Wednesday, December 30, 2009

PANCHAAMRITAM 31 - 40

PANCHAAMRITAM - 31

ONE

1. A poor Andhra boy who came to the US in the 1920s, is credited with the synthesis of Folic acid, Aureomycin, the first of the tetracycline antibiotics that have saved millions of lives since its introduction in 1948, and Methotrexate, which is used to alleviate several types of cancer, including childhood leukaemia. He was born in Bhimavaram and schooled in Rajamundhry, both in Andhra Pradesh, Bharat. He thrice flunked matriculation and studied Ayurveda before switching to the western system of medicine after working as a night porter at a Boston Hospital because he was too poor to pay the fees. In fact, it is said that Aureomycin, presented to the medical world in 1948, should have won him the Nobel Prize. But Subba Rao died at 53, the same year as his hero Mahatma Gandhi. Which means that the great scientist's 55th death anniversary is passing us by without as much as a decent commemoration. There are many such stories that never see the light of day. Not all NRI achievers grab the headlines. 2. Dr Rangaswamy Srinivasan, is the little known pioneer of Lasik eye surgery, who is the only Indian to feature in the US National Inventors Hall of Fame in the company of greats such as Edison, Ford, Disney, Nobel and the Wright Brothers. After he engineered the technique to correct shortsightedness that has enabled millions to get rid of eye glasses, Srinivasan wrote out the patent to IBM, the corporation he worked for. His reward: A measly $10,000. 3. In a recent interview, Dr Praveen Chaudhari, the Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory, who was also Dr Srinivasan's colleague at IBM, was asked how it felt to have such achievements go unrecognised by the media and unrewarded financially in an age when people were patenting age old inventions and milking millions. "The joy lies in the discovery, not in the reward," he said.Dr Chaudhari should know. He engineered the rewriteable compact disc(CD), and like Dr Srinivasan, wrote out the patent for IBM for a fraction of the billions Big Blue, Sony, Phillips and other corporations got from the invention. But neither man displays the slightest sign of rancour at IBM's profits or envy at the fame and fortune of today's NRIs. "Between a billion dollars and the pleasure of giving perfect eyesight, what do you think I will choose?" asks Dr Srinivasan.

Based on a report in The Times of India November 23, 2003.

TWO

Preliminary trials of 'Panchagavya,' made up of five products of cow -- dung, urine, milk, curd and ghee -- on various crops have shown a positive trend of enhanced yield and shortened crop duration, a senior scientist at Tamilnadu Agricultural University said. Dr K Natarajan, a practising physician in Kodumudi in Erode district, was instrumental in successfully popularising the concept, Dr E Vadivel, Dean, Horticultural College and Research Institute of the University said. With organic farming becoming more popular, the Institute decided to validate the microbial aspects and carried out trials on individual crops, which had shown a positive trend of enhanced yield and shortened crop duration, he said. Claiming that yield after the first trial has shown 20 to 25 per cent increase in Sunflower, Ashvagandha (a medicinal plant), Maize, Paddy, Drumstick and Raddish, Vadivel said that it was also found that the duration of the crops, like paddy and sugarcane, was reduced at least by 20 days. Even the recovery percentage in sugarcane has shown an increase of one per cent, Vadivel claimed. Though Panchagavya, easy to prepare as all the ingredients were available on the farm itself, was useful in normal cultivation, it would be more effective in garden land, horticulture and commercial crops, Vadivel said. Products of 'deshi' cows were said to have more potent than that of exotic breeds, he said adding dung and urine of pregnant 'deshi' cows have proved to be more stronger. The university was making efforts to patent Panchagavya, in coordination with CSIR, which had already carried out test and patented the use of cow urine, he said. On the preparation of panchakavya, Vadivel said that ingredients--cow dung slurry (from gobar gas plant), fresh cow dung, urine, milk, curd, ghee, sugarcane juice, tender coconut water, ripe banana and toddy, if available, -- can be added to a wide-mouthed mud pot, concrete tank or plastic cans, in the recommended proportion. The container should be kept open in the shade and the contents should be stirred twice a day--morning and evening-- and the solution would be ready after the seventh day, to be used as spray, flow and seed or seedling treatment.

PTI, January 26, 2004.

THREE

February 1, 2004. It was the annual day at the ‘Seva Bharati Tamilnadu’ state headquarters at purasaiwalkam in Chennai.. The time for release of the annual report came. Shri. Muthu and Smt. Gita were called to the dais to receive the first copy from the chief guest of the day. The young couple did so. Muthu works as a tailor. Gita is a housewife. They have a little girl child. This family conducts two service activities in their house in the backward Pulianthope area of North Chennai, Tamilnadu, Bharat, for the past one year. 15 women (their husbands work as conservancy workers in the Chennai Municipal Corporation), learn sewing taught free by Gita. 30 school children whose parents are either head load workers or rikshaw drivers, benefit by the free tuition clsses that Gita conducts. Muthu has inspired a colleague of his, Shri. Sekar, to take classes for children in 8th to10th class. Gita has studided upto class 8 only and Muthu did not study beyond primary school. “The house in which the Muthu - Gita couple live is just as big as the dais at the function (10 feet by 10 feet)”, points out Shri. Ravi, organiser of the function. The couple had disposed of the cot, the only luxury the had, to accommodate the sewing machines in their one-room house.

Based on a write up in VIJAYABHARATAM, Tamil weekly, Chennai - 31.

FOUR

It was 1946.A young Samskritam scholar used to wait patiently on the banks of a river on solar or lunar eclipse days or on festive days hoping that somebody would throw into the river rare and ancient Samskritam manuscripts. It is the practice among some Hindu families to offer to the ‘Ganga’ ancient scripts they have inherited if they felt they could no longer keep them or if there is any illness or difficulty in the house. If anybody threw any manuscripts the young scholar had men ready to dive into the river and pick up the manuscripts. The scolar is Prof. K.T.Pandurangi who became (in 1971) the Haed of the Sanskirt Department of Bangalore University, Karnataka. In his ‘hunt’ for ancient manuscripts for 25 years, Pandurangi could obtain 2,500 interesting Samskritam manuscripts on palm leaf, plates made of bamboo and country papers. The collection resulted in the formation of ‘Sri Vidyadhisha Sanskrit Manuscripts Library’. Even after becoming a professor he visits some districts utilising winter and summer vacations to meet the descendants of ancient scholars to see if he could any valuable manuscripts. Prof. Pandurangi said, in his anxiety to lay hand on as many manuscripts as possible,he had even established contact with dealers in waste paper in important cities and offered them, for Samskritam manuscripts, four times the price at which they sold old paper. About 5 lakhs of Samskritam, Prakrit and Pali manuscripts are deposited in 215 institutions in India and 1 lakh are deposited in 40 institutions in several countries around the globe.

Based on a report in THE HINDU of April 22, 1971, included in a book

THE WEALTH OF SANSKRIT MANUSCRIPTS IN INDIA AND ABROAD authored by Prof. K.T. Pandurangi (1997).

FIVE

In 1956-57, Chintaman D.Deshmukh resigned as Finance Minister, Government of India, on a point of principle.However, he agreed to work as Chairman of the University Grants Commission taking one rupee as a token salary, when he was entiltled to a monthly pay of Rs. 3,000. Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime minister, had the highest esteem for him, sent B.K.Nehru as his personal emissary to ask if Deshmukh would agree to the joint proposalmade by the governments of USA and the United Kingdom to nominate him as the director General of the International Monetary Fund, prestigious post carrying a salary of 30,000 dollars plus perquisites. Nehru wanted him to add that it would be an honour to India if he accepted the post.Deshmukh asked for time to consult his wife and give his decision.Anybody else would have grabbed the opportunity, which come once in a life-time. The husband and wife (Smt. Durgabai Deshmukh, an internationally known social worker whose service activities have benefited a large number of Chennai’s needy persons including women and children) discussed the offer and decided that high salary had no attraction for them since both of them had resolved to dedicate the rest of their lives to service of their motherland. This extraordinary reaction to the attractive offer was conveyed to Nehru. In 1962, Durgabai too resigned her post of Chairperson of Central Social Welfare Board which she had held with distinction for an eventful decade.

(From a biography of Durgabai Deshmukh).

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PANCHAAMRITAM - 32

ONE

Decades ago two close associates of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan wanted to perpetuate the memory of Prabhawati ji, the woman behind the Lok Nayak. They sought the permission of the great leader. And Prabhawati Jayaprakash Sewa Kendra was born at the outskirts of Chennai City (at Guduvancheri). Shri Shobhakant Das and Shri Mehta (84 years young) started this institution, with the blessings of the Lok Nayak. Went through some harrowing time during the infamous emergency. This is clearly an institution with a great difference. Till date, there have been no brochures designed. No pamphlets printed. No advertisements seeking donations have been issued. They have remained firm in not inviting any politician to their premises. The eager politicians were politely told to “bless our children from where you are”. No press meets have been held to promote their Seva work. Silently, this institution has taken the responsibility of over 300 children. Each one of them is physically challenged. And the institution has never succumbed to publishing photos of these children to seek donations, like most institutions of today. Half a dozen cows obtained with the blessings of Kanchi Shankaracharya provide nourishing milk to the inmates. Teachers here are sold to the concept of service. All of them continue to stick to the institution though better offers continue to stare at them each academic year. Of the 130 odd schools in the Kanchi District, this is the only institution to come out with a 100% pass in the Board Exam last year. (Based on a write up by Shri. S.V. Badri, Chennai posted in www.rss.org February 7, 2004).

TWO

This article in the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22763-2003Dec22.html) is mostly about the appointment of Robert D. Blackwill as coordinator for strategic planning with the National Security Council, a new and very influential position. Blackwill, a former Harvard professor, was much appreciated in India during his recently-concluded stint as ambassador, and appears to have imbibed some of India in the process. The article reads in part: “Although he returned this summer, part of Blackwill's heart is clearly still in India. A huge map of "Mother India" adorns the cream-colored walls of his fastidious office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The only item on his vast desktop is a tiny figurine of Ganesh, the Hindu elephant-headed God of wisdom and success. During his two-year stint, Blackwill oversaw one of the fastest transformations in relations between the United States and any country by peaceful means. Blackwill quotes Krishna -- "Be thou of even mind". (Source: Hindu Press International, December 23, 2003).

THREE
Shri. R.Chandrasekhar records an experience of his in ASEEMAA, an English monthly published from Mangalore, Karnataka, Bharat. Following is its gist: “An excessive muscular growth on my right arm (Lipoma) was operated for biopsy purposes. The stitches were removed in due course. A part of the wound, about 2 cm in length had not healed. Therefore, the doctor applied medicine and did the dressing (to be replaced every alternate day). Even after the 9th dressing, the wound showed no sign of healing. The doctors named it ‘Non healing ulcer’ and advised me to consult another surgeon. Meanwhile, I contacted Shri. K.S.Gajender Rao (who performs Agnihotram regularly for 24 years) of Secunderabad over phone and sought his advice. He told me to apply Agnihotra ashes mixed with cow’s ghee on the non healing wound. My wife Smt. Thilagam did the daily dressing with gauze and cotton after applying the agnihotra ashes on the wound, as per prescription. After some days I went to the doctor. He carefully examined the wound and informed me that 30% of the wound has healed. After another couple of weeks, the doctor confirmed that the wound was completely cured. Now, the doctor became eager to know more about Agnihotram. I gave him a pamphlet on Agnihotram.” (ASEEMAA of December 2003, Mangalore - 575 008)
FOUR
Shri.M.T.Gopalaratnam was only a clerk in Tiruppathur Panchayat office. His hands were clean. He applied his mind to the work on hand. Therefore, he could make it a point that teachers in the Panchayat school received their salary on the first of every month without delay. That gladdened the teachers greatly. When he was transferred from that place, he was given three different farewell parties, of course, including one by the teachers. Whenever his honest ways landed him in trouble in the form of improper transfer, Gopalaratnam fought it out even if it meant a representation to the concerned Minister. He always won his case. The IAS officer of his district had to suffer embarrassment due to his straightforward nature, but when the official left for another place, he did not fail to leave a note to his sucessor to the effect that “this man can be trusted”. After serving in the state Secretariat towards the end of his career, the retired - but not tired - Gopalaratnam continues to be useful to the neighbourhood. He practises Homoeopathy in Ambattur, charging the patients only the cost of the medicine. (Gopalaratnam is a Swayamsevak of RSS, spotted by late Shri. Shivaramji).
FIVE

Meet Smt. Madhu Agrawal. Her 4,094 letters to editors have so far been published in various newspapers. Her first letter was published in 1976. The Limca Book of Records has granted her a certificatefor setting the national record in writing letters to editors.Her name is now being forwarded for Guinness Book Of World Records with recommondations to start an exclusive catagory for woman having written the largest number of letters to editors of newspapers. Smt. Madhu’s husband, Shri. Subhash Chandra Agrawal, has already entered the Guinness Book Of World Records for writing the largest number of letters (1,226) to editors of various newspapers last year. He had surpassed Pakistan’s Hakkim Sayyad Irshad who earlier held the record for getting 602 of his letters into print. The Delhi - based Madhu-Subhash duo is actively engaged in social work by writing letters on a wide range of topics concerning national and public interest. (Based on a report in ORGANISER, English weekly dated August 24, 2003).

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PANCHAAMRITAM - 33

ONE

Every morning, the High School in Palacode, Dharmapuri District, Tamilnadu, Bharat presented a routine spectacle: 32 students, all latecomers, are punished with a sprint around the school playground. All of them have to make the 7-km distance from their hamlet P.Chettihalli by bus to reach Palacode at 9 a.m.as per schedule. That renders all these youthful passengers as latecomers to the School Prayer. A group of Palacode youngsters decided to put an end to this sorry state of affairs. They approached the Transport authorities with a request to reschedule the bus arrival to 8.40 a.m. The officials in Palacode referred them to the Transport Office in Dharmapuri. The spirited youngsters did not give up. They took it up with the officials in Dharmapuri and in the end the bus from P.Chettihalli began to arrive at 8.40 a.m., thus putting an end to the decades-long practice of the rural children receiving punishment as a routine. Those public-spirited Palacode youngsters attend the local RSS Shakha regularly.

TWO

A few years back, Vachatti, a hamlet in Dharmapuri District, was in the news for wrong reasons, particularly, atrocities on SC brethren. A few weeks back, the villagers were hit by a mysterious disease. Many of them had nausea. Quite a number of them had a bout of vomiting and diarrhoea. Panic gripped the village. Four lads noticed that the Panchayat overhead tank which supplies drinking water to the village had not been cleaned for a long time. They had a talk with the Panchayat President. Then they went ahead and in the course of half a day, cleaned the overhead tank using bleaching powder. Before that, they took care to go round the village announcing the stoppage of water for cleaning purposes. The week that followed witnessed womenfolk in the village chiding Communist activists with this barb: “You fellows keep shouting and thrusting a bandh on every occasion much to the inconvenience of all of us. But, look at these young thambis of RSS Without much ado, they have swung into action and have saved the lives of all of us.”

THREE

Konalam, near Arakonam in Vellore District, did not have a national flag ( the tricolour) since quite a number of years Hurt by this, a few swayamsevaks of the place pooled contributions and got ready a flagpost, of course, along with the National flag. They offered it to the village. Now, on the occasion of National days, the tricolour flutters proudly atop the flagpost right in the middle of the village. The swayamsevaks also noticed that twenty of the poor students in the village school had to struggle to buy note books. They went door to door collecting unused blank sheets from the previous year’s note books. They got them all bound neatly into note books and distributed them among the needy.

FOUR

In a stretch of a couple of kilometers of the village road in Vijayamanagaram in Cuddalore District, Tamilnad, Bharat, the road was visible amid a series of potholes and bumps. People in the village and their vehicles were badly hit. Swayamsevaks of the village started filling up pothole by pothole and leveling the road bump by bump. In the course of a week the particular stretch of the road presented a picture of motorable thoroughfare much to the relief of the village population.

FIVE

Kavita runs a typewriting institute. This gives her an opportunity to interact with the young men and women in the village. Kavita being of a mindset to heighten the awareness of all good things among aspiring youth, does not miss a chance when it comes to providing an exposure to the youth of her village. It was in this manner that a dozen of her students – seven of them girls – attended Chennai Media Centre’s (CMC) two-day Journalism Training camp in Vellore, Tamilnadu in January 2004. As a follow-up, a functionary of the CMC visited the village. Food was arranged in Kavita’s house. Kavita belongs to a community with which the non-changers of other sections of the society consider it a taboo to share food, etc. To the utter surprise of the visitor, the young and awakened Bharat presented itself in full strength. Youngsters, including girls, forgetting all taboo and totem partook the food offered by Kavita, enjoying every bit in the lunch. This happened in village Vanjoor, 2 km. away from Vellore.

All five anecdotes courtesy: CHENNAI MEDIA CENTRE NEWS,

Tamil Fortnightly, Chennai 600 031.

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PANCHAAMRITAM - 34

ONE

1. A 14-year-old girl's presence of mind and timely action saved several people from a watery grave in Kendrapara in Orissa. Parvati was waiting on the banks of Mahanadi river near Mushadiha ghat for her uncle to come for fishing when a motorised boat capsized. The girl raised a hue and cry as the passengers shouted for help. But as no one could hear her cries. Parvati then sailed out in a boat anchored nearby and rescued many. "But for the act of valour and exemplary courage shown by Parvati, several persons would have definitely died," Superintendent of Police, Jagatsinghpur, Suresh Kumar Palsania said. Palsania, quoting her uncle, said the girl knew how to handle a boat and managed to rescue at least three persons before his uncle and other fishermen arrived on the scene and pulled out the remaining six from the swirling waters. From rediff.com, March 02, 2004 (Idea: Shri. Ambalavanan.A.P). 2. Shri. A. Janardan Reddy, a home guard on duty, forgot he didn’t know swimming, and dived into the Hussainsagar lake in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, to save a woman, one Anita, who had jumped into the lake to commit suicide. Within moments, both the home guard and the woman were drowning. Reddy’s determination to save Anita was so strong that it slipped his mind that he didn’t know how to swim. “When I started swallowing water I realised I couldn’t swim. I thought I was going to die when someone pulled me up by my hair,” Janardhan told the media (It was one Shri. N Anand, a supervisor with a contractor wh noticed the two struggling, dived in and rescued them).

Based on a report in Deccan Chronicle, December 19, 2003.

TWO

In a welcome move that comes not from feminists but from those
representing the orthodoxy, priests in a Madhya Pradesh district have decided not to solemnise marriages where the groom has taken dowry. A group of 50 priests, from two organisations called the Brahman Samaj and the Parshuram Vahini, met in the state's Chhattarpur district and unanimously decided to boycott marriages that involved dowry. S.S.Tiwari, who presided over the meeting, said the priests had decided to
ask whether or not the bridegroom's family was taking dowry before deciding to solemnise a marriage. "If we come to know that the bridegroom's family is taking dowry, we will not solemnise the marriage and will boycott it," Tiwari said. He said the step would enable priests to check the social evil. "We will contact priests in other districts of Madhya Pradesh as well and ask them to adopt the stand taken by us," said Tiwari.

Deccan Herald, February 2, 2004 (Idea: Shri. Ashok Chowgule).



THREE

Chennai schoolboy Janarthanan – Jana as he is known – had to lose his left leg just below the knee, the toes on his right leg, his left hand till the elbow, and the whole of his right hand up to his shoulders. This was due to severe eloctrocution, while he was at play, in which he was badly burnt. He underwent treatment in Stanley Hospital for
about six months, during which time Dr Seeniraj urged the boy to try and live life as normal as possible. He encouraged Jana to learn to write with his mouth and to study further. Jana’s family is loving and supportive. His father sold his printing press that was their only means of livelihood to pay for his treatment which came up to Rs 4 lakh. His sister Sandhya feeds him lunch everyday at school. With motivation from his parents and Dr Seeniraj, Jana pushed himself to work hard. By now, he can not only write perfectly well with his mouth, but paint as well, for which he has received numerous prizes. For four consecutive years – the most recent one being this February 14 – Janarthanan came first in the painting competition organised by Victoria Technical Institute. But it wasn’t all going well for Jana – initially many schools had refused him admissionuntil finally SRNM Matriculation of Nesapakkam took him in. Even there he didn’t find friends easily. During the drawing period, his teacher used to look at him with sympathy as he was not able to draw. ‘‘This gave me an urge to succeed in drawing and that has driven me to this level of success.’’ Now that Janarthanan has artificial limbs, he can perform simple tasks like eating by himself and even enjoys playing football. Ask what his ambition is and he says he wants to become a computer graphics engineer. Already, he is learning the basics of computer graphics from Vishwanathan of Azhagi.com.

Based on a report in The New Indian Express, March 1, 2004

(Idea: Shri. M. Pramod Kumar)

FOUR

Jyothi Ramalingam, a little boy from a small village, V.M.Chatram near Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, Bharat, is a student and an earning member of his family as well. He distributes newspapers to houses early in the morning before he goes to school and he earns Rs.70 per month from this. His mother works as a servant-maid. His father had left the family years ago. Jyothi Ramalingam doesn't distribute newspapers from December 16 to January 15 every year. Reason: He attends "Margazhi Bhajans" ( Early Morning Nagar Sankirtan) every year without fail. He takes special permission for this from his employer. His mother does all the work in the temple during this month and prepares things for the next day Pooja! NOT for money. Although the Rs. 70 is a big amount for the family and their survival, Jyothi and his mother love to do this.

Contributed by Dr. Narayanan (London) on January 25, 2004

FIVE

A Standing Committee of the Parliament attached to the Ecology and Forest Ministry has recommended to the Government of Bharat, in its 21st report tabled in both Houses during the final session of the 13 th Parliament, that the Brahmanda Puranam must be studied in order to get the sacred river Ganga cleaned. The committee had expressed its anguish at the heavy pollution of Ganga. The report cites 13 kinds of activities to be avoided in and near Ganga as mentioned in the Puranam. The Committee called upon the government to include all the 13 in its list of “Dont’s”. A few of such activities are: easing, washing clothes, letting in water, throwing certain kinds of flowers as an offering, using toilet soaps, indulging in sports, accepting Daan, vulgarity, throwing in clothes and swimming. “We worship rivers. We imbibe a tradition that looks upon rivers as an aspect of the divine. The Puranic lore gives details of the code to be followed so that the water of Ganga could be kept clean”, observed the 13 member Committee headed by Shri. C.Ramachandrayya.

Source: Patha Sanket, Lucknow Hindi weekly of February 23, 2004.

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PANCHAAMRITAM - 35

ONE

Smt. Indira Gandhi lost her election case on June 12, 1975 and became a dysfunctional Prime Minister. Immediately thereafter, on June 25, 1975, she proclaimed a state of internal Emergency. In a midnight swoop, Jayaprakash Narayan, Morarji Desai, Atal Behari Vajpayee and L K Advani and many others were detained without charges and trial. The fundamental rights to life and liberty (Article 21 of the Constitution) and equality (Article 14) were suspended. Many persons were detained and they presented petitions of habeas corpus for their release. The case came before a five-member bench of the Supreme Court, Justice H.R. Khanna forming part of the bench. Later, in his autobiography, Khanna writes about the Habeas Corpus Case graphically. To a question, ''In view of his (Attorney General's) submissions, would there be any remedy if a police officer, because of personal enmity, killed another man?'' the answer Mr. De (Attorney General) gave was: ''Consistent with my argument there would be no judicial remedy in such a case as long as the Emergency lasts.'' It was Justice Khanna's finest hour. He gave a verdict against the Emergency government -- with all the other four judges going in favour of Emergency. Khanna thus became a beacon and a symbol of selfless courage and lion-hearted resolve to stand up for what he considered to be right without regard to personal consequence. Today he is still among us, honoured and venerated by members of the Bar and Bench wherever he goes (In 1977, on the principle of seniority, Justice Khanna was due for appointment as the Chief Justice of India. His dissent in the Habeas Corpus Case sealed his fate. On January 28, 1977, Justice M.H. Beg, who had decided in favour of the Government, was appointed Chief Justice of India, superseding Justice Khanna).

Based on an article by senior lawyer Shri. Anil B. Divan

in THE INDIAN EXPRESS, March 15, 2004.

TWO

He was just 29, married only 10 months earlier. Major Rajesh Adhikari’s target was Tololing, a 14,000 feet high mount from which the Pakistan army was raining bullets on our soldiers down below. It was pitch dark. As he set out with an AK-47 rifle in his right hand, and the terrain map in his other hand, came the letter carrying the longing love of hos wife Kiran. He thrust it in his pocket and thought, ‘I will read it after I capture the peak’. He could not read it that day or the next day. He relentlessly advanced, leading his men. The enemy’s fire caught him in the neck, chest and shoulders, yet he moved. He captured the main bunker but being the lion-hearted soldier he was,he wanted more. Bullet-ridden all over, he crawled forward, but bled to death just 20 metres from his target. And never read Kiran’s letter. Major Vivek Gupta, 29, Captain Amol Kalia, 25, Lt. Col. R.Viswanathan -- all of them under 30, braved bullet rains and bled to death leading their men, crawling and capturing enemy positions at high altitudes. This is an illustrative list of those who perished - in Kargil - in the cause of the motherland so that we may live in peace.

From an article by Shri. S.Gurumurthy in THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS, July 28, 2000.

THREE

Shri. Gopalakrishnan, an Assistant Post Master in the Head Post Office in Karur, Tamilnadu, Bharat, has given away more than 1,00,000 pens to as many persons over decades. All those were the ones who had approached his desk with the request, “Lend me your pen, please, just for a minute”. All the pens are of good quality. On this, he has a tale to tell. Years back, as a class X student, he had to cross the river in a boat to go to school. During his school final examinations, the boat capsized one day. Though he swam to safety, he lost his pen. He was baffled. He did not know how to face the examination without his pen; he was in tears. Just then, a police constable who came that way consoled him and handed him his own pen. After the examinations were over, Gopalakrishnan went seeking the policeman to return the pen. The latter asked him to keep it for himself and wished him all the best in life. That day onwards, Gopalakrishnan gives away the pen to everyone who is need of it He says he remembers that act of kindness thus. He sets apart Rs.1,500 every month for this purpose.

Based on report by Shri. Unnikrishnan

in ANANDA VIKATAN, Tamil weekly, March 28, 2004.

Idea: Shri. Balanarendhiran

FOUR

An Indian boy in his 12th standard has disproved Einstein's "Theory of Relativity". Shocked? Read on. Sudarshan Reddy has theoretically proven the existence of a sub-atomic particle which can travel at speed greater than that of light, thereby challenging one of the fundamental postulates of the "Theory of Relativity". In his recent research paper submitted to the "Institute of Advanced Physics (IAP)" at Trieste (Italy), Sudarshan has proved the existence of a class of sub-atomic particles called "leptons", which can travel faster than light. The international physics community was shocked by this discovery. His work builds substantially on the work of Einstein and other in the field of relativity. When physicists from Princeton University tried to measure Sudarshan's IQ with an IQ-meter (at the American Embassy in Delhi), the meter broke down, simply because it was not calibrated to measure such high IQ. This was reported in the Times of India. Prof. Carl Uppsala, Chairman of the Nobel sub-committee for physics has confirmed that Sudarshan has been short listed for the Nobel prize in physics. (Sudarshan, incidentally, is the brother of Madhu Reddy, the Indian whiz kid who developed an operating system superior to Microsoft Windows).

Idea: Shri. R.Shridhar

FIVE

Smt. Neelavathi, a domestic help, is a resident of Triplicane, Chennai, Tamilnadu, Bharat. She is the mother of three sons, all of them carpenters. On March 8, she found a camera attached cell phone lying on the road. It is worth Rs. 18,000 and someone offered to sell it and give her Rs. 10,000 to part with it. The wedding of her eldest son is slated for June 9. But, for Neelavathi, others’ belongings amounted to “burden”. She promptly handed it over to the lady of the household where she has been working for the last 18 years. The lady, Smt. Sharadha, in turn, called in the police and passed it on to them. The police traced out the owner as one Shri. Saumitran, a US based NRI presently in town. Saumitran gifted Rs. 1,500 to the good-natured Neelavathi. The Chennai Police Commissioner Natarajan gave her Rs. 500 in appreciation of her honesty. Octogenarian astrologer-philanthropist, Shri. Varadhan awarded her Rs. 7,000 when he learnt of the incident, as is his practice.

Based on a report in DINAMANI, Tamil Daily of March 20, 2004.

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PANCHAAMRITAM - 36

ONE

It was early 1989. Squadron Leader S.K.Karve takes a quick look down from the cockpit of the burning IAF aircraft that he was piloting. It was a usual check-up sortie. Karve was one of the ace pilots of the special squadron of IAF in charge of ensuring that fighter-bombers are in fighting fit. The aircraft had developed a snag and caught fire mid air. It flew across the sky awkwardly, leaving a trail of dark smoke. Down below, children were going to school along the road. Little boys were playing in the lake that Karve wanted to crash into. In a split second, he changed his mind. He was right above the village -- Paaroor-Kizkuppam -- in Dharmapuri district, Tamilnadu, Bharat. Now he decided to crash-land onto the fields outside the village. Before he did that, it was too late. Karve lost his life. His body was torn to pieces like the aircraft, which smashed onto the roadside tamarind trees. The entire village was witness to the whole drama. They realized that the pilot could have saved his life by bailing out from the burning aircraft without bothering about the consequences. But Karve was too humane for that and he paid the price with his life in order to save the lives of the villagers. The grateful villagers renamed a village near Krishnagiri dairy farm as ‘Karvepuram’ on June 13, 1989.

Based on a report by Shri.V.Yuvaraj in JUNIOR VIKATAN during 1989.

TWO

Dr. Sharad Kumar Dixit of Wardha, Maharashtra, Bharat, is now 72. When he was 35, he lost his wife. At 39 he had a paralytic attack. When he was 47, he met with a road accident and his legs became immobile. At 50, his throat had to be operated upon because of cancer. He had three heart attacks at the age of 57, 63 and once afterwards. Now 85% of his heart has become inert. After all this, Dr.Dixit is seen at the operation theatre from 8 in the morning to 11 in the night performing Cosmetic and Plastic surgeries on deformities in lips, eyes and ears particularly of poor women in the marriageable age. He has so far secured, by surgical correction, normal complexion and look to over 35,000 persons. Marriage of daughters became possible in innumerable families because of his service. (According to an estimate, such a large number of surgeries in the USA would have cost 855 crores of rupees merely by way of doctor’s fees). Two plantain fruits and a cup of milk alone are his daily intake. Citing the life of Dr.Dixit, Shri.Krishna Shastri, all India organizing secretary of Samskrita Bharati exhorts Samskrita Bharati workers all over Bharat to work on diligently and perseveringly.

Based on a write up by Shri.Krishna Shastri in the Samskrit monthly SAMBHASHANA SANDESHAHA , April 2003.

THREE

1. Twelve year old Arathi of Salem puts her Bharata Natyam skill to good use. Last year, she collected Rs.30,000 at her dance performance in Salem and donated it to the welfare of poor children, particularly for their treatment requiring surgery. For the past five years, this seventh standard student has been donating her collections likewise for the education of child labourers. Her happy parents are Dr.Loganathan and Shrimati.Parimala Devi. 2. R.Divyabharati of Karaikkudi, Tamilnadu, earns while she learns. This fifth standard student goes around the bazaar charmingly playing the role of salesperson for the seedai, murukku (South Indian namkeen) and banana chips prepared by her mother. For all her courteous behaviour, Divyabharati is honest. On an average, she visits 100 shops and establishments after her school and hands over Rs.100 to 150 to her mother who deposits it in Post Office savings bank account. When a customer makes a purchase of four rupees and gives a five-rupee note, she says she doesn’t have change for the balance. When the former says “it’s all right, keep it”, she fetches change and hands over the rupee coin to the customer. The purpose of her ‘business’? “To make progress in life”, pat comes the reply. Her father Raju is a watch repairer in an electronics shop and her mother Kaliammal prepares the eatables at home for sale.

Both news items courtesy: DINAMANI , January 31, 2004.

FOUR

Shri.Vidya Rajagopalan (52), a senior research person with the CECRI (Central Electro-Chemical Research Insititute ), Karaikkudi, Tamilnadu, renders a unique kind of service to students. Anyone can get his doubt in any technical subject cleared by seeking the website of Rajagopalan (csrividya@tripod.com). It is his library that Rajagopalan falls back upon. He has converted his house into a library in memory of his departed wife. It houses more than 8,000 books of rare kind, valued at Rs.10 lakhs,. An example: A Thirukkural volume with him is 190 years old and it says that it was in 1812 that Thirukkural was transcribed from palm leaves and printed for the first time. The paper on which the book has been printed is devoid of any acidic constituent and so remains undamaged and without graying. Most of his collections came from second-hand book sellers, procured by Rajagopalan over the years.

Based on report in DINAMANI of April 19,2003.

FIVE

In the January 26 Gujarat earthquake four years back, village Dholavira was also hit badly. Shri.Pramod Mahajan, the erstwhile I&B minister, Government of India, visited the place. He offered to adopt a village for reconstruction. The next day, the erstwhile chief minister of Gujarat Shri.Keshubhai patel informed Mahajan over phone that the far-flung Dholavira needs adoption. Soon Mahajan sanctioned a sizeable amount form out of his MP’s development fund. Also, Mahajan saw to it that instant connectivity was provided by laying cables right up to the village. But, over phone, he had some bad news from the village: The money sent was being dissipated in alcohol by men in the village. Mahajan sought the help of ‘Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini Trust’ a Pune-based NGO. Dholavira women volunteered to cooperate with Prabodhini workers. Within weeks, with the help of HUDCO, 194 beautiful, quake-proof houses were built with power supply to every house. Wide and firm roads were laid. Drinking water distribution system was established. A hospital and a school were built. Six water tanks built around the village have done away with the long wait for the water tankers. Mahajan has spent Rs. 2.70 Crores for the reconstruction of Dholavira.

Based on a report in DINAMANI, December 14, 2003.

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PANCHAAMRITAM - 37

ONE

A team led by Shri. N.D.Hari Dass of the Chennai-based Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc) has put together Bharat’s fastest academic computer KABRU (name of a Himalayan peak so far unclimbed). KABRU has a sustained computing speed of 951 gigaflops (that is, upto a peak of 1,382 billion calculations per second).In June 2004, it will vie for a ranking in the global “Top 500” list of the world’s fastest supercomputers. Says Prof. Hari Dass, “One of the greatest challenges in Theoretical Physics is to understand what constitutes particles like protons and neutrons.” KABRU is to probe this mystery. This supercomputer has been made at a cost of Rs. 2.5 crores – a mere fraction of what supercomputers of this pedigree would cost if one were to import it. If KABRU makes the climb to the “Top 500”, it will be the third India-based supercomputer in that list. The other two are, PARAM PADMA (speed: 594 gigaflops) by Pune’s C-DAC (Rank 258) and an IBM cluster (1,105 gigaflops) by Bangalore-based Intel (Rank 105).

Based on a report by Shri. Anand Parthasarathy in THE HINDU of April 28, 2004. (Idea : Shri. M. Jayaraman)

TWO

1.An entire family of 100, all sons, daughters and grandchildren of one Rangammal, was engaged in brewing illicit liquor in village Thirumalaikkudi in Sivagangai district, Tamilnadu, for the past 50 years. The Additional DSP of the Prohibition Wing of the police department, Smt. Jayashree, had a talk with Rangammal within three months after taking charge. She promised the family that they will be given bank loans as well as help from voluntary agencies if they give up illicit brewing forthwith. It was agreed to by Rangammal and the family destroyed arrack barrels and the brew. Based on a report in the November 19, 2003 INDIA TODAY (Tamil). 2. Even experienced male Jailors hesitate to work in the Mumbai Central Jail because it houses a very large number of members of notorious mafia outfits. But a woman has dared to do that. The soft-spoken Smt. Swathi Sathe has become the first woman Jailor in the country. Soon after her assuming office, hardened criminals were stirpped of their cellphones and tiffin carriers. They were shut up in high security cells. They no more enjoy special benefits against rules inside the prison. The criminals tried to browbeat Swathi by masterminding assaults on her. Undeterred, Swathi refused to relax rules. She says, “I stick to rules. If someone is affected by this, I don’t care. I will show that women can face challenges”.

Based on a report in the Jullundhar Hindi monthly PATHIK SANDESH of July 2003.


THREE

Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has worshipped at the Shiva temple in Kattavoor near Ponneri in Chengalpattu district, Tamilnadu, 300 years back. Today, the temple is in a dilapidated condition. Huge stone pillars have collapsed. Lack of funds affects daily pooja too. This pathetic state saddened the 30 year-old Chennai youth Shri. Rajmohan. He has formed an organization, ‘Association for Renovation of Ancient Temples’. He collects information about ancient temples in need of renovation. He takes the members of his association to such temples on the third Sunday of every month. As per advance arrangement, special pooja is conducted; then follows the narration of the glorious highlights of the temple. The members recite devotional poems like Thevaaram and Thiruvaachakam. To begin with, they pay electricity bills of such temples so that the holy place is well lit.

Based on a report in Tamil weekly KALKI of March 30, 2003.

(Idea: Shri. Senthilkumar)

FOUR

PANCHAAMRITAM 34 contained this anecdote: “Shri. A. Janardan Reddy, a home guard on duty, forgot he didn’t know swimming, and dived into the Hussainsagar lake in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, to save a woman, one Anita, who had jumped into the lake to commit suicide, as reported by DECAN CHRONICLE”. Tamil daily DINAMANI of April 30, reported an identical incident: “Smt. Savithrri Vasu (43) of Nolambur off East Mugappeir near Chennai is a member of Civic Exnora, a social service organisation. She was busy discussing with women members of Exnora at her residence. Vignesh, a child accompanying one of them, accidentally fell into a water tank nearby. While others shrieked helplessly, the child started drowning. Savithrri, in a fit of involuntary urge, jumped into the tank filled with 6 feet of water, completely forgetting that she did not know swimming. All the same, she rescued Vignesh. She is now busy cleaning a playground in the neighbourhood with the help of other women of the locality”.

(Idea: Smt.Vasanta)

FIVE

On April 26, 2004, Shri. Pagalavan, a reporter of THE SUBURBAN VOICE, went to cover the inauguration of Informex-2004, an exhibition about educational institutions in the premises of University of Chennai. A small boy and his little sister were busy selling hot tea nearby. The boy served tea while the girl went round collecting Rs.2.50 per cup from the visitors. The poverty of the brisk little ones was writ large on their dress and the chappals they wore. Naturally, customers who gave Rs.3 and Rs.5 for a cup, did not insist on the balance amount. But, the little girl fetched 50 paise coins from somewhere and went round disbursing the balance to those customers, as though to make it clear that what she lacked was prosperity and not integrity.

Based on a report in the Madipakkam neighbourhood weekly, THE SUBURBAN VOICE of May 2, 2004.

(Idea : Shri. S. S. Narayanan)

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PANCHAAMRITAM - 38

ONE

“The well-known jurist Gajendragadkar has recounted in his autobiography that he was once invited to a private dinner at a star hotel. He found that the bearers were very cordial and he was overwhelmed by their hospitality. The next day, he found to his dismay that several of the hotel employees were present in his court in a labour dispute with the management. He was embarrassed and took a decision never to attend such dinners in future. Such were the high standards of probity and conduct of judicial officers.” (From a letter to the editor of THE HINDU by Shri.P.S.R.K.Thimmaji Rao from Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, commenting on an incident in which 21 judges of the Punjab and Haryana High court went on mass casual leave in May 2004 over a controversy arising out of honorary membership of a club).

THE HINDU, May 11, 2004.

TWO

Shri. Arumugam is the Tehsildar of Thottiyam taluk in Trichy district, Tamilnadu, Bharat. On May 12, 2004 he was on election duty on the polling date as the assistant returning officer for the Thottiyam Assembly constituency area in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. He was busy disbursing poll material including electronic voting machines to all the divisions under his charge. Just then came the news of the demise of his mother-in-law in Thuraiyur. Arumugam did not leave the spot midway. He waited till the polling hour was over and ensured that all the poll materials were dispatched to the counting center. That took all night. In the morning, he was found working at the counting center. The word reached the district Collector Shri. Annamali, who reached the spot, congratulated Arumugam for his sense of duty. He also made it a point to brief the presspersons about this incident before relieving the dutiful Tehsildar.

DINAMANI, May 12, 2004.

THREE

An Indian auction house of art works – Saffronart – has closed the first half with a sale of almost Rs.7.20 crore, doing better business than established western art houses like Christies or Sothebys. Over 80% of the art exhibits with Saffronart auction that sold out crossing the higher price estimate and just over a quarter of the lots that sold exceeded the higher price estimate by at least 50%. In comparison to the sales figures of Saffronart in May, the figure for Christies in March was Rs.5.01 crore and for Sothbeys Rs.3 crore.

THE HINDU BUSINESS LINE Monday, May 10, 2004

FOUR

Munnar, in Idukki district, Kerala, Bharat, is a sensitive forest division, with 64 square kilometers of sandal tracts. Forest service officer Prakruti Srivastava is paying the price for taking the timber mafia here by its horns. In her six years in the Indian Forest Service, the young officer has been transferred five times. Recently Prakruti was transferred from the post of district forest officer in Munnar – evidently because the gutsy officer brought to light more than a dozen cases of land encroachment and cracked several sandalwood smuggling cases in the area. Politicians and the timber mafia were baying for her blood for a while. Sources said even though Chief Minister A.K Antony did not want to, he finally transferred her after two senior ministers insisted that she be moved out of Munnar. State forest minister K.Sudhakaran, however, denied any victimization. “She is an upright officer. But the transfer is a routine affair,” he said.

Based on a report by Shri. Ramesh Babu in

the HINDUSTAN TIMES, Bhopal, March 15, 2004.

FIVE

This is something unique. On April 28, 2004 a state government organized a farewell celebration for a retiring nurse. The nurse, Smt.Vishalakshi (58), has been working in the burns injury ward of Chennai Kilpauk Government Hospital for more than 25 years. Smt. Sheela Rani Chungat, Health Secretary, Government of Tamilnadu and Smt. B.Vijayalakshmi, Director, Medical Education, were among the officials who felicitated Vishaslakshi on the occasion. Nursing staff, generally, hesitate to work in burns injury ward in any hospital. But, thanks to Vishalakshi’s example, quite a few young nurses serve in the ward whole-heartedly. Says Vishalakshi, “Early in my career I assisted treatment of a 30 year old woman for her burn injuries. I was touched by her heart-rending story. In addition to nursing the wounds, I used to console her whenever she shrieked in pain. This continued all through my service. Though I’m retired now, I shall visit the ward and help those young nurses”.

Based on a report in DINAMANI, April 29, 2004.

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PANCHAAMRITAM - 39

ONE

Once Dr.Ponni, daughter of the late Communist leader P.Ramamurti, went to have a darshan of Pujya Shri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swami, the Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, venerated as “Mahaswamigal” by his numerous devotees. He asked how she charged her patients. She replied that she took money only from the rich people and charged the poor for the medicine. The Mahaswamigal suggested: Treat the poor absolutely free. That stunned her, as even her father, a socialist, did not think on those lines.

From a birthday tribute to the Mahaswamigal by Sridhar-Chaama

in THE HINDU of June 2, 2004.

TWO

The Chennai schoolboy Kutraleeswaran was just 12 when he performed the Guinness Book of World Records feat of swimming six seaways in a calendar year, that is, 1994. Now, he is doing his MS at the University of Texas, United States. He was a recipient of Arjuna award in the sport. Once into the college (he studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Anna University, Chennai), he had to give up marathon swimming because there was no sponsorship for this costly-but-not-so-popular sport. All the same, Kutraleeswaran was patriotic enough. Here is what he says by way of reminiscing: “Marathon swimming is very popular in Australia, Italy and the States. In fact, when I was in Italy to compete, the government (of Italy) offered to adopt me if I would swim for Italy. I declined. For, pride and satisfaction lie in representing one’s own country. And let me tell you, the feeling is unparalleled.”

Based on a email interview of Kutraleeswaran

by Sanjay Ranjan published in THE HINDU on May 27, 2004.

THREE

Good neighbourliness is what residents of Asiad Colony in Thirumangalam near Chennai, Tamilnadu, Bharat, have demonstrated. Seven years back, the Diabetes Research Centre of Gopalapuram (Chennai) conducted a survey in this colony and found out that 152 of the 474 residents examined were diabetics and 74 were prone to be affected by the disease. The Centre’s team of doctors led by Dr. V.Mohan tried to emphasize the efficacy of physical exercise and food regulation as antidote for diabetes. The response, initially, was not encouraging. But before long, the advice of the doctors caught the imagination of the residents. They pooled resources, and with the help of the local administration, laid out a park with footpath for walking, making four rounds of which equals 1 kilometre. By subscription and donations, they raise Rs. 52,000 needed every year for the maintenance of the park. Most of the residents are regular walkers by now and they have become sticklers to their diet. The result is, the incidence and intensity of diabetes among the residents of this colony could be brought down drastically.

Based on a report in DINAMANI of May 31, 2004.

FOUR

River water has been polluted and to what extent? 6.6 crore people in the Indo-Gangetic belt and 5.5 crore people in neighbouring Bangladesh are exposed to the threat of arsenic poisoning as the water sources are contaminated. Those who drink arsenic contaminated water for long periods are hit by skin cancer, bronchitis, conjunctivitis (eye disease) and cirrhosis of the liver. A stainless steel filter device has been found effective in the removal of arsenic from contaminated drinking water and in making it safe for human consumption. The device is easy to operate and affordable even for use in households, say researchers at the Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL), Ambernath, Maharashtra. The main investment (one-time) in the novel device is about Rs. 650. The cost of removing arsenic from contaminated waters works out to Rs. 27.30 for 1,000 litres of water. The life of the filter is 5 years and it requires little maintenance – just the normal washing and replacement of active ingredients. It does not require power (electricity or battery) and is easy to operate. Dr. Narayan Das, Director and Smt. Kshipra Mishra, Scientist, NMRL, say the filter works on the principle of co-precipitation and absorption followed by filtration through treated sand.

Based on a report by Shri. M.Somasekhar

in THE HINDU BUSINESS LINE of June 2, 2004.

FIVE

Damini is the name of a 72-year old elephant in the Prince of Wales Zoo in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Bharat. She did not die on account of her advanced age. She sacrificed food and water and, in a sense, it was her voluntary invitation to death. It happened like this: Champakali is another elephant in the Zoo, a thick friend of Damini. When 55-year old Champakali conceived, Damini, in all earnestness, took it upon herself to tend the pregnant friend. But Champakali died on April 11 (year 1999) after delivering of a stillborn cub. Damini was visibly saddened. She might have been hit by deep remorse as she could not save the life of Champakali who was under her care. She stood there, in that very spot, for 9 days without taking a single morsel of food, tears rolling down her eyes. When her legs swelled because of constant standing, she fell down and lay there motionless, tears flowing unabated. Any amount of her mahout’s entreaties did not have any response from her. In the sweltering Lucknow heat of 44 degree celsius, the starving Damini’s skin developed blisters. Simply looking on and weeping, she lay there and on the 24th day, she gave up her life.

Based on an editorial in NAVBHARAT TIMES of May 7, 1999.

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PANCHAAMRITAM - 40

ONE

A clause in the Education Reform Act of 1988 and the new education Bill stipulate that all state schools (in Britain) should provide religious education and a “daily act of collective worship, wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character” (Most of the 7,390 voluntary schools in Britain are run by the Church of England, Roman Catholics, Jews and Methodists). Alarmed that their children would be taught only about Christianity, some Sikh families decided to take matters into their own hands. Funded by Sikhs in Britain, Europe and the United States and run by the Punjab-based Namaskar Organization, Guru Nanak Sikh College in Hayes, west London, aims to take Sikh Children back to their roots. The children begin their day at 8.30 a.m. with prayers from the Guru Granth Sahib and kirtans. The key word in the school is discipline. “I have been teaching for more than 30 years. This is the first time I have seen children aged 12 or less leading an assembly of 400 students. It’s truly amazing”, says George Hamilton who teaches the primary sections. Another feature that sets it apart is that there is no fixed fee. “Everybody pays according to his ability”, says Principal Rajinder Singh Sandhu. For instance, Satwinder Singh Dhillon, whose children attend the school, is paying for their fees in kind by paving the premises and helping in the kitchen.

Based on a report by Sushri. Nirupama Subramaian

in the INDIA TODAY (English) of April 30, 1991.

TWO

This is about a boy who is a school topper. Rajini, a Class X student in the Government Higher Secondary school, Kaniyambadi (off Vellore), Tamilnadu, Bharat, scored the highest marks (470) in the school in the March 2004 public exam. Quite a few celebrities are making a beeline to the school to fund Rajini’s higher studies. Film star Sivakumar gave Rs. 5,000. Vijay, another Tamil film star, has volunteered to bear the entire cost for Rajini, in case he (Rajini) chooses to study medicine. Donations in cash continue to pour in. At this juncture, Rajini’s school got up a gal function on June 10, 2004 to felicitate the hard working Rajini. At the function, Shri. R. Chandrasekar (president of ‘Udhavum Ullangal’, a voluntary group), who had earlier took the initiative to arrange electricity supply to Rajini’s hut when he found the boy doing his home work under a street light, announced that Rajini wishes to share the excess amount of donations with other needy students of his school. Accordingly, Murgesan, a Class XII student belonging to a poor Scheduled Tribe family studying in the same school, was given school uniforms and text books from out of the cash donations totting up to Rs. 7,751 collected at the funtion. A separate bank account has been opened in the name of ‘Help Rajini Fund’. It is to be noted that Rajini belongs to a Narikkorava (a nomadic tribe) family. He lost his mother at a tender age and his father had forsaken the child, who was reared by his aunt Amudha.

Based on a report published on June 11, 2004 in the Tamil daily DINAMANI.

THREE

India has consolidated its position as the world's fourth largest economy in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) at $2,778 billion behind US, China and Japan. The Purchasing Power Parity is arrived at by pricing all goods and services at US prices and treating America as standard, instead of converting Rupees into dollars at foreign exchange rates. According to the World Bank's World Development Indicators 2004, released on April 23 and based on 2002 figures, the PPP of United States is put at $10,414 billion, followed by China at $5,792 billion and Japan at $3,481 billion. Germany is placed fifth at $2,226 billion, according to the report. In the G-7, only two -- US and Japan -- are ahead of India. The PPP figures for the other five members of the G-7 are: Germany $2226 billion; France $1,609 billion; the United Kingdom $1,574 billion; Italy $1,510 billion and $Canada 907 billion. The PPP of Russia (which makes it G-8) has improved to $1,165 billion, reflecting the rapid improvement in the Russian economy.

Source: INDIAN EXPRESS, April 24, 2004. (Idea: Shri. S. Kalyanaraman)

FOUR

1. Out of the seven lucky gods that the Japanese worship, three have Indian origins. Daikokuten the Japanese god of wealth and prosperity, originated from the Indian god of death, Mahakala. Benzaiten (benten), the only woman among the seven gods, originated from saraswati, the goddess of music, fine arts, eloquence and literature. And Bishamonten, the Japanese god for doctors, soldiers and priests, has its origins in India where he was known as Viasravana, a Buddhist missionary (Information obtained by the staff reporter of THE HINDU (June 11, 2004) at the Numismatics Exhibition of Japanese Coins and Currency held in Chennai). The coins were the collection of Shri. Sathish Kumar, a young software marketing executive based in Osaka, Japan. 2. “I was having a cup of coffee here in my university cafeteria, Ben Gurion University. Beer Sheva, Israel. I was appraoched by a local Jew in mid-twenties. The first word he uttered was Namaste. He told me he has been spreading the message of peace and love through ISKCON movement. He himself has changed his name borrowed from Sanskrit literature. It was a pleasant and amazing surprise to find someone in this remote place selling the literature of Bhakthi Vedanta. He said he is spreading vegetarian food habits through this movement among the locals. The pamphlet is in Hebrew. He was also selling a book on Indian food styles based on vegetables and spices alone, this again in Hebrew. It contains an article on how the food habit helps to cultivate good habits linking it to the Vedantic philosophy.” Anecdote courtesy: Shri. T. Rajagopalan. (vishwa_samvad yahoogroup). 3. Shravya, a Class VIII girl of Indian origin studying in Bishop Middle School in Florida, USA, recently bagged the coveted first prize in a contest organized for junior scientists at Florida. Her discovery was a gene which when fed into fruits like orange or lemon, will help them successfully withstand the heavy winter snowfall. This news caused so much of a thrill that one media outfit named its satellite KEREMANE, after a village near Sringeri in Karnataka, Bharat, that the girl hails from.

Idea: Dr.Seetharam (VSK, Karnataka).

FIVE

On the night of December 2-3, 1984, S.L.Kushwaha (45), a teacher living in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Bharat, woke up at 1.30 on hearing his wife Triveni (36) vomiting. Soon he and his children also began coughing, feeling chest pain, burning in the eyes and suffocation. Looking out of their home they saw peolple fleeing in panic. One of them told Kushwaha of the gas leak in the Union Carbide factory about a mile away. They decided to join the crowd and run, when Triveni suggested, “Why not start doing Agnihotra?” They did and within 20 miniutes the symptoms of MIC gas poisoning were gone. Agnihotra is the smallest form of Vedic Homa (sacrifice). This sacrificial fire is based on the biorhythms of Nature. American psychologist Barry Rathner conducting research in Agnihotra at Pune University says, “Agnihotra has made many conquests so far. Today, there is not a language spoken on earth that doesn’t number practitioners of Agnihotra.” People in several countries began experiencing increases of harvest up to 800 percent with Agnihotra.

Based on a report with headline ‘Vedic Way To Beat Pollution’ by Shri. K.P.Narayanan

in THE HINDU of April 7, 1985.

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1 comments:

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