International Mindedness in the Kolkata Chapter

If international mindedness and intercultural awareness is the need of the hour, playing a vital role in not only learning to coexist harmoniously but celebrating diversity then it’s time to see its relevance in the Kolkata context. International mindedness dates back when a young thirty year old monk with a magnetic personality embarked on the shores of America and captured the attention of the audience in the great Hall of Colum­bus Art Institute, Michigan Avenue, Chicago with his words- “Sisters and Brothers of Amer­ica, ... I am proud to belong to a relig­ion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance; we believe not only in universal tolera­tion, but we accept all religions as true.”This attitude of openness dates back to 1893.It is time for education in India to take forward Swami Vivekananda’s optimism.
Why is international mindedness important? Will it help us in conflict resolution? We can seek answers to these queries in Tagore’s world views.
Internationalism in India dates back long before the peacekeeping organizations like the League of Nations or the United Nations spoke about it. It was strongly voiced by Rabindranath Tagore in the following words:
“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.Where knowledge is free.Where the world has not been broken up into fragmentsBy narrow domestic walls....................................................Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its wayInto the dreary desert sand of dead habit......”


When formulating his ideas on education Tagore wrote “To accept the truth of our own age it will be necessary to establish a new education on the basis, not of nationalism, but of a wider relationship of humanity”. He envisaged an education that would not only achieve technological and scientific advancements but also be founded on universal values.
Interestingly the “I” in the International Baccalaureate aspires to achieve all that Swami Vivekananda and Tagore stood for.
The IB Learner Profile recognises the connection between affective and cognitive domain. It reinforces the enrichment of values equipping the Learner with skills for conflict resolution and even fighting corruption.
The beauty of the IB education is its strong international approach. The intercultural and cross- cultural perspective is found in Language studies and Humanities. The learners develop an intercultural competency that enables them to mediate between diverse cultures and people. The learner develops a deeper understanding of human nature and their role in a local, national and a global context. This understanding finds an aesthetic expression through the Arts. The Sciences and Mathematics focus on addressing issues that concern humanity at large arising above the consideration of race, religion or politics of nations.
Metacognition and the “Experiential Learning” component placing concepts into context and context into the real world finds expression in the Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay. The Creativity Action and Service brings the learner closer to his community, helps him understand the ‘why’ of the multiple perspectives. He develops a sense of responsibility and belongingness towards the Community and prepares himself to contribute towards it and improve it.
In an age when education speaks of an interconnectedness of Multiple Intelligence and Multiple Nature the IB education equips the learner with critical thinking skills.In a world of uncertainty and change it is these skills that nable the child to keep learning and fill in spaces of things he did not learn. The child becomes an entrepreneur of ideas.
Astronaut Sunita Williams, recently spoke on the 50th year of the world's first human space flight by Yuri Gagarin. She said that Gagarin's mission led to international cooperation in the space sector. When we fly to space we ought to go as people from earth and not from a country. She was certainly speaking in the universal language of Science.

THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME- NASA

The much awaited NASA Trip was a gateway to space exploration. We walked the grounds and experienced the journey of the astronauts and their heroic endeavours.
Day 1
The Junior Space School Programme began on the 14th of June at Lyndon B Johnson Space Centre, Houston.The students were introduced to their Space school teachers- Mr Ruben and Mr Dave.They were divided into 4 teams- Red, Blue, White and Silver. Each team was allocated a budget to reinforce the fact that all that they would work on in NASA had to be within the budget. Team Project managers were elected. Then began the briefing on the Mars overview. The JPL [Jet Propulsion Laboratory] Mars landing video was shown. This was followed by a tour to the Mars Yard- an outdoor test facility that approximates Mars terrain. This was followed by a NASA Tour to the Rocket Park. The students then began to work on their Rover Construction Project.
Day 2
We were introduced to another Space School Scientist- Mr. Chris.
The Junior Space School was taken on a tour of the Neutral Buoyancy Lab- the Sonny Carter Training Facility. Here, the principle of neutral buoyancy is used to simulate the weightless environment of space. The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, or NBL, pool is 62 meters (202 feet) in length, 31 meters (102 feet) in width and 12 meters (40 feet) in depth -- 6 meters (20 feet) above ground level and an equal distance below ground.
The Astronauts spend seven hours training in the water for every hour they will spend spacewalking during a mission. The pool holds 22.7 million liters (6.2 million gallons) of water.
This tour was followed by Mars Rover Presentation by Silver Team and Mars Lander Presentation by Red Team.
Primary among NASA’s scientific goals is to search for and characterize a wide range of rocks and soils that hold clues to past water activity on Mars. Moving from place to place, the rovers perform on-site geological investigations. Each rover is sort of the mechanical equivalent of a geologist walking the surface of Mars. The mast-mounted cameras are mounted 1.5 meters(5 feet) high and provide 360-degree, stereoscopic, humanlike views of the terrain. The robotic arm is capable of movement in much the same way as a human arm with an elbow and wrist, and can place instruments directly up against rock and soil targets of interest. In the mechanical "fist" of the arm is a microscopic camera that serves the same purpose as a geologist's handheld magnifying lens.
The students had to build a robotic rover that would help to locate and retrieve the Martian rocks most valuable to NASA found on the Martian landscape they set up. This also included the use of a spectrometer as they had to indentify each and every rock they found and make graphs of their spectroscopy.
But undoubtedly the major event of the day was the engineering presentation by NASA Engineer Satish Reddy on Space Shuttles and their launching.
Day 2 ended with designing and creating a Lander which would safely protect the rover, but in this case an egg from the impact of landing on the Martian surface. The students had to make sure that the egg didn’t break during its 3-storey high fall; and also that it landed on the set target.
Day 3 saw the students engaged in purchasing rocket parts and rocket designing. There were 2 presentations on Model Rocket and Communication by White and Blue Team respectively. The students were also taken on a Shuttle Tour inside the visitors’ centre.
Day 4 was packed with rocket competition and Orbital Lofting Presentation.

Day 5 began with the amazing Starship Gallery Tour. into NASA history which houses artifacts, real spacecrafts that have flown in space, and mock-ups that take you on a journey through the history of manned space flight. In the Starship Gallery a number of artefacts can be seen- Mock-up of Goddard Liquid-fuelled rocket Mock-up of Explorer 1, Mercury Faith 7 Capsule, Gemini V Capsule, Apollo 17 “America” Capsule Skylab trainer, Apollo-Soyuz model Space Shuttle model. There are also displays of Lunar Soil collected during the Lunar Missions.
In addition to all these activities we also watched NASA Films- Northrop Grumman’s ‘Inside the International Space Station’; ‘To Be An Astronaut’. The 5 day Programme at Lyndon B Johnson Space Centre ended with a graduation dinner and awards ceremony.
On 19th of June early in the morning at 5 a.m we left Houston for Orlando.The main attractions for our stay in Orlando was Kennedy Space Centre, Disney Land and Universal Studios.At Kennedy Space Station we went through Shuttle Launch Experience, we visited Saturn V centre- the largest rocket ever made. We took a tour of the historic Cape Canaveral. We saw the International Space Station Modules being prepared for launch in September, 2010.We were thrilled to encounter Astronaut Jon McBride and heard firsthand about space travel. At Disney Land we explored Epcot and magic of land of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Pluto , Donald and Goofy. At the Universal Studios we went through 4D adventures with Spiderman and Harry Potter, the Fury of Poseidon in the Lost Continent, the thrilling water rides of Jurassic Park and of course the world’s greatest rollercoaster ride with the Incredible Hulk.
In addition to all these are of course were bonuses-the shopping sprees and mouth-watering American delicacies.
Our mission ended on the 24th of June when we boarded the Shuttle left the Lunar Orbit entered into the Earth’s Atmosphere. We took our flight back to India.
The NASA Trip was a huge learning experience of how a stubborn species that strived for greatness left its footprints forever on “Tranquillity Base”.

The verdict of the common man

I read an interesting quote by Humphrey Bogart today- "the only thing that you owe the public is a good performance." Keeps one thinking...

What do 2009 Election Results in India reveal? The smart public opinion is in for a new revival and renaissance of Indian politics. The results also mark the triumph of the age old Indian spirit of secularism.Communalism is no more considered and should be considered as a potent force in politics.Democracy and secularism are solutions to violence. Violence breeds in more violence- the Mahatma's weapon of Satyagraha and Ahimsa is a weapon of the weak.

The responsibility of the winners of 2009 Election is a task a million times more difficult than those of the losers.The Congress Party and its allies will have to live up to the expectations of the people. The common man today is no longer interested in flowery elocution ,he wants to see the fulfilment of Rousseau's famous Social Contract- that between the government and the people.

If the Congress has shown promises of rejuvenating Indian politics than they better give it a concrete shape. For the common man today has become more demanding than ever before and dynastic politics is no longer the order of the day.

It also time for old to pass on the batton of leadership and yield place to the young.But this process of transformation will bear fruits only if it involves a knowledge transfer as well.

International Mindedness

International mindedness stems from the understanding of the humanity as a single race .When we recognize this cardinal principal we automatically forget differentiation on the basis of race and religion. History has evidence that internationalism had to and even is still undergoing a struggle against anarchist forces.But more than ever before international mindedness is today one of the vital forces than can tackle global problems.

Sri Aurobindo says:

"There are many tendencies in human life at present which are favourable to the progress of the internationalist idea.The strongest of these favourable forces is.......science".

Scientific thinking promotes the rationalist spirit of man, science draws the human community closer.Therefore an internationally minded individual has essentially developed a scientific temperament.The fact that today religion acts as one of the divisive forces it is imperative for us to realize it is we who have made it so . Historical speaking all religions in History emerged as an attempt to free mankind from tyranny, from dominance or pettiness.

Why is it so important for us as leaders in the field of education to promote international mindedness?

H.G Wells once wrote that human History becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.

The two ulcers that are slowly killing this beautiful world are violence and environmental problems.We will be able to solve these problems only when we foster internationalism. We must realise that the world is a global community, the problems are universal and so are its solution.We must realise that today's issues are no longer theirs only,' us and them' has to give way to only 'US'.Scientifically speaking the world is one planet- its problems are universal . Philosophically speaking God created the world , man created nations.

While it is undeniable that nationalism is a positive and strong sentiment, internationalism is the need of the hour. Let us move out of our national identities and let us consider ourselves as global citizens.

Thoughts on leadership

On the eve of elections let us define what true leadership is.Once while browsing through the net and reading blogs I came across this piece of writing…
“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will be starved to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better start running.”

We live in a world where leadership, flexibility and creativity are keys to excellent performance and –at times– survival.
What is leadership? According Sherman “… contemporary leadership seems to a matter of aligning people toward common goals and empowering them to take the actions needed to reach them.”
Value based leadership is increasingly becoming a popular concept and the current events that have rocked the IT World makes it is unavoidable and even imperative.
Leaders must know what they value. They must also recognize the importance of ethical behavior. Leadership ethics and values should be visible and leaders must live by them. “To lead others one must lead oneself first” said General Arjun Ray.
If leaders do not live by their values distrust among the led is inevitable. People would not know what to expect from their leaders, they would not have a vision to follow , a mission to achieve. Think of our leaders- Gandhiji, Netaji, Swami Vivekananda. These great men defined leadership with their lives.
When a leader chooses the values and ethics that he shall stand for , when he lives by them, he automatically connects with humanity. Leadership then becomes trustworthy. He then articulates a vision that is understandable to the common man. The leader exhibits a strong conviction and commitment in achieving that vision. Ethics and moral principles keep us aligned to our true self. A leader is a harbinger of change. A true leader rises above petty considerations of caste, creed and race. A true leader recognizes only one identity- that of ‘man’
Abraham Lincoln once said,
“Is leadership telling people what they want to hear or taking people where they need to be.”

Welcome Me, Adulthood

Welcome Me, Adulthood

Welcome me, Adulthood, I have venturedthrough childhood with all the wonders and dangers in it.
I have placed my childhood fantasies aside,and picked up hopes of becoming who I want to be.
Embrace me knowledge, I am ready to know more and add to what I know already.I have conquered my fear of the night,now I only fear of becoming nothing.I have stopped pretending to be what I thought I was going to be,and realized that I am only what I make of myself.
I have come down from the land of make-believe,and I have found the strength to believe in me.So when I come upon you, open your arms,and welcome me, Adulthood,for I am headed your way.

by Christina Cooper

The city of Joy

I was in school when I read Dominique Lapierre's The City of Joy.Life not having unravelled its many experiences as a girl in her teens I did not fully understand why Dominique Lapierre referred to Kolkata-a dirty, sweaty , ocean of humanity as a city of 'joy'? I had spent some childhood years in Pondicherry and was least fascinated by Kolkata.

As I grew up and entered into the threshold of Presidency College I got the first taste of freedom. My parental control was slightly relaxed. I loved my college days in Presidency. I began to discover a new love for Kolkata- College Street was filled with excitement- the smell of old books, the addas at Coffeee House and the best of places was ofcourse our own Presidency College Canteen.College Street happened to be the 'raison d'être' for the city of joy. Those who existed beyond the peripheries of Presidency and College Street were hardly considered to be a part of the city of joy.
In the transition from College to University half the charm of the city of Joy was lost - we moved to the Ballygunge Campus of Calcutta University.The Best of my friends had left for other universities or for Civil Service. Without Presidency and without my best friend life was not the same.
Soon I fell in love- real love not infatuation. I again discovered the city of joy- this time it was Gariahat ( our meeting points), Esplanade, Park Street. I rediscovered the city of joy.The city of joy gave us space, shielded us from prying eyes and weaved our dreams. I was happy , I was a new 'me'?
In two years I completed my post graduation, got married and entered into a life which for a time was confusing, less amusing and seemed to be so very suffocatingly serious. I learnt to accept reality, I learnt the values of compassion, humility, acceptability and the realization that I am the builder of my life- I have the choice to be either happy and adjusting or miserable. I was growing up in the true sense of the word. But what happened to the city of joy- it had become a city of day to struggle, apprehensions with very few surprises.
Then on the 11th of May, 2001 came my little bundle of joy- my son Aurodeep. The City of Joy had given an everlasting , eternal source of Joy. I rediscovered all the happiness of life when my baby smiled at me.
When my baby was about a year old I decided it was time to put into use all my education, it was time to go out and do what I always dreamt of since a child- I wanted to be a teacher. I again began a life of struggle - the crucial balancing of career and home . I had all the support of a wonderful family . But the city of joy was kind of disappearing. I heard stories from friends and relatives of the how happy life was if one went out of the city.How I wished we could move to another city for a change.
That is how we came to Hyderabad. I was excited about starting a new chapter in life. We were happy with new jobs and a new life.
But even in times happiness I was trying to understand what was missing. Every joy was incomplete, for days I would wander why was there this sense of loss even amidst so much happiness and comfort. I began to look for this in Tagore's songs- it was like magic, I was back to the city of joy. When out in the streets my ears would strain to catch a few words in Bengali while my eyes would try catching a glimpse of arms wearing the red and white bangles. Kolkata , Kolkata why do you pull me back? Why do you entice me with your magical charm? Realisation- what was it about? The City of Joy had always existed- the rush, the dirt , the traffic, the 'miccheels' , the acceptability, the tolerance made up the city. The joy is not without but within.Kolkata embraces and shelters all.Now when I attend workshops and training programmes I always come across a homesick Calcuttan whose ultimate wish is to go back . Every moment of one's existence outside the city brings a longing for its missing warmth, its cultural richness, its intellect and enlightenment.
My love for the city has matured with age, its a different level of longing. I too am a Calcuttan waiting to go back to my city of dreams, to my city of love.

CHILDREN OF GOD

On the 8Th of February we left for Pondicherry- 22 children and three teachers.This trip was part of a programme called 'Domains of Development' .

We had all types of kids with us- the studious types, the inquirers , thinkers and kinaesthically energetic ones and not to forget the Samurais from Korea.They were kids whose ages ranged from 11 to 13 years. I had strange feelings- anxiety and anticipation.

We boarded the Hyderabad- Chennai train in the evening.And the journey began. Little did I know that I was about to enter into a new chapter of my life as a teacher.

The journey was a hilarious one with kids crying one moment and smiling when the train sped leaving their anxious parents far behind.The girls excitedly hurdled together in a couple of berths.The boys quickly stuffing themselves with deliciously unhealthy food like chips and coke. The Korean Samurai exclaiming that they were hungry and demanded dinner right away(it was around 5 p.m).

I remember Min hopping from one berth to the other with aged co-passengers keeping their fingers crossed.Oh! not to forget the anxious Indian mother who actually feared that her two little kids might be killed by the Korean children- failing to understand that these giant like children are actually babies and innocent like one-year old.The funniest of all incidents was Yahiya turning in school uniform, asking every second where we were and then hopping on to the upper berth and constantly making his presence felt by dropping a variety of things from eatables to shoes. Joon , another Korean glopping his entire Korean food before Min could lay hands on it.

This is how we began our journey- heart filled with joy and anticipation.It was indeed one of the most beautiful trips I ever went on. Packed with rich educational experiences the children became aware of sustainable living, environmental concerns and responsibilities of global citizenship.I too learnt that education was a life long unending process.

But what did the trip do to improve me at a personal front? My children taught me that each of them were tiny diamonds waiting to be polished.I understood the meaning of love, empathy. Their laughter lightened my spirits. Yahiya taught me patience and tolerance and always doing things with a smile. I still remeber that little conversation I had with him - on our way back Yahiya came and sat next to me and asked if I could guess how much pocket money he had spent on the trip. I replied, 'some 3000' maybe. "No", he said," I had only 500 with me and spent 200 . Mom had advised me not to waste money so that she could give it to me for a second trip." I was speechless this child has the vision of a great man.
During our trip to the ravines we had to cross deep gorges in the canyon. I am terribly scared of depth or height.There my dear little Samurai warriors came to my rescue, they helped me cross and waited patiently for me till they were absolutely convinced I was safe. There was a time when I could not go to a certain point at all , Hoon and Seyeong actually brought back a piece of a 100 year old fossil for me saying "It is for you teachaar." Once while we were all rushing down to the dinning area for activities in the guest house, Jin Sil actually waited for me till I locked the door, it was dark and the floor was deserted. Look at the love filled heart that she has.All the other girls- Archana, Suchita, Ifra, Jyotsna were wonderful and filled the 7 odd days with fun and laughter. Charitha was perhaps the funniest of all , she would keep dropping things from her hand , but she always had that beautiful smile that she would helpless give whenever disaster struck- my heart would melt. Priyanka taught me how even silence speaks.Swetha was another happy soul. She had barely joined school a couple of day's back and it was as if I had known her for ages.The boys were fun too- Rohan and Anish the eternal inquirers, the mister 'whys'.Rahul our official photographer moving with camera. Ravikaanth with is ultra round eyes adding humour and Shim busy eating every type of food with his special Korean sauce.
I'll treasure these memories for the rest of my life.

Truth

Before dying falsehood rises in full swing.Still people understand only the lesson of catastrophe.Will it have to come before they open their eyes to the truth?

So I ask an effort from all so that it has not to be.It is only the Truth that can save us; truth in words, truth in will, truth in feelings.It is a choice between serving the Truth or being destroyed.

- The Mother

Harmony

The Mother says...

Surely we must always want peace and harmony and work for it as much as we can - but for that the best field of action is always within ourselves.Look for the inner causes of disharmony much more than the outer ones. It is the inside which governs the outside.

For all to agree, each one must rise to the summit of his consciousness: it is on the heights that harmony is created.

Beyond all preferences and limitations, there is a ground of mutual understanding where all can meet and find their harmony: it is the aspiration for a divine consciousness.

Internationalism

'Internationalism ' is a popular concept in today's world. It is a perfect saleable commodity in the educational world. In the business world it is globalization. And the saddest part is that we Indians belief that 'internationalism' is a borrowed philosophy from the west.

Let us sit back and think... Who taught us about it ? What is its actual meaning?
Internationalism is the attempt of the human mind to break free from the national identity in the larger interest of mankind.What inspires this is the idea of humanity as a single race and with a single goal.

Why does man break free from the narrow feelings of nationalism? It is because nationalism ties him down and binds him with prejudice, narrow mindedness , oppression and arrogance.

There is a definite difference between patriotism and narrow nationalism. A true patriot is a one who loves his own nation and at the same time respects the feelings of nationalism of others. To him 'love for the nation' is an universal value that he cherishes and never violates.

However, the patterns of human life today are more in favour of INTERNATIONALISM as the threads of communication are drawing humanity closer together. Science and knowledge are perhaps the two strongest reasons for the world closing in as one community.

Coming to the question as to who taught us about internationalism?
Swami Vivekananda in his Chicago Address spoke about internationalism:
"Sisters and Brothers of America, It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. l thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions; and I thank you in the name of the millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects. My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration.I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. ...."

The very first line tells about the principle of universal brotherhood, love and tolerance. Yet Swamiji's patriotism and devotion to the motherland has been one of the strongest in human history.

Patriotism is complementary to internationalism.They are not diametrically opposed to each other. Who teaches brings out feelings of love in a newborn? Is it not the mother?

Yes like Swamiji we are all proud to belong to a nation that has taught the world love and tolerance.And at this moment of grave danger when terrorism is rocking the world and more so our nation, we shall proudly claim to the world that we still belief in the ideals of Swamiji and we will never cease to do so. It is only then that we can fight fanaticism and violence. Let us not boil in the wrath of vengeance , let us not take lessons in violence, let us not generalize. Let us not ask the Indian Musalman to again and again prove his patriotism. We must remember that people who breed violence have no religion at all.

But how do we achieve all this? How do we show a ray of hope to the victims of fanaticism?

It is by believing in the goodness of humanity. It is by identifying ourselves as part of a greater community- a world community where every nation shares the burdens of another, where every nations transmits its knowledge to the other.

This world community cannot be alone built on economic well -being or socio-cultural influences. It has to be built on the foundations of a universal religion of man that worships the human spirit and promotes human dignity.
Whose responsibility is it to build this religion?

'It is mine and mine alone.'

'The little wise man who taught me magic''

The other day I attended a lecture session - 'rediscovering the self' and the question that bothered me the most was- 'self' .Do I know who this 'self' really is. I have multiple identities and my 'self' is lost for ever. Tired after the day's work I slumped
down on my couch wanting to rediscover myself-my eyes fell on Paulo Coelho's 'Brida' ... I wanted to lose myself in the world of books.

''I want to learn about magic, '' said the girl...'' so that I can find answers to some of the questions I have regarding life, ...''.

Life, Coelho says is a journey and on her journey Brida meets a wise man who teaches her how to dance to the hidden music of the world.Brida's eternal search is for her soulmate, her search for love never ceases.

What is this strange feeling called 'love'? Who was my 'wise man'? Who taught me what the true meaning of love?

My little wise man is my little baby boy- Aurodeep. He taught me that love is unconditional and life is a beautiful journey that has no destination for it is love that keeps it going. He is my little bundle of joy.

He has taught me that self in isolation has little meaning or can bring little happiness. The 'Self' does not get lost in our day to day life- you can rediscover it if you can make your surroundings a perpetual source of joy. Finding happiness in everything we do adds meaning to life.

There are times when I simply sit back and watch my baby... there is so much I learn from him that even books fail to teach... deriving happiness from the simplest of things, his love for his grandparents...his wisdom. I remember the other day when he scolded me for having been angry with Granma... '' Mammam so what if she wants to sit all by herself, you must understand that Thammi ( granny)is growing old...you must understand.'' That's my wise man of 7.

A few months back his grandparents left for Kolkata. My wise man was in tears... '' my family is like a delicious chocolate cake and now two pieces have gone away...''

This little bundle of joy has taught me the values of family life... the lessons of coexistence. I have begun to see life though his eyes and I have learnt that in making little sacrifices we don't lose our 'self''... after all love is giving or sharing the most precious thing that one has.

My wise man , my magician is always by my side... I don't have to set out on a journey. When I am happy and see his smiling face my happiness knows no bound... when in sadness I hold him close to my heart ... his touch itself is magic.

The Human Face of Terror

The nation mourns the loss of valiant offficers and men of the police and armed forces, whose selfless sacrifice reiterates that true History is the story of the common man, our leaders and politicians do not fall in this category. Our heartfelt gratitude to men like Hemant Karkare, Major Unnikrishnan, Gajendra Singh, Salaskar and so many more- 'because YOU were there WE are here.'
But what has emerged in this great tragic moment is the human face of terror. While politicians speculate on vested interests or extreme indifference the common man emerges as the true Indian.The selfless sacrifice of the martyrs have proved this time and again.
The only gesture that the whole nation anticipated was perhaps only the unity of the government and the opposition in the face of one of the greatest national crisis of all times.Alas they have let us down as always.
Do our LEADERS know their History well enough? Does History never warn them that it repeats itself ? Do they not see that those terrible men who mastermind such dasterdly act are watching out and making note? Why do the leaders forget that they have pledged their loyalty and selfless service to 'we the people of India ' who have brought them to power?
Consider the service that these martyrs would have rendered not only to India but to the world at large... calculate the loss... its immeasurable. For terrorism today is a global concern.
Sacrifice in war, martyrdom for the country sounds heroic. But behind all this perhaps so many of us are conveniently enjoying our right to live without perferming our duty towards the nation.
Where have our ideals gone? Shouldn't the Constitution be ammended to make our Fundamental Duties justiciable by law?

A MESSAGE TO CHILDREN –THE NEW STANDARD BEARERS OF HUMANITY

The antiquity of Hyderabad, its rich historic past leads one to redefine one’s priorities with regard to religion. The greatest symbol of secularism in the city is perhaps the aestheticism of the statue of Lord Buddha amidst the Hussein Sagar. One wonders why people spoil the unity and integrity of such a vibrant culture. Should we still not adopt religion as a way of life?

The basis of human unity is the fundamental principle that man is the only godhead to be worshipped- all other identities that of nation, state, religious sect is artificial and man made. One of the global concerns today is religious fanaticism brought about by a distortion of history. India’s secularism is a religious duty interwoven into our daily life pattern. Man must be sacred to man regardless of any religious creed. This principal belief disqualifies any religious and political doctrine that denies the service and progress of the human spirit. The enemy of humanity is the human egoism that finds brutal expression in religious fanaticism. It is time to question ourselves as to whether we have truly achieved these aims or should we be satisfied with an artificial society. These ideals can only be achieved by the power of brotherhood of man – it is found in the human soul. We have to come out of our egoistic existence and reach out to our fellow beings. Only then shall we relive our glorious past, that of universal love and tolerance. The way to do this is by reorganizing our society on three cardinal principles of the Renaissance and the Age of Reason- liberty, equality and fraternity. Let us follow the path shown to us by Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi – the propagation and practice of universal brotherhood.

A Proud Moment for India

A Proud Moment for India Freinds let us celebrate the proud moment for all Indians.It was wonderful to see young Abhinav Bindra standing proud on the victory stand and our National Anthem being played in the Olympic stadium. The Indian Flag rose above the other flags signifying India's rise once more to greatness. Let us also celebrate Vijendra Kumar & Saina Nehal's success. Number of medals might be one phir bhi dil hai Hindustani.

Theory of survival of the fittest

Freinds do we still accept Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest?We need to perhaps redefine the concept of fittest. Does it only mean physical fitness or does it add an intellectual quotient to it? Let us look at one of the most successful people of all times- Stephen Hawkins.Professor Hawkins has challenged the theory of survival of the fittest.If we still wish to go ahead with the Darwinian theory we would perhaps develop the Hitlerian mentally and we have seen the complete failure of his theory .

Science has conquered the challenges of the human environment.Man's challenge today are no longer confined to his physical surroundings.The Modern Man survives if he/she is able meet the challenges of a global society through mastery of the principle of coexistence.

In order to develop mastery of the principle of coexistence we need to understand the concept of Internationalism.Internationalism is a state of mind which goes towards developing peace and mutual understanding not through ''tolerance'' but through mutual acceptances of differences and making these differences or diversities a part and parcel of everyday life. ''Tolerance'' would simply mean ''tolerating'' and might not mean ''accepting.''

The menace created by religious intolerance can only be handled and perhaps even eliminated if each of us consider ourselves as world citizens and therefor understand that every community is my community , there is no conflict but only diversity to add richness to a world community.Do we not unconsciously, spontaneously adopt customs and traditions of another community? Let us do it consciously so that we unerstand, appreciate and practise internationalism.

Koel Ray

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