Discipline – Page 45 – Take off with Natarajan

These 25 Children Received the National Bravery Award This Year. Here Are Their Inspiring Stories…

January 26, 2016January 26, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

They saved their friends, parents, and neighbours from drowning, electrocution, thieves and a lot more – these 25 children, who were honoured with the National Bravery Award this year, displayed immense courage and risked their lives to protect their loved ones. Here are their awesome stories.

New Delhi witnessed the gathering of some of India’s bravest children on January 24, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the National Bravery Awards to them. From a 16-year-old who fought off a tiger, to a 13-year-old who lost his life while trying to save his friend from drowning – these three girls and 22 boys showed incredible bravery in the face of some very dangerous situations.

“For the award winners, this act of bravery should not become an end in itself. Life must continue to evolve and the children should continue to develop their careers and continue to serve society to the best of their abilities,” the Prime Minister told them during the event.

The National Bravery Award scheme, initiated by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW), was started with the aim of awarding children in the age group of 6-18 years, who display outstanding bravery and inspire other children with their actions. The awards consist of five categories including the Bharat Award, Sanjay Chopra Award, Geeta Chopra Award, Bapu Gaidhani Award and the General National Bravery Awards. The awardees receive a medal, a certificate, and a cash prize. Bharat Award winners get a gold medal, while the others receive silver. As a part of ICCW’s sponsorship program under the Indira Gandhi scholarship scheme, each child is also receives the financial assistance to complete his or her schooling.

Here are the astounding stories of this year’s winners.

1. Shivampet Ruchitha, Telangana

8-year-old Shivampet Ruchitha became the youngest person to receive the award this year. On July 24, 2014, Ruchita saved two of her school mates when a train hit their school bus. She noticed that their bus had stopped on a railway track and a train was coming towards them. Showing extraordinary presence of mind, she pushed two students out of the window and jumped off the bus herself too. Unfortunately, she could not save her younger sister who was sitting in the front row. Her younger brother sustained severe injuries, but he has recovered now. 16 students, the driver, and the conductor lost their lives in that accident. She was honoured with the Geeta Chopra award.

“It feels good to have the limelight and get an award from the Prime Minister. But I wish I was able to save my sister, too, as we all miss her,” she told The Indian Express.

2. Arjun Singh, Uttarakhand

In July 2014, a tiger entered 16-year-old Arjun Singh’s house in Uttarakhand. He showed extreme courage and fought it off, saving his mother’s life who had fainted as soon as the tiger entered. Arjun went into a room and picked up a sickle to fight the tiger. As it was too small to hit from a distance, Arjun grabbed a stick and waved it towards the tiger. He did not stop until the villagers reached there and the animal ran away on seeing the crowd. Arjun received the Sanjay Chopra award.

3. Late Shivansh Singh, Uttar Pradesh

Shivansh Singh, a 14-year-old medal-winning swimmer from Faizabad, was posthumously honoured with the prestigious Bharat Award. He lost his life while trying to save his friend from drowning in the Saryu River.

“I wish he was here. Seeing all these boys and girls enjoy their moment of glory, I wish my son could have been part of this,” his mother, Neelam Singh, told The Telegraph.

4. Late Gaurav Kawduji Sahastrabuddhe, Maharashtra

Gaurav was only 15 when he lost his life while rescuing four of his friends from drowning in the Ambazari lake. He was a good swimmer and had gone to the lake one afternoon in June 2014. While playing in the water, his friends suddenly started drowning. According to the police, Gaurav swam for 20 minutes and rescued them all. But while trying to pull out the last boy, he hit his head on a submerged stone and drowned. He received the Bharat Award.

5. Aromal SM, Kerala

12-year-old Aromal is one of the six winners from Kerala. He saved two women from drowning in a 14-feet pond and was honoured with the Bapu Gaidhani Award.

6. Rakeshbhai Shanabhai Patel, Gujarat

This 13-year-old received the Bapu Gaidhani Award for saving a boy who accidentally fell into a well.

7. Ramdinthara, Mizoram

On January 2, 2015, Ramdinthara saved two boys who were stuck on a transformer fence. The 15-year-old pulled the boys out with his bare hands and took them to the hospital. Son of a tea-seller, Ramdinthara was walking past the transformer when he saw that two boys were struggling to free themselves after falling on the fence. He overcame his fear in just a few seconds and grabbed their hair to pull them up. He received the Bapu Gaidhani Award.

8. Abinash Mishra, Odisha

Abinash Mishra, 12, saw his friend drowning in Kushabhadra River. Without thinking twice, he just jumped into the river and swam to the shore after saving his friend. He is one of the recipients of the General National Bravery Award.

9. Chongtham Kuber Meitei, Manipur

13-year-old Chongtham Kuber Meitei became a local hero after he jumped into a 10-feet deep well to save a girl from drowning. He was awarded with the General National Bravery Award.

“I won’t lie, I was really scared. But I had to jump into the well to get to her. She would have drowned,” he told The Telegraph.

10. Kashish Dhanani, Gujarat

10-year-old Kashish protected his 15-months-old sibling from a German Shepherd. He received the General National Bravery Award.

11. Muhammad Shamnad, Kerala

14-year-old Muhammad Shamnad showed outstanding courage when he risked his life to save a little girl from drowning in a pond. He received the General National Bravery Award.

12. Mohit Mahendra Dalvi, Maharashtra

14-year-old Mohit saved his 10-year-old neighbour from drowning in Banganga Lake last year. When Krishna Pashtye slipped into the lake, Mohit was the only one of the hundreds of onlookers who had the courage to dive into the lake and save her. He was honoured with General National Bravery Award.

“I knew how to swim and so jumped in confidently. I saw the girl’s leg had stuck in mud in a ditch. I tried to get her leg out and managed to pull her out. When we came out, others rushed and helped us,” said Mohit, an orphan who lives with his paternal aunt.

13. Abhijith K.V, Kerala

15-year-old Abhijith was honoured with the General National Bravery Award for saving his friend from drowning in a 25 feet deep pond.

14. Sarwanand Saha, Chhattisgarh

Sarwanand Saha received the General National Bravery Award for saving a man from drowning in Mahanadi River.

15. Sai Krishna Akhil Kilambi, Telangana

This 15-year-old saved his mother from electrocution. His mother came in contact with a live electric wire at their residence in Agapura when she was washing the floor. Sai Krishna was quick to think on his feet and he instantly rushed forward to turn off the mains supply while making sure that he did not step into the water. He was honoured with the General National Bravery Award.

16. Dishant Mehndiratta, Haryana

On April 4, 2015, Dishant Mehndiratta was at his home in Panchkula, with his mother and younger brother. His father had just left for work when a stranger knocked at the door asking for him. The family invited him in and Dishant’s mother, Archana, called her husband to inform about the visitor. His father couldn’t recognise the man and asked him to come later. This was when the stranger asked if he could use the toilet. And while Archana was leading the way to show him the bathroom, he suddenly took out a knife and put it on her neck. He started threatening the children, asking them to bring out all the cash and valuables. Dishant made a quick plan and fell down on the man’s feet pretending to plead with him. And after a few seconds, he suddenly stood up, grabbed the knife from his hand, and threw it away. The family raised an alarm and got him arrested. Dishant received the General National Bravery Award for this courageous act.

17. Joena Chakraborty, Chhattisgarh

When a man snatched away her father’s mobile phone, 10-year-old Joena Chakraborty started running after him without wasting a single second, and brought the phone back.

“I knew he would head for a narrow alley, so I reached there before him and caught his legs even though people were shouting that he had a knife,” she said.

18. Nilesh Bhil, Maharashtra

Nilesh Bhil from Kothli was awarded the General National Bravery Award for saving a boy from drowning.

19. Beedhovan, Kerala

14-year-old Beedhovan saved a boy from electrocution and was honoured with the General National Bravery Award.

20. Nithin Philip Mathew, Kerala

13-year-old Nithin was honoured for saving his neighbour’s family after their house caught fire in a cylinder blast.

21. Bhimsen, Uttar Pradesh’

On November 16 last year, a boat got overturned in Sarayu River. 12-year-old Bhimsen, who was present on his own boat, jumped into the water and saved 14 people from drowning.

22. Angelica Tynsong, Meghalaya

Angelica Tynsong, 13, from Ri Bhoi district, saved her 7-month-old brother when their house caught fire on February 1, 2015. Her brother was sleeping while she was washing clothes, and their parents were not present in the house at the time of the incident.

23. Anandu Dileep, Kerala

14-year-old Anandu Dileep was going to his tuition class with his friends. They were crossing a bridge when his friend slipped and fell into the 10-feet-deep canal. Anandu jumped into the water and rescued him.

24. Maurice Yengkhom, Manipur

Maurice was playing on the terrace with his friend who suddenly got an electric shock. Had it not been for Maurice’s presence of mind, his friend would have lost his life. The 14-year-old picked up a cane chair and started hitting him till he was free.

25. Vaibhav Ramesh Ghangare, Maharashtra

Vaibhav Ramesh Ghangare from Wardha also received the General National Bravery Award. He saved a 6-year-old child from drowning.

All pictures: Twitter

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

Natarajan

This 81-Year-Old Has Walked over 5,70,000 Km to Spread Awareness Against Tobacco & Alcohol…

January 26, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

At an age when many people want to relax and lead a peaceful life, 81-year-old Bagicha Singh is on a unique mission. He has been walking since the last 23 years and has covered the length and breadth of India more than 21 times. His aim? To spread awareness against tobacco and alcohol consumption, child labour, corruption, and other such social issues.

He has covered over 5,70,000 km till now, and won’t stop as long as he has the strength to serve the nation.

Source: Facebook

A resident of Panipat, Bagicha Singh started his non-stop journey from Jammu to Kanyakumari on February 22, 1993. After his Class 12 exam, he told his parents that he will never get married because he wants to dedicate his life to the country. He carries a 90 kg backpack with two Indian flags waving on 18 feet long poles.

Throughout his journey, Bagicha Singh met many people including politicians and celebrities. And he has several interesting stories to share:

“On my way from Tezpur to Guwahati in Assam, I had to cross a forest… One has to carry dozens of bananas to cross the forest, as herds of elephants stop their human counterparts and don’t let them go unless they are given their ‘tax’. I carried six kilo bananas, and indulged the elephants. Not far ahead on this journey, I was surrounded by a group of Naga tribesmen…They demanded that I hand over all my belongings…That’s when the elephants came to my rescue! The biggest one among them ran towards the group. The men panicked and fled. The elephant then picked up my bag with its trunk and the whole herd walked with me. Once we reached the road, I was given my bag and the herd walked back in,” he told The Time of India in November 2015, when he was on a break in Hyderabad during his 22nd trip.

After waking up at 5:00 each morning, he walks till 12:00 noon, rests for an hour, and again walks till 7:00 pm. Freedom fighters like Subhash Chandra Bose, Chandra Shekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh inspire this octogenarian, who takes a new route in every trip.

Bagicha Singh hopes that the country’s youth will slowly understand the ill effects of tobacco and alcohol. Watch him talk about his journey here:

Source…..Tanaya singh in http://www.the better india .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

Image of the Day….” Star Trails…”

January 26, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Star trails over Forbidden City, Beijing

Below, the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, former home of the Chinese emperor and a center of Chinese government. Above, the Forbidden City’s sky counterpart.

View larger. | Star trails over the Forbidden City, Beijing, China. Photo taken January 23, 2015 by Jeff Dai.

View larger. | Star trails over the Forbidden City, Beijing, China. Photo taken January 13, 2016 by Jeff Dai. Visit Jeff on Facebook.

Jeff Dai captured these star trails around the north celestial pole and North Star – Polaris – in a time-exposure image capturing the passage of the time above the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.

What we in the West know as the Forbidden City is a translation of the Chinese name Zijin Cheng, literally Purple Forbidden City. Jeff writes:

The Purple Forbidden City, a world heritage site today, served as the home of Chinese emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government, for almost 500 years.

The Purple Forbidden City is a name with significance in ancient Chinese astronomy. Purple refers to the North Star (pictured in the center of the startrails). In ancient China, it was called the Ziwei Star, and in traditional Chinese astrology was the heavenly abode of the Celestial Emperor. The surrounding celestial region, the Purple Forbidden Enclosure (pictured below) was considered the realm of the Celestial Emperor and his family.

The Forbidden City, as the residence of the terrestrial emperor, was its earthly counterpart.

Traditional Chinese astronomy has a system of dividing the celestial sphere into asterisms or constellations, known as

View larger. | In traditional Chinese astronomy, a large area in the northern sky was known as the Purple Forbidden Enclosure. It was considered the realm of the Celestial Emperor and his family.

Bottom line: A photo shows star trails above the Forbidden City – former residence of the Chinese emperor – in Beijing, China. It’s accompanied by an image showing the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, the celestial counterpart of the Forbidden City.

Source……..www.earthsky.org

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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