Tag: food

UNDERSTANDING FOOD

About: This is to bite into a better understanding of the food we eat. Of what goes down the hatch, through our digestive tract, and exits peacefully-and sometimes with the sounds of thunder, and gas to light up the world. And perhaps eat with wisdom to live another day. We have learnt about all of them, in bits and pieces, at school, and this is a grown-up, graduate view of the fundamentals, without much of scientific jargon. This is also to bust certain myths-especially about Proteins and Cholesterol. You can unfasten your belt and eat into the meat of the matter. We are doing this together.

The human body needs to be fed with nutritive food for it to be kept well-oiled, to function efficiently, and keep us alive; with the least amount of destabilising forces-diseases. We have come a long way from the hunter-gatherer mode of living, when we obtained our daily bread as foragers-running all over the place- to the present day method of producing food by quiet farming and clever cultivation. Now, the food we require arrives on our table from every corner of the world, labelled and packed with names of the nutrients, the energy they provide, and much more-if we dare to thoroughly read the Lables stuck on them.

When man first learnt to make and use Fire, things changed like never before: cooking was born, which gave us all kinds of benefits such as, killing toxins in the food, improving taste, making tough substances easy to digest…and the kind. Cooking freed up a lot of time for us humans, while other animals in the Kingdom spend as many as seven hours a day just chewing food-wish they could learn to cook?

We do not need to eat constantly to survive. Unfortunately, we eat more of less constantly anyway-and that’s another big story in itself. The objective, after all that chewing is to mix it with enzymes in the saliva, and other ‘juices’ down the tract, which the body itself makes, to digest the food and break it down into a form the body can handle. And provide energy for us to walk, run, and dance, and fight each other and other kinds of animals, on dear Planet Earth.

To drive on the road ahead, here are a few science basics we need to refresh ourselves about. Everything in the Universe, including us, is made of Atoms – the smallest unit of matter with a central dense nucleus of protons(and neutrons) and a cloud of electrons spinning around. And going even higher, we can say we are all made up of ‘star dust’. What we call ‘element’ is made up of only one kind of atom – elementary? There are about 118 known elements, but our body is constructed from just 59, and 6 of them account for 99.1%. When two or more atoms are chemically bonded they form a molecule, which can be of the same element or different elements. A compound is a molecule made up of two or more different elements chemically bonded in a fixed ratio. Our body is built with such compounds.

Moving back to Food, let’s strip-down it down, peel-off the layers and see it gloriously naked.

The fundamental components of the food – call it nutrients- we eat, is divided into two broad categories, 1-Macronutrients: Water, Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats, and the 2-Micronutrients: Vitamins, Minerals, and elusive Trace Elements. The macro food is required in larger quantities; the micro food is required in smaller quantities and is essential in keeping us living the good life. Let’s digest them one by one. I am leaving-out the water we drink, and the air we breathe, which need space of their own. Let’s drink, and smoke to that!

PROTEINS

Proteins are large, complex molecules that are indispensable for life. A fifth of our body weight is made up of them. They are the ‘building blocks’ of our body and also the hard-working craftsmen- mending and repairing wear and tear. Basically, Proteins are long chains of tiny building blocks called amino-acids. Think of them like different coloured beads strung together into a beautiful necklace.

Proteins are made from just 20 amino acids-organic compounds-even through hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, which can do the job just as well. It is a mystery why evolution has married us, for life, to just these 20. And we simply cannot divorce them! And the best part is, we break down all the proteins we consume only to reassemble them again, into new proteins. LEGO toys of the body?

Eight, out of the twenty, amino acids cannot be made -synthesised-in the body and we must find and consume them from the outside world. And the factor to consider is their digestibility. In general, proteins from uncooked vegetable foods are less digestible than those from animal foods. Hence, cooking is awfully important. Glad we know how to start a fire.

There is a never ending debate about Plant-based proteins and Animal-based proteins: which one is best for us. Animal proteins are typically complete proteins-contain all essential amino acids-with very high digestibility and bioavailability. Plant proteins are often incomplete: missing or low in one or more essential amino acids, but we can achieve complete profiles by combining different sources, e.g., rice & beans. Animal World or Plant World, we can achieve great protein balance, but we need to work harder and wider on the plant side.

Common protein foods are: eggs-with near-perfect amino acid make-up; fish-salmon, sardines, mackerel; meat-chicken, pork; organ meat-liver, heart, kidney. On the plant side we have soy products, lentils, chickpeas, nuts & seeds, almonds, peanuts, beans, brown rice, legumes, pumpkin seeds, and others.

CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates are compounds of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen, which are bound together to from a variety of sugars: glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose, deoxyribose(the stuff found in DNA), and so on. Some of these are chemically simple such as monosaccharides, some are complex known as polysaccharides, and some in between known as disaccharides. Carbohydrates are basically a class of energy yielding substances and almost all of them come from plants, with one exception: lactose-from milk. Foods like cane sugar and table sugar are simple carbohydrates, and those like starch are a complex. These are completely digested by the body, and the end product is sugar-glucose-which is absorbed and metabolised to provide the energy required for all body functions.

Besides the digestible carbohydrates of sugar and starch, there are other non-digestible carbohydrates like cellulose, hemicellulose, gums, pectins and lignins ‘legally designated’ as ‘Dietary Fibre’. They are necessary superfluous food, as most of them are not digested and sent marching out, through the stools. We do not have the enzymes to crack and break them down, though the bacteria in our gut can feast upon many of them. Why then the Fibre? They facilitate the process of digestion and elimination of waste. The contraction of muscular walls of the digestive tract is stimulated by fibre counteracting the tendency to constipation. They cause food to linger in the stomach for longer periods, helping wholesome digestion. And to alleviate hunger and prolonging the feeling of satiety. When food without fibre is consumed it gets processed too quickly, leading to ill effects such as spiking in blood sugar. Fibre acts like a sponge, absorbing and holding water, making us feel full, with a lesser quantity of food.

Back to some definitions: Constipation is a condition wherein stools are hard, dry, or painful to pass and leave a feeling that not all stools have passed. Enzymes are biological catalysts: molecules that accelerate chemical reactions without being consumed or permanently altered themselves. They are mostly proteins.

Common carbohydrate foods: whole grains, legumes, fruits, starchy vegetables, and some dairy. Others in the whole grain family are oats, brown rice. And Legumes-beans, chickpeas, peas. Starch Vegetables-potatoes, corn, and Fruits- Bananas, Apples, berries, oranges, mangoes, melons, are other sources.

FATS

Fats are also made up of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen, but in different proportions – in a more clever way than the ‘serious looking’ carbohydrates – making it easier for fat to be stored in the body. Helping us get fat? Looking at it in another way, fat is a concentrated source of energy, and it supplies per unit weight more than twice the energy than can be supplied by proteins or carbohydrates.

Words such as Oils, Fats, and Lipids are used interchangeably to describe Fats. Broadly, we use the term Oils for liquids, and Fats for solids at room temperature. And we talk about oil or fat in relation to the food we consume; and Lipids while talking about them inside the body. To give more meaning to Lipids, think about Neurons- the cells that make up the central nervous system of the body- they have a layer of lipids called the myelin sheath, which protects the delicate nerve cells and helps electrical impulses travel quickly between them. If this sheath is damaged, we can go crazy. About 60% of our Brain is made up of fat. Hence, we have to make sure we treat fats with respect.

Oils and fats are made up of units called fatty acids, like bricks in a wall-much like amino-acids are the building blocks of Proteins. Fats are broadly classified as: Saturated Fats, mostly solid at room temperature-predominate in animal based fats, and Unsaturated Fats-mostly liquid at room temperature- predominate in vegetable based. Fats derived from vegetable sources provide what is known as Essential Fatty Acids, which has Vitamin(that’s coming up ahead) like functions in the body.

There is another kind of fat we often read about: Trans Fats, also known as hydrogenated oils, which are artificially produced. They are created when vegetable oils, typically in liquid form, are processed (hydrogenated) to become solid fats. They were touted as a healthy alternative to butter or animal fat, but we now know the opposite to be true. To put it bluntly, Trans fats are essentially a form of slow-acting poison. Do not look in their direction.

Then there is Cholesterol, a waxy, fat-like molecule that is vital for life and present in every cell, giving it its structure through the cell membranes. It also enables production of certain Hormones and Bile Acids-to digest food, and for synthesis of Vitamin D. The Liver, the largest organ in the human body, produces almost all the cholesterol required by the body. Other body cells produce some and anything else required is from the food we intake. Cholesterol is not strictly classified as a fat. And it is not found in plants. Cholesterol has earned a bad name, for the wrong reasons, and I am out to pin some medals on its chest.

Getting to the fat of fats, something called Triglycerides makes up 95% of the fat we eat. They consist of one glycerol molecule attached to three fatty acid chains. In the body, they store unused energy and release them when needed. The remaining 5% consists of other types of Lipids. When you see ‘total fat’ on a nutrition label, it’s mostly triglycerides. The other lipids are present in much smaller quantities and often have important roles.

When fats are broken down in the body, they team-up with cholesterol and proteins in a new molecular avatar called Lipoproteins, which act like delivery trucks for distributing fats and cholesterol through the bloodstream. Fats cannot dissolve in the blood, hence they need to be carried by this cleverly designed transport mechanism. Lipoproteins consist of cholesterol and triglycerides in equal proportions.

Fats in the food that we eat are primarily digested in the small intestine and converted into fatty acids, among others. Intestinal cells reassemble them again into triglycerides and hitch them to cholesterol to form the lipoproteins. And due to their low density-when first formed, innocently- they are called Very Low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL). Fats made in the liver are then loaded on to the VLDL truck and sent for circulation in the bloodstream, delivering triglycerides and cholesterol to all parts of the body. As the VLDL loses triglycerides, the lipid-to-protein ratio changes, becoming denser and the VLDL becomes Intermediate Density Lipoproteins (IDL). As the process continues and triglycerides and cholesterol are delivered to further cells in the body, IDL is gradually converted into Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL). This LDL returns to the liver to be reloaded and sent again for circulation. The liver then sends High Density Lipoproteins (HDL), that it produces, along with some support from the small intestine, to collect any ‘spilled’, remnants, or excess cholesterol and triglycerides and bring them back to use for the next circulation, or for disposal. We can call HDL a scavenging or recovery truck. They do it by a process called Reverse Cholesterol Transport. Its structure, especially its high protein-to-lipid ratio enables this function, making it denser and smaller than LDL. Talk about sending the good guys to catch and jail the bad guys – that’s what ‘Sheriff Liver’ does in the Body County.

Keep in mind the fact that the Liver is the ‘super-man’ of the body performing over 500 mighty, vital functions. And it has this insane ability to regenerate itself: if up to 70% is damaged or surgically removed, it can grow back to its full size and function within weeks. Wow! We never look under the hood, do we? And how clever! The home lizard must be envious: it easily lets go of its tail -to sidetrack a predator-and then cooly grows it back. What the lizard does externally we do internally-but for healthier reasons!

Most of the cholesterol in our bodies is locked up in our cells where it is doing useful work. Just a small part, about 7%, floats around in the blood, out of which one-third is good and two-third is bad. Though we call LDL, bad cholesterol- the bad guy- and HDL good cholesterol- the good guy-Cholesterol is not fundamentally evil as we tend to think about it. It is vital for a healthy life and the trick is to maintain it at a balanced level. One way is to eat a lot of Fibre, which contains no energy or vitamins, but helps to lowering cholesterol and slows the rate at which sugar gets in to the blood and then turned into fat by the Liver.

The best food sources of fat are unsaturated fats and a limited amount of saturated fats. Some are, Avocados, Olive oil, Nuts- Almonds, Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Peanuts, Seeds-Pumpkin, sesame. Others-Canola oil, Peanut oil, Olives, Soyabean, whole Eggs, Dark Chocolate.

VITAMINS

Vitamins are simply organic compounds- from things that are or were once alive, like plants and animals. They are quite a new concept, becoming famous only in the 1920s, when naming them in a kindergarten style alphabetical order began. Somewhere down the line numerals stuck to them. Now we are swarmed with, A, B, B1, B2,…B12, C, E, D, K… etc.

Vitamins play a vital role in utilising the proteins, carbohydrates, and fats we intake as food. They mostly act as co-enzymes. Our body uses vitamins to convert food into energy, build and repair tissues, support immune function, enable nerve signaling, maintain vision and bone health, among other functions. Unlike carbohydrates, or proteins, vitamins are needed only in tiny amounts, but without them, normal metabolism stops or becomes inefficient, leading to deficiency diseases.

Vitamins do not provide energy or building blocks themselves, instead they are the tiny ‘keys’ that unlock and drive the body’s various compartments of the core metabolic machinery.

Vitamins are broadly classified as Water Soluble and Fat Soluble. Water soluble are not accumulated in the body and are easily excreted, while fat soluble ones are stored. B-Complex Vitamins and Vitamin C- Ascorbic Acid are Water Soluble, while Vitamins A, D, E, K are Fat Soluble.

Common Vitamin Foods: whole, minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, lean proteins, and dairy or fortified alternatives. Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits), Strawberries, Kiwi, Bell peppers (red or green), Broccoli, Tomatoes, Potatoes.

MINERALS

Minerals are inorganic, and come from soil or water. Let’s call them the cousins of Vitamins. Altogether there are about 40 of them that we must get from our foods because we cannot produce them in the body.

Minerals perform critical structural and regulatory roles. Unlike vitamins, minerals often serve as building blocks, electrolytes, and catalysts. E.g., Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium build and maintain bones & teeth (99% of calcium is in the skeleton); provide rigidity and strength. Iron is the core of haemoglobin-carries oxygen in blood- and myoglobin-in muscles; essential for energy production.

Common Mineral Foods: this is Home Work No-1, search them out and keep them.

Dairy, canned fish with bones, leafy greens, fortified plant milks and orange juice, and almonds, are some sources.

TRACE ELEMENTS

Beyond the Big THREE and the smaller TWO of Vitamins and Minerals, completing the list, a large number of elements are required in trace amounts for a wide range of functions, to keep the body in ‘top condition’. They are mainly, Iodine,Zinc, Copper, Chromium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Fluoride. And finally, there are many unknowns, such as Selenium, Cobalt, Silicon, Arsenic, Nickel and Vanadium, which use is yet to be established. For sure we know arsenic is a toxic element and whether it indeed has any nutritional value is yet to be discovered – at our peril?

Common Trace Element Foods: This is Home Work No-2, we have to hunt them down. I suggest you consult ‘Doctor Know’ and perhaps a Bounty-Hunter too.

The problem with the micronutrients of Vitamins, Minerals, and Trace elements is that the risk of taking in too much is a great as the risk of taking too little. To give examples: Vitamin A is needed for vision, healthy skin and fighting infections. Eggs and dairy products have a lot of them, hence easy to obtain. The recommended daily level is 700 micrograms for women and 900 for men; the upper limit for both is about 3000 micrograms, and exceeding that ceiling can become risky. Vitamin A is fat-soluble, so excess gets stored in the liver and can accumulate, leading to acute or chronic toxicity. Iron similarly, is vital for healthy red blood cells. Too little iron, and we become anaemic, but too much is toxic, leading to lethargy. Too much of iron can accumulate in our tissues causing our organs ‘literally to rust’.

Armed with this understanding – and after testing the state of parts under the body bonnet-we must challenge ourselves, our Spouses, Partners, Cooks, Doctors, Dieticians, and Nutritionists… to eminently balance the food we eat. Spare parts are not an option-with exceptions. We are not House Lizards.

Ultimately, I can sign off saying, “We Built This Body”.

Bibliography: The Body, by Bill Bryson; Craft your Wellness, by Dr Gauri Rokkam; Nutritive Value of Indian Foods, by C Gopalan, B V Rama Sastri,and S C Balasubramanaian, Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institution of Nutrition, Hyderabad. These are excellent reads with lots of ‘nutritive value’-for the brain.

BETWEEN THE LINES

About: a ‘write-down’ comedy on the news of the world. Who watches stand-up comedy?

The United Kingdom is beginning to see more Prime Minister(PM) changes than the infamous English weather. Is there an umbrella for this one? The UK is fast kangaroo-leaping into Australian style politics, where it is awfully hard to remember who the Prime Minister is-or was-with slick changes that’s peculiar only to Australia. Ask the duck-billed Platypus on what’s going on. Football Field player changing -with the name-board number always remaining No. 10-has been put to shame.

British PM Keith Starmer after over two years of wretched, mangled governance decided to quit-another one bites the dust in British Politics. He lost the ball of support of his Labour Party Members of Parliament (MP) and informed team Manager, King Charles that he is resigning-cannot clearly see the goal-post, any longer. Now, the Labour Party will labour to elect a new leader and therefore PM. His likely successor is Andy Burnham-calls himself more British than English-who recently screeched into Parliament in a By-Election and was officially sworn in as Makerfield’s new MP in the House of Commons. The 56-year-old made the right noises about leading the Labour Party and an orderly transition to becoming Prime Minister. There is some history here, when Andy Burnham tells that the ‘turning point’ in his political life came in 2009, when he was booed at a football ground in the north-west of England. Now, it’s three cheers!

The joke doing the rounds is that Airbnb is sponsoring No 10. Downing as perfect for short stays. I am garnishing that: cats and dogs are allowed, at no extra charges

Meanwhile, in a gilded hall at Versailles, Paris, United States President Donald Trump signed a 14-point Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU)with Iran, to halt the ongoing war. Israel never noticed, and not known to playing world-class football, went on with business as usual, trying to kick the militant Hezbollah out of the field. They, who are sprawled all over Lebanon. The Strait of Hormuz opened, closed, opened, closed, open, closed…leaving people in a tizzy and heading to the bar to open a bottle of Hormuz whiskey instead, and drink the Arabian spirits. I wonder, why should Iran bother about Lebanon when it has its own hair to keep and cover safely? Any why does the MOU not include any provisions requiring Iran to stop massaging the butts of the Hezbollah, Hamas, or the Houthis? Unalloyed support-call it bad refereeing? Show the Red Card.

India’s National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam finally got off the air on 21 June 2026-after a mid-flight scare, the previous time. And India’s Prime Minister, who had just landed from the air, smiling like a Cheshire cat, stayed off the road, parking himself in the Airport, until the Exam started. What an idea, Sirji-helping heavily stressed students reach the exam centres without a sweat. Strange are the ways of India, with the Army, Airforce, among others, called-in to protect the exam question papers. If there is still a leak, the Navy might have to sail-in to plug, provide reinforcement and do further straight shipping.

Moving on to other things, in India, everyday 1200 to 1220 people die in accidents and there is no prize for guessing the killer cause: road accidents. It’s hard to swallow, but the fact is, the price of life in India in ZERO. Remember, India invented the zero, and we cannot help ourselves living up to it- and dying for it. What, with 1.4 billion people in bumper-to-bumper life. There is a story about the high density in the West Bengal’s capital of Kolkatta such that even dogs cannot wag their tail in the usual sideways swagger; instead they are finding space vertically-up and down. Dogs too are learning. Anybody making a movie called, Planet of the Dogs?

Then there is this particular species of Homo Sapiens, which thrives on driving a BMW, an Audi, or a Mercedes-Benz on the pavements meant for the walkers and putting people on them to sleep, forever. Never knew population control can happen this way. The Gates of Heaven are always open.

The Devil is definitely lurking in the details: in the pot-holes, on the great highways and the speed-breaker infested streets; in wedding dowry; in building collapses, in construction sites, in bridge failures; in the railways, trains going berserk, and especially unmanned crossings; in high-rise building fires; animal(street dogs included)-bites; death by suicide, rape, murder…it’s an endless, ever expanding list. Once, a Google Map route took a driver to the end of an unfinished bridge, and there was no looking back.

On 22 June 2026, 15 people, mostly students, were charred to death after a fire broke out in a 3-storey building in the heart of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. A day earlier, 8 died in an Ammonia Gas leak in a Food Export company in Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu. Exporting death?

Joining the blood stream, The International Labour Organization says, every year more than 8.4 Lakh people die globally from health conditions linked to the workplace. It is a dangerous world we live in. We do not need Aliens from Space to conquer us: we are our own best beasts.

I recall a cousin of mine, now permanently living in the United States and making frequent strips to India saying, “Once you step out of your house, there is no guarantee that you will return home alive”. I reckon every day is an adventure! If Christopher Columbus was living in India, he would not have been able to cross the street alive, leave alone sailing through an open sewer. Oh, Santa Maria!

Nothing beats gossip about the Film World-Hollywood, Bollywood, Kollywood, Tollywood-in India and abroad. A top headline is, Actresses getting pregnant, and showing-off that glamorous well-rounded, shining baby bump. Recently, Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu who was married to a popular Telugu actor and separated, tried again, married Raj Nidimoru-a Producer, Filmmaker Businessman, Writer- and now the home-production has been successfully rolled out. She is in the family way. Sure business works wonders and bumping into the right person definitely produces results. However, we are yet to see that magnificent bump, though the media went crazy over a tiny one, they thought they spied, when the wind was doing the only job it knows-blowing. These guys are unbelievable, in spotting curves and angles you and I just are stone and wind blind to. Hope, a full one appears soon-and the expectations are indeed Space High. Maternity leave is around the corner.

In another part of the world, across the oceans, working hard to keep Samantha company is Hollywood Actress Anne Hathaway-the Princess who kept a Diary. She is married to Actor Producer, and Jewel designer Adam Shulman and the couple probably heard Elon Musk’s clarion call to launch more babies-the American population is seriously declining-and two, they already have, not being enough, went back to production, and a third jewel is on the way. More entries in the Diary?

That’s already two bumps- that I know- to look-up to, all happening in June 2026. And this being football season, it’s raining goals everywhere! Move over Messi & Co.

The FIFA World Cup is kicking about in the United States of America, and it is a fabulous Discovery of America, and of football. Discovery Channel and the National Geographic have lost their footing. There is magic everywhere, on the American streets and on the football grounds. Probably the Greatest of All Time (GOAT), Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi, scored a hattrick, and then in another game scored two more to become the highest goal-scorer in World Cup history. It’s time they make the goal-posts smaller?

I am riveted to watching football and chasing all the clever goals- especially those going between the legs. And between the lines, I have an eye on that speed-breaker, baby-bump. I’m sure there’s much more to come. The dice is heavily loaded.

CAPTURED: COOKED

About: This is the second in my Captured series; about capturing various stories that rocked the world. Call it Season 1, Episode 2.

I have cooked this tongue-in-cheek account of events over the past few months, in a unique flavour and garnished it with special herbs. Hope it tastes good.

It looked like just the other day in the year 2022 that Russia invaded Ukraine and we called it a War- a new front opened in the War Business. Then the terrorist Hamas brutally attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, and took Israelis as hostages, who they painfully released in drops until the finals on 13 October 2025. In-between, Israel raised Gaza to pulp, millions starved, and it took the US President to squeeze out a peace-plan. And then this war dried-up.

However, despite biting efforts, the Russia-Ukraine war ‘drones on’ without an end in sight. Maybe it will end only when Russia’s President thinks it should end, when he has had his full. What are the objectives? Is it an ever-shifting goal-post? Meanwhile, Ukraine has become an expert in Drone-making, and if it actually wins, can re-write Sun Tzu’s, Art of War.

While all this was happening, Iran which was hiding behind the skirts of Hamas-Gaza Strip, Hezbollah-Lebanon, the Houthis- Yemen first tasted America’s bunker busting bombs targeting its nuclear facilities. The taste wasn’t finger-licking and the United States of America (USA) and Israel came to dinner loaded with food on the table. Iran’s Supreme Leader choked and was killed.

With an intent of widening the conflict, Iran retaliated against other Gulf countries, who were enjoying their meals silently for decades and never dreamt of being hit. But they were hit and became hungry for revenge. Now this war meanders on endlessly, joining the ranks of Russia-Ukraine.

Back home, the US President survived an assassination attempt – a fully loaded-with-arms man, hungry for action, simply charged a dinner hosted by the President. He did not get to eat the food on the table, though, and was whisked away from the scene by Secret Service Officers. He lived to feed himself another day.

How many more need to die for man to realise the futility of war? And the importance of eating good, healthy food to stay alive!

In India, Elections to State Assemblies was served to the people. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) scored a hat-trick in Assam: people liked the local food, I guess. In the State of West Bengal a ferocious, fish-eating lady was finally, comprehensively decimated by the BJP, after 15 years of fishing in troubled waters. She lost her seat refused to accept the results, did not resign and had to be dismissed by a clever, no-nonsense Governor imported from the State of Tamil Nadu. The BJP was dumbfounded and stunned, as all it took was for the Prime Minister, during the election campaign, to walk unannounced in to a road-side sweet shop to enjoy the traditional jhalmuri- served well. After winning, it was a burst of sweet jhalmuri, all over the state. Jhalmuri is Kolkata’s most popular street food snack. It is a crunchy mix of puffed rice tossed with vegetables, spices, and a signature pungent mustard oil.

Going South on to Tamil Nadu the ruling Don Quixotic Government, which spent its entire five years fighting against the Centre, at the drop of a reason; building statues of its late Chief- and naming everything they built after him; and whipping up Dravidian Stock divisions, was bushwhacked by a reel Film Star. Tamil Nadu feeds on, and nourishes itself on film stars yet again. Kids – who could not vote-literally coaxed their parents and grandparents to vote for the Star in the name of change: else they said they will starve themselves. Some food for thought. But some wise, old, well-fed elders – without anyone to intimidate them – could not digest a rookie piloting a plane in a mid-air change and pulled back. Result, the Film Star’s party fell short of majority. And riding on horseback, the Star rode to the Governor a couple of times – trying to make hay while the sun shines. Meanwhile, the Opposition, which ran a brilliant campaign and hoped to come back to power found it was stamped out of food in the overall unbelievable scenario, which many called a Black Swan Event. Then, they began eating themselves.

Finally, the Star was fed support from people from across the table of the Evil Forces he had campaigned against and with a lovely ‘suit & boot’ took oath as Chief Minister.

In the State of Puducherry – previously colonised by the French- the BJP Alliance baked well, returning to power in the Assembly Elections. One of its Members, on being disallowed to take ‘Oath of Office’ in French, took it in Malayalam.

In the neighbouring state of Keralam- where they speak Malayalam-which shared its Governor with Tamil Nadu, the Congress Party Alliance, that opposes the BJP at the Centre, won a banquet meal and became so stuffed with it that it took a whole ten days to get it down their throats to their stomachs, an elect a Leader. Talk about stomaching a victory, after a decade in the Opposition!

In the meantime, the US President flew to China and noodled its President to work together as fantastic pals. In the US President’s world everything is great, fantastic, exemplary. Talks focussed on trade, the Iran conflict, Taiwan, and broader US-China relations. Packed like sardines, the US President brought along top US Business CEO’s and high-profile executives, about 17 of them -from technology, finance, aerospace, and other sectors to show economic muscle, and for the meat of trade opportunities in China. And to pressurise China to open-up and gobble up more of US Businesses – breakfast, lunch, and dinner served.

Not to be left behind, India’s Prime Minister(PM) decided he needed some pizza and lean-in on a melody with Italian PM Meloni. He gifted her a pack of the home-grown toffee brand Melody. And it was ‘Melodi’ in the air sang Social Media, where such events fly off the shelves as viral. But he kept the best for the last. And the Indian manufacturer of the Melody Toffee went Instagram with ‘Sweetening relationships since 1983’.

In a 5 nation tour, India’s PM started with the United Arab Emirates where he made clever plans with the Oil Sheiks to strengthen energy ties and storage of precious oil for India, amid the West Air tensions – in the process enabling gas-cooked food on the table, for Indians. In the European leg of Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and finally Italy, he set out to deepening partnerships in trade, technology, Artificial Intelligence, innovation, green growth, and defence. At almost all the places enthusiastic foreign dancers, after probably eating spicy Indian food, danced to Indian tunes, to Indian dances.I would have loved to see Indians living abroad, after eating foreign food, dancing to foreign tunes, foreign dances!

India’s PM not only had food on his mind he also had plates as well. While in the Netherlands, he charmed them to handing over Leiden (Aanaimangalam) Copper plates one of the first Copper plates to be discovered about the great Cholas of Tamil Nadu. They were excavated by the Dutch, while in India, in the year about 1700 and brought to the Netherlands by a Pastor whose descendants donated it to Leiden University in 1862. The plates were deciphered in 1886 and found that Rajaraja Chola I had issued them and consisted of 21 copper plates held together by a bronze ring with the regal seal. The first 5 plates are in Sanskrit, rest 16 are in Tamil. They weigh about 30 kilograms and are numbered. Plates 2-21 mentions the lineage of Cholas. It also records the historic grant by Rajaraja Chola to the then Ruler of Sri Vijaya, Indonesia, for constructing a Chulamanivarma Vihara in Aanaimangalam of Nagapattinam District of Tamil Nadu. Interestingly, boundaries of the Vihara were determined by the ceremonial circumambulation of a female elephant.

In the summer of 2023, India had submitted a request to Leiden University to return the Chola Plates – with or without food on them.

These plates will now be kept by the Archaeological Survey of India in the capital, New Delhi. Never mind Tamil Nadu cried it wanted it back on its table.

Finally, India’s PM returned with more medals on his famous 56 inch wide chest – enough to make an Army General jealous. What, with many a nation gushing and rushing to honour him with their heaviest medals. I reckon it was wide, on purpose. And a Museum piece?

FREEWHEELING

About: A break free commentary on events on our Planet, anchored on the news of the world. Any comments beyond the storyline, are entirely mine, without prejudice -take it or leave it. This is a run of events from 16 September to 26 September 2025: Rumblings of a Palestine State; Trump at the UN; more Tariffs on India; Leprosy concerns; and a cure for Huntington’s Disease.

Rumblings

France’s President Macron is clearly off the grid, saying, “The recognition of a Palestinian State is the best way to isolate Hamas”. Well, without anyone asking, that was what Israel did- albeit in a different way-in the year 2005. It unilaterally, and with the best intentions, wholly vacated the Gaza Strip, even going to the depth of digging up graves of buried Israelis and shifting them to mainland Israel. It left behind flourishing businesses, especially modern Green Houses, which were destroyed and parts cannibalised for making and sending rockets into Israel, in an endless cycle of violence. The Palestinians in the Gaza Strip voted for Hamas to rule them, and look what’s happened. Instead, Macron needs to be schooled-maybe even slapped on the face by his once-upon-a-time Teacher wife, to say, “Release the 48 hostages, give-up arms, show us you can peacefully co-exist alongside Israel, and we’ll think about recognising or helping you establish a peace-loving Palestine State”. Some sense does prevail in the world with countries such as Singapore, Japan, New Zealand saying exactly that. I wished India, which recognised Palestine way back in the 1980s, would re-consider and ‘de-recognise’, on similar lines. Diplomacy is a tough task; some things cannot be undone?
Some States are formed on pure love; some on unalloyed hatred.

US President Donald Trump stormed the United Nations (UN) with a commonsensical, blunt speech, after he and wife Melania Trump were almost knocked off an Escalator, which suddenly stopped working. And thanks to their great fitness levels, they stood standing. Trump used the Escalator malfunction to talk about the ineffectiveness of the UN in preventing wars. He boasted of having stopped seven wars and it being the UN’s job to stop wars, it was nowhere in sight, did not even call him to ask; only writing letters of condemnation. And not paying attention to the matter.

He flung Climate Change out of the Sky back onto Planet Earth, saying the ‘Go Green’ initiative is the biggest cheat and fake thing happening in the world: with all the noisy windmills and acres of solar panels stifling real green vegetation. Become friends with coal- fall in love with it – gas, and oil and use these resources to grow and develop. And he had a word on Immigration that each country should safeguard its borders – else they will find themselves heading to hell. What with people who have nothing to do with your culture and faith entering your country – built on the shoulders, the blood, sweat, and tears of your forefathers (wish Churchill was around – he would have imposed a 100% tariff on stealing his famous lines)? He rambled on to say, the jails of Germany, Austria, and beautiful Switzerland are filled with immigrants, who refuse to follow your rules!

The load on India cannot get heavier. Donald Trump, with his Bull-in-China-Shop attitude, imposed at $100,000 fee per H1 B Visa for ‘talent’ coming into the US, from India. That works out to about ₹89 Lakhs. Initially, it was thought that it would apply annually and to everyone, but then it was said to be a one-time fee and only for the newcomers. Better India keeps its good stuff within its borders. And why did India not think of holding its great talent pool, incubated in its superb Institutions, instead of letting them walk to America? Do we need a Trump to show us what is wrong with our systems?

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India’s highest award in the field of cinema, given by the Government of India and presented annually at the National Film Awards. The recipient is honoured for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema and is selected by a committee consisting of eminent personalities from the Indian film industry. The award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of ₹1,000,000. It is named after Dadasaheb Phalke, who is regarded as the father of Indian cinema. He directed India’s first full-length feature film, ‘Raja Harishchandra’ in the year 1913.

This year, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee selected Malayalam Actor Mohanlal Viswanathan, 65, for the Award. Mohanlal is a legendary actor, director, and producer, who with his unmatched talent, versatility, and relentless hard work has set a golden standard in Indian film history. The Award was presented at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony on 23 September 2025.

Mohanlal predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, and has also occasionally appeared in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. He has a prolific career spanning over four decades, during which he has acted in more than 400 films. The Government honoured him with Padma Shri in 2001, and Padma Bhushan in 2019, Mohanlal was named as one of ‘the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema’ by CNN.

A little known fact is, he is married to famous Tamil Actor and Filmmaker K Balaji’s daughter Suchitra. The couple have two children.

Leprosy

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) latest update, which recorded nearly 182,815 new Leprosy cases world-wide rings alarm bells. A tails-up approach is required. India reported 107,851 of these, a 59% share of the world’s new cases. 20 years earlier, the global tally stood at 451,325 and India’s share then was even more, at 81 %, with 367,143 cases.

Leprosy is a Neglected Tropical Disease, which still occurs in more than 120 countries with about 200,000 cases reported every year. As per Year 2023 data, Brazil, India, and Indonesia continue to report over 10,000 new cases, every year.

Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s Disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by a Bacteria, Mycobacterium Leprae, which affects the skin and peripheral nerves (nerves and ganglia which lie outside the Brain and Spinal Cord – the Central Nervous System), mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and eyes. If left untreated it may cause progressive and permanent disabilities.

Transmission is via droplets from the nose and mouth during close and frequent contact with untreated people having the disease. It does not spread through casual contact such as shaking hands, hugging, sharing meals or sitting next to an affected person. Leprosy is curable with Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT). And the best part is, the person stops transmitting upon initiation of treatment.

Leprosy manifests itself through skin lesions and enlargement of the peripheral nerves. Cardinal signs are, definite loss of sensation in a pale or reddish skin patch, thickened peripheral nerves with loss of sensation or weakness of muscles supplied by that nerve. And by microscopic detection of the bacilli is a slit skin smear.

India has set itself a target of year 2027 for eradication of Leprosy through The National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP). The aim is to achieve zero transmission, zero disability, and zero discrimination by 2027.

Leprosy was declared a Notifiable Disease in 2025. Any disease that is required as per law to be reported to the Public Health Authorities is a Notifiable Disease. Besides Leprosy, eleven other notifiable diseases in India are: Cholera; Diphtheria; Encephalitis; Plague; Malaria; Measles; Hepatitis A, B, C, and E; Meningitis; Dengue; Tuberculosis; and AIDS.

Huntington’s Disease

One of the most devastating diseases in the world, Huntington’s Disease, has been successfully treated for the first time, marking a break-through milestone in medicine. It is a genetic disease-hence hereditary-runs through families, and is known for killing brain cells. The symptoms resemble a combination of dementia, Parkinson’s, and motor neuron disease.

The disease gets its name from George Huntington, an American physician who contributed a classic, clinical description of the disease. We do not get to know about a lot many things until someone catches it by the collar and effectively pins it down by an understandable description. By George, Huntington did just that!

He described this condition in the first of only two scientific papers he ever wrote in 1872, when he was just 22, a year after receiving his medical degree from Columbia University in New York. It is said that, “In the history of medicine, there are few instances in which a disease has been more accurately, more graphically or more briefly described.”

It is a throughly wretched disease, characterised by the jerky movements of the sufferers. The first symptoms of Huntington’s disease appear in your thirties or forties, and progresses without control leading to senility and premature death within two decades of its onset.

Huntington’s Disease is because of a gene, gone rouge-one mutation in the HTT gene-which produces a protein called huntingtin. The mutation turns the gene into a ’neuron-killer’.

The huntingtin protein is one of the most complex proteins in the human body, and we have no idea what it is actually for. Somebody will hunt it down, one day!

In the United Kingdom, Huntington’s Disease Centre Professor Sarah Tabrizi spoke after the disease had been successfully treated for the first time. The Research Team said the data showed that the disease slowed by 75% in patients. The decline patients usually expected in one year would ultimately take four years after treatment, giving patients decades of a ‘good quality’ of life.

The new treatment is a type of gene therapy given within 12 to 18 hours of a delicate brain injury. It uses cutting-edge genetic medicine combining gene therapy and ‘gene silencing’ technologies. It starts with a safe virus that has been altered to contain a specially designed sequence of DNA. The virus then acts like a microscopic postman – delivering the new piece of DNA inside brain cells, where it becomes active. This leads to lower levels of mutant huntingtin in the brain. In the new treatment there’s a 50% chance that one will inherit the altered gene. The future looks bright and promising.

More healthy stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Stay watchful with Freewheeling.

FREEWHEELING

About: A break free commentary on events on our Planet, anchored on the news of the world. Any comments beyond the storyline, are entirely mine, without prejudice -take it or leave it. This is a run of events from 1 September to 15th September: the churn and restlessness in the world; Gen Z in Nepal; India pulls up its sleeves; and the passing of fashion designer Armani.

The World on a Spin

The World is definitely spinning-now it seems more on the inside-churning and in a multi-dimensional whirl!

France dived into a political crisis when its Prime Minister (PM) Francois Bayrou was defeated in a confidence vote in the National Assembly: 364 votes against to 194 for. He submitted his government’s resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, who quickly decided to replace him with close ally Sebastien Lecornu. This is France’s seventh PM under Macron, and the fifth in less than two years: a pointer to the disenchantment and full-grown frustration with Macron’s second term.

Lecornu, 39, has spent the past three years as Minister of the Armed Forces focusing on France’s response to Russia’s war in Ukraine. He has now been given the task of consulting political parties, probably on a war-footing, with the aim of adopting France’s next budget.

In the United Kingdom, the British seem to have taken US Vice-President J D Vance’s words -said in jest-seriously. He joked that Britain could well become the “first truly Islamist country to get a nuclear weapon,” following the Labour Party’s election victory. And with the appointment of a Pro-Palestine rabble-rouser as Home Secretary, along with the climbing incidents of Islamic lawlessness, they are on course to achieving that status. Shabana Mahmood has been appointed new UK Home Secretary, replacing Yvette Cooper following a major Cabinet reshuffle in the Labour-led government, triggered by the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.

Meanwhile, in recent times, Central London has become the stage of many protests. ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march, organised by anti-immigrant activist Tommy Robinson, was attended by around 110,000 people. Then there was the ‘Stand Up to Racism’ counter-protest, besides the ever-so-often, running-on-your-screens, pro-Palestine protests.

Looks like it’s back to old assassination ways in the United States of America: the guns were always there; many are finding the trigger more often than before.

Charlie Kirk, 31, a close associate of US President Donald Trump was assassinated on 10th September while on stage at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, for a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event, ‘The American Comeback Tour’. Kirk was fatally shot in the neck, around 20 minutes after the event began, in front of an audience of about 3,000 people.

Charlie was a political activist, author, and media personality. He co-founded the student organisation TPUSA in 2012, which caters to conservative youth on American university campuses and was its Executive Director. He was one of the most prominent voices of the populist MAGA movement and exemplified the growth of Christian nationalism in the Republican Party. He leaves behind two young kids and his wife Erika Kirk who pledged to keep his legacy alive.

The suspect, Tyler Robinson, 22 was arrested for the killing, turned in by his own father, to who he admitted the crime. This, after the father saw released photos of the suspect and confirmed that was it was his son. It is said that despite a good upbringing, Tyler Robinson was radicalised ‘in a fairly short amount of time’. Tyler is a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College, Utah Valley University, where Kirk was killed.

On the same day, 10th September Indian origin Chandra Nagamallaiah was brutally beheaded in a Dallas Motel by an undocumented immigrant, an illegal alien from Cuba, Yordanis Cobos Martinez, in front of his wife and son. The gruesome act took place at the Downtown Suites Motel in Dallas where Chandra Nagamallaiah and Cobos-Martinez were workers. Nagamallaiah had approached Cobos-Martinez and a female colleague while they were cleaning a room, telling them not to use a broken washing machine. Cobos-Martinez became enraged as Nagamallaiah had asked the female colleague to translate what he was saying instead of addressing him directly. Cobos-Martinez left the room, pulled out a machete ‘from his person’ and launching the assault. Nagamallaiah ran through the motel’s car park screaming for help, but the suspect chased him down and struck him repeatedly.

In late August Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was killed on a train at the East/West Boulevard light rail station on the Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte, North Carolina. Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who had fled her country because of the Russian invasion, was fatally stabbed. Her assailant, Decarlos Brown Jr., was arrested upon exiting the train and charged with first-degree murder. The 34-year-old Brown was arrested 14 times before the stabbing; he was convicted of breaking and entering. While on probation, he was arrested for armed robbery. And was incarcerated for more than five years in state prison

What’s happening in the United States of America?

Generation Z (Gen Z) is the generation born in the late 1990s or the early 21st century, perceived as being familiar with the use of digital technology, the internet, and social media from a very young age.

It was student and youth-led, Generation Z’s simmering churn in Sri Lanka some time ago, which spread to Bangladesh and leaders of both countries flying-out to escape the fury of the mobs. This time it was the turn of Nepal.

Nepal is in the grip of its worst political turmoils in decades after Gen Z led protests over a social media ban erupted and transformed into a nationwide uprising against corruption and entrenched political leadership. At least 70 people have been killed in clashes with security forces, which appears to have ignited latent fury. Demonstrators scorched the streets, torched the homes of senior leaders, and stormed (burnt it as well) Parliament leading to the resignation of the Prime Minister.

In events leading to the chaos, Nepal banned social media sites, including Facebook and Instagram, after they did not register with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. A notice said social media giants are given a week to register with the government, starting 28th August. But none, Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Alphabet (YouTube), X, Reddit, and LinkedIn – had submitted applications, by the deadline.

The number of Facebook users in Nepal can be put at around 13.5 million, and Instagram at around 3.6 million. Many rely on social media for their business. As the social media platforms went down in Nepal, those affected started protesting. The demonstrations against social media ban then snowballed into an anti-corruption protest.

There have been a series of corruption scams and allegations against high-ranking political leaders in Nepal, with little action taken and hardly anyone brought to book. Another factor is the ‘Nepo kids’ phenomenon. The children of political leaders flaunted their wealth and lavish lifestyles, which fuelled resentment among young people.

The turmoil appears to have subsided for the moment, with the ‘social media’ selection of former Chief Justice Mrs Sushila Karki, as interim Prime Minister. Karki took the oath of office after an agreement with protest leaders from the Gen Z movement. Nepal’s newly-appointed interim PM says she will be in the post for no longer than six months. “I did not wish for this job. It was after voices from the streets that I was compelled to accept,” Sushila Karki said, speaking for the first time since being sworn into office on Friday. She said she would hand over to the new government which will emerge after elections on 5th March, next year. Incidentally, Karki’s husband, Durga Prasad Subedi, is a Nepalese democracy fighter, author, and politician who was one of the three youth wing leaders of the Nepali Congress involved in the 1973 Royal Nepal Airlines DHC-6 hijacking. We sure have a potboiler in Nepal.

In keeping with the ‘World tempo’ the other two ‘good old wars’ have become a part of everyday life. Russia continues slamming Ukraine with gunfire, and Israel is working hard on its plan to take full control of Gaza City. Israel says it has over 40% of the city under its control.

On 8th September six people were killed on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for the shooting. In a lightening response, on 9th September, Israel make a tactical surgical strike on Hamas’s headquarters in Doha, Qatar, targeting the Hamas leadership based in the city, which was getting together for a meeting. The usual noises of violating international law, sovereignty, were made by Qatar, Saudi Arabia… and of course the decaying United Nations.

India

Thanks to US President Donal Trump’s belligerent stance on Tariffs, India began hugging the Russian Bear and kissing the Chinese Dragon to counter the draconian measures. And then, there is also no denying the ‘nudge’ to become self-reliant.

Russia has always been a friend-through thick and thin times; China is different with ‘bone-of-contention’ border issues, often drawing blood. Maybe, India’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have read the story from the Epic Mahabharata and are following through. The story is narrated by Bhishma to Yudhishthira, to illustrate the principle of forming temporary, self-interested, mutually-beneficial Alliances, during times of crisis. It goes like this.

In a large forest, there lived a Rat in a hole at the base of a Banyan Tree, while a Cat lived on the Tree. One day, the Rat ventured out of its hole only to bump into the Cat. Rats being a traditional meal for cats, the Rat, in question, sought to quickly dart away, but was stopped on its tracks by the Cat. “Let’s be friends”, said the Cat. “No” said the Rat, “how is that possible with rats being something cats always eat for dinner?” Meanwhile, a Hunter in the Forest set a trap-spreading a net under the tree-to trap birds and animals for his dinner, and the Cat got caught in it. Hearing its cries, the Rat came out of its hole. “Help Me”, cried the Cat, bite the net with your strong teeth and release me before the Hunter arrives. I promise I will not attempt to eat you”. About this time, an Owl and a Mongoose arrived on the scene and the Rat was rattled. It proposed a deal to the Cat, “Allow me to hide in your fur until the ‘clear and present danger’ passes and then I shall release you from the net”. All right, said the Cat and allowed the Rat to hide in its fur while the Owl and Mongoose went their own ways. When the Rat got out, the Cat asked it to gnaw the net and release him, as promised. “I’ll do it, said the Rat, but at a time of my choosing as you can still hunt me down for a meal. I will release you just before the Hunter arrives so that both of us have enough time to escape and we have no other motive other than saving ourselves. And you will be fully focussed on escaping without bothering to eat me”. The Rat did just that – the Hunter lost his meal. Thereafter, the Cat and the Rat went their separate ways.

India should treat China like the Rat treated the Cat. Enjoy the ‘alliance’ for mutual benefit, but be wary of China’s Dragon Fire. China cannot be trusted – at least at the Borders.

India’s Epics, especially the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, are a cornucopia of knowledge- ‘the distilled essence of solutions’ to problems plaguing mankind. They are waiting to be read, understood, and applied sensibly in today’s context. Did not someone say, ‘Old is Gold’?

US President Donald Trump’s rant was typical, “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together”. Thanks for your attention to the matter? He seems to have mellowed down later and began making overtures of India. No love lost?

Meanwhile, there is another Politician in India’s Tamil Nadu: the Opposition Leader Edappadi Palanisamy who is fighting to hold his Party (AIADMK) together with fragments falling off. Maybe he needs to pay attention to the cat & rat matter?

Goods & Services Tax (GST)

India’s PM promised a deluge of tax reliefs in the form of ‘Next Generation GST Reforms’ during his 15th August, Independence Day Address: seems to have worked it out beforehand. On 3rd September the GST Council met and unanimously accepted a two-tier tax structure of 5% and 18% plus a topping of 40% for ‘Sin Goods’. Many items were pushed down to the 5% slab and 18 % slabs from the previous 12% and 24% slabs respectively. There was cheers all-around and Industry had an ear-to-ear grin. Now they must pass-on the benefit to the common-man. A stellar achievement was the 18% GST on health Insurance was made ‘Nil’ on a quite vociferous demand through the year.Ouch, that hurt. I had just renewed my Health Insurance paying over 10,000 as GST!

Vice President of India

India got itself a new Vice President, C P Radhakrishnan, who took oath on 12 September. In the Vice Presidential elections he secured 452 votes for a maximum possible 437 votes of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Of the 767 votes cast votes, 15 were invalid votes and the opposition candidate secured 300 votes – of a possible 315.

ARMANI

Legendary, iconic, Italian designer Giorgio Armani, a master of style and elegance who reimagined fashion for a modern audience, died on 4 September 2025 at the ripe ‘unfashionable’ age of 91. Armani was indefatigable, driven by relentless curiosity and a deep attention to the present, and to people. He is regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern fashion forever changing the way people think about clothes, something that most fashion designers rarely accomplish. Armani leaves behind one of the most successful business empires in fashion history. The superlatives are deadly.

Armani elevated red carpet fashion to the aura of brightness we see it today. He was the first to ban underweight models-of Body Mass Index (BMI) under 18- from the runway, after model Ana Carolina Reston starved herself to death due to anorexia nervosa, in 2006.

The Armani Fashion House diversified and expanded from fashion into an empire spanning beauty, fragrance, music, sport, and even luxury hotels, earning billions of dollars a year.

Armani revolutionised fashion in the 1970s with minimalist, deconstructed silhouettes (intentionally unfinished), embodied in his famous soft jackets and unstructured suits. He transformed masculine and feminine elegance into a contemporary, sober and sophisticated form. He loosened the restrictions of stiffer styles of suit wear, helping to make men wearing suits feel sophisticated while empowering women in formal settings such as work. In summary, he reinvented the suit: softened menswear making it more sensual and hardened womenswear.

Armani was born in Piacenza, Northern Italy, in July 1934. He was one of three children. His father worked as an accountant. His family’s comfortable middle-class lifestyle was destroyed by the war. He endured a difficult childhood, when there wasn’t very much food on the table, and his mother had a difficult time feeding the children. Going back, his earliest memory was hunger. And he recalled playing with unexploded artillery shells in the street, until one suddenly went off: which severely burnt him, and a close friend was killed.

As a young man, Armani drifted. In 1956, he began a medicine degree, but dropped out after three years, and joined the Army. Swiftly tiring of life in the military, he found a job as a window dresser at La Rinascente – a department store in Milan – where he moved swiftly through the ranks.

Soon, Armani was working for Nino Cerruti – an influential haute couture designer. Within months, Cerruti asked him to restructure the company’s approach. He also went on to design the company’s Hitman Menswear Collection. His work at Cerruti was a crucial period that shaped his future aesthetic, and was also foundational to his knowledge of fabrics. Most designers learn their trade as apprentices or at fashion school, but Armani’s education took place on the shop floor. He learned what fabrics the customers liked, and went to the textile mills to buy them. He became an expert in how cloth was constructed, and used his knowledge to perfect tailoring. While at Cerruti, Armani began to strip away the stiff, traditional Italian tailoring. He created softer, less structured suits that offered men a more modern attitude and freedom of movement.

In 1966, Armani met Sergio Galeotti, a young apprentice architect and fashion designer. Galeotti and Armani began a long personal relationship that would serve as the backbone of their future professional relationship as well. Galeotti prodded Armani to start on his own believing in his potential, and in turn making Armani believe in himself and see the bigger picture in starting his own fashion line.

Then at the age of 41, in 1975, having enough experience and self-belief, and with his partner Sergio Galeotti at his side, he launched his own label, Giorgio Armani. The story goes that Galeotti convinced Armani to sell his Volkswagen Beetle- for start-up capital, to hire staff and secure office space in Milan. They started small: their first office was so dingy that Armani took the shades off the lamps in order to see the fabrics. But their work was nothing short of a revolution in fashion.

Galeotti was the force behind the Armani machine, masterminding the business side, leading the financial sector and administrative aspects of the company.

The 1960s middle classes could not afford haute couture, but yearned for a stylish, distinctive look of their own. With his expertise in fabrics, Armani provided an answer. His fine cloths made possible a menswear range with neat, precise cuts that could be manufactured at scale. Its distinctively Italian style began to influence the way the fashionable dressed. And with more women entering the workplace, Armani spotted an opportunity. “I realised that they needed a way to dress that was equivalent to that of men,” he said. “Something that would give them dignity in their work life.”

With Armani’s elegantly tailored power suits, women were offered an alternative to the stiff and stuffy dresses their mothers had worn to work. They exuded femininity, but were a powerful statement of equality.

Armani received his breakthrough in the 1980s when Hollywood Actor Richard Gere donned Armani suits in the film ‘American Gigolo’. This propelled the brand into the global spotlight, cementing Armani as a household name. Soon, stars from Michelle Pfeiffer to John Travolta embraced his creations, making him the designer of choice for both red carpets and everyday luxury. He broadcast his collection live on the Internet, the first in the world of haute couture, on 24 January 2007.

Armani famously collaborated with model Vittoria Ceretti a prominent Italian supermodel who has frequently worked with Armani throughout her career, appearing in campaigns and wearing his designs at major events.

But Armani didn’t stop at clothes. He expanded into perfumes, eyewear, and multiple lines such as Emporio Armani and Armani Exchange, targeting different segments of the global market. His company’s revenue soared into billions, while his boutiques multiplied across continents. He also built a global hospitality business, spanning hotels, cafes, restaurants and bars, that carried the same elegance as his fashion line. The centrepiece of his hospitality business is the Armani Hotels developed in partnership with Dubai’s Emaar Properties.

As a sports fan, he designed suits for Chelsea and the England football team, and made the uniforms for Italy’s Olympic team in 2012. Working tirelessly Armani through his fashion and hospitality businesses built an empire worthy of a king.

Though Armani remained CEO and sole shareholder right until his death, in his lifetime, Armani drew up a succession plan consisting of a gradual transition of the responsibilities that he had always handled to those closest to him, such as Leo Dell’Orco, the members of his family, and the entire working team. He wanted the succession to be organic and not amount to rupture.

Beyond his family, his heirs will include his long-term collaborator and right-hand man, Pantaelo Dell’Orco, and a foundation. This foundation was established in 2016 and plays a significant role in the preservation of Armani’s legacy and is designed to protect the company. The will instructs heirs to sell a 15% stake in the Italian fashion house within 18 months and later transfer an additional stake to the same buyer between three and five years after his death, or pursue an initial public offering.

His family members, consist of his nieces, Silvana and Roberta Armani, his nephew, Andrea Camerana. Silvana worked at Armani designs, running the womenswear collections. Meanwhile, Roberta, the daughter of his late brother Sergio, has been the director of Armani’s public relations, becoming the bridge between the brand and Hollywood. Roberta orchestrated Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ wedding in an Italian castle in 2006, with Armani personally designing both the bride’s and groom’s attire. Andrea, Armani’s nephew, joined the company in 2000 and worked as both a counsellor and licensing director. He eventually became Armani’s sustainability managing director, and focuses on the brand’s policy toward the environment.

Dell’Orco, described as Armani’s right-hand man, has been involved in the company since 1977 and currently heads the men’s style office. He frequently appears by the designer’s side at various fashion shows, and events. In fact, in June 2025, when Armani missed the menswear show during Milan Fashion Week for the first time in 50 years due to an undisclosed illness, Dell’Orco took over.

Remaining independent his entire life, Armani has also stated in his will no major mergers or IPOs would be permitted until five years after his death, providing a period of stability. With this, he sought to protect his brand against potential acquisitions by other giants in the Industry.

Armani was an intensely private man. He never married or had children. And had relationships with both men and women. He had a longstanding personal relationship with Sergio Galeotti, who died of complications from AIDS in 1985. Reflecting in 2015, Armani said of Galeotti: “when I travel, I bring his photograph. There is something that remains. His spirit lingers. For sure. He lives on. I see Sergio everywhere, and I am sure he sees me. And I have hope that whatever I have done, he knows about it”. Armani described his inability to prevent Galeotti’s death as the greatest failure of his career.

In later years, Armani spent much of his time on his yacht, and loved sailing. He had been in declining health in the months leading up to his death.

More well-dressed stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Suit and boot yourself with Freewheeling.