India – Page 31 – Take off with Natarajan

Two accidents, a wheelchair and a National award….

October 7, 2015October 7, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

At 22, I had so many dreams — disability was definitely not part of the plan.

“In the Indian society, disability almost always invites sympathy and charity.

“Heck, once a woman gave me 25 paise — just because I was sitting outside a temple and was disabled, she thought I was a beggar!

“This stigmatisation is unshakeable from our mindsets.”

Years ago, a fateful accident overturned Shivani Gupta’s life for the worse. How she bounced back and emerged a winner is an inspiring tale in itself.

Shivani Gupta was a young and independent girl from Delhi.

Having spent most of her life studying in different parts of the country and living by herself, she was one of those buoyant and self-assured individuals with a solid plan and all the commitment needed to see it through.

And sure enough, good things were happening to her.

Graduating from the Institute of Hotel Management, living in the capital, landing a job as a guest relations officer at a five star hotel — for the twenty-something, her life’s best decade seemed to be playing out like clockwork.

Until one night, when she had invited some friends over for a little soiree.

The bunch partied into the night, until it started getting late and was time for everyone to go home.

Shivani volunteered to drop a female friend back to her hotel; but that car ride changed everything.

They met with a massive accident, inflicting a spinal cord injury on the 22-year-old that rendered her quadriplegic.

To say that she bounced back and immediately got her life back together would be a lie, but how grandly she did when she managed to, is a story worth telling.

Identity crisis

An identity crisis was washed ashore with her brand new circumstances.

She knew her life was going to undergo a whirlwind of changes, but she could not foresee just how it would unfold.

“I had no idea what this disability meant, and was absolutely clueless how to deal with it. I did not know what to expect any more.

“At 22, I had so many dreams — disability was definitely not part of the plan.

“Back then, there was zero awareness about dealing with it — so this situation had a disheartening sense of finality. It was a long journey until I felt I could face the world.”

Post the accident, Shivani lost her ideal job back at the hotel.

“Corporates weren’t open to employing people with disability. I was told that there is recession, so they couldn’t continue to employ me.

“I didn’t even know that I had the right to fight for it, that it was even possible. I accepted thinking there really was no alternative.”

Getting back into the game

Soon Shivani saw that she could channelise her need to still be part of the world, into a different hobby.

“I started painting. My hands were paralysed, so by moving them in this light manoeuvers, it proved to be therapeutic.

“I started selling my hand painted art. Wherever I would hear of exhibitions, melas and events, I would show up with my table and collection,” she said.

“I knew for a fact that I wasn’t the best painter — so I always had this dilemma.

“Were people purchasing my stuff because it was good, or merely because I was disabled?

“I couldn’t have lived with the answer if it was the latter, so even before I could find out, I decided to try my hand at something else.”

Around that time, she had the opportunity to join a rehabilitation centre in the UK for two months — to explore the idea of accessibility.

That programme was her first tryst with the concept, and she learnt that she was also entitled to some rights in spite of her physical condition.

Helping others like her find meaning

When she returned from the programme in 1996, she was determined to go all out in spreading the word — for there finally seemed to be some hope.

The Indian Spinal Injuries Centre back then, was still skeletal and in the process of being constructed.

It was an alien concept after all, trying to console a person impaired by injuries.

Shivani joined there as a counsellor to interact with patients in the same situation as her, and continued to do her bit in building hundreds of morales for six years.

“Back then, raising awareness was the need of the hour, for no one was really willing to offer hope to us,” says Shivani.

Her pursuit of normalcy led her to a UNESCAP training programme in Bangkok, at their headquarters.

‘Training in non-handicapping environment’ was the purpose of this seminar, and Shivani learnt how it is not only her right, but the government’s responsibility to grant her the means to compete with the world at an equal footing.

She returned to India and immediately laid the framework to spearhead a series of five workshops for NGOs and governmental representatives from all states of the country.

Even though she laid an elaborate enough plan for the representatives to adopt, nothing from the seminar even found place in discourse for a long, long time.

“This mostly fell apart, because they couldn’t see live examples. Nothing was accessible at all.

“Thus, our attendees didn’t integrate it in their work. There was a much longer training programme and much more commitment required,” explains Shivani.

She co-authored one of the first pieces of literature on the subject, but felt a dearth in her own knowledge as well.

AccessAbility

“I felt like I needed to study further, so I pursued a Masters in Architecture Design in UK from EDEXCEL, and went on to procure a post graduate degree in MSc in Inclusive Environments at the University of Reading, UK.”

With a whole list of tangible solutions, now, Shivani could offer not only a first person’s perspective on disability and the needs that the disabled have — she also helped an organisation with well-researched and expert ideas to implement accessibility mechanisms.

Under the name AccessAbility, she kicked off in 2006.

“Our concentrated work on accessibility engaged in all kinds of things.

“Be it the private sector, hospitality, retail, people wanting to employ disable people, educational institutes — we gave them the entire plan of how they could make their infrastructure and practices disabled-friendly.”

Shivani’s initiative even became a name to reckon with internationally, as she associated with the office of the High Commissioner in Human Rights in Geneva.

Things were starting to look up, and she was finally starting to discover her place in the world again.

Faced with loss yet again

But in 2009 an unexpected turn of events threatened to disrupt, once again, everything she had rebuilt.

Shivani met with another accident, and this one claimed the life of her soul-mate and pillar of strength — her husband.

Her father-in-law was also a victim in the accident.

Deeply disturbed by the loss of her companion, Shivani knew she had to heal herself and keep going.

After all, she wouldn’t have survived two such colossal calamities if she didn’t have a purpose to fulfil in the world.

How she decided to heal, was by writing her first book, No Looking Back — an autobiography.

“Writing about myself had me thinking deeply about so many things, and made me realise that all the answers I was looking for could be found in my own story.

“I learned to make my peace with things I couldn’t control when I wrote about them.”

Winning the National Award for being a role model

Her unwavering resolve resonated with many greats of the country, as she was presented with various honours and awards for never letting go of her spirit — The NCEPRD — Shell Helen Keller Award awarded for her work in increasing employment opportunities for persons with disabilities; the CavinKare Ability Mastery Award for being a role model; the Snowdon Award for Disabled Students, and the Neerja Bhanot Award given yearly to a woman subjected to social injustice, who faces the situation with grit and determination.

In fact, she was also an illustrious recipient of the National Award instituted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment presented to her by none other than the former President of India — Late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

“The most special one to me, amongst these, is the Neerja Bhanot award.

“The entire organising team, upon learning of my condition, arranged for ramps to be put up on their staircases so I could go up to the arena myself.

“Although the ramps turned out to be very steep, I was deeply moved. It was the thought that mattered.”

‘Once a woman gave me 25 paise’

It is not everyday though, that Shivani meets people with such empathy and maturity.

“In the Indian society, disability almost always invites sympathy and charity.

“Heck, once a woman gave me 25 paise — just because I was sitting outside a temple and was disabled, she thought I was a beggar!

“This stigmatisation is unshakeable from our mindsets.

“No one understands that the disability is just one of our many characteristics. Say, if you were to go to Russia and don’t speak the language, you would be disabled in that regard too. But that doesn’t mean you are completely useless. Similarly, we have many abilities too.”

Far from being inept, this woman is iconic — in her optimism, her courage, her unshackled spirit, she is a stalwart for everyone who has had trouble seeing the light.

“Be patient, take life as it comes, and always be thankful,” she concludes.

Source….Binjal Singh….www.rediff.com

natarajan

This Couple Found a Surprisingly Simple Way to Tame 120 Aggressive Stray Dogs – Just Feed Them!!!!

October 6, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Their day starts with cooking. Proceeds to their full-time jobs in multinational companies. And ends after midnight. What’s special? Well, it’s after midnight that they go out to feed the 120 street dogs for whom they cooked in the morning. Meet Anil Prasad and Bismi Anil, a couple whose love for dogs is not just inspiring, it is even helping people in the Whitefield area of Bangalore live in harmony with strays.

It’s after midnight in Whitefield. About 120 dogs are up and alert. They are looking forward to two very special visitors. They know it’s time. Like every night, their guests will soon arrive. A man and a woman, who come with an exciting treat for each one of them. Every single day!

And here they are. Anil Prasad and Bismi Anil – an amazing couple, out on an exceptional mission. They reach at around the same time each day, driving a car that is stacked with lots of food, enough to feed many stray dogs in Whitefield, in and around their apartment complex.

With hearts full of compassion and vessels full of food, they are greeted by the stray dogs like pets greet their owners.

All the dogs have names: Cathy, Stripe, Socksy, Padmini, Cimba, Runner, Tommy, Bolt, Charlie, Signal, Pointer, Butterscotch, Chotti, Rani, Tiger, and more –

Anil and Bismi, both 40-years-old, have taken up the responsibility of creating a unique environment for dogs and the residents of Whitefield so they can co-exist in peace. They do this in various ways, the most important of which is a feeding program for dogs. And they do it along with managing their full-time day jobs in multinational companies.

“It all started with one dog. Around six years back, there came a stray dog with a dislocated hip to the lane where we live. It was very lean and used to drag itself on the road. We felt that it wouldn’t survive. At that time, our pet dog had a habit of wasting a lot of food. So we started giving some food to this dog as well,” remembers Anil.

With proper food, and the required medical care, the dog started to gain strength. Today, it is hale and hearty and continues to enjoy lovely meals provided by this couple.

Pinky enjoying a meal

But Anil and Bismi did not just stop there. When others dogs from the locality began to join the first one, knowing that food is being provided, they began feeding them too.

“We slowly realised that this was making a lot of difference; both to the health of these dogs and the environment in the community as well. We saw that the welfare of the community animals benefits the community as a whole. So we continued,” says Anil.

Ask him what are these benefits that motivated them to continue, and he explains – “Basically, the biggest issue with stray dogs in a community is their aggression towards pedestrians, small children, people on vehicles, etc. If that is controlled, the residents and the dogs can coexist without any disturbances. And to control it we need to do three things — sterilise them to control the population, make sure they are all vaccinated, and try to educate the residents of the community about how to live with the dogs in harmony.”

Hence, what started as a casual feeding activity for one dog turned into an overall welfare program for 120 dogs.

And it started with just one dog

Over the last three years, the couple has ensured that most stray dogs living in various societies, apartment complexes and communities in Whitefield are neutered, vaccinated and well-fed.

Since feeding and medication were now taken care of, they started talking to people to make them more aware about how well-fed and sterilised dogs won’t be a menace for the society if the residents give them a chance to live without fear.

“All the 120 dogs that we are feeding today are more like pet dogs. When they have medical issues and we take them to the vet, even the doctors are unable to believe that they are street dogs. They are so well behaved and tame now – they don’t bite and only know how to love. Such awareness among animals can be created by making sure that all their needs are met,” narrates the proud dog lover.

The feeding of the dogs takes place at a few fixed locations that the couple has identified within a distance of 10 km from their apartment.

“Dogs don’t travel long distances. They have a 200-300m radius and they are mostly found there. That is their territory. So all those places have the same dogs each day,” says Anil. They have even trained the dogs to respond to a special whistle — they come running when they hear it.

Every morning, at around 6:30 am, they cook a biryani like dish for their street friends. For this, they use about 15 kg rice and 6-7 kg meat waste, which is obtained from the local meat vendors (it includes chicken waste, mutton fat, leftover bones, etc.). Then the two leave for their respective day jobs. In the evening, they put the food in service vessels and go out at around 12:30 at night to feed the dogs. “Dogs can be aggressive when they are being fed. So if pedestrians are watching them while they eat, it can be dangerous. If someone approaches them they can attack. That is why we chose this time when it is peaceful and they won’t be interrupted,” says Anil.

The food is served in biodegradable plates. By the time the dogs finish their meal, the plates are soaked and ready to dissolve.

The table is set

Another benefit of feeding the dogs is that the couple gets a chance to go close to them and observe if any of them is facing any medical issues. According to Anil, dogs get very aggressive when they are injured or suffering. A skin or ear infection, or any injury somewhere, can make them aggressive and they can bite people.

“We know them so well that it is easy for us to notice if a dog is not well. It is also very easy for us to recognize if a dog is not eating properly. If some dog is eating less that it usually does, we understand that it has a problem. Then we give the required medical attention.”

Anil and Bismi sponsor the whole program themselves. The amount needed to take care of the dogs comes to around Rs. 30,000 per month.

Half of this goes for the food, and the other half for medical treatment of the dogs. Some of their friends contribute with a few kilograms of rice sometimes. They also get a lot of emotional support from friends and animal lovers across the city.

But their journey has not been a very easy one. Whenever they start working in a new community or society, they face a lot of opposition from the residents who don’t want the dogs to get accustomed to getting food inside their locality. The couple has even been threatened at times. But the two are determined to continue, no matter what.

And the results are visible now. “There is a society near our place. When we went there to begin the program the residents said that they want to get rid of all the dogs, even kill them if required. We sat with them and tried to understand their point of view and realised that they were concerned because the dogs were creating a lot of disturbance in the area. They were biting people, throwing them off their bikes, stealing shoes, etc. Then we took over. Today, the people of the same community want to adopt strays as pets,” says a beaming Anil, who wants to set up a shelter for injured dogs in the future.

Anil and Bismi have shown that it takes no more than a lot of love and some grains of rice to win over the affection of man’s best friend. And that people who are afraid of dogs can learn, with patience and education, how to co-exist with them in harmony.

Man’s best friend

You can contact the couple by writing to them at bismia@gmail.com.

Source….Tanaya Singh …www.the betterindia.com

natarajan

6 Amazing Facts About Baripatha – Odisha’s First 100% Solar Powered Village….

October 6, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Baripatha has become the first village in Odisha to be entirely solar-powered, with an individual solar unit for every household.

After waiting for electricity for several years, lives of the residents of Baripatha, a tribal village in Odisha, changed for the better on Oct. 2, 2015. On this day, Baripatha became the first village in the state to be completely powered by solar energy.

Here are few things to know about the village and this project:

1. Baripatha is located about 25 km southwest of Bhubaneswar. The village has 61 households, and a population of about 350 people.

Picture for representation only. Photo Credit: Premasagar Rose/Flickr

2. The project cost Rs. 7 lakh and was co-funded by the solar products manufacturer, ECCO Electronics, and the power solutions provider, Jackson Group.

“We requested companies such as Nalco, Ecco Solar and Jackson Solar to help us with the solar project for the village…This model can be replicated all over Odisha to provide power to its nearly 3,900 villages,” senior IPS officer Joydeep Nayak, who is the driving force behind this initiative, told The Times of India.

Picture for representation only. Photo Credit: Flickr

3. Under this project, individual solar units with two solar home-lighting systems, which also have the facility of charging mobile phones and other devices, have been installed for each of the 61 households in the village.

This is accompanied by a central one-kilowatt unit for the entire village that will be used to power the eight street lamps along with a LED television set and TV set-top box that have been provided to the villagers and have been installed in their community centre.

Picture for representation only. Photo Credit: Flickr

4. The central solar unit has eight panels that can be folded quickly in case of cyclones and high-speed winds that are frequent in Odisha.

The unit can also operate a one-horsepower irrigation pump.

Picture for representation only. Photo Credit: Flickr

5. What makes the project in Baripatha is that in most rural solar projects, there is a central unit which supplies power to all households.

But that leads to many problems like the exposed cables being tapped by villagers. In this case, some households draw more power than their share, which in turn causes the central line to trip because of overload. Thus, to avoid such issues, individual units have been set up for each household.

Picture for representation only. Photo Credit: Flickr

6. The entire solar project is low cost, low maintenance and community owned.

The only maintenance needed now is the regular cleaning of panels and ensuring that water levels of batteries for the central unit are at the required mark. According to ECCO CEO, Vivek Bihani, the whole village was involved in the planning and execution of the project. “Village mukhia Narayan Hisa along with a local ITI diploma holder, Epil Kumar Singh, are responsible for the maintenance,” he informed.

Source: YouTube

The project was inaugurated on Friday by the chairman and managing director of National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), Tapan Kumar Chand. He, along with the other state officials, distributed the two lighting systems to each household.

Source…..Tanaya Singh….www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan

IISc Students Design Helicopter Which Derives Power from Its Own Blades. Bag Prestigious Award …..

October 6, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

A team of students from Indian Institute of Science bagged a coveted award at the Student Design Competition conducted by American Helicopter Society International. This is what the students had designed.

This August, four students from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, won the ‘Best New Entry – Graduate’ award at the Student Design Competition conducted annually by the American Helicopter Society International.

The challenge was to design a small helicopter that can carry packages weighing up to 10kgs and can deliver them in urban settings.

Source: Facebook

The eco-friendly aspect of the challenge was that the helicopter should function at a noise level lower than a prescribed limit, with minimal carbon footprint. Team Lakshya, of aerospace engineering department of IISc, came up with two solutions:

To deliver lighter packages: A four-blade small helicopter (a quad-rotor, looks like a drone) that derives power from the vibrations of its blades.
To deliver heavier packages: A conventional unmanned aerial vehicle

Both the vehicles partly derive power from their blades, thus reducing carbon footprint as compared to helicopters which are fully powered by fossil fuels.

The technology behind using energy from blade vibrations has been developed by the Non Linear Multifunctional Composites Analysis and Design (NMCAD) laboratory of the department of aerospace engineering in IISc. The institute is in the process of getting the technology patented. The team behind the development of this technology was crowned ultimate champion at the 4th edition of UNESCO-Airbus biennial innovation challenge, “Fly Your Ideas (FYI)” at Hamburg, Germany, in June this year.

American Helicopter Society organizes the Student Design Competition in association with other major helicopter companies, and this was the 32nd edition of the competition.

“The AHS International annual Student Design Competition challenges students to design a vertical lift aircraft that meets specified requirements, provides a practical exercise for engineering students at colleges and universities around the world and promotes student interest in vertical flight technology,” says that society’s website.

Every year, the organizers choose an open design problem and students have to submit their entries. The jury has academic and well as industry experts.

“It is indeed a proud moment and a wonderful experience to be recognised by the world’s most renowned vertical flight society,” said Rajnish Mallick, a doctoral graduate from IISc, who led Team Lakshya, to The Hindu.

Featured image for representation only. Photo Credit: Lee/Flickr

Source…. Tanaya Singh….www.thebetterindia.com

Natarajan

How One School Used Solar Power to Go from Being an Electricity Consumer to Electricity Producer …

October 6, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

In the small coastal town of Pondicherry, south of Chennai, there is a school that is not only self-reliant in terms of energy but is also sharing the excess it produces with other buildings in the area.

The Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education (SAICE) in Pondicherry has been operating on green energy since September 2014.

Many schools encourage their students to switch off the fans and lights after use, plant trees and take other initiatives to save energy. However, very few go beyond just asking them to take precautions and save energy. SAICE is different.

This educational institute is self-reliant in terms of energy; it meets all its energy requirements through solar power. Moreover, it produces three times the electricity it consumes and lights up many other buildings with the excess energy.

Sri Aurobindo Ashram

And it has done so by devising and implementing a project almost entirely on its own.

SAICE is a part of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. It was in 2012 that Dr. Brahmanand Mohanty, an alumnus of SAICE, came up with the idea of making the ashram energy efficient with the help of a sustainable model.

“As the Indian economy continues to grow, so will its energy consumption. The country’s primary energy consumption more than doubled between 1990 and 2011. As the demand continues to grow, keeping pace with the GDP growth, the energy sector is struggling to deliver a secure supply of energy,” says Dr. Mohanty, explaining why he thought this move was important. Hailing from Odisha, Dr. Mohanty is currently working as the Visiting Professor at the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, and has been engaged in the area of energy and environment managements since the last three decades.

According to Dr. Mohanty, many rural areas of the country do not have access to electricity. And urban India uses energy-intensive appliances, resulting in electricity shortage.

The entrance of the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education –

Dr. Mohanty had a vision of developing a system that would make SAICE self-dependent for energy. With this in mind, he had a meeting with the trustees of the Ashram. They gave him the go ahead and even suggested that pilot research activities should be taken up with the active participation of the young teachers and students at the Institute. And then it all began. The whole project was conducted in two phases from 2012 to 2015.

Phase One: The Pilot

The pilot research took place between 2012 and 2014. The idea was to demonstrate that it is possible for an electricity consumer to achieve net-energy positive status (to generate more energy than consumed) by adopting measures to lower the energy demand through energy efficiency and conservation, and producing electricity using solar energy. To begin with, the energy requirements of SAICE were measured, in order to understand the pattern of electricity consumption over a long period of time.

Following this analysis, all inefficient lamps, fans, air conditioners, and computers, which had been in use since a long period of time, were substituted by more energy-efficient alternatives to lower the energy demand by more than 25 percent, without compromising on the quality and service.

Replacement of energy-inefficient appliances by more efficient alternatives

With a better understanding of how much energy the educational institute was consuming, they came to the decision that a solar power plant should be installed inside the campus so as to meet all the energy demands in-house. Thus, a 17 kWp rooftop solar power plant was set up in the school by an Auroville-based solar installer.

Teachers and students were involved in the entire process right from the start. They helped in the basic wiring, setting up the panels on the rooftop, and more.

Students of SAICE actively involved in the installation of the rooftop solar power plant. –

“This allowed them to get a better grasp of the working principles of a grid-tie solar power generation system and they also got practical exposure to the various aspects of the solar system to be taken into consideration in order to ensure its proper functioning over a long time frame,” says Dr. Mohanty.

With this solar plant, SAICE evolved from being an electricity consumer to an electricity producer. This research initiative was supported and recognized by the Government of Pondicherry, as well as the Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCI), as part of the pioneering Smart Grid Pilot project being implemented for the first time in India. Smart Grid facilitates a two-way electricity delivery system, that is, integration of renewable energy sources followed by smart transmission and distribution from the renewable source to the nearby consumers.

Thus, after the solar plant was set up, 700 kWh of excess energy was exported back into the power grid during the first month.

A wide-angle photo of the solar panels installed on SAICE rooftop –

Phase Two: Giving More than they Take

This phase started after the announcement of the Solar Energy Regulations by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for Goa and Union Territories in December 2014. One of the features of this regulation is group net metering. What is that?

“If someone owns more than one property connected to the power grid, it is possible for him/her to install bigger capacity solar plants in one or more buildings and use the excess electricity that is generated to adjust the electricity consumed in other buildings on rooftops where there is no solar installation. For example, the excess 700 kWh that was produced by the rooftop solar system in the school last September could be used by the Ashram to reduce or avoid the payment of electricity in another Ashram building,” explains Dr. Mohanty.

As the Ashram is the owner of many buildings, for its various departments, the school was able to utilise this feature.

Thus, in the second phase, which took shape in March 2015, the rooftop solar power plant was expanded to achieve a cumulative solar power generation capacity of 50 kWp. The plant has now been extended to four buildings inside the ashram complex and it generates an average of 6,500 kWh electricity per month, which is more than three times the present electricity consumption of the school.

The excess then is used for the electricity needs of other buildings of the ashram.

Results of the data from the bi-directional smart electric meter showing how SAICE had become a net electricity exporter after the installation of the 17 kWp solar power plant.

“The main operation of the school is during the daytime and there are limited activities beyond sunshine hours. The electricity produced by the solar plant not only takes care of all the needs of SAICE during the day but also exports 161 kWh of electricity to the power grid. On the other hand, only about 32 kWh of electricity is drawn from the power grid after sunset…This demonstrates how school buildings that are mainly operational during daytime can adopt rooftop solar systems to not only meet their own electricity needs but also assist in bridging the shortfall in the grid supply,” says Dr. Mohanty.

The organization that helped with the development of the power plants also developed a remote monitoring system called Wattmon, which tracks the performance of the four solar power plants, online. It also monitors the voltage, current, power output, solar inverter efficiency, and total electricity produced at any time of the day.

The Ashram already produces its own rice, lentils, vegetable, milk and cooking oil that are needed in the community dining room on a daily basis. This is an added step towards sustainability.

Noticing the benefits of this system, people at the Ashram and in the nearby places are trying to take suitable steps to gradually reduce their dependence on fossil-fuel fired power plants. More and more students are also keen to learn about how solar energy can be harnessed to serve humanity and they now dream of having a more sunny future.

The entire project cost about Rs. 1 crore and was completely funded by the Ashram itself.

A bird’s-eye-view photo of the solar panels installed on SAICE rooftop with the Indian Ocean in the backdrop

But this, according to Dr. Mohanty, is a profitable deal. Because the cost-benefit analysis of the solar power project shows that the capital investment on the project can be recovered roughly in 10 years from the savings in electricity bills.

“The main message of this research initiative is that those who have access to energy and can well afford it…can also contribute to making the scarce energy resources available for all those who do not have access,” he concludes.

You can contact Dr. Mohanty by writing to him at mohantyb@gmail.com.

Source….Tanaya Singh……www.thebetterindia.com

Natarajan

A Lovely Little Ancedote About Gandhiji….

October 4, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Gandhi … A lovely little anecdote about one of life’s more interesting characters …

When Mahatma Gandhi was studying law at the University College of London, a professor by the name of Peters disliked him intensely and always displayed animosity towards him. And because Gandhi never lowered his head when addressing him, as he expected, there were always “arguments” and confrontations.

One day Mr Peters was having lunch at the University dining room when Gandhi came along with his tray and sat next to him. The professor said,”Mr Gandhi, you do not understand. A pig and a bird do not sit together to eat.” Gandhi looked at him as a parent would a rude child and calmly replied, “You do not worry, professor. I’ll fly away,” and he went and sat at another table.

Peters, red with rage, decided to take revenge on the next test paper, but Gandhi responded brilliantly to all questions.
Unhappy and frustrated, Mr Peters asked him the following question: “Mr Gandhi, if you were walking down the street and found a package, and within it was a bag of wisdom and another bag with a lot of money, which one would you take?”
Without hesitating, Gandhi responded, “The one with the money, of course.” Mr Peters, smiling sarcastically, said, “I, in your place, would have taken the wisdom.” Gandhi shrugged indifferently and responded, “Each one takes what he doesn’t have.”

Mr Peters, by this time, was fit to be tied. So great was his anger that he wrote on Gandhi’s exam sheet the word “idiot” and handed it back to him. Gandhi took the exam sheet and sat down at his desk, trying hard to remain calm while he contemplated his next move. A few minutes later, Gandhi got up, went to the professor and said to him in a dignified but sarcastically polite tone, “Mr Peters, you autographed the sheet, but you did not give me the grade.”

Source…..input from a friend of mine

Natarajan

” Even in Difficult times, You Must learn to Trust Yourself …”

October 3, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

‘In June 2014, I got placed as associate software engineer at Quickr for a monthly salary of Rs 1 lakh.

‘Back in my village, my grandfather could not believe that I could earn so much.

‘I had to show him my bank passbook to convince him I was doing well for myself.’

Anup Raaj, 23, describes how Super 30, a free IIT-JEE coaching institute located in Patna, Bihar, changed his life. Divya Nair/Rediff.com listens in.

I come from a small village called Chenw which is located in the Aurangabad district of Bihar.

Ours is a joint family… our clay house is shared by 22 people.

I have two elder brothers; I am the youngest.

My father, Rampravesh Prasad, had a bachelor’s degree in history; he was one of the most educated persons in our village.

After completing his education, my father could not take up a teaching job nearby so he chose to work on our family farm, helping the family grow paddy.

Growing up years

Anup Raaj studies inside his clay house in Chenw. Photograph Courtesy: Anand Kumar

Like all other children in my village, I never went to a school until Class 5.

Chenw used to be a Naxalite area. There was no functional primary school in the village.

When I grew older, I learned that the only primary school in our village was shut down by the Naxals.

A group of five-six prominent people in our village had joined the Naxal movement and they had warned the teachers to stop coming to the school.

They wanted more people to join their movement against the government.

This group did nothing productive — they would just gather near the temple grounds, do some performances and make speeches.

Since going to school was out of question, young kids spent their childhood helping their families in the farm.

We would kill our time playing goli (a game played with marbles).

I was good at it and had a collection of close to 1,000 marbles.

My father, however, insisted his children should have basic education.

Every time he went to Rafiganj, the nearest town, he would buy second-hand textbooks and teach us basic mathematics and grammar at home.

Sensing my willingness to learn, my father decided to approach one of his friends who worked at the Jain Missionary School in Rafiganj.

Usually, the school management would not enrol non-Jain kids but my father’s friend managed to convince the authorities to consider my case.

It helped that I was smart for my age — I could solve basic mathematical problems and understand grammar.

I was admitted into Class 5 at the age of 10. This was in the year 2002. I studied there for a year.

Anup crawls out of his house in Chenw which was shared by 22 people. Photograph Courtesy: Anand Kumar

When you are living in a village, you can survive even with one square meal a day, but the day you send your children to school, your family will start feeling the pinch of expenses — books, uniforms, etc.

After I joined school, I could not work on the farm because I had to study, attend school, do my homework…

In 2003, I directly applied for admission into Class 7 at Ranibrajraj High School, Rafiganj.

I was asked to take a test in mathematics and I stood fourth in the exam. I was enrolled into Class 7.

During this time, I decided to help my family.

I started taking home tuitions in Rafiganj.

There were about three to four students and I would get Rs 250 per month, per student, to teach all the subjects.

Fortunately, the school I went to was funded by the government which meant I paid a nominal Rs 10 per month as the school fee.

Everything was going smoothly until, in August 8, 2006, my father left home never to return.

He did not leave behind a note or message.

We searched for him everywhere, at all possible places.

We registered a missing complaint at the police station too.

The incident shattered us.

My mother stopped going to work. She would cry and pray all day, hoping my father would return home.

I was in Class 10 and could not focus on my studies for at least four months.

I kept hoping he would return soon and our lives would get back to normal, but the day never came.

Meanwhile, since we were living in a joint family, my grandfather and relatives started feeling the financial burden and indirectly conveyed to us that they would not be able to help us for long.

We realised that we would have to fend for ourselves financially.

Taking over responsibilities

Anup with his mother in Chenw

I went back to taking home tuitions.

It was a challenging time for my family. It wasn’t easy to accept the fact that our father had left us and gone, just like that.

My friends and teachers from school helped me get through the dark phase and focus on my studies so that I could prepare for the board exams.

My hard work paid off and I ranked No 15 in the state examination conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board.

For the first time, I felt there was hope for me and my family.

Travelling to Patna

I scored 84.8 per cent in Class 10 and secured admission at Gaya College in Gaya, Bihar.

Gaya is 40 kilometres away from my village.

I would leave home at 7 am and take an express train from Rafiganj.

I would reach Gaya by 9 am and walk for about a kilometre and half to get to my college at 10 am.

After college, I would take tuitions in Rafiganj and return home late in the evening. It was tiring but I did not have a choice.

The home tuitions took care of my college fees — Rs 1,300 per year.

Joining Super30

It was in Gaya that I learned more about engineering as a career option from my friends and seniors.

I had noticed numerous posters advertising JEE and medical entrance coaching in Gaya. But the fees for these private coaching centres were too high. I could not afford it.

I did not want to pursue medicine, so I decided to study without attending any coaching classes and appear for the JEE in 2009.

I scored three marks in JEE Chemistry that year.

Since I was from the Hindi medium, I could not understand most of the questions; the paper was set in English.

It was my first attempt and I realised I wasn’t well prepared.

After writing my Class 12 examination in April 2009, I had the opportunity to visit a Janta Darbar held by chief minister Nitish Kumar.

I drafted a letter detailing my financial condition and requested him for financial aid to pursue engineering.

When I took the letter to the party office, one of the workers suggested I meet Anand Kumar of Super 30.

I waited for the exam results. I scored 81.80 per cent, topped the district and secured 11th rank in the state.

In June 2009, I found the address of Super 30 and met Anand Sir.

Like all students, I was asked to appear for the Super 30 entrance examination.

After the exam, Anand Sir met me and I narrated my story. He could instantly connect with me — he told me of his own struggles as a student. He was impressed with my academic performance.

In August 2009, I was selected in Super 30 programme and since then there has been no looking back.

Life @ Super 30

Anup (sitting, fourth from left) attends a class by Anand Kumar at Super 30 in Patna

When I first reached my room on the ground floor, I was thrilled.

It was spacious and overlooked a green patch of land.

There were three or four beds in each room and it was quiet — just the kind of environment a student would need to prepare for his career.

Even the IITs, I feel, do not offer that kind of study environment.

Once you join Super30, your food and accommodation is taken care of till you appear for the exam.

A meal of rice, dal and bhujiya would be served for lunch and dinner.

On special occasions, we would look forward to a meal of kachori, kala chana ghugni and sevai kheer.

We never forgot we were there for a purpose and we were always motivated to work towards it. We used to study for 14 to 15 hours a day.

I was bad in Chemistry and there was another guy who was weak in Mathematics. We helped each other.

At one point, I had asked Anand Sir if I could appear for the paper in Hindi as I was weak in English. But he explained that I should not run away from my weakness.

He told me that even if I attempted the paper in Hindi, I would still have to deal with the English language when I joined IIT.

Anand Sir would help us if we came across new or difficult terms.

In the beginning, I would take longer to understand a question and solve it. Slowly, I got better and could attempt more questions.

I appeared for the JEE in 2010.

Despite all the preparation, I still skipped questions worth more than 20 marks in Physics because I could not understand them.

I scored 237 out of 400 in the entrance examination and was ranked 997.

I had the option of studying computer or mechanical engineering in any of the lesser known IITs. But I opted to study civil engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay because I wanted to come to Mumbai and become an entrepreneur.

wanted to start something of my own and knew Mumbai would be my dream city.

With the help of Anand Sir, I secured an education loan from the Patna United Bank which would take care of my engineering fees.

I still have a year to go before I start paying off the EMIs.

Bombay dreams

Coming to Mumbai was a culture shock.

The schools in Rafiganj did not have more than four or five classrooms.

When I reached IIT, I was quite shocked to see so many hostels and buildings for students.

My grandfather didn’t believe me when I told him that the IIT-Bombay campus was bigger than our entire village. He thought I was exaggerating, but it is true.

As far as challenges were concerned, it was just the beginning.

I still did not have a good command over English and most of the students at IIT-B spoke very good English. I did not know how to strike a conversation.

In my first year, I had a lot of difficulty in understanding the subjects. I would carry a dictionary to class. I’d mark all my doubts and ask my teachers for help.

For the first few months, I kept to myself. By the time I reached second year, I took extra classes to learn programming and coding and that kept me busy.

I realised that computing is the only language that does not require you to communicate face-to-face with the other person.

In my second year, I managed to convince my bank manager to help with an extra loan to buy a laptop.

Travelling to Dubai

Now that I had a laptop and an internet connection, I subscribed to several groups of young coders across the country.

The internet became my best friend and guide. If I did not know something, I could always Google and learn without feeling embarrassed.

Towards the end of third semester, I had learned to create websites and write programmes.

After attending lectures, I would build websites and write programmes for start-ups.

I would earn anything between Rs 5,000 to 10,000 for a project. At one point, I was making Rs 60,000 a month.

In my third year, I travelled to Dubai for two months for a summer internship with AlumNexus. The experience was unforgettable.

When I landed in Dubai, I felt the way I did when I first reached Mumbai.

Everything seemed so glamorous — the multi-storeyed buildings, the clean roads — I was awestruck.

My office was on the 54th floor and the view from there was splendid.

My work experience in programming helped immensely during campus placement.

It did not matter that I was a civil engineering student.

In June 2014, I got placed as associate software engineer at Quickr for a monthly salary of Rs 1 lakh.

Back in my village, my grandfather could not believe that I could earn so much.

I invited him and my mother for my convocation last year. I had to show him my bank passbook to convince him I was doing well for myself.

An entrepreneur at last

In January 2015, with the help of a group of friends — Pratik Chinchole, Shirin Shinde and Rahil Momin — I founded PSTakeCare, a healthcare start-up.

Pratik and Rahil are from IIT-B and Shirin graduated from the Institute of Chemical Technology.

With this start-up, I feel my journey has finally begun.

I feel fortunate to have come so far.

A lot of things have changed for me ever since I joined IIT. People’s attitudes have changed. They look at us with respect.

When I visit my village, people come and ask me how to pursue higher studies, a thought that was non-existent until some years ago.

Teachers like Anand Kumar have taught me the importance of patience. It is the greatest of all virtues.

Even in difficult times, you must learn to trust yourself.

In 2013, I had the opportunity to receive our late President, A P J Abdul Kalam, as the chief guest for 54th foundation day of IIT-Bombay.

During the brief interaction with Kalam Sir, he shared an advice I will never forget.

He said: ‘If one person decides to do something for himself, s/he is sure to excel, but if s/he decides to do something for the betterment of others, the society, or nation, s/he will do 1,000 times better.’

It was Kalam Sir’s dream to create more jobs in India for our youth; I hope I can contribute in some way to that dream.

Divya Nair / Rediff.com….www.rediff.com

Natarajan

This Ashram Left A Lasting Impression On The Minds Of Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs.

October 2, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

During the town hall meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mark Zuckerberg revealed an interesting fact about him and Steve Jobs that made them successful.

Deeply influenced by the Indian spiritualism in the 70s, Steve Jobs, once a college drop-out used to visit Kainchi Dham Ashram, in Nainital, Uttarakhand.

It is believed that in the Ashram of Neeb Karori (often called Neem Karoli) Baba, Jobs got his enlightenment to build Apple.

Facebook, launched in 2004, had its fair share of dark days during the initial years. It was Steve Jobs, Zuckerberg went to during those hard times. Apparently, he followed most of Job’s advice when his company was going through a rough patch and it might have inspired him to turn into a visionary.

The Facebook CEO spent a month in India and spent two days in the Ashram which is a small temple complex on the banks of the Kosi, a river in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand.

This is what he revealed in front of Modi and the whole world:

“…he (Jobs) told me that in order to reconnect with what I believed as the mission of the company I should visit this temple that he had gone to in India early on in his evolution of thinking about what he wanted Apple and his vision of the future to be. So I went and I travelled for almost a month, and seeing people, seeing how people connected, and having the opportunity to feel how much better the world could be if everyone has a strong ability to connect reinforced for me the importance of what we were doing and that is something I’ve always remembered over the last 10 years as we’ve built Facebook.”

Though Neeb Karori Baba passed away in 1973, his followers include some well-known personalities, including Hollywood actress Julia Roberts and Larry Brilliant, former director of Google.org.

His ashram went on to transform two unknown faces into billionaires – Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg.

Amazing, isn’t it?

News Source: The Times Of India

Cover Image Source

Source…Shuvro Ghoshal..www.storypick.com

Natarajan

இளைஞர்களுக்கு வழிகாட்டிய இருவர்….

October 1, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

இருக்கும் வரை இருமிவிட்டு, இறந்தபின்னே இடுகாட்டுக் கரையான்களுக்கு இரையாகி மறையும் மனிதர்களுக்கு மத்தியில், வரலாறாகவே வாழ்ந்து விட்டுப் போகிற மனிதர்கள்
உன்னதமானவர்களாய் உலகத்தாரால் மதிக்கப்படுகிறார்கள். அவர்களின் விழிகள் வழிகாட்டும் மொழிகளாய் மற்றவர்களுக்கு அனுதினமும் அறிவுரைகளைத் தந்துகொண்டே இருக்கின்றன. சங்கடங்கள் சாமரம் வீசினாலும் அவர்கள் எதற்கும் அஞ்சுவதில்லை.
காந்தியும், காமராஜரும் சிரமத்தின் மீதேறி சிகரத்தை அடைந்த மகத்தான வாழ்ந்துகாட்டிகள். எளிமையான, பயன்மிகுந்த வாழ்க்கையால் மற்றவர்களுக்கு முன்மாதிரியாகத் திகழ்ந்தவர்கள்.உலகப் போர்களால் உருக்குலைந்துபோன உலகிற்கு அகிம்சை என்கிற அமுதத்தை அள்ளித்தந்த வள்ளல் மோகன்தாஸ் கரம்சந்த் காந்திஜியும், காந்திய நெறியில் வாழ்ந்து, காந்தியாகவே வாழ்ந்து காந்தி ஜெயந்தி அன்றே கண்ணயர்ந்த கர்மவீரர் காமராஜரும் இன்றைய இளையோரின் இணையற்ற வழிகாட்டிகள்.

மனித ஆத்மாக்களுக்கு மத்தியிலே மகாத்மாவாக மாற அவர் என்ன செய்தார்? கர்மமே கண் என்று லட்சக்கணக்கான குழந்தைகளின் கல்விக்கண் திறந்த கர்மவீரர் காமராஜர் இன்றும் துாயஆட்சியாளராய் நினைத்துப் பார்க்கப்படுகிறாரென்றால் காரணம் என்ன?

கைதவறி கீழே விழுந்த பாதரசம் எப்படி எந்த அழுக்கோடும் ஒட்டாமல் உருண்டோடுமோ, அதுபோல் இந்த இரு தலைவர்களும் உலகியல் வாழ்க்கையோடு ஒட்டிஒட்டாமல் வாழ்ந்தவர்கள். மனத்துக்கண் மாசுஇல்லாமல் வாழ்தலையே அனைத்து அறமாகக் கொண்டு வாழ்வாங்கு வாழ்ந்தவர்கள். இருவரும் அனுபவங்களால், வாழ்வை ஆராதனை செய்தவர்கள். இந்திய நாட்டின் விடுத்தலைக்காகப் பல நாட்கள் சிறையிலேயே கழித்தவர்கள் இருவரும்.
எளிமையான தலைவர்கள் விளம்பரத்திற்கு ஆசைப்படாத எளிமையான தலைவர்களாக இருவரும் திகழ்ந்தார்கள். 1901ல் ஒரு மாநாட்டிற்காக காந்தி, கல்கத்தா வந்திருந்தார். மாலையில் மாநாடு தொடங்க இருந்த இடத்தைக் காலையில் பார்வையிடச் சென்றார்.
அந்த மைதானம் குப்பையும் கூளமுமாயிருந்தது. ஒன்றும் பேசாமல் காந்திஜி துடைப்பத்தைக் கையில் ஏந்தி மைதானத்தைத் துாய்மைசெய்யத்தொடங்கினார்.
தஞ்சை மாவட்டச் சுற்றுப்
பயணம் மேற்கொண்ட காமராஜர் ஒரு பழைய கோவிலுக்குள் சென்றார், உடன் இருந்தவர்களிடம் “ இதை யார் கட்டுனான்னு கேட்டேன்” என்றார். யாருக்கும் தெரியவில்லை, சட்டென்று மேலே எரிந்துகொண்டிருந்த குழல்விளக்கைக் காட்டி, ஆயிரம் வருஷத்துக்கு முன்னாடி இந்தக்கோயிலே கட்டுன மவராசன் யாருன்னு தெரியல… அதுல டியூப் லைட் போட்ட மவராசன் பேரு பெயிண்டுல எழுதியிருக்குன்னேன்” என்று சிரித்தபடிச் சொல்லியவாறே காமராஜர் வெளியே வந்துவிட்டார்.
பதவியை விரும்பா பண்பாளர்கள் இந்தியா சுதந்திரம் அடைந்தபோது, எந்த ஆட்சிப் பொறுப்பையும் ஏற்க மறுத்தார் காந்தி. இரண்டு முறை பிரதமர் ஆகும் வாய்ப்பு வந்தபோதும் ஏற்காமல் சாஸ்திரியையும், இந்திராகாந்தியையும் பிரதமராக்கி அழகுபார்த்த தலைவர் காமராஜர். “பதவியைத் தேடி நாம் போனால் பதவிக்குப் பெருமை, பதவி நம்மைத் தேடிவந்தால் நமக்குப்பெருமை” என்று அடிக்கடிக் கூறியவர் கர்மவீரர் காமராஜர்.
பாரிஸ்டர் பட்டம் பெற்ற காந்தி கறுப்பர் என்ற காரணத்தால் டர்பன் நீதிமன்றத்தில் தலைப்பாகையோடு வாதாட அனுமதி மறுக்கப்பட்டது. அதைக் கடுமையாக எதிர்த்து, அந்த நீதிமன்றத்தை விட்டுவெளியேறினார். முதல் வகுப்புப் பயணச் சீட்டோடு பிரிட்டோரியாவுக்குப் பயணித்தவரை நிறவெறியோடு வெள்ளையர்கள் துாக்கி எறிந்தபோது பட்ட ரணத்தை இந்தியநாட்டின் சுதந்திரத்திற்காகப் பயன்படுத்தினார். ராட்டையையே சாட்டையாக்கி அந்நியரை நாட்டைவிட்டு ஓடச்செய்த மகாத்மா, மதுரையில் தன் ஆடைகளை மாற்றித் தமிழ்நாட்டு விவசாயிகள் உடுத்தும் மிக எளிய உடைக்கு மாறினார். மகாத்மாவின் கொள்கைகளில் கவரப்பட்டு காமராஜர் வாழ்நாள் முழுக்க கதராடையையே உடுத்தினார்.
மனிதநேயச் செல்வர்கள் “வாடிய பயிரைக் கண்டபோதெல்லாம் வாடினேன்” என்ற வள்ளலாரின் மனிதநேயநெறியை இருவரும் தம் வாழ்வின் அறமாகக் கொண்டவர்கள். பள்ளிக்குச் செல்லும் வயதில் ஆடுமாடுகளை மேய்த்துக் கொண்டிருந்த சிறுவன், காமராஜரைப் பெரிதும் பாதித்ததன் விளைவாக, உலகம் போற்றும் மதியஉணவுத் திட்டத்தைத் தொடங்கிவைத்தார்.
சம்பரானில் கஸ்துாரிபாவோடு பயணித்துக்கொண்டிருந்தபோது அழுக்கு உடையோடு குழந்தைகள் பிச்சை எடுத்துக் கொண்டிருப்பதை காந்திஜி பார்க்கிறார். “கஸ்துாரிபா… இவர்கள் அழுக்கோடு மாற்று உடை இல்லாமல் இருப்பது உனக்கு உறுத்தவில்லையா?
நீ ஏன் இவர்களை நீராடவைத்து துாய்மையான உடையணிவித்து பாடம் சொல்லிக் கொடுக்கக் கூடாது?” என்று கேட்டார். காந்திஜி சொன்னபடி வாழ்க்கை முழுக்க கஸ்துாரிபா செய்தார்.
சத்தியசோதனை மேற்கொண்டவர்கள் மகாத்மாவுக்கு முகஸ்துதி பிடிக்காது. “நாம் சேவை செய்யத்தானே பிறந்திருக்கிறோம் இதில் பெருமைப்பட என்ன இருக்கிறது?” என்று அடிக்கடி சபர்மதி ஆஸ்ரமத்திற்கு வருவோரிடம் கூறுவார்.
காமராஜரும் அப்படியே வாழ்ந்தார். யாரேனும் தன்னைப் பாராட்டிப் பேசினால், “நிறுத்துனேன்… என்னைப் புகழ்ந்து பேசும் நேரத்திலே நல்ல காரியம் எதையாவது செய்யலாமேனேன்” என்பார். முதலமைச்சரானதும் பாதுகாப்புக்கு தன் காருக்கு முன் சைரன் வைத்த கார் சென்றதை விரும்பாதவர்.
இருவரும் சிறுவயதில் தந்தையை இழந்து தாயாரின் அன்பில் வளர்ந்தவர்கள். இருவரும் சுதந்திரப் போரில் ஈடுபட்டு சிறை சென்றவர்கள். அந்நிய ஆடைகளை மறுத்து காலம் முழுக்க கதராடை அணிந்தவர்கள். எளிமையானவர்கள், பழகுவதற்கு இனிமையானவர்கள், நேர்மையானவர்கள். தாழ்வுற்று, வறுமை மிஞ்சி, விடுதலை தவறிக்கெட்டு, தன் அன்னை தேசம் பாழ்பட்டுவிடக் கூடாது என்பதற்காகத் தங்களையே சுதந்திர வேள்வியில் உருக்கி ஊற்றியவர்கள். அவர்கள் வழியை நம் விழிகள் நோக்கட்டும். இந்த தேசத்தை நேசித்த அவர்கள் வழியில் நம் இளையோர் பயணம் நடக்கட்டும்.

Source……-முனைவர் சௌந்தர மகாதேவன், தமிழ்த்துறைத் தலைவர்,சதக்கத்துல்லாஹ் அப்பா கல்லுாரி, திருநெல்வேலி,
in http://www.dinamalar.com

Natarajan

” We Are not Special…But Limited Edition …”

September 30, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

We, the people born between 1940-1970…are the  blessed ones…We are the awesome people… Our life  is a living proof……….
>
>
> 👉We were never treated like a pack of animals to carry  our books to school.
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> 👉While playing and riding bicycle, we never bothered to  wear helmets.
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> 👉After school time we played until its dusk but never watched t-world (TV) by locking up ourselves in a room.
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> 👉We played only with our real friends, not  with NET friends.
> 👉 If we ever felt thirsty, we used to drink tap water but  never searched for bottled water.
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> 👉We never got ill even after sharing the same juice with  four friends.
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> 👉We were never put on weight even after eating plate full > of sweets and rice everyday.
> 👉Nothing happened to our feet even after roaming bare  foot.
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> 👉We never used any health supplements to keep ourselves  healthy.
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> 👉We used to create our own toys and play with them.
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> 👉Our parents were not rich, they never ran behind money  and wealth. They just searched for and gave only love.. not  any worldly materials.
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> 👉We stayed nearby to them so that they can communicate  with us. Just one word by them was enough to communicate.  hence we never required any mobile phones to communicate.
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> 👉We never visited doctor when we got ill but the doctor  visited us during our illness.
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> 👉We never used to share our emotions just by  emoticons inmobile phones.
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> 👉We used to listen to the truth and voice of our  conscience and used to write those things only in the  letters, hence we never used to change our words.
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> 👉We never had cellphones, DVDs, Play stations, XBoxes,  video games, Personal computers, internet, chat but we had  many real friends.

👉We used to visit our friend’s home uncalled and  enjoyed food with them. We never had to call them and ask  their permission to visit their home.
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> 👉Relatives were near to us so our hearts and souls were  happy. Hence we never required any insurance policy.
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> 👉We may have been in Black and White photos  but you can find good colourful memories in those  photos……..
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> 🌹🌹🌹🌹Last is the  ultimate🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
> 👉 We are a unique and the most understanding  generation, because we are the last generation who listened  to their parents….  and also the first which have to listen to their children.
> We are not special, but  LIMITED EDITION

Source…. Input from a friend of mine….

Natarajan