Friday, February 18, 2011

PANCHAAMRITAM 205

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Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Chennai

PANCHAAMRITAM 205

Pancha is five in Samskritam, Amritam is nectar

Poornima/ Kali Yugaabda 5112 / Vikruti Maasi 6 (February 18, 2011)

ONE

Meet Smt R.S Lalitha, 63. A science teacher who took voluntary retirement from the Government High School in Cantonment Pallavaram in the suburb of Chennai (Tamilnadu, Bharat) 11 years ago after 29 years of service. Lalitha saved her retirement benefits till they accumulated to Rs 3.5 lakh. She then donated the money to build the noon-meal centre at the school. Spread over 354 sq.ft, the centre has a kitchen and a store room. “I don’t have children. These are my children,” Lalitha said about the students at the school. Lalitha was moved by the pathetic condition of the noon-meal centre when she visited the school last November. She sought permission from headmaster M Nainan to build the centre. “It is in remembrance of my husband, who died in 2009 after years of battling Parkinson’s disease,” she said. The school has around 1,400 students including 500 girls. As per norms, the state government is supposed to allot funds to build a noon-meal centre based on the number of students. Of the 1,400 students, about 400 students are beneficiaries of the scheme. However, due to lack of proper infrastructure, the school authorities were forced to cook the meals in the open. “We were overwhelmed by her request and immediately agreed,” said the chief executive officer of the Cantonment Board, Shri G Vijayabhaskar. Based on a report by Shri D Madhavan in THE TIMES OF INDIA of February 16, 2011. (Idea: Shri Sambamurthy, Saha Prant Karyawah, RSS, Uttar Tamilnadu)

TWO

Handloom weavers, Shri Mani and Smt Indrani, of Sirumugai village near Mettupalayam, Coimbatore district (Tamilnadu, Bharat), have performed an exemplary act of courage. The couple came forward to donate the organs of their 11-year-old son, Sowdesh, who was declared brain dead by the hospital authorities. Broken, but still forthcoming even in the hour of their distress, they asked the ICU doctors for organ donation. The kidneys, liver, heart valves, and corneas of their son have been harvested to be given to hospitals in Chennai and Coimbatore. For his parents, Sowdesh was the baby of the house, born 10 years after the birth of their first son. He was playing outside the house with his friend, when he was mowed down by a two-wheeler. Sowdesh sustained severe injuries and was rushed to the Mettupalayam GH, from where he was referred to the Ramakrishna Hospital in Coimbatore. On Monday, February 14, 2011, after all the confirmatory brain dead tests were done, Sowdesh was declared brain dead. On Tuesday, his organs were harvested. Mani said that he was a regular blood donor, and organ donation was something he had always on his mind. “My son’s organs should give life to as many as possible. He has not died. He will live always as his death has given life to many,” said the mother, almost in tears. From a report by Smt Nalini Ravichandran in THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS, February 16, 2011.

THREE

Village Dewala, Udaipur district (Rajasthan, Bharat). On December 28, 2010, functionaries of Rajasthan Vanavasi Kalyan Parishad of RSS were seen distributing dividends to 250 Vanavasis (tribals) who gather seethaphal fruits (Annona squamosa or custard apple). It is obviously their share in profit for having supplied the fruits to the Forest & Agricultural Produce Cooperative Society launched by the Parishad in 2009. In spite of the severe cold and failure of rains, the Society paid the Vanavasis Rs 4 a kilo for seethaphal (the Vanavasis were getting just Rs 2 from touts) and supplied to its buyers in Gujarat. Even then, at the end of the past year, the Society could earn a clear profit of Rs 80,000. That was promptly distributed among the Vanavasis. That is how the poor Vanavasi brethren were liberated from the clutches of profiteers. From PATHEYA KANN, a Hindi fortnightly of Jaipur, February 1, 2011.

FOUR

Bihar Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar on January 25, 2011 released the ‘Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2010’ prepared and submitted by an NGO, 'Pratham’ (established by UNICEF and Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai). The report highlighted 96.6 % enrolment of children (age group 6-14) in schools in Bihar giving a clear message that the state has bettered national average (96.5%). Midday meal improved the children's surge towards education, the CM said and solicited support of all for raising the quality of education. Last year India as a whole took a step towards universal elementary education, as Pratham’s report revealed. The proportion of girls in the age group of 11-14 too increased to 94.1%. It was Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee who gave the vision ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan’ (education for all) when he was Prime Minister. Based on a report in FLASH LIGHT, Fortnightly, Patna, February 1, 2011 & THE TIMES OF INDIA, January 26, 2011

FIVE

Passengers travelling on bus number M 70 A which runs between Koyambedu and Avadi in Chennai found a two-day baby girl abandoned under a seat. They alerted the conductor and driver of the bus. The baby was then handed over to the Thirumullaivoyal police. As news spread in the locality, residents gathered at the police station seeking to adopt the baby. At least three families, including that of an electricity board employee, approached the police to take the baby home. They even took turns feeding the baby. "I asked if I could take the girl home as I have only two sons. But the police inspector there said that a lot of procedures were involved and that they had already alerted the helpline," said Murugadoss, an EB staff. The Child Helpline (1098) alerted the Indian Council for Child Welfare, which later rescued the baby. I am told that I could take the baby home only after she completed two years," added Murugadoss. Based on a report in THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS, February 14, 2011.

PANCHAAMRITAM 204

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Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Chennai

PANCHAAMRITAM 204

Pancha is five in Samskritam, Amritam is nectar

Amavaasya / Kali Yugaabda 5112 / Vikruti Thai 19 (February 2, 2011)

ONE

Imagine a High School situated bang in the middle of a Nandavanam (blossoming garden). Step into the government high school premises in Kadathoor, in the Gobichettipalayam block of Erode district (Tamilnadu, Bharat). Your imagination becomes in toto a reality there. The classrooms are surrounded by flower beds. In spite of dense foliage all around, the school verandahs and classrooms are neat and tidy as a new fiddle. It is the result of the inculcation of cleanliness among the boys and girls – it is a co-ed institution – through examples set by the teachers led by the Headmaster. The abundant harvest from the school orchard – plantains and other fruits – are not sold. These are distributed free systematically among the students. Class after class gets these in turn. Students and staff always get clean drinkable water in plenty, though the school is located in a place hard pressed for water. Toilets are in adequate proportion to the number of students. They are remarkably clean, meaning that the students are fully aware of the importance of hygiene. There is a constant complaint that the staff strength is inadequate (it is a government school), but the 90-95 percent results in the Class Ten public exams speak of the shraddha on the part of the teaching fraternity of the school. As told to TEAM PANCHAAMRITAM by Shri Bhaktavatsalan, Saha Prant Pracharak, RSS, North Tamilnadu.

TWO

Smt Anupama Joshi, retired Wing Commander, Indian Air Force, is now happy to be flooded with appreciation mails, messages and calls for having won a fight which she had fought for four years in the Delhi High Court and much before that under Air Force mechanism to get permanent commission for women in defence services. Anupama, who now works as CEO for Regional Rural Financial Services, lives in Dehradun with her 12-year-old son. Anupama, officer of the first woman Short Service Commission (SSC) in defence services, had waged this battle when she was not given permanent commission whereas her men colleagues were liberally given the same. Her present occupation is because of her sympathy for farmers of Uttarkhand who had to run from pillar to post for loans. With 18 branches her Financial Services has entered the self help field as well as insurance. The branches are manned by village youth. The Armed Forces wanted to utilize her services, but she chose to stay put in Dehradun unwilling to disappoint the villagers. From DAINIK JAGARAN and THE TRIBUNE August 18, 2010.

THREE

India has rejected a drug patent application of Abbot Laboratories, a United States multinational pharma company, paving the way for easy access to an important life-saving medication for HIV patients across the globe. The decision to reject the patent application on the important combination drug, Lopinavir/Ritonavir filed by Abbot Laboratories was given by the Indian patent office in New Delhi during the weekend. The Indian Patents Office has put a halt to the multinational Abbott Laboratories patenting and said it was not an invention. "India, the world's leading supplier of affordable medicines, can now supply this drug to patients across the globe who are desperately waiting for treatment. This combination drug is considered to be the frontline of defence for HIV positive patients who have failed to stay healthy with the first round of medicines available currently," Tahir M Amin, director of initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK), one of those who initiated legal action against the US company told PTI in a communication from New York. From www.rediff.com, January 3, 2011.

FOUR

Advocate Prashant Maggu had filed case on behalf of Hindu leader Shri Vinay Joshi in a Navi Mumbai court two years ago against Sahara Group editor Aziz Burney for his baseless allegations against RSS and India's security and intelligence apparatus. Aziz spread conspiracy theories linking RSS to 26/11 attacks through his book 'RSS ki Sazish 26/11?' The Court issued a non-bailable warrant against him, which forced Burney to beg for apology. His apology was published on the front page of Rashtriya Sahara, an Urdu daily. “I am requesting you for the immediate withdrawal of the court case filed against me in Navi Mumbai court, as it is creating professional difficulties for me and I cannot afford to bear cost of litigation. I never intended to target India's security apparatus and any patriotic organisation working in India. But if there are any references made in my articles by mistake then I am really sorry for that. I assure you that I will not write anything in future that may hurt anyone and I will take utmost care for the same. Expecting quick withdrawal of court case once again”, said Aziz in his letter to Joshi. Based on a post dated January 29, 2011 in www.haindavakeralam.com

FIVE

Yoga and Meditation is increasingly becoming popular in the West. Many leading personalities in sports and entertainment field are practicing yoga for maintaining their health and figures. Yoga and Meditation is a Rs 15,000 Crore business in USA alone. More than 10% of the whites and blacks in USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand practice Yoga and Meditation in spite of opposition from church groups. Perhaps there are more yoga centers in west than in Bharat. Fear of Cholesterol and obesity is driving many especially the youth in the west to turn to vegetarianism. There are many Ayurvedic centers in Brazil perhaps next only to Bharat. Many universities around the world have started courses in Ayurveda. Ayurvedic Burqa is in demand in the Arab world. Sanskrit is taught in more than 200 universities around the world. There is more and more demand for software professionals with knowledge of Sanskrit for developing softwares for Robots and Artificial Intelligence. NASA and other research institutes are looking for Sanskrit knowing professionals. From an article ‘Hindu Jagaran Around the World’ compiled by Shri Ravi Kumar, RSS, Delhi.