ONE day a man was going to his sister’s house in another village when he ran into a gang of dacoits. “Who are you?” asked the dacoit chief, glowering at him. “I’m a school teacher,” said the man. “A school teacher, eh?” sneered the chief. “And do you test your students regularly?” “Yes,” said the man. “Well,” said the chief, “it’s time somebody tested you!” He picked up a large pumpkin and gave it to the school teacher. “Guess its weight,” he told the teacher. “The exact weight, mind you! We’ll weigh it afterwards. If you’re right, I’ll let you…
Author: oiop
Each of us has a responsibility toward the society we live in. But often, we tend to forget this. G. Venkatesh and Chandra Govindarajan visit a school in Mumbai for mentally challenged children called Gharkul. They come away inspired and impressed by the children’s efforts, and the passion and commitment of the founder and staff there. It is a Friday afternoon and we are at a song-and-dance session organised at a school in Santacruz, Mumbai, called Gharkul, at which music therapist Ashish Kasbe, aided by volunteers and staff members, is keeping the children engaged. The children are mentally challenged, and…
We gave importance to dams, factories, chemical agriculture and plantations after Independence, instead of focusing on conserving our natural environment. Unless reversed, our future generations will pay heavily for this lack of foresight. LSo you thought colonial rule in India was over? When the British departed from Indian shores, the fact is they left behind the tools of colonial trade. New masters thus began to wear old jackboots. The brown sahebs of urban India soon began to colonise rural India. This is how the proverbial rich got richer and the poor poorer. Meanwhile, the Pinkheaded Duck, Mountain Quail and Asiatic…
The biopic ‘Neerja’ salutes the brave flight purser who went far beyond the call of duty. Neerja Bhanot was born on September 7, 1963 in Chandigarh and moved to Mumbai when she was 11. She began modelling during her college days and was later selected by the American airliner Pan Am as flight purser. Neerja was aboard the Pan Am Mumbai-New York flight which was hijacked by four armed terrorists on September 5, 1986. The plane was parked on the tarmac of the Karachi airport with 361 passengers on board. Neerja immediately alerted the pilots who escaped through an overhead…
At a time when Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s name is being repeatedly tossed up by dissenting students in various universities, and the government plans to celebrate his 125th birth anniversary, the fact that he never supported an armed revolution and always favoured parliamentary democracy is being overlooked by all – the leftists, the rightists and the political opportunists, says Rakshit Sonawane. HOn January 26, 1950, India became a republic by adopting a Constitution based on the foundations of liberty, equality and fraternity. It was not just a transition from a fractured polity, a stratified majority and a highly unequal socio-economic society.…
India, which has already been declared polio free by the World Health Organisation, will now launch a new phase of the polio programme on 25th April, also called the National Switch Day. What does it entail and how did India manage to eradicate polio? Dr. Roopa Vernekar tells us about this success story. Vaccinations are a boon to mankind, the invention of vaccination has led to the eradication of various life threatening diseases. Vaccinations are antigenic material injected to stimulate the immune response of an individual towards a disease. The first documented use of vaccination is from China and India…
Women in India have opened yet another frontier in their battle for equality. They have laid siege to temples like Shani Shingnapur and Sabarimala, which are traditionally closed to women. Will these agitations lead the temples to open their minds and doors? E. Vijayalakshmi Rajan examines the issue. . From ever since I can remember, there have been many taboos associated with women and temples. Starting from the one on ‘No entry’ into temples on the days you menstruate. Now, my generation liked to conform, but we were not goongi gudiyas (dumb dolls). But even some of us fire-brands didn’t…
The Dalits are among the most marginalised and discriminated people in our country. And Dalit women are especially vulnerable to abuse and sexual assault. Hence, the work of a group of lawyers in Madhya Pradesh, many women among them, is commendable as they go about investigating and helping to build the case of those who were abused, says Shuriah Niazi. The year was 2014. In a small village in Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh, a hearing and speechimpaired minor Dalit girl was brutally gang raped. When the victim’s mother, Padma Devi (name changed), a daily wager, mustered up the courage to…
A gallant brave heart (1983-2014) Mukund Varadarajan was born on 12 April 1983. He was a brave courageous child, naughty, hyperactive and always the leader. He graduated in commerce from Sri Chandresekhendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya at Enethur and acquired a diploma in journalism from the Madras Christian College, Tambaram. His grandfather and two of his uncles had served in the army and his heart was set on following in their footsteps. He joined the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, and was commissioned into 22 RAJPUT on 18 March 2006.He served as instructor in the Infantry School, Mhow and in the United…
Though many owls are known to fluff up their feathers to appear larger than their attacker, the Southern White-faced Owl has mastered the technique of changing its appearance. It transforms itself into different forms depending upon the size of its potential attacker. For example, when faced with a barn owl — a bird that is only slightly larger — it puffs up its feathers to appear bigger, thus scaring the predator away. However, when confronted with a bird that is much larger, the owl does the opposite. It elongates its body, flattens its feathers and squints to resemble a dead…