The cockroach menace

MMM's experience with cockroaches (MM, September 16th) shows how even the Railways in India has lost the battle against these creatures. The danger is far greater than stated, as the enemy is being distributed all over India free of ticket.

The enemy we are talking about, cockroaches, evolved for more than 300 million years, even before India was born, and was part of Pangea, clustered in the South Pole with other continents. We humans are comparatively newcomers to 'Planet Earth', with just 2 to 3 million years behind us. If there is an atomic war, all life forms may vanish due to radiation, but not these creatures.

There are over 4500 species of cockroaches in the world and, with the discovery of Americas, the very first consignment from the two continents of Periplaneta Americana, the American cockroach came to India and the old world. Indian cockroaches, like Periplaneta orientalis, are harmless, staying in the trees and forests and have not domesticated like their American cousins.

It is reported that a cockroach can live for an entire week even if its head is cut off, as its powerful nervous system is well spread throughout its body and it dies only due to thirst. Except for the polar regions, it lives everywhere up to an elevation of 10,000 feet. If the temperature drops to freezing point, it just shifts camp and co-exists with humans. Cockroaches are great survivors; they can live for about a month without food. They live a very unromantic life, as they mate just once and the female remains pregnant all her life. Like several insects, it can multiply by parthenogenesis (without a male). It carries an ootheca having up to 40/50 nymphs and can go on releasing them in several batches.

It has uncanny capabilities. It can run on the floor or climb a wall with a set of claws. It has a powerful antenna, which rivals NASA's Global Positioning System (GPS), to help it locate family and friends with state-of-the-art precision. Its compound eyes have 4000/4500 individual lenses, allowing it to see all around simultaneously and it has sensors on its back to get information that would make it flee. It can hunt silently at nights with agility and stealth. It has a gizzard that grinds big particles of food to fine powder and it has huge salivary glands and an elaborate nervous system to extract maximum energy from a given quantity of food.

This insect is a marvel of evolution, with a highly polished surface, like porcelain, to prevent any pollutants adhering to it; thus it can live in gutters, sewage and foul areas without getting contaminated or hurt. But when cockroaches transmit all this to the food we eat, they can cause serious damage to human health.

There are several variants among the various species of cockroaches. The Madeira cockroaches of Portugal emit such a foul odour that people think that a huge dead rodent is around. The biggest variety is in South America, and is reputed to be 6 inches long!

I used to have cockroaches in my writing table drawer, eating away the gum behind new postage stamps or chewing into the labels of insulin bottle for the gum and paper – their idea of a masala dosai – or even into aluminum foil to get at Neurobion. Fortunately for me, after spraying insecticide, most of the cockroaches have vanished and those left are cleared by the domestic geckoes very efficiently.

MMM has certainly made a pertinent point about the massive population of cockroaches in the Indian Railways. They are a health hazard for all the passengers and to the public as well, for they can spread through the railways to every nook and cranny in the country.

K.V.S. Krishna
kvskrishna@rediffmail.com

Bicycle menace

Reader M. Fazal (MM, October 16th) has overlooked the grave risk posed by earlier two-wheelers still in use, namely Bicycles.

It would appear that the cycles have been totally exempted from lamps in front or at the tail. Bicycles nowadays turn out to be the real invisible demons on the roads.

In the past, they used to be provided with a small kerosene lamp of queer design. Policemen were very particular about its presence. If a rider, generally a school student, tried to fool the policeman that the light went off due to wind etc., he would touch the top of the lamp and, if not found warm, would deflate the tubes of both the wheels! The errant rider would have to push the cycle and go!

Nowadays these vehicles rush around merrily, without let or hindrance after dark.

N. Dharmeshwaran
Plot 456, II Link Road
Sadashiva Nagar, Madipakkam
Chennai 600 091

A perfectionist professor

I first met Prof. P.N. Ganapati in 1956 when I joined III B.Sc. (Zoology) in Mrs. A.V.N. College. He came there for the inaugural function. We were thrilled to see all his degrees on the invitation card. After completing my B.Sc. in Zoology in 1958, I joined 4th year of B.Sc. (Hons.) course in the Zoology Department of Andhra University. During that period, an exhibition was conducted. We put up many stalls. I collected a small green caterpillar along with some vegetation and the caterpillar (under camouflage) looked like a green branch. When I showed it to Prof. Ganapati, he suggested that we offer a challenge to the visitors to spot the caterpillar in three minutes' time and win a prize. We collected some money through this and utilised the funds to get the reprints of the Department Bound.

Professor Ganapati used to dress immaculately in full suit and come to the Department carrying a leather bag. In later years he, however, switched over to white dress. He was very punctual. Prof. Ganapati was a strict disciplinarian. He used to keep everything spick and span. His classroom lectures included Cytology, Genetics and Paleontology. Our Zoology Department was well known for the museum with a leopard and hyena caught on the campus.

Whenever visitors arrived, Prof. Ganapati would wish them with a disarming smile. He was a generous and magnanimous person. He was a very kind and considerate professor. After our theory examinations he used to call all of us and find out when we can have the practical examinations. He used to arrange seminars in the Department for the students and encourage them to present papers and trained all of us that way to face the future.

D.B. James
Chennai
(Former Scientist,
CMFR Institute)

Inspiration

Tamil Paramparyam was inspired by the efforts of the National Maritime Foundation, Chennai, senior mariners from Madras recognising them as part of the Madras Day celebrations.

K.R.A. Narasiah
narasiah267@gmail.com

'Murali' memories

Mention of Muralikrishna Theatre brings back nostalgic memories of our residence in Shenoy Nagar

We lived at Chellammal Street and the uniqueness of the theatre itself was that it was located in a road named after another theatre, i.e. Lakshmi Talkies Road!

I was in Std. V and the first film screened according to my sister Jaishree was Rajapart Rangathurai which saw big size banners. The biggest story was that the person who bought the first ticket would get a gold ring!

The airconditioning plant would be visible from all sides of the locality.

I watched just one film, though passing through the road three or four times a day with my father was itself an experience, staring up at the mega banners – especially of Sigappu Rojakkal featuring Kamal Hasan, a story out of bounds for school students like me.

Sudhakar
sudhacker@gmail.com

'Profetic'

Here are some more onslaughts on English, courtesy my professor of the 1950s:

• I tell you in the front. Don't repent on the back.

• I told you so many times no verandah going but you are always verandah going.

• Look at the outstanding fellow (after punishing a student by getting him to stand outside the class).

• Coming late to the class. Not hearing lecturer. Wasting father's money.

G.V. Raman
26 (Old No. 42)
M.G. Chakrapani Street
Satya Garden
Chennai 600 093