India – Page 15 – Take off with Natarajan

Waste to Valuable: Used Flowers in Religious Shrines Are given a New Life by These 2 Friends…

February 14, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Two friends in Kanpur were shocked by the amount of flowers that are dumped into the Ganges every single day, choking the river with pesticides and chemical fertilisers. They started collecting the flowers from temples and mosques in the city, and turned them into some brilliant eco-friendly products.

Enter a temple, mosque, gurudwara or church in India and the first thing you’ll probably notice is the abundance of flowers at the place of worship. There are flower sellers at the entrance, flowers strewn all over the shrine’s floor, devotees receiving flowers in the form of blessings – there seems to be no limit. Ever wonder what happens to those sacred flowers once we are done with our prayers?

According to many religious beliefs, flowers that are offered during prayers are sacrosanct and cannot be dumped into the garbage once they’ve wilted. This is one of the reasons why people prefer to discard them in rivers, lakes and other water bodies. But not many of us think about the fertilizers and pesticides that might have been used to grow these flowers, which then mix with the water and pollute it.

Ankit Agrawal and Karan Rastogi, two friends from Kanpur, had often thought of this issue. While growing up, the river Ganges had been an important part of their lives and it pained them to see it become increasingly polluted as the years went by.

Karan and Ankit

“Karan and I have been friends since childhood and some of our friends live abroad as well. Whenever all of us meet in Kanpur, there isn’t much to show them in the city. And when our friends see the river, their first reaction always has to do with how polluted it is. That was the starting point for our idea. Karan used to go to the temple every day and he would see the waste flowers being collected to be dumped in the river. So we thought of doing something to treat these flowers,” says 27-year-old Ankit.

According to him, every year, approximately 80, 00,000 tons of waste flowers are dumped into Indian rivers.

So, Ankit and Karan started thinking of a way to convert these flowers into an eco-friendly business venture. They started research in 2012 and a brilliant idea had taken shape by 2014 after several experiments. In May 2015, they founded Helpusgreen with the aim of utilizing the disposed flowers and turning them into bio-fertilisers and lifestyle products.

The duo picks up flowers from different places of worship every day – approximately 500 kg of them. Since they don’t have a factory, they divide the amount equally between themselves and take the flowers to their respective homes.

The flowers are then mixed with organic cow dung and treated with about 17 natural components like coffee residue, corn cobs, etc. These help increase the nitrogen content in the end-product. After a few days, earthworms are added to the mix. These worms consume the mixture and lead to the formation of vermicompost after 60 days. In this process, earthworms ingest the organic waste and then excrete it in a digested form. The excreta, called worm cast, is a dark, odourless and nutrient rich material that works as a great soil conditioner. Worm casts or vermicompost is a ready-to-use fertilizer.

Karan and Ankit have named this product Mitti and it helps improve soil texture for the better growth of plants.\

Helpusgreen product range

While 80% of the flowers are used to make vermicompost, the rest are crushed and made into incense sticks andyajna/havan items.

For manufacturing these items, the duo has employed 85 women from different self-help groups in villages around Kanpur, thus providing them with a source of income.

Women from self-help groups

“The women take the flower dough home and work for about four hours a day. We don’t use any chemical fragrances to make these products. Everything is natural,” says Ankit.

Most temples and mosques in Kanpur have management committees that collect the flowers inside the shrines and put them in bins. From here they are sent to be thrown into the river. Helpusgreen collects the flowers directly from the places of worship. According to Ankit, 2400 kg flowers are discarded in Kanpur on a daily basis. But Helpusgreen is only in a position to treat about 500 kg flowers a day, collected from 13 temples and three mosques.

Another great feature of Helpusgreen products is that they use recycled packaging, made from discarded cartons from a liquor factory in Kanpur.

Additionally, because they know people usually don’t throw away packets that have pictures of gods and goddesses on them, Ankit and Karan pack the havan/yajna items in seed paper that is embedded with tulsi seeds.

The discarded packets will grow into beautiful plants when they come into contact with soil.

Currently, they are exporting most of their products to Switzerland and Germany. And they are also making them available on e-commerce websites like Amazon, Flipkart, etc.

“We have produced 1.5 lakh kg flower compost till now. My mom was the target customer for us in the beginning. We had decided to keep working on the products till she approved of them. And the best feedback came from her. She loves it,” says Ankit laughing.

While most of us leave it to the gods to take care of the flowers we offer up in places of worship, kudos to Ankit and Karan for turning at least a part of the offerings into such amazing and environment-friendly products.

Visit here to know more about Helpusgreen. You can purchase these products here and here. Contact the founders at hola@helpusgreen.com.

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

Natarajan

This Man Sold Oranges to Build a School in His Village…

February 14, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

An orange seller in Mangaluru built a school for the poor children in his village. Society has repaid the favour by giving him the most beautiful gift.

In the dusty village of New Papdu in Harekala, around 25 km from Mangaluru, lives a saint. For his almost miraculous contribution to society, the people of the land have bestowed the title of ‘Akshara Santa’ or Saint of Letters on Harekala Hajabba.

Growing up as a boy in a very poor family, Hajabba always nurtured the dream of rolling beedis in the city.

However, life took another turn and forced him to sell oranges instead.

Photo source: Facebook

“I have never been to school. At a young age, poverty pushed me into taking up a job selling oranges. One day, I encountered two foreigners who wanted to buy a few oranges from me. They started speaking to me in English and asked about the price of the oranges. But I was unable to converse with them and they left. I felt humiliated after this incident and was ashamed that the language barrier made them walk away,” he says.

Not wanting anyone else to go through what he had experienced, his life’s mission suddenly became clear to him. From that day onwards, Hajabba worked towards setting up a school so that the poor children in his village had access to education.

His wife Maimoona would often complain, saying he was giving away money meant for their own three children. Later, she too realised the importance of his cause.

Hajabba’s dream slowly took shape in 1999, in the form of a school attached to a madrasa in his village. When it started, there were only 28 students. However, as the number of students grew, Hajabba knew he would have to shift the school to a bigger facility. So he continued to accumulate every rupee he earned towards building a proper school and ensuring the education of future generations.

In 2004, Hajabba bought 50 cents of land. However, he realised that his savings would not be enough to build a school. So Hajabba started approaching people for money. From politicians to organisations to rich individuals, he went knocking on every door.

“I once went to a very rich person’s house to seek funds for the school. But what happened was that instead of giving me money he set his dogs on me,” Hajabba says.

The unwillingness of some people to support him didn’t come in the way of his dream.

Slowly, Hajabba gathered enough money and constructed a small primary school on the land.

Photo source: Facebook

Around this time, the media began to take notice of him too. Hosa Digantha, a Kannada newspaper, was the first to run a story on Hajabba. Soon after that, CNN IBN nominated him for its ‘Real Heroes’ award. Hajabba used his cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh towards building the school.

This was just the beginning.

Soon, recognition began pouring in from every corner. And with the recognition came the donations. Today, the school stands proudly on 1.5 acres of land in the village and has as many as 150 children studying there. From being a primary school, it has now become a secondary school.

“My duty was to only construct the school. I gave it to the government and now the government runs it. It is not only a school for Muslims. Poor children from every religion study in the school,” he says.

Hajabba has truly earned the respect of the people in his village and around the country. Many say they look up to him because the recognition and awards haven’t gone to his head. Nor have they deterred him from his real purpose — he remains humble to date. When the school was constructed, there was a proposal to name it after him. But Hajabba declined, saying he didn’t want to be in the limelight.

Hajabba is often invited to speak at various events. Universities in the region encourage him to share his story in an attempt to inspire students. In 2014, the United Christian Association decided to invite Hajabba to speak at a Christmas programme. To invite Hajabba for the event, Alban Menezes, the founder of the organisation, tried calling him multiple times.

“Finally, his son picked the phone and told me that he was admitted to Yenepoya Hospital in the city and was in critical condition. I rushed to the hospital and this is when the doctors told me there was something troubling Hajabba that was making his health worse,” says Alban.

After a lot of coaxing, Hajabba broke down in front of Alban. He told him that he was worried about not having a proper roof over his head. Hajabba, who had spent all his money for the cause of education, didn’t have any left to repair his dilapidated house.

Alban was deeply saddened by this and decided to construct a house for the man who had done so much for society.

In September 2015, Alban started constructing a house for Hajabba and it was completed in a record four months at a cost of Rs. 15 lakh.

Photo Credit: H.S. Manjunath

While his organisation was able to raise Rs. 1.5 lakh, Alban chipped in the rest of the money from his own resources.

“I am truly overwhelmed. I am an ordinary man you see. I’m not even worth 15 rupees and these people have actually built a house for me. I have no words to express my gratitude,” says Hajabba.

This 760 sq. ft. house has two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a special enclosure for all of Hajabba’s awards and trophies.

Photo source: Facebook

The housewarming ceremony was a special one. This communally-sensitive region witnessed a Hindu priest, a Muslim mullah and a Catholic priest conducting prayers at the ceremony. MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and Karnataka’s Minister for Health and Family Welfare, U.T. Khader, also attended the event.

“The district authorities have been very helpful. I’ve never had a gas stove in my house. The District Commissioner ensured I got a gas connection and a stove. This was sanctioned from some special fund. I feel I’ve been truly blessed,” says Hajabba.

This, however, is not the end of Hajabba’s story. He now plans to construct a Government Pre-University College in his village and has already started working towards the goal. And if his past is any indication, Hajabba will not rest till this dream is fulfilled too.

Source…..Meryl Garcia in www. the betterindia.com

Natarajan

The World’s Only Floating National Park Is Located in India. And It Is Amazing….!!!

February 8, 2016August 31, 2025NatarajanLeave a comment

Imagine standing on a piece of land that floats on water. No, not for some fictitious narration or a movie scene, but in real life – this is something that’s actually possible in Manipur.

Welcome to Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India. This iconic lake, located in Bishnupur district, at a distance of 53 km from Imphal, is known for its circular floating swamps (called phumdis in the local language).

Source: Wikimedia

The term phumdis refers to a collection of heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil, and organic matter at various stages of decomposition. Resembling miniature islands, these phumdis are found in various forms, floating on the lake.

Covering an area of 300 square metres, the lake is a lifeline for many people. It serves as a source of water for hydropower generation, irrigation and drinking water supply in the region, other than being the source of income for many fishermen who largely depend on it. Children of the fishermen can even be seen playing and running around on these phumdis.

“Loktak is our mother. Since time immemorial, the lake has been feeding the people of Manipur and nourishing us”, a fisherwoman told The Northeast Today.

The Sendra Tourist Home, located on a large phumdi island, also makes for an ideal tourist spot.

The lake is home to 233 species of aquatic plants, more than 100 species of birds, and 425 species of animals, including the Indian python and sambhar.

Photo: Flickr/Zehawk

What makes the Loktak Lake even more special is the Keibul Lamjao National Park located at the south western part of the lake. It is the world’s only floating national park and is home to the endangered Manipuri brow-antlered deer, Sangai.

Sangai is the state animal of Manipur. Its hooves are adapted to walk on the phumdis.

Source: Wikimedia

This park, which was initially declared as a Sanctuary in 1966, was subsequently declared a National Park in 1977.

Photo: Flickr/Zehawk

Loktak is a birder’s paradise. The most commonly sighted birds in the region include black kite, northern hill myna, East Himalayan pied kingfisher, lesser skylark, lesser eastern jungle crow, Burmese pied myna, and more.

The lake is now endangered, with innumerable threats like pollution, decline in diversity of avifauna and thinning of phumdis. All this, in turn, threatens the Sangai deer. Phum Shang, an investigative documentary directed by Hao Bam Pabankumar, which examines the serious environmental concerns facing Loktak Lake, won the Golden Conch award for Best Documentary in the Mumbai International Film Festival recently.

Source…….www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan

Shops in a Town in Assam Have Been Painted Blue. Here’s Why….!

February 7, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

If you happen to visit the town of Goalpara in Assam, a splendid surprise will welcome you.

More than 2,000 buildings in Goalpara, one of the cleanest places in the state, have been painted blue to maintain uniformity throughout the city and give it a neater look.

The entire project, which started in February last year, was undertaken by the businessmen in Goalpara, to paint all small and big shops in the town in one colour.

“The Deputy Commissioner had organised a meeting to discuss the Swachh Bharat mission. That was when I suggested the whole town should be of one colour so that it looks clean. He also wanted to ask us to do the same thing. The idea was appreciated and everyone came on board,” says 57-year-old Bimal Surana, who is the owner of a hardware shop in Goalpara.

Deputy Commissioner J.V.N. Subramanyam appealed to the business community to colour the entire commercial area in a unique colour.

The painted buildings are a part of a larger scheme launched by the DC in December 2014. It is called the Mukhyamantir Asomar Nirmal aru Seuj Abhijan – MANASA scheme, the state government’s own cleanliness program. A remarkable change took place in Goalpara under the District Administration and MANASA scheme. The numbers of workers and sweepers in the town have been increased from 30 and 23 respectively, to 60 and 30.

Over 170 dustbins have been placed on the streets and outside every shop.

Open and covered drains are regularly cleaned, and tree plantation drives keep taking place.

“The businessmen also get together, decide one day and clean the whole market. Nobody throws anything outside the dustbins. If anyone does, we stop them and explain the significance of a clean town,” says Bimal.

Goalpara Municipality is the second oldest municipality in the state of Assam. It was established in 1875 by the British Administrator. The town of Goalpara is the District Headquarters of a district by the same name.

The business community has contributed in many different ways. “The Deputy Commissioner asked how I will contribute. I have a hardware shop where I sell paint. So I said that whoever comes to purchase paint from me, I will set aside the profit margin and sell at the cost price. I have sold 6,000 litre of paint without profit. I just wanted everyone to take the initiative forward. No matter what it takes,” says Bimal.

Situated on the western most part of the state, on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra, Goalpara is a beautiful place. And to make it even more beautiful, the town is cleaned every day from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm.

On special cleanliness drives, the citizens, government officials, school and college students are also involved.]

Around 70 nameplates with proper directions have been installed on the streets, along with 50 sodium vapour lamps, 160 CFLs and 228 LEDs.

To ensure round-the-clock cleanliness, J.V.N. Subramanyam keeps visiting the municipal area on regular morning walks to check the progress of the work under MANASA.

According to a report by an executive officer of the Goalpara Municipality, Goalpara had very poor urban development indices prior to this scheme. The maintenance staff members were demotivated and this led to inefficient delivery of urban services. This in turn caused public discontent and non-payments of tax dues by the citizens. MANASA was launched to bring Goalpara out of this vicious circle by rebuilding trust among people and motivating the municipal staff. All conservancy staff members, including sweepers, were provided with two sets of uniforms, raincoats and jackets, helmets, gumboots, and hand gloves, with necessary appliances for cleaning garbage and solid waste. They were also provided with accident and health insurance.

This was followed by the eviction and demolition of unauthorised structures and clearing of clogged drains.

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

Natarajan

கதை கதையாம் காரணமாம்……!!!

February 7, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

முக்கடலும் சங்கமிக்கும் கன்னியாகுமரிக்குச் செல்லும் போதெல்லாம், பெரும்பாறை ஒன்றின் மீது குறைந்த விளக்கொளியின் பரவலில் கம்பீரமாய் எழுந்து நிற்கும் சுவாமி விவேகானந்தர் மண்டபத்தைப் பார்க்கும் போதெல்லாம் ‘எப்படி சாத்தியமானது?’ என்ற கேள்வி என்னுள் எழுந்து நிற்கும்.இன்று, கரைக்கும் மண்டபத்திற்குமான துாரம் குறைந்து விட்டது. கடலில் மூன்றில் ஒரு பகுதி நடந்து செல்லும் பாதையாகி விட்டது. மீதப்பகுதியை சிறிய கப்பல் போன்ற படகில் பாதுகாப்பு உபகரணங்கள் அணிந்து ஐந்து நிமிடத்திற்குள் கடந்து விடலாம். ஆனால் பயணம் செய்யும் அந்த சின்னப் பொழுதில், கடல் அலைகளின் எழுச்சியும், காற்றின் வீச்சும் நம்மைப் பயமுறுத்தத்தான் செய்கிறது.
ஆனால் 113 வருடங்களுக்கு முன்னால், அதிக ஆள் அரவமற்ற இந்தக் கடற்கரையில், இருள் கவிழும் பொழுதில், ஆரவாரத்துடன் அலைகள் எழுந்து குமுறும் கடலில், இக்கரையில் இருந்து அப்பால் உள்ள பாறைக்கு சுவாமி விவேகானந்தர் தன்னந்தனியாக நீந்திச் சென்றிருக்கிறார்!
வானமே கூரையாக அமைந்த அப்பாறை மீது மூன்று நாட்கள் தனிமையில் அமர்ந்து, தாகத்திற்கும் பசிக்கும் ஆதாரமின்றி, தன்னைப் பிழிந்த தவத்தால் ஞான வெளிச்சம் பெற்றிருக்கிறார்! மீண்டும் இக்கரைக்கு நீந்தி வந்திருக்கிறார். இது எப்படி சாத்தியமானது?
இதற்கான வீரமும் துணிச்சலும் அவருக்கு எப்படி கிடைத்தது?
கதைகள் தந்த வீரம்!
சுவாமி விவேகானந்தரின் பால்ய பருவம். நரேந்திரனாய் ஓடியாடி விளையாடிய சின்ன வயசு. நரேந்திரனுக்கு தாய் புவனேஸ்வரியிடம் கதை கேட்பதில் அதிக ஆர்வம். புராண, இதிகாச கதைகளையே தாய் அதிகம் கூறுவார். மகாபாரத பீமன், ராமாயண அனுமன் இருவரது பராக்கிரமங்களைக் கூறும்போது நரேந்திரன் அதிக ஆர்வமாகி விடுவான். திரும்பத் திரும்ப பீமனையும், அனுமனையும் அவனுக்குச் சொல்லியாக வேண்டும்.
பள்ளி வளாகத்தில் பிள்ளைகள் விளையாடிக் கொண்டிருப்பர். ஆனால் நரேந்திரனோ பெரிய மரத்தில் ஏறி, அதன் கிளையில் தலைகீழாகத் தொங்கிக் கொண்டிருப்பான். எச்சரிப்பவர்களிடம், “நான் அனுமனாகப் போகிறேன்” என்பான்.

வருங்காலத்தில் நீ என்னவாகப் போகிறாய்?” என்று யாராவது கேட்டால், “நான் பீமன் ஆகப்போகிறேன்! பயில்வானாகப் போகிறேன்!” என்று நெஞ்சை நிமிர்த்தியவாறு பதில் சொல்லி இருக்கிறான். தீரத்தோடு அவர் தனிமையில் குமரி கடலில் நீந்தியதற்கு காரணம், சின்ன வயதில் தாயிடம் கதை கேட்டு வளர்ந்த அனுபவம் வளர்த்த துணிச்சல்!
கதை சொல்லிகள்!
தாத்தா, பாட்டி, அப்பா, அம்மா, மூத்தோர் என வீடுகளில், வீட்டுத் திண்ணைகளில் அன்று நிறைய கதை சொல்லிகள் இருந்தனர். படிப்பு, விளையாட்டு என ஓடியாடி ஓய்ந்த பொழுதுகளில் குழந்தைகளை அவர்கள் கதை உலகத்திற்குள் அழைத்துச் சென்றனர்.
கதைகள் மூலம் குழந்தைகளுக்கு புராண, இதிகாசங்கள் அறிமுகமாயின. ராஜாக்களும், வீரர்களும் வீரம் தந்தனர். வள்ளல்களும், நல்லவர்களும் மனவிலாசம் தந்தனர். நீதிகளும், நல்ல விஷயங்களும் இளம் சிந்தை வயலில் விதைகளாயின.
அதுமட்டுமல்ல, மூத்த தலைமுறை மூலம்தான் வளரும் தலைமுறைக்கு ஊர்ப் பெருமைகளும், குடும்பப் பாரம்பரியமும், உறவின் உன்னதங்களும் போய்ச் சேர்ந்தது. ஆனால் இன்று வீடுகளில் கதை சொல்லிகள் இல்லை. முதியோர் இருந்தாலும் அவர்களோடு ஒட்ட, உறவாட பிள்ளைகளுக்கு நேரமில்லை. நேரமிருந்தால், தாத்தா பாட்டிகளும், பேரக் குழந்தைகளும் தொலைக்காட்சி முன் கிடக்கிறார்கள்.
முன்பெல்லாம் தொடக்க வகுப்புகளில் ஆசிரியர்கள் நிறைய கதை சொல்வார்கள். ஓவிய ஆசிரியர், தையல் ஆசிரியை வகுப்புகளில் கலையோடு கதைகளும் நிறைந்திருக்கும். ஆனால் இன்று எல்.கே.ஜி. படிக்கும் குழந்தையின் முதுகில் 10 கே.ஜி! படிப்பு, மதிப்பெண், ரேங்க் என்ற ஓட்டத்தில் வகுப்பறைகளிலும் கதைகள் காணாமல் போயின. இதில் பெரிய இழப்பு எதுவென்றால், கலை இலக்கியப் படைப்பாளிகள் குறைந்து வருவதுதான். கதை கேட்கும் போது கற்பனைத் திறன் அதிகரிக்கும். இந்தக் கற்பனைத் திறன்தான் படைப்பாற்றலை வளர்க்கும்.
பால்ய கதைகள். என் பால்ய வயதில் எங்கள் வீட்டுக்கு (கன்னியாகுமரி மாவட்டம், தெற்கு சூரன்குடி கிராமம்) ஒரு பாட்டி வருவார்.வீட்டு வாசலுக்கு வரும்போதே “வெத்தல தட்ட எடுத்துட்டு வாங்க மக்களே!” என்று அறிவிப்பு. பாட்டியின் குரல் சின்னப்பிள்ளைகளான எங்களைப் பரவசப்படுத்தும். காரணம், பாட்டி அற்புதமாகக் கதை சொல்வாள்.

வெற்றிலையை மென்றவாறு பாட்டி கதையை ஆரம்பிப்பாள். ”ஒரு ஊர்ல ஒரு மகாராசா இருந்தாரா! அந்த மகாராசாவுக்கு வடிவான ஒரு பொண்ணு… அந்தப் பொண்ணுக்கு கல்யாணம். மகாராசா வீட்டுக் கல்யாணமாச்சே! அதனால, ஏழு ஊருக்கு பந்தல் போட்டு, பெரிய விருந்து வைக்கணும். விருந்து சமைக்க விறகு சேகரிக்க ரெண்டாயிரம் மாட்டு வண்டிகளை மந்திரி அனுப்புனாரு. அந்த வண்டிக ரெண்டு ஊரு நீளத்துக்கு ஜல்ஜல்லுணு ஊர்வலமா போச்சு…” என்று பாட்டியின் கதை நீளும்.
அந்த பாட்டி காவிப் பற்கள் தெரிய வாய்விட்டுச் சிரிக்க… நாங்களும் ஓ.. என்று கத்தியவாறு சிரிக்க…. அங்கு மகிழ்ச்சி சூழும். இன்பம் நிறையும். ஒற்றுமையுணர்வு ஓங்கும்.
கற்பனை வளர்த்த கதை உலகம் பாட்டி சொன்னது வெறும் கதையா? இல்லை! கதை சொல்லியான அந்த பாட்டி, எங்கள் கைகளைப் பிடித்துக் கொண்டு ஒரு கற்பனை உலகத்துக்கு அழைத்துச் சென்றாள்.
‘ஜல் ஜல் என்ற மணி ஓசையுடன் இரண்டாயிரம் மாட்டு வண்டிகளின் அணிவகுப்பு’- எங்கள் கற்பனைக் காட்சியில் விரிந்தது. ‘வெள்ளை வெளேர்னு யானை போன்ற குச்சிவீட்டுப் பூனை’- என்று அவர் சொன்னது எங்கள் கற்பனைக்குள் எழுந்து வியப்பைத் தந்தது. கதையின் பூதங்கள் எங்கள் கற்பனையில் தோன்றி மிரட்டியது. இந்த கற்பனை உருவாக்கம்தான் கதை கேட்டல் ஏற்படுத்தும் மகத்துவம்.
இன்று டைனோசர், பூதம் எல்லாவற்றையும் கார்ட்டூன் சேனல்களில், திரைப்படங்களில் கிராபிக்சில் கொண்டு வந்து காட்டி, குழந்தைகள் கற்பனை செய்து பார்ப்பதற்கு வாய்ப்பு தராமல் செய்து
விடுகின்றனர்.கதை கேட்கும் போது குழந்தைகளிடம் ஏற்படும் கற்பனைச் சித்திரங்களும், மனம் உருவகிக்கும் காட்சிகளும் தான் பிற்காலத்தில் அவர்களை ஒரு ஓவியனாகவோ, கலைஞனாகவோ,
கவிஞனாகவோ, கதை ஆசிரியனாகவோ உருவாக்குகிறது. கதைகள் உருவாக்கும் படைப்பாற்றல், குழந்தைகளிடம் புதியன உருவாக்குவதற்கான சிந்தனைப் புலத்தை வளர்க்கிறது.
எனவே பெற்றோர்களே! பிள்ளைகளுக்கு நிறைய கதைகளைச் சொல்லுங்கள். தாத்தா, பாட்டிகளுடன் நேரம் செலவிட பிள்ளைகளை அனுமதியுங்கள். அவர்களிடம் கதைகள் கேட்கும் சுந்தரப் பொழுதுகளை தொலைகாட்சி உலகமும், ஆன்ட்ராய்டு உலகமும் அபகரித்துக் கொள்ளாமல் பார்த்துக் கொள்ளுங்கள். உங்கள் வீட்டில் ஒரு படைப்பாளி
உருவாகட்டும்

முனைவர்.மு.அப்துல் சமது,தமிழ்த்துறைப் பேராசிரியர்ஹாஜி கருத்த ராவுத்தர் ஹவுதியா கல்லூரி,உத்தமபாளையம்

Source…….www.dinamalar.com

Natarajan

Construction Worker Becomes Sarpanch & Teaches Villagers How to Use Computers Too !!!

February 5, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Nauroti Devi is not any ordinary 70-year-old. This Dalit woman from Harmada village in Ajmer district of Rajasthan never went to school. But she got elected as the sarpanch of the village and is famous for overcoming the domination of the Jat community in the village.

Can you believe that Nauroti is the one who taught the panchayat secretary how to operate a computer?

She has also trained many other women from her village to use computers.

Photo source: dalitjagran.blogspot.in

According to The Hindu, she says “I carried the computer and printer into the office and used it for regular communication and also to take out printouts of notices.”

In the 1980s, Nauroti joined The Barefoot College in Tilonia. It is here that she joined adult literacy classes and learnt to operate a computer.

During her five-year term as sarpanch, Nauroti Devi managed to do a lot of work for the community. She constructed toilets and houses for those living below the poverty line. She restored a burial ground and fenced it to stop encroachment. She started work on a long-pending Primary Health Center in the village. She also waged a battle against the alcohol mafia. When Nauroti ended her term, she left a surplus of Rs. 13 lakh in the panchayat account.

Nauroti has always been a woman of great resolve. Prior to joining the Barefoot College, she used to work at a construction site as a stone worker. When she was not paid the minimum wage, she managed to mobilise other construction workers and fought for a raise. The workers finally got justice when their case was taken to the court by an NGO.

She was disqualified from contesting in the 2015 panchayat elections for being illiterate. And for this, she has filed a writ petition in court.

Even though she’s no longer a sarpanch, she continues to be a voice for the marginalised in her community.

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

Natarajan

Hyderabad Lab Claims It Has Made World’s First Zika Virus Vaccine…

February 4, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Bharat Biotech, a Hyderabad based vaccines and bio-therapeutic manufacturer, claims it has made a breakthrough in developing the world’s first vaccine against the dreaded mosquito-borne Zika virus.

The World Health Organization recently announced that Zika, which causes serious birth defects in children, is now present in 23 countries. Brazil has the maximum number of cases (3,530) and the United States too announced its first case yesterday.

There is concern that the virus could soon spread to Asia and Africa as well. India too is not as safe as hoped, although the virus was last seen here over 60 years ago.

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Pic Source

The virus causes only a mild illness in most people. However, in pregnant women it is linked to abnormally small heads in their babies, a birth defect called microcephaly.

Bharat Biotech International Limited in Hyderabad told NDTV that they have patented the vaccine.

“On Zika, we are probably the first vaccine company in the world to file a vaccine candidate patent about nine months ago,” said Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Biotech Ltd.

The company used a live Zika virus, imported officially, to develop not one but two candidate vaccines.

Dr. Ella says the company has sought help from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to get this vaccine out to the world as soon as possible.

“We have just been informed about the Zika vaccine candidate that Bharat Biotech has. We will examine it from the scientific point of view and see the feasibility of taking it forward. It is a good example of a Make in India product,” said Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, pediatrician and Director General, ICMR.

Dr. Ella is also seeking the help of Prime Minister Modi in fast tracking the development and delivery of the vaccine to those parts of the world where it is needed most.

The company says it can make one million doses of the vaccine in four months.

Source…….Nishi Malhotra in http://www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan

Who is Amit Singhal? 10 facts about the IITian who redeveloped and ran Google Search for 15 years ….

February 4, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Last night Amit Singhal announced that he was retiring from Google. Amit Singhal who? Well, those who keep an eye on Google know him fairly well. Although, he is not as well-known as Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Sundar Pichai, he is probably the single-most important person inside Google.

The reason why he is such a big deal in Google is because he runs the company’s core search operations. This means, if you use Google Search, whether on the web or on mobile, you use the ideas and features implemented, maintained and conceived by Singhal’s team. He is the man, who for the last 15 years, has kept Google the best damn search engine in the world.

Want to know more about him? Here you go:

1- Amit Singhal is so important to Google that when he retired last night, Danny Sullivan, a long-time Google watcher and founder of Search Engine Blog, compared it to Jony Ive leaving Apple. Now we all know how important Jony Ive is for Apple.

2- Amit Singhal was born in Jhansi. He still visits his family, friends and relatives in India.

3- According to Singhal, he spent “most of my boyhood in the foothills of the Himalayas”.

4- Singhal finished his BS in computer sciences from IIT Roorkee in 1989. He then went to the US.

5- In the US, Singhal studied computer science at University of Minnesota before completing his PhD in computer science from Cornell University.

6- At Cornell, Singhal studied with Prof Gerard Salton. Singhal describes him as “one of the founders of the field of IR (information retrieval).

7- Singhal worked at AT&T’s Bell Labs before he was persuaded to join Google by his friend Krishna Bharat. He joined Google in 2000. Incidentally, Bharat was the person behind Google News.

8- Singhal famously re-wrote the original Google algorithm that was created earlier by Larry Page. He reportedly changed it completely to suit the existing challenges. This apparently impressed Larry Page so much that Singhal was put in charge of Google’s secret sauce — its search algorithm — and was tasked to keep it fresh and relevant.

9- Singhal is a big fan of Star Trek universe and wants to build technologies, such as virtual assistant that understands voice commands, used in the USS Enterprise.

10- When mobile phones started becoming popular, Singhal conceived and developed the idea of “search without searching”. This formed the core of Google Now, a feature on Android phones that provides information to users even before they search for it.

Source……www.indiatoday.intoday.in

Natarajan

Roads Made of Plastic Waste in India? Yes! Meet the Professor Who Pioneered the Technique….

February 2, 2016February 2, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

A Government order in November 2015 has made it mandatory for all road developers in the country to use waste plastic, along with bituminous mixes, for road construction. This is to help overcome the growing problem of plastic waste disposal in India. The technology for this was developed by the ‘Plastic Man’ of India, Prof Rajagopalan Vasudevan, Professor of Chemistry at Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai.

Plastic has slowly became an integral part of all human requirements. Plastic carry bags, packaging material, bottles, cups, and various other items have slowly replaced everything made of other material due to the advantages of plastic. Plastic is durable, easy to produce, lightweight, unbreakable, odourless, and chemical resistant.

But plastic does not decompose. This is its biggest drawback.

Photo source: http://www.changebhai.in

Plastic garbage is commonly seen around the country and has started causing several problems. Plastic waste clogs drains, causing floods. It chokes animals who eat plastic bags, etc. Plastics found in fields blocks germination and prevent rainwater absorption.

Recycling plastic can be done only 3-4 times and melting the plastic for recycling releases highly toxic fumes.

By the turn of the century, a lot of noise was being made to reduce the use of plastic and control the waste it was generating. It was during this time when, one evening, Prof. Vasudevan saw a doctor on a TV program saying that plastic ‘dissolved’ in water bodies caused pollution.

“This set me thinking. Since plastic is a product of petroleum this theory of the doctor had to be false. There was a lot of serious talk about banning plastics all over the country and finding solutions to the waste plastic strewn all over. I decided to take up the challenge to experiment with waste plastics and see if I could find a solution,” he says.

Laboratory results of mixing waste plastic with heated bitumen and coating the mixture over stone proved positive. He implemented the use of plastic waste on a road constructed inside the premises of his college in 2002.

“To date, this stretch of road is still going strong,” he says.

In 2006, the Thiagarajar College of Engineering received the patent for this technology.

The plastic waste items that can be used for road construction are various items like plastic carrybags, plastic cups, plastic packaging for potato chips, biscuits, chocolates, etc.

Photo source: Thiagarajar College of Engineering

The entire process is very simple. The plastic waste material is first shredded to a particular size using a shredding machine. The aggregate mix is heated at 165°c and transferred to the mixing chamber, and the bitumen is heated to 160°c to result in good binding. It is important to monitor the temperature during heating.

The shredded plastic waste is then added to the aggregate. It gets coated uniformly over the aggregate within 30 to 60 seconds, giving an oily look. The plastic waste coated aggregate is mixed with hot bitumen and the resulting mix is used for road construction. The road laying temperature is between 110°c to 120°c. The roller used has a capacity of 8 tons.

“The advantages of using waste plastics for road construction are many. The process is easy and does not need any new machinery. For every kilo of stone, 50 gms of bitumen is used and 1/10^th of this is plastic waste; this reduces the amount of bitumen being used. Plastic increases the aggregate impact value and improves the quality of flexible pavements. Wear and tear of the roads has decreased to a large extent,” explains the proud Plastic Man of India.

This road construction process is extremely eco-friendly, with no toxic gases being released.

Photo Source: walkabilityasia.org

This process has generated an additional job for rag pickers.

Plastic waste helps increase the strength of the road, reducing road fatigue. These roads have better resistance towards rain water and cold weather. Since a large amount of plastic waste is required for a small stretch of road, the amount of waste plastic strewn around will definitely reduce.

Prof R Vasudevan’s inclination to keep experimenting led to another innovation. He decided to try creating a stone block with plastic coating and, in 2012, ‘plastone’ took birth. A plastone block is made from a mixture of waste plastic and stone. It has been found to withstand more pressure and it resists water percolation. In the professor’s department of chemistry they have made plastone blocks using granite and ceramic waste, along with plastic waste.

Each plastone block consumes 300 plastic carry bags and around six PET bottles.

“It is an easier way of disposing off plastic bottles which are found scattered all over,” points out Dr. Vasudevan.

Almost 10% of solid waste consists of used materials that can be broken into pieces and used in the making of plastone. Industrial slug can also be used in the process. One of the foremost advantages of plastone is its non-porous nature and the ability to prevent water penetration.

Photo Source: http://www.thealternative.in/

Plastone can be used for flooring, especially outdoors. It can be a cheap and strong substitute for cement blocks, which have a tendency to wither away in constant rain. It can be an effective liner for water bodies, especially canals, preventing water seepage. It can also be used to raise compound walls. A coat of emulsion can be provided to make it colourful and attractive.

The college, and the professor in particular, have been receiving many queries from various countries in Europe and the Americas for this technology.

“Swacch Bharat is our first priority,” says the professor. “We will first help India dispose of its waste material by spreading the message about the use of plastic waste in road construction and usage of plastone. Once we have made headway in almost every part of our country, we will share this technology with other countries.”

About the author: Aparna Menon is a freelance writer, writing for various newspapers for the past 10 years. Her main fields of interest are wildlife, heritage and history. A keen traveler, she loves to read and write and does a lot of art work too.

Source……..Aparna Menon in www. the betterindia.com

Natarajan

வானவில் பெண்கள்: “எழுபதுக்குப் பிறகும் சாதிக்கலாம்!”

February 1, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

விளையாட்டுக்கும் வயதுக்கும் சம்பந்தமில்லை என்பதைத் தனது வெற்றிகள் மூலம் நிரூபித்துவருகிறார் எழுபது வயது லட்சுமி லோகநாதன். கோவையைச் சேர்ந்த இவர், சர்வதேச விளையாட்டுப் போட்டிகளில் பங்கேற்று பதக்கங்களைக் குவித்துவருகிறார்.

உள்ளூர் முதல் ஒலிம்பிக் வரை

கோவை ஹோப் காலேஜ் ஸ்ரீநகரில் இருக்கும் லட்சுமியின் வீடு முழுக்க பதக்கங்களும் கோப்பைகளும் நிரம்பிவழிகின்றன. மூத்தோர் தடகளப் போட்டிகளில் ஓட்டப் பந்தயம், உயரம் தாண்டுதல், போல்வால்ட் ஆகிய விளையாட்டுகள் எங்கு நடந்தாலும் அங்கே லட்சுமியைப் பார்க்கலாம். பங்கேற்கும் போட்டிகள் அனைத்திலும் பதக்கங்கள் வெல்வது இவரது சிறப்பு.

கடந்த 2003-ம் ஆண்டு தொடங்கியது இவரது இந்தத் தடகளப் பயணம். கடந்த 13 ஆண்டுகளில் மாவட்டம், மாநிலம், தேசிய மற்றும் சர்வதேசப் போட்டிகளில் பங்கேற்று 83 பதக்கங்களை வசப்படுத்தியுள்ளார். குறிப்பாக, கடந்த 2004 முதல் 2014-ம் ஆண்டுவரை நடந்த ஆறு ஆசிய விளையாட்டுப் போட்டிகளில் பங்கேற்றுத் தொடர்ச்சியாக 16 பதக்கங்களை வென்றுள்ளார். இதில், ஆறு தங்கப் பதக்கங்களும், மூன்று வெள்ளிப் பதக்கங்களும், ஏழு வெண்கலப் பதக்கங்களும் அடங்கும். இதைவிட கூடுதல் சிறப்பாக, 2009-ம் ஆண்டு பின்லாந்தில் நடைபெற்ற உலக மூத்தோர் ஒலிம்பிக் போட்டியில் கழியூன்றித் தாண்டுதல் (போல்வால்ட்) போட்டியில் வெண்கலப் பதக்கம் வென்றுள்ளார்.

பயிற்சிக்காக தினமும் இரண்டு மணி நேரத்தை ஒதுக்கிவிடும் லட்சுமி, இத்தனை வெற்றிக்கும் முக்கியமான காரணம் தனது கணவர் லோகநாதன் என்பதைச் சுட்டிக்காட்டுகிறார்.

துணை நிற்கும் துணை

“கோவை வெள்ளலூர்தான் சொந்த ஊர். திருமணத்தின்போது பி.யு.சி. வரை மட்டுமே படித்திருந்தேன். அது 1965 காலகட்டம். திருமணம் முடிந்ததும் என்னை வீட்டிலேயே முடக்கிவிட எனது கணவர் விரும்பவில்லை. எனக்கு சிறு வயதில் இருந்தே விளையாட்டில் ஆர்வம் இருந்ததை அறிந்துகொண்ட அவர், உடற்கல்வி ஆசிரியர் பயிற்சி வகுப்பில் என்னைச் சேர்த்தார்.

அதை முடித்தவுடன் சில ஆண்டுகளில் அரசு பள்ளியில் உடற்கல்வி ஆசிரியர் பணி கிடைத்தது. பணிக் காலத்தில் தடகளப் போட்டிகள் எதிலும் பங்கு கொள்ளவில்லை. ஆனால், நிறைய விளையாட்டு வீரர்களை உருவாக்கியுள்ளேன்” என்று சொல்லும் லட்சுமி, கடந்த 2001-ம் ஆண்டு விருப்ப ஓய்வில் பணியை விட்டு விலகினார். அதன் பிறகு இரண்டு ஆண்டுகள் வீட்டில் இருந்தார். இவரது கணவர் லோகநாதனும் ஓட்டப் பந்தயம், ஈட்டி எறிதல் ஆகிய போட்டிகளில் ஆர்வம் கொண்டவர்.

“வீட்ல சும்மா இருப்பதற்கு பதிலாக ஏதாவது ஒரு விளையாட்டில் கலந்து கொள், பதக்கம்கூட முக்கியமில்லை என்று சொல்லி என்னை அவர் அழைத்துச் சென்றார். அவருடன் சென்று ஓட்டப் பந்தயத்தில் கலந்துகொண்டு பதக்கங்களை வென்றேன். அதுதான் எனது வாழ்வின் திருப்பு முனையாக அமைந்தது. அந்த போட்டியைத் தொடர்ந்து மாநிலப் போட்டிக்கு தகுதி பெற்றேன். பின்னர், தேசியப் போட்டிகளில் வெற்றி பெற்று முதல் முறையாக 2004-ம் ஆண்டு பாங்காக்கில் நடந்த ஆசிய போட்டிக்குள் நுழைந்தேன்” என்று சொல்கிறார் லட்சுமி லோகநாதன்.

யோகா பயிற்சியில் பெரும்பாலான ஆசனங்களையும் எளிதாகச் செய்யும் இவர், சமையலிலும் கலக்குகிறார். ஆறு ஆண்டுகளாக முயற்சித்து, கடந்த டிசம்பர் மாதம் உடற்கல்வி மற்றும் யோகா பயிற்சி என்ற பாடப்பிரிவில் பி.எச்டி. முடித்துள்ளார். எம்.ஏ., எம்.பி.எட்., பி.எட்., எம்.ஃபில்., பி.எச்டி., என இவரது கல்வித் தகுதி நீள்கிறது. பல்வேறு விஷயங்களில் சிறப்பாகச் செயல்படுவதற்கு நேர மேலாண்மையே கைகொடுக்கிறது என்கிறார் லட்சுமி.

சாதனைகள் சாத்தியமே

இத்தனை உயரத்தை இவர் மிக எளிதில் எட்டிப்பிடித்துவிடவில்லை. மூத்தோர் தடகளப் பிரிவில் 2011-ம் ஆண்டு சண்டீகரில் உயரம் தாண்டுதல் போட்டியில் பங்கேற்றபோது வலது முழங்காலில் எலும்பு முறிவு ஏற்பட்டு, ஓர் ஆண்டுவரை நடக்க முடியாத நிலை ஏற்பட்டது. விளையாட்டுக்கு முழுக்குப் போட்டுவிடுமாறு மருத்துவர்கள் எச்சரித்த பிறகும் தன்னம்பிக்கையைத் தளரவிடவில்லை. கடுமையான போராட்டத்துக்குப் பிறகு அதிலிருந்து மீண்டு வந்தார். சர்வதேசப் போட்டிகளில் கலந்துகொள்ளும்போது ஆகும் செலவுதான் பெரிய இடையூறாக இருக்கிறது என்றும் அவர் குறிப்பிடுகிறார்.

“போக்குவரத்துச் செலவை நாங்கள்தான் சமாளித்துக்கொள்ள வேண்டும். போட்டியில் பதக்கம் வென்றால் மட்டும் அரசு சார்பில் 30 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் ஊக்கத்தொகை வழங்கப்படும். ஆனால், வெளிநாடுகளுக்குச் சென்றுவிட்டு திரும்பினால் குறைந்தபட்சம் 2 லட்சம்வரை ஆகிறது. இதைவிட, அந்த நாடுகளில் உள்ள சீதோஷ்ண நிலை எங்களை வாட்டி வதைத்துவிடும். பின்லாந்து உலகப் போட்டியில் கலந்து கொண்டபோது அங்கு 6 மாதம் தொடர்ச்சியாக, பகல் மட்டுமே இருந்த காலம்.

அந்த சீதோஷ்ண நிலையை 20 நாட்கள் எதிர்கொள்வதற்கு எனது தள்ளாத வயதில் மிகவும் சிரமப்பட்டேன்” என்று வெளிநாட்டுப் பயணம் சார்ந்த தன் அனுபவங்களைப் பகிர்ந்துகொள்ளும் லட்சுமிக்கு சைவ உணவு கிடைப்பதிலும் சிக்கல் ஏற்பட்டதாம்.

“எத்தனை கஷ்டம் இருந்தாலும் பதக்கம் வெல்கிற அந்த நொடி, அத்தனை துயரங்களையும் மறக்கடித்துவிடுகிறது” என்று கை உயர்த்திப் புன்னகைக்கிறார் லட்சுமி.

Source…..ம. சரவணன் in http://www.tamil.thehindu.com

Natarajan