Monday, September 14, 2009

Healing

As I read the Kolkata edition of TOI this morning, two articles in the same page appear to be far from ordinary, yet can be considered very close to our heart.

In one interview, Lisa Ray on being detected cancer remarks, "Life drags down and that is good". She continues, " I suspected something was wrong with my health but we always push ourselves, don’t we? That has been a big lesson. I was relieved rather than hugely distressed to hear I had cancer..... I have been running around the globe for the last few years and neglected my personal needs. This healing is needed at every level. I plan to ..... live passionately and truthfully — laughing when needed but also acknowledging the pain.". It appears that the thought of dying makes huge difference. Death is evitable. Yet we don't want to acknowledge it. How about rebooting ourselves and make a restart to our life and enjoy it at its fullest, make the best of it?

The other article is titled 'At Madrassas Hindu students make a mark'. One needs to dig deeper into the article to find that there is more than breaking of boundaries like Hindu-Muslim. I am talking about gender divide and the way we treat girl child and their education aspiration. The article says "This year, Muslim girls both outnumbered and outshone boys in madarsa exam in Fauqania (equivalent to matric) and Wastania (equivalent to middle). ‘‘That more girls are joining madarsa and pursuing education is encouraging,’’ Ahmad said. He said enrolment of Muslim girls in all districts, including Muslim-dominated Kishangunj district, which has the lowest literacy among women, has increased."

I see a healing touch to some of our wounds at personal and soceital space.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Great Time

Having a great time. The feast is on - the spiritual one!

Yesterday evening I was sweetly surprised when two students came to our residence with Prasad after a Bhagabat study. The day before yesterday another two students from the same group came to invite us for this program. How much I like that the students are taking interests in studies like this! It was to be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Prof. - Rao's residence. By that time my Saturday evening was already planned. I said that I would try, if possible else next time.

Yesterday afternoon as already discussed in Vivekananda Study Circle's TUE meet (and group mails), we assembled at IIT Prembazar gate at 5:00 p.m. Then we cycled towards a nearby Lodha settlement ina village named Soladahar. Lodhas are one of the most bacward tribes in this part of the country. There is a primary school in that village that teaches up to Class IV. There is none there who has passed Class X (even after 60 years of independence) board exam. Met one young school drop out of class VIII. There are 6-7 students who are still continuing study in class V to VII in a high school situated at another village. The village head and the elders (that included lady members) showed lots of interest, enthusiasm when we proposed to assist them in children education. We met one boy and a girl from this V-VII group who too appeared quite interested and serious. The villagers said that earlier NSS volunteers used to visit on Saturday and Sunday and interact with primary school students. That inspired the students a lot.

We plan to start an activity with some long term targets in the village. On our way back we discussed few models. We shall visit again to talk to their primary school teachers and make another survey on financial condition of the villagers. The children education program is to start after Durga Puja.

Besides TUE study circle, on every WED institute lecture is being held at Kalidas auditorium (5:00-7:00 p.m.) where Ramakrishna Mission monks are discussing Gita as a part of lecture series on Indian heritage. I saw a notice in gmail that IIT Tech. Club is organizing a spiritual discourse where a monk from Kriyayog order will deliver talk. And now I learn that there is this monthly Bhagabat study where too students and Prof.s assemble and study together.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Mystery

It was interesting to read following articles in New Scientist - our limit of capabilities.
In today's edition it also reports that the air borne LASER to shoot down missiles are ready for field trial. Ready for star wars!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Super 30

Today I was watching super 30 story in youtube.
It is so inspiring! My salute to the team.

Time index 7:17 minute to 10.07 minute of the second video
under 'special' shows what usually go unnoticed in our
development process. It will be great if this gets included in
Super 30 coaching what one of the founder, Mr. Abhayananda
noticed and referred to.

Hard Work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMSYGLbIUxc

Special
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q68QEkeN6bc&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObvPhvY1oKU&NR=1

The story of Patwatoli village in Gaya district also encouraging.
My gratitude to all those who made it possible.



Thursday, September 3, 2009

Death

YSR's death is shocking! I wish to comment on a small piece of news that may go unnoticed. Thirty YSR fans in AP died, out of shock or committing suicide on hearing the news (TOI report, pasted below). And these are common people. And even after such a negative portrayal of politicians. Hero worship is in India's DNA. There are temples in the name of Sachin, Mahi, Amitabh, etc. We can debate whether it is good or bad, whether it should be changed or can be changed, how long that will take etc.. A better approach could be to channelize this emotion positively by springing up heros who think about them, care for them, live for them. The IITians, the natural leaders are the heros before the society. Can we live up to the expectation?
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30 YSR fans die of shock
TNN 4 September 2009, 04:48am IST
HYDERABAD: Shell-shocked by the sudden demise of their beloved leader Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, 30 people died in different parts of the state on Thursday.

In East Godavari, nine people died, while former minister Jakkampudi Ramamohan Rao fainted on hearing the news. Seven died of heart attack and shock, while two hanged themselves unable to bear the grief. According to district police, N Yesubabu, 20, of Narendrapuram in Rajanagaram mandal and Achanta Ramakrishna, 48, of Nagaram in Mamidikuduru mandal committed suicide.

The heart attack victims were: Yerravarapu Raji, 40, a barber shop owner, in Mangaturthi village in Pithapuram mandal, Bonam Tulasiveni, 56, of K Yenugupalli village in Gannavaram mandal, Ramayanam Radhakrishna, 62, a panshop owner at Masjid Centre in Kakinada, Ch Satyanarayana, 45, of Telugodupalem in Tallarevu mandal, Anaparthi Sriramulu, 50, Marnidi Venkannadora, 50, of Tuni and Pothula Tirupati Reddy, 70, of Bikkaolu mandal.

B Padma, 44, a Rajiv Arogyasri beneficiary and a daily-wager from Vanamalla in Punganur of Chittoor, collapsed on hearing the news of YSR's death at 10 am and died. Parvathamma, 22, from Kummaragunta village in Punganur mandal died of shock. An ardent fan of YSR and TV shop owner, N Raja Reddy, 52, died of cardiac arrest at Pileru as soon as he saw the news of YSR's death on the TV. The people around him tried to resuscitate him, but he died a hospital, a relative said.