…and one was made to believe that the ideology of communism and state ownership of enterprises had (deservedly) ended with the fall of the Iron Curtain!

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Detroit versus Wall Street

It’s bailout time again!

My previous post was about Sam Bahadur’s motorcycle. This one is about his car. This picture was published in an auto magazine which interviewed Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw when he was 90 years young. You can read the full article in this link.

Sam Bahadur with his immaculately maintained Sunbeam Rapier in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu . . .

Image: Hormazd Sorabjee

On a related note, this is one of Chennai’s war memorials – the Victory War Memorial. There is a larger one (the Madras War Cemetery) located in another part of the city. This memorial was originally built to remember those who laid down their lives in the First World War between 1914 – 1918. The Victory War Memorial has the names of all the 1,039 men who died in the First World War inscribed on it. It honours 936 men from the forces of the United Kingdom and 103 from undivided India. Later, minor additions were made to remember those who laid down their lives in the other wars, including the 1971 Indo-Pak War . . .

(The second photograph was taken by me and is copylefted. You are welcome to use it.)

Related post:

The Motorcycle Diaries (Part 3) – Sam Bahadur’s motorcycle

I was reading about the world summit on the global food crisis that is taking place in Rome with great interest when I was shocked to read this news report about the United Nations Conference on Trade And Development (UNCTAD) blaming India and China for the rising food prices.

UNCTAD’s Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi said at the summit, ”As rising demand for food resulting from economic growth in such countries as China and India has combined with droughts and high energy prices, the basic cost of food has climbed 54 per cent in the past 12 months.”

The folks at UNCTAD should either find a way to increase food production or they should blame the developed countries and not India and China . . .

Image: www.healthline.com

The President of the USA, George W. Bush said something similar recently, but one could dismiss it as a meaningless statement from a differently disabled duck of a President who is nearing the end of his political career. But such a statement coming from someone like the Secretary-General of UNCTAD is very surprising indeed. What surprises one even more is the fact that Supachai Panitchpakdi is from Thailand, a country that is similar to India and China in several ways, except land area.

What does the UNCTAD Secretary-General’s statement mean? It means that India and China are pushing up world food prices because of increased demand for food products in the two Asian giants. It means that the developed countries can get away with the utterly wasteful lifestyle of their citizens, but the two Asian countries must not aim to get rid of hunger in their countries. It means that the citizens of India and China should not buy adequate food but the developed countries can get away with burning large quantities of grains to keep prices under control while millions of people are starving in Africa. It means that India and China should not attempt to get rid of poverty and undernourishment in their countries but the developed world can get away with unfair trade practices that are robbing millions of Africans of what is rightfully theirs. In short, it means that India and China should perpetually keep their citizens in poverty to enable the citizens of the developed countries of the world get away with their wasteful lifestyles! To sum it up in three words, despicable double standards!

I do not know about China, but let me present a few facts about my beloved country:

# While the food and fuel consumption of the middle classes and above (about 300 million) has increased because of economic growth, there are hundreds of millions of people who still live in poverty in India. Their calorific intake is quite low and they use very little fuel – kerosene/LPG (in urban areas) and firewood/charcoal/bio-gas (in rural areas) for cooking, no fuel for heating – except for a few states that need heating only in winter, India is a hot tropical country that needs no heating, and very little fuel for their vehicles as they use public transport or bicycles or small mopeds for commuting. So even if one takes the average food and fuel consumption of Indians, it is way, way behind the developed countries. Actually, it would be closer to the poor countries of the world. So why the hell should UNCTAD blame India?

# India’s population has a large percentage of vegetarians. I do not have any figures for this, but I am sure that India would have the highest percentage of vegetarians among all the countries of the world, unlike China whose population is mostly non-vegetarian. So how the hell can UNCTAD blame India for rising food prices around the world?

# India is largely self-sufficient in food production and is even a net exporter of food. So how the hell can India be responsible for rising food prices around the world?

The developed countries are responsible for the rising prices of fuel and not India . . .

Image: www.classiccarrestorationparts.com

# India is the second largest two-wheeler market in the world, after China, but 99% of those two wheelers are ultra fuel efficient, low capacity (with an engine capacity of less than 200cc), low emissions motorcycles, scooters and mopeds. India’s emission norms are quite strict, just a notch below those of the E.U. and much, much better than those in China. Also, electric scooters are becoming very popular in India these days.

# India’s car ownership figure is 7 per 1000, compared to China’s 10 per 1000, Mexico’s 142 per 1000, South Korea’s 218 per 1000, Qatar’s 335 per 1000, Japan’s 441 per 1000, the USA’s 465 per 1000, Germany’s 546 per 1000, Canada’s 561 per 1000, Italy’s 590 per 1000, New Zealand’s 592 per 1000 and Luxembourg’s 647 per 1000. So who the hell is UNCTAD trying to fool?

# About 80% of the cars sold in India are eco-friendly, fuel-efficient, compact cars that meet the government norms for small cars – less than 4m in length with an engine capacity of less than 1200cc for petrol/gasoline engined cars and less than 1500cc for diesel engined cars. Though there is no weight limit for small cars, almost all compact cars weigh less than 1150kg. Compare this with the ugly, humungous, fuel-guzzling, fume-spewing cars, SUVs and pick-up trucks that litter the roads of North America. How the hell can UNCTAD blame India for rising fuel prices around the world when the fault lies with the developed countries?

# Thanks to the government’s policy of encouraging compact car production, India is all set to become the global hub for the design, development and manufacture of compact but spacious and comfortable, light but safe, ultra fuel efficient, ultra low emissions and affordable cars like the Tata Nano. One international car manufacturer who was churning out ugly, humungous, fuel-guzzling and fume-spewing SUVs and pick-up trucks has been forced to shut down four plants that manufacture such vehicles due to rising fuel prices. Tata Motors has aggressive plans to market the Nano in the E.U., African, Latin American and ASEAN markets, so now there is a mad scramble by international (and Indian) car manufacturers to develop their own cars that adhere to the ‘nano’car philosophy of affordable, fuel-efficient, eco-friendly, safe and comfortable personal transport. So why the hell should UNCTAD blame India? If anything, they should thank India for showing the way forward to the rest of the world!

I am also surprised by the United Nations’ Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s statement that countries should not put export bans in place. That is a ridiculous statement from the UN Secretary-General. What does Mr. Moon want food exporting countries to do? Let the rising food prices lead to food riots within their countries? In times of crises, Mr. Moon, it is every country for itself and its people! Afterall, democracy is supposed to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people of that country!

If UNCTAD still wants to blame India for the ills of the world that are caused by the utterly wasteful lifestyles of the citizens of the developed countries, then it is time for the world to throw out that organisation lock, stock and barrel and find more competent people to do the job!

Dual Fuel Cars running on Automotive Liquified Petroleum Gas (also known as Auto LPG, ALPG, or by their brand names) and petrol/gasoline are becoming increasingly popular in India. We have always had taxis and autorickshaws as well as a few private vehicles that strapped on ALPG kits to cut down on running costs, but now, with rapidly rising fuel prices, manufacturers are coming out with dual fuel cars that come with factory-fitted ALPG kits.

A model of an Auto LPG filling station . . .

Image: http://peso.gov.in

Benefits of Auto LPG

# ALPG is a clean burning, high octane, environment friendly fuel.
# ALPG produces less greenhouse gas emissions than other fossil fuels.
# Auto LPG follows the natural gas price graph more than the crude oil price graph.
# Unlike CNG(Compressed Natural Gas), Auto LPG is available throughout the country.
# ALPG is the only viable fuel which gives the economy of a diesel engine, emissions of a CNG engine and the performance of a petrol engine.
# Unlike CNG, Auto LPG is not stored at a very high pressure, so the additional weight of an ALPG tank is less when compared to that of a CNG tank.
# Manufacturers claim savings of upto 50,000 INR (750 EUR/ 1170 USD) p.a. depending on the car and the usage.

Advantages of cars with factory-fitted Auto LPG kits

# Since the kit is incorporated into the design by the manufacturer, it is much safer.
# Manufacturers modify the Electronics running the engine to use both Auto LPG and petrol/gasoline so the loss in power and torque is usually negligible.
# Factory-fitted kits usually use space saving toroidal ALPG tanks to save boot space.
# Factory-fitted kits come with a manufacturer’s warranty for both the car and the kit. Fitting after market ALPG kits on your car may violate the warranty conditions specified by the manufacturer.
# Road tax concessions may be offered by your local transport authorities depending on where you live.

The only disadvantages that I can think of are a slight loss of performance due to the increased weight of the vehicle and the negligible drop in power and torque figures and a loss of boot space depending on the size of the Auto LPG tank.

I searched the websites of Indian car manufacturers and discovered that the following cars and vans come with factory-fitted ALPG kits, but more manufacturers have planned launches in the near future:

# Chevrolet Spark LPG
# Hyundai Accent Executive eco LPG
# Hyundai Santro Xing eco LPG
# Maruti Suzuki 800 Duo
# Maruti Suzuki Omni LPG
# Maruti Suzuki WagonR Duo
# Mitsubishi Cedia ALPG
# Tata Indica Xeta LPG

A Spanish/Latin American blogger friend of mine has a blog dedicated to alternate fuels called Jatrophaonline. He invited me to share links and posts about alternate energy sources. I am delighted to join him in his mission to write blog posts about alternate fuels. This post is the first one in a series dedicated to alternate sources of energy.

The prime sources of bio-fuel are bio-ethanol extracted from molasses used in Spark Ignition engines that use petrol/gasoline as fuel and bio-diesel extracted from Jatropha curcas used in Compression Ignition engines that use high speed diesel as fuel. There are many other promising and sustainable sources from which bio-fuels can be extracted. One of them is the Pongamia pinnata tree.

Flowers of the Pongamia pinnata . . .

Image:Wikimedia commons

Pongamia pinnata is the binomial name for a tree that one may have come across daily, especially if you live in South India. It is known by many common names but let us use the genus name Pongamia for ease of understanding. This tree is a part of folklore in South India. According to South Indian lore, if you have a Pongamia tree in your backyard and sit under it every day, you will receive the nourishment and vitality you need to overcome problems caused by extremes of wind, water, or fire. This bit of folklore may prove to be prophetic. The Pongamia tree has the potential for transforming the struggling villages of today into tomorrow’s havens of prosperity and tranquility, and at the same time, restoring their rich heritage of rural self-sufficiency. I provide some more information about the Pongamia tree, its characteristics and the traditional uses of the tree. The information has been taken from Wikipedia.

Pongamia is a deciduous tree that grows to about 15-25 metres in height with a large canopy that spreads equally wide. The leaves are a soft, shiny burgundy in early summer and mature to a glossy, deep green as the season progresses. Small clusters of white, purple, and pink flowers blossom on their branches throughout the year, maturing into brown seed pods. The tree is well suited to intense heat and sunlight and its dense network of lateral roots and its thick, long taproot make it drought tolerant. The dense shade it provides slows the evaporation of surface water and its root structures promote nitrogen fixation, which moves nutrients from the air into the soil. Withstanding temperatures slightly below 0°C to 50°C and annual rainfall of 5–25 dm, the tree grows wild on sandy and rocky soils, including oolitic limestone, but will grow in most soil types, even with its roots in salt water.

Known by many names, it is a leguminous tree that’s well-adapted to arid zones and has many traditional uses. It is often used for landscaping purposes as a windbreak or for shade due to the large canopy and showy fragrant flowers. The bark can be used to make twine or rope and it also yields a black gum that is used to treat wounds caused by poisonous fish. The flowers are used by gardeners as compost for plants requiring rich nutrients. Although all parts of the plant are toxic and will induce nausea and vomiting if eaten, the fruits and sprouts, along with the seeds, are used in many traditional remedies. Juices from the plant, as well as the oil, are antiseptic and resistant to pests. In addition the Pongam tree has the rare property of producing seeds of 25-35% lipid content. The seed oil is an important asset of this tree having been used as lamp oil, in soap making, and as a lubricant for thousands of years. This oil is rapidly gaining popularity as an important source of fuel for diesel engines.

It is obvious from the above information that, like Jatropha curcas, Pongamia pinnata has a great potential to be used as a sustainable source of extracting bio-diesel. Pongamia does not have to be grown on agricultural land at all. It can be cultivated on a large scale in areas that are unfit for cultivating food crops. It can also be grown on the margins of roads and fields and in backyard gardens. This hardy tree not only provides shade from the harsh sun, but also has been used for so many other purposes traditionally. And with the rising global oil prices caused by peak oil demand and depleting mineral oil sources, trees like the Pongamia that were always there could find a new use.

Rudolf Diesel, the German engineer who invented the Compression Ignition engine that was named after him, actually designed his engine to run on vegetable oil and not mineral oil. Now, with mineral oil sources getting depleted at a fast rate, it looks like diesel engines will have to go back to the very oil that he used to run his first engine. I salute the great visionary, Rudolf Diesel, an engineer who was way ahead of his times.

Mother Nature always has an answer to our prayers! Our beautiful Earth has more than enough to satisfy the need of everyone but not enough to satisfy the greed of even a few!

You can download and read a wonderful article in pdf format called Seeds of Hope by Ishan Tigunait.

This post is not about any diplomat but the Hindustan Ambassador car.I heard that the Ambassador may be discontinued in the future as it does not meet the next generation safety norms.I am not a fan of the Ambassador as I have seen her somewhat poor performance in real life crash situations.The structure of the car usually does not get damaged badly but the occupants are at a greater risk than in other cars.However,I do have a few memories of travelling in this car.

You can read more about the car on this link.For several years,only three cars (and their variants) were sold in India.They were the Hindustan Ambassador(derived from the Morris Oxford),the Premier Padmini(derived from the Fiat 1100 D) and the Standard Herald/Gazel(derived from the Triumph Herald).Ofcourse,all that changed in the eighties.The Standard Herald and the Premier Padmini are long gone now,but the Ambassador(Amby) continues to be sold to this day.The car is mainly used as the official car of bureaucrats and politicians apart from being used as cabs and taxis in almost all the cities across the country.I have also seen a few people who love the car so much that they have a carefully maintained example(usually their first car) in their garage,even if they have a different car for everyday use.I do not fall under any of the above categories,so my views about the car are quite neutral.

I will narrate two incidences that I simply cannot forget when I think about this car.Both of them are about Ambys that were used as cabs.The first one is a somewhat scary one that is etched permanently in my mind.Six of us(including the chauffeur-some variants of the car seat six people,others seat five) were travelling in the car along a fairly deserted two-lane highway at night.We were cruising along at about 80 k.m.p.h.,enjoying the cool night air and some film and pop music,when from nowhere,like a bolt out of the blue,two cows ran onto the road a few metres infront of the car.(This is not a rare occurrence at all on Indian roads and one should watch out for these highway cows).I braced myself for a terrible collision of the four-wheeled creature with the four-legged creatures,when the chauffeur performed the perfect ‘elk test’.(Read about the elk test on this link).Maybe I should use the word ‘cow test’ in the Indian context.In a car that steered like a ship and had weak brakes,the guy managed to slam the brakes to slow down the car but not enough to lock the wheels,drifted the car into the wrong lane(momentarily we all thought we were headed for the ditch) but somehow managed to bring her back into the correct lane just in time to avoid a collision with an oncoming truck.(We were lucky that the truck driver too slowed down in time).I am sure that any professional race or test driver would have been proud of that manoeuvre even if it was not performed in an Ambassador.The guy was regarded as the best of the lot in the company and we found out why.

The second one is about the only occasion when I got behind the wheel of an Amby.I had never driven an Amby before and was waiting for one such occasion.Again,it was a cab.I used to travel fairly long distances for two or three days in a week.I became a friend of the cab driver as we used to stop at small roadside cafes for a quick bite and some hot milk tea.

On one such occasion,I asked him,”Why don’t you take a break and let me drive for some time?I have never driven an Amby before and would like to do so”.

The guy said,”Oh!Have you never driven her before?You may try it as you have been missing something”.

I got behind the wheel of the car.It was a well maintained diesel engined Amby.At first,I found it a bit difficult to get comfortable in the driver’s seat as the wheel and the pedals were placed at a small angle from the perpendicular.I had to sit at a corresponding angle to make myself comfortable.The engine roared to life with an unmistakable clatter.I could feel the vibrations through the steering and the gear lever.It took me some time to get used to the gears.The less said about the brakes,the better.The acceleration was not up to the mark and the turning radius was greater than it should have been.But I did enjoy the experience very much !

When we reached home,I thanked him.

“How was it?”,he asked me as I got down.

“It is a unique car”,I told him,”very unique indeed”.

“There is no need to be diplomatic”,he replied with a smile,”I have driven several cars over the years and I know how it feels when compared to the others.But this car has been the only source of livelihood for me and my family over the last few years and we love her”.

“Yes,very true indeed”,I replied truthfully,”Whatever her flaws,the Amby has been a part of life in India for so long but sometimes,we do not give the old lady the respect that she deserves”.

It is because of guys like that hardworking chauffeur that the Amby has managed to live for so long.And it is because of guys like him that we have enjoyed the comfortable back seat of the Amby in our everyday lives.The front seat is not that comfortable.But the back seat is in a class of its own.

By the way,though the example I drove was the one with the old diesel engine,Ambys also come with more modern and more powerful diesel and petrol/CNG engines.Modern Ambys are also equipped with much better brakes,power steering and air-conditioning apart from other additional features and options.

But yes,we must let go of the dear old Amby.Our safety standards must be gradually brought on par with those of the E.U.It is good to see modern cars and multi-utility vehicles replacing Ambys as taxis.A few state governments are helping autorickshaw drivers replace their autorickshaws with taxis by providing them with loans at low interest rates.Rickety old buses are being replaced by much more comfortable ones.Air-conditioned low-floor city buses(with a special device for differentially-abled persons) are a fairly common sight in the metros.

India is becoming a global hub for small car production.Indian companies like Tata Motors are taking the lead in bringing safe,fuel-efficient and environment friendly cars like the Nano into the market at a price that is very affordable for many families.Families that had to use a motorcycle or a scooter till now will be able to travel safely.Pothole strewn highways are giving way to slick four-lane and six-lane expressways.Metro lines and Mass Rapid Transit Systems are being constructed in many cities.India is not a developed country by any stretch of the imagination but we are a country on the move ! We have just shifted into the second gear i.e. “inclusive development”.We need to make sure that everybody is treated equally and that no region gets left out of this development.India must shine for everyone before we can claim our rightful place in the international community.We should not turn a blind eye to our fellow citizens who are less fortunate than us.The day we find no alms-seekers or homeless people on our streets,the day when farmers are given a fair deal,the day when tribals get their fair share of development and modernity on their own terms,we can all say that India is shining !