Arise,Awake..

Abt Bapu and villages..

2006-10-04T04:14:00.000+05:30

"India lives in villages"
The dream of self-sufficient villages with modern amenities and educational facilities is slowing becoming a reality in India.There are many organisational and infrastructural problems but they are getting solved analytically and effectively.Our president,Abdul Kalam also urges the youth to help out as much as they possibly could,to plan and execute programs designed to improve the infrastructure of villages.Many NGOs are involved in some way or the other and if all forces unite and are ably aided by the Government,India as a developed country will no longer be a dream.
For first-hand info about working in villages,visit this site
I request people who frequent this site to provide more information about developmental programs being undertaken in villages and also discuss how further they can be improvised.

Lessons..

2006-08-23T06:53:00.000+05:30

Here is the account of D,I personally knoe from Canberra,who left a lucrative job here as financial analyst and has flown back to her roots..to give..and to learn..
I urge anyone who reads to take this as an inspiration to do something..for our people..
"Our day begins at 6am with a thought for the day session then we have clean up, breakfast, and flood relief in the Tekra (slum). As you may or may not have heard, Ahmedabad has been flooded, not seriously but there are slums near the Gandhi Ashram that have been submerged due to the rising waters of the Sabarmati, we usually go into the slums and do food distribution, give the kids a bath, play with them, give them a medical checkup and finally talk to their familes about additional assistance, this goes for about four hours, after that we're back to our hostel in Sughad for discussions on development, simple living, service. A chai break then three hours of language, dinner and more discussions till 11pm. its been wonderful and I'm with a bunch of amazing people, although I do miss you all. I havent had any coffee for nearly a week, they only drink tea here, nor have i had five minutes to think to myself and reflect on all our activities. Today we had an Amazing RAce competition where we were split up into groups of three and asked to follow instructions to certain checkpoints, this began at 7am and finished only an hour ago at 2:30, was really hard but really fun at the same time. Other interesting activities over the week have been taking kids affected by Hindu/muslim riots to a fun park, the catch was that it was 1 of us with five kids each and none of us could speak the language. Funnily enough, at the end of it, the kids as well as ourselves were in tears when saying goodbye! Soon our task is to take some mentally handicapped and blind children to the zoo, most of these activities have been unsupervised and our limits have been tested, and surpassed well beyond our comfort zones. all the days are blurring, I cant remember what day it is and I cant believe Ive only been here a week. there's a lot coming up, and the next three weeks will really push me to strive beyond my limits. There was a really low point this week when I thought I couldnt handle all this but that has passed and I'm back to doing what i have to do. The place we're staying in is BEAUTIFUL, its surrounded by trees and a river and its near a village called Sughad. On Independence day we got to go to the Sughad village school for a flag-raising and slogan-shouting session with the kids, was so much fun! One thing I've definitely come to realise is that Im changing as a person, slowly, but surely. we had a Hunger Day the other day where the group was split up into the Rich, Middle Class and poor. I was part of the Poor group and for the rest of the day had to fetch my water from a long distance for everything from washing dishes to flushing the toilet! at meal times the poor group had to sit on the floor and were only fed a quarter of what the rich were fed, was such a huge lesson to me and since then I've started conserving water and stopped over-eating. I've also decided to go without a cell phone for the next three weeks until my project starts and the travel makes it compulsory. Im responsible for the Teach for India project that aims to give young people a chance to connect with students from villages for 1-2 years, I'll be shuttling between Bagar in Rajasthan and Ahmedabad for the next year or so. My first responsibility has been to speak to people from IIT Mumbai in Oct to inform them of the Indian education system and to encourage them to become valuable contributors to society, am nervous but very excited at the same time! "

Keep up your good work,D..and may many others follow your path..

Towards..and forwards..

2006-08-16T06:47:00.000+05:30

In his independence day address to the nation,Our President has reiterated the importance of education and has suggested to both houses of the parliament a set of implementable initiatives and development programmes.As a focal point,he outlines seven principles in life any Indian wishing to better himself and thus,his country should follow as a personal regimen.
The Seven Point Oath for Young India-
1. I realise, I have to set a goal in my life. To achieve the goal, I will acquire the knowledge, I will work hard and when the problem occurs, I have to defeat the problem and succeed.
2. As a youth of my nation, I will work and work with courage to achieve success in all my tasks and enjoy the success of others.
3. I shall always keep myself, my home, my surroundings, neighbourhood and environment clean and tidy.
4. I realise righteousness in the heart leads to beauty in the character, beauty in the character brings harmony in the home, harmony in the home leads to order in the nation and order in the nation leads to peace in the world.
5. I will lead an honest life free from all corruption and will set an example for others to adopt a righteous way of life.
6. I will light the lamp of knowledge in the nation and ensure that it remains lit forever.
7. I realise, whatever work I do if I do the best, I am contributing towards realising the Mission of Developed India before 2020.
For the full speech,see here

Promoting education

2006-08-15T05:39:00.000+05:30

Hi all..this post is about two non-profit organisations aimed at the rural society as such for the process of educating,promoting literacy and financing of rural small-scale ventures,especially those of women.
A group of individuals have been put together undert the auspices of Harvard University in a small project to work with communities in almost all the states of the country in microfinance and education. 'Yuva' promises to be a widely-reaching, effective and sustainable mode of social service that seeks to reach each and every member of the Indian community to encourage them to serve their country.The emphasis is on helping solve financial,educational and economical problems in villages with the focus being on developing such awareness amongst the rural women.
Another good effort that promises education to all by channelling literates into providing classes for the three R's is Abhiindia..Please do visit their website and help out..monetary is just a part of it..www.abhiindia.org
On the occasion of our 59th Independence Day,let's take a vow anew..sparing a few minutes of time to think what can be done productively and effectively to help our struggling nation stand up tall amidst all the countries in the world and lead as an example..spiritually,economically..as a model society..And let's put those thoughts forward so that someone along the way might just take it up and implement them..U never know:)

Note this

2006-05-04T05:22:00.000+05:30

Two special features of the 2006 elections -
1.In the whole of Tamilnadu State Assembly elections history,this is the first time that out of the 2,586 candidates,160 are women.
2.According to Rule 49(o)of the legality of election procedures,if we do not want to cast our vote in favour of any cnadidate,we can state so quite clearly by either signing or giving our thumbprint in Form 17 A.The officer in charge of the booth has to write down that'I do not wish to vote for anybody'and get your signature or thumbprint near this statement.
Through this procedure,the practice of casting 'benami' votes can be abolished,the right number of voters decided and decisions on winners will be precise,resulting in healthy politics.

2006-04-20T05:04:00.000+05:30

To have a basic understanding of the political situation in Tamil Nadu,the voters should have a clear and precise overview of the existing parties and their election promises.Choosing the best candidate is possible only through estimation of values by alternative selections.Exercising your mandate should be clear,well-defined process and thus,can you make your votes count.Not only that,you would also debate and talk about your research and choices to anybody who might atleast give a passing ear.Urging others to participate in the voting process is the first step towards building a strong government,the ultimate way of democracy.
Vote and pull others along with you..
Spend some time reading up party manifestos and backgrounds of candidates.Choose your vote as carefully as you would make a family decision.
This link can help you.
Do let us know abt more..

INITIATIVE

2006-03-24T05:17:00.000+05:30

ON THIS DAY,THE 23rd OF MARCH,1931
22 YR OLD BHAGAT SINGH,ALONG WITH RAJGURU AND SUKHDEV
WERE HANGED FOR TREASON AND ACTS OF CRIME
AGAINST THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT
IN LAHORE JAIL..
WHAT DID HE AND COUNTLESS OTHERS LIKE HIM,STAND TO GAIN FROM THEIR MARTYRDOM?
DON'T WE OWE THEM SOMETHING?
CAN'T WE DO THE LEAST BIT BY BETTERING OURSELVES AND BEING AWARE?
DO YOUR BIT..
TAKE THE FIRST STEP..

Question : What are queues for? Answer: To jump!

2006-03-20T18:18:00.000+05:30

It was unusually cloudy that day. No sun, no heat, no sweat . The prefect day to stand in a long queue to get my ugly face photographed for that one little card which can do wonders--- VOTER’S ID!!!

And since it was a pleasant day and there were signs of the clouds pouring some tears of happiness, everybody was happy and actually rejoicing, about getting their voter’s ids. There were no signs of fights and quarrels. The officers were busy doing their job and the people were standing and patiently, awaiting their turn.

Right behind me, there was a mother-daughter couple and within a few minutes, I realized the daughter was my friend’s friend. We struck a conversation and the mother was a middle aged lady who had trouble waiting. She was constantly complaining about the length of the queue and its rampant growth.

As the saying goes, everything cannot be perfect at any given point of time. And so it happened. A very old lady, who was a sugar patient, skipped the queue on account of declining health and got ahead of us. Most of us didn’t object to it, on grounds of humanity. But my friend’s mother happened to be very unforgiving. Needless to say, she was boiling over it. She even went to the extent of abusing the older lady, very subtly though.

And in a few minutes, it happened – that which I feared, that which I was expecting, that which would bring out the monster in me. Our duty-conscious officials “broke” for tea. And they took a good half an hour putting themselves back in place. There was a crowd now and people started becoming restless. By then, there were two queues. One short queue for the men and the other long one for women. And just as the officials got back to their job, there was a problem in the front and there was commotion. My friend’s mother found her perfect opportunity to avenge the injustice done to her – the injustice of letting an old, diabetic patient in failing health, ahead of her. She directly changed places from the long women’s queue to the end of a shorter men’s queue and within minutes, she was standing ahead of everybody else. Her daughter was a little hesitant in the beginning, being the educated girl she was, or at least I thought so. But when her mother handed over the documents , off she went and along, she took all the rage and anger of the other women standing in the queue. While some women were enraged, some were inspired at the “great feat” and imitated them. This angered me and I did my part of the screaming too.

This noble act of racing ahead of everybody else, enraging a group of tired, burdened women, making them scream their heads off and spoiling their day is called “ Jumping the queue”. What do people accomplish by this? They get their jobs done 2 minutes before everybody else and just to save those 2 minutes, they are ready to tolerate any amount of abuse. I really want to know what kind of pleasure people derive from jumping queues. This is just one such instance. One more place where this happens frequently is at railway stations, at the ticket counter. Everybody has to board the same train and yet they fight over who gets into it first!

The recent mishap at the relief booths for the rain affected people is purely due to the fact that everybody was trying to jump the queue. It wasn’t organized – true. It was the government’s fault they had not organized it well – but it was the people’s fault that some of them died. The government hadn't played its part well in distributing relief material. But this was an incident that went really wrong - an incident that brought the government in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

But blaming the government alone is unfair. What happened to the basic humane instincts in people? The government had only erred in its planning but it is not responsible for the deaths of so many people. Nobody had expected a stampede and worse, loss of lives. Who is to be blamed here? The media blamed the government for the deaths. Everybody did. But what about the people who actually engaged in stampeding the others? Aren't they to be blamed? Are they innocent? Even if the government had planned well, would these people have waited for their turn? Definitely not.

I agree that a major part of it is in the hands of the government. When there is a probability of formation of large queues, they must open multiple counters. Cameras should be installed and activity should be monitored. Anybody who jumps the queue should be fined and punished heavily. This is also a civil wrong – however small it might be. People should be made aware of this fact. There should be no discrimination based on sex. The only prioritization should be on the basis of age and health. Senior citizens should be given the first priority. Next - to children and from thereon, it should be on a first-come-first-serve basis.

But the public has equal responsibility.More than enforcing laws and abiding them, it is for people to realize that this is more about ethics.

Grievance Registration Form

2006-03-01T05:23:00.000+05:30

FOR THE UNINFORMED
---------------------------
The Indian Government wants people to use this online tool to highlight/report the problems they faced while dealing with government officials or departments like Passport office, Electricity board, BSNL/MTNL, Railways, etc.

Government of India has a online Grievance forum at http://darpg-grievance.nic.in/ The government wants people to use this tool to highlight the problems they faced while dealing with Government officials or departments like Passport Office, Electricity board, BSNL/MTNL, Railways etc etc.
I know many people will say that these things don't work in India, but this actually works as one of our colleague in CSC found. The guy I'm talking about lives in Faridabad. Couple of months back, the Faridabad Municipal corporation laid new roads in his area and the residents were very happy about it. But 2 weeks later, BSNL dugged up the newly laid roads to install new cables which annoyed all the residents including this guy. But it was only this guy who used the above listed grievance forum to highlight his concern. And to his surprise, BSNL and Municipal corporation of faridabad was served a show cause notice and the guy received a copy of the notice in one week. Government has asked the MC and BSNL about the goof up as its clear that both the government departments were not in sync at all. So use this grievance forum and educate others who don't know about this facility. This way we can at least raise our concerns instead of just talking about the 'System' in India

MERA BHARAT MAHAN
(Message forwarded by a friend)

Can we eradicate begging?

2006-02-22T04:15:00.000+05:30

The intellectuals for long have been intrigued by mankind's attraction to living by panhandling. Why do able bodied, working people take up begging?Agreed that it is due to the extreme poverty rampant in our country and getting a single meal a day is a dream for many countless millions and therefore they opt to play upon the religious sentiments of people looking for the fast track to heaven by giving 'daana'and accumulating 'punya' thus..

It is not easy to give up the skills of earning a livelihood.Begging is like that,even if many non-govermnet organisations and social welfare schemes aim to eradicate this profession,old habits die hard.Given the indolence of mankind,preferring sleep to pride,it is really very difficult to successfully put a stop to begging in the streets.Nothing can be said about deformed or diseased people resorting to begging for their livelihood but what about able-bodied youngsters,women and children?

Of these,the children are most to be pitied..being born and raised in poverty,they know of no other way of life..My MIL who is a retired teacher tells me about three lads found begging in the streets,brought to school by a well-meaning social welfare group,trying to break the curse through education.The boys stayed long enough to avail of the free books,uniforms and pencils and bolted.A few days later,they were found in the same state as before,having sold off all the items given by the government for their education.After a few years,what will they become..cutthroats and pickpockets,rowdies and henchmen or beggars again..to complete and continue the vicious circle into which they were born? What is to be done under such circumstances?

As a primary measure,all beggars are to be sorted on the basis of their health conditions.The diseased can be treated accordingly..placed with welfare groups or hospitals.Others can be taught vocational skills and helped with a small enterprise or funding or placement in industry,according to their individual skills.
For those resorting back to their old ways,a hefty fine can be imposed which will discourage them any further.The goverment machinery has to take up responsibility and there is no shortage of unemployed people who can be put to work on these welfare schemes.

As for the children,education is the key.If they prefer doing something with their hands rather than to study,they must be encouraged in finding out their interests and building their vocation..but,in my opinion,they must be provided with all amenities that would encourage them to study like full meals,good clothing and a friendly environment that would teach the three R's along with cleanliness,hygiene,honesty,respect and such moral values.

As for us,can we stop giving alms to the poor,thinking that by doing so,we are discouraging begging?There is an element of religious sentiment here but there is also a humanatarian aspect.Unless we implement drastic measures to successfully eradicate poverty,a beggarless street will only be a fantasy.

At present,the government,both at regional and national level,has to formulate some hard-hitting welfare schemes to eradicate poverty at grass roots..even if there are some really good schemes,they are yet to be properly implemented as the poor at large are unaware of them.
The only way to address this problem would be to form a group of persons,provide them with a training of the schemes and their implementation,fully educate them with the programs,and go to the places of the poor..all slums and fishing villages and also those places frequented by beggars and inform,educate and help the affected people avail goverment aid.As said before,the unemployed can be used for such groups..that would be of double benefit,provide work and aid the poor.These groups can be formed under the District collectorate and report to the IAS officer in charge..and have specific regions as their targets.For example,say the programs are differentiated and categorised on the basis of kind, targeting the kind of people who should be benefiting from it..like rural women,children on streets,able beggars,unemployeds,etc.Each individual of the group should take up a head and be well versed with the programs associated with it,take it upon himself to inform the right people about the schmes and help them in benefiting from it.He should understand and identify the problems arising therein and seek measures to solve the problems,prepare reports and submit his findings,ideas for further developments,the problems faced,etc to the collector.
Are there any goverment schemes as of date that do aim to do away with begging in the streets and the subsequent rehabilitation of reformed beggars?Is there anything about providing education to beggar kids?if there is,please put them as links to this post.
About more on the state of poor and welfare schemes:
http://www.indiatogether.org/poverty/urban.htm
http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/5057.asp
Read this for a skimming into what is really happening to reformist policies-
http://www.rediff.com/money/2006/feb/02mspec.htm

It is one step by one step that we have to build the edifice of our country.

The difference between literacy and education

2006-02-21T17:56:00.000+05:30

********************************************
She is intelligent and she is sophisticated. She is well-versed in English and placed in a government organization. She knows how to handle people and she can talk her way through anything. She is beautiful. Her eyes radiate energy and dynamism.

Thousands have fallen for her and she shoo-ed them away with grace. She owns the costliest mobile in town and she is always flooded with calls. She is highly qualified and she is irreplaceable. She is the best!!!

Everyday at 8, she boards the train. She gets into it and runs towards the first seat she lays her eyes on. On the way, she knocks down a flower vendor, an aged woman, a kid and a few other women. When she finally settles down and finds that her co-passenger has stolen some of ‘her space’, she glares at her and turns away muttering curses. Being the busy person she is, she forgets to have breakfast. She puts her bags on ‘her seat’ and heads towards the nearest coffee shop on the platform. She buys herself some coffee and a packet of chips. She gets back in and starts sipping on her coffee.

After a while, the coffee cup is empty and lying abandoned near the railway track. She opens the packet of chips and starts eating them. The train gets crowded and she hardly gets any air to breathe. She finishes her snack and tries to reach the window to throw the remains out. But she isn’t able to move, so she cleverly throws it under her seat. Done!

She gets her usual important phone call and she spends a good 20 minutes discussing problems, solutions and strategies. And when she’s doing so, she ignores ten other requests to move a little, give the seat up for a pregnant lady or an older woman, to make some way or to move out of the way.

The train nears her destination and she gets up and walks towards the door. What a crowd!!! She has to push other people to get to the door so that she can be the first to alight and run up the stairs. She’s already late! One last push and she’s out! How frustrating! She spits it out on the platform and moves on. Bad day – she tells herself.
She races past everybody, her hair swaying madly against their faces. She gets into an auto and reaches office.

Her office is centrally air-conditioned and just as she gets in, she thanks God she’s working in a place like this. On the way to her cabin, she sees a coffee cup lying on the floor. She dutifully picks it up and drops it into the trash bin. She gets into her cabin and notices the packet of chip she forgot yesterday. She smells it, it has gone stale. She drops it into her trash bin, dusts the place and settles down. To her right is a bright red poster which says “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”..

******************************************

Today, education lies in a heap in the corner of the classroom, its essence distorted and its meaning grossly misinterpreted. Many of us tend to confuse literacy with education. We think that going to school makes a person educated. Literacy is being able to read and write. Education is much more than just that. To be educated is to be equipped with the ability of superior understanding of concepts, of problems and solutions, of development and progress. While many of us have been subjected to education, very few have understood its true purpose. It is not about solving x + (y)2 = 3589. It is about how to approach such a problem. If education was only about preparing students to appear for competitive examinations, then teaching Maths, Physics and Chemistry would suffice. Why then are we being taught subjects like History, Civics, Social Studies, Literature, Economics? Both schools and students have missed out on the essence of education. Since the onset of technological developments, the emphasis has shifted from morals and values to science and more science. Teachers have ceased being mentors. They are now, only teachers, who are hired and paid to teach and produce state toppers and district toppers. The competition is far from healthy, it is ruthless. Today it is important to know calculus than to know to respect. How many children today are taught about manners, respect, dignity, cleanliness, culture and hospitality? The concept of ‘Athithi Devobhava’ is almost extinct (Must mention the ad brought about Indian tourism Dept..great initiative! ). And the result - professionals and executives who don’t have the slightest idea about what values are.

The little insight into ‘she’’s life has been taken out of the life of the common woman. ‘She’ is me, you and any other woman on the street. ‘She’ represents us. We do it day in and day out, don’t we? We simply do not care, we don’t care about who trips and falls down, about who banged on the pillar and hurt himself, about who was hit by a speeding car and lay in a pool of blood, about the old woman who comes begging for a little circular coin called a rupee, about a bunch of blind people crossing the road and knowing not which side to take, about the little kid selling cotton buds or the boy in the tea stall who cleans glasses that we threw away!!?? Why don’t we care about it? Why do we have such an attitude towards others? Because we haven’t been taught to care. That’s where it lies – the whole problem. What you are taught makes what you are.

What can be done to repair the situation?

Conditioning, it’s called. Conditioning a person’s attitude with positive thoughts is the solution.

Education – schools – kindergarten. Start at the root.

Morals and values have to be given as much importance as other subjects. That this subject be taught to enlighten the student, not just let him/her know – I suggest other subjects be given less importance!
Students be taken to heritage villages and other historically important spots on field trips
Practicals for such subjects( of morals and values) be conducted.
For instance, Have a mock situation or a mock drill and ask the student to react to it.
Identify the students’ talents at a very early stage and work towards the converting it into a skill –
Definitely a frustrated individual, who is forced to learn things he doesn’t like, wouldn’t give a damn about anything else.
Students should be taught the concept of equality.
Social Work should be made mandatory in school rather than being a specialized subject in college.
Free education to all children, irrespective of caste, creed, religion. All religious instances be omitted from history and all these omitted parts be included in specialization in college (if necessary).

And the last --

That teachers be mentors and guides and not just teachers. For they shape the future of the country.

And that students be educated, true to its meaning, for they are the future…… of the world!

---- Today I really feel like saying it----

JAI HIND!

Minority

2006-02-15T04:32:00.000+05:30

Check this out

NEW DELHI - Private education in India has always been the preserve of the country's middle and upper classes, but not for much longer.
Under a new constitutional amendment, private schools, colleges, and professional training institutes that operate without government funding will be obliged to set aside more than one-quarter of their seats for students from India's "untouchable" lower castes or Dalits, as well as other socially and economically disadvantaged groups.
The amendment, which will apply to admissions for the 2006 academic year, could directly affect the lives and futures of at least 70 percent of India's more than 1.2 billion people.
In addition to Dalits, who make up one-quarter of the population, there are millions of Indians from poor tribes and disadvantaged groups collectively known as other backward castes (OBCs). According to one estimate, approximately 113 million children between the ages of 6 and 14 are now eligible for reserved seats in private schools.
For the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which is led by India's ruling Congress Party and passed this amendment, reserving seats in private schools is only a first step on the way to reservation of jobs in the private sector. Already, the social welfare ministry is pushing for voluntary affirmative action by business leaders.
The new amendment cuts to the heart of a critical debate about how best to bring about social mobility within India's rising economy: should the government legislate in favor of social justice, or should it limit its role to facilitating private enterprise?
Supporters of reservation policies claim such legislation is a necessary precondition for changing social attitudes. Dalits are at the bottom rung of India's hierarchical caste system, prevented from scaling the social ladder by centuries-old discriminatory practices that continue in both explicit and subtle forms.
Supporters, it's a matter of justice
Supporters argue that because the public sector has reserved quotas since independence - which has helped many Dalits and other disadvantaged groups gain upward mobility through education and regular income - the private sector should participate too.
"It is compensation for Dalits, who were historically denied access to education," says Sukhdeo Thorat, a professor of economics at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University.
He says in addition to the social discrimination that keeps Dalit children out of private schools, the high tuition charged by many of these institutions have made them especially "restrictive." Dalits, he argues, have suffered from the double burden of untouchability and poverty, which acts in a vicious cycle to keep them out of "desirable private institutions."
Calls for private sector quotas, too
Mr. Thorat calls for widespread private sector reservation, including employment, capital markets, agricultural land, education and housing.
These demands are echoed not only by other Dalit intellectuals, who draw support for their cause from the right to equality granted by the Indian Constitution, but also by the UPA government, whose social manifesto states a commitment to creating reservation in the private sector.
Meanwhile, critics, including education and business leaders, decry the move as a political measure that will do little to improve the condition of disadvantaged groups. Many also look at it as a result of the failure of government institutions, which have reserved seats, to provide quality education.
Government schools are in a sorry state, often with woefully inadequate infrastructure, rampant teacher absenteeism, and high dropout rates. Private schools, in both rural and urban areas, are often in much better shape because they have more resources and pay better salaries to teachers.
P. V. Indiresan, a former director of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology in the southern city of Madras and a member of the Center for Policy Research, a New Delhi-based think tank, says the government wastes the funds budgeted for education. "But they have never used that discretionary resource to help Dalit and tribal children get good education. On the contrary, they have systematically dismantled government schools."
Given the consistently poor quality of government schools, and the swing in India's economic fortunes following widespread economic reforms introduced after the country's financial crisis of 1991, the demand for private sector reservation has become more strident.
"Unable to stop globalization, reforms, privatizations, Dalit intellectuals thought it prudent to demand rights for the community in the private sector, be it in jobs, education, or the economy," says Dalit journalist Chandrabhan Prasad, who writes India's only English-language column on Dalit issues.

Reservation has always been a contentious issue in India. In 1990, a law that widened the ambit of reservation to include OBCs in the public sector triggered strong upper-caste protests, and helped bolster the rise of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Reservations create a 'creamy layer'
Moreover, reservations have created a what critics call a "creamy layer" of Dalits and OBCs, or those whose families initially benefited from reservation, gained upward mobility, and continue to capture these reserved quotas for their kith and kin. "Reservations have created a middle class among backward castes," says Gurcharan Das, a former CEO of Procter & Gamble India, who frequently writes a pro-liberalization column in a leading national newspaper.

"It is also an infringement on liberty," says Mr. Das, arguing that private institutions must be compensated if they are to reserve seats for Dalits.

"We all believe in providing equality of opportunity, but the principle of reservation is wrong, because you don't want to divide people on the basis of anything other than merit."

In recent months, industry stalwarts have written repeatedly to the government, saying they prefer to promote educational opportunities by providing scholarships to deserving candidates rather than through a blanket reservation policy.

As former IIT director Indiresan says, the private sector wants to follow the American system of affirmative action, and not reservation.

"In affirmative action, the deprived are raised to required levels of competence; in the reservation system, the level of competence is reduced to accommodate what the beneficiary is capable of."

Make Your Vote Count - Links

2006-02-10T12:23:00.000+05:30

The best way to change things around us is to get the best people at the helm of the political scenario. The first step towards that is to cast our vote in the elections. Quite a few people I meet don't even seem to know as to how to get a voter's card or check their names in the electoral list. A bit of googling gave me the following useful links.

http://www.india.gov.in/howdo/index.php
This link provides information on how to do things like obtain birth certificate, PAN card, how to include name in electoral etc.

http://ceotamilnadu.nic.in/
For the people of TamilNadu, this site provides the option of checking our names in the electoral rolls. I am really surprised to find such a thing online. There are lots of other useful info in here.
There are similiar sites for other states as well

http://www.indian-elections.com/

General info on Indian elections, schedules, results etc.

http://goidirectory.nic.in
Gives links to various government websites

Please browse through all links.

Cribbing at the government's functioning wouldn’t help;
making your vote count would.

Make a knowledgeable decision on whom to vote for.
Every individual makes a difference.

Unsung Hero

2006-02-03T02:33:00.000+05:30

We solemnly salute the unsung bravery of N.S.G. Commando Late Mr. Surjan Singh,who took a bullet in his head at the siege of the Akshardham temple and lay in a coma for 600 days..and died on 19th may,2004..
"You may have died for a cause..
You have fought without cowardice..
You may have lied unconscious,fighting a losing battle against death..
With the Tricolour for company..
But you live on,O Unsung Hero..along with countless,nameless others who lay down their lives at gunpoint so that millions can move about freely in the streets of
India.."

AID - Association for India's Development

2006-02-02T11:12:00.000+05:30

I have been gathering myself for quite sometime now to write about AID, its philosophy and how I got influenced by its principles, and finally made it today!!

A brief history: AID was founded in the year 1991 by a group of students from the University of Maryland, CP. It was the brainchild of 2 people namely Ravi and Aravinda who were pursuing their higher studies in UMCP (now full time volunteers in India). What started as a small group has grown into 50+ Chapters and 1000+ volunteers throughout the world

How AID works: AID basically has 2 main activities. One being fundraisers and the other being using the funds to support sustainable development projects in India.

For fundraisers there are umpteen ways that could be followed, the most common is to organize concerts (music/dance/magic show) sell tickets/Ads in brochures etc.. Certain other innovative ways was to work with Citibank to make students sign up credit cards and AID gets a check. Once in a while, with the help of volunteers (mainly students :-) we cooked and sold the food in temples etc..

The other interesting part was how AID funded projects. AID strongly supports projects that are self sustainable at the grass root level. One such major undertaking is called "100 Block Plan" headed by Balaji Sampath (one of the fellow founders of AID, IIT rank 4 and now a full time AID volunteer in India. I had the honor of meeting him in Cincinnati and he shared with us on the hardship he went thro' to convince his parents on the path he stepped on few years back).

This project aims at identifying 100 blocks (a block comprises of 50-100 villages) in Bihar and in TamilNadu. Each AID chapter "adopts" a block and funds them in terms of basic health, education, nutrition, sanity and other basic amenities. AID works with a local NGO in both TN and in Bihar to co-ordinate activities.

The way AID selects projects is first to get a proposal from a local NGO in India. Then volunteers divide into project teams to analyze the effectiveness in terms of long term sustainability and the authenticity of the project. Once the project team submits the proposal, a voting is done in a weekly meeting (called CSH - community service hour) to either accept or reject the project. Once approved, an initial funding based on the project proposal is sent to the NGO. The project team closely follows up with the NGO and presents findings to other volunteers in the CSH. Also, we have made it mandatory that a project visit is necessary for every project approved by AID. Funding continues till the project self sustains itself.

I happened to make a visit (during my last trip to India in 2003 dec.) to a village in Bhuvanagiri near Cuddalore. AID Cincinnati had adopted this block and I was part of the project team then. It was a very moving experience for me to see a small (actually huge) gathering of village people swamped around me. The village women and children gathered in a school and I was asked to give a speech. (had absolutely no clue what to speak, but managed something ;-)
We discussed the pros and cons in the project and how we could work more efficiently.
Finally they all sang a revolutionary song and I had to let them go then.

I have been out of AID the past year but I intend to join AID again pretty soon and take up where I left.

Compassion wherever there is suffering
Conviction that the compassion is strong enough to eliminate suffering
Courage to make this conviction a reality
This is AID...

www.aidindia.org

The President's Speech...He's my Hero..

2006-02-01T03:49:00.000+05:30

The President of India DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam's Speech in Hyderabad.

Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our
achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success
stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan, he has transferred the tribal village into a
self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements
but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the
day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The
Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a
Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an
orchid and a granary.
It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of
killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among
other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we
so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with
foreign things? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want
foreign technology.

Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that
self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this
lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her
what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India.
For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must
proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed
nation. Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.

Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is
yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,
The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.

YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a
face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International
best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in
the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You
pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim
Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the
parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a
restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In
Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in
public during Ramadan, in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out without your
head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the
telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it
that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to
speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop,
'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son.
Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut
shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and
New Zealand.
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't YOU use
examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston??? We are still
talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign
system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers
and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can
be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you
be the same here in India?

Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay, Mr.
Tinaikar, had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the
streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said.
'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the
authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the
officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the
pressure in his bowels?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job.
Same in Japan. Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to
the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do
everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect
the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage
all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of
paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean
bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.

We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and
toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to
the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to
women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room
protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the
whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my
sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?
What does a system consist of ? Very conveniently for us it consists of our
neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the
government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually
making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with
our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far
away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a
majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their
glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to
England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out
to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and
brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape
the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is
mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great
deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J.
F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....

'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA
AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA
WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

Lets do what India needs from us.

Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending Jokes or
junk mails.

Thank you,

Dr. Abdul Kalaam
(PRESIDENT OF INDIA)

What Can We Do?

2006-01-31T06:16:00.000+05:30

"Oh Lord!!
Grant me peace to accept what cannot be changed..
Grant me courageto change what can be changed..
And the wisdom to differentiate between the two.."-Renhold Nebuhr
What can one single person do to change a mammoth country..how to root out years of corruption and redtapism,negligence and indifference?
First of all,we should rid ourselves of this nagging question,which is no doubt,going to be oft-heard..within ourselves and from other people..
next,identify the problem to be changed..clearly and precisely..if we think power politics and corrupt politicians are the root cause of all our problems,then we have ourselves to blame ..there is clearly a lack of reasoning and indifference 'raman aandalum raavanan aandalum enakoru kavalai illa'..start by research..what are the most basic problems being faced by the average Indian..waht can be the most feasible,easy solutions that can be followed..If politics is the key,how can the common man use it to his advantage..talk about it to everyone who might listen....friends,family,acquaintances,colleagues..realtives,servants.. lot of unanswered questions are in everybody's minds..if your views are stable,strong and right,they are bound to flow out of the ears and mouths of those who had even a passing chance of listening to you..you never know where the spark will be ignited...you have heard of the weirdest of rumours spreading around..ganapathy drinking milk,the thali of thirachanur padmavathy dropping,gifting of green saris to sisters,etc..good views have an equal chance of being thus circulated..Don't shirk from voicing your views on people welfare...
Don't preach,don't get into unnecessary debates..Recognise and Avoid the wrong kind of groups..ones that favor cast differentiation,self-professed protectors of language,etc..be unbiased and think only for the general good..
If u can write,definitely do so..anything..a note in your diary reminding you to think for your country,a essay,a letter..don't worry about how many can read it..it is worth a million even if one person is moved and driven by your writing..and don't procastinate these..do it today,now..
After tweaking you all,it's my turn now to give a solution..see if you can follow it,RC,Swas,Jammy(do you know whether your names are in the voter's list..do you have an id card..)..and those future members(think about this too,pals..how to have a greater reach for our site)who live presently in India..before the all-important election comes on,do a simple research on your own..who is the most worthy candidate ..in character,in academic qualifications,in working for public welfare,in being the most'clean'..and vote for that person without any prejudice..talk,discuss about your choice to all ..urge others too to use their suffrage..this is a small step towards ensuring the right candidate is voted..what is the use of being the largest democracy in the world,if we cannot use the power in our hands..?
As for our NRI friends,drop a line to your parents,siblings,friends back in India..i mail or fone,whenever you talk to them,amidst enquiring their welfare and tellin them about yours..jsut remind them that they ought to exercise their right to vote,which now is a duty.."amma,appa..sowkiyama..inge nan nanna iruken..velayellam nanna poindu iruku..weather nanna iruku..apparam,..vote poda marundu poidadeenga..!"
:)(no jokes,i am dead serious,pals..)

On 26 January 2006.

2006-01-27T11:35:00.000+05:30

Republic Day programmes on some channels - Interview with actress S,Patti mandram - Oru Kalyanam nadakka ponnu maapillai thevayya?,Pudhu Pada paadalgal,Cinemava Samayala - Nadigai N samaiyal Exclusive, Maalai Aaru manikku thiraikku vanthu sila maathangale aana Putham puthiya thiraipadam -- Super hero SK nadikkum Variya Varamaatiya? Apart from these, they also telecasted some actors swimming,bungee jumping and cycling too!!!

I skimmed thro' channels until I reached one that caught my eye. It was the Republic Day parade on Podhigai!! A group of well-clad people was marching in a neat file. The uniformity in their movements was amazing. It looked a million times better than the dancers in our Bollywood movies. Every group represented their own state, its speciality and its culture. Only then it struck me that I am living in a country so diverse and so beautiful. The sight was so inspiring that it almost instantly invoked the dormant patriotism in me and I sat there glued to the television for almost an hour after that.

Podhigai is a channel I detest. Simply, because its producers cannot even spell QUALITY. It is not a channel that'd appeal to the youth and the housewives of today. Same old boring agricultural programs, cultural programs , educational programs and occasionally some Bengali movie which would be "borrowed" from DD National. Of course, we get to see a lot more on Independence and Republic days. A lot more of "Roja" than the last year and the year before that and the year before that...

But after yesterday, I see it with a whole new perspective. Podhigai telecasts the right programmes on Republic Day. The only channel probably to do so. At least, you don't have to watch some actress clad in a skimpy dress, trying to justify why she dropped out of some movie because her producer pinched her in the wrong place!!

What some channels display on TV is simply out of context. Movies, talks and interviews with film stars and celebrities dominate TV channels on such occasions. And we simply watch them. What's wrong with it? It's all about some entertainment, one may argue. But then who will teach our children what democracy is. It is distressing to see the GK level of children today. To be a good citizen , one should know his duties towards his nation. This is exactly what our media and TV channels ought to be taught. They must be made to realise that they have a social responsibility towards the society, towards the people. Apart from making news available, they have a vital role to play in shaping the opinion of the public of the country and about the country.

Once they understand their most basic responsibilities, everything will be in place.

7 amendments and 2 requests

2006-01-25T20:15:00.000+05:30

“India's economy grew 8.1% in the three months to June, well ahead of the 7% rise seen in the previous quarter.” – BBC

“The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, has been talking lately about the possibility of India aiming at a growth rate of 8-10 per cent.”

“Houston, January 25: India will surpass Japan as the world's third largest economy in 2006 as measured in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), according to a forecast by a US professional services firm.”

Undoubtedly India is growing, and all of us are welcoming this growth but how is India going to handle this sudden, incredible rise?

Here are few pointers which I think we should do!

1.We should first concentrate on our infrastructure.Please! avoid building unnecessary road and lay road connecting every single village to the city , change these two-lane road to super fast 6-lanes, no need for bridges just cause the contractor is a minister's cousin's wife’s brother’s friend, instead build bridges in the apt places with a best contractor.

2. Next matter at hand. Energy resource to serve this industrial growth, start working on methods to conserve and produce natural energy like Biomass, Fuel cells, Hydel energy, Geothermal energy, Co-generation, and Wind energy.

These two points are to sustain the present boom which is helping India grow.

“Kattru ullapoluthe thutrikol” Now to improve our country while in this growing phase.

1. We should concentrate on research; we are coming up only in one area. Indian government should make use of this one sector and improve the other sectors – this is a simple rule cause , even if this I.T sector is declines we will not collapsele overnight, but we will be living with the help of other industries. More importance to Healthcare (it is booming – I know coz I am in this field), Space, Military, Rural administration and definitely to Agriculture should be given, just giving importance is not sufficient we should improve ourselves in these areas.

2.We should provide basic sanitation and food to our countrymen.

3.Education should be made compulsory till high school.

4.Our constitution when Dr.Ambedkar completed it , stated that it will hold good only for 10 years, we need a majority in our parliament to change this constitution to fit our needs today, :) Which is not possible( i am tlaking abt getting a majority in our parliment not changing the constitution! ).

5.Requirements to hold offices in both the houses of our country and the power these officers( M.P's n M.L.A's) have should be refined. A person should have a 'minimum bachelors degree' to contest , 'no record of any criminal offense' should be made mandatory. When they need an civil service person to have these requirements why not for a person who holds office in the biggest sector of our government?

6.There should be a jury formed , people from different walks of lives to supervise the works of the house. This jury should be people like Ex-President , Ex-Ambassadors , Ex-Governors.

7.How did China reduce their population? If a family has more then one kid they had to face heavy taxations Singapore grew in how many years? 30…40… ??? What did they do? How did they do it? Simple they followed rules .Now Singapore is an exemplary country to the whole world and China is growing faster then us.

We should imply such strict regulations. When our mothers give us tonics it will be bitter but in a few days we will get alright, its like that.
Just with one person and few rules we can change our whole country in less then 5 years. All we need is one right person to start it, the youth now are ready to follow it. But who will it be to bell the cat? Question remains unanswered.(I wish I can do it,sssssssssssh! )

I call this the 7 amendments. I am no finance person, didn’t do law or public administration but I am a avid reader of present economics, politics and other regular development materials. These are just my views. I just want my country to be the best in the world.

JAI HIND. Happy Republic Day....

Make Your Choice

2006-01-23T11:04:00.000+05:30

Everyday when I go to the temple the first thing that strikes me is.... not God, not the beauty of the age-old temple, not the fact that the temple has few takers in the mornings. What strikes me is the row of two-wheelers parked in front of the "No Parking" board. I don't know whether to blame it on people's ignorance or on the dusty board that most people wouldn't even notice. The problem created by overlooking the sign-board is that the big vehicles carrying utilities for the temple are blocked from coming near the temple.

The question however is, "What have I done about it?" Every time I see a person park his/her vehicle in the no-parking zone I feel the urge to ask him/her to park it somewhere else, but am always taken back by the fear of facing some ugly words. It is now a regular occurrence of me pausing for a minute, thinking about pointing to the sign-board, rejecting the thought, feeling happy that atleast I'm not one of the rule-breakers, and leaving the place. But I have had enough of this. I'm definitely going to make a few persons aware of their mistake this week. Worst come I'll have to listen to few hurt egos, but I would prefer it that way rather than being dormant.

Every now and then all of us face simple situations, like the one that I have explained above, which question our role in the society. As SRK said in DDLJ, there are always 2 choices in front of us - one easy but wrong, one tough but right. And as Dumbledore said in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", it is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. Let us make the right choice and make whatever small difference that we can towards a clean, orderly and progressive India.

Update: The temple authorities have taken their own steps making my interference unnecessary

India and tradition

2006-01-20T02:05:00.000+05:30

When any school kid starts answering his exam paper the first thing he does is writing a “uu” ( in tamil ) as a prayer offered to Lord Pillaiyar , Why is the kid taught like this? According to the conventions God will help him but according to psychological studies this will give a moral boost to the child that GOD( believing in him or not its another question ) is with him. Indirectly the child is tend to perform with more confidence, again if he is passing or failing - don’t ask! .

Indians are nurtured and grown in a society with tons and tons of tradition, customs, ethics, myths… name it!!! But all these rules laid are to guide the men in right path.

It is strictly followed that one does not sleep in North – South direction ,reasons vary from the devil will eat off your head to bad dreams , but scientifically earths magnetic field is from north to south and lying in north-south direction , the magnetic waves from your brain will be affected in a long run while sleeping in that direction.

Again the Tamil months Aadi ( July ) and Puratasi ( September ) are considered inauspicious for marriages and in Aadi ( July) newly married couples, say couples who got married btw May and June should not live together , reasons- plenty but again scientifically if the wife gets pregnant during these months she will deliver the baby during March to June the summer season of the year which will be too hot for a new born to handle ( now! With AC and all its not applicable thou’ )

Every lady in India keeps thilagam or Kungumam , at olden times , this kungumam was made of herbs which are great medicines to human body and keeping it using the right hand ring finger on the temple ( this is where a nerve which rejuvenates our entire body is present) everyday morning makes the women hale and healthy , actually speaking even men wore it those days ( any takers guys?? :) ) .

I can go on, each and every practice has a reason.

1000 years tradition which our country is rooted in is not just rubbish or blind beliefs each and every step our forefathers had taken has many reasons. Such well analyzed thoughts and ways to make people follow it has made us all sit here and talk about our INDIA!!!

How I want my India to be is to grow in this tradition change some of the old rituals to be adaptable to the present scenario and make the country flourish.

Vanakam… marubadiyum parkalam!

remember..

2006-01-12T03:52:00.000+05:30

Today..on the 11th of January,a non-descript young man from Tirupur in Taminadu..gave up his life...he died from ruthless lathi beatings from the Police,under the British rule in 1932..trying to save a wooden pole holding the tricolor at the end from falling into the dust,trying to keep it fluttering in the wind..trying not to bow down to autocracy and atrocity..what was there in that wood and cloth that he and millions like him would endure agony,pain,humilation,torture and finally death?..a feeling..that ran like liquid fire in the blood and pounded fiercely..vanquishing all care and reason..
We can do well to atleast remember such martyrs and their sacrifices,caring naught for family or fortune..we cannot be like them..but we can surely remind ourselves time and again that there is a purpose for us having born in this country..and think about it for a miniscule moment amidst having our fun,following our dreams and leading our lives..

Members' Agenda

2005-12-28T04:15:00.000+05:30

A few guidelines to be followed and to induce others to follow-
1.Cleanliness
Make a conscious effort not to throw rubbish on roads,parks,shopping areas,cinema theatres,beach and any other place apart from dustbins.
If on seeing others littering,try to dissuade them.
Start this with the family.
2.Obey rules
-Try the utmost to obey traffic rules when u r driving
Urge others to do the same.
3.Pool resources
There is always a lot of house clutter -clothes,books,furniture,vessels..things so old or outdated people hardly use them but do not have the heart to give them away..collect such items.We will discuss about the distribution of the same.
4.Keep on the lookout
Always have a side-eye,ear open for any worthy cause like NGOs helping out in the slums,providing education,medical facilities,orphanages,etc and if u find anything,post it on the site for others to know.

These are essentially ideals,so they will be hard..

Never lose heart.
Be brave enough.
Fight fear.
Fight indifference and indolence.
Be society-conscious.
Be aware always that u r part of a larger whole and that u can contribute to its well-being.
now that by doing your bit u will be helping your country and bring a smile to people like this boy..just think for a moment,stop and think..how even the basic amenities we take for granted are a luxury for him and countless other kids like him..

And always remember..little grains of sand make the world's tallest bulidings and little drops of water make the deepest oceans..so each little thing you consciously do in betterment of society will surely,eventually go a long way in determining our country's progress towards being a developed nation.

Come forth..

2005-12-20T13:04:00.000+05:30

This is a translation of a few stanzas from Subramania Bharathi's 'Olipadaitha kanninai '..I thought it would be fitting to start our blog with -

Come ye, of the eyes filled with divine glow..
Come ye, of the will-enforced heart..
Come ye,with the refined language ...
Come ye,of the work-hardenened shoulders...

Come ye,of the clarity of mind..
Come ye,of those who despise meanness..
come ye,of those who empathise with the simple..
Come ye,of the walk of the bull..

Come ye,of the youth of India..
Come ye,of the unrivalled potency..
Come ye,to make the sun rise on
A disillusioned country..

Come ye,to resurrect the culture
Of the dispirited land,once renowed for its arts..
Come ye,to explain with your glance ..
All the greatness of your noble land.