Thorn Tree Gossip Your pen, Lokhi, is getting mightier and mightier.

I admit I have never heard of a thorn tree.From your description it has a flower that resembles a yellow tennis ball. (There was a time, decades ago, when tennis balls were kind of creamy white).A flower, like a young chick just out of the shell,such a soft and lovely creature one loves to fondle,that sadly ends up in the fondler's stomach after a few full moons.

The tree here knows the truth. The women only guess and scandalise! Very nice imagery!

v.s.gopalakrishnan

The Guava Woman’s Crèche The readers' interest is buoyed up as the poem is pored over.

The ending words are so marvellous "..own alfreso creche of tree and sari" !

"Alfresco creche" has an unbeatable beauty.
V.S.Gopalakrishnan

Identity and Synergy - Classical Music and Film Song Dear Ranjit,
Guru-shishya parampara is almost gone.Gandharva Mahavidyalaya classes (Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya system) for youngsters is really good enough.I have finished madhyama exam in vocal through ABGMB only.

Yes,boring artists of classical music,is a calamity.There are some so-called stalwarts whom I do not wish to listen to.I will not name them here.Those whom I like are Jasraj,Veena Sahasraduddhe,Kishori Amonkar and many others. If you find someone boring through experience, simply do not buy his CDs ! You can always keep buying CDs of those artistes who please you.There is individual subjectivity coming into play here.

I have nothing against people listening to Himesh.He is the modern Mukesh.( I had referred to a "Ganja" and I find it is Ganjawala, not Ganjapure ; no disrespect meant anyway!).In fact,I have grown with Hindi film songs.I now have this "magic-sing" brand karaoke with an in-built chip containing about 600 Hindi film songs, that I quickly plug on to a TV and start singing a Rafi or Kishore or Mukesh ! It costs only Rs.9000 in Mumbai (it is made in S.Korea) and is very reasonably priced considering its technology since you do not have to handle cumbersome CDs or cassettes.Anyone can email me ()and I can tell/him the name and address of the distributor. See, I am NOT against film music at all!
V.S.Gopalakrishnan

Identity and Synergy - Classical Music and Film Song Hi everybody,
Now,Kulharee's first comment has been commendably cleared! I appreciate what he said.

I agree,"classical" will be special;it is age-old and it tends to stay permanent with some changes over time, WHEREAS
Film music is for the MASSES. So, naturally,film songs would be much more popular than classical music.What I am trying to say is that if something is possible to influence and educate the mind of the youth, let us do it so that when they grow up,they don't find classical music forbidding or alien or orthodox or unattractive but are in a position to straightaway appreciate it and enjoy it.

Now,I am changing my mind about "compulsion" to learn music in schools.Yes,there is no point in thrusting music -learning down the throats of the uninterested.However, every school should have a variety of musical instruments and also proper teachers so that youngsters have full opportunity to indulge in music,quite optionally.
V.S.Gopalakrishnan

Identity and Synergy - Classical Music and Film Song Re: # 1
Dear Kulharee,

I am glad you are a tabla player, besides being an economist.You have musical background and so your comments are important to me.

Firstly I did not understand what you implied by the sentence containing "this article written 20/30 years ago".My article is fresh.

Secondly, you asked what use there was if young generation simply knew the names of ragas.The idea is that in due course of time the youngsters can be able to relate melodies to ragas and as they mature this would have laid the foundation for their developing an interest in classical music.

Thirdly, I agree with you that music should be made compulsory in schools.For example,in Germany,music is a compulsory subject in "gymnasiums".They call their high schools "gymnasium".One can learn any instrument.Almost every German can play an instrument.Strange that music did not temper them but they ran amuck like passioned murderers under Hitler !

Fourthly, I have always found Hindustani more aesthetical than Carnatic.There are some tuneful Carnatic songs (kritis) that I like listening to.Most of carnatic compositions tend to be clinical and technically faultless when rendered but not very nice for the ears (my ears at least).

-V.S.Gopalakrishnan

A tribute: To Revathy Gopal Lokhi,

An immensely touching poem,sensitively and passionately
chiselled.The words are striking and the imageries are appropriate and brilliant.If Revathy has so deeply touched you,Lokhi,you can imagine the blast she has left on me, her life partner.Let the Sarawathi in you take you to great poetic heights.
V.S.Gopalakrishnan

Young and Old Lakshmi Mukundan alias Lokhi Menon has written a beautiful article, full of sensitivity and passion.An old, very sick and immobile mother is still precious to the children.I am very sorry to learn that Lakshmi's mother passed away on 3rd Oct 2007.

A timely tribute to a living mother when she was on her last
legs.

V.S.Gopalakrishnan

The Deal--a Satire Dear Mazhar Butt,

Congratulations! You have poured your heart out, and that is possible only through poetry! And excellent poetry yours is!

V.S.Gopalakrishnan

The Deal--a Satire Dear Mazhar Butt,

Congratulations! You have poured your heart out, and that is possible only through poetry! And excellent poetry yours is!

V.S.Gopalakrishnan

No Choice But This Hello,Sheela Jaywant.Nice to know you are writing more.The play seems to have been carefully crafted by you.I shall read it carefully and enjoy it.
Gopal
(V.S.Gopalakrishnan)

God is a Metaphor If God is a metaphor, idol-worship is also a metaphor. It is not the pure stone that one worships but the spirit of god in the cut-stone that has a metaphorical connotation.

There is a story. Vivekananda asked an atheist king to spit on a photo of himself. The king could not do it. The photo is after all just plain paper. Yet, that paper carries a spirit (an image) and that is the mataphorical truth.

I liked this artile.

V.S.Gopalakrishnan

Sanskritization, de-Sanskritization and Colonial Rule I am afraid the only real point this article makes is that the caste-system was flexible in olden times but has become rigid in the modern times. However, this is a dangerous generalisation that the author has attempted. The title of the article is misleading and has no real relevance to the author`s main thesis.

I may remark that ``Sanskritisation` and `de-Sanskritisation` were real historical developments in the evolution of South Indian languages. (The author may not know it). In the first millennium, Sanskrit words sneaked into the pristine Tamil language over centuries and that kind of process later on happened in respect of Malayalam, Kannada etc. At one point of time, more than a thousand years ago, a sort of compromised Tamil language was used called MANIPRAVALAM (meaning mani, pearl, that is sanskrit, conjoined with pravalam, namely coral, standing for pure Tamil). The dravidian movements in Tamil Nadu in the last century aimed at de-sanskritization of Tamil which had many sanskrit-derived words. The author`s title to the article, in the light of such facts, is hopelessly misleading. In fact castes have nothing to do with sanskrit as such, barring the religious texts as a whole where the brahmin alone would have been relevant.

V.S.Gopalakrishnan

Medical Lessons from the Death of a Poet Re: # 7

dear nb,

Thanks for your mostly valid observations.

Before the Ct scan of abd/pelvis, the patient has to drink that damn coloured liquid to the extent of one and a half litres. How is this possible for a gastritis patient WHO VOMITS AT THE DROP OF A HAT (sorry for bringing in the hat!)?

The cancer was very aggressive and hence three months prior treatment could have meant a lot to the patient.

Regards
V.S.Gopalakrishnan

Medical Lessons from the Death of a Poet Re: # 5

dear bjkumar

You are one of those learned and keen types as I have observed, and I have noticed from your earlier comments that you admired my wife`s writings immensely.Thanks. Yes, no cancerous demise can diminish the value of her expressed thoughts.

Regards
V.S.Gopalakrishnan

Medical Lessons from the Death of a Poet Re: # 4

Dear harimau,

i salute your wide knowledge. thanks for your comments.

in revathy`s case, the first problem was the lump in the breast. the surgeon who handled it WAS a pure cancer specialist in that body-section. when the uterus problem cropped up soon thereafter, we followed the `proper channel` procedure - carrying the uterus sonography report to him - which was disastrously cut short by non-referral to a gynaec along with advice loaded with false hopes.

Hope the position is clear.

Regards
V.S.Gopalakrishnan

Medical Lessons from the Death of a Poet Re: # 3

dear Zina,
your comments are valuable and medically very perceptive. thanks.

for breast/uterine cancer, AVASTIN is the MAB (monoclonal antibody)
that is prescribed.

regards
V.S.Gopalakrishnan