Saturday, December 24, 2011

PANCHAAMRITAM 226

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Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Chennai

PANCHAAMRITAM 226

Pancha is five in Samskritam, Amritam is nectar

Amavaasya / Kali Yugaabda 5113 / Kara Margazhi 8 (December 24, 2011)

 

ONE

People in the neighbourhood call him Kumar. He wanders about the roads, sleeps in street corners and lives on food offered by kind-hearted passers-by. On a hot Tuesday afternoon, as he lies by a gutter off Mettupalayam Road, something unusual happens. A group of men with combs and hair-styling shears arrives in a car. Before he realises it, they sit Kumar down and give him a haircut, his first in many years. He sits still as they crop his hair and trim his beard. The men dress him in a new shirt and offer him food and water. Kumar walks away, sack slung over his shoulder. He merges with the market crowd — this time, he fits in.This is what N. Deivaraj and his team wish for — that the homeless and mentally-challenged get to live dignified lives. A hair-stylist based in Tirupur, Deivaraj runs the `New Deiva City Hair Arts Trust' with his friends and relatives. The trust has been providing free hair cuts for the mentally-challenged, differently-abled and under-privileged for four years now. Deivaraj and his 13-member team seek out such people, groom them and offer them a meal. Once in three months, they travel to places outside Tirupur. The team goes around in a rented vehicle from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., helping as many as they can. Once a week, they do free hair-cuts for children in orphanages in and around Tirupur. "Together, we've been to places such as Dindigul, Trichy, Erode, Namakkal and Karur," says Deivaraj. Deivaraj can be contacted on 94423-72611. Based on a report by Smt Akila Kannadasan in THE HINDU, December 14, 2011.

   TWO

Samaskrutotsavam 2011 was celebrated in Dundas Community Centre on November 12, 2011 by the 5 year old Sydney Sanskrit School, the first Community Language Sanskrit School in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere. Shri Cha Mu Krishna Shastry, the founder of Samaskritha Bharati the movement that saw the revival of spoken Samskrit, was invited as the guest of honour. Other distinguished invitees were His Excellency Consul General, Mr P D Fernando, Consulate General from The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Ms Kesanee Palanuwongse, Deputy Consul-General, Royal Thai Government, Minister for Citizenship and Communities Victor Dominello represented by Mr Andrew Rohan, MP, Member for Smithfield, Mr Paul Lynch, MP, Member for Liverpool and Shadow Attorney General, Mr Alex Di Prinzio, The NSW Community Languages Schools Program Education Officer , Mr Vijay Singhal, Hindu Council of Australia, Mr Samba Murthy, renowned Vedantic scholar. The dignitaries applauded the unifying effect of Samskrit in the global scenario. From a report by Shri Karthik Subramanian and Smt. Priyamvada Sreenath in INDIAN HERALD, December 19, 2011.

  THREE

In his brief tenure of ten months as SP (city) and SP (traffic), Shivdeep Waman Lande made a huge fan following. The Yuvak Sangathan Lande founded in his home district Akola after joining the Indian Revenue Service in 2004, has a membership of 70,000-odd villagers devoted to the cause espoused by him. Lande donates 60% to 70% of his pay to the Sangathan which organizes mass marriages of poor girls and runs coaching classes and a hostel for students in Akola to "aid them realize their dreams". The "worse-off among them with a spark" are adopted by the Sangathan which fully finances them till they land a job. Few in Bihar know about the social activist that Lande is. This engineering grad who quit IRS to join IPS in 2006, is known more for his proactive policing. His crackdown on spurious drugs, cosmetics and edible items; his 24X7 availability on phone  and his strictness in dealing with the high and mighty violating traffic rules saw him rise and shine in the eyes of not only the youngsters but also their guardians. Ask the Maharashtrian the difference between policing in Bihar and Maharashtra, and pat came the reply: job satisfaction. "You know why? Political interference in Bihar is negligible." Lande enjoys a clean image. But marriage is nowhere on Lande's list of priorities. "My Sangathan members are like my family; I don't think I will get time off my official and social preoccupations to devote to marriage and children," he said. From a report by Shri Raj Kumar in THE TIMES OF INDIA, November 24, 2011. 

FOUR

He remained a bachelor all his life and spent his energies for social causes, leading a simple, self effacing life. In the first general election (1952), M C Subrahmanyam (12 December, 1912 - 2 May,1993) campaigned for T T Krishnamachary and during the course of his interaction with the Mambalam (Chennai, Tamilnadu, Bharat) residents, saw a dire need for a health centre there. "Without waiting for the initiative of the government, he established the Public Health Centre with the support of a dedicated band of nationalistic friends," recalls C Gopalan, an associate of MC. "For decades, it was absolutely free. Then we charged as little as 50 paise and then a rupee to help continue the service. Today, we charge just Rs 40. The hospital is run through donations from philanthropists," says T A Subramanian, honorary secretary of the PHC. The service that began in a thatched shed with a part-time doctor on September 20, 1953 is today a multi-specialty hospital with 80 doctors, including specialists, and over 200 employees, including paramedics. Little wonder, the institution is today a landmark and a household name in West Mambalam. Express News Service & www.ibnlive.com , December 13, 2011. (After reading a report about MC in THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS on December 12, Shri Ratnavel, a senior citizen, donated Rs 25,000 to the PHC, reported TNIE of December 13).

FIVE

Shri Hariharan, a Swayamsevak, runs a provision store in Orikkai, off Kanchipuram (Tamilnadu, Bharat). Candidate of every political party distributed cash for vote during the state Assembly elections in April 2011. While all voters accepted the money, Hariharan refused to receive it. Thus he antagonized all.  Came the local bodies election in October 2011 and along with it the usual cash for vote, delivered door to door. This time over, Hariharan accepted the money. All candidates were happy. But once the polling was over, Hariharan used the money to repair an open drainage in his street. The example set by him prompted other residents of his street to say that they too would like to put the sinful money to such public purpose. Based on a report by Shri Rama. Rajasekar in VIJAYABHARATHAM, December 23, 2011.

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PANCHAAMRITAM 225

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Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Chennai

PANCHAAMRITAM 225

Pancha is five in Samskritam, Amritam is nectar

Poornoma / Kali Yugaabda 5113 / Kara Karthigai 24 (December 10, 2011)

 

Posted on December 16, 2011. Sorry for the delay.

vemONE

Reiterating the Vedic tradition that one becomes a Brahaman not by birth but by karma and jnana (knowledge), Shri Sivanandan Sharma of Karimullaikal Mavelikara is all set to become a Brahmachari in the Sringeri Mutt (Karnataka, Bharat). Fourth among the sons of Shri PR Kunjan, Sivanandan's spiritual journey started very early. After his pre-University education he studied  the Vedas, Upanishads; he obtained upanayanam from the Vedic Scholar the late Acharya Narendra Bhusan. He will shortly be initiated as a Brahmachari at the Sringeri Mutt after Sanyasa Dheeksha. (Shri Sivanandan hails from a Harijan family of Kerala).  Based on a report by Shri S Chandrasekharan in ORGANISER, December 11, 2011.

TWO

 After his retirement as Headmaster of a higher secondary school, Shri R. Ramalingam set out from his house at Chennai (Tamilnadu, Bharat). He settled down at a remote village by name Vediyappan Nagar near Thiruppathur, Vellore district. He built a house there for his residence and also a classroom. He gathered children of daily wage earners of the area and conducts free tuition for them there. He has named this Seva centre as `Kamaraj Kalai Koodam' in memory of the late leader K.Kamaraj. Ramalingam informs that it was Kamaraj who inspired him to opt for a course that will enable him to teach others. "Therefore I joined B.Ed course after my PG and now I have named this centre after Kamaraj", adds Ramalingam. In his own childhood, poor kids of his native place (Vediyappan Nagar) were denied the chance to go to school. Their plight disturbed him all through his teaching career. As a Swayamsevak, Ramalingam has given constructive expression to his thought through the free tuition centre. As told to Team PANCHAAMRITAM by Shri T.S.Ravikumar, Sangh Pracharak.         

THREE

`Pudhiya Thalaimurai' a popular Tamil weekly and sister of a TV channel of the same name has brought out its first Braille edition last month. This facility will enable blind persons to read the magazine but once a month. For now, the weekly plans to bring out a collection of select articles from the print edition in Braille format.  Copies of the Braille edition will be sent to 100 institutions working for the welfare of the blind, according to a news item in the weekly. Team PANCHAAMRITAM  

FOUR

Popular TV presenter and Tamil stage artist Shri Varadarajan met Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 13 – 11 – 2011 at Ahmedabad. The CM enquired him whether he had any big trouble because of security personnel. Varadarajan replied in the negative. Modi informed him that all the required security checks were duly carried out, but all that was done without he (Varadarajan) even knowing it. That speaks for the efficiency of the officials here and of the diligence of the administration, added Modi. "On several occasions, the drivers of the taxis that I hired in Ahmedabad and Surat happened to be Muslims, and all of them whole heartedly expressed the opinionthat it because of Modi that they are leading a contented life. I was surprised. I saw for myself that the media and TV description are far removed from the actual fact." Based on a write up by Shri Varadarajan in THUGLAK, December 14, 2011.   

FIVE

Remya Rajan 24 and Vineetha PK, 23, two nurses from Kerala, saved eight patients in the devastating fire at the AMRI hospital in Kolkatta on December 9, 2011. Both of them died of suffocation. The mortal remains the nurses were brought to Kochi on December 11.Vineetha of Pullikal, Kothanalloor, Kottayam, had joined the AMRI a couple of months ago. She is survived by her father Kunjumon, mother Mary and sister Divya. Remya of Mecheril, Uzhavoor, Kottayam, had joined the hospital six months ago. She is survived by her father Rajappan, mother Usha and brother Rejesh. More bravehearts of the fire incident included dwellers of hutments adjoining the hospital. They broke the compound wall of the burning hospital and carried a large number of patients  to safety.  Haindavakeralm.com and NDTV.com

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Tuesday, December 20, 2011

PANCHAAMRITAM 224

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Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Chennai

PANCHAAMRITAM 224

Pancha is five in Samskritam, Amritam is nectar

Amavaasya / Kali Yugaabda 5113 / Kara Karthigai 8 (November 24, 2011)

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ONE
7 year old Venkatesh was begging as usual, dressed as Mahatma Gandhi, at a street close to Visakapatnam (Andhra Pradesh, Bharat) railway station. This was noticed one fine morning in 1997 by a traffic police inspector Shri Arjun , who had a chat for a while  with the boy. Venkatesh's mother had died. His father was a liquor addict. It was to bring up his siblings - a younger brother and a younger sister - that he begs like that. Arjun did not simply walk away after listening to the heart rending tale. He got all the three children admitted to Prema Samajam, an NGO in the city. Years rolled by. In 2007, Venkatesh scored 481 marks in the SSLC exams – he was declared class-first. His brother and sister too were class toppers that year. From DINAMANI, May 17, 2007.
TWO
Biogas plants are not a new concept to rural sector, but their big size, installation cost, need for large quantities of cattle dung, and space restriction prove a deterrent for those opting to install them. But Shakthi Surabhi, a kitchen waste based biogas plant developed by the Vivekananda Kendra Natural Resources Development Project (Vk nardep), Kanyakumari, after nearly quarter century of experiments, promises to change all that. Leftover cooked food (veg and non-veg), vegetable wastes, waste material from flour mills, non edible oil seed cakes (neem, jatropha etc) are some of the required feed materials. About 5 kg of waste is required for a 1 cubic metre plant which is equal to 0.43 kg of LPG. The unit consists of an inlet waste feed pipe, a digester, gas holder, water jacket, a gas delivery system and an outlet pipe. The advantage of Shakthi Surabhi is not just because it economizes and provides alternative fuel for cooking gas. It is also an excellent mechanism for biodegradable waste disposal. The process is hygienic and is devoid of odour and flies. The unit also helps in controlling climate change effects and arrests green house gases, and the digested outlet slurry of the unit acts as good organic manure. It is estimated that 100 cubic metres of biogas could produce 5 KW of energy to meet a 20-hour power requirement of a house. From a report in THE HINDU, July 29, 2010. (Listing Shakti Surabhi as an alternative to the now scarce LPG, AVAL  VIKATAN, a woman's magazine, in its issue of December 6, 2011 says it costs Rs 26,000 to install with no monthly recurring expenses).
THREE
"Prior to this experience of Ekal Vana Yatra in rural Rajasthan (Bharat), I connected Village to the notion of "poor", "struggling" or "underprivileged". While the villages may not have all the amenities of a large or developing city, they are rich with many things: They are rich with Happiness – everywhere we went and every place we visited I saw smiles on the faces of the children, of the Village citizens, of the elders. They are rich with Respect – for elders, for their visitors for their teachers – whom themselves each come from the villages in which they teach. They are rich in confidence – The kids greeted and talked with adults in a confident yet respectful tone. There were all mature beyond their years. They are rich in Hospitality – I felt welcomed in every village that we visited. Each went out of their way to ensure that their guests were comfortable. They are rich with Beauty – Beauty in many ways. The setting and surrounding within each village, the buildings and shelters, The  play, the smiles, the people, the respect, all beautiful! The simple lifestyle has brought about simple necessities. Education, health and well-being are clearly simple necessities. I was proud that at least for 1 day that I was living a part of the Ekal mission."  From a recent note by Shri Rodney Clark, GM, Microsoft. (www.ekal.org)
FOUR
Dharmavati Arya (22), a student of Panini Kanya Mahavidyala, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh, Bharat), has mastered archery at national level. She was recently invited by Tata Archery Academy, Jamshedpur, for advanced training in the sport at international level. "I can hit the object with my arrow by looking at the object in the mirror (this act was practiced by Arjun of Mahabharat). "By the time girls reach 18-20 years, they know all the warfare - archery, swords, daggers, javeline, lathi, horse riding, etc. Little girls, Akriti (13) and Kasturi (14) have mastered two handed swords and knives while some of them have mastered the art of archery performing yogasans. They can also offer flower garlands to guests with a click from their bow and arrow and can produce dance drama with the sounds of their swords. Acharya Dr Priti Vimarshini, teacher of warfare, who herself studied in the same Gurukul, says: "There are several tales of self defence. Madhuri Arya, a student of the Gurukul, jumped off from a running train chasing a thief and came back safely. Similarly Dharmvati Arya has solved many cases of eve teasing on roads." Girls from different regions of the country of different caste, including dalits, and some special guests from foreign lands study here. The 40-year-old Gurukul has been imparting knowledge in Sanskrit, Astyadhyayi, Vedas, vedic hymns, Science, Indian philosophy and karmakand (performing rituals). Based on a report by Smt Swati Chandra in THE TIMES OF INDIA, November 10, 2011.
FIVE
102-year-old Thadagathi of Pudukulam village near Madurai (Tamilnadu, Bharat) was elected as a Panchayat member in the recent civic elections. As a midwife she helped women deliver babies. Thadagathi, also known as Nattathi Ammal by villagers, defeated her two opponents nearly seven decades younger to her in the polls, winning over 50 percent of the votes polled. Knocking on every door in her ward, she asked for votes and it was difficult for the people to turn her plea down. In these days of mega scams and land grab complaints Thadagathi promised people that she will not swindle public money or property. Thadagathi had come to Pudukulam village as a child bride and since then she has been there. Even at her ripe old age, Thadagathi earns her wages from the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. While her husband Perumal is no more, Thadagathi has two sons, three daughters and 10 grandchildren. Thadagathi's elder son P. Undupandi is a construction worker while her younger son P. Karuppu is a farm worker. Her daughters are all married. www.sifynews.com October 23, 2011.
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