Window Seat: Paan juice and Swimming Pool

Chewing paan (betel- Piper betle)) and spitting its juice (as it often mixed with tobacco -zarda) is fairly common in several states of India including Odisha, parts of West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Although the consumption of paan is presently experiencing a down turn (as more people are taking tobacco in another form- gutkha), the number of people chewing paan and spitting juice is staggering. Here is an interesting way of looking at the sheer volume of paan saliva that people spit: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha can together fill about 105 Olympic size swimming pools with Paan spit every year. The calculation is based on the metrics that volume of a Olympic size swimming pool is 2.5 million liters, average spit of a person who takes tobacco with betel is 39.55 gm per intake and denisty of Paan spit is 1.1gm/ml. Please note, this only accounts for Paan-spit. There are other interesting spit variants that can be produced using good old gutkha and khaini that haven't been factored here. Now visualize swimming pools full of paan-spit and people swimming in it. {"align":"center","id":171272,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} Homo sapiens We human beings are peculiar lot. We are called 'Homo sapiens'. In Latin it means wise men, which I am sure many will doubt considering the wars that we have fought, bringing misery to all. We have been around on this planet for over one hundred thousand years. In the last two hundred years we have created more weapons and systems of mass destruction and annihilation than helping the living beings live happily and peacefully. Total global military expenditure rose to $1981 billion last year, an increase of 2.6 per cent in real terms from 2019, according to new data published today by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). One US dollar is above Rs 75/-. Now, you calculate the amount of money that is being spent on military expenditure. The five biggest spenders in 2020, which together accounted for 62 per cent of global military expenditure, were the United States, China, India, Russia and the United Kingdom. Military spending by China grew for the 26th consecutive year. Now, consider another fact: about 9.2% of the world, or 689 million people, live in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 a day, according to the World Bank. Think what could be done with a fraction of the amount being spent on weapons. If God has created us, then He would be cursing Himself for doing such a lousy job. Goddess of Liquor We Indians have had a complex and complicated relationship with liquor, or to be specific with drinking and abstinence. Recently a professor of South Asian Religions at University of South California, who is also a Sanskrit Scholar- James McHugh has written a well-researched book on this: An Unholy Brew: Alcohol in Indian History and Religions. I never knew that there is a Goddess of Liquor in Hindu and Buddhist text.  She is called Varunani or Varuni or Varui Devi. She emerged at the time of Samudra-manthan- the churning of the milk-sea. She is the spouse (daughter in some texts) of Varuna. She is believed to be is the goddess of wine (soma), alcohol (mada) and immorality. In one of the texts that James McHugh translated, she had nine jars and nine cups, with which she served the gods drinks. Few drops fell to earth and became all the intoxicants humans possess- from wine to cannabis. In several texts and religious treaties evils of drinking have been outlined and people have been advised to abstain from it. But Kamasutra advises to drink before and after love making. Now, that is really complicated. Truth, Half-truth Harry, a lawyer, had a wife and 12 children. He needed to move because his rental agreement was terminated by the owner who wanted to reoccupy the home. Now Harry was having a lot of difficulty finding a new house as whenever he mentioned that he had 12 children, no one would rent a home to him because they felt that the children would destroy the place. Harry couldn't say he had no children, because he couldn't lie. We all know lawyers cannot and do not lie. So, Harry sent his wife for a walk to the cemetery with 11 of their kids. He took the remaining one with him to see rental homes with the real estate agent. Harry loved one of the homes and the price was right -- the agent asked, "How many children do you have?” He answered: "Twelve." The agent asked, "Where are the others?" The lawyer, with his best courtroom sad look answered “They're in the cemetery with their mother!!!" Harry got the home on rent. MORAL of the story: It's not necessary to lie; one only has to choose the right words. And and this is how half-truth is presented to us every day by some of the news channels and most of the politicians. Tailpiece: God forbid God forbid, if Canada is invaded like Ukraine, then it would take years to evacuate the Punjabis from there. (Courtesy: Social Media) About the Author: Journalist turned media academician Mrinal Chatterjee lives in Dhenkanal, Odisha. He also writes fiction and plays. He can be reached at [email protected] DISCLAIMER This is the personal opinion of the author. The views expressed in this write up have nothing to do with those of prameyanews.com