leadership – Page 50 – Take off with Natarajan

India’s Cultural Diversity and Military Strength on Display at Republic Day Parade….In Pictures …

January 26, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Hello, India. It’s our 67th Republic Day today. The celebrations took place as per protocol. The Prime Minister offered tributes at the Amar Jawan Jyoti and the parade commenced from the gates of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. French President Francois Hollande was the chief guest for this year’s parade. For the first time ever, there was also a French contingent taking part this year.

Here are the highlights of today’s parade:

All photos: Doordarshan

Source……..Meryl Garcia in http://www.thebetterindia.com

Natarajan

” This Is the Place Where All Indian National Flags Are Manufactured…”

January 26, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

The Indian flags seen fluttering atop the Red fort, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Supreme Court, other government buildings, and many such places – they are all manufactured in Hubballi. The Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS) is the country’s only national flag manufacturing unit and it is located in Bengeri village of Dharwad district.

KKGSS has been certified as the sole manufacturer and supplier of the Indian flag to the entire country, by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission.

The flags are made in conformation with the guidelines laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

KKGSS’ khadi manufacturing units are located in Bagalkot, from where the cloth is first sourced. It is then divided into three lots, dyed accordingly and cut into the required shapes. The chakra is printed on the white cloth and the three pieces are stitched together. The flags are then ironed and packed.

Find out all about the manufacturing unit here:

Making Indian flags is a difficult job because manufacturers have to follow strict guidelines. According to the Flag Code for India, there are nine different sizes in which the flag is made. The smallest one is 6×4 inches and the biggest one – hoisted on buildings and forts with high mast – is 21×14 feet. The guidelines include that the width and length of the flag should be in the ratio 2:3 and that the chakra should be printed on both sides.

The flag hoisted on Red Fort, Rashtrapathi Bhavan and medium-size government buildings is 12×8 feet.

The original video was published here.

Featured Image Credit: Flickr

Source…..Tanaya Singh in http://www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan

” This Republic Day I Pledge to Uphold My Fundamental Duties….Do You …? “

January 26, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Nishant Gambhir talks about the importance of fundamental duties.

As a student of law, I have been trained over the years to work around and for equality. Equality is the result of a balance which is attained by creating a system of force and counter force. This is exactly how modern civil and sovereign societies are designed to function. Equality, liberty and sovereignty are the guiding principles of a good state. The other essential feature of modern day society is the rights which are given to the people. However, to establish a counter force as well as balance the rights, there are duties.

Jurisprudence, the science and philosophy of justice, says that rights are what the state owes it’s people, but duty is what the people owe the state in return. It’s a plain and simple barter which maintains equilibrium and helps society progress.

However, over the years there seems to be a constant degeneration of the idea of duties, and now an imbalance has come in to the picture. People are getting more and more protective about their rights, primarily because they’re more aware (and a lot of people like us at Lex Do It are working hard to make people aware of their rights). However, they’re getting more and more ignorant about their duties.

Have a look at how well people know their duties:

A worrying trend, isn’t it? We urge you to be aware of your rights. In fact, come to us and we shall help you with them. However at the same time, don’t forget your duties, they’re equally important. With a lack of balance in the functioning of rights and duties, we as a nation will not reach where we’re destined to reach, where we deserve to reach.

Let’s pledge to do our bit for the nation and abide by the duties. Let us be Indians before individuals.

The Constitution of India in Article 51A enshrines 11 fundamental duties upon all citizens of India, namely:

To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem
To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom
To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India
To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so
To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women
To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture
To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures
To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform
To safeguard public property and to abjure violence
To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement.

Let’s work together to make India a better place.

Wishing you all a very happy Republic Day. Jai Hind!

Featured image: Flickr/Sean Ellis

Source……..www.the better india.com

Natarajan

Message for the Day…….” In our Holy Land, Nothing is Lacking….What Can not be found in India , can not be found elsewhere…”

January 26, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

From the most ancient times Bharatiyas considered Truth as God, loved it, fostered it and protected it and thereby achieved divinity.Bharatiyas were devoted to Truth, wedded to Dharma(Righteousness) and esteemed morality in society as the foremost duty. It is high time you realised what a sacred country Bharat is. In this holy land, nothing is lacking. “What cannot be found in Bharat cannot be found elsewhere” is an ancient saying. In spite of these multifarious endowments, this country is being regarded as poor and backward. This is born of delusion. When everything is available within Bharat, why go begging to other countries? Everything has originated from Bharat. Hence, having taken birth in Bharat, strive to promote the glory of Bharat. Every devotee should take a pledge to protect and promote the greatness of Bharat. Like an elephant that does not know its own strength, Bharatiyas are unaware of their power. Despite their myriad capacities, they are behaving as weaklings like an elephant before its mahout. You have to get rid of this weakness.

Message for the Day……” How to feel the Happiness and Bliss ….” ?

January 25, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Overcoming senses that stray outward is difficult – they are attracted by taste, looks, and feels. The internal tendencies are like pure water which has no form, taste, or heaviness and is good for you! Impure water hurts you and harms you. You must purify your mental behavior, which is presently spoiled by the delusions of the world. If you desire happiness, you must first control and conquer the external delusion. Then your internal tendencies will easily move in the direction of securing bliss (Atma-ananda). Spiritual practices and penance (Yoga and Tapas) are only other names for the path to control and conquer these external tendencies and shield you from delusions. Choose any path through which you feel grace is flowing to you. Liberation is achieved by strict adherence to the rules and observances of following your chosen path. The path will give you the strength to overcome delusion and grant you one-pointedness.

Sofa from an Ambassador, Table from a Tractor – This Jodhpur Couple Is Creating Magic from Waste

January 24, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

A sofa made from the discarded portion of an Ambassador car, a table made from a tractor, rugs made of old gunny bags, and so many other handmade products – welcome to the super creative workshop of PRiti International. Started by a Jodhpur-based couple in 2005, it is a company that takes waste material and turns it into something very useful and unique.

“We don’t just want to make things for decorative purposes. We want them to be useful as well,” says Hritesh Lohiya, who founded PRiti International with his wife Priti Lohiya.

The couple came across this idea after several failed ventures, and have been expanding their range of amazing products since then.

Hritesh and Priti Lohiya

“We started many different businesses, but all of them failed. We started a chemical factory, then a stone cutting factory, and a washing powder business. This was the final one,” says 42-year-old Hritesh.

Today, they have spread their work to three factories with over 400 people designing these products. They manufacture many things like handbags from old gunny bags, military tents and denim pants; furniture from waste tins, drums, as well as waste machine parts; and lamps from bike headlights etc.

“We started a handicrafts business in 2003. We were not getting any orders, and it had become very difficult for us to sustain. That was the time when we found some waste tin boxes in the factory. They were chemical boxes and drums. We turned them into chairs and tables. Fortunately, one customer visited our factory that time and liked those items a lot. This was how we entered into the recycling business,” says Hritesh.

They are now exporting to more than 40 countries including China, US and Australia every month, and the company has a current turnover of $8 million. They usually get their raw material from scrap dealers, but as the business is growing, they have also started attending auctions organized by Indian Railways and Army to purchase waste material. The item is first brought to the factory where the couple brainstorms on how to use it in the best possible manner. Once the design is ready, the final product is manufactured by the factory workers. Currently, they are only exporting their products, and they also participate in several exhibitions worldwide where they get several orders.

Take a look at their brilliant work:

Source…..Tanaya singh in http://www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan

Message for the Day….” How to overcome the external world distractions …” ?

January 24, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Sometimes, when the steering of a car is turned one way, you may experience the wheels dragging the car in another way – this indicates there is a problem you must fix! When the tyres are flat with no air, they behave as if there is no relationship with the steering. But they can never go beyond the bounds of steering. The steering in the hand must be connected to the wheels below for the journey to happen, that connection is mandatory and inevitable. For the one who has struggled with and conquered their out-going senses, their internal instruments become easily controllable. The external world distracts your senses and attracts you and you succumb by becoming objects of experience. To overcome them is indeed a difficult task. But your internal instruments have no form even though they may be endowed with name; they have experienced spiritual bliss (ananda)before, so they can be tamed with greater ease.

10 Facts about the Indian Army That Will Fill You With Pride……

January 23, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

T he Indian Army evokes a sense of pride in all Indians and rightly so. They guard our borders day and night and protect us from external attacks. Here are some little-known facts about the Indian Army that will fill your hearts with pride:

1. The birth of the Indian Army

The army in the Presidencies of Bengal, Bombay, and Madras were unified into a single Indian Army in 1895. However, for administrative needs, it was divided into Punjab, Bengal, Madras, and Bombay commands. The Indian Army fought many wars for the British Empire.

2. Various foreign troops are trained in India

The Indian Army conducts exercises with troops from many other countries. Some of the major drills that have been held are Yuddh Abhyas (with the US), Exercise Shakti (with France), and Exercise Nomadic Elephant (Mongolia).

3. Not a single attempt to overthrow the government

The Indian Army has never attempted a military coup since 1947. It has also never attacked first. There has not been an intention of gaining power or governing a nation.

4. All are welcome to join the services

There is no discrimination in terms of recruitment. The Services Selection Board chooses the candidates. The selection process is apparently a very tough one and the quality standards are never compromised.

5. The largest surrender has been before the Indian Army

Over 93,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered to India, at the end of the Bangladesh Liberation War. Lt. Gen. A.A.K. Niazi of the Pakistani army signed the Instrument of Surrender.

6. Guardians of the President of India

The President’s Bodyguard is an elite cavalry regiment. Its main aim is to protect and escort the President of India. The regiment is based in the Rashtrapati Bhawan. It is the senior most regiment of the Indian Army.

7. Building bridges, literally!

The Baily Bridge in Ladhak is built at an altitude of 5,602 meters above sea level. It is 30 meters long.

8. Earned praise from Adolf Hitler

Legend has it that Hitler’s very words were, “If I had Gurkhas, no army in the world could defeat me.”

9. Courage in the face of adversity

The Battle of Longewala was fought in Thar desert in Rajasthan. Major Chandpuri with his battalion of 120 soldiers and a handful of BSF jawans managed to defend the post of Longewala, till help arrived in the morning.

10. A rich legacy

The Assam Rifles has served in a number of conflicts, including World Wars I and II. Since 2002, it has been guarding the India-Myanmar border.

Take a bow, Indian Army. You make us proud.

Source…….Meryl Garcia in http://www.the better india .com

Natarajan

Proud Granddaughter Writes Tribute to Real Life ‘Airlift’ Hero Sunny Mathews….

January 23, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

When Saddam Hussain invaded Kuwait during the gulf war in 1990, more than one lakh Indians were stranded there. The entire country was in a state of terror and the residents suffered great tragedies and loss. This was when the Indian government came forward to rescue the Indian community and airlifted over 1,70,000 people with the help of 488 flights in just 59 days. After everyone was rescued, Air India’s name was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the civil airline that had evacuated the most people till date.

And that’s what the latest Bollywood movie, Airlift, is about – the unsung heroes who masterminded the evacuation plan.

But Ranjit Katyal, the character played by Akshay Kumar in the movie, does not actually exist. According to the director Raja Krishna Menon, the character is an amalgamation of two gentlemen, Sunny Mathews and Vedi, who formed an unofficial committee to oversee the evacuation because they knew that Indians were not safe.

A day before the Airlift released, Sunny Mathews’ granddaughter wrote a post about her grandfather on Facebook, with old paper clippings about his bravery.

Rhea Mathews with Adithya Mathews and Annie Mathews.

Delhi, India

· Yesterday at 00:20 · Bangalore ·

Today ‘Airlift’ releases, a movie based on the largest civil evacuation (Indians based in Kuwait) during the Iraqi invasion in 1990. Akshay Kumar’s leading role is based on a few people such as my grandfather, who facilitated the evacuation of nearly 170,000 Indians and brought them safely home. My grandfather stayed through the turmoil of it all and put his life at risk to secure safety for all those he could help. He is a great man and through all his success has always stressed on the importance of humility, gratitude and love, especially to those not so fortunate. An inspirational icon who has touched the hearts of many and lived a life of service. I wish I could even be half the man he is. He may not have many years left but through this movie, his legacy will live on and for that I will be forever proud

Talk to any returnee from Kuwait, who has undergone the ordeal of having escaped from Kuwait and he’ll tell you about Toyota Mathews. Mathews is the person who has helped many Indians by either organising their transport, or giving them some money which would come handy on the way, or more importantly, providing them with food and water for the arduous journey. For thousands of Indians stranded in Kuwait, Mathews has been some sort of messiah,” says one of the old reports in the picture.

The evacuation was very difficult because many people did not want to leave their well settled lives behind, and many did not have their passports and other travel documents as they had handed them over to their employers.

“The first challenge was to prepare over 100,000 travel documents. Delhi had sent two planes for evacuation. Ships began arriving a lot later. With nearly a lakh people stranded, I had to look at the alternative of bulk evacuation by road. Sunny Mathews, an extremely resourceful Indian working in Toyota, did a great job negotiating with private bus operators for evacuation via Iraq to Jordan by road,” Ashoke Kumar Sengupta, the then officer-in-charge of the Indian embassy in Kuwait, had told The Times of India in 2014.

Source……Tanaya Singh in http://www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan

Meet Rupa Devi – the Woman Selected by FIFA to Officiate International Matches…..

January 23, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Rupa Devi, a 26-year-old woman from Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, has been selected by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to officiate international matches.

According to reports, she is the first woman referee from Tamil Nadu to be selected by FIFA.

Photo Credit: (L) YouTube, (R) Flickr

Rupa started playing football when she was a student of Class 6 at St. Joseph’s Girl’s School in Dindigul. Her love for the game continued to grow and she started playing at the sub-junior level in her school very soon. She also started participating in district level football tournaments and became a part of the Dindigul Football Federation in 2006. The federation helped her participate in many national matches and also sponsored her education. She continued to play when she went to GTN college in Dindigul for her BSc degree, and then to Annamalai University in Chidambaram for a BEd in Physical Education. She currently works as a physical training school teacher in Dindigul.

“As a child, I used to stand on the sides of the ground where the game was played and kick the ball, whenever it came to me,” she told The Times of India.

According to a report in The News Minute, Rupa lost her parents in 2010 and 2011. She supported herself through the matches she went to play. But during the same period, there were no matches for women at the national level for two years. This was when senior referees advised that she should become a referee. She joined the referee development school in 2012.

She has been a referee for many matches since then. She was chosen as a referee for Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 2013, for the under-14 football festival held in Doha. She was the only Indian selected as part of the Asian body’s ‘Future referees’ project at that time.

Three years after beginning to officiate matches and giving the FIFA examination, she qualified as an international referee.

Source……Tanaya Singh in http://www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan