The Aristotelian model follows a system of:

                                                   SPEAKER -----> SPEECH------>AUDIENCE

The speaker of the advertisement becomes the advertiser (Fortune Oil), the speech is the advertisement which aims to convey that the oil is as pure as a mother's love. It reaches the third element which is the target- audience. Aristotle also stresses upon ethos, logos and pathos. Ethos is the ethics or principles which must be followed. The ad uses purity as the main selling point and that becomes the logical reasoning (logos) as to why one must buy that product. The ad is very sentimental as it uses the idea of mother's love and hits the right chord among the main consumers. The element of "pathos" or feelings and emotion is high. For Aristotle, the right combination of pathos, logos and ethos was necessary for effective communication, which is conveyed well by the advertisement.

Mechanics of Writing

Academic writing, or writing in general, is not an easy task. Conveying your thoughts with utmost clarity and crispness involves rewriting, re-thinking,  re-arranging, re-working, sharpening, polishing, expanding, eliminating and what not! Consider this blogpost a Cheat's Way of Learning How to Write. I'll give you some tips on improving your writing.

1. Using the Right Word
Example: Schools, colleges and universities were closed due to the death of the Chief Minister.
Reworked: Educational institutions did not function to honour the death of the Chief Minister.

2. Remove Qualifiers and Intensifiers
Tip: Better give reasons than exhibit emotional evaluations.
Example: My brother was acting really selfish and I was very angry at him.
Reworked: I was furious at my brother as he didn't share the cake with me, which was quite selfish of him.

3. Remove Tautology/ Redundancy
Example: His prediction about the future revealed that Ann and John will get married in the near future.
Reworked: He predicted that Anna and John will get married.

4. Avoid/Replace Repetitive Words
Example: The Vice-Chancellor announced that the college will not be functioning the next day. The students were excited by the Vice-Chancellor's announcement.
Reworked: The Vice-Chancellor announced that the college will not be functioning the next day. The students were excited hearing the announcement.

5. Improve Verbs & Nouns
Example: He was put in prison for wrongly behaving with a girl.
Reworked: He was imprisoned for misbehaving with a girl.

6. Use precise adverbs and adjectives- make it strong and original
Example: The speaker strongly disagreed to the other side of the fence.
Reworked: The passionate speaker vehemently opposed the other side of the fence.

Aiming the Shuttlecock Higher

Badminton, a sport which requires immense amount of dedication, perseverance and determination. At the age of 13, Sachin Menon reveres his shuttle bat over anything. He walked into the room in his sport gear, ready for his next practice session. His eyes shine with excitement. He says, "Today is match day. I will be playing against my teammates. It is most exciting, the thrill of playing a match. If you do win, it is bonus happiness." Sachin has already secured many trophies and titles at this tender age. He made his family, teachers and friends proud when his team won the silver medal at the National Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan Sports meet held at Allahabad. This achievement is only one of the few to his credit. 
Studying in Class VIII at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Calicut, Sachin balances his studies and sports quite comfortably. "I have my parents to thank for it, who have supported me relentlessly. More than them, I am grateful to my uncle whom I lost recently. He is an avid sport enthusiast who was a State-level football player himself. It was his dream to open a badminton coaching academy, which is of world-class quality in our place. He initiated me into the game. He was like a father to me...he loved, cared, scolded, taught, played...He will always remain an inspiration to me", said Sachin, his eyes welling up. 
Like any teenager, his interests include playing football and cricket with his friends, video games and watching WWE. John Cena is his favourite wrestler, he lets on with a sheepish grin. He adds that while he enjoys going to school and having a good time with friends, he wants to take up Badminton as his career. "My dream is be known as a good player and of course, to win an Olympic medal like any other sportsperson. I know it will be very difficult, but I will work hard and make my family and country proud", he says proudly. As APJ rightly said, "You have to dream before your dreams can come true." Up and coming sportsmen like Sachin who invest their sweat and soul into the game becomes the dream of a whole nation. 

Censorship and Government: my thoughts on "Censor and Sensibility" by Anuradha Raman

Anuradha Raman's article "Censor and Sensibility" that appeared in The Hindu on 7 January 2016, critiques the government for its increasing interference in the film certification process. She raises relevant questions about the irony of the whole matter. This particular article is with reference to Shyam Benegal committee drawing up a framework for certifying films, which is itself formed by the Ministry of of Information and Broadcast. 

Raman criticises the Indian state for acting like a Big Brother deciding what the nation should watch and what it shouldn't under the guise of protecting the nation from "the corrupt influences of cinema".

She roots her argument in the fact that every government, be it UPA or NDA, has manipulated the Ministry to their own benefit. She lists out various instances where filmmakers have been forced to make a cut because of the ruling party's agendas.

Raman calls for an apolitical certification committee whose members are appointed by the fraternity itself, similar to the model followed in the U.S. (Motion Picture Association of America) that can be adapted to suit the Indian sensibilities. 

In a democratic country like ours, why do we need government-appointed people deciding what the nation should or should not watch is the question she raises. 

Nostalgia of a Schoolgirl

It had not been many years since India had its tryst with destiny. The city of Calicut was decked up to welcome the then Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehruji with all his suaveness and elegance, waved at the sea of people who had gathered just to see a glimpse of the great visionary and the paramount leader. Accompanying him was his young daughter- Indira Gandhi and the Defence Minister V.K. Krishna Menon. Nehruji gracefully waved and said Namaste to the crowd. In the crowd was a schoolgirl whose hair was neatly combed into two long pleats who stood transfixed at the sight of the great man. She had heard a lot about him from the elders in the family, who were staunch Congress loyalists. She was proud to tell her friends that she shared her birthday with Chacha Nehru. 

Pt. Nehru greeting the crowd during his visit to Calicut.
Photo Courtesy: digitalpaper.mathrubhumi.com

      My Ammamma's (Vilasini Chandrasekhar) eyes would light up each time she narrated this incident to me. She would then go on about how the leaders then would work tirelessly for the party and the nation selflessly, unlike today. "Life those days were difficult but peaceful. We did not have a lot of money as my father, an army officer was the sole earning member who had provide for his wife, five children and his younger sisters. The cities were not this developed or progressive, but we were happy. Families do not seem happy nowadays", laments my grandmother. She was the first girl in the family to receive formal schooling. Education for girls was not a granted thing then, she says. 

       Untouchability was widely practiced regardless of its abolishment and women of lower casts were not allowed to cover their breasts. Even though we belonged to a respectable Nair family, she recounts how her previous generation was not allowed into temples. Her father( my great-grandfather) thought it better to serve in the Royal Army than to serve the Zamorin monarchs where petty politics mattered over people's problems. Things had changed for better when she was growing up.

A file picture of my maternal grandparents. Late Capt. T.K. Chandrashekharan
Nair and Vilasini Chandrasekharan.

I come from a family where, growing up, I listened to my elders discussing politics over tea. Within a matter of minutes it would escalate to a level where my uncles-Congress loyalists, would be drinking a glass of water to calm their tempers and blood pressures down, arguing with younger dissenting voices. It looks nothing less than an episode of Arnab Goswami's News Hour. That was our definition of family drama. I learned more about Indian history from them than from any school textbook. It is now that I realise the worth of personal narratives of history, which goes unheard otherwise. One understands about our own sense of history, legacy and tradition from these stories, arguments and hazy memories.