PANCHAAMRITAM 81 - 90

PANCHAAMRITAM 81

ONE

What, anyway, is the Indian science whose history needs to be known? A) Take, for instance, zinc. Europe learnt to produce it in 1746, but it was distilled in India more than 2,000 years ago through the use of a highly sophisticated pyro-technology. Distillation of this metal in India was brought to light through a series of nearly intact structural
remains of ancient Indian zinc distillation furnaces at Zawar near Udaipur in Rajasthan. In late 17th century, zinc was imported in small quantities from the East and used in the production of brass. After all, before the advent of present-day high-pressure technology, zinc had inevitably to be produced as a vapour because of the vast difficulties in its distillation process at Bristol in Britain in 1747. The discoveries at Zawar nevertheless prove that Indians knew the process some 2,000 years ago. B) Dr Rick Briggs, an American computer engineer, in a paper published in the 1985 issue of "Artificial Intelligence", said that ancient Indians had developed a method for paraphrasing Sanskrit "in a manner that is identical not only in essence but also in form with the current work of
artificial intelligence". According to him, "Sanskrit grammarians had already found a way of solving what is perhaps the most important problem in computer science -- natural language understanding and machine translation.”

From an article entitled ‘Who remembers ancient India's scientific wealth?’ by Md. Vazeeruddin in ASIAN TRIBUNE of January 26, 2006. Full text at:
http://www.asiantribune.com/show_article.php?id=2978

TWO

Kum. Neeta Chaudary, the London – based great-granddaughter of Bharat’s nationalist poet Rabindranath Tagore, is a student of Sociology. Neeta was in Bharat two years back on a research assignment. Smt. Manju, who does coordination work for Ekal Vidyalayas run by Vishwa Hindu Parishad throughout Bharat, happened to meet Neeta. Like any media-fed person, Neeta began expressing her reservations about social service by Hindu organizations. Manju took Neeta to a village in a very backward locality of Rajasthan state where a team of VHP workers are engaged in making people’s lives bearable. Neeta was won over by this exposure to reality. She stayed on for a year more after her assignment was completed and served the needy in her ancestor’s motherland. Manju’s dictum is : ”Youth are not to be preached, they are to be reached”. Rightly so, is it not?

Based on a write up in VIJAYABHARATAM,

Tamil weekly, Chennai – 31, dated February 24, 2006. (Idea: Shri. Srihari) .

THREE

Meet one of the uncommon common people: Kamarasavalli is a hamlet in Thirumanur block of Ariyalur taluk in Perambalur district, Tamilnadu, Bharat. Shri. L. Narasimhan volunteered to work as the Headmaster in a high school in the hamlet, a place shun by many teachers as a god forgotten spot, with no transport facility. That was a reason why the school suffered in terms of poor results – a mere 30% -- in the School Final examination. That was before 3 years. After Narasimhan took over, it is 100% pass for the past two years. Bowing to the wishes of the villagers, he stays in the village itself even after his retirement and helps the students face examinations confidently. His house is in far off Srirangam. He never minds. Every week, Narasimhan sets out from his house carrying cooked food enough for two days. For the remaining 3 days he cooks his food in between his classes right there in the village. Students whose houses do not have electricity connection do their homework in the school premises, courtesy, the good old Narasimhan sir. (Source: A post card dated February 2, 2006 from Shri. B. Chandrasekar of Karaipakkam, a PANCHAAMRITAM reader).

FOUR

His Excellency the Vice President of Bharat Shri. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat the other day sent a cheque for Rs 1 lakh to Smt. Phulhera Devi wife of Shri. Shivnath Singh of village Osavan, Gazipur district, Uttar Pradesh. He also sent her five sarees for her daughter whose wedding was due. Shri. Shekhawat sent a letter promising that he would be present in her daughter’s wedding. This act of rare kindness was indeed well deserved. Shivnath was severely wounded in a road accident in Delhi. Before emergency surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the capital he declared that in the event of his death, his both eyes, his heart and his kidneys may be transplanted to those patients who need them. His 18 year old daughter was yet to be married off. Eventually he breathed his last, but promptly breathed life into five persons. His heart ‘went’ to Shri. Ramesh Chandra, a heart patient living in a slum in Delhi. A kidney to the wife of a soldier, the other to one Ajay Bharti. Bashika Singh and Fauja Singh received his one eye each.. It was when the Vice President learnt of this great organ donation by Shivnath, that he made this gesture.

Based on a report in SANGH MARG, Hindi monthly

of February 2006, Rohtak, Punjab.

FIVE

This anecdote was narrated by Dr. V.R. Panchmkhi, Vice Chancellor of a Samskrit university in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, while speaking at a seminar on February 9, 2006 to mark the 150^th anniversary of the University of Madras: “Justice Markandeya Katju, erstwhile Chief Justice of Madras High Court, told me how he decided in a case on the basis of an ancient Mimamsa rule ‘ati desahaha’(what applies to one situation, applies to the others) The case was one of a freak seniority claim by one of two clerks who joined government service on the same day. The petitioner was denied promotion while the other got it and hence the claim. Katju was clueless for some time. Service rules book did not yield anything. Just then, an earlier decree in a similar case came to light. That one was a case involving two teachers who too had joined service on the same day. The decree was that the elder of the two should be given promotion. Katju right away decreed the same way, going by the ati deshaha rule of Mimamsa”.

From VIJAYABHARATAM, February 24, 2006. (Idea: Shri. M. Jayaraman).

OOOOOOOOOO

PANCHAAMRITAM - 82

ONE

The once-troubled Daewoo Commercial Vehicles has turned around.

Acquired by Tata Motors two years ago and renamed Tata Daewoo

Commercial Vehicles, its net profit increased three times to Rs 45.8

crore (Rs 458 million) for April-December 2005. It has a 27 per cent

share of the South Korean market. "We cut costs there, just like in

India, and increased exports substantially to South Africa, Middle

East and South Asia, where Tata is already an established brand,"

says Tata Motors' managing director Ravi Kant. Kant's explanation,

though small, tells a big story - an Indian company acquiring a

multinational and helping it prosper on the strength of cost

efficiency and brand development in India. India's exports account

for just 0.8 per cent of world trade, compared with 6.4 per cent for

China. But its share could quadruple in a decade, according to

McKinsey. "Manufacturing exports from India could increase from $40

billion in 2002 to $300 billion by 2015, leading to a share of 3.5

per cent in the world manufacturing trade," says the consultancy.

That is, `made-in-India' brand gets stronger.

From a rediff  report by Shri. Suveen K Sinha on February 18, 2006.

http://us.rediff.com/money/2006/feb/18spec.htm

TWO

Smt. Kanha Devi of Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Bharat has helped 10,000

infants to land on this planet safely during the last two decades.

Yes, she practices midwifery. Not a single case out of the 10,000

deliveries she attended on was a failure. The highlight is that she

is blind since birth. Her husband forsake her. But she chose not to

rue her fate. Today she is a much sought after dhai in her

neighbourhood.

(Based on a clipping telecast by ND TV- 24/7 news channel on

February 10, 2006).

THREE

  Smt. Selvakumari and Smt. Kalai Selvi, Sevikas of Dharapuram,

Tamilnadu, Bharat, were on their way back after Darshan in a temple.

They had covered many kilometers by foot and were naturally tired.

Reaching Pattu Thurai, a hamlet on the way, they sat for a while on

the anganam (fore-court) of a wayside house. As the two were

conversing, the lady of the house emerged, holding two glasses of

water in her hands and offered them to the weary yatris. She went

back into the house once they returned the empty glasses, smiling

gratefully at the lady,  to whom they both were total strangers.

Now, they started appreciating the kind gesture of the lady who had

volunteered to quench their thirst. Just then the lady returned,

holding two tumblers full to the brim with steaming coffee and

offered them to the delighted atithis. The Sevikas, though used to

hearing in Bouddhik sessions of Rashtra Sevika Samiti, descriptions

of uncommon virtues in  so-called common people of Bharat, were

pleasantly surprised that day by the thoughtful hospitality of that

grihini. To the kind-hearted host, the Sevikas introduced themselves

as well as the work of the Samiti in organizing Hindu women. They

promised to invite her to a forthcoming  utsav of the Samiti  before

taking leave of her. Of course, they kept their promise.

Based on a chat with Shri.

Murugesan,

               Prant Seva Pramukh of RSS, Uttar Tamilnadu.

FOUR

Panini's grammar rules are found to be most advanced to his times

and are considered to be vital factors for a universal language

suitable for Artificial Intelligence(AI), which is why Sanskrit is

regarded as the most suitable language for AI. Father of Lbrary

Science Dr. S.R.Ranganathan's deep knowledge of Panini and

Mathematics led to his propounding the famous Five Laws of Libbrary

Science and Colon Classification theory. Says Shri. T.R.N. Rao, PhD,

Center for Advanced Computer Studies, University of Southwestern

Louisiana, "Backus-Naur Form (BNF) should be truly called Panini-

Backus Form (PBF), as "we must give credit where credit is due."

Paninian grammars, which consisted of over 4,000 algebraic rules and

metarules have been studied by a number of scholars. Kak (1987),

reviews the Paninian approach to natural language processing (NLP)

and compares it with the current knowledge representation systems of

Artificial Intelligence, and argues that Paninian-style generative

rules and metarules could assist in further advances in NLP. Another

article by Staal discusses the consistency of the system of rules of

Panini, as tested by Fowler's Automaton. These are among the

marvelous contributions of ancient India to computing

sciences".

Contributed by Shri. Kalivaradhan

(samskritabharatichennai@yahoogroups.com).

FIVE

Chi. B. Chinnamuthu, a 9th standard student of Jaigopal Garodia

National higher Secondary School, East Tambaram, would work on a

project to make non-polluting natural dyes from Kitchen waste, in

the weekends after finishing his home work on Fridays. He

explains: "Kitchen waste, onion peels for example, are first boiled.

Every vegetable waste leaves behind a colour after this process. I

use `Kadukkai' (nutmeg) as the fixing agent." His project has won

the first prize at the Southern India Science Fair 2006 in

Pondicherry. He will be going to Nashik to compete in the national

level. Son of an MTC bus conductor, Chinnamuthu travels 10 kms daily

to reach school from his house in Mannivakkam. (Based on a report in

THE HINDU of February 7, 2006)

OOOOOOOOO

PANCHAAMRITAM - 83

ONE

Lt. Saurabh Kalia of 4 JAT Regiment of the Indian Army laid down his

life at the young age of 22 for the nation while guarding the

frontiers at Kargil. His parents, indeed

the Indian Army and nation itself, lost a dedicated, honest and

brave son. He was the first officer to detect and inform about

Pakistani intrusion. Pakistan captured him and his patrol party of 5

brave men alive on May 15, 1999 from the Indian side of LOC. They

were kept in captivity for three weeks and subjected to

unprecedented brutal torture, evident from their bodies handed over

by Pakistan Army on June 9, 1999. The Pakistanis indulged in

dastardly acts of inflicting burns on the Indians with cigarettes,

piercing their ears with hot rods, removing their eyes before

puncturing them and breaking most of the bones and teeth. They even

chopped off various limbs and

private organs of the Indian soldiers besides inflicting

unimaginable physical and mental torture. After 22 days of torture,

the brave soldiers were ultimately shot dead. A detailed post-mortem

report is with the Indian Army. Pakistan dared to humiliate India

this way flouting all international norms. They proved the extent to

which they can degrade humanity. However, the Indian soldiers did

not break while undergoing all this

unimaginable barbarism, which speaks volumes of their patriotism,

grit, determination, tenacity and valour - something all of India

should be proud of.

Found in a letter from Dr. N.K. Kalia (Lt. Saurabh Kalia's father),

Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, Bharat. This letter (appealing to all to

get the Human Rights bodies world over to raise this issue so that

the perpetrators of such barbarity on a Prisoner of War – POW are

punished) has been endorsed by more than 320 persons (by first week

of March, 2006) by forwarding the email containing the letter.

  TWO

In response to protests from a group of devotees of Sri Jayendra

Saraswathi, the Shankaracharya of Kanchipuram, the BBC has removed

from its website an article by Shri. Vinod Mehta, the editor of

OUTLOOK magazine. Further, the BBC has paid out £4000 for the legal

costs incurred to obtain this out-of-court settlement. These

devotees came together on a web-based discussion forum,

www.kanchiforum.org. he website article was the transcript of a talk

given by Shri. Mehta on 28 January 2005 on BBC Radio 4 about the

Sankararaman murder case. After months of protracted protests, the

BBC Complaints Unit authorities adjudicated that the talk

contained "serious errors" and inaccuracies on several counts. Mr.

Mehta had wrongly asserted that the charge sheet contained several

police accusations of personal misconduct by the Shankaracharya. The

BBC has apologized for the errors and the delay in reporting them.

On a number of points Mr. Mehta's account ran counter to the

findings of the Supreme Court of India, made public some three weeks

before the BBC talk titled "A View from India." Shri. Mehta has

passed over the Supreme Court vedict in total silence.

PTI and www.rss.org

  THREE

A meeting of all-party MPs and peers in Britain has unanimously

passed a resolution calling upon the Moscow Government to

end `harassment and discrimination' against Russian Hindus by

sections of the Russian Orthodox Church and give them land to

construct a place of worship. The meeting held in the Committee Room

of the House of Commons on January 18, 2006 and presided over by

Lord Navneet Dholakia, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the

House of Lords, decided to have a three-pronged plan to communicate

the situation of Russian Hindus through media, community and

political networks. Prominent among those who attended the meeting

included Shri. Ashok Kumar, MP (Conservative), Baroness Shriela

flather, Shri. Tony McNulty, MP, Minister in charge of Immigration,

Shri. Phyllis Starkey, MP, among others. Representatives of Jewish,

Christian and other communities were also present on the occasion.

NEWS TODAY(English evening Daily from Chennai), January 19, 2006.

  FOUR

The main opposition party in Assam, Bharat, the Asom Gana

Parishad has made a dramatic turn around ahead of Assembly elections

next month by taking a pro-Hindu stand on the issue of illegal

Bangladeshi immigrants. The AGP's linguistic minority cell in a

statement said all Bangladeshi Hindus who had infiltrated into the

region be treated as `refugees' and they be rehabilitated properly

by being granted land deeds by the government. The AGP, formed in

1985has all along been maintaining that any Bangladeshi infiltrator

who had entered the state after March 25, 1971, be treated as a

foreigner and be deported. This is the first time the party has

taken a radical stand by advocating refugee status for illegal

Bangladeshi infiltrators.

FLASH LIGHT, Fortnightly from Patna, Bihar, March 15, 2006.

  FIVE

Rajini Raja is like my family deity, and unless he is kept happy, we

will not be happy", says Shri. Jayaraman, 47. The reference is to

his `son'. The son is the bull that draws his cart. Jayaraman works

only between 9 AM and 5 PM so that his pet is not strained. He adds

that he is content with what he earns. Of his daily wages of Rs.

250, he spends Rs. 50 on Raja. The care is obvious because Raja is a

robust bull.unlike the other emaciated creatures that one sees

around Chennai. Being the Secretary of South Central Chennai Bullock

Cart workers' Association, Jayaraman insists at every meeting that

bulls are not overloaded. His only worry now is that the number of

Bullock carts has come down drastically. Three years ago there were

2,700 but now there are only 1,000.

Based on a report by Anupama Subramanian in

DECCAN CHRONICLE, March 1, 2006.

OOOOOOOOO

PANCHAAMRITAM - 84

ONE

Last month, Shri. Chandrasekar, Collector, Dharmapuri District,

Tamilnadu, Bharat, gave away Rs. 1 lakh to Shri. Muthuraj, Panchayat

President of B. Chettihalli village, in appreciation of  the

elimination of  untouchability in the Panchayat, under a state

government scheme to promote social cohesion. Till 1981 this village

too had the bad name for ill-treating Harijan brothers and sisters.

With an RSS Pracharak, Shri. Ramakrishnan, starting a Shakha in

Jogipatti falling under the panchayat that year, things began to

change for the better. Shakha naturally attracted youth from all

communities. The village youth who became Swayamsevaks were fired

with a sense of social justice as a path to Hindu consolidation.

They gave the necessary pep to the Harijan families. As a result,

Harijan brothers began walking along the village streets wearing

footwear. They could now ride bicycles inside the village limits,

something impossible earlier. Jogipatti blazed the trail for

eradication of untouchability in surrounding villages over a period.

Muthuraj, a second year trained swayamsevak, was among the first

batch of village youth to attend Shakha. Later, he was elected for

the post of Panchayat president  as an independent candidate. This

gave a fillip to efforts of the  RSS workers striving for samajik

samarasata in the neighbourhood. Soon the Chaaki Amman temple

festival became an occasion for all castes to express solidarity, a

sea change from the conflict ridden affair that it used to be. All

this led the government to select the village for the award.

  Based on a report by Shri. K. Srinivasan in VIJAYABHARATAM, April

7, 2006.

  TWO

Two Hyderabad – based Vedic research organisations, Samskrita

Bharati and I-Serve claim that the atharvana veda is the prime

source of military science, containing references to almost 60

sophisticated weapons. Shri. K. Lalith Manohar Chairman of the state

chapter of Samskrita Bharati says in his research paper that mantras

form an essential part of Vedic military science and one has to

decode the mantras to find the secret of the sastras (weaponry).

Some of the weapons "mentioned in whatever fragments of Atharva

Veda" are, Danda Chakram, Dharma Chakram, Kalachakram, Vishnu

Chakram, Indram, Vajram, Saivam, Agneyam and Brahmastram.  The

arsenal is so big that even present –day military scientists would

feel sheepish.

Based on a report by Shri. Syed Akbar

  in DECCAN CHRONICLE, Chennai, March 5, 2006.

THREE

A delivery boy's honesty has proved that honesty still resides in

everyone's mind. Ayyadurai, aged 17 and a resident of Mogappair,

aChennai suburb, has shown this to be true.Last week, a person, who

was proceeding to Thirumangalam from Mogappair on his two-wheeler,

lost his bag containing credit cards and a cash of Rs 500. On

reaching Thirumangalam, he noticed the bag missing and immediately

searched the entire route, but his attempts turned futile. When he

was about to lodge a complaint with J J Nagar police station, he

received a phone call from Ayyaduai who said that he had found the

bag and asked the person to pick up the bag from him. He not only

handed over the bag but also insisted the owner of the bag to check

whether the cards and cash were intact. When this news reached Aavin

officials, as an encouragement, B K Prasad IAS., managing director

Aavin(TCMPF) himself presented a memento and wished him good luck.

Not lagging behind, the staff of Anna Nagar Aavin Zonal office gave

Ayyadurai a wristwatch as gift.

NEWS TODAY, March 25, 2006.

  FOUR

It was the third time within a month. A pat for a Madurai city

resident who showed courage in nabbing chain/purse snatchers was

honoured. On  March 15, Shri. Narinder Pal Singh, Madurai

Commissioner of Police,  honoured  J. Aravind, a Plus Two student,

with a certificate of appreciation and a cash award for his act of

bravery in recovering a purse of Rs. 31,000 from a thief. For

Aravind, an athlete, who has won a medal in 100-metre dash in school

competition, chasing the thief for nearly one km at noon on March 14

was easy. "It was just a momentary intuition that drove me to run

after him when I heard a woman raising an alarm," said Aravind. The

boy had been out for shopping with his mother at Tallakulam. After a

hot chase he was able to snatch the bag, but the culprit made good

his escape by jumping into a speeding bus at the Goripalayam

junction. "I too wanted to board it. But, my hands slipped and all

that I could do was to get hold of the bag," he said, narrating the

incident. "I was taken aback by the boy's daring act. He was fully

drenched with sweat when he came to the station," said Justin

Prabakaran, Inspector of Police (Crime). Aravind, is a student of

Mahatma Montessori Matriculation Higher Secondary School.

Based on a report by Shri S. Sundar in THE HINDU of March 16, 2006.

FIVE

Tamilnadu state government bent the law that forbids the export of

its precious sandalwood trees to serve the Pashupatinath temple in

Nepal, one of the holiest Hindu pilgrim sites. The mountainous

kingdom of Nepal, though rich in herbs, does not grow the sandalwood

and for years, has been depending on its southern neighbour Bharat

for the precious wood. The kingdom's stock of sandalwood dwindled in

2001 when a massacre in the royal palace killed the then king

Birendra, his wife Queen Aishwarya, their three children and other

members of the royal family. Since sandalwood is used for royal

pyres, large quantities of it were needed for the royal funerals. In

2004, Nepal asked India for 1,000 kg of the precious wood, making

the request to the then Indian ambassador in Nepal Shyam Sharan,

currently India's foreign secretary. The request put the Indian

government in a quandary since due to the earlier rampant smuggling

of the precious tree, the Indian government has banned the export of

sandalwood. Still, as the wood was needed by Pashupatinath, India

asked its two major sandalwood-growing states - Tamil Nadu and

Karnataka - if they could meet the requirement. Though Karnataka

refused flatly, Tamil Nadu agreed to do what it could. However,

Tamilnadu couldn't meet the entire demand and agreed to send 246 kg,

worth nearly Rs.9, 00,000. The cargo was sent to Delhi from Chennai,

from where it reached Nepal via Uttar Pradesh. With highway robbery

increasing in Nepal and Maoist guerrillas confiscating vehicles, it

was a miracle that the cargo reached its destination safely. The

sandalwood consignment was ceremoniously handed over by Indian

ambassador to Nepal  Shri. Shiv Shankar Mukherjee to the chief priest at the temple this week.

Based on a report Posted on March 26, 2006  by Smt.  Sudeshna

Sarkar, Kathmandu, in www.newkerala, an online newspaper.

OOOOOOOO

PANCHAAMRITAM 85

ONE

Convict Sri. J.Ramaswmi of Alipore Central Correctional Home donated his entire prison wages of Rs. 4,500 to vegetable seller Sri. Nemai Baidya for the continuance of his highly meritorious daughter Iti Baidya’s MBBS study at a moving ceremony at the West Bengal state Secretariat, Kolkatta in the presence of Shri Biswanath Chowdhury, Minister for Prisons. Being inspired by this act, other inmates of the Alipore Correctional Home also donated a total of Rs. 30,000. Acts like this demonstrate how higher values of benevolence and social concern can not only permeate the prison environment but also serve as inspiration to the outside world.

From PRABUDDHA BHARATA, March 2006 (Idea: Shri. Ravikumar, Chennai).

TWO

At 5.50 AM on July 15, 2005, Shri. K.Arunagiriswami, the Mail Guard on duty on board the Cheran Express hurtling towards Coimbatore from Chennai noticed smoke emerging from the toilet of an unreserved compartment of the train as it was traversing the Sulur- Irugur section. At once he stopped the train and ordered all passengers to alight quickly. Then he detached the bogy and sent the rest of the train on to Irugur. He completed the entire operation in less than eight-and-a-half minutes. Lives of all the 1,500 passengers were saved. The train too was saved from being burnt down. Railway Minister Shri. Lalu Prasad Yadav honoured Arunagiriswami with the national award given to Railway employees for exemplary service at a function in Delhi on April 10, 2006.

DINAMANI, April 12, 2006.

THREE

‘Sport is mostly trivial pursuit. It is men such as Leander Paes who elevate it’, according to a sports writer. This is what Paes did to deserve the pat. On April 9, The Indian Tennis team faced its Pakistan counterpart, at the Brabourne stadium, Mumbai. The less experienced Indian players could not prevent Pakistan draw level 2-2. Captain Paes, had to step in. Paes playing robustly took the first two sets with ease. Now came the time of great ordeal. In the beginning of the third set he started having cramps and it was just ubearable. With no fall-back option, India’s talisman willed his body to obey the mind fought back point by point. Paes had taken medicines for cramps and needed time for it to take effect. At the end of 2 sets his mobility was reduced to almost zero. The shocked fans, dismayed at the lack of effort from their hero known for do-or-die approach, kept up a tireless chant. Buoyed by the energy and noise leveling the stands, a charged up Leander responded with a bouquet of winners resulting in a 6-4, 7-6, 3-6,0-6, 6-1 victory. Pakistan lost its best chance to defeat India at home after losing the plot at the climax, the deciding match lasting for 3 hours, 48 minutes.

Based on a report in THE HINDU April 10, 2006.

FOUR

BOOK EYE is the name of a scanner. It is a German product. In Indian currency, it costs about Rs. 25 lakhs. The specialty of this scanner is that it can scan manuscripts (on ancient palm leaves, birch bark, etc.) without physically disturbing the manuscript as the UNESCO convention demands. CDIT, Kerala-based IT organization (supported by the state government) focusing on heritage informatics, was given the responsibility of digitizing manuscripts by various government undertakings such as the National Manuscript Mission, Oriental Research Institute, Kerala, etc. Now, the CDIT faced the challenge of adhering to the UNESCO convention. But the cost of importing the German scanner was found prohibitive. So, CDIT team decided to go Swadeshi and they did it. The CDIT scanner costs just Rs. 3 Lakh.

VIJAYABHARATAM, April 28, 2006.

FIVE

How does a temple in India make sure that it gets 15,000 coconuts a day
delivered for its rituals? It simply depends on the faith of its thousands of Hindu devotees who run a unique voluntary courier service to faithfully deliver the fruit every day without fail. This is how the thousands of coconuts, which can total more than 1,00,000 on festival days - reach the famous Maa Tarini temple in the eastern Indian state of Orissa every day. This free courier service relies on a network of collection boxes on roads and other temples, passenger buses and devotees simply carrying the fruit to the temple. Hold a coconut in your hand on a highway in Orissa and the next bus will surely stop to pick it up to take it to the temple in Ghatgaon in Keonjhar district. The drivers' faith in the goddess Maa Tarini is complete - it is common to find the space behind their seats stacked with coconuts. Even if the bus is on a different route, the driver will make sure to drop the coconuts in a collection box en route or pass them on to a bus headed for Ghatgaon. The drivers believe that carrying the coconuts to the deity ensures a safe journey. Temple officials say coconuts land up from neighbouring states like West Bengal and Bihar through this amazing network. This has spawned a local coconut-based sweets and oil industry. The coconut courier has also helped to make Maa Tarini an extremely popular deity in Orissa. By one estimate, there are over 1,000 Maa Tarini temples in Orissa today, which also serve as collection points for the fruit headed for the main temple. The popularity of the deity is also evinced in the fact that three local music companies have sold more than 1,00,000 copies of tapes containing Maa Tarini devotional songs.

Based on a report in BBC News on February 3, 2006

(Idea: Shri.AshokChowgule, Mumbai)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4677320.stm

()

PANCHAAMRITAM 86

ONE

Kali Bein, is a river flowing in Punjab, Bharat, in which Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism, is believed to have taken a holy dip and attained enlightenment five centuries ago. The 160-km-long river, which springs from Dhanoa village in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, merges in the confluence of the Beas and the Ravi at Hakike Pattan. The Rajasthan canal originates from here. A gurdwara at Sultanpur Lodhi near the bank of the Kali Bein came up, commemorating the enlightenment of the Guru. The river had turned into a virtual sewer with several drains pouring into it from adjoining townships as well as effluents from the Railway Coach Factory in Kapurthala. The zeal and dedication of Sant Balbir Singh Sinchewal has helped in reviving the river Kali Bein. A rare mix of piety and passion for environment conservation took Shri. Sinchewal about six years to bring a "dead river to life" through kar seva (voluntary service). In July 2000, he jumped into the muddy waters overshadowed by overgrown weeds and began removing the hyacinth. The act drew hundreds of his followers to the river. The Sant invoked the enlightenment episode in the Guru's life to inspire the people to join the project. Now, the river has been embanked and openings allowing the entry of polluted water have been plugged. Flowerbeds have been laid on banks. The river, which has a depth of 3 fathoms at some places, is no longer dead. It flows with water piped into it from upstream Talwara Dam.

Based on a UNI report in THE HINDU of April 24, 2006

TWO

Smt. Bijayalakshmi Mohapatra, a 32 year-old law graduate living in Barimula village under Kendrapara district, Orissa, Bharat, married in 1998. For four years she could not conceive although medical examination showed no problem with her or her husband. In 2002, she adopted Sarthak, a baby boy from ‘Vasundhara’, a social organization of Cuttack, Orissa. Soon after, she conceived. Says Bijayalakshmi: “I was in a dilemma whether to have my own child or not. I wept bitterly for few days, But I finally decided to go for an abortion to ensure that the child I had adopted does not face any discrimination. Sarthak is like Krishna to me. Yashoda is as great as Devaki. If given a choice, I would like to be reborn every time as Yashoda”. Shri. Chittaranjan Mohapatra, her husband, also a law graduate and businessman by profession, stood by her in both of her decisions – to adopt Sarthak and go in for an abortion. Now, 4 year-old Sarthak, is doing exceedingly well in studies and extra-curricular activities.

Based on a report by Shri. Akshaya Kumar Sahoo

in DECCAN CHRONICLE, December 7, 2005.

THREE

This happened 4 years back. Shri. N. Krishnan, then 21, a gold medallist in Catering Technology serving as an official in a five star hotel in Bangalore, drawing a five digit salary, came home to his home town, Madurai, Tamilnadu, Bharat, to spend a week with his parents before catching a flight to Switzerland on a promising career. As he pedaled his way on his bicycle along the city streets, he found an old man in rags, a mentally retarded destitute feeding himself on human waste from a wayside dustbin. Shocked, Krishnan swung into action. He fetched some idlies from a nearby hotel and fed the old man. A grateful glance of the old man changed Krishnan’s life completely. He gave up the idea of going abroad. Started feeding every mentally retarded destitute roaming in the town. He set up a neat, modern kitchen in the backyard of his parental house. Every day he cooks food for 130 persons. He personally takes the food 3 times a day to the streets of Madurai. He seeks out his ‘clients’ and gives them what he has brought. At times he has to feed some among them with his own hands like a mother. He told RSS pracharak Shri Bhaktavataslam who met him, that 10 of his college mates were already in Switzerland but he had decided to live on in “God’s own country”. Krishnan’s unique Anna Daanm costs him Rs. 2,500 per day. He somehow manages with donations from the thoughtful public. Anyhow, he appreciates further donations. Krishnan can be contacted at “9, West First Main Street, Doak Nagar Extension, Madurai-625 010”. Or, on his phone: 0452-5353439 or Mobile: 98433 19933.

Based on a cover story of VIJAYBHARATAM, June 24, 2005.

FOUR

Pan Am flight attendant Neerja Bhanot, who died fighting hijackers at Pakistan's Karachi airport in September 1986, will be honoured with the second highest award in the US for crime victims. Bhanot, who hailed from Chandigarh, Punjab, Bharat, will be posthumously conferred the 2006 Special Courage Award by the US Department of Justice. Other attendants of the flight will also get the same award, said a statement from her family. Bhanot died while trying to save five children when the hijackers opened fire inside the Pan Am flight 20 years ago. The award will be received by Bhanot's brothers, Aneesh and Akhil, at Washington DC April 21 (2006). They have left for the US. US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will give away the award. The Special Courage Award recognises individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary bravery in the aftermath of a crime or those who have performed a courageous act on behalf of a victim or potential victim.

webindia123.com, April 18, 2006.

FIVE

The collection of 11,000 palm-leaf and paper manuscripts in Sanskrit, Tamil and Manipravalam about Saiva Siddhanta preserved at the French Institute, Pondicherry, Bharat, which is the largest collection of manuscripts of the Saiva Siddhanta texts, has found a place in UNESCO's Memory of the World register, according to Smt. Traja Virtanen, advisor for Communication Information, UNESCO, New Delhi. Participating in a function to mark the inscription of the manuscript of the institute In Pondicherry, she said, "The unique collection is the source for scholars to reconstruct a chapter in the religious annals of humanity." She said the collection of Saiva Manuscripts has been entered into the International Register. Apart from this entry, another national collection--I.A.S. Tamil Medical Manuscript--has also been entered into the register.

From Hindu Press International Bulletin, April 3, 2006.

OOOOOOOOO

PANCHAAMRITAM 87

ONE

Lalrin Pui and Zorampari, schoolgirls of Aizwal, Mizoram, Bharat, heard that a barn owl had been trapped and put up for sale in the local market. They quickly pooled their pocket money to rescue the bird that belongs to the category of endangered species from the poachers. They bought the owl and took it to Smt. C.Luri, an activist of People’s Animal Group. “When I tried to repay them they did not accept”, Luri said.

Based on an UNI report in THE HINDU OF May 11, 2006.

TWO

Four –year old Budhiya Singh, son of a widowed hutment dweller, ran for 7 hours from the wee hours of May 3, 2006 and covered 64 kilometers between Puri and Bhuvaneshwar in Orissa, Bharat, an unusual world record. A child genius is normally identified by the extraordinary memory – say, if the child identifies the national flags of 150 countries or if a child tells you the ragas of hundreds of compositions in Carnatic music. That way, Bhudhiya’s super human stamina marks him as one too, a born athlete indicating acquired traits of a previous birth.

VIJAYABHARATAM, May 19, 2006.

THREE

Swami Akhandananda, a direct disciple of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, set up an Ashram in Saaragaachi, a place too close to Plassey, where the British empire could become stronger due to the treason of Mir Jaffer, as the history goes. Someone asked the Swami why an Ashram at such an inauspicious place. The Swami said that a great personality who shall change the fate of the whole country would come there. Shri Guruji (M.S.Golwalkar – 1906-1973), the second Sarsanghchalak of RSS joined the Ashram and was initiated by the Swami. Shri Guruji, with the blessings of the Swami, went back to Nagpur in 1937 and was chosen by Dr. K.B.Hedgewar to head RSS, the organization founded by him (Dr. Hedgewar). He proved to be the great personality. The birth centenary of Shri Guruji is being celebrated all through the current year all over the world. (An anecdote narrated by Shri K.S Sudarshan, Sarsanghchalak of RSS at the inauguration of the birth centenary celebration at Nagpur on February 24, 2006)

DESHIYA SAMACHAR, Chennai, April 2006.

FOUR

On a business trip, I travelled by the Chennai-Trivandrum Express to Nagerakoil last month. I alighted at Nagarkoil, hired an auto and reached my place. Just then I noticed that I had misplaced my purse. At once, I contacted the Station Master who informed me that no purse was handed over to him by anyone. Having lost the purse containing Rs 4.000 in cash and my business contact numbers, I was desolate but nothing could be done. By 3 in the afternoon I received a phone call. The caller wanted to know whether my name was Rajesh. When I said yes, he asked me to collect the purse now in the custody of Shri Deison, policeman on duty at the railway police station. I rushed to the police station and after due checks I received the purse from Deison. On finding the contents in tact, I offered Rs 500 to him as a gift. He gave a stern look but informed me politely that none of the 20 policemen in that police station accepted gifts for doing their duty. He added, “all men here are above 40 but none owns a motorbike. We pedal our way home on bicycles. None is addicted to any bad habit like alcoholism or smoking. So we do not take bribes. It is our routine to restore misplaced belongings of passengers. That is al”. That left a great impression in my mind.

From a narration by Shri Rajesh of Madurai, in the ‘Reader’s Experience’ column of KUMUDAM SNEHIDHI, a Tamil women’s fortnightly; May I, 2006.

FIVE

1 This happened in the flower market locality of west Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, Bharat. The Muslim husband of a Hindu woman died due to protracted illness. They were poor. The family was making arrangements for a Hindu funeral. Just then the Jamaat descended on the scene. They wanted to take possession of the body any bury it in the Muslim burial ground. The wife retorted, “ Where were you people all these years? None of you cared to visit my husband when he was ill. You failed to treat him even as a human being. But you promptly present yourselves just to kick up a religious fight”. She stood firm and had her way. The funeral was done the Hindu way (From a narration by Shri. Na.Bhuvanesawaran). 2 An old Hindu woman living near a Ganesh temple in Thaadikkombu village was about to be discreetly cajoled into allowing her house to be used for social service (but in fact for Pentecost Christian propaganda) by John Jayakumar, an employee of the police department working in Palani town. Once she realized what the real purpose was, she confronted the cheat and his accomplices with a broomstick in hand (Both anecdotes indicate the positive impact of Dharma Jagaran work among Hindu masses by volunteers of Hindu organisations).

From PASU THAI, Tamil Monthly from Chennai: March 2006.

OOOOOOO

PANCHAAMRITAM 88

ONE

Shri Rohit Mahato and Shri Vipin Tarun Das are busy writing the biography of Shri Guruji Golwalkar (1906-1973) in Braille. Both are visually challenged. Rohit is a graduate and Vipin has passed his MA at the Jadavpur University, West Bengal. They say they lost eyesight in childhood after an illness. Rohit’s father and Vipin’s elder brother are Karyakartas of RSS and so the youngsters imbibed patriotism as they grew. They want all visually challenged persons to become aware of their patriotic duties by reading, in Braille, the biography of Shri Guruji, a source of patriotism to lakhs of Hindu youths. 2006-7 is the birth centenary year of Shri Guruji and this is quite a thoughtful way to pay tributes to Shri Guruji.

Based on a report in March II, 2006 issue of SAMASHTI SANDESH, a Hindi fortnightly from Ranchi, Jharkhand state.

TWO

If Barry Bloom's words are something to go by, India has entered a new era. The dean of School of Public Health shares a new focus on "modern India." Visiting India as part of a Harvard university faculty delegation, led by Harvard Lawrence H Summers, president of the 350 year-old Harvard University, Bloom was recently quoted by the Times of India, as saying, "Harvard knows about ancient India, the teaching of the Vedas, colonial India and its struggle for independence. What we want to study now is the modern India, its aggressive economic rise…. There is a huge need to study modern India if we want to know the 21st century world." Obviously, India matters. A lot. A fact that is apparent from the increasing interest of students who seek placements in India's burgeoning industries for a taste of her economic success. Announcing this in India, Lawrence H. Summers said the university was "working towards building a program especially on India, the subcontinent and South Asia studies," with the aim to "strengthen and increase our knowledge on the country, which is fast becoming a super-power."

Based on a report by Shri Charu Bahri in happynews.com, April 11, 2006.

THREE

Readers of PNCHAAMRITAM might remember how Kali Bein, a river flowing in Punjab, in which Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism, is believed to have taken a holy dip and attained enlightenment five centuries ago, was recharged and revived by Sant Balbir Sigh Sinchewal, as reported in PANCHAAMRITAM 86. A similar good news anecdote, this time from West Bengal: Amodar is a small stream in West Bengal, Bharat. It flows via Jayarambati, the birthplace of Holy Mother Sarada Devi and Kamarpukur, the birthplace of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa before it joins river Darakeshwar in the Hoogly district. Holy Mother was very fond of Amodar and deemed it Ganga. Plans are afoot by the Jayarambati Ramakrishna Math to recharge the river (which is otherwise dry during the summer) by sinking wells, and give a facelift to the banks by constructing embankments and bathing ghats.

Based on a report in VEDANTA KESARI, English monthly, May 2006.

FOUR

Shri Natarajan (54) of Thuthukudi, Tamilnadu, Bharat, works at the Tamilnadu State Transport Corporation’s Thuthukudi bus depot. He is a qualified driver but was assigned work inside the depot, as he was suffering from heart ailment. Early in the morning of February 18, 2006, Natarajan was in the driver’s seat on board the Thuthukudi-Sivakasi route bus, as there was paucity of drivers that day. As the speeding bus neared Ettaiyapuram, Natarajan felt severe chest pain. His immediate concern was to save the lives of the 20 passengers on board. So, with difficulty, he managed to bring down the speed. Even as he tried to park the bus to one side of the road, it bumped on to a stack of bricks and came to a halt. No passenger was hurt. But Natarajan collapsed on the steering wheel. The conductor of the bus, Shri Thangapandiyan rushed him to the hospital. But Natarajan died on the way.

Baasd on a report in DINAMAI, February 19, 2006.

FIVE

It is New Delhi, Bharat. On Friday, May 19, 2006, the Delhi Foundation of Deaf Women organized a "Pranay Milan Sammelan" in which over 200 young persons participated. The Sammelan was to facilitate meetings between young boys and girls with hearing impairment so that they could find their life partners. Seeking to help these youngsters find "instant" alliances that may last them a lifetime, the meeting brought together a large number of youth who might not have found "love at first sight" but surely would have come across members of the opposite sex they would like to marry. This is the 14th year that the Foundation has organised such a meeting. The Foundation was set up in 1973 by four women, three of them with hearing impairment, and has been steadily working to integrate these differently-abled people into the mainstream. Based on a report in THE HINDU of May 20, 2006.

OOOOOOOOOO

PANCHAAMRITAM 89

ONE

Bharat’s scientific community does not brook belittling of Ayurveda of the Rishis by any power in the world. Read on: Use of the Indian system of medicine is not harmful and it is quite safe, claims Victor Rajamanickam, Dean, Centre for Advanced Research in Indian System of Medicine, SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur, Tamilnadu, Bharat. Prof. Rajamanickam questioned the scientific validity of an article that appeared in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) in December 2004. The authors had analysed 14 Ayurvedic formulations manufactured in India and concluded that they contained heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic and lead. Prof. Rajamanickam said the authors had failed to analyse the different forms by which the elements are bound but have projected only the quantum of elemental distribution. This was critical since these elements could be chelated in the formulation and will be safe to use. Moreover, the final product in Bhasmas and Rasa yogas are different from the raw materials since they would be transformed to therapeutic compounds by different processes like detoxification, titration, heating, etc. Hence it is unlikely that free elements would be present in these products that may cause damage as claimed by the authors. The study at SASTRA was conducted in collaboration with Prof. G. P. Dubey and his team at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and Prof. R. Venkatakrishnan Murali and his team, at the University of Madras. "The findings of our experiments were presented to an expert committee constituted by the Department of AYUSH, Government of India, New Delhi, comprising members from CSIR, AIIMS, ICMR and the Department of AYUSH at New Delhi on May 8. The committee expressed its appreciation and wanted the findings to be published," said Prof. Rajamanickam.

Based on a report in THE HINDU of May 23, 2006

TWO

Smt. Ragini Devi, 42, of hamlet Balthi Rasoolpur under Bochahan block of Muzzafarpur district, Bihar, Bharat, has been conferred the first ‘Asaadharan Mahila’ award for propagating vegetable cultivation as means of livelihood. GRASSROOTS SUMMIT, the journal of Press Institute of India, Delhi, spotted Ragini as an extraordinary woman of the country with infinite zeal, who could become a real icon of grassroots empowerment and development. Ragini motivated scores of women through Self Help Groups to achieve success. She provided literacy skills and taught rural women in Bochahan block to fight abject poverty. Within a year she became the cluster leader and helped group members deposit their savings in banks and acquire loans for business. Now, she has been able to transform the cluster into a cooperative named Sristi Mahila Swawalambi Sahakari Samiti Limited registered with the state government. Ragini has adopted vegetable farming as livelihood source. The vegetables grown by the SHGs are now being sent to national markets for lucrative returns.

Based on a report in HINDUSTAN TIMES / FLASH LIGHT (fortnightly from Patna - May 31, 2006)

THREE

Volume I of the two-volume ‘BIOGRAPHY OF PUJYA SHRI MAHA SWAMI’ in Tamil published by Alliance Publishers, Chennai-4, contains this anecdote highlighting the successful effort of a Hindu Saint in establishing Saamaajik Samarasata (Incidentally, Samarasata is the major feature of Shri. Guruji centenary year celebrations): “Padakachery Swami, a devout youth of Vellala (agriculturist) community found the dilapidated condition of the ancient tower of Kumbakonam Nageshwara Swami temple quite heart-rending. He collected the money needed to renovate the tower by begging in the town for several years. The renovation was thus completed. Even as the day of Kumbhabhishekham (consecration ceremony) drew near, a controversy erupted. Members of the Vishwakarma community (the sculptors) claimed the right to perform Abhishekham before Shivacharyas (temple Pujaris). The Shivacharyas contested this and sought legal remedy. All the same, both the groups wanted to know what the Shastras had to say on this. They approached the Kanchi Shankaracharya Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati (the Maha Swami). The Maha Swami spoke to them in two separate meets and secured an undertaking from each party that the word of the Shastras shall be binding on them. Shastra experts sat at the feet of the Maha Swami and discussed the issue. Later the Maha Swami informed the contesting communities that the Shastras do not forbid anyone belonging to Vishwakarma community from performing Abhishekham before the Shivacharyas. Soon the case was withdrawn and the Kumbhabhishekham went off in a cordial atmosphere. This happened in 1923”.

VIJAYABHARATAM, Chennai-31, June 30, 2006.

FOUR

Agitating students of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur have adopted the surname 'bharat' against the proposed reservations for OBCs in higher education. "From today onwards, students would use 'bharat' instead of their surnames," spokesman of Forum of Indians against Reservation (FIR) of IIT Kanpur unit Rahul 'bharat' said. Ten students, including three girl students, went on a 24-hour relay fast at the IIT campus here today. Those who joined in the relay fast were Umendra Bharat, Ritesh Bharat, Atul Bharat, Rajesh Bharat, Suman Bharat, Indrani Bharat, Krinal Bharat, Apoorva Bharat and Prabha Bharat, he said. [In Rig Veda, Vishwamitra Gathin uses the word in a phrase: “bharatam janam”, meaning people of the nation of Bharat. (Rigveda 3.53.12)]

Based on a PTI / www.expressindia.com report of May 30, 2006. Idea: Dr. S. Kalyanaraman

FIVE

People of Bharat have always lauded the service activities rendered by various RSS associated organisations in different parts of the country. It is now the turn of the government (run by a Congress coalition supported by Communist parties) to do so. About one third of the 14 voluntary organisations whom the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has identified in its annual report for their outstanding services, are the RSS associated service organisations. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs implements its welfare schemes for all-round development of Vanvasis (wrongly referred to as tribals) with the help of voluntary organisations. These 14 organisations produced remarkable results through better implementation of the various schemes of the Ministry. The list of 14 organisations includes Vidya Bharati, Sewa Bharati, Deendayal Research Institute, New Delhi, Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Bharat Sewashram Sangh, Rashtriya Sewa Samiti, Andhra Pradesh, Vivekanand Girijan Kalyan Kendra, Karnataka, Rama Krishna Mission and organisations associated with it, Bharatiya Adim Jati Sewak Sangh and its associated organisations, Swami Vivekanand Yuva Andolan Karnataka, Government of India Society, Pune, Akhil Bharatiya Dayanand Sewashram Sangh, New Delhi, DAV Managing committee, New Delhi and Vinoba Niketan, Kerala. Highlighting the role of these organisations, the Ministry in its annual report has said that the organisations had done a good job in implementing the government schemes and they would be encouraged in implementation of developmental schemes in coming years. The Ministry is working on four major schemes with the participation of voluntary organisations. They include grant to the organisations working for the welfare of the Vanvasis, literacy campaigns among Vanvasi women, running of vocational training centres and development of various Vanvasi communities. The report said that the fund granted to these voluntary organisations in the first four years of the Tenth Five Year Plan was utilised hundred per cent.

Based on a report in DAINIK JAGARAN, Hindi Daily dated May 7, 2006.

Also: www.rss.org

oooooooooooooo

PANCHAAMRITAM 90

ONE

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) tests of blood samples from people in the Indian subcontinent have confirmed that the human race had its origins in Africa and not Europe or Central Asia as claimed by a few historians. The test has classified the people in north and south India as belonging to one gene pool, and not different ethnic groups such as Aryans and Dravidians. Giving the information to The Hindu in Bangalore, Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research D.N. Tripathi said geneticists from Pakistan had collected samples for genetics analysis of the people of Indian subcontinent and sent them to cellular and molecular biology laboratories in the U.S. Scientists in Pakistan concluded from the test results that the human race spread out of Africa 60,000 years before Christ. They settled in the subcontinent. Geneticists in Pakistan concluded that people living in the northern and southern regions of India and those in the West Asian region were from the same gene pool, he added. Asked about the argument of many historians tracing the lineage of people in north India to Aryans, Prof. Tripathi said test results had proved this wrong. "We have the results of studies. The conclusion of some historians that Aryans came here 15,000 years before Christ does not hold water," he added.

Based on a report by Shri. T.S.Ranganna in THE HINDU of June 24, 2006.

TWO

In a snap survey of a small section of the youth in Calcutta (capital of West Bengal state ruled by Godless Marxists for 27 years without break) conducted by The Telegraph, 84 per cent said they sought solace in religion. 82 percent of the youths said their family is religious. And 54 per cent said they often visited a place of worship. “Yes, it is quite true that today’s Bengali youth is no longer afraid to express his or her religious self,” says Ajoy Kumar Mitra, president of the Kalighat Temple Committee. “Compared to the previous generation, they are less inhibited and less embarrassed to appear God-loving.” And Mitra stresses that he is talking about urban, educated youth. Swami Ritananda of the Ramakrishna Mission at Golpark in Calcutta points out that the number of young men choosing the life of a hermit is also on the rise. “Twenty years ago, the Mission would see about 20 young boys wishing to be initiated into the life of a sanyasi. Last year, we had around 50 young boys choosing the life of renunciation and sacrifice.”

Based on a report by Shri Dola Mitra in THE TELEGRAPH of June 14, 2006.

THREE

“Iran’s fastest growing faith seems to be Hinduism of the New Age guru variety. (Buddhism comes a close second)  Sathya Sai Baba, Rajneesh, Mahesh Yogi and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar are familiar figures in the middle class drawing rooms. For many in the elite, yoga is far more important than Haj. The Forum of Artists in central Tehran, close to what was the US embassy building is a wonderful public space with galleries and auditoria. Its café is strictly vegetarian. One’s Salaam is greeted there with Hare Krishna. The menu’s star attraction is Gita Thali.”

(Do you believe that the lines are from "Three Vignettes from Iran" by Praful Bidwai, published in THE HINDU, June 11, 2006, asks Shri  Shyam Parande).

FOUR

It is to be noted that Chhattisgarh is the only state where not only people challenged the Maoist violence by organising rallies (salwa judum) but also both the ruling BJP leaders and Congress leaders have supported the movement. Even as salwa judum campaign started by common people and supported by the Chhattisgarh Government completed its one-year in June, the State Congress is a divided house over its role in the ongoing movement. While leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and senior Congress leader Mahendra Karma is supporting the campaign, a strong section within the State Congress led by Ajit Jogi feel that party leaders should disassociate themselves from the movement, so that the party can launch a blistering attack against the Government. Congress workers in the state saw to it that a meeting called by party president Sonia Gandhi to withdraw support to the anti Maoist movement was postponed.

Based on a report by Shri Shivanand Shukla in DAILY PIONEER of June 19, 2006

FIVE

A couple of Etava, UP, Bharat, had no issues for years. They heard of Matru Chchaya, a Trust comprising eminent citizens and social workers of Agra, helping families to adopt destitute infants. They approached the Trust. To their pleasant surprise, the couple found that the infant they chose for adoption at Matru Chchaya was the 101th kid to be given in adoption by the social service organization being run by swayamsevaks in the last ten years. The occasion was special for Matru Chchaya as well as the kind-hearted couple. So, after a special havan and after completion of legal formalities, the infant, a girl child, was handed over to her new parents. The MLA of the locality was present during the event. A new team of office-bearers was constituted on this occasion to take forward the noble work of Matru Chchaya. The new team: Shri Badri Prasad(Patron), Shri Shyam Kishore (Chairman), Shri vijay Bhansal (Secretary) and Shri Rajendra Sachdeva (Treasurer).

Based on a report in the weekly BRIJ SAMVAD, Agra, of May 3, 2006.

OOOOOOOOO