More lakes than thought of

Again, as I was returning from Pune by air recently, I looked specifically for waterbodies as the plane began its descent into Chennai and, believe you me, I counted six. So the next time you are flying in to Chennai do take a window seat and track the lakes (Hopefully they won’t dry up too fast).

Lakes, I discovered, while working on this article can also be used to settle scores. As we were driving around in search of the Ayanambakkam tank I saw a steadily growing landfill with pigs, cows and even a little girl scrounging around in the muck. As we clicked a picture, ,a local joined us and filled us in on the story of two landowners who owned neighbouring plots with a waterbody in between. The game plan of the usurper was to annexe (“lock”) the neighbour’s plot by converting the waterbody into a landfill.

I set out wanting to cover every single lake in the city but as I got on I realised that was a tad too ambitious, given constraints of time, distance and space. So I had to content myself with the ones that I saw and even if each reader discovers one new lake through this series it would have been worth the effort. In my opinion, ours was a lake city once upon a time. Time we saved what’s left of it and treated it with the respect that it deserves.

(Concluded)

‘Gunduthva’ is not State Policy

When I saw actress Shabana Azmi and other celebrities who appeared on my television screen the other day to speak on Anti-Obesity Day, I thought it was also some kind of intolerance. Intolerance towards some people being obese. In my wild imagination, it sounded something like ‘Gunduthva’. ‘Become slim or else…!’

Let me, at the outset, clarify that ‘Gunduthva’ has nothing to do with Hinduthva; it is only a new word I coined for obesity. This is not against any religion, caste or creed. This is meant to help those who are obese and offer them advice not to carry so much weight throughout their lives.

“What if I am obese? How does it bother you?” may be questions large-sized people may ask. I am not prepared to engage in a fight with them. I care for my bones and do not indulge in unnecessary bones of contention.
There is serious concern about obesity all over the world. I know, however, obese people are not worried about this. Only those who are slim as a snake gourd worry about obese people.

I read somewhere, sometime ago, that an Indian doctor in the U.S., Dr. Ruchi Mathur in his research found out whether one would become obese or not. When both hydrogen and methane gas leave the body, it will indicate the fat content through the body mass index. The right place for generation of methane is the gastro-intestinal path. The micro mechanism in the digestive path converts the food into energy needed for the body, says Dr. Ruchi Mathur. When M. Smithil increases enormously, the level goes above the average and causes obesity, according to this Los Angeles based doctor. Like the alcohol test done by the traffic police at nights, the person has to blow into an instrument and the result is known instantly, whether he will become obese or not!

Obesity is bad for health, they say, particularly for the heart and the kidneys. Then why should one be obese?
The national family health survey done recently shows that Punjab is the first in the country in obesity. I thought Tamil Nadu would be second. No. It is hiding in fourth place in the list, which anyone, including this CBI, could easily find out. But a piece of consolation to Tamil Nadu is that only 20 per cent of them are obese; 25 per cent of Tamil Nadu women are obese.

Obesity clinics advise men and women belonging to the ‘Gunduthva’ brigade what they should observe or do. One woman, who was originally 90 kilos, lost 35 kilos through bariatric surgery!

Everybody knows how the singer Adnan Sami looked a couple of years ago. Now he looks slim and handsome. Because of this, he gets the advantage of free publicity, whether he performs or not. How lucky!

It is common in any city – be it Chennai, Coimbatore or Madurai – for women to lose weight. Yes, the weight of the chain they wear. Either in the morning while drawing kolam in front of the house or in the evening while returning from office or shopping. When the chain snatcher takes away only the gold, he does not take away the extra pound of flesh in the neck region. If the loser chases the snatcher for about two kilometers or more, she may lose some weight. But running one day alone will not help. It is not advisable to wear a new chain every day and lose it the same day to prove chasing helps reduce body weight. It is not economically viable and is certainly a costly proposition.

A new gym has been opened in our locality. It has advertised that there will be 25 per cent and 50 percent discount for those who join the gym. It was not clear whether if the person loses 25 percent weight, he would be given 25 percent discount.

There is a story. Once, a slim man looking at an obese man said, “People will think the reason for famine in this country is because of people like you.” We do not know whether the slim man got a reply or a kick.
They say it is hereditary to be obese. Grandfather, father and son. In Hindi films of the 1950s and 60s, there was one Tun Tun, a huge woman who was a comedienne. Viewers would laugh at the very sight of the actress.
I do not know whether being obese is good or bad from the health point of view. But in one way, it helps. Let me narrate an incident I witnessed.

A slim man was walking in the morning with his ‘Minor’ chain glittering between his neck and the shirt collar. A tempted cyclist rider went past him and snatched at his gold chain. The slim man shouted and caught him. The cyclewallah did not know that the slim man’s wife belonging to the ‘gunduthva’ brigade was just behind him. In a fleeting moment, she caught hold of him and began beating him black and blue. The fortunate or unfortunate husband started shouting, “Leave him, poor man. The chain is safe on my neck. Let go of the poor fellow!” The first-time offender collected his cycle and ran. I do not know whether the poor husband received the rest of the blows after reaching home for being careless.

There are, therefore, advantages in having an obese wife in instances like this. Bridegrooms in search of suitable girls should not, therefore, reject obese girls outright. They may become saviours when men are in danger.
Election year is fast approaching. Whatever the voters demand, they will get from the government. People belonging to Gunduthva – I mean people who are obese – can form an association, a kind of vote bank, and demand several concessions like free bariatric surgeries, double the quantity of ration articles, etc. The rulers will definitely grant these boons.

-Charukesi

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