Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Kerala Telecom scores another point

Special Correspondent

COLLECTOR'S ITEM: One of the reproductions of Ravi Varma paintings

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: What do you do when you end a particular year in a blaze of glory? Start the new year with a song on your lips.

And that is exactly what Kerala Telecommunications of BSNL is doing. It is ushering in the New Year with not one but many. The only difference is that they are not songs in the exact sense of the word but verses on canvas -Ravi Varma paintings. The department has woven them in a tasteful manner in its diary for 2006.

It is the exquisite painting of a "Traditionally dressed Lady from Maharashtra" which hits the eye when you open the page for the first day of the New Year.

Like all other Ravi Varma paintings it is perfect in all respects from the proportion of the lady, to her features, dress, hairdo, ornaments, the platter of fruits, which she holds, and the colour combination of the painting.

The second picture is that of Princess Damayanthi talking to the Royal Swan about Nalan. The caption is not necessary for even the lay reader to realise that the lady is blue blooded. Such is the radiance of the face.

The attention which the master has given to finer details like the bracelets and anklets worn by the princess and on the swan is astonishing.

Next comes one of the most popular paintings of the master - Sakunthala acting as though injured by a thorn on her leg to take one more look at Dushyanthan. It is this painting which comes to the mind first whenever you hear anything about that immortal love story. Such is the impact of the work on the viewer.

It is followed by "A Keralite Lady in traditional dress playing the veena". It is a fine example of how a simple situation can be made into a scene of grandeur by the wave of a magic wand or should it be the stroke of a magical brush.

Here too, the attention which the master painter has paid to details is breathtaking. Take for example the jewels that the lady is wearing. They include the exclusive ornaments of Kerala like "Pachakkal thali" (chain with green stones) and the "adyal chutti".

She also wears a simple black bangle along with her bracelet and rings studded with stones. The white cloth which covers her glowing body has fine black border reminiscent of the "puliyilakara" which is very much in demand even today. The cumulative effect is stunning.

The other paintings in the collection include the Lady series - "Lady with the lamp", "Lady in moonlight", "Lady in deep thought", "Lady in the swing" and "Traditionally dressed Keralite lady with child". And then comes the grand finale - "Droupathi taken to forest by Simhika".

And now a word about how the department fared during the current year in the State. When the private telecom companies came into the scene, one thought that BSNL was finished. But it succeeded in outsmarting them through a series of deft moves.

They included ushering in a mobile phone revolution in the State. Thanks to its latest scheme, Plan 100, even last grade employees in Government service and public sector undertakings not to mention State service pensioners have been able to achieve connectivity. Kerala Telecom did it by working even on holidays.

We always hold private companies as examples to the public sector.

Kerala Telecom is probably one PSU from which the private sector can learn a lesson or two. The private telecom companies may be dynamic, resourceful and have all the funds in the world. But it might take a long time for them to break the Kerala connection of BSNL.

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