Simple Solar Lighting Systems

I live in The Gambia. The Smiling and Sunny Coast of Africa – The land of beaches, a river and abundant sun… well, that’s if Global Warming doesn’t have its way. Most common buzz words heard these days - Global Warming, Greenhouse Gases, Carbon Footprints, Renewable Energy, Climate Change etc. keep echoing in our ears. The moment there’s an unscheduled rain, or an extremely hot or cold day – most of us turn into environmental experts – “its Global warming” is the immediate synopsis.

Well, it took me a long time to understand these terms. I couldn’t figure out how Global Warming could make us feel cold. How it caused floods. How cattle could influence global warming. But today I am wiser. I ask sensibly, ‘Is a candle eco-friendly?’ Is holding a conference on Global Warming in Denmark, with 15,000 delegates, each one liberally burning carbon to get there, an ideal method to discus reduction of emission of greenhouse gasses?

I, and probably 99% of this worlds sensible netizens have slowly but surely realized that Global warming is something that will not go away easily. Yet most of us don’t do anything about it. Me included.

Well until recently.
And my tryst with eco-friendliness happened by chance.
It was, when, as a partial diplomat, I was on one of my trips to India, my second home. (The Gambia has been my first home since 1998). I was browsing the markets (the old fashioned way - taking flights, making telephone calls, riding taxis, calling friends etc). I was looking for appropriate rural technologies that we could bring from India to Africa. I did find some innovative water purifiers and leaf cup and plate making machines. And this was when I stumbled upon a Solar Task Light. To be honest it was the Solar Task Light that stumbled on me!! It was given to me as a gift. A SOLAR TASK light? Barely understanding what it was, I almost left it behind as an unwanted bulky, vital-airline-baggage-allowance-consuming TORCH. A last minute power cut while packing my bags in Chennai, reminded me of our unscheduled power cuts in The Gambia and the TASK Light found a place to snuggle in my luggage.

Back in The Gambia….. Voila, the first power cut back at home and out came the ZonLight. And it did save us that night. What surprised me even more was that this gadget was still ‘ON’ when we woke up in the morning.....after 9 hours!!! Noticing the Solar panel on the Yellow object, I figured out that I had to get it into the sun to charge. (Remember – for want of baggage allowance, I'd left the operation manual and the carton in India). I left it out in the sun. In the evening I noticed that it had started flashing like a camera flashbulb. Worried, I returned my ZonLight to the safety of indoors. That evening, after waiting eagerly for the sun to leave, I put it ON at night once again, inquisitively, waking up at hourly intervals to see if it was still on. NAWEC didn’t go off that night – and neither did the ZonLight. The results were the same. Almost 10 hours of Light this time.!! I then did the first thing I did with all my toys in my younger days ... I took it apart. Fiddled with it until it didn’t work!!! ...well at least I thought it didn't work. I now needed to find out how I could lay my hands on another and there started my quest to get in touch with the manufacturer. What energized my search was that on another day I was actually able to put all the pieces back together and VOILA it worked again. I had become hooked onto the amazing piece of technology I was holding. And thereby started my tryst with ZonLight and “Eco-friendliness”.

To get to the point of this long story, I now import these ZonLight Solar Task Lights. Together with Intelizon's Kushant Uppal, I see a great potential for these simple solutions in the dark unlit corners of the globe. Kushant Uppal, the founder of Intelizon is a dreamer. (An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, he quit a luxurious life in the US after 20 years and returned to India. Guided by his mentor Professor Jhunjhunwallah (a known science thinker and someone who has consulted the Indian Presidency on solar and renewable sources of energy), Kushant decided to something for India’s rural areas that were devoid of light. Working without major NGO support, in India he has developed a mechanism using microfinance and a marketing team, to deliver his products to remote villages. However, here in Africa, sustainable and workable micro finance does not exist, and thus has made our task of direct selling quite different. However NGOs, Governments and Corporates have a far freer hand in spending and thus our task here is seems to be to channel NGO funding and Corporate SOCIAL Responsibility into a distribution segment. We are together looking at making this a larger story. We have received a lot of encouragement from NGOs like CRS (Catholic Relief Services) and Riders for Health and most recently from the Ministry of Energy and the Government of The Gambia. PURA has been very encouraging and have showcased our ZonLights. Corporate sponsorship recently has kick started a Light up a Village campaign which we, ComAfrique have been proud to initiate. TATA Africa are on board too. More information is provided below.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTS:
Intelizon, initially commenced with 3 basic products for the Indian market. Ever since we have looked at Africa, we have requested models that adapt to African situations and markets.

ZONLIGHT (BASIC) - a 5 LED( Light Emitting Diode) SOLAR TASK Light.
Why is called a TASK light – Because it permits you to use it for many ‘TASKS’. The Light is not concentrated and thus spreads, making it different from a Torch. Hung from the ceiling with the strap – it acts like a room bulb. Strapped around your body helps you do work with your hands free. Use it in a shop or your workshop as a light. You can even use it as a torch! Thus this is a TASK Light.


The ZonLight Basic uses a small compact Lithium-Ion 450-500mA Battery (Like your Cell phone Battery). The ZonLight Basic provides a two stage light that lasts from 7/9 hours on bright mode to 3/5 hours on Extra Bright mode. The battery charges from 6 hours exposure to sunlight from an inbuilt panel. The ZonLight has a carrying strap making it easy to use with your hands free or hang up from the ceiling. It is quite weather proof. It comes with a 1 year warranty. The battery lasts from 1-2 years depending on usage and is easily replaceable. The LEDs and Panel are top quality and last 5 years. The body is moulded hard ABS plastic and is durable. The drop (throw on the ground) test is our favourite selling gimmick. The standard dialogue that follows after dropping the ZonLight with a large sound - and showing that it still works is “SEE its 'Made in India'”.

When fully charged if flashes like a flashbulb. And this too is a selling aid. We use this feature for advertising too. At the recent concluded GCCI Trade Fair, ZonLights provided the illumination for TATA – Safari Motors vehicles.


ZONLIGHT II - More or less similar to ZONLIGHT Basic model as above, except that it has the following additional features.
1. It has the option of being charged with the grid/electricity and thus can be charged in 3 hours.
2. It has the option of charging a Nokia phone (models like the 1100/1200) using the inbuilt solar panel for emergency talk time.
3. It has a charge indicator that glows when charging.

We have devised a model called the ZonLight II Plus: using a 1W external portable solar panel with a 1000mAh battery on a ZonLight II – we now are able to offer the amazing Zonlight with 12/24 Hours of Light with the same charging times.

ZONHOME: A truly revolutionary urban and rural use Light that resembles a tube light or an Emergency Light. It also has the Grid and Solar Charging facilities with a 1 Watt Portable Solar External panel (5 metres cable provided). Installation is very simple or not required. The Light is also portable and can be moved around with its Dimmer / On Off switch. On low power, the ZONHOME provides AMAZING 15 (FIFTEEN!) hours of light. And in Full mode provides 'eye-shutting' bright light with 2-3 hours of back up. Connected to the Grid the ZONHOME can be used as a permanent light solution that automatically switches to back up when power goes off. The Consumption is only 6Watts when used with Nawec. It also has the feature to charge Nokia phones via the solar panel. One Year Warranty and robust construction are a standard from Intelizon and ComAfrique.


NEW INNOVATIONS being developed are the ZONLIGHT III - which can be used as a basic Outdoor automatic switching Light with a sensor incorporated. Floodlights or Streetlights are also being developed on this chassis.

ZON STREET LIGHT – has been developed for rural street lighting with a 1700mAh battery and 2 x 1W panels combination that delivers bright light for 10-11 hours with an automatic sensor switch on and off. The light is also more focused using special lenses on the LEDs. The ZonSTREET is an amazing Street Lighting product available almost 75% cheaper than equivalent products in the market. ZON Street Lights are ideal for Gardens, Hotels, Beach Bars, Restaurants, Warehouses etc too. At 5500GMD with a One Year Warranty and 1-2 year battery life – with a 350GMD battery replacement cost – this becomes an effective tool for governments to light up rural areas at low maintenance costs.


ZON GATE and GARDEN Lights: using the same chassis of the ZONLIGHTS and ZonHomes a variety of lights are being developed for domestic outdoor use. The ZonGate Light will save you 180 GMD / Month on your Electricity consumption ( based on using 40Watt Lights for your current Gate Lights)

Zon SIGNBOARD – In a recent experiment we have succeeded in using 3 ZonHome chassis electronics to induct in a 2 meter hexagonal sign board. With the right settings we will be able to have daily illumination for 10-12 hours for 1.5 years. For an equivalent sign board, current systems use 2-4 40 watt tube lights which need frequent replacement. ZonSIGNBoards will save you 50% on your Electricity bills and 100% on your wiring costs.

In addition InteliZon is developing ZON POWER, an inverter based system that will revolutionize the Inverter industry. Can't tell you too much since it is a revolutionary idea.

The units available are all priced far below any of the CFL products marketed currently and are far longer lasting than any of the LED solutions offered at the moment.

An ADDED BONUS FOR AFRICA is that ComAfrique has taken up the assembly of the products in Africa, thus providing green employment as well.

I would encourage more people to invest in these simple solar lighting solutions - AS our advertisement says - LIGHT UP A LIFE - GIFT SOMEONE A ZONLIGHT TODAY.

Solar Energy also gives the corporate world an opportunity to exhibit Corporate Social responsibility. When you gift someone LIGHT – you are gifting their families an opportunity. Light means an ability to read and study at night. Light encourages Learning and Learning is the driving force of a Developing Nation.

ComAfrique, in its quest of Corporate Social Responsibility has chosen to show the way. Along with another socially aware Company from India, TATA Africa (represented by Safari Motors in The Gambia), have jointly offered to Sponsor Solar Lights to Two Villages to the Government of The Gambia. The details of the sponsorship are as follows:-
Each Village (of approximately 25 Households Each) will be given at least one or two ZonLights per Household. And Each Village will also be given from 5-7 ZonHomes for their Community Centre, Medical Centre, Village Mosque or Church, Police Station and School. The Lights could be in various combinations to suit each Village. The Value of each Villages sponsorship is approximately 65-70,000GMD. ComAfrique invites other NGOs/Corporates to take up this offer and sponsor more villages in The Gambia.

And for any other Sponsor, offering to use ZonLights to Light up a Village, ComAfrique are expanding their offer a little further. They pledge to provide EVERY Village sponsored by any other Corporate using ZonLights, ONE FREE Battery Replacement – thus extending the availability of Light for a total of approximately 3-4 years for each household and each village sponsored by any other department or corporate.

And All this with a ONE YEAR WARRANTY.


NEWS FLASH
When ComAfrique first offered to sponsor a village with ZonLights and ZonHomes, Mr. Sumeet Tank of TATA Africa offered to sponsor another village as part of their CSR. His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya A J J Jammeh, The President of The Gambia, has now benevolently consented to sponsor two more villages in The Gambia. Thus a movement is now on with 4 Villages benefiting from this scheme.
The Villages of Jakoi Gibbirick and Battendeng are being sponsored by ComAfrique and TATA Africa/Safari-Motors respectively and the villages of Bujingha and Jiramba are being sponsored by His Excellency.

In an attempt to make this self sustainable, the Project will encourage each village to devise means to make this self sustainable. The Corporates will initially sponsor a light or two for each home that will last 1-2 years. The beneficiary villagers will be requested contribute a minimal amount of approximately 1 GMD a day (30GMD per Month to a village Light fund). Therefore, at the end of the two years they have sufficient funds to replace the batteries (175-350GMD) and thereby have light for a further 1-2 years. At the end of the 3-5th year, the village fund has sufficient funds to replace every light. A small sum of 1 GMD per day, will give each household basic light for a lifetime. This is Cheaper and a far more Safer and Better Light than candles.

ComAfrique invites more corporates to come forward and Sponsor Villages.

The Lights will enhance Education as children can study at night. We would invite UNICEF and UNDP to be a part of this program as well.

For more information please contact

In Africa: Ram Mohan - ComAfrique Limited at www.comafrique.gm
In India: Kushant Uppal - InteliZon Ltd at www.intelizon.com

BRINGING LIGHT FROM THE SUN TO YOU–SIMPLY–VERY SIMPLY

Austerity and the Theory of Relativity

The recent and ongoing debate on Austerity measures being proposed and imposed by our Political leaders in India, and thereafter being dissected by the media is a real cause for concern. They seem to see austerity in a molecular singular sense and present tense. Austerity would mean exhibiting a sense of livelyhood relatively lower to your regular standard of living. An Onasis exhibiting an austere life would probably mean skiping his caviar and champagne. My austerity would mean swapping my J&B whisky for a Captain Whisky. Thus a Shashi Tharoor, though someone who very naturally adapts to any environment and living condition, perceived by the press to be someone who splurged while an employee of the UN, is told to move out of a 5 Star Hotel into some inconspcious accomodation only becasue the 5 Star accomodation is peceived to be un-austere. I have stayed at the worlds best hotels at rates far lower than the rack rates of many 2 or 3 star hotels. Yet had I stayed at the lower grade hotel paying more - I would have been perceived to be 'austere' by beholders. Sonia Gandhi flying in Economy Class is perceived to be austere (even though the government spends more on logistics and security. The press coverage, mobile vans, police detail, CBI and all other departments carbon footprint would have been doubled or trebled on her austerity drive. And the more absurd one - is Rahul's train journey. Rahul sees it as his molecular and singular self being austere. Yet a government sees it as security detail of a larger number of the NSG (invisible to Rahul) for the 3 hour journey rather than a handful required for his 15 minute secure flight. All this not considering the inconvenience and expenses incurred by the detached everyday 'austere' passengers. Maybe those co-passengers should have exhibited thir austeity by travelling by bus, and the bus travellers....and so on and so on....

Austerity is also relative to the surroundings and thus not the same for everyone. I've said this before - being simple (austere) could be far more complicated than being complicated. A vegetarian in Africa pays much more and complicates life - yet being vegetarian is perceived as being austere. In Hindu mythology, Sudama, Krishna's austere friend would have flummoxed everyone offerng the 'austere' meal of Poha(puffed rice) in an African scenario - the very simple Poha is far more expensive than most other luxury items in an Indian Supermarket here.
And of course we have our wonderful media that loves controversy - 40 austerity debates - have literaly pushed public figures to clandestinely do normal things and will eventually crucify honest politicians like Tharoor. He recently twitted that he was more comfortable in his politician's collarless outfit (garb devoid of a collar and noose (neck tie) ......and I wondered.. whether the necktie was far less dangerous than the news (noose) media that his political garb attracted?
His latest twit on austerity concerning the 'economy class' seems to have tickled his party. It will be the literary worlds loss if a party whip silences his twitting by 'ordering' him to be 'austere' with his words too. The theory of relativity led to the creation of an atomic bomb. What bomb will this 'austerity' theory develop into?
Post Script : At the time of posting this I just read the hype that NDTV has made of the Tharoor issue..... The Congress party messages are being broadcast... their distaste at his mention of the holy cows.... the media criticizes Rahul for his security lapse ....... the media rules... and is winding up the timer on a bomb!

The Media - Do they realise how powerful they are?

A reminder from a James Bond movie - the evil newspaper baron who creates news, does the reports before he makes the event actually happen. This slowly becomes a reality in todays world with the internet and satellite television reaching all corners of the world. Let a Channel announce that a Hindu killed a Muslim and this will actually happen - mob frenzy will help magnify this event very easily.

A brief thought passes by : How has the media grown? How important spreading your voice has become. From the Cacophony of official screamers, the Tom Tom Drums from Denkali, Pigeons with messages, Telexes, Faxes to Twitting.... the whole world has changed. The more we are able to throw our thoughts and influence distant people, the more powerful we become. And as we throw our thoughts further, into other cultures, we seldom realise that our 'subject recepients' may either not comprehend or even worse, mis-comprehend our messages.

As a people on this planet, we are diverse in race, religion, culture and behaviour.
One persons fad may be blasphemous to another. Thus we could be spreading hatred without knowing it and probably for no reason at all. And the 'media' therefore becomes party to the creation of dislike.

If one goes back into the history of mans quest to get his 'point of view' across - we see that from time immemorial - we have tried make our voices louder to spread it across distances. From SHOUTING loud, using hands to magnify the sound, to the development of a simple paper cones or megaphones, to battery run ones, to microphones and loud speakers, to radio, television, satellite communication and the internet - we have come very far from being able to throw our voices (and thoughts) - from just a few metres across a fence - to great distances - across the earth and the universe too. The Next stage will be human teleporters and what not - the untimate 'media' to get our points of view across. Get yourself teleported to give the best effect.

Would you then get tele-ported in a Bikini to Saudi Arabia or in a veil to a Neo-Nazi meeting in Germany? The point I'm trying to make 'through this media' is that we need to realise the implications of our propoganda. In times of war - countries deliberately used the media, to mis-inform people ( mass porpoganda - they called it). Nothings changed today. George Bush used it to constantly keep his people under the veil of fear. This enabled him to virtually go about invisibly in his destruction of Iraq under the guise of a war on terror.

Where does one draw the line between Freedom of expression and propoganda?
Until we do draw a line, lets try and exhibit understanding that, what we say may affect someone we dont know far away. Reigning in our voices will automatically reign in our thoughts and thus our influence. Communities will be able to live their lives as they wish and not as dictated by a louder voice.
The Medium must become localised. Opinions expressed must be preserved within your context. Religions especially must let the conscience from within take over. When silence prevails, the world will become a safer place.

But then reading through the above, one wonders if this all is really possible. We push science and technology to expand the distance between our physical presence and our moral influence. The trespassing of others physical territories by our wandering influence is bound to create problems. Will we ever be able to draw a line? Will there ever be something we can call a responsible media? The media is only a creation of ours so that we can spread our wings and be free. Are we willing to curtail our own freedom?

From Nepal to The Gambia and Beyond...

When I heard from friends in Conakry, that a Cyclist from Nepal with origins from India was there and his next destination was The Gambia, I didn't really think of it in terms of the magnittude of the effort. The thoughts bordered around possibilities of where I was to house him and what his agenda would be.

That was a few weeks ago. Four days back I received a call in the evening, in typical Gorkhali / Nepali accent. I'm aware of the accent with several members of the family having and currently served in the Army in the 2/8GR and thus my sister and neice too speaking the language fluently.

'Mein Lok Bandhu Karki hoon sab', he announced his arrival in Hindi over the phone. 'On cycle' he added . Ending the announcement with a 'sir' at the end. Probably a reflection of his upbringing in Indian Army environments.

We met at my office the following day after he spent the night in a Hotel in Banjul ( about 10 KM away). Dressed in a typically Nepali cream coloured cross breasted kurta pyjama, very neatly, with the trademark Nepali topi (cap) he entered profusely sweating and yet not giving one the impression of having cycled all the way from Nepal.

Over the last four days he has given us glimpses of his journey. Methodically collecting newspaper cuttings, photographs and testemonials from each of the 64 countres before arrivng here in The Gambia, he has recounted stories of his endurance, troubles, and successes during his 75,000KM journey from Nepal, India through Asia, South Africa upwards through the East Central and West Africa - all by bicycle except for one or two flights over continents or Island nations. He aparently left Nepal on the 7th of December, 2004 (an anniversary of Peral harbour if I'm not mistaken)

Stories on how they were Four at one point of time - two of whom passed away duing the journey - with illnesses and one accident in Laos. He has voyaged alone for the lat two years or so, dealing with weather, bad roads, governments, rebels, battle zones, rivers, Visas, accomodation , thieves, punctures etc - he has made his way exhausting 4 bicycles during the process. Near death experiences in Sudan, where he didnt know that he couldnt use the national Flag in the rebel areas, and thus almost was executed to brief meetings with Kofi Annan. At 130KM per day at his best, he stops in the evenings at the best possible place that he can sleep - petrol stations, homes, huts, bus stations... to make a few friends, exhibit his ever growing album and distribute his leaflets on pease and harmony - then he moves on.

The message he gives though sounding like a memorised mentally recorded message - is of spreading peace and harmony among people of the world. He similarly rattles out the names o 65 sountries in succession reminding me of our prose recitations in school.

He has no sponsors per say but at each destination, a majority in which he has found support of Indians - he now is accustomed to approachingh Indian associations or Consulates for assistance and says that he has never been turned away. We have done our part and given him 1500US$ from the Indian Community here to carry him to the next stage of his journey. We have also given him a solar torch ( ZonLight ) which will hopefully brighten up his nights and also help him charge his phone while he cycles on - adding to his zero carbon footprint trip.

He moves on to cover the 113 countries he has targetted till 2013. Tomorrow through Senegal then mali, Guinea Bissau and Mauritania and then he intends to 'hop' across to South America and finish his tour with Europe provided he is able to get a Visa.

Questions float around my head - Why does one undertake this voyage. Was it for fame, money or just an experience. Doesnt one lose heart half way through the journey. Someone once said that life was itself a journey. Perhaps this is his life.

IPL2 - The Kolkotta Night Rider!

My mis-spelling of the team that was to have been the most prolific team of the IPL -was deliberate. Not because of the over-hyped star value of the failed Team or its coach, and neither that of it's confused captainship, but that of the Team Owner. The Knight Rider is riding, vanquished, into the setting sun of the Night. More an ending like a SRK film of his early careers - that of the Anti-Hero.

From Celluloid to the Stadium - my prognosis is that KKR will die out due to multiple 'scleroses'!..Unless of course some urgent changes are made.

Sclerosis No.1 : Too high profile owner who puts them under pressure. You cant watch Television without him being on every 3 minutes! All my respect for SRK has dwindled. Also the role model should not be smoking in the stadium.

Sclerosis No.2: The State of Bengal and their Sourav Dada : We all love Sourav and admit that he was the best Test and One Day Captain we had(HAD!) - but this hype over him and only him by cricket lovers in Bengal - is the problem. When Sourav sneezes - Bengalis catch a flu.(A Fish loving communist party run state with a rare contribution to a national sport - reminds me of Sreesanths brief popularity in Kerala - mantra chanting et al.) THis hype also owes thanks to the Television.

Sclerosis No.3: John Buchanan - An excellent but 'Aussi Insensitive to Indian Psyche Foreign Coach' who may know cricket but doesnt know how to deal with any of the above ( reminiscences of Greg Chappel here, though Greg was far more tuned to INdia - and John has to deal with Bengal). His sitting and eating and 'slit the throat' gestures while his guys were takiing a pounding show that he has lost the plot on coaching in India.

Sclerosis No. 4 : Multiple Captainship Stumped McCullum : A brilliant cricketer didnt know what hit him when Buchanan threw the pig-skin to him. He hasnt recovered from the pounding the Bengalis are giving him for taking away what was to have been Dadas birthright!

Solutions for KKR :
1. SRK sells the team(Bengal may revoke his 'visa' and a few SRK movie theatres will get burnt in Kolkotta.) For a less violent ending, he could still own the team and enter a partnership with Rani Mukherjee - and this could possibly have a happy ending - (for HIM - not neccessarily for KKR on the sporting arena)
2. Sourav Dada becomes the Coach - saves the situation for the Bengali ego - They celebrate the departure of John Buchanan and the crowning of their Dada!
3. John Buchanan goes back to coaching a non Indian team and will regain his glory and authority.
4. McCullum makes a public appeal for Dada to return and take his kingdom and Dada graciously says no - that he prefers to Coach the team. Happy ending here.

Comments anyone?
Cheers
Ram

Tiger - Tailing my Tales

My dear friend John Santosh Rao - dit 'Tiger' - a nickname that we dont know where he picked up from or acquired, but need no 'elementary' sleuthing skills to attribute it to his now-famous silent, nocturnal sorties.
He has been 'prowling' around this blog recently and has unsuccessfully tried posting comments on some of my twisted tales'. Thus before 'tiger' snarls, I'm pasting a few of his responses to selected 'preys' in my blog.

ON THE DEBATE - BUMSTERS OR BOMBS
Hi Ram,
Tried posting this comment on your blog but couldn't, so here goes....

Me being me, I'll limit myself to the practical and give the metaphysical, existential, moral and other facets a miss.

The bumster industry is one of the shining success stories in the otherwise dismal post-globalization economic scenario in Africa.

Post-WTO, Africa has lost out to Asia in manufacturing and to the Old World in services. This might erroneously lead one to doubt that Globalization Heaven - that place in the clouds where all countries have unique products to export and all other countries are tripping over themselves to buy these products - actually exists.

The success of the bumster biz puts paid to such heresy and renews our faith in the capitalist model, sundry bank failures and home foreclosures notwithstanding.

Consider : the old biddies get arm candy (and more) while the bumster gets to travel to Europe in a plane instead of a pirogue. If this is not win-win........!

Instead of thinking of bumsters as a 'menace', I think the authorities should treat bumsters as investors and give them all possible facilities and incentives. For starters, they can be given free gym memberships, german/italian language classes, dreadlock cleaning kits and the like.

After all, like foreign investors, they also wear suits. And unlike foreign investors, they atleast spend a good portion of their earnings in Africa.

Finally, do keep in mind that this is one product which the chinese cannot easily duplicate and flood the market with cheap ripoffs.

How's that for competitive advantage !

Do invite my friend AC to your blog. He's a well-informed and curious guy who lives in Texas. His id is acreddy@gmail.com.

AC, This Ram is Ram Mohan, the Hony Consul General of India in The Gambia, and not to be confused with Ram Saab, who visited with you in Texas last week.

Cheerio.

tiger


Btw, Ram Saab is back this evening and Mike and me are planning to make some meat pickle over the weekend (basically Mike does the pickling and we do the guzzling while occasionally cheering him along).

(My Comment : I added his post-script here as a little ingredient to exhibit the flavour in which he cooked his pickled response)

*****

ON SANCTIONS - Death Sentences for the Dying

Hi Ram,
Why is it so bloody complicated to post a comment on your blog ?

Anyways, here is my two bits' on the sanctions post...........


ram, as bertrand russell said, people have feelings, nations have interests.

western populations and as a consequence, their leaders, no longer have an appetite to receive their soldiers in bodybags. at the same time, they also reserve the right to pontificate to other nations. it maintains the illusion of empire/power, i guess.

how do you reconcile these two contradictory objectives ? simple. you impose sanctions ! so what if a hundred thousand iraqi babies die or thousands of zimbabweans waste away due to cholera. it doesn't cost you one soldier. but it puts you on the moral high ground.

in this game of sanctions, it is important however to make a difference between 'our' bad guys and 'other' bad guys.

imposing sanctions on remote leaders like mugabe or past friends like noriega and saddam is ok. doing the same thing to, say, a saudi arabia (which just today has decreed that a 70-year old woman has to undergo 40 lashes followed by 3 months' imprisonment because she was talking in her house to a 30 year-old whom she treats as a son), is a definite no-no. lest we actually start believing the moral rhetoric, let me make it very clear that human rights can never ever take precedence over oil or other such staples of western life !

tiger

********

Hey TIger - I especially like your take on the 'Bumster Industry'. Ram

SANCTIONS - Death Sentences for the Dying!

This is something that I've felt very strongly about. Today President OBAMA renewed sanctions on the people of Zimbabwe. And he has just, I fear, not listened to his conscience here. What gives him and the rest of the West an impression that Sanctions are a tool to use against oppressive regimes? Its Paradoxical - These rulers are oppressive. The Sanctions are supposed to make them conscious of their peoples suffering - yet the people suffer as they, the leaders, are and have always been in-conscious of any one elses suffering. The people now suffer more while Mr and Mrs Robert Mugabe continue to live their luxurious extravagant lives with or without sanctions. The poor Zimbabwean people, for whom luxury means living a Cholera free hungry life or have atleast water to drink with a loaf of bread to eat - now find it more difficult to meet these 'luxuries' under sanctions. Anti-Malarials and Cholear vaccines are meant only for the super rich and the politically well connected.

What Sanctions does is to give the Governemnt of Zimbabwe an excuse to continue their oppression and blame the West for it.

The West needs to place travel restrictions on Robert Mugabe and his close family - Put pressure on the Chinese to prevent him from travelling and living 5-star lives in Hong Kong. Ensure that his personal jet is not allowed in any other airspace. Yet they must make trade free with the Zimbabwean people to provide the poor with basic food and medication. I blame the West for the Cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe. I blame Bush and unfortunatley now our African hero, Obama, too.

Similarly wiith Cuba - Castro is a dying man. One must give the devil his due for holding out non violently against a Superpower - right at their doorstep - for several decades against all odds. Sanctions in Cuba have not made Castro weaker - they have made him a cult hero - to moderates like me too. Obama should, in my opinion, give the Cuban people a hug - and we will see an immediate response. One needs to see the suffering brought upon by Sanctions. Black marketeers thrive. The Politically powerful have no problems. Poverty becomes stronger. The Dying suffer and the Dead are the only ones relieved of their suffering.

Slumdog - Literary versus Celluloid

I read Vikas Swaroop's 'Q&A' couple of years ago. I must thank my dear friend Alok Jha - (who is also from the same corps as the now-far-more-famous-author of the story that Danny Boyle has twisted enough to take Indian celluloid to the Oscars) - for introducing me to the book. A book which I may have never picked up at all while rummaging through the shelves at Timbuktoo - the only English Bookshop here, frequented so often by our anglo-phone friends especially Alok on his then frequent visits from Senegal).

I recently saw 'Slumdog Millionaire'. We've heard so much about the film and I was all set to be disappointed... a disappointment that naturally occurs over over-hyped offerings. What would this offering by Danny Boyle do?

I had enjoyed the book. The book was one, among others, that gave me inspiration - that it was possible for 'anyone to write' (Gousteau from 'Ratatouille' - made similar statements about people who could weave similar magic with culinary skills too. "Anyone Can Cook" - was the theme of that Celluloid drama). Can Anyone Write? Ofcourse, anyone can write, but getting people to read what they write is the challenge.

Vikas, Shah (The Caliphs House - A year in Casablanca) and Chetan Bhagat have done that to me and to a million other readers. Thus, here I too am, attempting to make people read what I write.

Vikas' book versus Boyles celluloid version - There is a mismatch. Authors have the luxury to be able to explain thoughts and imagination. Their celluloid-medium counterparts, however have to get the character to act and express imagination. Thus books seem to always be better than their films. I was surprised to find articles ridiculing Swaroop and his novel while at the same time Boyle was receiving accolades at making a superhit of a movie from a non-descript novel. THis is where I beg to differ.

I was disappointed by Slumdog. After having rewatched 'SlumDog' with an analytical mind - I am more or less convinced that Vikas' storyline makes sense. To a critical Indian, Boyles story has loopholes. I refer not to his genuine depiction of Dharavi life that has tickled the patriotism of many Indians ashamed of this indecent exposure of a real situation. I refer to loopholes that I list below in this 'budget' film that has made 'Crore-pathis' of most of the team within teh 'Slumdog Millionaire'. (I am also convinced that his budget film was budget because he probably didnt have to re-create sets and just let his 'child' artistes play around while he filmed them.)

Vikas cleverly used a plagiarised version of Kaun Banega C.. thus a cheap studio copy of a very successful show - explaining thus the cheap character exhibited by Anil Kapoor. The Studio running at a loss and unable to pay the winnings, explains the show hosts desperation to stump the candidate. Boyles KBC does not define it as a cheap version - only that the host is cheap. Unimaginable to an Indian audience in my opinion - especially after having had AB and SRK do the original shows.

Ram Mohammed Thomas wins the game show and then is questioned and tortured before he is rescued by the reporter following a story. Jamal is tortured before the end of the show and then is taken back for the final question. Tough to swallow that he would keep quiet.

Boyle has yet woven the tale with exceptional performances from the kids - almost as though they weren't acting - but the Inspector Irfan couldve been droning his Hutch pre-paid adverts and Constable Sreenivas isnt anywhere near a Dharavi Sreenivas. Anil Kapoor couldve been playing Mr India and is the Weakest Link. The technical aspects of the film are I guess what make the presentation beautifully brilliant. Rahmans' Music is superb - exhibiting the immense talent in this genius. I must admit that he deserves nominations for many more scores of his - but those didnt have the backing of Danny Boyle. ( Funnily, at the mention of Danny, I can hear Jim Reeves singing Oh Danny Boy in my memory - 'I love you so' he croons)

It's a pity that books dont have music.

The Reluctant Faithless Faith-Healer

I believe I'm agnostic. But I am too superstitious to admit it. For fear that, if at all this 'supreme' being, that I do in a way believe exists, actually does exist, then He could 'curse' me, a non-believer, and that would be quite an issue to handle in my head. Doesn't this smell like a Catch 22 situation. If I do not believe in the Supreme power, then I have nothing to fear. Yet I fear that he could use his power to destroy me for not believing. I don't believe he exists ( in forms propogated by rligions) yet I believe that he has the 'existant' power to destroy me!! Yossarian would have been proud of me ( Josef Hellers hero in Catch 22).

That brings me to a close line dividing faith and healing. Faith is the source of Misery. And yet we go to faith to help us heal our misery too. I'm sure, that is one reason, when one goes deep into Hindu and Buddhist mythology ( you may call it History or Religion), all the characters, be it the Gods or the Demons believed in meditation - thus peace of the inner mind. They believed that with complete relaxation and focussed thought, they could achieve anything. Including invoking the Gods themselves. ( Gods invoking other Gods - Like Batman seeking Spidermans help).

I remember a conversation that I had 'many moons ago' with a friend from the Bahai faith. She was explaining to me the advantages of the faith and I kept on with my standard diatribe about religion ' Religion is the cause for division among people and thus the cause for misery in today's world.' I said. She went on to try and convince me that the Bahai faith grew to cure this very problem. To unite people of different faiths. Another faith to reduce division among faiths. 'Their' prophet was preaching exactly that - the unity among various faiths - thus the recognition of each religion and their prophets. How religion has transgressed from being one about ones inner self ( Hinduism & Buddhism) to that of Family & Community( Christianity & Sikhism) to one of Nations ( Jewish and Islam) and thus Bahai was the first one to propose the religion of World unity. I continued to insist that another religion just was another slice and thus meant more division. When will we hvae a unity of reilgions from Earth with those of Mars? I must make it clear - that I criticize not the supreme - but his subjects who belive that unision begins with division!

Looking back once again, Meditation was the solution to any problem. What is prayer? It is a form of relaxation and focussing the mind away from the clutter of inconsequential thought to that of essential thought. This frees the mind from stressful thought. Thus meditation brought one away from stress. When one is relaxed and stress free, vital organs function normally. But the moment there is stress, various enzymes are secreted into the blood stream and it is my belief that these are the enzymes that actually do the harm. You could be a gourmet on food - and yet live a weighty but healthy life. Gourmet + Stress is an instant formula for a heart attack. Life spans are reduced due to stress. A hunter friend once told me that a swift kill is far tastier than one where the target has been subject to stress. An animal killed with violence I guess anyway has a shorter life (not related to cholestrol) but the vanquer of the prey too will suffer the effects of eating flesh with more adrenaline, and this once again has a chain reaction.

A simple inference from this is that those who live stress free lives, though need not neccessarily live longer, but could indulge in behaviour that stressed people shouldn't. I consume alcohol. Alcohol consumed for pleasure or habit, normally wouldnt harm you - in moderation of course ( My moderation is more than your moderation!!). Mix Alcohol with Adrenaline and is like an energy boost. If this boosted energy is channelised and burnt up - thats fine. But IF it is left to react with the rest of your system - disaster starts. And the same probably goes for all other maladies of the body. Eat well - Eat Gourmet - Let your inner body deal with the enzymes neccessary to digest and extract the maximum from your food. You may be overweight - but thats fine - Your Body knows you are overweight and thus treats anything that you injest as it should. Your mind is like a good manager - not formally trained but learning on the job - from within. Start worrying and have stress - then your mind has more to deal with. Enzymes for digestion mix up with enzymes for handling stress and THAT my friends is where the problem starts.

The Budhist chants, the Hindu chant of Om, the silent christian prayer and Allah ho Akbar were all meant to take your thoughts away - to let your body relax. These very tools of good health are today the cause of stress.

It isn't just religion that does this to you. The very doctors, entrusted with providng medical care, don't often realise that the very sight of their white uniforms ( or green uniforms) and the smell of formaldehyde and other disinfectants that make hospital smells so unique - get 'eveil' enzymes pumping into our system and thus act as the 'accelerator' of our ailments. A common headache - gets worse the more you think about it.

Eat Drink and be Merry - is just fine. Worry about it and the Chain Reaction starts. Each of us can become our own doctors for minor ailments. Hakuna Matata a phrase we call came to know so well after Disney popularised it in The Lion King. But its good for Monkeys and its good for us too. Dont Worry - Be Happy someone crooned. Do just that and live a stressfree life.

Maybe I should proclaim a new religion - a religion of the faithless faithfull.

Bumsters or Bombs! A debate

Thursday,5th February, 2009

Just back from The Gambia Business Forum at the Kairaba Beach Hotel. Today's guest speaker was Aliou Secka - the Chairman of The Gambia Hotel Owners Association - who spoke on Tourism matters concering The Gambia.

A little country of 1.4 million people. I did find it very refreshing that the topics of discussion were on improvement of standards, the declining tourists, ways to improve arrivals including offering an all inclusive package, etc. However one important and pertinent point discussed was the so called 'menace' of 'bumsters' - a colloquially inheritted name for young Gambian boys who try to befriend tourists with the hope of being favoured by them - and eventually becoming guarantors of a passage to Europe. While this may be seen by many as an irritant - what strikes me in todays world is that in other tourist destinations, tourists are worried about the security, attacks, safety while walking the streets. Mugger, murderer, organ thief, con-man are the thoughts that pass through my head when a stranger approaches elsewhere - Here all theyre looking for is eventually a shortcut to a presumably better life. Dear tourists to The Gambia. Come on - The Gambia is trying to improve - Don't use Bumsters as the excuse to stay away. I'd rather be bumstered than bombed!

A short story on Bumsters - 

Seedy is 13 years old. He belongs to an extended family of 13. He lives in this extended African family with his mother, an uncle and about 10 half brothers and sisters in Latrikunda in Banjul. (I could easily write more about the extended family culture in Africa that is in a way similar to the Joint family situation in India - but that would require a whole new chapter. Moreover the reasons for the creation of extended and joint families are quite different - though their 'living' situation is quite similar.) 

Seedy goes to to the Latrikunda upper basic school but his mind is never on studies. He dreams to emmulate his older brother, Tche( short for Cherno - pronounced Chey - a name quite popular here, in honour of the famous South American 'Guevera'). Tche was the first in the inner circle of Seedy's family to successfully 'get away' 

to Copenhagen. Several years ago Tche, 18, met Isabel, 55, Scandinavian tourist in Banjul. Isabel was single, lonely, divorced,... (there are several more adjectives to describe cold life in cold countries) living off her state pension and decided to come to The Gambia on a whim. Her first visit was very memorable as she not only found warmth in the country, She found warmth with her guide too. Her guide, Tche, several years younger then, looked after Isabel in every way possible and their relationship had turned from comfort and lust, to love for her and from dreams into reality for him. They got married in The Gambia amidst traditional fervour of Tam-Tam drums, 'honking-motorcades' et al. For Isabel it was what she could have never asked for earlier. A devout companion willing to do anything - not just for money, but for a future. 

His future. 

What this future was, no one really knows. But what "key" did this gateway to this future need? To provide companionship? To meet the needs - both moral ,social & physical of the partner. This was and is an ideal Win Win. (My friend John Rao may accuse me of 'plagiarism of thought' and thus I shall give him credit here for constantly driving this into my head on several occassions when we discussed the issue in Banjul - over several bottles of Julbrew I must needlessly admit). The Win Win aspect. An elderly European lady - getting someone to look after her in the coldest years of her European life. And an otherwise disgruntled youth, who's immense energy was now being channelled towards achieving his dreams. What were these dreams. To travel to Europe. Why? For a better life? In a certain way to explore different lands - looking for treasures? Not much different from the dreams of Marco Polo or Columbus - and more pertinently - those of Mungo Park who died exploring the Niger river via The Gambia ( sans Visa sans Passport - as many modern African argue - 'He came with a Boat to explore our lands and we're just doing the same now - just a few years later!!' they say, indignantly justifying the 'pirogue' expeditions of african youth attempting to travel to Europe via North African seas - Sans Visas too - being objected to by the European Union! ( I must once again admit that there are a large number of Asian - Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Srilankan youth who make a fateful trip from home through west africa to attempt a similar voyage). Back to Tche and Isabel - they no longer live together. But that brief union sparked off a 'Tche-ain' reaction in Tches family. Tche visits every year bringing gifts for Seedy and all other cousins and members of the extended family. The gifts vary from mobile phones for the more dear or chocolates or trinkets or scarves for the rest. And in those gifts lies not only the surprise and pleasure of the gift. In it lies the dream. And the path to that dream as well.

Thus Seedy, on his way to school and especially after school, has his mind on every tourist bus that passes. When will Seedy find his 'Isabel'?

I'm sure that the above scenario can be debated for long. Is this an ideal situation for every tourist or for that matter and more importantly - for every Seedy? The answer is No. Certainly not. But as is with the issue of child labour and those seeking to forcefully arrest and stop it or ridicule it, remember that those children are bread winners (for themselves and thier families too).They should be given another channel, well prepared to ensure that it is not a stop gap solution. Pick up a child from a factory and send them to a remand home, where they could be equally exploited. Those championing the cause against child labour should have not just a solution, but a lasting and more rewarding solution. Take a child away from a labour situation only if you can provide the child with an alternate souce of income and more importantly - find a reliable source of income for the family. Else the child will be pushed back and probably into a more perilious and denigrating source of remuneration.

I'd suggest that, rather than hounding the factories with sting operations, use the funds spent on such operations together with funding from organisations that spend billions oon ineffective monitoring - to improve conditions in every factory employing children - and for free. Provide a system of education for all employees. Thereby the owners of factories will be productive and protected and money will be wisely spent. Win Win again. Of course there is no parallel between Tche's 'employment' and Child labour. But there lies a similarity between Seedys aspirations and of children in those factories.

The European Union, Ive often repeated, would have had far less a problem of the 'backway' syndrome had they spent some efforts developing industry and civic amenities in the lands they colonised. 

And in the case of Seedy's and Tche's, we must make sure that, while we curtail the present key to their aspirations, they do not land up on the streets, using methods far more sinister than soliciting friendships for their gateway to Europe, methods like peddling drugs or mugging tourists in an attempt to find shorter short-cuts to their aspirations in life.

Ram Mohan, Banjul,THE GAMBIA

The 'Hussain' Within

If you live in the part of the world that I Live in, it is quite 'paradoxical' that at the mention of 'Barack Obama' one hears loud cheer for a fellow African 'albeit American'. The distance of this American from anything African is forgotten in the Euphoria that one of 'OURS' is President of the Country we hate and love most. The sense of ownership of Obama by Africa is almost ultimate.

Yet, the mention of his middle name 'Hussain' creates a sort of blind reverse baptism. 'All is forgiven - Come Back Home' is the rhetoric invisibly heard. It becomes a matter of pride or insult, whether at his Inauguration, he will use his seemingly inconsequential middle name officially or not. As Obama raised his left hand to take the Oath of Office, one could almost hear the bated breath of tele-african viewers, whether he would embrace them or alienate them - The millions of African Muslim viewers. The African Christians have already their claim on him.

He starts, "I, Barack Hussain..........." and the rest of the Inauguration pledge is drowned in internal pride. The Oath over, the African euphoria explodes. 'He's African' they chant and 'HE IS one of us.....' "He IS A Muslim" a dancing stranger proudly exclaims!

The Ownership of Obama by Africa is now Complete.

Eight Days a Week

All we need is Love Babe - The Beatles sang.

All WE need is TIME Guys
Just you wait and see
Eight Days a Week? "Get up dust yourselves and lets Get America working again" - Obama appeals to the American people in his National address.

All He needs is Time to get the turn around done. He now has the power, the money, the support, the ratings of the US People, the Veto and everything else that 'desire' could name on Mother Earth. Everything - except the one thing that his predeccesor, George W Bush was able to take away from Obama and the American people - TIME. Time wasted for 8 years. Time is overtaking the Americans.

For those who haven't read Ryszard Kapuscinski's 'Shadow of the Sun' - he has a wonderful bit on Time and Africa. He implies that Westerners are slaves of Time while Africans have conquered Time. A European would run to the Bus station because the Bus leaves at 10.32 or for a meeting that would start on time (even if the passengers or people were not there, he implies) - thus becoming slaves of the clock and not of the purpose. Time in Africa is a slave of the People and thus is 'people centric' - Get into a bus and ask the driver when the bus would leave - the obvious answer (after your silly question has been ridiculed) would be 'When the Bus is Full'!!!. When does the meeting Start? Of course stupid! When the people are all there!!!

President Obama! The bus is full and the people are all here too! But do you have enough TIME???

On what's special about Obama's Election

I don't think that the euphoria over Obama's election should be about an African American making it to the Citadel of American Power and thus exhibiting the triumph of Civil Rights. America in my opinion overcame those barriers quite some time ago. The African American community have had several members rising to high offices in American politics and governance - Senators, Governers, Secretaries of State as well - exhibiting that African-Americans who had it in them, could make it. Obama had it in him. He became President. Of course an African American becoming President makes excellent story and nostalgia material - a story of triumph of the Blacks - from abject Slavery to ultimate Power - but this could have happened many many years ago too. They just didn't have the right candidate.

Why I think Obamas election is special - is because he did it with backing from the people. It was his ability to get the 50 cents and the 5US$ contributions to count that makes it truly amazing. The parody is that small things like chads (dimpled and hanging ones equallly) brought George Bush into power. Small things magnified a million times, brought Obama and a new era in. Arundhati's 'God of Small Things' has a new significance here.

Mathematics Simplified

We've been having some interesting posts on various theories on Mathematics. The Trachtenberg system and other interesting theories. What I found more interesting, apart from the video clip above was the percentage theory that my sister Nandita presented using Mathematics and Numerology -
I QUOTE
From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:
If: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.
Then : H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K = 8+1+18+4+23+ 15+18+11 = 98%
And: K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E = 11+14+15+23+ 12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%
But: A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E =1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%
END QUOTE

Thus, using our Attitude is important. We did so - with a little research and introspection with things that concern us a lot more in our daily lives, and we, The Non T-Totalitarians (as opposed to that complicated breed of Tee-Totalers) came up with equally interesting mathematical arguments :-

W-A-T-E-R Gave us a measly 67%
I-C-E an abyssmal 17% ( Proving that as temperatures went down, so did the percentage yeild)
But add some W-H-I-S-K-Y =84% and we get 168%
M-I-L-K, T-E-A & C-O-F-F-E-E turn up poor percentages too
0-R-A-N-G-E J-U-I-C-E doesnt do too badly with a 91% but then
VODKA TONICS , RUM N COCA-COLA all score over 105%

Researching this further - we found that SEX with BOOZE scored far over ATTITUDE, KNOWLEDGE or HARDWORK!!
Ram