Random thoughts 18092017

Does it surprise you to find a whole lot of apparently educated , supposedly intelligent and professedly neutral people getting carried away by propaganda and even abetting it by using twisted logic  ? Actually there is no surprise in all this muted support by these I-am-not-a-Bhakt-but types. These people are overwhelmingly from the urban middle-class category .

They feel happy with the grandiose dreams that are being shown to them and they also believe in them . They are also more selfish and eye both the rich and poor with a lot of animosity. But since they need the rich to get the bones from the table , they behave properly and wag their tails dutifully. Occasionally they complain with a whimpering voice to draw attention. But they are very particular about the strays that howl outside. They would never like the strays to enter the beautiful house because that would mean sharing of the bones. So at the behest of their capitalist bosses they bark, growl , chase away the weak pariahs and keep them away, as far as practicable from the gravy train.

And regarding the defence of everything the government does or actually doesn't , please remember that everything has its positives depending how you perceive and argue. It doesn't need great intellectual capacity or the mind of an ideologue to establish the benefit of something gross and unnecessary. Anybody can do that. You need a good propaganda machine to spread the benefits of  even something as unnecessary as snake oil. Don't believe me ? Then please read the next paragraph and tell me .

For example - Open defecation is also good. It helps to supply manure to the soil . This manure helps the grass to grow . That grass nourishes the cows grazing on the fields. Those cows give more milk . That extra milk helps the farmer to earn extra money . That extra money is spent on buying consumer goods. Those goods are sold with applicable GST. That GST goes to the government coffers. This money is spent on repaying loans . That enables us to take new loans to build Bullet trains. ..............

Hope you get the drift. 😑😶

Random thoughts 15092017

A lot is being made of how great a deal has been made on the so called Bullet train project by getting a huge loan at a negligible rate of interest. As if the loan doesn't need to be repaid at all.  And the loan has been availed without any strings attached for the development of India with the most altruistic reasons by the Japanese. If  the loan is so cheap that you don't have to pay almost no interest at all , then why not spend it on medical and educational infrastructure throughout the country instead of a high speed train system that will benefit only a particular region .  Belies logic.

How many medical colleges , hospitals  and research institutions could be built with this money , can you guess ? And they would all pay a huge dividend in terms of health, education , job creation and small scale industries instead of helping brokers from Gujarat to visit Mumbai and have their tipple. The whole thing is a total bullshit in terms of cost effectiveness and long range planning.

It is surprising how the simple fundamentals of the development narrative is being construed as a route to embark on grandiose schemes without bothering to address the priorities. The nearest analogy that comes to mind is that of a poor or middle class person splurging on the funeral of his father by inviting the whole village for a grand meal to show off his social commitments when the roof of his house is leaking and his children not even having school uniforms to wear.

By neglecting or abdicating the  responsibilities the governments , central or state are pushing the country into a dark hole . By 2020 onwards India will be the country with the largest population. Consequently we will also become the country with the largest population of aged , infirm , malnourished and illiterate. This will continue for years if the basics are not altered. Can you hear the time bomb ticking . And with due respect to the great votaries of free market , the situation can never be reversed , even arrested by outsourcing the administration of the social sectors to the private investors. The democratically elected government is by the people  and it has to work for the people. There can be no ifs and buts, justifications , comparisons or semantics. As of now there is no roadmap or efforts to address this fact of life that stares at us.

Along with that as a nation we will be constrained to live with a weak human genetic pool both physically and intellectually. Further , the absence of research in medicine , science and technology will make us perpetually dependent on the developed nations for our needs.  We will remain forever a hostage to the multinational corporations for medicines and technology.  Do we even understand the import of the neglect.  Indians were used as indentured labour to grow sugarcane in Caribbeans, lay railroad in Africa, coolies in Southeast Asia , fight wars in Afghanistan and Mesopotamia and presently write software codes in the Silicon valley. The service industry we boast of is just an exploitative system that thrives on our inadequacies . If we are happy with that then we can live in our fool's paradise as long as the fires of hell don't roast us.

Random thoughts 14092017

The speech made by the  Indian  National Congress  party VP  at Berkeley university was neither a great piece of oratory nor an erudite exposition . It was a simple , sober and straightforward speech without frills but with political overtones and he was candid enough to admit mistakes .  That a speech  by the de-facto head of their political rival should draw the ire of the ruling party is not surprising. But the reaction and the rebuttal of the speech by multiple press conferences and the deployment of more than two dozen Union ministers along with various party functionaries for this purpose is  somewhat jarring.

This overkill has two facets to it. Firstly the BJP is not ready , as is it's wont, to  allow even a small dent to their self created facade of  achievement and development , propped up by clever propaganda . They are ready to go all out for every opposition to their goals and agenda , whatever that may be. They are ready to use heavy artillery   for a seemingly innocuous criticism . And they want to show this to everybody else in a blatant display of power and arrogance.

Secondly they are still uncertain about their footing. In the heart of their hearts , they know very well that they have done nothing . Their agenda of hype over nationalism  has faded over the ground realities of non performance and  ground realities of a sluggish economy. The other divisive tactics of polarisation over religion , however is a poison ivy with deep roots and difficult to be uprooted . But more than that what gives them the inferiority complex is that the quality of the leaders and the governance that they offer fall much short of expectations . The personality cult aided by co-option has not really helped as no sensible person can continuously digest the gap between their promises made and delivered. Further nobody other than two persons and a close coterie of outsiders have any say on anything . And that includes people in the party with a lot of administrative and political experience.

But still they continue to be confident . And this confidence actually stems from the bunch of lazy, compromised, self seeking , fragmented and a directionless opposition who lend succour to the ruling party by default . Even as so many  Union ministers came out to speak against the said speech , hardly any opposition leader supported it. Even his own party did not put up a strong defense or bothered to highlight the contents of his speech. If that is not lethargy , then what is ?

The real worry of the political leaders in opposition is the drying up of funds and the spectre of CBI cases hanging on them , rightly or wrongly for their various ommissions and commissions. Actually , it is a sad commentary on our polity that the stronger opposition leaders who have a mass following are all compromised . Moreover their old style of politics involving  money and appeasement have been busted . The other point to note is that presently all these opposition political parties barring a few do not have any ideological locus standi to speak of . Their stance is guided more by opportunistic alignments but never against capitalism. Given a chance they will further the interests of crony capitalists themselves. The lip service to socialism and democracy that they profess actually has made the rise of fascism , capitalism and communalism possible in this country.  

Politics and its dimensions may have changed . But the basics have remained the same , in spite of the changes. Grass root mobilization , people's movement, opinion building  and mass participation are the four pillars of a political entity. But for this the leaders have to hit the roads and inhale the dust. Whatever opposition that the country sees now are in the realm of spontaneous outbursts of indignation.  But such outbursts have a tendency of getting corrupted by self seeking lumpen elements and lose their credibility.  What is needed now is a crystallisation of the opposition to really put up a fight .  Because the portents are getting murky . 2019 will be a make or break year . We may wish that 2004 will repeat itself but then wishes are not horses. And the  opposition can't  take voters as Santa Claus .

Dark night

Let this darkness prevail tonight,
we will explore
its unknown mystery  together.
Nothing else to come between us
in this pitch-black night ,
not even the scruples of morality.
The only reality of this night
is the union of our bodies
to the vertex of pleasure .
This night will not last forever
and when the dawn breaks in,
the lights from the skies will peep
to bring back those silly feelings
of guilt , pangs of regret .
So forget everything, 
be with me tonight
to savour the opportunity
provided to us by this dark night.
We will celebrate
the rites of darkness in ecstasy.
It doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong,
holy, unholy or sheer madness.
I love you and you love me,
and we need each other tonight
to complete the circle
of unfulfilled desire that binds us.

Lassitude

A lethargic  and humid afternoon ,
with no apparent reasons
to get busy  or even pretend
about some engagement.
I spend my time lazily
watching a cobweb
at the corners of the roof
swaying lightly with the fan .
I enjoy this illusion of stillness
that time weaves around me
like a giant spider .
Even as every moment perish
into oblivion , never to return.
Inertia takes over me
in its languorous embrace .
I take a deep breath
just to confirm that I'm alive
and everything is all right .
Then I close my eyes  to escape
from all that is right with my life
with a deep sense of abdication.

Random thoughts 11092017

You spend a lot of money for the education of your children. Sometimes a lot of money . Compared to the money spent on your own education by your parents, it may seem somewhat obscene  . But that gives you a feeling of satisfaction even if you are stretched beyond your means.You do  this to ensure a better future of your child . Because you are pragmatic  and believe that education is the best investment for the kid .

Let us stop here . If you believe that arranging the best education is a factor of your parental sentiment and your own expectations about the child , then I will accept it. Maybe it's not exactly correct to do so , but one can't argue over sentiments and feelings. But, what did you say, investment ?  Then please do a fact check like you do with all your investments. Are you investing your money wisely ? Are you sure that you are not wasting your money on an inferior product ? Do the education provided at all those places , beginning from the play-school to the coaching institutions worth their  money ?  And lastly , is your child getting to learn , appreciate and practice the value of his education or is it just an exercise to score brownie points over your neighbour .

There is no problem in doing your best to provide the best education for your child . But when it becomes an object of comparison like cars , flats, carpets or i-phones to show off your material status , it becomes a self fulfilling curse. Only, you realise it at a very late stage . And the price of your ambition or misplaced priorities is paid by the poor child . That is the tragedy .

Random thoughts 08092017

Often , I find many in my circle of friends and family ,who become very emotional and voluble on the subject of caste , particularly on caste based reservations  . Personally , I find the concept of caste to be obnoxious, abhorrent and inhuman.  But along with the same view let me also make it clear that  I do not support any form of reservation being extended till eternity to multiple generations of the same family. That creates the problem of privileges being usurped by the creamy layer within the so called backward castes  who monopolise and stop the flow of the benefits to those for whom it is intended , in the first place . But that is my personal observation and as a citizen of the country , I am expected to abide by the constitution and the laws passed by the legislature in a democratic country.

But clearly , even after seven decades , the blot of caste system has not been erased from our society , in particular from the followers of  the majority Hindu religion. From time to time, we come across different incidents , events and happenings which open our eyes to the proliferation of caste as a motif  in our social fabric .  A recent news item from Pune reveals that a lady  holding a senior level designation at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), has lodged an  FIR against another woman , who was employed as a cook by her , with charges of impersonation by suppressing her caste and marital status . Though news reports have not mentioned it, other allied charges  must also have been lodged against the accused , I am sure about it, because that is the way it is done. And mind it , all this happens  not in some rural hamlet , but in a city which is touted as high-tech and cosmopolitan .

It transpires that the requirement was for a married woman of Brahmin caste as a cook ostensibly for religious reasons and after more than a year of employment, the discovery that cook was neither a Brahmin nor married triggered the police complaint.  Now how or why the police accepted such an FIR is a bit of mystery to me as the logical corrollary should have been the immediate arrest of the complainant under the provisions of Article 15 of the Indian constitution which prohibits discrimination  on grounds of caste besides discrimination on grounds of religion, race, sex or place of birth .

I do not support the actions by the cook in falsifying her caste or marital status. But spare a thought for the reasons why she did it . It was to earn her living . When the certificates required for a job itself are such demeaning and discriminatory , where is the crime in faking them.  In a country where ministers and even army generals  have fake birth certificates and educational qualifications, she is now being hounded only because she is poor . Thank the heavens that she belongs to the same religion. Just imagine for a second , if she turned out to be a Christian or Muslim . What would have happened then ?  What would the lady do then ? How many kilos of Cowdung or how many buckets of Cowpiss  would have been required to purify ?

Some reports also refer the complainant as a Scientist . Now we can well imagine the level of science that is being pursued in the country by such noble souls. She is not alone .  We will find thousands of such "scientists"  in our country who still believe in the precedence of rituals in their religious beliefs and a strong conviction about the supremacy of their caste which they inherit by birth. As a citizen of the country these incidents shame us individually and collectively . As a person who was brought up as a Hindu , it  highlights the hollowness of the faith  which I am supposed to follow. As a literate person, it makes me wonder about the gaps in our education .

Shorn of the caste angle , the incident also provides insight to the faultlines of class conflict that exist  in the society  where the privileged can demand  and get the services of the underprivileged for a pittance. Suppose the cook was indeed  a Brahmin married lady . Then would this qualification enable  her to be treated at par with her employer socially?  If not , then what purpose does her higher- caste status serve ? And what happens to the principle of equality of all  ?  I don't have any answers to this.  I don't suppose the police inspectors bothered to consider all this ? As usual the administration represented by the police have done their job . They have sided with the socially powerful elite against a member of the less advantaged. The complainant can afford to engage lawyers to fight her case, the accused may not .

Let me very clear that even if it transpires later that the accused committed felony,  bore a bad character or any such accusations that can be made against her , the premises of discrimination done against her does not alter . She can be punished for all her acts of ommissions and commissions as provided under the law, but what about punishing a senior  government official for displaying such crass mentality and  disregard to the constitution.

And what about the Hindus ? Are they comfortable with this dominance by the upper castes to dictate on the religion or its rituals . If  anybody really thinks so, then my middle finger salute to the bigoted religious beliefs.

Excuse me please

Can we afford anymore
to sit and wait for them to understand,
those who don’t even understand
that they don’t understand.
There is a struggle that’s going on right now 
and you want me to be passive
because it’s dangerous to speak out .
You want me to sit through this rage,
you tell me to bear this pain
as it repeats again and then, again.
You want me to believe that this long list
of all these useless promises made
will come true one day.
You urge me to be patient
and give some more time
before it all folds up before my eyes,
all these values that I was taught to cherish.
Well you can say whatever you want,
but excuse me please;
I have no faith on these crooks.
They only sow the seeds of hatred
and leave us to reap
the hopeless harvest on desolate ruins .

Rohingiya

The Rohingiya problem at the borders of Bangladesh and Myanmar  has all the portents to snowball into a serious conflagaration. Most of the Indians have no idea about the country beyond Guwahati in the east. So it will be too much to expect from people to be aware about who are Rohingiya people and what the problem really is. To most people, it is just a case of Muslims facing oppression by the Myanmarese in the Rakhine state and creating a refugee problem for Bangladesh, who are in turn thwarting the efforts by the refugees to cross over. Juxtaposed with the Syrian refugee crisis, terrorism and in the Islamic connection to strife across the world it becomes a volatile political issue in the context of an increasingly polarised Indian society. While some are busy screaming about the injustice and torment to the Muslims, some are creating a hype about the influx of Muslim refugees into India, particularly in the eastern states. Because as it looks, as of now, these refugees will surely cross borders and reach Bangladesh, which itself contributes to a large number of refugees every year to India. So it is natural and logical to expect that a sizeable number of these refugees will ultimately reach India too.

While many may be feeling something exotic about the word Rakhine and wondering how to pronounce it , please note that the state was earlier known as Arakan , just as Myanmar was known as Burma. It lies in the north western part of Myanmar and borders Chittagong district of Bangladesh which means it is very close to India’s Tripura , Mizoram and Manipur states too. Arakan may seem to be some foreign sounding place now, but actually before the 1940s it was very much a common name to many Indians, especially Bengalis. There are many old storiesand novels in Bengali  which refer to Arakan and particularly the Mog tribe of Arakan, who were portrayed, rightly or wrongly as bloodthirsty and cruel looters. In fact, the great exodus of Bengalis from Burma which took place after Burma was separated from India as a separate country in 1937 has many horror stories of the travails faced by the Bengalis who had to leave their jobs, wealth and honour in Burma at a very short notice and flee the country. All this happened within the last 80 years, not very long ago. And just for reference, the famous writer Saratchandra Chattopadhyay lived in Burma for a few years and has authored some great novels in the backdrop of Burma too. Even Rabindranath Tagore and Bibhutibhushan 

So, the reference of Arakan or Rakhine should ring a bell for many, particularly the Bengalis. The genetic diversity of the Indian subcontinent is large and very much complex. And in the Northeast, it just becomes a profusion of tribes, races, religions mingled in a pot pourri , yet bearing deep seated hostilities against one another. This is a tragedy. Very often, we find the situation turning bad because of all these deep prejudices based on anthropological reasons which can’t be explained at the surface level by a linear or logical manner. It is very difficult to take sides in any conflict if one tries to analyse the situation in depth.   

Rohingiyas are basically the ethnic community who migrated from Bengal to Arakan province of Burma when it was captured by the Muslim rulers of Bengal in the 15th century.  The language spoken by the Rohingiyas  is  derived from Bengali though it sounds entirely different. This should not come as a surprise because people from West Bengal find it difficult to follow the language spoken by those from East Bengal and particularly the dialect of Sylhet and Chittagong will sound entirely alien to someone born and brought up in Kolkata or Burdwan.  They don't use the Bengali scrip but Arabic , Urdu, Burmese and even Roman script to write their language. Before this the province was ruled by Buddhist  and Hindu rulers. Though Rohingiyas are now synonymous with Muslim religion as a community , there are still few Rohingiyas from both Hindu and Buddhist faiths. But the overwhelming majority belongs to the Sunni Muslim sect.

During the World War II , the jungles of Arakan  saw fierce fighting between the Japanese and the Allied forces. During this period the British armed the locals , particularly the Rohingiyas to stall the Japanese and the Azad Hind  Army as the Burmese were by and large aligned to Japanese . The Japanese were ruthless with the people of whichever areas they occupied and committed huge atrocities in the Arakan and other provinces . The Rohingiya Muslims wanted to be a part of East Pakistan and had even approached Jinnah for this but he was not interested to poke into Burmese territory.

Burma received its independence in 1948  and as a British legacy inherited the Rohingiya problem along with Kachin and Naga problems . The Rohingiyas , now in minority felt the heat from the Buddhist dominated Myanmarese  establishment which  refused to integrate them with citizenship. They  now appear to be unleashing a ethnic cleansing operation against the Rohingiyas. That the Rohingiyas started a struggle for a separate state, preferably Islamic,  has not helped . With the radicalisation of Islamic belief worldwide and the growth of various  terrorist organisations like ISIS etc. claiming to uphold the Islamic banner the whole problem has now assumed a totally different dimension. An outfit called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA)  is presently at the forefront of bloody clashes with the Myanmar government. It was formed   by Rohingya living in Saudi Arabia . So the backers can be identified easily. The Myanmarese government labels them as Bengali insurgents , thereby implying that they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Because Myanmar  (what Burma is now named) followed a policy of isolation and also due to our indifference to the Northeast , we along with the western world  have never paid attention to all these conflicts in that country . And all these are happening very near our borders and has the potential to create chaos. Bangladesh itself is grappling with the rise of fundamentalist and jihadi elements . The influx of Rohingiyas is seen as a threat to them demographically . So they are resisting the influx of these refugees who are facing the worst atrocities within Myanmar. It has created a tragic situation of homeless people , maybe less publicised but more miserable.

Behind all this human tragedy, religious conflict and seemingly routine fight for self determination lies a great geo political game . The poor Rohingiyas have got caught in this game .  Situated on the Bay of Bengal at the mouth of the Kaladan River, lies the port city of Sittwe, also called Akyab earlier by the British .  This port city is very old and though less known has a strong strategic relevance to the control of the Bay of Bengal.  It was  heavily damaged during World War II . The port was rebuilt, and it now handles both coastal and international trade. This port and for that matter the whole state of Rakhine plays an important part in the grandiose OBOR project envisaged by China , as it is an exit to Indian Ocean and the location of planned billion-dollar Chinese projects—a planned economic zone on Ramree Island, and the Kyaukphyu deep-sea port, which has oil and natural gas pipelines linked with Yunnan Province’s Kunming.

Therefore, the stability of Rakhine State is important for this project.  China’s concerns over the situation has made them send a special envoy for holding talks with senior Myanmarese and Bangladeshi government officials and also Mr Kofi Annan. who is the Chairman of the Arakan State Advisory Commission appointed by the UN. Meanwhile it is reported that Israel is arming the Myanmar Army with  its supply of weapons and has refused to stop the supply of arms  though the US and the European Union have already imposed an arms embargo on Myanmar.

So whatever is apparent on the surface is not what is happening under it. There is a geo-political game that is being played by different nations. And the Rohingiyas are just pawns to this. Now don't say it does not bother us . And oh yes, it is reported that Rohingiya refugees affected in previous conflicts have been  settled in Kashmir. That points out to another game . 

So many truths

So many truths make up my life
a pile of burden to carry
with their implicit secrecy.
Shadows of all those truths
which I tried to wish away
I burnt them and then watched
the flakes of charred letters
drifting away with the smoke
scattered in the breeze before my eyes.
Still these imploring midnight knocks ,
getting up from sleep , opening the door
only to find nobody waiting  for me.
A lifetime spent , chasing myths
in the arbitrary assumption of tomorrow
even as the finality of today prevails.
Somewhere inside , they stay
even after obliterating all traces .
Rising in a tiny bubble that vindicates
the presence of a minute chink
through which I bleed incessantly
But nobody knows .

Compliments

There is no effect more disproportionate to its cause than the happiness bestowed by a small compliment. ~Robert Brault

There will be a very few persons in this world who would not feel the effect of a compliment received from another. And when the compliment relates to ones looks or body there is indeed a pleasant feeling of gratification which lifts up the mood in a harmless indulgence just stopping at the boundary of narcissism. But , while being  complimented upon is good for your self esteem , it should never be allowed to bloat your ego . And, one should be ready to discern between genuine compliment and flattery . There is a thin line but a wide gap between the import of the two .

Compliments are expressed without a hidden motive or a reason to extract benefit from the exchange or the relation between the two persons . Also there is no emotional, physical or patronising bondage between the two persons which necessitates the compliment. Because then it does not remain a compliment but becomes an encouragement or an incentive .  It is more likely to be spontaneous and therefore straight from the heart.  But flattery is directed towards the recipient with the sole object to please and create a feel good atmosphere to broach upon the next  item on agenda. Flattery is a great form of art and if practiced with refinement can be a great asset for the one who practices it . There are people who   can flatter with consummate ease and get their work done in the face of most challenging situations.  Not everybody can deliver flattering lines easily and those who do are often envied by others who don’t have the élan and grace to carry out the smooth and glib manipulations.

Rather than blaming the flatterer ,  it should be the flattered who should be held responsible for the success of the flatterer . Because most of  us knowingly fall for the ego massaging and tend to be in the company of people who flatter us because it generates positive vibes as long as there is no compulsion to do something . And this invariably holds true for successful , powerful and great people as it holds for the common man . Nobody is untouched from this , even the hermits and ascetics fall for it. It is just the degree of ego which gets covered. And when compliments  take the form of flattery and degenerates further , that becomes sycophancy.

On the opposite side of the spectrum , we find the person who provides you with  frank feedback . Here also there is the small issue of subjectivity involved . When the feedback is given out of a genuine concern for the recipient it is the best possible thing to happen . When it is given because there is an inherent contradiction between the understanding of the two persons and the feedback stems more from the non conformity of intellectual standards then it becomes an opposition . This can degenerate to hate and antipathy . The problem here is that the person who gives the feedback always believe that (s) he is right and the other side  should benefit from the advice.

I will share a small incident from my personal recollection. Recently during a gathering of some friends, someone pointed at my belly and commented that it was showing signs of increase which , indeed,  is a fact .  But I was slightly offended with this comment in front of others . This was a very temporary feeling , like a passing cloud , but nevertheless , I did not like it. Now within ten minutes, another person came up  and complimented me on looking fit and trim, loudly in front of others and making me a sort of example . I met both of them almost after the same interval of time. And as I was myself aware of my deficiencies, I could sense the flattering tone of the statement made in my praise. It intrigued me as to why the person was so lavish in his compliments all along. The mystery was cleared the next day when I received a phone call from him asking for some favour. Well that is another story and a different matter altogether. I will not dwell on it any more. 

The only thing why I narrate this experience is to show how we are conditioned to perceptions that we are prone to feel through the eyes of others. The first person was concerned as a friend and tried to warn me and the second person tried to extract advantage of our friendship. Both are my friends and I have nothing against any of them. Its only that now, I know.

Random thoughts 01092017

Somewhere deep within us ,  there is always the constant  search for an identity.  We tend to ignore it and even suppress it  but there is no denying that this quest shapes our adult personality to a great extent.  Our everyday lives and preoccupation with material pursuits make us oblivious of the fact that the life we lead or aspire to lead is a big zero sum game . The ups and downs , the achievements and travails are all pieces of a big jigsaw puzzle which fits in their appointed places at the time they are destined to.

Beyond the realms of love, hate,conflicts and faith that seems to  be the cycle of our lives, there are those senses that we don't understand and those inevitabilities that we never fully realise in our linear analysis of cause and effect. The reason why we crave for our childhood is this. Every kite needs a sky to soar high but perhaps we restrict the sky by demarcating boundaries. This way we miss out on the infiniteness of our capabilities.