Motivational Stories from various Sources

[P.J.]

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14-Year-Old Manipuri Boy Will Soon Address The UN General Assembly


14-Year-Old Manipuri Boy Will Soon Address The UN General Assembly
August 17, 2015

A 14-year-old boy from insurgency-hit Manipur has been selected to attend the 70th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session to be held in September this year.Konkham Lamjingnganba is the lone representative from the entire northeastern region along with nine others from the rest of the country to speak at UNGA.

The other children are from Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telengana, West Bengal and Uttarakhand. Lamjingnganba is associated with Big Sisters’ League, a registered non-government organisation based in Manipur capital Imphal.The organization works for prevention of sexual abuse and rehabilitation of the victims.Son of visually impaired Gangarani who lost her husband in a firing incident a few years ago, Lamjingnganba would speak on the aftermath of violence.

http://www.indiatimes.com/news/indi...n-address-the-un-general-assembly-244262.html

 

[P.J.]

Khanapur's Prema Timmanagoudar makes 100% sanitation her mission

Khanapur's Prema Timmanagoudar makes 100% sanitation her mission
Sunday, 16 August 2015


After being elected the village panchayat's chairperson for the first time, Karnataka's Prema Timmanagoudar was clear about her very prime task: toilets in all houses within a month. And she's hit bullseye, reports Marisha Karwa

Most people retire at 60. But Prema Timmanagoudar has taken on added responsibility with the jaunty enthusiasm of a 16-year-old. In July, when she was elected the chairperson of the gram panchayat for three villages in Karnataka(Khanapur, Radder Nagnur and Gangapur), Timmanagoudar had chalked out her task for the first month in the job — toilets in every home in Khanapur village.

"Lack of toilets is a big problem... I'd been wanting to set this right much before I even contested the elections," she says. Just 20 of the 200-odd households in Khanapur, a village of about 1,500 people, nearly half of whom are women, had toilets when Timmanagoudar took charge. "Khanapur is a small village, yet we faced a lot of difficulties in convincing people about building toilets," recalls Timmanagoudar.


The Centre offers a subsidy of Rs12,000 per toilet under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan, but this money is given to a household only after the toilet's construction. To get the work started, Timmanagoudar had to convince all the villagers to pool in resources and make an advance payment to the contractor to commence construction. The villagers raised nearly Rs4 lakh. Raising funds, however, was a smaller hurdle.

"The peculiarity is that all the village houses are connected... all the houses share a wall with another adjacent house," offers Timmanagoudar's daughter Kirti. "So when toilets had to be built, it was inevitable that a part of area that the toilet would occupy would belong to the adjacent house owners."

The thought of having a toilet directly in front of their homes was an unsavoury one forKhanapur villagers. For a lot of residents — accustomed to defecating in the open — the notion that someone would be doing the job just across their private space and the resultant odour, made them resist the plan. "Changing their mindset was a bigger challenge," says Timmanagoudar. "I had to convince one particular family that the government also gives free plants, which would act as a buffer, and that a new wall would be built to partition the toilet from their house area."

Not only did this grandmother of four ensure least resistance to get the toilets constructed, she also made the beneficiaries equal partners in the construction process. About 30-50 youngsters worked alongside the construction workers. "For every one labourer, we deputed three villagers to speed up the work. For example, it would have taken 2-3 hours to unload and carry all the construction material to the site. Thanks to the village youth, the time was reduced to 45 minutes," quips the woman, herself an agriculturalist. Likewise, she devised an efficient work plan for all the construction activities — ensuring that none of the rented equipment, such as excavating machines, etc, were ever unused. She also roped in the village women to cook meals for the construction workers — so that even the time they would've otherwise spent on cooking could be spent on building toilets. Towards the end, she and the villagers were working 15 hours daily to meet the deadline.

"In about 24 working days, we built 173 toilets," says Timmanagoudar. "People of different castes came together to build the toilets. It is beautiful to see people of all ages and groups unite for a common goal."
Khanapur will celebrate this feat of sanitation and "equality" at an event to be presided over by state minister for rural development and panchayat raj, HK Patil, on August 15. And next on Timmanagoudar's task list is to ensure 100 per cent toilet households in her other two villages, Radder Nagnur and Gangapur, by October 2 2015.

Khanapur's residents realised that Timmanagoudar's relentless effort to ensure toilets in all the village homes kept her away from harvesting her lentil (moong dal) crop. So about 30 residents, mostly women, have come forward to work a full day (with pay) in her field to complete the harvesting.


http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/r...udar-makes-100-sanitation-her-mission-2114875

 

[P.J.]

Hijabi Hero Rescues Schoolgirl from Oncoming Train

Hijabi Hero Rescues Schoolgirl from Oncoming Train

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI6d3jbN4gM


Published on Aug 10, 2015
An Australian Muslim Woman has saved the life of a schoolgirl who fell onto the tracks after running after a hula hoop.

This heart-stopping footage released by Australia's transport authorities shows a quick thinking Muslim woman dressed in Hijab pulling the school girl to safety just moments before a train arrives at the platform.

The identity of the Hijabi-hero remains unknown but her actions are certainly known by Allah.

 

[P.J.]

‘Towards A Green Education’ or TAGE' -

‘Towards A Green Education’ or TAGE' -

“We collect any recyclable paper from schools and communities, and use the funds generated from recycling to buy stationery. However, an important aspect is that we remove the blank pages from old notebooks so they aren’t wasted and use these to make new notebooks with the help of school students.”

– Aniruddha

They make their collections on a monthly basis. Aniruddha says the faculty at his school has been extremely supportive and the teachers take an active interest in this project. They experimented with three or four models prior to this, all of which failed, but they persevered and concluded with this brilliant one.

The monthly collection happens from the school as well as the residences of the team members.

They sell used paper to gather funds and reuse blank ones to make new notebooks.​

Generally, they sell their papers at ITC’s ‘Wealth Out of Waste’ programme, which is a recycling initiative undertaken by ITC’s Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division. If the location and rates are good, then they also sell to the local paper dealers. There is a local stationery shop which provides them with a good deal and that is where they purchase their stationery from.

Apart from this, they have also held notebook making competitions which have been runaway successes, resulting in the making of 350 notebooks. They started with just two members, now they have five more and the number will only keep growing.


The Numbers

Handmade notebooks for the underprivileged children.​

“Over the course of this year, we’ve collected over 2,100 kilos of paper, about 50,000 sheets of blank paper, and made over 350 notebooks – enough to provide over 300 children with stationery. On the 29th of June, we, with some of our friends and volunteers, visited a government school in collaboration with Akshara Foundation and gave 250 children stationery ‘sets’ – each of which includes a handmade notebook, a 100-page notebook, a box of 10 pencils, two erasers and a sharpener.”

– Aniruddha

​

Stationery and notebooks bought from the funds, to give to the children.​

The Future

The most important aspect is that the initiative keeps continuing efficiently.​

They intend on expanding and teaming up with other schools for a larger collection of papers. He has a keen interest in National Public School (NPS), Indiranagar. Whereas his team collects 2.2 tonnes, he says, NPS, Indiranagar collects 4 tonnes. When asked how he intends having his ‘legacy’ taken forward given that he is graduating soon, he laughs. Aniruddha says the school has integrated the programme into the academic curriculum and since there is an Eco Club in his school, there is a great chance that this would continue to carry on.

The Hope

“It isn’t the most innovative of ideas. It is simple and effective. The key is that it continues.”

– Aniruddha

The team of TAGE – Clockwise: Nitika, Nishant, Shagun, Vivek and Mahek, Mahek, Vivek, Aarcha, Aniruddha​

Aniruddha hopes that people will take notice of his initiative and take part. Education is how the world shall change, is his belief, and while he is sailing through the course of his, he is going out of his way to make sure other kids receive the opportunities he did.

http://www.thebetterindia.com/28321/high-school-boys-initiative-education-underprivileged-kids/

 

[P.J.]

Indian-American Man Donates $1.5 Mn For Sikh Studies

Indian-American Man Donates $1.5 Mn For Sikh Studies

Wednesday, 19 August 2015

NEW YORK: An Indian-American cardiologist has donated $1.5 million to the University of California-Irvine to create a Chair for Sikh studies within the school, media reported.

Harvinder Sahota donated the money to the university that will now teach Sikh studies as a regular course. The department will be named after Sahota's mother, Bibi Dhan Kaur Sahota, India West reported.

"My mother taught me never to degrade anyone and respect everyone," Sahota was quoted as saying. "I still abide by the lessons she taught me as a child. I wanted to honour my mother for the woman she was and the man she helped me turn out to be," he said.
Classes in the department are expected to begin in September, 2016.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/us-canada-news/Indian-American-man-donates-1-5-mn-for-Sikh-studies/articleshow/48530816.cms

 

[P.J.]

திருடர்களை பிடிக்க 'உசேன் போல்ட்' ஆன மது&#299

திருடர்களை பிடிக்க 'உசேன் போல்ட்' ஆன மதுரை ஆசிரியை!

(19/08/2015)

மதுரை: நகையை பறித்துக் கொண்டு இருசக்கர வாகனத்தில் தப்பிய திருடர்களை விரட்டிச் சென்று பிடித்த ஆசிரியை, அவர்களை காவல்துறையினரிடம் ஒப்படைத்த சம்பவம் மதுரையில் நடந்துள்ளது.

மதுரை எஸ்.கொடிக்குளத்தை சேர்ந்தவர் சுமதி (33). ஆசிரியையான இவர் கடந்த 14ஆம் தேதி சக ஆசிரியையுடன் தெற்குமாசிவீதி கடை ஒன்றில் ஜவுளி வாங்கிக்கொண்டு நேதாஜி சாலையில் இரவு 7.45 மணிக்கு நடந்து வந்து கொண்டிருந்தார்.

அப்போது, இருசக்கர வாகனத்தில் வந்த 2 பேர், சுமதியின் கழுத்தில் கிடந்த ஐந்தரை பவுன் நகையை பறித்துக் கொண்டு தப்பினர். இதனால் அதிர்ச்சியடைந்த சுமதி, சத்தம் போட்டவாறே அவர்களை பின்தொடர்ந்து ஓடியுள்ளார்.

அவரது சத்தம் கேட்டு வாகனங்களில் வந்தவர்கள் ஆங்காங்கே நின்றதால் போக்குவரத்து நெரிசல் ஏற்பட்டது. இதில் திருடர்கள் தப்பி செல்ல முடியாமல் திகைத்து நின்றனர். அப்போது, பின்னால் வேகமாக ஓடி வந்த ஆசிரியை சுமதி, வாகனத்தின் பின் இருக்கையில் அமர்ந்திருந்த 34 வயதுடைய திருடனை பிடித்து திடீர்நகர் காவல்நிலையத்தில் ஒப்படைத்தார்.

காவல்துறையினர் நடத்திய விசாரணையில், அவனது பெயர் பொதும்பு பிரபாகரன் என தெரியவந்தது. அவன் கொடுத்த தகவல்படி, கூட்டாளி விராட்டிபத்து ராஜ்குமாரை காவல்துறையினர் கைது செய்தனர்.

இதனிடையே, துணிச்சலாக செயல்பட்டு திருடர்களை பிடிக்க உதவிய ஆசிரியை சுமதியை மதுரை காவல்துறை ஆணையர் சைலேஷ்குமார் யாதவ் பாராட்டி பரிசு வழங்கினார்.

இது குறித்து செய்தியாளர்களிடம் கூறிய சைலேஷ்குமார், "சுமதி போல் ஒவ்வொருவரும் தைரியமுள்ளவர்களாக இருக்க வேண்டும். அவர் மற்ற பெண்களுக்கு ஒரு முன்உதாரணம்" என்றார்.


http://www.vikatan.com/news/article.php?aid=51194&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=EMagazine&utm_campaign=1

 

[P.J.]

Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse - The Kargil Hero

Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse - The Kargil Hero

July 15, 2015Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse’s Mahavir Chakra medal citation reads - "He displayed conspicuous gallantry, indomitable resolve, grit and determination beyond the call of duty and made the supreme sacrifice in the face of the enemy, in true traditions of the Indian Army."

As the leader of the Ghatak Platoon he was tasked with the capture of the area ‘Black Rock’ in Drass sector during the Kargil War. The commando mission involved attacking the well entrenched enemy position on a cliff face. The position had been interfering with the capture of the main objective of the battalion.

The Ghatak Platoon, as it was scaling the cliff face, came under intense enemy fire in which Captain Kenguruse was injured in the abdomen.

Despite the severe injury and profuse bleeding, the brave Naga carried on with the assault. Unmindful of his injury, he led the platoon to the top of the cliff and was faced with a sheer rock that separated the platoon from the enemy.While securing the rope for his men to climb the rock face, his feet started slipping. Neglecting the bitter cold and sharp rocks, he kicked off his boots and launched the final assault barefoot. He fired a rocket launcher and charged at the enemy, killing two infiltrators with his rifle and another two with his commando knife in hand-to-hand combat.

A hail of bullets threw him off the cliff and he would later succumb to his injuries, but not before he was able to neutralise the enemy position single-handedly. An act of unmatched gallantry and courage.


http://www.indiatimes.com/culture/w...rgil-hero-you-have-never-heard-of-234587.html

 

[P.J.]

16-Year-Old Indian Is Helping People With Speech Disorders To Talk

16-Year-Old Indian Is Helping People With Speech Disorders To Talk

Arsh Shah Dilbagi, the 16-year-old wonder kid from India, took the world by storm last year with the announcement of his ambitious project 'TALK' which converts breathing patterns of humans into actual audible words. Cut to the present and the Gold Medalist at IRIS National Fair and India Innovation Initiative is already promising a better world to people with developmental disabilities and speech impairments after his device completed its trial run successfully.

While Arsh hopes to take his master invention to another level, here's the young scientist sharing his story at the TEDxGateway event about how his device is already touching lives in ways more than one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEyLzyCtQso



Published on Feb 25, 2015
Creator of an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device, “Talk”, Arsh Shah Dilbagi is a high school student from Panipat, Haryana. At a young age of 16, Arsh was the first ever teen and the only finalist from Asia to enter the 2014 Google’s Global Science Fair for developing a device that helps people with developmental disabilities. “Talk” was his official entry at the fair.
Not only is the device extremely beneficial for people with developmental disabilities, it is also an affordable alternative to AAC devices sold in the market today. It is also a better alternative to the bulky AAC devices in the market today. People with disabilities such as Locked-In Syndrome and ALS will now be able to communicate using only their breath. “Talk” uses signals from a person’s breath via Morse code. The code is pi



http://www.scoopwhoop.com/inothernews/arsh-shah-dilbagi-talk-using-breath/?ref=social&type=fb&b=0

 

[P.J.]

The street cleaner with four degrees

The street cleaner with four degrees

18 August 2015

Sunil Yadav, a 36-year-old man from the western Indian city of Mumbai, is a fervent believer in the power of education.

His four degrees include a master's from the prestigious Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and he is now pursuing an MPhil - an advanced postgraduate degree.

However, according to his official identity card, Mr Yadav is still a sammarjak, which is an Indian word for a manual scavenger. A manual scavenger is someone who cleans human and animal waste from buckets or pits, and is performed by members of low-caste communities - and mostly by Dalits, also known as Untouchables.

Mr Yadav, a Dalit, says he was inspired by Dalit rights campaigner BR Ambedkar, who said that only education could bring about a change.
But change seems to have eluded him.

'What will you get out of studying?'

Mr Yadav's degrees have not brought him a promotion from his employer, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM).

At present he is forced to move garbage in the city during the night while studying for his degree during the day. All employees are allowed a leave of absence to study, but Mr Yadav says his latest request was turned down.

"One of the officials told me that if he gives me a chance, he will have to give everyone a chance. He asked me what I would get out of studying. The administration treats us like slaves," Mr Yadav said.

Every course Mr Yadav sits for brings a new battle for leave to study.

He was granted leave for his masters degree only after he had protested for months.

The Mumbai municipality is believed to be India's richest local government organisation. It employs more than 28,000 conservancy workers, and about 15,000 contractual labourers.

Manual scavenging has been banned in India since 2013 but it is rampant and activists say tens of thousands are involved in this demeaning work which opens them to prejudice and abuse.
The Indian Express newspaper quoted senior officials in the state government as admitting the guidelines from the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013 have not been properly implemented in the state.

Milind Ranade, who is the general secretary of a Mumbai based organisation that works for rights of conservancy workers told the BBC: "The Municipal Council plays around with the definition of manual scavengers."

By definition, manual scavengers use their bare hands to pick up rubbish or human faeces - and councils use this to take advantage of a technicality, Mr Ranade says.

"While the workers do not use hands to pick garbage or night soil, they use a broom or a spade. There are streets where squatting is a phenomenon and the workers have to clean it. It is hazardous in any case.

"That's how they legalise this profession," he adds.


Please read more

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33859315

 

[P.J.]

Two women make Army Ranger history

Two women make Army Ranger history

August 21, 2015




The first two women to pass the Army's notoriously difficult Ranger School impressed male classmates left in their dust during road marches and proved their mettle as teammates by helping carry heavy weapons when others were too fatigued to lift another ounce.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G6bl0MQudY

Capt. Kristen Griest, 26, of Orange, Connecticut, and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver, 25, of Copperas Cove, Texas, will become the first women to wear the Army's coveted Ranger tab when they graduate alongside 94 male soldiers Friday at Fort Benning.

"They can serve by my side anytime because I know I can trust them," 2nd Lt. Erickson Krogh said. "Especially these two. I'd have no qualms about serving with them in combat."
As the Pentagon weighs a decision on allowing women to serve in combat jobs long held by men only, a Ranger School comrade offered a blunt assessment of Griest and Haver as they spoke to reporters Thursday.

Despite proving their grit in the two-month Ranger course, the two women are still unable to join infantry, armor and special forces units — including the 75th Ranger Regiment. That could change next year after the Pentagon makes its recommendations.

"Truly, it's a huge credit for anyone, man or woman, to endure the intense training and curriculum at Ranger school, and to prevail and graduate," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said at a press conference Thursday. "Clearly, these two soldiers are trail blazers. And after all, that's what it means to be a Ranger. Rangers lead the way"

At a news conference Friday, the women stopped short of saying they earned a place in combat units by finishing the notoriously grueling two-month Ranger course — something only about 3 percent of Army soldiers accomplish. But Griest said she hopes the achievement at least carries some weight in the final decisions.

“I do hope that, with our performance in Ranger School, we’ve been able to inform those making decisions that we can handle things mentally and physically on the same level as men,” said Griest , a military police officer and Afghanistan veteran stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. “"I'm definitely interested to see what new doors do open up for women."

She said she might be interested in a special forces career if that path was open to her.

Haver, an Apache helicopter pilot stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, said she plans to stick with aviation. She acknowledged going into Ranger School with some doubts as to how male soldiers would react.

"It's pretty cool that they have accepted us," she said. "We ourselves came into this with our guard up just in case there were haters or naysayers. But we didn't come with chips on our shoulders like we had anything to prove."

Several male classmates chosen by the Army to attend a news conference with Griest and Haver acknowledged they too weren't sure at first that female soldiers could handle long marches and patrols carrying rucksacks, rifles and other gear weighing 100 pounds or more.

Spc. Christopher Carvalho, a medic in the same Ranger school class, said his skepticism ended on the first road march when the women left many of their male counterparts far behind.

"Right then and there that's what validated me to say these women are here to stay," Carvalho said.

Classmates 2nd Lt. Michael Janowski and 2nd Lt. Zachary Hanger both told of how Haver and Griest jumped in to help carry heavy loads when other male trainees were too fatigued to assist.
Hanger called the women "absolutely physical studs."

In a joint statement, their families say Haver and Griest are "just like all the soldiers" graduating this week from the grueling two-month Ranger course.

Haver and Griest — both graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point — not only finished the course they started in April. They both had to start from scratch, having failed two previous attempts.

"These two soldiers have absolutely earned the respect of every Ranger instructor," Command Sgt. Major Curtis Arnold told reporters. "They do not quit and they do not complain."
Arnold said he suspects Haver and Griest had extra motivation to graduate "because you know everyone is watching. And truthfully there are probably a few folks who want you to fail. So you've got to put out 110 percent."

Both women were among 19 female soldiers who enrolled in Ranger school in April. During the last of their three attempts, 364 soldiers started and only 96 finished.
Before this spring, only men had been allowed to enroll since the Ranger School opened in 1972.

Ranger School teaches soldiers combat skills, from standard patrols to raids and air assaults, while pushing the limits of the trainees' physical and mental endurance. It's considered one of the most difficult courses in the Army.

Soldiers spend days scaling mountains in north Georgia and slogging through swampy terrain in Florida. They travel long distances by foot carrying rucksacks, weapons and other gear weighing 100 pounds or more. And they don't get much chance to rest or refuel.

For much of the course, Ranger trainees are fed just twice a day, eating nothing but military rations sealed in plastic bags. Many nights they get only a single hour of sleep.

"You're way too tired and way too hungry to care" about the gender of fellow Ranger School classmates, said Staff Sgt. Michael Calderon, one of the women's classmates. "In your mind you knew what was going on, but at the end of the day everyone was a Ranger."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/08/21/two-women-make-army-ranger-history/?intcmp=hplnws

 

[P.J.]

Unarmed US Marines foil suspected terrorist attack on board high-speed train

Unarmed US Marines foil suspected terrorist attack on board high-speed train

21 August 2015

A group of unarmed US Marines on board a high-speed train between Amsterdam and Paris foiled a terrorist attack after a gunman opened fire with an assault rifle, wounding three people.
The 26-year-old Moroccan national, who was known to security services, came out of the toilet brandishing the gun and opened fire. Fortunately, two US Marines were nearby and overpowered him before he could massacre passengers.


The suspected terrorist had at least nine full magazines of ammunition holding almost 200 rounds. He was also carrying a knife.
Unfortunately, one of the Marines was shot and is believed to be in a critical condition.


Speaking in Arras, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised the Marines for their timely intervention.
He said: 'Thanks to them we have averted a drama.

'(The Americans were) particularly courageous and showed extreme bravery in extremely difficult circumstances.'
The man was arrested by police near the town of Arras in northern France.


Please read more from here

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206426/U-S-Marines-armed-gunman-onboard-high-speed-train-Amsterdam-Paris.html?ito=social-facebook

 

[P.J.]

Cristiano Ronaldo named world's most charitable sports star

Cristiano Ronaldo named world's most charitable sports star

19 August 2015

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the world's most charitable sports star after donating million of pounds to causes across the globe.


Ronaldo topped DoSomething.org's Athletes Gone Good 2015 list and beat the likes of John Cena, Serena Williams and Barcelona star Neymar.


The former Manchester United winger has been recognised for his generosity - where he has raised money for various causes and used his global status as a spokesperson for charities.





http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...diver-Tom-Daley-list.html?ito=social-facebook

 

[P.J.]

‘I want to make a difference’: Charudatta Jadhav

‘I want to make a difference’: Charudatta Jadhav

14th Apr 2013

I was 13 years old when I lost my eyesight due to an eye disease. My eyesight didn’t go all of a sudden, but kept fading and blurring little by little. Initially I insisted that I be sent to school because I wasn’t ready to give up yet. My sole motive in life was to do well at school, get a good job and provide for my family.

My father, a mill worker, lost his job during the ’80s and that made it all the more imperative for me to be an able breadwinner. But as time passed by, I realised that I had to drop out of school. As my vision faded away, my dreams started crumbling before my eyes and it was the end of the world, as I knew it.

God took away my eyesight, but he gifted me perseverance. I was determined to complete my education and joined the National Institute for Blind. There, for the first time, I realised that blind people could cook, play instruments and live life like any other person. It inspired me to never give up. It’s there that I learnt to play chess, and excelled at it. I beat sighted people at it! The game didn’t distinguish between my competitor and me. Beating a “normal” person gave me a different kind of confidence and I decided to pursue the game with all my heart. Today, I have represented India at several international chess competitions and participated in world chess championship. I have also created Talk 64, a first-of-its-kind chess training and gaming software that helps the blind improve their gaming skills independently.

Chess put me on par with sighted people. It inspired me to do things and not be crippled by my handicap. That’s when I decided to scale Peak Shitidhar, which stands at a height of 17,220 feet. I am a nature lover and the thought of being at that altitude inspired me. People often ask me how I am able to appreciate the beauty of nature if I can’t even see it. But I tell them that beauty lies in more than the looks. It lies in its voices and smells as well. I remember on our way to Mount Shitidhar, we started off as a group (everybody except me was sighted) but only two of us made it to the top. My friend described the scene to me by saying that the mountain looked like it was made of gold. The clouds moved to make way for the sun and the entire mountain lit up to resemble a heap of gold, he told me. I couldn’t see it, but the picture will remain with me for life. It has been a game changer.

Today, I am an MBA with a cushy job with a software company. I have developed a screen reader for Windows and a navigation system that helps the visually challenged people move independently in the city. I am also developing a pocket reader, to help visually challenged to read any printed material.

I want to make a difference. And that will start by changing people’s outlook. My motive in life today is to instill a sense of faith in blind people. I don’t want the world to treat us any differently. I am as good as anybody else. And I want sighted people to realise that.

- Charudatta jadhav


http://archives.deccanchronicle.com...le/‘i-want-make-difference’-charudatta-jadhav

 

[P.J.]

‘Desi Hoppers’ create history'

‘Desi Hoppers’ create history'

August 17, 2015

Troupe wins World of Dance competition in Los Angeles


Indian troupe Desi Hoppers — a group with members from across the country — has emerged victorious at the World of Dance competition here.

Cries of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ rent the air and the Indian tricolour was waved at the venue, the Los Angeles Convention Center, as the group was announced the winners on Sunday evening. They received a trophy and a cheque of $5,000.

They also got the ‘Crowd Favourite Trophy’ at the event — which, since 2008, has united the dance community from the U.S., Europe, South America, Asia, and Canada — that celebrates the lifestyle and culture of urban dance and music.

The troupe was started by the trio of Shantanu Maheshwari, Macedon D’mello and Nimit Kotian. India’s spirit of “unity in diversity” was very much in evidence as the group — men in their early 20s wearing white outfits with tricolour handbands — gyrated to ‘desi’ beats.

They staged an energetic performance by starting off with a formation of Lord Ganesha and then providing a glimpse of Indian classical dance. After the ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ religious chant, the troupe switched to fusion mode with international hits like ‘I got the power’, ‘Turn down for what’ and ‘Old McDonald had a farm’.

East-West blend

The performance also saw a blend of western music on dhol beats. The song ‘Jumme ki raat hai’ from the Salman Khan flick Kick became was an instant hit.

The group not only got a standing ovation, but the audience was seen reaching out to the dancers after the performance to applaud their effort.

The race to clinch the trophy was not easy. Dancers from 14 countries, including Canada and Mexico, participated in the competition with 34 crews.

The competition was judged by ace international dancers Matt Steffanina, Galen Hooks, Arnel Calvario, Jun Quemado and Beau Fournier.


http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/desi-hoppers-create-history/article7551027.ece


Desi Hoppers' Winning Performance at the World Of Dance LA Finals 2015


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ4hV0uF6DA

 

[P.J.]

Aditi Ashok becomes first Indian to win Ladies British Amateur

Aditi Ashok becomes first Indian to win Ladies British Amateur

Aug 22, 2015


LEEDS (England): India's Aditi Ashok made history when she became the first from the country to win the Ladies British Amateur stroke play golf championship at the Moortown Golf Club here.

The Indian Golf Union's ladies amateur order of merit, Aditi shot four days total of 11-under 285 (71,73,70,71) at the par 74 Moortown Golf Club.

The 17-year-old Bangalore girl, who had earlier won the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews in July this year and finished second in the 2015 European Women's Amateur Championship, also claimed the overall title called 'The Nicholls Trophy' as well as the 'Dinwiddy Trophy' given for the lowest score by an U-18 player.

Getting into the final round with a four-stroke lead, the 12th grader from The Frank Anthony Public School, Bengaluru carded five birdies and four bogeys in halves of 37-34 and made one eagle on 16th on the final day.

Currently 52nd in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Aditi beat 39 players from around 30 countries including the 2015 Scottish Open Amateur Strokeplay winner Olivia Mehaffey of Ireland, who also took the second spot at six-under 290.

"I played consistently over all four days which was the key for me. Though I could have scored better on many holes, I am pleased with an 11-under finish," said an overwhelmed Aditi, who is also the youngest Ladies British Amateur Stroke Play Championship winner.

Citymate Anirban Lahiri who closely follows Aditi's performances was delighted with her victory.

"It's fantastic to see Aditi go from strength to strength. Great to see her performing internationally. Hope she can carry on and do well at the highest levels. I wish her all the luck and success," said Lahiri, who recently finished tied fifth at the PGA championship in USA, the highest by an Indian in a Major.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/golf/top-stories/Aditi-Ashok-becomes-first-Indian-to-win-Ladies-BritishAmateur/articleshow/48623632.cms?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=TOI

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/sports/aditi-ashok-becomes-first-indian-to-win-ladies-british-amateur-golf-championship/articleshow/48623830.cms

 

[P.J.]

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak

Dr Bindeshwar Pathak has built 1.3 million toilets in India where nearly half of billion plus people defecate in open.

Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, a non-profit voluntary social organisation founded in 1970 by Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, is dedicated to Gandhian ideology of emancipation of scavengers. Sulabh has been working for the removal of untouchability and social discrimination against scavengers, a section of Indian society condemned to clean and carry human excreta manually. Sulabh is noted for achieving success in the field of cost-effective sanitation, liberation of scavengers, social transformation of society, prevention of environmental pollution and development of non-conventional sources of energy.


dr-pathakEnvironmental friendly two-pit, pour-flush compost toilet known as Sulabh Shauchalaya that is socially acceptable, economically affordable, technologically appropriate and does not require scavengers to clean the pits and implemented in more than 1.2 million houses all over India that has helped liberate over a million scavengers.


Construction and maintenance of public toilets at public places and in slums on ‘pay & use basis’ is a landmark of Sulabh in the field of sanitation. So far it has constructed and is or maintaining over 8000 such public toilets in India and has constructed 200 biogas plants all over the country. Production of biogas from public toilets and recycling and reuse of effluent through simple and convenient method is the major breakthrough in the field of sanitation and community health.


http://www.sulabhinternational.org/meet-sulabh/
http://www.sulabhinternational.org/people-of-sulabh/founder/


http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/meet-toilet-man-india-150820085220487.html

 

[P.J.]

Gritty Woman- Shubhpreet Kaur Ghumman

Gritty Woman- Shubhpreet Kaur Ghumman

JANUARY 27, 2014

She did not faint when she saw hundreds of ants eating up her paralyzed leg in hospital; she did not cringe when she saw fingers falling off one by one from her injured leg; she did not die despite the doctors giving up on her and she did not allow life to push her into the darkest corner of accidental disability after a doctor erroneously chopped off a vital vein in her left thigh. Meet Shubhreet Kaur Ghumman, the one-legged dancing wonder, who gives SANGEETA YADAV a lesson in life well fought & well lived

There is not a single profile shot of Shubhreet Kaur Ghumman on her Facebook page in which she is not smiling or posing for a sexy photograph with her speaking eyes, sparkling smile, high cheekbones and a tall, becoming figure. Yet, they shock you at first sight — for, in most of them, she stands on one leg, the other peeping out as a bandaged stub with just a portion of the upper thigh remaining.

But soon, shock gives way to awe as she stoutly declares that pity is the last thing she would like to evoke and sympathy a crutch she will never take. You may have seen this 27-year-old fighter dancing away to “Chikni Chameli” at a recent round of India’s Got Talent. The performance had everyone teary-eyed and standing in ovation. Setting an example for everyone that nothing is impossible in this world and that one should never give up in life, Shubhreet is not just a proud daughter but also a true inspiration to many able-bodied people who come into her radar.

Not that she was born with one leg. Till a freak accident and a doctoral error led to the amputation of her left leg, Shubhreet was just like any girl next door grooving to Punjabi bhangra and having a yen for belly dancing.

“I enjoyed dancing to Bollywood numbers. It was the first day of my first year of BSc studies at the Rattan Professional Education College of Nursing, Chandigarh. While returning home, my scooty skidded and I lost control. My left leg got fractured and I was rushed to the PGI hospital for corrective surgery on November 5, 2009,” she recalls.

“Doctor Aditya Aggarwal and his team were handling my case. They first gave local anaesthesia to fix some screws into my broken leg. But when they made the first cut, they accidentally cut my vein and the bleeding wouldn’t stop. I went into convulsions and my pulse and blood pressure started failing. They then gave me general anaesthesia but still couldn’t fix the screws into my broken bone. The situation turned so bad that the doctors told my mother that I was bleeding to death with only a few hours to live. I went into coma for 12 hours. After a few days, I realised there was no sensation in my leg due to the damaged nerve,” Shubhreet says.

It was a nightmare Shubhreet’s mother Chanpreet Kaur continues to relive even though her daughter has since not only defeated death but all odds stacked against a disabled person. Already, she had seen lots in life — from an alcoholic husband who passed away without leaving any resources, to unhelpful relatives — she had brought up her three children single-handed.

Shubhreet Kaur Ghumman with Mom on India’s Got Talent


“When Shubhreet was being taken for the operation, I was at peace as I knew it was a small corrective surgery and she would be fine. But I almost died of shock when doctors told me that my daughter was dying. They said, they wouldn’t be able to do anything about the damaged leg either. I cried a lot and was very angry over their criminal negligence. They gave up on my daughter,” Chanpreet tells you.

There was more in store. Instead of referring Shubhreet to another hospital, the doctors refused to treat her. “None was ready to take up her case. In those three days, I saw my daughter dying every minute,” Chanpreet, who works in a boutique, says.

Meanwhile, Shubhreet’s condition worsened. “It was awful. My foot fingers started falling off. My leg used to be covered with a blanket and I was not allowed to move. One morning, when I woke up, I saw two-three ants on my blanket. When my mother removed the blanket, we saw hundreds of brown ants eating up my left leg. Since my sensation nerve was damaged, I did not feel anything. I can’t forget that sight. It was like hell. But my mother comforted me, saying: ‘Sab theek ho jayega. Himmat mat haarna’. Except for my mother and my younger sister Surmeet (24), nobody from my father’s family helped. My father passed away in 2000 due to alcohol addiction,” Shubhreet tells you.

It was then that Shubhreet took the ultimate decision — to have her leg amputated and get on with life. But no doctor was ready to do the amputation. Finally, Dr Harinder Bedi from Christian Medical College (CMC) in Ludhiana agreed to take Shubhreet’s case. He did a couple of minor operations and finally conducted the amputation on September 16, 2010.

“When she was being taken into the OT, Dr Bedi told us that it was a risky operation. ‘Kuch bhi ho sakta hai but we will try our best,’ he said. I told my daughter not to fear. I was confident she would emerge alright. She kept smiling back at me reassuringly. Doctors said it would take two hours. But after an hour, they called me into their cabin. I was so scared that my daughter must be dead. But when they told me that the operation was a success and she had been saved, I fell on the doctor’s feet and told him ‘mujhe rab mil gaya.’ I was so thankful to him,” Chanpreet recalls.

A doctor’s negligence had altered young Shubhreet’s life forever. But instead of suing the hospital, Chanpreet focused on getting her daughter out of bed and back on her feet. “For me, saving my daughter’s life was more important than suing those doctors. If I would have thought of fighting the doctors, I would have lost her. My only aim in life was to get my daughter to stand and get on with life. Jahaan tak bhi mein jaa sakti hoon wahaan tak jaungi. Jo chaiye,mai dungi, bus isko her haalat me bachchna hai. Dus darwaze bandh hongey toh kya hua, koi ek darwaza toh khulega. I didn’t want to get into such issues. Also, the hospital refused to give me any medical documents,” Chanpreet says.

From paying rent, running a household and arranging the funds for the operations, it was an uphill task for this 57-year-old single mother of three. More than Rs 7 lakh were spent on her operations. Chanpreet took a personal loan and got some help from her parental side and her son to tide over the expenses.

After seven operations in a year, Shubhreet finally got back to standing — but only on one leg. In that year, she read a lot about handicapped achievers to find inspiration. Her Facebook pictures have lots of snaps of those global greats who have done wonders without their limbs. Vinod Thakur, runners up of the earlier season of IGT and who was born only with upper limbs and a torso, is one of them. Her mother supported her in all her endeavours and now she is a celebrity in Chandigarh.

“I kept praying she doesn’t get into depression. She told me one day that she wanted to go to IGT and perform there. I gave her full freedom to pursue her dreams,” Chanpreet says.

After recovering, Shubhreet started dancing at home. “I used to keep falling down as I had no balance. But my mother kept inspiring me. I gathered all my strength and practised a lot to strengthen my muscles. I would dance on one leg for three hours at a stretch. I did a lot of gym and yoga. People used to sympathise with my condition. But I told them to not be sorry for me. I don’t want people’s sympathy. I couldn’t continue my nursing studies, but I got professional training as a make-up artist,” Shubhreet says.

Shubhreet’s dream to get through India’s Got Talent took her to many dance academies for professional training but all she got was rejection. “I wanted to get professional dance training under a seasoned choreographer. But the moment I used to tell them that I had only one leg, they used to reject me. They used to say their’s was not an academy for handicapped dancers. It killed me. I did not expect any special training or attention. They hadn’t seen my dancing talent. How could they underestimate my potential? It was so unfair. Then I decided that I would show the world how I could dance with one leg. Sabki soch, bol kar nahin kar ke badaloongi,” Shubhreet says.

Finally, the Rockstar Academy accepted Shubhreet on seeing her talent. Sameer Mahajan, founder and director of the academy, says that Shubhreet’s presence was inspirational for all his students.

“When Shubhreet told me that she was a one-legged dancer wanting to enroll at my academy to prepare for India’s Got Talent (IGT), I was excited. I saw her dance videos and realised she was outstanding. When I first met her, she came across as positive and confident. When my students saw her, they come to ask me if she was my friend or sister or relative. I told them she was, like them, one of my dance students. Everybody was amazed to see her driving her car and going out for parties without a worry in the world. She used to pick up dance steps very easily. She is a born dancer. She has faced so many problems, but is full of life. She had become famous much before IGT. But to win the show, she needs to work much harder and hone her skills. The most difficult thing to do on one leg is to sit and stand and move right and left on the beat. But she does it like a dream,” Mahajan tells you.

For Mahajan, teaching Shubhreet was the most memorable and creative experience. “Before teaching her any step, I used to try it out myself with one leg and see if she would be able to manage. But Shubhreet used to tell me not to cancel any step just because it’s difficult. ‘I’ll practice and get it right’, she would say. Her stamina was very low. We prepared a diet and exercise plan for her to gain stamina. After three months of training, we prepared five dances and sent the video to the Colors team. She got selected for IGT auditions and you know the rest of the story,” Mahajan adds.

For now, Shubhreet is in Mumbai being choreographed for dances that will take her to the final rounds of this highly popular reality show. For Chanpreet, however, after the glow of pride settles down, there are issues around Shubhreet’s future that have started niggling, marriage being the prime concern.

“My younger daughter Surmeet is getting marriage this year. There are worries related to Shubhreet’s marriage but I have full faith in God. I will let my daughter choose her life partner,” Chanpreet says. While Chanpreet has left everything to God, Shubhreet says that marriage is a big responsibility not for now. “I do want to get married one day but I want a life partner who accepts me the way I am and one who doesn’t feel negative about my leg. There is always a right time for everything. Jab shaadi honi hogi, ho jayegi,” she says.

For now, she aspires to win IGT but that’s not the end of her dreams. “I would like to dance with Hrithik Roshan some day and work in the entertainment industry. If I win IGT, with the prize money, I will open a dance school to train everyone, especially people like me and underprivileged children,” she says rushing off to practice another dance number, this time telling you how she would be practising for three hours straight on her sole leg! Bravo Shubhreet, you are a lesson for all of us!


http://www.sikhfoundation.org/sikh-arts-heritage/gritty-woman-shubhpreet-kaur-ghumman/

 

[P.J.]

Dementia Village' Helps Those Suffering From Illness

Dementia Village' Helps Those Suffering From Illness

June 18, 2015

[TD="align: center"]

In Norway, there exists a very special town. This town is made up entirely of dementia patients, and everyone who works in the town is a medical professional. The goal of the experimental town is to give people with dementia a chance at having a normal life, rather than wasting away in front of a television in a nursing home.

Now, organizations like Dementia Village Architects are trying to bring this concept to the rest of the world. In 2014, a dementia village was founded in San Lois Obispo, California. Much like the village in Europe, the California facility aims to give victims of dementia a normal life. I'm glad this concept is spreading, it's such a good idea!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwiOBlyWpko


http://sfglobe.com/2015/06/17/dementia-village-helps-those-suffering-from-illness/?src=sfg&cp=paC0
​

[/TD]

 

[P.J.]

Indian woman with one leg scales highest peak in Swiss Alps

Indian woman with one leg scales highest peak in Swiss Alps

Tuesday, 18 August 2015

She has dedicated her latest victory to the countless Indians who prayed for her success, her much elated family members told reporters in her native Ambedkar Nagar on Monday.

Arunima Sinha, the first female amputee to climb the world's highest peak, Mount Everest (8,848 metres), added another mountain to her impressive done-that list when she hoisted the Indian tricolour atop Monte Rosa (4,634 metres), the highest peak in the Alps in Switzerland, rather aptly on Independence Day.

She has dedicated her latest victory to the countless Indians who prayed for her success, her much elated family members told reporters in her native Ambedkar Nagar on Monday.
Arunima, who has an artificial leg after a train accident, has set herself the goal to conquer all the highest mountains in all the seven continents. She has already scaled the 5,895-metre Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa), Elbrus (5,642 m, Russia) and Kosciuszko (2,228 m, Australia). Her next expedition would be to scale the 6,960-metre-high Aconcagua (South America), which is the highest in the world outside Asia.

Arunima lost one of her legs in April 2011 when she was pushed from a running train by thugs trying to snatch her bag and gold chain. The young volleyball champ turned her handicap into her strength and went on to scale the Mount Everst under the legendary mountaineer Bachendri Pal.

Actor-Director Farhan Akhtar is working on a film on her life based on her book "Born again on the mountain".

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-amputee-arunima-scales-highest-peak-in-swiss-alps-2115556

http://www.vikatan.com/news/article...=facebook&utm_medium=EMagazine&utm_campaign=1

 

[P.J.]

Tea Seller Took On And Defeated India's Biggest Bank

Tea Seller Took On And Defeated India's Biggest Bank

Rajesh Sakre took on the State Bank of India over a sum over Rs 9200. But what matters is how he defeated them - Sakre literally "lawyered up" by representing himself in court. His deed is commendable, because Sakre's educational qualifications end at class V.

This episode began in 2011, when Sakre saw that his bank account had been wiped clean and he went to complain at a local bank branch. There he faced the familiar sarkari behaviour - they even blamed him for it, Bhopal Samachar reported.

A 4 Years Battle


He was also turned down after appealing to the SBI Mumbai headquarters. Then, he filed a District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum case. But Sakre didn't have the money to even hire a lawyer (probably because the bank took it all!). So he "lawyered up" on his own, taking on the lawyers of India's biggest bank. SBI's lawyers claimed that Sakre had withdrawn the amount he was fighting about. But they couldn't produce evidence in court. 12 hearings later, Sakre won.

And he won!

Last week, the court ordered SBI to return Rs 9200 and 6% interest by August 2015. And they have to pay him an additional Rs 10 000 for putting him through this ordeal, and Rs 2,000 for legal expenses.



http://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/this-tea-seller-took-on-and-defeated-indias-biggest-bank-with-just-his-guts-and-class-5-education-233983.html

 

[P.J.]

Delhi resident leads a plastic-free life

Delhi resident leads a plastic-free life

• Jun 05, 2015

Narela resident Bhim Rawat, 32, is leading a plastic-free life. Starting from the neem twig he uses for a toothbrush to the paintings made of floral dyes hanging in his home, he has devised alternatives for everything plastic to become eco-friendly.

“I have been doing it for at least 10 years now,” he says. But convincing his family about his lifestyle choice was not easy, he says. Every time a member brought home plastic products, Rawat would throw a tantrum and refuse to eat. Finally, his family gave in and joined him.

Rawat, who works with an NGO in Shalimar Bagh, says that contrary to popular perception, eco-friendly living is easy on the pocket.


“I used leaf and steel plates to serve food to guests at my wedding to make the event plastic-free. It reduced the cost of the event drastically and had a big impact on the villagers as the next three ceremonies followed the trend.”

He sent out calendars as his wedding invites, and gifted close to 500 cloth bags to people, encouraging them to give up plastic.

Powdered rock salt, stainless steel buckets and mugs, cloth bags, bamboo cups for drinking, steel utensils, earthen pots, rugs made from old gunny bags — the list of eco-friendly alternatives in his home is long. Rawat, who was a teacher, says he became environment-conscious while teaching school children about the topic.

“When I first started working for the environment, I researched a lot and found that we are the ones destroying our home and killing wildlife. I realised that our lives can go on perfectly without plastic. So why not do so?” He is now constructing a pit at home to harvest rainwater.

Next on his agenda is to find a way to compost toilet waste.

“People in Delhi are concerned about parking spots, but not the air they breathe. Everyone knows the dreadful effects of plastic, but no one cares to condemn it,” laments Rawat.


http://www.hindustantimes.com/newde...ads-a-plastic-free-life/article1-1355203.aspx

 

[P.J.]

Shrikant Pantawane – An auto driver who became a pilot with IndiGo!

Shrikant Pantawane – An auto driver who became a pilot with IndiGo!

Never give up. There is no such thing as an ending; just the start of a new chapter. This saying could not have been used to better describe than Shrikant Pantawane, who not only dared to dream but also had guts to fulfill it. What is truly motivating is his will that put wings to an impossible looking dream for many. Yes, Shrikant Pantawane was an auto driver who went on to become a pilot with one of the leading airlines, IndiGo.According to Indiatimes, Shrikant Pantawane, a Nagpur resident began his life’s journey as a delivery boy. Being a son of a security guard did not provide him the opportunities that are deserved by every living soul. Always battling to make ends meet, Shrikant started working at a tender age to support his family through tough financial times. But a determined Shrikant balanced work and studies to continue to go big in life.

A small dose of luck and lot of determination proved to be the turning point in Shrikant’s life. With a twist in fate, a chance meeting with the cadets at the airport, where he had gone to deliver parcel, came to know that one could become a pilot even without being inducted in the Indian Air Force. He later struck a conversation with a tea-seller outside, who apprised him of a pilot scholarship program by the DGCA.

The information was motivating enough for Shrikant who immediately started preparing for the scholarship. He not only joined a flight school in Madhya Pradesh but also overcame his biggest obstacle – English with the help of his friends. He passed the examination but his dream of becoming a pilot was still away with global recession hitting the aviation market. But he continued to do what he knew best – hard work.Shrikant Pantawane worked as an executive till he received a call from IndiGo Airlines to include him as a

First Officer. After knowing Shrikant Pantawane, no one would shy away from fulfilling their childhood dream because nothing is impossible. And this boy proves it.


http://www.india.com/news/india/mee...driver-who-became-a-pilot-with-indigo-426252/

http://www.indiatimes.com/news/indi...kant-patwanes-inspirational-story-233676.html

 

[P.J.]

Usain Bolt beats Justin Gatlin by one hundredth of a second in 100m World Championshi

Usain Bolt beats Justin Gatlin by one hundredth of a second in 100m World Championship

Despite running a comparatively modest time by his record-breaking standards, Bolt's victory represented his greatest miracle in a career of many



Please open the link to view Video and read more


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...-second-in-100m-World-Championship-final.html

 

[P.J.]

சென்னையும் பெண்களும்: மகளிர் மருத்துவமன&

சென்னையும் பெண்களும்: மகளிர் மருத்துவமனைக்கு வித்திட்ட மேரி!

மெட்ராஸ் நகரோடு 1668- ல் திருவல்லிக்கேணி கிராமம் இணைக்கப்பட்டது. அதன் மையத்தில் இன்றும் இயங்கும் கோஷா ஆஸ்பத்திரி என்று சென்னை மக்களால் அழைக்கப்படும் கஸ்தூரிபா பெண்கள் மருத்துவமனை பிறந்த ஆண்டு 1885.

பிரசவ மரணங்கள்


அன்றைய மெட்ராஸ் பெண்கள் ஆங்கில மருத்துவர்களிடம் வைத்தியம் பார்க்க மாட்டார்கள். அப்போதைய மருத்துவர்கள் அனைவரும் ஆண்கள். அவர்களிடம் மருத்துவம் பார்த்துக்கொள்வதில் கோஷா எனும் ஆடையை அணிந்து முகத்தை மூடிக்கொள்ளும் இஸ்லாமியப் பெண்களுக்கோ மத ரீதியான பண்பாட்டுப் பிரச்சினைகளும் இருந்தன. அதனால் பிரசவத்தின்போது ஏராளமானவர்கள் இறந்துபோனார்கள். துயரமான இந்த நிலையைப் பற்றி இந்தியாவில் உள்ள ஆங்கில மருத்துவர்களின் தலைவரான சர் ஜோசப் ஃபிரேயர் என்பவர் ஒரு கட்டுரையை எழுதினார். அதைப் படித்தார் மேரி ஆனி எனும் பெண். அவருடைய கணவர் வில்லியம் மேஸன் ஸ்கார்லீப்


1866-ம் ஆண்டு முதல் மெட்ராஸில் வக்கீலாகப் பணியாற்றியவர். இளம் வக்கீல்களுக்கான ‘மெட்ராஸ் ஜூரிஸ்ட்’ என்னும் சட்ட இதழையும் நடத்தியவர் அவர்.


மேரி ஆனி, மெட்ராஸ் பெண்களின் துன்பங்களைத் துடைக்க வேண்டும் எனப் பரிதவித்தார். அதற்காக மருத்துவம் படிக்க வேண்டும் என்று விரும்பினார். தற்போதைய அரசு பொது மருத்துவமனையின் அப்போதைய தலைவராக இருந்த எட்வர்ட் பால்போரோடு பேசினார். எட்வர்ட், இந்துஸ்தானி, பாரசீகம் உள்ளிட்ட பல மொழிகளில் வல்லவர். தமிழ், தெலுங்கு மொழிகளில் மருத்துவத் தாதியருக்கான புத்தகங்களை மொழிபெயர்த்தவர். அவரால்தான் அரசு மருத்துவக் கல்லூரியில் ஆனி உள்ளிட்ட நான்கு பெண்கள் படிப்பதற்கு வாய்ப்பு கிடைத்தது.
ராணியிடம் வேண்டுகோள்


மூன்று குழந்தைகளுக்குத் தாயான ஆனி, மருத்துவமனையில் நர்ஸ் ஆக சேவையாற்றிக்கொண்டே மூன்றாண்டு காலம் படித்தார். Licentiate in Medicine & Surgery - LM&S எனும் மருத்துவச் சான்றிதழ் படிப்பை 1878-ல் முடித்தார்.


மருத்துவத்தில் பட்டம் படிக்க ஆனி இங்கிலாந்து சென்றார். அப்போது இங்கிலாந்தின் ஒரே பெண் டாக்டராக டாக்டர் எலிசபெத் ஆண்டர்ஸன் இருந்தார். அவர் நடத்திய பெண்களுக்கான மருத்துவப் பள்ளியில் சேர்ந்தார்.


தனது 37-வது வயதில் லண்டன் பல்கலைக் கழகத்தில் தங்கப் பதக்கத்தோடு பட்டத்தையும் அள்ளிக்கொண்டார் ஆனி. மேற்படிப்புக்கான உதவித்தொகையும் பெற்றார்.


மேரி ஆனி விக்டோரியா ராணியைச் சந்திப்பதற்கான வாய்ப்பை மருத்துவர் ஹென்றி ஏற்படுத்தித்தந்தார். இந்தியாவில் பெண் டாக்டர்கள் இல்லாமல் பெண்கள் படும் துயரை ராணியிடம் அவர் எடுத்துக்காட்டினார். அவரது கோரிக்கையை ராணி ஏற்றுக்கொண்டார்.
குவிந்த நன்கொடை


1883-ல் மெட்ராஸ் திரும்பினார் ஆனி. பெண்களுக்கான மருத்துவமனையை சென்னையில் அமைக்கும் முயற்சிகளை மேற்கொண்டார். கோஷா மருத்துவமனைக்கான ஆலோசனைக் கூட்டம் 1885 மார்ச் 6-ம் தேதி நடந்தது. அந்தக் கூட்டத்துக்கு 1884 முதல் 1888 வரை இந்தியாவின் வைஸ்ராயாக இருந்த மார்கோஸ் ஆஃப் டஃபரின் அண்ட் அவா என்பவரின் மனைவி லேடி கிரான்ட் டஃபரின் தலைமை வகித்தார். கஸ்தூரி பாஷ்யம் அய்யங்கார், திவான் பகதூர் ஆர்.ரகுநாத ராவ், விஜயநகர அரசர்,வெங்கடகிரி அரசர், நீதிபதி முத்துசாமி ஐயர், ராஜா சர் சாவாலை ராமசாமி முதலியார் உள்ளிட்டோர் அதில் பங்கேற்றனர். அந்தக் கூட்டத்திலேயே 70 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் நன்கொடை குவிந்தது. அந்தக் கூட்டத்தில் மேரி ஆனி கலந்துகொண்டாரா என்பது தெரியவில்லை.


புதிய பெண் மருத்துவர்கள்


டாக்டர் எட்வர்ட்டின் உதவியோடு கோஷா மற்றும் சாதி இந்துப் பெண்களுக்கான விக்டோரியா ராணி மருத்துவமனை (Queen Victoria Hospital for Caste and Gosha Women) என்ற பெயரில் நுங்கம்பாக்கத்தில் மூர் தோட்டம் என்னுமிடத்தில் டிசம்பர் 7-ம் தேதி இந்த மருத்துவமனை பிறந்தது. 1890- ல் இப்போதைய இடத்தை அரசு வழங்கி, 10 ஆயிரம் ரூபாயும் தந்தது. வெங்கிடகிரி ராஜா ஒரு லட்சம் ரூபாய் வழங்கினார்.


1921-ல் அரசு இந்த மருத்துவனையைத் தானே எடுத்து நிர்வாகம் செய்யத் தொடங்கியது. இதில் மெட்ராஸின் முதல் தலைமுறை பெண் மருத்துவர்களான மேரி பீடன், ஹில்டா மேரி லஷாருஷ், இ.மதுரம் ஆகியோர் உருவானார்கள்.


மேரி ஆனி 1887-ல் இங்கிலாந்து திரும்பினார். மேலும் மேலும் உயர் படிப்புகளைப் படித்தார். மகப்பேறியல் துறையில் இங்கிலாந்திலும் இங்கிலாந்தின் பல காலனி நாடுகளிலும் இருந்த மருத்துவர்களுக்கான தலைவர் ஆனார். 1930-ல் 85 வயதில் காலமானார்.

கஸ்தூரிபா பெயரில்


வைஸ்ராயின் மனைவியான லேடி கிரான்ட் டஃபரினும் 1888-ம் ஆண்டு இந்தியாவை விட்டு வெளியேறினார். இங்கிலாந்தின் பல காலனி நாடுகளில் பெண்களுக்கான மருத்துவமனைகளையும் கல்வி நிலையங்களையும் அவர் திறந்தார்.


சுதந்திரத்துக்குப் பிறகு காந்தியடிகளின் மனைவி கஸ்தூரிபாவின் பெயரைத் தாங்கிக்கொண்ட மருத்துவமனை இன்று சாதி, மத, இன வேறுபாடுகளைத் தாண்டி பெண்கள் தங்களுக்காகவே அமைத்துக்கொண்ட மருத்துவமனையாக கம்பீரமாக நிற்கிறது!


http://tamil.thehindu.com/society/w...்துவமனைக்கு-வித்திட்ட-மேரி/article7569956.ece

 

[P.J.]

He could be working at a dhaba, but is now at IIT!

He could be working at a dhaba, but is now at IIT!

August 19, 2015

Today: Brijesh Kumar Saroj, the son of a poor weaver, who overcame every hardship to make it to IIT-Bombay. When he cleared the IIT entrance exam, villagers threw stones at his home because he is Dalit. This has only hardened his resolve to 'make it in life.'

My father works as a weaver in a Surat mill and earns between Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 a month which is not enough for us six children, my parents and my grandparents.
I took up a job in a garage in the village as a helper to a mechanic, 'get the wrench, get the spanner. Yeh karo woh karo (Do this, do that).' I learned nothing there, but earned Rs 3,000 in two months.

As Mishra Sir suggested, I filled out the Navodaya form and studied hard. I passed. I studied at the school from Class 6 to 10. It was a residential school and it was my foundation.
I got three meals a day. I learnt judo-karate and basketball and I'm a regional level player. I also ate paneer for the first time.

The Navodaya school had 40 students in a class, while the village school had 100 students in a class, different age groups all studying together. The teachers gave each student undivided attention.

People ask me what is the difference between life now and before IIT. Zameen aasman ka fark hai (the difference is as wide as heaven from earth). We had no electricity because we couldn't afford it. We had no TV, no fan or running water, or a toilet or a gas cylinder.

In Class 10 during my final exams, the thatched roof of our house fell down. We had to spend a few days in the open. It was only because of the BPL card (Below Poverty Line ration card)] and the milk from our eight goats that we could survive.

When the media found our story, the life that we knew changed. As did the life of the village. Five hundred families in the village who had kachcha houses (made out of mud), got pucca ones (made of brick) with toilets, solar lights and hand pumps.

Tarred roads are being built, there are plans for a hospital and an ITI (Industrial Training Institute), as well as a coaching class for IIT entrance exams.

Yet, the villagers threw stones at our house when the results were announced because we are Dalits. They have threatened to throw acid on our family, they said we won't allow your children to get jobs in this village. And it's only because our father tried to push us towards the promise of a better life.

I get upset when people use the word 'higher' caste to describe these narrow-minded, uneducated, uncivilised people.

Whatever little I have achieved today is because of my opponents. What they said dil pe lagti thi aur jab dil pe lagti thi toh baat ban jati thi (It hurt me and it pushed me to realise my goals). They always told me you won't be able to do it because you are Dalit.

If there is one thing I want ended in India, it is the caste system.

http://www.rediff.com/news/special/he-could-be-working-at-a-dhaba-but-is-now-at-iit/20150819.htm