ONE
1. On August 15, 2004, the Independence Day of Bharat, the college ground in Dimaji, Assam, Bharat, was the scene of a terrorist bomb blast. 16 schoolchildren were killed. Many more were injured. Amid the horror and confusion, Sangeeta was seen moving swiftly, reaching first aid to the injured and trying to console bereaved parents. She teaches in a school nearby. Suddenly Sangeeta noticed something odd. One of the ‘bodies’ of the killed children, being carried to a van in a hurry for removing them to the mortuary, was breathing. Sangeeta raised an alarm and saw to it that the child got medical attention. She also got all the bodies in the van completely checked. It was found that two more children were found alive inside. They were given medical attention instantly. But one of the three children died later. Of the two rescued, one was a girl by name Rasheeda. Sangeeta is a Sevika of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti (Based on an eyewitness account). 2. Scores of people died when a marriage hall in Srirangam, Tamilnadu, was burnt down in an accident in January 2004. The town’s population stood up as one man in rescuing persons caught inside the inferno. Before he died of burns, bridegroom Shri. Gururajan saved many lives. Quite a few in the hall managed to break the concrete windows to save people. Many ambulance vans were pressed into service by well-meaning healthcare centers in the town free of cost. Members of the Red Cross, college students, activists of various voluntary organizations and policemen offered their services in the rescue work and also at the hospitals. Many sent SMS messages through their mobile phones to their friends to come and donate blood to save those hospitalized
(Based on a report in DINAMANI, January 24, 2004).
TWO
1. Hindutva provides an abiding solution to any problem in Hindustan, also known as India that is Bharat, like it did in Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh recently. Minister for environment and forests, Shri S. Vijayarama Raju declared open a ‘mythological theme park’ at the Venkateswara Zoological Park in Tirupati on August 30, 2004. The theme park is an attempt to infuse a sense of care and attachment to animals by depicting gods of Hindu pantheon as associated with animals and birds. Images of goddess Durga seated on a lion, Shri. Kalahasteeswara (Lord Shiva) worshipped by an elephant, a spider and a snake, Lord Subhramanya on a peacock, Sita being charmed by a deer, etc., are etched on the park wall to drive home the important place that the animals and birds occupy in the Hindu religious lore (Based on a report in THE HINDU on September 1, 2004). 2. Shri. L.K. Advani, Leader of Opposition in Bharat’s Lok Sabha, is known to hold the opinion that the very Constitution of India owes its secular (equal treatment to all religions) character to the timeless Hindu mindset that honours all ways of worship by declaring, “Ekam sat, viprah bahudaa vadanti”. It means, ‘the Ultimate Truth is one; the wise describe it variously’.
THREE
1. Shri. Paresh Sirkar, 52, a railway employee of West Bengal, donated blood for the 100 th time. It was in a function to mark the birthday of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in August 2004. He has been donating blood once in every three months since 1972. Higher officials of the railways honoured him with a medal for this. Shri. Vimal Krishna Viswas, 59, who had donated blood 172 times, also was among those who attended the function (DINAMALAR, August 21, 2004). 2. Dr. Edith Johnson, M.D., D.C.H., 51, is a physician at the Government Hospital, Puducherry (Pondicherry), Bharat. She donated blood for the 98th time on January 4, 2004. “Nothing belongs to me, including my blood. It is a gift to me by my parents. I hope to continue donating blood since God has graced me with health”, asserts the doctor. She rides a bicycle to her work.The Puducherry government honoured the doctor with a certificate
(DINAMANI, January 24,2004).
FOUR
1. Residential localities in Pazhavanthangal, a southern suburb of chennai, Bharat, were crime prone. With less than 30 policemen and only around 10 of them on duty at any given time, keeping a check on the movement of criminals literally became a daunting task. It was in this juncture that ‘Friends of Police’ was started. There are around 200 youth volunteers now. Tenth standard students V.P.Haran, T.S.Srinath, R.Aravind and B.Pradeep said they were excited to be FoP volunteers and go on night patrols. They said their parents did not raise any objection, as it was a form of “social service”. Incidents of crime in the night has been virtually eliminated in the police station’s jurisdiction in the past three months, said Sub Inspector Shri. K.Jagadeeswaran (THE HINDU, September 6, 2004). 2. Alert residents of Natesan Nagar, Virugambakkam, Chennai, helped prevent a robbery at their neighbour’s home on July 13, 2004. Noticing a motorcycle standing unattended in their street for a long time, residents called up a beat constable on his mobile phone (provided by the members of the residents’ welfare association). Residents, the constable and members of the ‘Friends of Police’ in the locality gathered at the spot and started making enquiries. Noticing the group patrolling the street, the burglar scaled the compound wall of the house where he had broken in, and jumped into another house. He dropped the bag containing the 100 sovereigns of jewels he had looted and fled the spot. The jewellery was found in tact and was restored to its owner
(Based on a report in THE HINDU, July 15, 2004).
FIVE
VELRBO BIO-DIESEL is a fuel extracted from rice bran. The innovator, Shri. Velappan, 37, is the son of K.N.Chinnaraj-Muniyammal of Kandhukalpatti off Nallampalli in Dharmapuri district, Tamilnadu. Velappan who is joint director, Chemical Engineering division, Central Leather Reseach Institute Chennai, Bharat, has patented the bio-diesel. This fuel is eco-friendly, says Velappan. State Transport buses will be run on this bio diesel on an experimental basis in November 2004 (DINAMANI, August 25, 2004). [Meanwhile, Smt. Valerie Dupont, an energy engineer with the University of Leeds in England, leads a team of researchers who have developed an experimental Hydrogen generator that uses only sunflower oil air, water vapour and two catalysts – and no fossil fuel. This development can lead to cleaner ad and more efficient Hydrogen production for powering automobile fuel cells. Mass production of vehicles employing this technology will take years, experts say
(Based on a report in THE HINDU, September 2, 2004)].
ONE
Place: BHOOTPUR [A Chenchu (vanavasi) village], in Mahabubnagar District, Andhra Predesh, Bharat. Time: 9 AM. The Scene: A small boy of 10 waits in front of his hut, ready to go to school. Three of his friends come by, with a used scooter tyre tied to a rope. They urge him, "Masayya, get on to the tyre. It is already time”. The boy slowly drags his incapacitated legs and climbs on to the tyre. The three, schoolmates of Masayya, drag the tyre all the way to the school. They lift him safely wherever they encounter a pothole or a bump on the way. This is not a one-day affair. It has been happening for the past few months. Masayya is polio-hit by birth. Having lost his parents, he lives with his brother Tirupatayya. Since transport is a problem, his brother expressed his inability to send him to school. His friends assured the Headmistress of the school that they would take the responsibility of bringing Masayya to school. They kept their word. Initially, they carried him on a bicycle. When the bike was broken, Masayya crawled to school for a few days. It was a heart rendering sight. Once he got drenched in rain. His friends were moved by the plight of Masayya. Munayya, another friend, suggested that they all could drag an old scooter tyre, with Masayya seated on it, to school. Abdul Nabi, Nagaraju and Ramu supported the idea. They carried on the task of taking Masayya to school for the past three months. They enjoyed doing it. Meanwhile, the Headmistress brought the plight of Masayya to the notice of the government and, as a result, Masayya goes to school on a tricycle these days.
(Contributed by Shri. Brahmmananda Reddy brahmarss@yahoo.co.in
of SAMACHARA BHARATHI, Andhra Pradesh).
TWO
It is a scorching afternoon. Priya (name changed) is extremely thirsty as she waits for a bus on Magadi Road, Bangalore. There is no refreshment stall in the area and the college student thinks she will be able to quench her thirst only when she reaches home. That is when she notices two big water cans near the bus stop. A notice on the cans says: "Drinking water — for the use of thirsty commuters." Like Priya, thousands of people have seen, rejoiced, and used water cans installed at 25 bus stops in Bangalore - primarily around Magadi Road, Sunkadakatte, and Rajajinagar areas, courtesy a business family from Bashyam Circle in Rajajinagar. They sell paan, betel nut, and banana leaves at their shop, "R.V. Bhadraiah", situated next to their house. "The shop is named after our father," says Shivakumar (29), one of Shri. Bhadraiah's two sons. He says the family is involved in the "water can project". "My father started it 15 years ago because he believes God has been very kind to him. He began with nothing and is now doing well. This is his way of giving something back," Shri. Shivakumar says. Every day, Mr. Bhadraiah, his sons, or their shop assistants cover a 25-km. radius. "We have four autorickshaws that we use to transport goods to our shop. We carry the water cans in them and do two or three refills a day," Mr. Shivakumar says. In summer, the cans empty quickly. "We do not supply bottled water, we use the well in our house." According to him, there is a story behind the well. "In our area, lots of people dug wells but found no water. When my father dug a well, he found water. He took that as an auspicious sign." Filling the cans costs them Rs. 500 a day. "We don't consider this a chore. This is something we consider our duty", he says. In the coming days, the Bhadraiah family plans to increase the number of "water holes" by another 50. "We are ready to supply water cans to those who want to do something similar," Shivakumar (reachable on mobile phone 9844358514) says.
Based on a report in THE HINDU (Bangalore Edition), May 2 2004 (Idea: Shri. Janardan Hegde, Aksharam, Bangalore 18).
THREE
1. Sri. Ramakrishnan, a call taxi driver of Ambattur, Chennai, Tamilnadu, Bharat, took a leading part in organizing Ganesh Chaturthi Utsav in village Oragadam near Chennai. The huge Ganesha Idol installed here had a unique schedule, a visit to a seva basthi everyday. All on a sudden, Gitalakshmi, the newly married daughter of Ramakrishnan was killed in a road accident on September 14, 2004. Though grief-stricken, Ramakrishnan requested the doctors that they can remove any organ from her daughter’s corpse. But only her eyes could be donated, as per Gitalakshmi’s pledge executed when she was alive, because the rest of her body from the waist had been crushed. Lest his daughter’s death may cause hurdles in the Vinyaka Chaturthi utsav, Ramakrishnan rushed to the houses of other Hindu activists in the area and persuaded them to maintain the full vigour of the utsav because basthi residents were eagerly awaiting the arrival of Ganesha at the doorsteps of their huts. With a heavy heart and understanding the situation, the team of Hindu activists swung into action keeping up the original schedule (Courtesy: INDIAN POST of Sertember 19-25, 2004, a neighbourhood newspaper of Ambattur). 2. Raman, 15, and Lakshmanan, 15, are twin brothers separated 11 years back. Surpassing any filmi denouement, the two rejoined on September 20, 2004, to the immense happiness of their mother Kanthamani and father Gopalakrishnan. It so happened, the brothers came to a Ganesh visarjan spot in Salem, each accompanying a procession. When the processions merged, Raman identified Lakshmanan and embraced him. Thus, Lord Ganesh has brought together the two separated brothers, in the same manner as He brings together various sections of Hindu society in every town and village of Tamilnadu ever since Hindu organizations started organizing Ganesh Visarjan celebrations on a big scale
(Based on a report in the DAILY THANTHI, September 21, 2004).
FOUR
Shri. Ramaswami opted for voluntary retirement from his job in the boiler plant of BHEL, Tiruchirappalli in 1999. He started a machine shop with one lathe. Within a year, the factory grew providing jobs for six workers. Their names: Manivasagam, Angamuthu, Perumal, Subramanian, Shaktivel and Balasubramanian. The workers were so attached to the factory that Ramaswami could run the shop by sitting at home and issuing instructions over phone. Now, he wished to settle down in his native village, Vellakovil in Erode district, Tamilnadu. There were several offers to buy his factory. But Smt. Chellam, wife of Ramaswami, suggested that the factory be sold to the workers. Ramaswami agreed to it. The workers had no property to cite as security for the purpose of bank loans and so they hesitated. Ramaswami offered his own house as security. This enabled the smooth take over by workers. They thanked Ramaswami in a programme held on August 20, 2004 at the office of the district employment exchange.
Based on a report in DINAMANI, August 24, 2004.
FIVE
It was the evening of September 6, 2004. Place: Chennai Central railway station. 32 boys and 23 girls — all inmates of an orphanage in Gelamangalam, Krishnagiri district, Tamilnadu – were undergoing what looked like an endless wait. Smt. Selvi, the executive of their Home, who had managed to bring them all this far, did not know how to meet the Chief Minister and express their grievances – the purpose of their Chennai visit (The home had run out of funds and faced trouble from hostile politicians, according to Selvi). The children had not had their breakfast or noon meal that day. Shri. Velaayudham, a head-load labourer at the railway station, serving under a contractor in egg business, noticed the plight of the children. He immediately bought them all food (Later the children were lodged by authorities in an asylum in the city).
Based on a report in DINAMANI, September 7, 2004.
Oooooooooo
Panchaamritam 48ONE
Shri. Sanghamitran, age 30 (formerly Williams Raj, a Catholic Christian), returned to the Hindu fold in the year 2000. He is running a computer centre in his village. His is the only Hindu family now in Eduthukkatti village, Tharangampadi taluk, Nagappattinam district, Tamilnadu, Bharat. On September 13, 2004, Sanghamitran and his family members were severely attacked by some Christians of the village. He had to flee to safety along with his sister who was molested and dragged onto the street by the intruders. He has lodged a complaint with the local police. The district collector has assured him protection. But Sanghamitran is not at all afraid. He says many more families in his village are ready to return to Hindu fold. He also asserts that in spite of threats to his life, he will endeavour to bring back all willing Christians to Hinduism. Based on a report in DINAMALAR Tamil daily.
TWO
Date: March 18, 1997. Time: Night 11.30. Place: Railway track between stations Gardaha and Shodpur in West Bengal, Bharat. About 60-65 persons commit suicide at this spot in an year. An elderly woman stands guard, armed with a stick, protecting the corpse of a youth lying on the track from dogs and foxes on the prowl. Her sister Neelima Chowdary had gone to the college where the youth studies to inform the family. She had taken with her the identity card of the youth, one S.Ganguly, run over by a train. She rings up Swami Divyananda, the principal of the College and the Swamiji rushes to the spot in a van accompanied by the parents and relatives of Ganguly. It is four in the morning by the time the van reaches the spot of the tragedy. Neelima and her sister present there help the family remove the body. They do this without expecting any reward or praise for the past 21 years. There is a sad tale behind their service. Neelima’s husband suddenly disappeared in 1982. Neelima searched for him all around, but in vain. She almost lost heart when the body was found lying somewhere in a highly decayed condition. Then and there Neelima resolved that none else should suffer like her. She chose the suicide spot nearby for her service. She presents herself promptly when word of a suicide reaches her ears and without fear or hesitation busies herself in locating the family of the deseased quickly and arranging to guard the body in the meanwhile. Based on a report in SHRI RAMAKRISHNA VIJAYAM, Tamil monthly in its October 2004 issue.
THREE
1. Smt. Gowri, wife of an autorikshaw driver Shri. Sankar of Thirumangalam, Chennai, was stunned when she found Rs. 2,000 and 55 sovereigns of gold jewels in a bag that her husband showed her on the evening of August 8, 2004. He had noticed it lying in his vehicle, left there by a passenger who had hired his auto that day. Quickly, Gowri persuaded her husband to trace out the owner of the bag and hand it over to him. She pointed out how difficult it would be for anyone to bear such a heavy loss. Sankar promptly handed over the bag with its contents to Shri. Praveen Kumar of Valasaravakkam who had left the bag. Praveen Kumar gave Sankar Rs. 1,000 as reward (DINAMANI, August 10, 2004). 2. Shri. Elango, the owner of the auto that Shri. Vinayakam drives, found a briefcase lying in the auto when Vinayakam was about to leave after handing over the keys of the vehicle at the end of the day on June 11, 2004. Both handed over the box to the police at Vepery, Chennai. It was found to contain Rs. 65,000. The police traced the owner as one Marimuthu, an industrialist of Tiruppur, now on a visit to Chennai. Marimuthu gifted Rs. 6,000 to the honest duo (DINAMALAR, June 14, 2004).
FOUR
The name “R.P.Rajalakshmi Hindu Vidyalaya” in Thackklay near Kanyakumari, Tamilnadu, Bharat, has a tale to tell. Shri. Krishnamachari, Managing Director, Dextan Group of industries had donated buildings worth Rs. 50 lakhs for the school and so the school bears the name of his mother. This is not his single act of large heartedness. He has bought a piece of land for Rs. 5 lakhs and gave it to the school to be used as a playground. He has made a further donation of Rs. 10 lakhs to the school to mark the silver jubilee of his company. In addition to several other donations by Krishnamachari, his offer of taking care of the maintenance of any 6 persons who come forward to do social service, stands out. Thus Spake K: “My father Royampettai Parthasarathy was a Samskritam teacher. He left a deep impression on my life when he advised me that whatever I might earn belongs to the society, that I am to function only as a trustee of my wealth and that I should take just enough to meet my needs alone. I treat his words as mantra and keep helping others”. K is the son of the elder brother of Shri. Ra. Ki. Rangarajan, Tamil writer of renown. (Based on a report in DINAMANI, August 31, 2004)
FIVE
This happened in 1929, while the non-cooperation movement led by Mahatma Gandhiji was on. Raja Ganga Singh was the ruler of the princely state of Bikaner, Rajasthan. Singh was an able administrator. He got talented persons from many parts of Bharat appointed in his state. One day, while on his way back to his palace, the Raja found a picture of Gandhiji hung in the warden’s room in the students’ hostel attached to Dungar College. Once back in his palace he summoned the principal, Dr. Sampoornanand and said, “Professor, the hostel seems to have become a den of rebels. Get the picture of Gandhi removed and secure the letter of resignation from the warden.” Sampoornanand replied, “If displaying Gandhiji’s picture is an offence, I too am an offender. There is a picture of the Mahatma on my table as well”. Before the ruler could utter a word, he sat down, wrote out his resignation letter, handed it to Singh and walked out. From MAHAKOSHAL SANDESH (Hindi ), March 29, 2004.
OOOOOOOOO
Panchaamritam 49
ONE
A hundred years ago, there lived in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, Bharat, a saint by name Gaadge Baba, born in a peasant family. Broom in hand, he used to clean temples, ashrams, schools and roads, all the while singing loudly “Gopalaa! Gopalaa! Devaki nandana Gopalaa!” At the outset, people ignored him. But in due course, thousands became his followers. Remembering his service to humanity with gratitude, the state government of Maharashtra conducted a year-long hygiene campaign in 2003. In this campaign, the state administration as well as voluntary organizations participated. Dr. Chandragupta Shri.Varnekar, a professor of the Cummins College, Pune, cites Gaadge Baba’s example in an article to highlight the contamination of the space around Earth by over 1,000 space ships launched into the outer space by more than 20 countries ever since 1957 when Sputnik was fired by Russia. Dr. Varnekar quotes scientists as saying that the contamination is a maximum at heights from 200 kms to 3,600 kms above Earth. Varnekar also mentions the concern of the scientific community over this condition expressed at the 21st global conference of Inter-Agency Space-Debri Coordination Committee convened by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at Bangalore recently.
Based on an article by Dr. Varnekar in SAMBHASHANA SANDESHAH (Samskrit monthly), July 2004 samskrit@satyam.net.in
TWO
1. At Kanchipuram, the pilgrim cum silk center of Tamilnadu, Sri Kumaran Health Centre, a private hospital, charges just Rs. 3 per patient as registration fee. And nothing more. For any kind of treatment. Whether it is common cold or a minor surgery. A leading cloth merchant firm of the same name is running the Centre through a charitable trust since 1996. Though it is almost free, the every inch of the hospital is kept very clean. Based on a report by Shri. Durai Arul Karthik in DINAMANI, August 20, 2003. 2. This doctor, hailing from Thalakkulam, Kanyajkumari district, Tamilnadu, Bharat, has conducted over 100 free medical camps benefiting fishermen in coastal villages. He is Dr. Arumugam, 50, a cardiac surgeon and neurologist, serving people of his village through a trust named after his father Palaniyandi and mother Sarojini. His P.S. Medical Centre consists of a nurses’ training school also. Arumugam is running a Community College with the help of Manonmaniyam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, to help students of the area find a job. Both his legs were immobilized soon after Arumugam graduated from the medical college. So, he carries out all these activities and more, sitting in his wheel chair. Based on a report by Shri. S. Kumaran in DINAMANI, February 12, 2004. 3. Ask any autorikshaw driver or shopkeeper near the Duraisamy subway in T.Nagar, Chennai for the “one rupee doctor’s hospital”. You are sure to be guided promptly. Drop a one rupee coin in the hundi at the hospital and obtain a token. Wait in a queue. You can get medical assistance from Dr. Kumar, all for free. Mathala Manavalayya Trust began this service benefiting hut dwellers 50 years back. If it is found that a patient cannot afford to buy the prescribed medicine at the store, he is given the money to buy it. From a write-up by Smt. P. Anita in DINAMANI KADIR, October 26, 2003. 4. The same T.Nagar locality is home to the Homoeopathy clinic of Dr. Kopikkar, 89 who serves the poor for more than 66 years. He hails from Kolkatta, West Bengal, Bharat. This Homoeopath differs from others of his kind in that he prescribes medicines whereas the usual practice is to issue the medicine. He dispels the popular notion that Homoeopathy is slow in providing cure. Even emergencies could be handled by Homoeopathy, he asserts. Based on a report by Shri. S. Ramasamy in DINAMANI, April 14, 2003.
THREE
On a Saturday afternoon, an employee of a private company was seen preparing charts for a B.Ed student who is blind. A first year college student reads out a lesson word by word to a blind college student who took it down in Braille. The venue: Padma Seshadri Bal Bhavan School, KK Nagar, chennai. The volunteers: Members of Sree Satya Sayee Seva Samiti. They hail from middle class families opting to spend their weekly holiday usefully. 50 students benefit by their service every year. This has been going on for the past 10 years, with the help of 400 volunteers. Light refreshments and coffee are served by the volunteers during the lesson sessions. The volunteers refuse to disclose their names to the media. That is the level of self-denial on the part of the volunteers.
Based on a report by Shri. S. Shashidharan in DINAMANI, August 27, 2004.
FOUR
The Ambattur Industrial Estate near Chennai, Tamilnadu, Bharat, can very well boast of a unit – A One Seals Ltd - wherein the factory owner allows his employees to spend 40 minutes every day out of the working hours for practicing Yoga. Women workers do Yoga in the mornings from 8.30 to 9.10 and the men from 5.20 to 6.00 in the evenings. “As the men do Yoga after factory hours, I allow them overtime wages for that” says Shri. Gireesan, the owner, a B.Tech (Polymer Technology) gold medallist from the Kochi University. He disapproves of the daily exercise for ten minutes before the start of work as practiced in Korea and Japan. So, the 40 minute Yoga. He says Yoga helps sustain the productivity of his workers in addition to relieving their body pain following continuous work.
Based on an interview with Shri. Gireesan, published in the October 2004 issue of SWADESHI SEIDHI, Tamil monthly, Coimbatore - 12.
FIVE
The hutment named after Dr. B.R.Ambedkar close to the bus stand in Thiruvannamalai, a district headquarters in Tamilnadu, Bharat, presents a typical picture: little boys and girls play happily along the narrow lanes. An agent from a church nearby picks up a few of them, takes them to the church and begins implanting hate for anything Hindu in their impressionable minds. By and by, the picture in the lanes changes. The joyous shout of the children is stilled. Three schoolboys, living in the same lane, note the difference. Studying in 9th, 10th and 11th standard, they start ‘Gita Class’ right there on the roadside. They collect the children and regale them with popular Puranic tales that they gather from religious TV serials. That makes for their ‘Gita Class’! Gradually, the hutment children stop going to the church and return to the roadside class of their friends. An annoyed churchman tries to browbeat the trio by daunting them, “What Gita? Do you know Bhagavad Gita?” The threesome politely gives him correct replies to his questions. Next, the fellow tries to cajole the parents, who were in fact alerted by his advances. They build a small thatched shed on a vacant plot in the lane for the Gita Class and tell the children, “Why should we sit on the road?” Now, the Gita Class happily goes on in the shed. And the cheerful shout of the children playing has returned to the hutment.
Based on a report in VIJAYABHARATAM,
Tamil weekly, Chennai – 31, dated October 29, 2004.
OOOOOOOOO
Panchaamritam 50
ONE
On Deepavali eve, workers of ‘Seva Bharati - Hosur’ (Tamilnadu, Bharat) went round the industrial town meeting friends and relatives, seeking contributions from them for celebrating Deepavali in the company of the inmates of Anbu Illam, an orphanage. This is an annual service activity and the townsmen happily come forward with their mite. Shri. Subramaniam (name changed), an employee of TVS Motors, is one among them. This year, however, the workers of Seva Bharati found him in the middle of a financial crisis. Father of three daughters, he was in deep debt and had to sell his house and had just received an advance amount from the buyer of his house. So, they tried to desist from accepting his contribution this year. But, Subramaniam argued, “Would I fail to buy new dress for my daughters on Deepavali day, however much I might be hard pressed for money?” He donated Rs. 600 from out of the advance and successfully persuaded the workers to accept it.
(Based on a chat with a social worker of Hosur).
TWO
PANCHAAMRITAM reader Ramya Ramaswamy has seent in the following useful information: Fertile lands are being poisoned continuously by using various chemicals like the pesticides & insecticides. Smt. Shantha Ramaswamy (Sreevatsa Farms) of Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, Bharat, has been using Panchagavyam – a mixture of milk, ghee, cow's urine, curd, and cow dung as an eco-friendly nutrient for the plants.. She collects the milk which flows from the sanctum of Hindu Temples after abhishekham on Pradosham days (monthly twice). Usually this milk is allowed to flow into the gutter. Thus, the blessed milk is put to good use. Also, the gutters in the temple premises are free from the stink of stale milk. She has noticed a marked difference by using panchagavya instead of the chemicals. There is a lot of cross-pollination, as milk based panchagavyam does not harm the birds and bees. Shanta also uses a mixture of erukku + neem to ward off insects harmful to the plants. Using earthworm, all the fallen leaves are converted into valuable manure. This way, she has been practising organic farming for the last 2 years. She also propagates this in and around Coimbatore.
THREE
Pallathur is a small village off Karaikkudi town in Sivaganga district, Tamilnadu, Bharat. Shri. Paalavalathaan celebrated his 103rd birthday on October 31, 2004. Born in 1901, he had fought the British during World War II, as a soldier of the Azad Hind Fauj (INA) of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Father of 5 sons and one daughters, he is today the proud grandfather, great–grandfather, great great–grandfather to 107 offsprings in all. The latest addition to his family is the baby girl born to his great granddaughter, rendering him the patriarch for five generations, who gather around him once a year. But Paalavalathaan needs no assistance to move about. He looks after himself. He himself washes his shirt and dhoti. When his family members tried to make him apply for his INA pension, Paalavalathaan said no and he prevailed upon them saying, “Do not try to attach a price tag to sacrifice”. His constant message to his descendants: “If your thought is good, you will find that good things alone happen”.
Based on a report in DINA THANTHI (Tamil Daily) of November 1, 2004.
FOUR
Precincts of a Hindu temple in Alwarkurichi near Ambasamudram, Tamilnadu, Bharat. An outdoor cinema-shooting unit was at work all over there. They were there to film a song and dance sequence for a Tamil film ‘Konji Pesa Vaa’. The hero, Vamshi and the heroine Nayakishree (scantily dressed) were all set to whirl before the camera. The shooting was on. All on a sudden, about 100 persons led by a youth of the village surrounded the unit and started shouting “Stop the shooting and get out!” The youth firmly informed the director of the film that they were determined to prevent the sanctity of the temple premises from being violated by the filming of obscene sequences. They demanded that the exposed film role be handed over to them. The shooting team tried to pacify them by offering to donate a tidy sum to the temple. That did not click. The filmmakers had no other way but to avoid offending the religious feelings of the youths who went ahead and demanded a written undertaking from the director that the scenes shot there shall not be included in the film.
Based on an article by Shri. Nellai Kuralone in DINAMALAR VAARAMALAR (Tamil weekly) of November 7, 2004.
FIVE
TIME Asia magazine features 38-year-old Gautam Goswami, District Collector, Patna, Bihar, Bharat, as one among the ’20 Asian Heroes’ in its issue dated October 11, 2004. When flash floods hit Bihar in July, Goswami coordinated for a month a massive relief effort that involved the government, Army and international aid agencies. He used to get up at 4.30 in the morning to monitor the distribution of relief materials. He works on till 11 in the night. A physician by training, he treats anyone who is ill at any time of the day or night. The number of such beneficiaries on some days would be 100 or more. Goswami spends half of his salary in helping the poor. Though transferred 12 times during his 15-year career, he is steadfast in his uprightness. Goswami was put in charge of the ballot in 1999. He barricaded Patna, so that gunmen in cars couldn’t enter the city. He set up telephone lines for citizens to call in with complaints. In 1999 and 2004, with Goswami as the overseer, Patna had the two fairest elections it had seen in years.
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