Sulabh Swachh Bharat - VOL: 2 | ISSUE 32

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The ‘Bhungroo’ Magic

Woman In Man’s World

The Making of a Legend

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She has sparked a resurgence of interest in her writing independently of Sarte

Special Drives scheme designed to make Mother Ganga clean and free from pollution

A series of jolts that life served Parulbala, she lost all hope

Idea to store excess water underground and pump it out for use in the dry spells

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Vol - 2 | Issue - 32 | July 23 - 29, 2018 | Price ` 5/-

‘Sulabh Jal’ To Save Bihar Dr Bindeshwar Pathak to make available safe drinking water at 50 paise/litre Dr Bindeshwar Pathak inaugrating Sulabh Jal project along with MLA Sanjay Saraogi & DM Chandrasekhar Prasad Singh at Darbhanga Nagar Nigam premises

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UROOJ FATIMA

n Bihar, a glass of potable water hardly finds its way through the stomach of even one person. Thanks to the ever-increasing pollution of potable water in different parts of the state, drinking water is proving to be a curse.

The situation has reached such dangerous proportion that none can take drinking water anywhere in the state for granted because it could be contaminated with either excess of arsenic, fluoride or iron or it may be deficient in iodine.

While thousands of people in the state have been affected by various diseases

after consuming contaminated water, many have even lost their lives. It has been observed that soil sediments in the floodplains of the Ganga are contaminated with arsenic which continuously finds its way in groundwater.

The groundwater in many districts of northern Bihar, bordering Nepal, is estimated to have been severely affected by arsenic and chemical contamination.

Seeing the looming water crisis, especially during summer, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, came to the rescue for the Bihar People. He launched a cost-effective water project to provide the cheapest drinking water in the world.

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Cover Story

Quick Glance Sulabh Jal project will be first of its kind in Bihar

Bihar to get cheapest drinking water in the world

Dr Pathak laid the foundation stone at Haribol Pond

The first phase of the water project was launched in Bihar’s Darbhanga district on 14th July. Dr Pathak laid the foundation of the project at Haribol Pond in Darbhanga Nagar Nigam premises. Darbhanga MLA Sanjay Saraogi and District Magistrate Chandrasekhar Prasad Singh were also present here on the occasion. The pilot project, to be implemented in coordination with civic authorities, will later be replicated in other parts of the state.

The ‘Sulabh Jal’ project aims to provide the cheapest drinking water using the innovative model of purification at various stages from water bodies like rivers or ponds.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Pathak said, “We have succeeded in producing pure drinking water at a very nominal cost by this new technology, which has not yet been introduced anywhere in the world. Villagers may get a direct benefit out the project.”

“We have selected Darbhanga for this water project. The project will be functional by December,” he added.

July 23 - 29, 2018

Women of Darbhanga came to thanks Dr Bindeshwar Pathak for his Sulabh Jal project

The water purification process has a capacity to purify 8,000 litres of water per day at a nominal cost.

“It will be made available at 50 paise on a charity basis. Sulabh will install plants on the banks of Haribol tank here which would be operated on a no-profit basis. It would be managed by the self-help group (SHG) of the Darbhanga Nagar Nigam,” Pathak added.

A couple of years back Dr Pathak had introduced “Sulabh Jal” in arseniccontaminated villages in West Bengal.

Many villagers living in these areas

were forced to migrate to other places due to the contaminated water.

After the installation of the water purification system, the situation has considerably changed.

Sulabh International has already introduced water plants at six places in West Bengal and through the purification process, arsenic contaminated water of ponds is being treated and converted into pure drinking water. The water-purification process is very effective as well as affordable. One litre of drinking water is being sold to villagers at 50 paise.“The outcome of the six-pilot project of this water was quite impressive and now we have chosen Darbhanga to begin our operation,” says Dr Pathak.

The areas near the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal have witnessed a steep decline in arsenic-related diseases over a period of three years after setting up of a cheap and sustainable surface water purification plant.

It is a self-sustainable cost-effective project, which will generate employment too

“In course of periodic medical checkup of a group of patients suffering from arsenic-related diseases, it was revealed that this water purification system has become a boon for them (villagers),” said Dr Pathak, the brain behind the water project.

The installation cost of the machine comes to Rs 20 lakh, which was shared between the French organisation, Sulabh and the villagers. The local people and NGOs will maintain the facility.

“There is a high concentration of arsenic and other harmful chemicals in north Bihar districts bordering Nepal and this project will go a long way in bringing about a change. This venture will be managed by local residents and NGOs. Although the installation would cost Rs. 20 lakh, it will be a nonprofit venture and the price of 50 paise per litre has been fixed taking into account costs involving distribution and storage as well”, he said.

“Although it is situated in Darbhanga, its benefits may reach wider as people from other districts would be free to purchase water from here”, he added.

It is a self-sustainable cost-effective project with active participation from the community and will generate employment, Dr Pathak said.

According to WHO, drinking arsenic-rich water over a long period results in various health hazards, including skin problems, skin cancer, cancer of the bladder, kidney and lungs, besides other diseases.

Kumar Jyoti Nath, water management scientist and chairman of information & technology at Sulabh International, said: “Sulabh Jal is a potential project and if it can be scaled up nationally and replicated in a number of villages, its contribution could be significant. It can boost community water supply and save people from bacterial infections such as diarrhoea, and arsenic contamination.”

Soon, people in Bihar will get a relief from a major problem of water faced by them.

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July 23 - 29, 2018

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madhubani

Dr Pathak Honours Artisans of Madhubani Paintings Dr Pathak handed over Rs 2000 to 65 more artists in a function held at Madhubani Railway station

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Dr Bindeshwar Pathak honouring the artisans of Madhubani paintings, for their contribution to the new aesthetic look of the Madhubani railway station

cenes from the Ramayana are recreated in intricate detail along the walls of the 7,000-sq-ft Madhubani station, which tied for second place. Most of the 140 artists behind these gorgeous paintings are women from nearby villages.

Painted scenes are from the Ramayana and also scenes from village life.

Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder, Sulabh Sanitation and Social Reform Movement visited Madhubani Railway station on the 11th of July, 2018, and met artists who painted the station.

One of the dirtiest stations in the country has now become the most beautiful Railway station in the country. Union Railway minister Piyush Goyal declared it as the second cleanest station. Dr Pathak handed over Rs 2000 to 65 artists in a function held at Railway station.

Earlier at an event held on April 7, 2018, RK Jain, DRM, Samastipur Division, East-Central Railways, and Dr Bindeshwar Pathak honoured the Madhubani artists for their creative contribution Madhubani railway station has been in the new aesthetic look of the Madhubani Railway Station. declared the second best in Sulabh has already honoured 192 artists with Rs 2000 each. beautification Documentary on Madhubani Railway Station A documentary on Madhubani painting at Madhubani railway station has started on 12th of July. The shooting started with Dr Bindeshwar Pathak directing the film. The film will be completely based on cleanliness, of how the dirtiest station has been transformed because of the Madhubani paintings. It has been declared the second best at an all- India railway station beautification contest held under the station beautification drive launched recently by the railway ministry. Madhubani painting is providing employment and also made the station look so amazingly beautiful.

Apart from Dr Pathak, two actors from Mumbai and the Madhubani painting artisan will be shown. In two months’s time, Madhubani painting designed train will also be launched. And, platform no 2 & 3 will also have bio-toilets. Renovation of Gandhi Park near the station is still on.

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Cover Story

July 23 - 29, 2018

Dr Pathak, Face Of Swachhagraha Mahatma Gandhi was the first person, whose attention was drawn towards the plight of the scavengers, and after him it was Dr Bindeshwar Pathak who worked for the betterment of scavengers

“Swachhagraha” - “Swachh Bharat Mission lays the Foundation of Change”July 17, 2018

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he Summer School on the theme of “India of My Dreams” - a legendary book by M.K. Gandhi – was organised

by Gandhi Bhawan in collaboration with the Gandhi Samiti and Darshan Samiti, Rajghat. Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder, Sulabh Sanitation and Social Reform Movement, was invited to deliver a lecture on “Swachhagraha” in this context.

Who can be better than Dr Bindeshwar Pathak to talk in the context of Gandhivaad, about Gandhi’s principle or the path he followed? Even the grandson of Gandhi once said, if people were to be allowed to meet Gandhi in heaven, he will first meet Dr Pathak more than any of us, because he is a true Gandhian.

In the summer camp, which was held for 10 days, chapters were read from the book of Gandhi, and then a

Dr Bindeshwar Pathak giving book for the DU Library to Prof Ramesh Bhardwaj

discussion was held every day with professors of different ideologies and Gandhians. The camp was organised to understand how Gandhi’s philosophy and principles can be implemented for the development of the society.

Addressing the students, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak said, “The lower we keep our egos in the work and service for the society, the better it facilitates the service.”

Dr Pathak said, “Gandhi used to do whatever he said. We should not think that what we are doing is rooted in our own interests or vested with the interests of others. When we think of the good of society, then no thoughts, people, parties come in our way. There are always things to learn from different ideologies. If we already have a prejudice, then we cannot learn anything from anyone.”

Dr Pathak said that, “With Gandhian ideology, without any struggle, misery and hatred, there can be a change in society. There can be permanent change following the path of non-violence, but in case of violence, society can’t get a permanent solution.”

Speaking on the untouchables, Dr Pathak said, “We all can see the condition of the downtrodden people, how they have been treated for the past five thousand years in our country.

Mahatma Gandhi was the first person whose attention was drawn towards the plight of the scavengers, and he in his own way tried to restore human rights and dignity of untouchables to bring them on a par with others.” Gandhi’s way was the path of love.

In 1968, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, a sociologist and social reformer came on the scene. He invented the technology of Sulabh Shauchalaya during the Gandhi Centenary celebrations, and the Sulabh Shauchalaya became a tool of social change. The scavengers got liberated from the demeaning and health-damaging practice of cleaning human excreta. After being liberated, they were given education, vocational training, so that they could earn their livelihood.

Finally, they went to Durban, to see the Phoenix Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi, where he lived and started the movement and said, “Oh Bapu, because of you we are free from 5000 years of bondage and shackles of untouchability and social discrimination”. So in this way, their human rights and dignity have been restored, and they are living like upper caste people, and thus the dream of Mahatma Gandhi has been fulfilled.

Dr Pathak said, “Gandhi’s followers did not interpret Gandhi’s principle correctly, until today. Gandhi’s point has not reached in the right way for the generations that followed him. It is wrong to restrict Gandhi-vaad to clothing and food. Gandhi did not say anything that is not practical.

Every saying of the Gandhi can be implemented for the betterment of the society.”

On the untouchables, Dr Pathak says that this is one of the black spots in Indian history. If you have committed

Cover Story

July 23 - 29, 2018

a crime, not a heinous one, you can be released from jail but Indian society is such that if you’re born an untouchable, you will die an untouchable and suffer from scant chance of escape.

Explaining the experience of scavenging himself, he said that keeping himself in the place of scavengers, I felt the pain and sensitivity of the problem the scavengers were facing.

He said that, “If it was not for Sulabh, the work of carrying night soil would still have been the lot of the people who were still being asked to clean up open defecation sites. Through Sulabh, I fulfilled Gandhi’s dream. To improve society, you need to know what society needs.”

Dr Pathak believes that in India, untouchables require social acceptance.

He aligned his work with the guidelines given by late Dr Ambedkar to understand whether untouchability has been eradicated or not. “When everybody goes to a temple to worship, when everybody takes bath in the same pond, everyone draws water from the same well, and everybody dines together. I fulfilled all these in two towns one of which is Alwar (Rajasthan).”

Dr Pathak stresses the fact that education is key to development for all spheres in society. “A society has grown only because of education.”

Dr Pathak narrating the story of his life, how at every step he is trying to fulfill Gandhi’s dream

A staunch believer in Gandhian views and of Ambedkar as well, Dr Pathak says, “I have not changed the caste; it’s the same caste now, status has changed.

Now they’re not called untouchables.

They go with Brahmins and upper castes to dine and to sit together. This great change has happened in the country. This is very important. We have brought together both the concept of Gandhi and Ambedkar. We have brought a change in the society’s social structure.”

In 1967, Rajendra Lal Das, a Sarvodaya Member appealed to him to align himself with the issues that Mahatma Gandhi felt strongly about the social issues that faced the scavenger community and the ways to liberate them. “In Sociology, we were taught that if we want to understand a community, we have to be a part of it.” He decided to

live in a scavenger colony in Bettiah district of Bihar for three months. A Brahmin staying in an untouchable community was a crime in the 60s.

An incident of a boy dying because people refused to help the untouchable scavenger boy affected Dr Pathak deeply. Dr Pathak’s father-in-law did not agree with Dr Pathak’s ways. “He was a doctor, a rich man. I don’t want to see your face! Our culture is not such to reply to elders.

But that day I said, “Look, I have begun turning the pages of the history of India and to fulfill the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi.”

“I then took a vow. I will fulfill the dream of Mahatma Gandhi. This is the beginning of my whole journey”. He decided to liberate scavengers through low-cost sanitation by inventing the twin-pit pour flush model.

Dr Pathak A True Gandhian: Prof Ramesh C Bhardwaj Prof Ramesh C Bhardwaj of Delhi University, who welcomed Dr Pathak said, “I have seen two things on the face of Dr Pathak, a smile on tensionless face and a look of divine passion.”

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“When India was celebrating Gandhi centenary, a young boy was given responsibility by Gandhi’s family of making the toilets as an idol in the society where sanitation and hygiene were given the least priority, where, for thousands year the inhuman work of manual scavenging was being carried by the downtrodden section of society.

In 1969 a youth from Bihar, who wants to revolutionise the country from his work started this mission of making the country ODF and give back the freedom to manual scavengers.”

“The problem in India is we are divided by religion, by caste, discrimination between genders… and we oppose the parties of certain ideologies, who try to do a better work for society, rather than learning from their thoughts which are for the betterment of the society. Foolish are those people who don’t understand the point of Gandhi, that until and unless you can’t be clean from outside, how will you expect to be cleaner inside?”

We have to focus on the thoughts, not on this that from which party it is coming. We just have to keep linking ourselves with the thought process of Gandhi, and that is what actual Gandhivaad is. “Don’t you think it is wrong to give the work of cleaning to a particular section of the society and making rest of the countrymen handicapped in the field of cleanliness and hygiene? We will keep polluting the country and the lower section of the society keeps cleaning it, and what is worse is that after forcing them to do this work, we discriminate against them and call them untouchables and treat them as alien. How will India become an ideal country?”

Dr Pathak is the first man following the ideology of Gandhi in the true sense for the last 50 years. He was the first one who supported PM Modi in the cleanliness drive.

He further added, “Whenever I have visited Sulabh public toilet, one thing that always surprised me is the people on the counter or people working inside, that they are not only balmikis, even Mishra, Pathak, everyone is working there irrespective of their caste. This is what Gandhi always dreamt of and with this motive, he started Swachhagraha.

It became possible only because of one person, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak.

Two-rupees that we give at Sulabh Public toilet is our contribution to the mission of clean India. Gandhi has shown us a way; we just have to follow his principles. Dr Pathak is, in a true sense, a Gandhian.

Dr Pathak contributed three books to the library of Delhi University by giving it to Prof Ramesh: The Making Of A Legand; Fulfilling Bapu’s Dream; Mahatma Gandhi’s Life In Colour.

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Sanitation

July 23 - 29, 2018

Seychelles

To Build Up-graded Sewage System The archipelago of 115 islands is working out ways with the help of international donors to recycle waste

Quick Glance Seychelles is far from a denselypopulated country Currently the island nation has three central sewage treatment systems The PUC is working on an integrated sanitation master plan

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ne would have assumed that a small archipelago-state like Seychelles – 115 islands population of 95,000 – placed at the western end of the Indian Ocean would not really face any sanitation problems. Seychelles is far from the

densely-populated and industrialized countries. This is not however the case with Seychelles. This apparent Paradise at the far end of the Indian Ocean is beset with major sanitation problems. These stem mainly from the fact that more 80,000 of the population lives on the main island of Mahe, thus resulting in overcrowding.

The other major fact is there has been an increase in tourist arrivals, which reached more than 300,000 people in 2016. This leads to stress on the water and sewage systems.

The Seychelles economy has been growing rapidly during the last decade, clocking 4,4 per cent annual growth rate, and there are no signs of the overheating of the economy. But rise in tourist arrivals brings with it its own challenges, which includes water shortages and the consequent stress

location of Seychelles does not make it easier in terms of water supply. There is scant rainfall because the monsoon is of short duration. The principal sources of potable water are from rivers and on the sanitation system.

Four streams, and there are 38 catchment desalination plants, areas for rainwater which supply 5 two on Mahe, one per cent of treated and untreated each on Praslin water. Seychelles is faced with water and La Digue are shortage situated as it is in the vast an attempt to meet Indian Ocean. Seychelles has to the water deficit manage its limited fresh water sources on the island. The to meet the increasing demand from World Bank sees the expanding economy as agriculture Seychelles as a and industry grow apace. Because of high-income small the short monsoon, there is water island-country. But scarcity in the summers and there are the dilemma is this: frequent cuts in water supply. The If it is to sustain high Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) growth rates, then manages the supply of potable water the stress on its resources, including as well as the treatment and disposal the sanitation system, will be quite of sewage. The Central Sewerage Plant also treats sewage water. acute.

The PUC is working on an It should not come as a surprise that the archipelago-country, which integrated sanitation master plan for became independent in 1976, and the three major islands of a country the multi-party system became comprising 115 islands. The plan is to set up 10 sanitation catchments the norm in 1993, would need on Mahe, Praslin and La careful management of its Digue islands, seven sanitation system. They on Mahe, three need up-gradation and on Praslin and they need expansion.

The geographical La Digue. It is Without access to estimated that adequate fresh location of the construction water supply in Seychelles does not of sanitation the middle of the make it easier in catchments Indian Ocean, will cost $116 Seychelles is hardterms of water million. At the pressed to find supply moment there are innovative solutions four sewage plants on to the problem.

Mahe.

The geographical

Sanitation

July 23 - 29, 2018

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Integrated and Comprehensive Plan For Sanitation An integrated look at sanitation systems and opportunities for creative solutions in water management

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he Seychelles Integrated and Comprehensive Sanitation Master Plan (ICSMP) was designed to promote innovative and alternative approaches to sanitation for the three main islands of the Seychelles archipelago: Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue.

The ICSMP optimizes connections with water supply by considering the impact of alternative water sources for specific uses—for example, we have investigated the use of reclaimed water in households or for industrial use and groundwater recharge. The plan also develops demand-side measures, conservation measures, and rainwater harvesting while considering a planned waste-toenergy initiative (involving the renewable energy potential of wastewater and sludge).

Other areas of investigation include energy demand assessments, stormwater management review, flood-resilience work, land uses, climate change considerations, and rainwater harvesting measures. In terms of agriculture, we analyzed the impact of reclaimed water and recycled sludge on productivity and production costs.

With this plan in place, there are two long-term impacts: the improvement of the Seychelles environment and the improvement of health and sanitary conditions for the island communities.

of urban growth coupled with dysfunctional sanitation systemas are threatening the fragile environment of the islands which depend heavily on tourism.”

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PUC speaking to Seychelles News Agency in 2015, stated, “In the past the approach towards sewage was that it’s a waste that we need to get

Courtesy: www.scielo.org.za

Towards a better PUC’s managing lend the funds at a good management of waste director Steve Mussard rate for the project. water: Seychelles admitted that at present African Water Facility intensifies plan for a only 15 per cent of the (AWF) in is December business establishments Sanitation master plan 2014 appraisal report and households are of the Comprehensive connected to the main sewage system, Sanitation Master Plan points out that and 85 per cent depend on septic the sanitation problems loomed on tanks. And they are old, and lots of the horizon because of the increase waste water flows into the open. Part in the number of private houses and of new plan is to turn waste water into tourist establishment in the decade reusable water and treat sludge to turn up to 2014. It says, “The Seychelles’ it into fertilizers. economy depends vastly on tourism Liesel Robson of Barclays Bank and fisheries and the country cannot Seychelles believes that the Sanitation afford any contamination of the coastal Master Plan “is a viable project as area.” It also makes the pertinent the demand for the service is there.” point: “This Master Plan will help the And he thinks that the people or the Government and the PUC develop users of the facility have the ability a strategy for the sanitation sector to pay, and that the donors, including for the next 25 years based on a new European Investment Bank (EIB), the paradigm: “waste is a resource””. The Kuwaiti Fund as well as Seychelles’ AWF provided a grant of 1.07 million own Finance Ministry, Seychelles Euros to the Seychelles Government Investment Board and Seychelles to chalk out the Master Plan in 2015.

Energy Commission, are willing to It also noted: “The fast pace

rid of. In the future we shall look upon it as a resource since waste water coming from treatment plants will be considered good and clean enough for irrigation and construction.”

What Seychelles is able to tackles its sanitation challenge can be instructive for other small nations placed in apparently idyllic locations.

The question is how do the local governments manage waste, whose output is bound to rise as more tourists come in and economy shown an upward growth curve? Seychelles cannot afford the luxury of dumping waste in the surrounding ocean because that would harm its fishing resources, especially the tuna, which is one of its major exports. It is for this reason that the PUC is seeking huge funds from international agencies like the EIB and AWF to revamp and expand the sanitation systems on the three main islands, especially Mahe, where three-fourths of the population of the country lives. What Seychelles does with its sanitation will be watched with great interest by other tourist destinations, especially if they happen to be attractive islandcountries located in the midst of vast oceans across the globe.

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Environment

July 23 - 29, 2018 water storage

The ‘Bhungroo’ Magic The idea to store excess water underground and pump it out for use in the dry spells

n Nilima Pathak Perseverance pays. That’s a lesson Biplab Paul and Trupti Jain learnt while working for the benefit of farmers. In 2011, they formed Naireeta Services, a social enterprise that provides a sustainable solution for drought and flood-affected farmers, by using bhungroo (a hollow pipe). The bhungroo technology is a water-management system, which enables rainwater to be filtered, injected and stored underground to be used during dry spells.

‘N

aireeta’, which in local parlance means ‘cloud that brings rain’, is founded upon Mahatma Gandhi’s principle of ‘Antyodaya’, wherein, collectively, the society protects and promotes the welfare of the weakest and poorest.

Inspired by this principle of inclusive development, the couple, Biplab and Trupti, worked with farmers, women, smallholders and youth. The mission was to educate them and, thereafter, equip them with knowledge and skills to manage water in the context of climate change and food security.

when monsoons arrive, farmers wade through waterlogged farms and flooded regions. Both contrasting situations are highly detrimental, especially for poor smallholding women-headed households. Trapped in a vicious debt cycle due to lack of food, families are forced to become bonded labour or migrate to cities to work as labourers at construction sites. Thus, most of these farmers are left cashless and cropless.”

Trupti’s development work spans several countries in South East Asia and Africa. She began working in Gujarat, where, like in many other states, farmers were compelled to commit suicide due to the hardships they faced.

“My purpose was to solve climatic crisis issues of farmers and save them from debt, poverty and insecurity,” she conveyed.

Having observed rural women struggling to make ends meet, Trupti, who had been working with the government sector, quit her job and joined hands with her husband Biplab.

Together, they decided to discover a way out for the farmers’ woes. This

They went by Gandhi’s belief that only locally sourced skill and material can be the backbone of gram swaraj. The entire technology has to be operated by those who do not know the nitty-gritty of scientific theories. Keeping this in mind, the couple ensured the ultra poor smallholders became self-sufficient not only in operation, but also in smaller maintenance factors.

The beginning Biplab, a native of West Bengal, settled in Ahmedabad, Gujarat in 1995 and undertook a course in environmental education. As part of an NGO, he travelled around rural Gujarat and discovered the water issues of farmers and how their land was affected due to high salinity. Biplab divulged, “Since it is very near to the desert areas, salt deposition is quite a common phenomenon in the region. The farmers could not grow crops during monsoons.

Even though they had the land, they could not cultivate it due to lack of irrigation facilities.”

Around then, Trupti, an environmental engineer, was witnessing how during the approach of summers,

farmers would begin to dread another crisis year - parched earth and poor harvest. Trupti informed, “In dusty and hot states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, where temperatures soar over 40 degrees, inadequate rainfall ushers in severe water crisis and drought and

led to the invention of bhungroo. The idea to store excess water underground and pump it out for use in the dry spells came to Biplab’s mind. With near zero scientific backups, he had to face many hurdles. The foremost being, convincing illiterate and technologyaverse farmers to try out his innovation.

Environment

July 23 - 29, 2018 Bhungroo was invented in 2001 with an initial investment of Rs 7.7 million & the first unit was installed in Gujarat

lands.”

With the reigns in their hands, women have mastered the engineering concepts involved in this technology and there’s no looking back for them. But Trupti said she felt sad about the fact that even though women are a crucial part of the agricultural sector in India, in terms of both labour and indigenous knowledge about cropping patterns, they are not recognized by society. “My aim now is to get their contribution recognized, as by empowering women, we have seen impoverished farmers become selfsufficient,” she declared.

How bhungroo was manufactured Biplab explained, “I sourced all materials locally, including PVC pipes and drilling equipment. The traditional bhungroo is a hollow pipe through which women blow air to keep their open cooking stoves burning. It is a common fixture in villages, small towns and urban slums. Taking up an area of 1 sq mt, the pipe is drilled 60-110 feet into the catchment area of fields. The system simply captures standing water during rains and it results in freeing the land from waterlogging. Also, as the fresh rainwater goes into the ground and mixes with the saline groundwater, the overall salinity of the land is reduced.”

Bhungroo was invented in 2001 with an initial investment of Rs.7.7 million and the first unit was installed in 2002 in Patan district of Gujarat. It serves small landholders. They can use the water for irrigation during the lean season.

“One bhungroo unit can accommodate 400,000 to 40 million litres of water and takes up a surface space of only one square metre. However, unlike shallow tube wells, which use up an exhaustible source of groundwater, it has zero water footprints, giving back only what it takes in. Water stored in one unit will be able to irrigate 22 acres of land for up to 30 years time. Harvesting water for 10 days each year, it can supply water for over seven months. Thus, the technology makes it possible for farmers to cultivate crops round the year as opposed to only one season. Diesel pumps are used during winter to pull up the water. The technology has revolutionized the lives of farmers,” Biplab narrated.

Initial difficulties For a start, farmers did not trust bhungroo. Trupti said, “When we discussed with the farmers who had

just about one-acre land, they did not believe that such a technology could exist. Moreover, because Biplab belonged to West Bengal yet was working in Gujarat’s rural heartland; they thought he was there to swindle them of their money and it was simply a scam to entrap them. Only when they finally saw him get on with the drilling, etc., they were convinced of his seriousness. Still, they refused to be part of it.”

Fortunately, the self-help groups (SHGs) of rural women were more forthcoming. That’s where Trupti joined in. “But I had to face a lot of opposition from the menfolk who were particularly against bhungroo being centered around women. Since men were migratory, they had little knowledge of how women coped with the water crisis. It took a few years for them to relent. On top of that, people with vested interests opposed the idea, believing we were there to break their monopoly and land-capturing conspiracies. The credit goes to SHGs who helped us break the nexus and start operations. Ever since, we have been training and empowering women to run and monitor bhungroo,” she said.

On making it women-centric Water sharing was a big issue. One unit serves five to six farmer families. But if the water was not shared properly, the technology would become redundant.

So, the decision was taken to give the rights of bhungroo to women. As Trupti put in, “In no time, not only the issue was resolved, as they are better at managing, but it also made them self-sufficient. At least five poor women smallholders enter into a preagreement that they will jointly manage their bhungroo, share irrigation water and contribute to labour in each other’s

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structures, the cost of erecting bhungroo rises. At present, 17 designs are available for diverse communities within various agro-climatic zones. Bhungroo can be erected at the local level and does not require factory operations. Depending on the environment, the design needs to be changed to increase efficiency.

Naireeta charges big farmers; for poor, the technology and installation are free. But they have to provide land, labour and raw material. Each unit costs USD 13,000, depending on the design. Ever since the project was incorporated into the Ministry of Rural Development’s National Rural Livelihood Mission programme, it has got a fillip. This means states can allocate the budget to this technology under the state head. An open source technology, bhungroo is registered under trademarks.

Several states benefitted After how many years of toil you sensed the turnaround and got recognition Bhungroo’s future for your teamwork? Biplab responded, Both Biplab and Trupti expect it to “It happened after I won the World transform the lives of several thousand Bank India’s Development Market rural poor by helping them access lifePlace Award in 2007. A year later, the long food security and significantly Gujarat Commissionerate of Rural boost their income. “More than Development, in collaboration with the number of units we install, it is Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, important how much area we are able pooled in a grant of around Rs.10 million to cover. It should benefit at least to help 500 poor farmers using 500,000 farmers. For that, we hope the Bhungroo technology. to enter into partnerships with Subsequently, things like-minded agencies from fell into place.” across the world. The Naireeta now one positive factor functions across that we have is the Naireeta charges Gujarat, West Indian government’s support in Bengal, Tamil big farmers; for p r o m o t i n g Nadu, Andhra poor, the technology the bhungroo P r a d e s h , and installation technology. By using Te l a n g a n a , this technology, Madhya Pradesh, are free farmers are able to get Karnataka, three crops a year and Bihar, Jharkhand, as a result, they now have Maharashtra and Uttar better income,” Biplab stated.

Pradesh. In fact, bhungroo now has a presence even in Vietnam, Bangladesh and Ghana. Awards galore All materials for its development are Biplab has won several awards and obtained from the host country. Outside honours, including the Ashoka India, we are only piloting the projects Globalizer Award for Innovation in 2012 in partnership with local institutions and 2014. He has also received grants and training them. Trupti said their and accreditations from organisations intention is not to have offices in such as the Commonwealth, the United Framework Convention foreign shores. Until now, a total of 247 Nations units have been installed in India and on Climate Change and the Asian 7 in other countries by Naireeta, and Development Bank. Trupti has been more than 3,500 units by its associates, awarded IIM-A Summer Fellow (1999), LEAD fellowship (2007) partners and trained local animators. and Fulbright Scholar at Michigan State University (2012). In 2017, she Soil condition, design and cost In any piece of land, unsaturated zones’ won the Cartier Women’s Initiatives layers are prevalent. Bhungroo works award, an international business in all types of soil strata. Based upon competition that aims to encourage the level of variance of saturation level women entrepreneurs to solve global in subsoil strata, the water injection challenges. She was among the six momentum varies. So, the functioning winners chosen for this award from a of bhungroo depends on the type of soil. pool of 1,900 applicants from over 120 Moreover, if the soil comprises stone countries.

10

International Personality

July 23 - 29, 2018

Simone de Beauvoir

Woman In Man’s World

A philosopher, writer and feminist, she has sparked a resurgence of interest in her writing independently of Sarte

n Urooj Fatima “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” Simone de Beauvoir

G

enerally, for existentialists, one is not born anything: everything we are is the result of our choices, as we build ourselves out of our own resources and those which society gives us. We don’t only create our own values, we create ourselves.

Simone de Beauvoir, an avowed life-long existentialist posits limits to this central existentialist idea of self-creation and self-definition.

Simone de Beauvoir (1908 – 1986) was never a person much interested in having palatable, middle of the road opinions, and because of that, she can be a hard person to agree with in our day and age when liberal free-market capitalism has more or less completely triumphed. But that shouldn’t preclude us from appreciating de Beauvoir for what she was, a woman who, in a

time when women were expected to remain in the shadows of public life, dominated the public intellectual life of her country and crashed through every social convention and rule of propriety without the slightest concern for the misgivings of a society that was always

three steps behind her. Her bravery in letting no one make those choices for her is something we can all aspire to.

Born into a middle-class family and educated at good schools, from the beginning Beauvoir refused to buy into the notion- considered a matter of course in the bourgeois society of the day - that beauty and intelligence is incompatible.

Beauvoir was always adamant about preserving her independence, her desire for freedom, her joie de vivre, her curiosity and her need to write.

A less well-known facet of her philosophy, particularly relevant today, is her political activism, a viewpoint that follows directly from her metaphysical stance on the self, namely that we have no fixed essences.

The existential maxim ‘existence

precedes essence’ underpins de Beauvoir’s philosophy. For her, as for Jean-Paul Sartre, we are first thrown into the world and then create our being through our actions. While there are facts of our existence that we can’t choose, such as being born, who our parents were, and our genetic inheritance, we shouldn’t use our biology or history as excuses not to act. The existential goal is to be an agent, to take control over our life, actively transcending the facts of our existence by pursuing self-chosen goals.

One hundred and ten years after her birth on Jan. 9, 1908, Simone de Beauvoir remains a pioneer for generations of women and an author who practised emancipation in her life and whose books established the

Q u i c k Fa cts • Beauvoir adopted Sylvie Le Bon as her daughter who was her literary heir.

• Simone de Beauvoir started her career as a teacher in 1931 in a lycée at Marseilles.

• Her four-volume autobiography includes ‘Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter’; ‘The Prime of Life; ‘Force of Circumstance’, ‘After the War and Hard Times’ and ‘All Said and Done’.

• Also known as Simone-Lucie-ErnestineMarie Bertrand De Beauvoir, Castor • In 1943, Simone published her first

book, She Came to Stay, a metaphysical novel about complex relationships between people.

• When she was twenty one, Beauvoir became the ninth woman and the youngest person ever to obtain the prestigious agrégation in philosophy from the École Normale Supérieur.

• Throughout their lifetime partnership, Beauvoir and Sartre collaborated intellectually and produced several projects, including founding the French political journal Les Temps Modernes,

which Beauvoir edited all her life.

• On its publication in France in 1949, The Second Sex was met with outrage. The Vatican quickly placed the book on its Index, a list of books unsuitable for Catholics, and Albert Camus accused Beauvoir of having committed the crime of making the French male look ridiculous.

• At the age of 78, Beauvoir died in Paris, where she lived most of her life. She is buried next to Sartre in the Cimetière du Montparnasse.

• Upon her death, the newspaper

July 23 - 29, 2018 theoretical underpinnings of modern feminism. Beauvoir’s cult classic, “The Second Sex,” as well as her multi-volume memoirs, decisively shaped the debate over the relationship between men and women.

“Of course, the legacy of Beauvoir cannot be limited to the feminist aspect,” says Alice Schwarzer, a prominent German feminist who met Beauvoir in the 1970s and for whom the French writer served as a role model. “But there is not a single sentence that was not instilled with the notion that she was a woman in a man’s world.”

was so clear that her father used to proudly proclaim, “Simone thinks like a man!” Later, she graduated college at 17, got an advanced degree from the Sorbonne before 20. Then at 21, she was not only the youngest person ever to pass the agrégation in philosophy, an immensely difficult and prestigious test that ranked French students nationally in a subject, but she scored the second highest of any student taking the test that year.

As A Girl She Wanted To Be A Nun Born to a devout mother and educated in a convent school, de Beauvoir was deeply religious until, at the age of 14, she suffered crisis of faith and “One’s life has became an atheist.

The Need for a Women’s Movement In a 1972 interview with Alice value so long as one Schwarzer, Simone de Beauvoir She Wrote attributes value to declared that About Almost the life of others, by she really was Everything means of love, a feminist.

Simon de Beauvoir friendship, She called her was a true woman rejection of a of letters. If it existed indignation, women’s movement under the sun, she compassion” a shortcoming of The had an idea about it Second Sex. to share. Philosophy, She also said the morality, sexuality, most important thing women existentialism, literary criticism, can do in their lives is work, so they can memoirs, novels, social theory, political be independent. Work was not perfect, theory, gender theory… Half the things nor was it a solution to all problems, but she wrote about were done before most it was the “first condition for women’s people even knew they were things you independence,” according to Simone de could write about.

Beauvoir.

Simone de Beauvoir also theorized She Was The Leading Light Of that women could not be truly liberated Western Marxism until the system of patriarchal society If you were a Marxist living in the West, itself was overthrown. Yes, women you didn’t so much look to Moscow needed to be liberated individually, but for guidance as you did to Simone de they also needed to fight in solidarity Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre. By Her with the political left and the working Death, In 1986 She Had Written 20 classes. Her ideas were compatible with Books And An Unfathomable Number the belief that “the personal is political. of Essays. She Once Said: “I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties through my love for truth She Was Ridiculously Smart As a child, de Beauvoir’s intelligence and truth rewarded me.”

International Personality

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Origin of her great feminist work

One day, somewhere around the time of the 1948 Berlin trip, Beauvoir was sitting with pen in hand, staring at a sheet of paper.

Alberto Giacometti (Swiss sculptor) said to her, ‘How wild you look!’ She replied, ‘It’s because I want to write and I don’t know what.’ With the sagacity that came from its being someone else’s problem, he said, ‘Write anything.’

She did, and it worked. She took further inspiration from her friend Michel Leiris’ experimental autobiographical writings, which she had recently read: these inspired her to try a free-form way of writing about her memories, basing them around the theme of what it had meant to her to grow up as a girl. When she discussed this idea with Sartre, he urged her to explore the question in more depth. Thus it is in relation to three men that describes the origin of her great feminist work, The Second Sex. Perhaps the starting point had been a modest idea in need of masculine encouragement, but Beauvoir soon developed the project into something revolutionary in every sense: her book overturned accepted ideas about the nature of human existence, and encouraged its readers to overturn their own existences. It was also a confident experiment in what we might call ‘applied existentialism’. Beauvoir used philosophy to tackle two huge subjects: the history of humanity — which she reinterpreted as a history of patriarchy — and the history of an individual woman’s whole life as it plays itself out from birth to old age. The two stories are interdependent, but occupy two separate parts of the book. To flesh them out, Beauvoir combined elements of her own experience with stories gathered from other women she knew, and with extensive studies in history, sociology, biology and psychology.

She Won France’s Highest Literary Honor For Her Novel The Mandarins Largely autobiographical, The Mandarins details the struggle of her and the intellectuals closest to her, including Sartre and Albert Camus, and their various lives and struggles to make their intellectual labours into something that actually effected real change in the world. It also describes extensively her relationship with the American author Nelson Algren, her frank descriptions of which so enraged Algren that he spent the rest of his life savagely reviewing English translations of de Beauvoir’s work.

Transformation of Society Some radical feminist organizations rejected leadership hierarchy as a reflection of masculine authority and said no single person was in charge. Some feminist artists declared they could never truly create unless they were completely separate from male-dominated art.

Simone de Beauvoir recognized that Women’s Liberation had done some good, but she said feminists should not

utterly reject being a part of the man’s world, whether in organizational power or with their creative work.

From Simone de Beauvoir’s point of view, the work of feminism was to transform society and women’s place in it.

“Just as I do not believe that women are inferior to men by nature, nor do I believe that they are their natural superiors either.”

By putting her finger on the problem of social construction of gendered identities, Beauvoir already took the first step in deciphering the problem of violence against women — be it in marriages, families, on the street, or in the workplace. Progress from identifying the problem to beginning to solve it, however, continues to be a long, slow, and painful process. One way to speed it up is to educate society everyone, of all genders - about the ideas of feminism and gender parity. As the fourth wave of feminism takes shape, it is time to reclaim the legacy of Simone de Beauvoir, and see feminism for what it is: a philosophy of equality.

12

Equal Opportunity

July 23 - 29, 2018

school

Where Rich And Poor Kids Mingle Children of the rich and professionals like chartered accountants, doctors, engineers and lawyers mingle with the poorest in this school

Mohit Dubey

M

uch before the Indian parliament promulgated the Right to Education Act (RTE) in 2009 that guaranteed education to all a committed local teacher had already pioneered the idea of making school access a reality for hundreds of underprivileged children, irrespective of their social status or economic background.

Meet Lakshmi Kaul, the unassuming woman, originally Lakshmi Krishnamurthy from Kerala, who is not only responsible for imparting good education to hundreds of children of housemaids, drivers, office boys and other low-income families but also ensuring that there is no discrimination against them at school.

In the heart of the city, in Indiranagar neighbourhood, Kaul runs a school named K K Academy where children of professionals like chartered accountants, doctors, lawyers and the rich mingle with the poorest. Kaul found this school in 1989 as a place where her daughter could take the formative steps in primary education.

“Schools at that time too were very expensive and out of reach for the poor sections. So it struck me and my husband (Arvind Kaul) one day that why shouldn’t we start a school of our own,” Kaul told while reminiscing how that seed of an idea has now grown

education should be accessible to children from all backgrounds, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, special needs or economic background” Kaul says while adding how the school has very often had instances of the saheb’s (master’s) child studying in the same class as her family’s driver.

“These have been true case studies into a full grown tree. of seamless integration. We have not An IIM-Bangalore graduate of had any complaints from parents or early 1980s who worked in Indian children; those who don’t ascribe to Telephone Industries, Bangalore, Kaul this concept of equal opportunity narrates how she decided to take a probably choose to send their children break from the “maddening corporate to more cosmetically fancy schools,” a world” and do “something more teacher adds. meaningful and fruitful”. The school “I have never seen children started with a skeletal staff and five making comparisons based on family children in a garage of their house. background. As a matter of fact, I have Soon, students were coming in droves, seen them being extremely supportive largely owing to its affordability and and mindful. A large part of the credit accessibility and the couple for this goes to the teachers, purchased a house a few who do not differentiate hundred metres away and do not tolerate any from their own. kind of bias. Children “As very much follow Lakshmi Kaul management this lead,” the professionals, founder says. ensures that there is we realised that In the year no discrimination while goals 2011, the school were good but instituted an against students in they had their annual award for the school own pressures... graduating class, in something that our the memory of a dear sorted out minds professor from IIM, Dr were not ready to be GK Valecha. The selection ambushed with,” she says was based on academic with a chuckle while recalling how progress, leadership qualities, innate she and her husband decided to go full desire for learning and interaction throttle, purging their own domestic with students and teachers. It has expenses and giving “our best shot to been five years now. The recipients the school”. of this award in four years have been The school has grown manifold children whose education the school is since then and has a 3,250-plus supporting. strength now and has classes from first Many of its former students of to seventh standard. this school are now working for “Our core belief is that quality multinational companies and are

successful in their own spheres, she informs.

“A large number of them have gone on to study science, and then engineering. Also commerce and law.

They have gone on to become lawyers, chartered accountants, teachers, engineers, bankers, IT professionals and even a published author. They are supporting their families and are role models to many others in their communities,” she said.

In this year’s Class X CBSE Board, Hritik Verma, the school maid’s grandson scored 93 per cent marks and Harsh Kanaujiya, a driver’s son, scored 91 per cent.

“Both studied till Class VIII in our school.”

In the ICSC Board exam, Kabir Ali, whose father is a tailor, scored 92 per cent, she adds. Through generous help off and on from her IIM batchmates who are now at powerful positions in the corporate world, the school has managed to operate with a modest fee and no re-admission fee.

Lakshmi happily informs that the school now has a computer lab, many tablet computers for the children and a library that has a decent collection.

Alumni, who long ago studied at the school and is now working for an ITmajor recently, visited the school along with his girlfriend.

“I was touched when the boy told me that he wanted his would-be-wife to first meet me and then his parents,” says a nostalgic and emotional Kaul.

Phoolmati, the aging ‘aayaa’ (maid) working at the school, had three of her grandchildren study here and they are now up with good schools for their higher education.

Chirpy as a child she informs, between motherly requests to allow her to make some coffee, that the school changed their lives forever.

Society

July 23 - 29, 2018

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Tulips

G Ulaganathan

A

couple set on a journey more than a decade ago to touch the lives of those in need, and that was how Tulips Education & Charitable Trust was founded in 2008.

When Mable and Dev moved back to India from Dubai, it was now or never for them to realise their dream of becoming philanthropists. Soon, they set up a home for the aged and needy.

Mable, a marketing and procurement professional turned social worker, says her upbringing and family situations played a major role in her taking the decision. “Signing a cheque as donation to an NGO or a charitable trust is easy, but living a life dedicated for the uplift of the needy is demanding, and that was what pushed me and family towards this social venture,” she says.

The non-profit organisation runs only on the funds raised by Mable, her family and close friends – Srinivas, Vignesh, Pamela and Kokila.

“We never encourage money as donations, but we want individuals who can dedicate their time to care for others. It can be a simple conversation or teaching a skill, but such small acts of kindness have the power of making a big difference in the lives of those

Raj Kashyap

S

cientists in Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, have invented a process to convert solid waste generated in cities into lightweight fired bricks in a development that could contribute significantly towards solving a problem in several urban centres of the region.

A team led by Ajay Kalamdhad from the Department of Civil Engineering had been conducting experiments with municipal solid waste (MSW) for the past several months to fabricate the fired bricks. Samples were collected from Boragaon landfill site in the city for producing the bricks by using a mould.

Kalamdhad was quoted by the media as saying that the focus of the research was on the reduction in bulk density of the item with the objective to reduce the transportation cost in addition to the firing cost.

Solid waste can be classified into different categories like household waste or municipal waste, industrial waste and biomedical waste. The development of a technology for conversion of solid waste assumes importance in view of the problems of solid waste management in Guwahati

Spreading Fragrance In Abandoned Lives Mable and Dev set up a home for the aged and needy in need,” says Mable, Director, Tulips Education & Charitable Trust.

The trust runs a free home for the aged at Mylasandra on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

It now has 15 inmates in the age group of 50 to 75. “We started the home at a leased land, but now we have moved into a better facility, built on our own land.

I am glad to see these elderly people, who were abandoned by their families and communities, living a happy life under one roof,” she adds.

Doctors from nearby clinics and health centres conduct monthly checkups for them.

The team is now reaching out to

rural and underprivileged girls and equipping them with life skills, hand skills and communication skills. “We want to educate youngsters, especially girls, in different courses, including interior designing, knitting and tailoring, which will help them earn on their own. This benefits their families and communities. As the school dropout percentage is high among rural girls, because of menstruation

IIT-G

Solid Waste To Light Weight Fired Bricks Samples were collected from Boragaon landfill site in the city for producing the bricks by using a mould

and other cities across the region.

Rapid population growth, growing urbanisation and increase of slums have contributed to the generation of an ever-increasing volume of garbage creating health hazards and environmental problems. Managing waste efficiently is essential for sustainable and livable cities, but it

remains a challenge for many developing countries. Effective waste management is expensive, often comprising 20%– 50% of municipal budgets.

The bricks in IIT were produced by mixing 20% degraded MSW with soil and were found to be about 20% lighter than the conventional bricks. Further tests revealed that fired bricks incorporated with 20 % of degraded MSW were not only safe but can be recycled after service life. The findings, which were also been published in a journal, said that the bricks displayed mechanical

and health-related issues, theses skills help them turn around their lives,” Mable says.

These beneficiaries will be made to train others which will help the trust reach out to more people. “These girls who complete the training can teach the elderly and others in need,” according to the team members.

There are also two school-going students, Miriam and Manara (studying in Class 8 and 6), in the Tulips team. They want to enthuse their friends to join the cause too.

To increase the participation of youngsters, the team has started an initiative, Abhivrudhi, which will see more youngsters working with the core team.

The people The trust, which living at the wants to help more free home at Mylasandra people also outside Bengaluru, has conducted ground studies at villages in and around Mysuru.

“Seeing a smile on the faces of the needy, feeding them on time and providing them with medical assistance was something that my mother and mother-in-law did all their lives. We want to continue that legacy and want the next generations too to keep the spirit alive,” Mable adds.

strength along with improved thermal conductivity.

The urban local bodies in Guwahati which is the gateway to the Northeast are yet to take necessary steps for proper management of MSW in the field of collection, segregation, storage, transportation, processing and disposal which is most evident from the existing conditions at Boragaon which is the only dumpsite of the city. Every day the municipal trucks are seen dumping the waste at the site without any processing, which has now become a health risk to the local inhabitants with the resultant pollution of the air and water. According to an estimate, the government spends nearly Rs 1 crore for these operations to remove garbage in the city. Two years ago, an NGO had developed a “waste assimilator” for solid and liquid wastes in the city. The device is a box made of plastic or concrete which makes use of a simplified natural technology of microbial growth to assimilate biodegradable solid waste. Officials were hopeful that the problem of solid waste management could be resolved if the technology is adopted on a larger scale in the city. However, despite all these measures, the situation has not changed much in the city.

14

Health

July 23 - 29, 2018 Dos & donts

Natural cure

Changing Your Habits For Better Health These Simple Changes Will Make You Feel And Look Better in Just a Week, According to a Nutritionist DON’T: Focus exclusively on calories

Focusing too much on calories can be dangerous, too, since the measurement falsely makes it seem like a calorie of one food is exactly the same as that of another.

Plus, keep in mind that for sustained weight loss, you’re only supposed to lose about 1-3 pounds (0.5 to 1 kg) each week.

Ditch Medicine, Adopt Selfhealing Natural treatments are cheaper and equally effective as industrially produced drugs

DO: Think positive ERIN BRODWIN

T

here’s no reason you shouldn’t feel like the best version of yourself this summer. A strict diet is not required.

Instead, get ready to hit the beach by making sure you’re not weighed down by unpleasant symptoms like bloating, dehydration, and discomfort.

Here are a handful of tips from registered dietitian and nutritionist Andy Bellatti to get you feeling your best in under a week.

DO: Drink lots of water

Water is essential – it regulates the shape of every cell inside our bodies.

If we don’t get enough, in fact, these cells begin to shrivel up.

The CDC recommends choosing water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages to “help with weight management”.

Swapping a cold glass of H2O for a single 20-ounce soda will save you about 240 calories.

So hydrate, “ideally with water.”

DON’T: Go on a juice cleanse

If you’re considering a “detox” or “juice cleanse,” you might want to reconsider.

Drinking just water, juice, or any other liquefied concoction for more than a few days can set you up for unhealthy eating behaviors, and can often lead to spikes and drops in blood sugar levels, which can spawn cravings

and mood swings.

“This is a recipe for ‘hangriness,’” Bellatti said, “that also inaccurately paints all solid food as problematic.”

DO: Cut back on sodium

Too much salt in your diet can cause puffiness and bloating, so cutting back can help you avoid that.

“Sodium retains water,” Bellatti said, “so lowering sodium intake also reduces puffiness.”

Thinking positively about eating and feeling better can help motivate some people to stick to a new lifestyle.

“In terms of changing the way you eat (it’s much more than a ‘diet’), focus on the opportunities and what you can eat as opposed to what foods you’re trying to cut down on,” Donald Hensrud, who chairs the Mayo Clinic’s division of preventive, occupational and aerospace medicine, wrote in a blog post.

“There are many wonderful foods and recipes to explore, and believe it or not, we can learn to like new foods.”

DON’T: Start banning foods DON’T: Expect miracles Diets that rely on avoiding ingredients (like sugar or gluten) can lead to replacing those things with other ingredients that play the same role in the body (like honey or corn-based foods).

Doing this can be dangerous if the replacement products are nutrientdeficient.

DO: Be mindful of portion sizes The baseline portion sizes of our snacks and meals have ballooned over the last 40 years – even the plates and cups we serve them on have gotten noticeably bigger.

The average size of many of our foods – whether fast-food, sit-down meals, or even items from the grocery store – has grown, so be mindful of portion sizes, and if you’re eating out, consider taking some of your meal home for later.

Let’s be real: Eating right for a week isn’t going to counteract decades of subsisting on fries and Frappuccinos.

But it is enough to reduce some of the more irritating aspects of those symptoms, like the bloating linked with a high-salt diet, and the fatigue associated with blood sugar crashes.

“The most that can happen in a week’s time is that you make choices that help reduce bloating and puffiness. Any promises beyond that are more about marketing and hyperbole than anything else,” Bellatti said.

But committing to treating your body well – even if only for a few days – might be enough to lay the foundation for months or years of future healthy eating.

If you can prove to yourself that you can treat your body right (and that it feels good to do so), you just might be more likely to keep it up later on.

SSB BUREAU

P

eople from all over the world are ditching their pills and embracing the path of natural healing with little or no medical intervention claims a new book.

“Doctor You: Introducing the Hard Science of Self-Healing”

by Jeremy Howick, Director of the Oxford University Empathy Programme, stresses that alternative or natural treatments are cheaper and equally effective as industrially produced drugs.

The aim to spell out the power of the body’s natural powers to heal itself remains the book’s core and it explains how using medical procedures are harmful.

By claiming to employ “hard scientific evidence” about selfhealing, Howick disillusions the reader about the indispensability of modern medicine.

An interesting chapter mentions British band The Beatles, coming to an ashram in Rishikesh to learn transcendental meditation, spurring Harvardbased researchers to test out the validity of the technique, only to find out that it worked.

The book equips the readers with the knowledge that will empower them “to make the right choices about what drugs to take, what drugs to give to children, and when you should let your body do its thing”.

National

July 23 - 29, 2018

S. Shukla

O

n the initiative of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, physically challenged devotees of Lord Shiva will now have a hasslefree ‘drashan’ at the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had received several suggestions/ complaints from divyangs, a new name was given to physically challenged persons by the PM, about they find it difficult to climb up the steep temple staircase. They also complained about non-availability of wheelchairs, helpers or other facilities for them to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva at the famous temple. When the issue was brought to the knowledge of the PM in June first week, he immediately directed officials in his Lok Sabha constituency to make all arrangements for divyangs, including construction of ramps, availability of battery-operated wheelchairs with helpers and a separate route for them to visit the temple without any trouble.

“Our Prime Minister is very sensitive to the cause of special people. The thought never came to our mind that they too have a right to Lord Shiva’s ‘darshan’ like any ordinary person.

We thank the Prime Minister for his initiative,” said temple Priest Sri Kant Sharma.

With a go-ahead from the Prime Minister, the Kashi Vishwanath Management Committee took up the issue on priority and began construction of ramps. “The work for the construction of ramps is near completion and we may offer the facility to divyangs by this month-end,” said Vishal Singh, the CEO of the temple.

Singh claimed that Kashi Vishwanath temple will soon become the second in the country after Mahabaleshwar Temple in Ujjain to extend all facilities to ‘special’ devotees wishing to visit the temple for darshan.

The temple management committee has also created a separate entry point for divyang devotees on the sides of the adjoining Gyanvapi mosque to ensure that these special devotees are not caught in the crowd and any stampede-like situation. “Ramps are being constructed on staircases and raised platforms for their smooth entry to the temple without facing crowd on the battery-operated wheelchairs,” said the CEO. About half a dozen battery-operated wheelchairs have already been handed over to the temple management committee. About a dozen ‘sewadaars’ (volunteers) have been selected for the running the wheelchair service free of cost for divyang devotees.

15 07

tourism

kashi temple

Special Facility For Divyangs Kashi Vishwanath temple will be equipped with world-class facilities by year-end

“Mobile numbers of these sewadaars will be displayed at all entry points of the temple for any divyang devotee to avail the services free of cost,” said temple Priest Sri Kant Sharma.

The temple will also make available battery-operated wheelchair service to elderly and sick persons who cannot walk in the narrow lanes and climb the staircase to reach the temple for ‘darshan’ of Lord Shiva.

For blind devotees, the temple will offer a special headphone linked with google navigation system which will automatically keep guiding them about the temple route on their way through the voice calls.

A hi-tech stick will also be provided to such devotees. It will vibrate to alert the blind person about any obstacles coming on their way to temple. Separate literature and display boards at the temple in Braille language will be made available to these special devotees to know about all information and history of the world-famous temple.

“I am excited at the news of a separate route and wheelchair facility at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. I would visit Varanasi during the month of ‘shravan’ to fulfill my long cherished dream to offer ‘jalabhishek’,” reacted

Amit Saxena, who is paralyzed after an accident seven years ago.

Earlier, on the request of the temple management committee, the Varanasi Police had raised a special force of 24 men and women police personnel donning saffron ‘dhoti-kurta’ or sarees to man security inside the temple and welcome the devotees at the temple in the traditional way. Members of this new force were given special training in the crowd and hospitality management by experts for ‘friendly policing’ at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

“The results are encouraging. Earlier, the presence of impolite and rude men in khaki shouting at them for keeping in queue always used to irk devotees. It’s a pleasant surprise for them now to see same policemen attired in dhoti-kurta, welcoming them inside the temple and guiding them for darshan,” claimed the Chief Priest Ashok Dwivedi.

The temple management committee is also introducing a token system for crowd management during the holy month of ‘shravan’ when about 3 to 4 million devotees throng the narrow lanes of the temple for ‘jalabhishek’ on Lord Shiva.

It will be made available online as well as several counters are being opened at the Airport, Railway stations and other important places for the convenience of devotees to book their darshan in advance. They would get an automated alert SMS on the mobile number provided requesting them to reach temple at the time allotted to them.

Despite opposition, work on creating the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor is in full swing to widen the lanes and by-lanes leading to the main temple.

The committee, heading the project, has already identified houses and shops falling on its routes for demolition and their rehabilitation.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special interest and attention, Kashi Vishwanath temple will be equipped with world-class facilities by year-end to become one of the best temples in the country.

Himachal As Eco-tourism Destination The state has immense tourism potential and this needs to be harnessed judiciously

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n SSB BUREAU

he Himachal Pradesh government has identified 113 sites to be developed to make the state an eco-tourism destination, besides developing nature parks and herbal gardens. In addition 25 new destinations would be developed by constructing log huts. Three eco-tourism hubs would be developed in this fiscal, while 10 places would be developed for adventure activities. 31 eco-tourism circuits has been prepared and would be sent for approval to the Central government.

50 forest rest houses have been used to start the ecotourism activities in the state, and this would not only give boost to the unexplored and virgin tourist destinations but also help in increasing economic activities in rural areas.

The state has immense tourism potential and this needs to be harnessed judiciously.

Noting global tourism grew by seven per cent, but tourism in India grew by 15.6 per cent, private entrepreneurs should be involved in a big way to harness the immense tourism potential of the state.

The emphasis of the state is to ensure tourism development with minimum impact on environment.

16

July 23 - 29, 2018

MK Ranjitsinh Jhala He is an author and authority on wildlife and nature conservation from India

If your heart is beautiful, your face will be beautiful, your life will be beautiful, everything will be beautiful

VIEWPOINT

Preserve India’s Natural Heritage

Swami Satchidananda

There is war going on inside sanctuaries, need strict steps to protect wildlife

The Father of the Indian Unrest He was a great advocate of women reforms and women empowerment

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teacher, journalist, lawyer, social reformer and an independence activist, Bal Gangadhar Tilak was a multi faced personality.

Born as Keshav Gangadhar Tilak and popularly known as Lokmanya, he is well remembered for his quote “Swaraj is my birthright and I

shall have it”.

Tilak was neither a gun-fetishist nor an idealistic rejecter of violence. He published 2 newspapers ‘Mahratta’ and ‘Kesari’. He protested against the British rule and wrote provocative articles, as a result of which he was imprisoned for 18 months for Sedition. Later, he defended 2 revolutionaries who bombed a carriage and was jailed in Mandalay for 6 years. He continued to write during his years of imprisonment. There was unprecedented celebration after Tilak was released.

He was a great advocate of women reforms and women empowerment and proposed grand celebrations on ‘Ganesh chathurthi’ and ‘Shivaji Jayanti’.

He was one of the most popular influencers of his time, a great orator and strong leader who inspired millions to his cause. A museum at Tilak Wada has been established to commemorate his life’s work.

Mahatma Gandhi on Tilak“He used his steel-like will power for the country. His life is an open book. The Lokamanya is the Architect of New India. Future generations will remember Tilak with reverence, as the man who lived and died for their sake.”

Editor-in-Chief

Kumar Dilip Edited, Printed and Published by: Monika Jain on behalf of Sulabh Sanitation Mission Foundation, owned by Sulabh Sanitation Mission Foundation Printed at: The Indian Express Limited A - 8, Sector -7, NOIDA (UP) Published at: RZ - 83, Mahavir Enclave, Palam - Dabri Road, New Delhi - 110045 (India) Corporate Office: 819, Wave Silver Tower, Sector - 18, NOIDA (UP) Phone: +91-120-2970819 Email: editor@sulabhswachhbharat.com, ssbweekly@gmail.com

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lthough questions have been repeatedly raised over the ‘shoot-onsight’ policy, wildlife and policy but bold action needs to be taken if wildlife is to be saved. I am in favour of the policy, though it could not be “openly implemented”.

Kaziranga is the classic example of this situation. There is almost a war going on inside the sanctuary between the poachers and the forest guards. The poachers are mostly heavily armed and because of the lucrative business it is difficult for them to resist poaching. But if you want to protect wildlife, you need to take some strict steps.

Controversy has surrounded the shoot-onsight orders at Kaziranga where poachers have been allegedly killed in forest. Ivory, rhino horn, tiger and leopard skins and parts, pangolin, nilgai and deer horns, elephant tusks - as long as there is a demand in the market, poaching will continue and (may lead to) extinction of such species. This has happened in Panna and Sariska.

“Island Syndrome” - a phenomenon where wildlife creatures are confided within a certain periphery is another danger that might affect a large percentage of wildlife population.

If animals are controlled within a territory, they will start fading out and gradually face extinction. Wildlife needs space and the area provided to them in India is getting reduced.

We need to move human settlement to give a larger area to forest territory which is now no longer possible. And it is one of the major threats faced by wildlife in India.

The so called ‘development at any cost’ kind of mentality is extremely dangerous. From human settlement near the sanctuaries and to opening of industries, everything has been set up violating the rules. If diamond, coal or oil mining possibilities are found beneath the forest reserve, those areas (the reserves) will be wiped off.

It is because of the fast vanishing act of reserve areas that there had been a significant decline in prey, which is forcing wildlife to cross the forest boundary in search for livestock, leading to man-animal conflict.

I remember an incident where a snow leopard had entered a human settlement in Spiti and killed 45 out of 54 livestock of a farmer but hadn’t eaten them. There is a limit to which the humans will take up the loss and will end up killing the animal.

Reintroduction of animals should be done the right way. It could bring focus on the area which is very important

July 23 - 29, 2018 But was the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 sufficient for tackling the situation?

The act is still very much relevant today, but where is it being implemented? The government will dilute it. Forget wildlife, the present people do not want the environment factor to impede in any way and this hurts.

I am not in favour of keeping animals in captivity. I support ex situ conservation as a last resort for saving animals. But I am opposed to keeping animals in captivity for enjoyment. I believe that the best way to appreciate the beauty of an animal is by viewing it in the wild. In India, people ogle at animals in zoos and National Parks. It is our fault.

The whole conservation effort is too tiger-centric. People do not appreciate other forms of wildlife. I was in Corbett recently when I spotted a leopard on a tree.

Some tourists were causing a ruckus so I asked them to stop making noise. “This is just a leopard, not a tiger,” I told them sarcastically. And believe it or not some of them left the spot immediately murmuring, “Only a leopard, not a tiger, not a tiger.” This mindset has to change.

Reintroduction of animals should be done the right way. It could bring focus on the area which is very important.

If you are a welfare state, you have to give attention to poverty alleviation. Is the solution to this the destruction of forests?

Saving animals means saving forests and ecosystems, the natural heritage of the country. Land diverted for demographic use cannot be brought back for any other use. How many people will you help by destroying forests? Saving habitat of animals is the primary issue here, the animals come second.

And to what extent is the reclaimed land cultivable? Marginal land should be forested.

In Western Satpura in Southern Aravallis, in Bhil tribal areas in Madhya Pradesh there is an ecological holocaust. Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have lost 32,000 square kilometers of forest areas in the last 60 years. If everything in a democracy should be put to vote, then why not put the future of the entire country to vote on every issue including the fate of our religious shrines?

And does a democracy necessarily mean a free for all?

In this country, there is a religious sentiment to save forests and wildlife. There is also a fear of retribution, a hangover from the colonial past. In some places, people do not encroach on forests because they fear dacoits. Wildlife also survives in demilitarised war zones.

Some communities are more conducive to conservation principles than others. And the survival of forests in India is inextricably linked to the survival of animals. If the tigers are not there in Sariska, how will the forest survive? You have to have certain choices. If we are prepared to protect our religious sites considering them to be sacred, why are we not prepared to save our forests that are also part and parcel of God’s land?

OpEd

17

Swami Avdheshanand Giri Sri Avdheshanand Giri Maharaj, Acharya Mahamandaleshwar of the Juna Akhara, is a guru to thousands and an inspiration to millions

upfront

Everything begins with your thoughts Thoughts are the kind of fire that can burn, as well as illumine

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mong all species on the planet, the human being is considered to be the most superior only because of his ability to think and discriminate. It is said that even after death, thoughts remain indelible – such is the power of thought.

Among the many factors that influence and change a person’s life, the foremost factor is thought. We say that a certain person changed due to this or that circumstance or incident. The truth, however, is that the changes come from his thoughts, and not only because of any external happening.

It has been proven that people under similar circumstances behave and respond very differently because of differences in their thinking; one may make himself miserable while the other may still remain joyous.

Indeed, all the ups and downs, joys and sorrows in an individual’s life begin with his thoughts.

Thoughts are the kind of fire that can burn, as well as illumine. They

can, like a needle and thread, bring diverse people together. Thoughts can divide, too. Even though man does not possess sharp claws or canine teeth, he is considered to be the most dangerous and violent being on the planet today because of his thoughts. He thinks up rules which he uses for his own aggrandisement and engages in destructive activity.

On the other hand, he could well live a life of peace, non-violence, compassion and service on the basis of his thoughts.

All great sages and spiritual people have identified thought as the most potent strength of a human being.

letters to the editor rat.com sulabhswachhbha

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10

The Making of a Legend

Engine Of Revolution

It’s time to go Paperless

And to make paper, water is also used in a huge amount.

And with the scarcity of water these days, it is very important for everyone to reduce the usage of it.

Steps by the government towards a Digital India have been taken, but there is still a long way to go. Even the slightest contribution towards it can make a huge difference.

Through this article I learned about various ways by which the use of paper can be reduced in a business and is beneficial for it too.

In today’s time, paper is literally used in everything.

Chehak Kapoor, Noida

05

Peace Is His Legacy

Vrindavan Saga

Nelson Mandela, Selfless leader who prioritized the needs of South Africans

Menuka believes Vrindavan fills all kinds of emptiness & completed her

For Reinforcement And Extension Of Infrastructural Frameworks

Earth’s Species Are Now Going Extinct 1,000 Times Faster Than The Natural Rate

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Vol - 2 | Issue - 31

A GOOD NEWS

| July 16 - 22, 2018

| Price ` 5/-

WEEK LY

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12 Thai HE story of the and teenage footballers news their coach is a goodIt was story like no other. and it begin with, a disaster story, to a tragic story if the could have been had not worked rescue operation happened, and a out. But the miracle a good news story disaster story became were. it banished as and tragedy was poetic about it all There is something of FIFA World because in the season across continents Cup, when millions television screens were glued to their teams fight to watch their favourite the story of a out for the honours, interestingly called local football team,

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Please mail your opinion to - ssbweekly@gmail.com or Whatsapp at 9868807712

The brain is the source of all thought. The brain is by itself a great device, endowed as it is, with reportedly 700 billion neurons.

Just as the sun scatters its rays in all directions, so too does the mind emit a special kind of energy, every minute. It is manifest through one’s thoughts, resolves, sentiments, aspirations or their combination.

Very subtle waves are emitted by thoughts. These waves set apart one person from another. Those who are obsessed with the body find that their thought waves are weak. Thought waves become strong and powerful when they are centered around intense ideas that are engaged in the quest for truth and moral rectitude. Such thinkers are able to influence innumerable people over time. That is why we need to cultivate the art of positive thinking rather than get entangled in negativities.

It is only because of revolutionary thinking that changes have been brought about in the field of religion, tradition, politics and society. If wisdom and clarity are not present in thoughts, then major problems get created.

Misunderstanding and distrust are born. In one minute, all relationships change character.

So think wisely. Thoughts make words meaningful; in fact all human actions are made meaningful.

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18

Photo Feature

July 23 - 29, 2018

The Othe r Half On The M ove In Kargil, which is a security-sensitive point on the Srinagar-Leh road, women seem to hold the reins of daily life, creating a charming buzz PHOTO: Sipra Das

July 23 - 29, 2018

It is a familiar feature of hilly regions that women toil more than men, run their homes and it is not very different in Kashmir’s Kargil. Away from the tourist attraction that is Srinagar, big and small, with a smile on their faces.

Photo Feature

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20

Education

July 23 - 29, 2018 Jhamtse Gatsal

The US father-daughter duo, along with Dell employees, have installed 20 new laptops, printers, internet access and are imparting computer education to kids and teachers in Tawang

‘Technological Difference’ To Arunachal Village

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n Saket Suman

ational Geographic explorer Mike Libecki and his 14-year-old daughter Lilliana are essentially travellers who have been to several remote corners of the world. But it is not just the high-ranging mountains or far-flung seas that have a distinct pull for the American father-daughter duo; in fact, most of their travels are humanitarianand- philanthropy-based expeditions.

In their latest venture, they collaborated with Dell as a part of its Give Back Project and worked in a remote village of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

At Jhamtse Gatsal’s Children’s Community, which is home to about 90 children, the father-daughter duo, along with Dell employees, have installed 20 new laptops, new printers, internet access and are imparting computer education to kids and teachers in Tawang.

They have also installed new solar power panels and solar generators for the computer centre and other buildings in the community.

“We worked closely with the community. All of the kids at the community are orphans or they

have come to live there because them… that they are trained properly they have family issues. They are all and, whenever the situation arises, they first-generation learners, none of the should have help from technicians. We families of these kids have had an also had to ensure that these systems education. run on solar power because remote “We came here to provide solar areas like these do not have electricity energy, a new computer lab with running most of the times,” he said. computers and internet installed, And so when they set out on what because the goal of the orphanage is to turned out to be a very enriching and provide education to the kids. In the satisfying experience there was a lot times that we live in, we need to be of anticipation in the air as many of technologically advanced and savvy to the kids at Jhamtse Gatsal s Children s make progress,” Mike told.

Community were seeing computers for Maintaining that progress is the first time. not possible without access to When the young children saw technological tools such as computers Lilliana, who at the age of 14 has and the internet, Mike already been to 26 countries, explained that all the all seven continents, five equipment was major expeditions shipped from the and has climbed United States Mt. Kilimanjaro Progress is not to Tawang and in Africa, helping Dell employees her father set up possible without were on ground the computers access to to help in the and teach not installation just the kids but technological tools process. also the teachers such as computers “But just and other workers and the internet installing the at the community computers wasn’t on how to go about enough. We needed using the computer to ensure that the and accessing the children are able to use internet, their faces lit up

with brightness and, in Mike’s words, “They learnt to aspire.”

“Every time we connect with a community and we try to give back, we get more than we give. We have opportunities that they don’t and making a little impact on their lives really leaves us with a great feeling of satisfaction. We are giving them computers and the internet.”

“Think about you and I we have access to these technological boons but we take it for granted every day.

We never think what our lives would be had we been unfortunate too.

Mike said that just like the word “technology” comes from the word “tool”, they envisaged a similar approach towards this project.

“We are using technology as a tool.

These kids want to go to college, just like anybody else. Why shouldn’t the most remote and poor kids have the same opportunity that you and I have? So we want to do our part. If we are doing our part and impacting one community may be we are impacting thousands of people because initiatives like these create a ripple effect. The one who has been benefited will, someday, if he/she has an opportunity to, make a difference in the lives of others,” Mike said.

Off-Beat

July 23 - 29, 2018 the funny side

fulfilling dreams

How To Make Your Children Follow In Your Footsteps

‘Jindagi’ Realising Dreams Of Medical Aspirants

Do children usually do what their parents did?

Every year, Jindagi provides boarding, lodging and coaching to 20 students free of cost

n Nury Vittachi

n Chinmaya Dehury

sections of the society come up the ladder and join the mainstream. The e could not become a doctor joy is bigger than what wealth can give. himself, but is now pulling out I and my team are fully devoted to all stops to ensure that others this cause and the successes have only fare better. This year, 18 students from motivated us to work harder,” Singh Odisha made it to medical school added. thanks to the initiative of Ajay Bahadur Students who joined Jindagi to reach Singh, who once sold tea for a living but a medical college have inspirational now imparts free medical education to stories of how they overcame life’s trials 20 underprivileged students at a time. and tribulations to reach this far with a His inspiration? little bit of help and guidance.

Anand Kumar’s famed Super 30 in Till a couple of years ago, Twinkle Patna, which mentors students from Sahu sold flowers outside Jagannath underprivileged sections of the society temple to help her father, Madan for entrance into the prestigious Indian Mohan Sahu, who sold eggs. But the Institutes of Technology (IITs). meagre income made it tough.

Recalling the eight-year journey of One day, Singh saw the girl selling his Jindagi (Life) campaign, Singh told: flowers outside the temple and that “I started the initiative in 2010. Initially, stuck in his mind. The girl had flowers two-three students came for coaching in one hand and a book in the other. and students started qualifying for When Singh enquired about this, medical college in 2012. This year, Twinkle’s dreams rolled out in the form 18 students have been selected in the of tears. medical entrance examination.”

“I faced innumerable difficulties in Every year, Jindagi provides life. We are poverty stricken. But my boarding, lodging and coaching to 20 desire and Ththe help of Jindagi has students free of cost. helped me to qualify in the medical Singh said he started the initiative entrance test,” Twinkle told. as he could not become a doctor due Santosh Nahak, too, has a similar to poverty. “My father was an engineer story. His father, Nitai Nahak, is a farm and he aspired to make me a labourer. Steeped in doctor. But as luck would have The ‘Jindagi’ initiative is poverty, the family it, he had a kidney problem and now being viewed as a barely survived. we have to sell our properties novel initiative not only “About the time for a kidney transplant. I had in Bhubaneswar but in I passed Plus Two the whole Odisha to sell tea and other stuff for (Class 12), my father my family’s sustenance. So, I became paralysed, could not become a doctor,” affecting the family said Singh, who belongs to Deoghar in livelihood. At that time, I thought Jharkhand but settled in Bhubaneswar of becoming a doctor to treat such in 2005. patients. But my studies were affected.

The Jindagi initiative is now being However, I did not give up and hope to viewed as a novel initiative not be a doctor with Jindagi’s help,” Nahak only in Bhubaneswar but in the told. whole Odisha.

How does the initiative work “The experience has been on the ground? wonderful so far. Anand The funds for Jindagi come Kumar’s Super 30 initiative from the +2 Adyanta Science has been an inspiration for College affiliated to the Odisha many across the world and government, that the group I also tried to make runs. They collect a beginning. It is fees from about 600 really an amazing students studying in experience to help the college and use poor students from a part of this to run under pr iv i leged Jindagi.

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21 07

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emo To Self: Must write to the International Olympic Committee to introduce a “rolling eye” competition, so my kids can win gold, silver and bronze.

They have to do something worthwhile with their lives, since none of them want to be writers like their dad.

“We want proper job,” said one.

“With money,” said another.

One of them fancied being a rich businessperson like Rupert Murdoch or Donald Trump until I told him that you had to have your heart removed and learn to drink blood.

My mind was on the topic of job inheritance after I received a letter from a reader about a real-life saga in India.

In 1925, a man named Chaturvedi became an accountant.

Today, five generations of Chaturvedi family members are accountants, and there are about 500 accountants in their caste where they live, Mathura in north India. Imagine a whole region of people in dark suits holding calculators and auditing each other.

Terrifying.

The reader did not want her name printed in case her children think she is pushing them to follow her footsteps (she is an accountant), but asked: “Do children usually do what their parents did?”

A colleague and I embarked on a comprehensive research project (typed the question into Google).

Up popped studies which said three factors determine whether your kids follow your profession or not. * The Dining Table Chatter Effect.

As parents chat to each other about their working lives, children become intrigued and inspired by

the phrases they overhear. (“I hate my life”; “Kill me now”, etc.) * The Arcane Skills Effect. The higher the number of mysterious specialist skills a profession has, the more likely it is that children will do the same job. (“Big day at the office tomorrow, remind me to take my Ancient Book of Spells”.) * The Infectious Jobs Effect. Boys with soldier dads very often become soldiers and girls with teacher mums very often become teachers.

Three other inter-generational jobs are business management, construction and entertainment.

“One of the strange things is that the job of ‘king’ is inherited in many societies, including ones with no monarch,” my colleague said. “The president’s family members become the next leader.”

And if you really want your children to follow your footsteps?

Make your title sound grander.

If you are a Road Sweeper, call yourself a Highway Environmental Hygienist.

The hot trend is to add the word “architect” to any activity. So a baker becomes a Cake Architect, a barber is a Hair Architect, a bank robber is a Financial Extraction Architect, a person who trains architects is an Architect Architect, etc.

Most importantly, experts say you should be sure to talk about your profession over the dinner table in ways that sound enigmatic, esoteric and intriguing. “I’m seeing a new client tomorrow: Remind me to bring my amulet, pentagram and magical Lamp of Thoth.”

But here’s a warning. Kids these days are pretty smart, and some won’t be fooled. They will just sneer and roll their eyes. If they want lessons, my children can supply them at attractive prices.

22

Gender

July 23 - 29, 2018

Kalpana Thakur

Beautiful In And Out A firsthand account of talking to a former Mrs India and finding out her journey from being a mere small village girl to a social worker and then onto becoming Mrs India

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n Pankhuri Johri

t is not always the case that you run into a Mrs India at a hotel in Manali where you are, and that she happens to be the owner of the place and she stays in the basement. Too much of a coincidence? Or is it plain journalist’s luck?

Kalpana Thakur is Mrs India 2017 and she runs a hotel this popular hill resort, which is a tourist hot spot and gateway to higher reaches of Ladakh and the Himalayas.

On the last day of my stay at that place, I made sure that I get to meet her. After I was done with my itinerary for that day I gathered up the courage to go up to her room and rang the bell.

The woman who stood in front of me was looking as natural and normal as any other woman and it took me few moments to realise that she was the Kalpana Thakur, the one who I had been stalking on the internet and looking at her absolutely breathtaking pictures that had been placed all around the hotel.

After realising that she was the one I had been wanting to meet I introduced myself to her, after which she very politely asked me to come inside her house. I told her about myself and why I came to meet her and she agreed to tell me about her journey.

She belonged

to a remote village in Lahaul Valley and had shifted to Manali. And even before she became Mrs India she had already achieved a lot. She was born into a joint family and that had a very large impact on her personality. She was always taught to do good to others and that is what had inspired her to become a social worker. She worked on environmental and women’s issues.

She became popular by the name of “Waste Warrior” in Manali as she used to go about collecting plastic bottles, tetra packs etc.

In the beginning, she used to just collect them to reduce the amount of plastic waste at tourist spots in Manali but later she learnt the art of converting plastic bottles, tetra packs etc into fun, decorative pieces.

When she started doing this work, people used to think that she had gone crazy, not only the people, even her family couldn’t understand what was she exactly doing but it was not until later that her work started to get recognition and Zee Media even broadcasted her story.

It was after this that her efforts started getting recognized by various important people and NGOs.

She is popular by the name of ‘waste warrior’. She collects plastic waste and converts it into decorative pieces

All these efforts finally lead her to bag a lot of awards such as The Best Social Worker 2012 Award, The Vashishth Karye Samman in 2014, State level and “Beti bachaobeti padhao” 2015 for social works by INIFD Hamirpur.

The only thing that I could say after listening to all of this was, that you must be so confident that you are able to pull off so many roles at once and pull each one of them with grace.

She told me that she was actually never that confident and all the confidence that she had built up was credited to her mentor Ms Jyoti Rana who had persuaded her to compete for Mrs Manali and from where she began her journey of becoming Mrs India.

Her father is a retired Army officer who is also living near the hotel itself and she has 2 sisters, one is a teacher in DPS School, Manali while the other is an army officer.

While her own husband is a banker by profession, he also helps her in the work that she does for the betterment of the environment. She has 2 children, a son and a daughter, 18 and 21

respectively Cu r r e n t l y, she is teaching students and people to reverse non-biodegradable waste into funky jewellery and decorative pieces and is even going to different places to give seminar and workshops on how to keep our environment clean by applying the 3R’s ( Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) to non-biodegradable wastes. Not only this she is also exhibition all the reused material products that she has been making in her hotel that include earrings made out of plastic and paper and various other decorative pieces that can also be sold to the people. A married woman, a mother of 2 children, a successful hotelier, a social worker and former Mrs India how can one manage so much at once? It was the only question that had left me wondering at the end of my conversation with her.

I only went to her house to get to know about her journey of becoming Mrs India, but after coming outside I had known about a Kalpana Thakur ‘waste warrior’ that I hadn’t even imagined.

Science

July 23 - 29, 2018

23 07

Here’s Why

Waking Up ‘On The Wrong Side of Bed’ Is a Real Thing Humans can think about and anticipate things before they happen, which can help us prepare for and even prevent certain events n PETER DOCKRILL

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ew research reveals that people who wake up expecting to have a stressful day can actually impact their own cognitive functioning throughout the day – with the simple act of anticipating future stress putting a measurable bottleneck on our brainpower.

In a sense, the only thing to fear seems to be fear itself – because the researchers say even if the stressful experiences you’re dreading never occur, just by internally forecasting them you’re diverting precious, limited resources from your powers of memory.

“Humans can think about and anticipate things before they happen, which can help us prepare for and even prevent certain events,” explains one of the researchers, cognitive psychologist Jinshil Hyun from Pennsylvania State University.

“But this study suggests that this ability can also be harmful to your daily memory function, independent of whether the stressful events actually happen or not.”

To test their hypothesis, Hyun’s team recruited 240 people aged between 25 to 65 years old to take part in a two-week experiment. Every day, the participants would be pinged by a smartphone app, asking them about their stress levels.

In the morning, the prompt would enquire whether they expected their day ahead to be a stressful one. Then, five times throughout the day, they’d have to rate their current stress levels.

Finally, at night, they’d respond on whether they thought the following day would be stressful.

In addition to gauging their current or anticipated stress, each member of the group also had to complete a number of working memory tests during the day, in which they were challenged to remember arrangements of dots on a grid.

At the end of the experiment, the researchers found that higher levels

First sign of a young star devouring planets n Agency

C

omputer simulations have long predicted that planets can fall into a young star, but we have never before observed that.

“If our interpretation of the data is correct, this would be the first time that we directly observe a young star devouring a planet or planets,” Hans Moritz Guenther said.

This discovery gives insight into the processes affecting the survival of infant planets.

Since 1937, astronomers are puzzled over the curious variability of the young star named RW Aur A. Every few decades, the star’s optical light has faded briefly before brightening again. The new study could explain what caused the star’s most recent dimming event a collision

of stress anticipation in the morning were associated with poorer working memory later in the day – although, interestingly, stress anticipated in the evening was not a predictor of worse working memory performance the next day.

But as for waking up on the wrong side of bed, the results were significant, which the researchers ascribe to what they call ‘attention depletion’ – with stressful thoughts sapping our attentional resources and impairing attention-demanding cognitive performance.

“Importantly, the effect of stress anticipation was over and above the

There’s a star, man, waiting in the sky. It’s likely to have eaten a planet in recent times of two infant planetary bodies, including at least one object large enough to be a planet.

As the resulting planetary debris fell into the star, it would generate a thick veil of dust and gas, temporarily obscuring the star’s light.

“Much effort currently goes into learning about exoplanets and how they form, so it is obviously very important to see how young planets

effect of stressful events reported to have occurred,” the researchers write, “indicating that anticipatory processes can produce effects on functioning independent of the presence of an external stressor.”

Just like how people often say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the findings suggest your morning’s emotional perspective is an important, self-perpetuating foundation for what the rest of your day could look like.

“When you wake up in the morning with a certain outlook for the day, in some sense the die is already cast,” says one of the team, neuropsychologist Martin Sliwinski. “If you think your day is going to be stressful, you’re going to feel those effects even if nothing stressful ends up happening.

That hadn’t really been shown in the research until now, and it shows the impact of how we think about the world.”

The researchers say they now want to investigate using their findings to develop psychologically based stressreduction interventions – but in the meantime, it’s a healthy reminder to embrace positive thinking when the Sun comes up.

Today is going to be amazing. Today is going to be brilliant. Today is going to be out of sight.

NASA

could be destroyed in interactions with their host stars and other young planets, and what factors determine if they survive,” Guenther said.

24

excerpts from the book: “NARENDRA DAMODAR MODI: the making of a legend�

July 23 - 29, 2018

SPECIAL DRIVES

International Yoga Day While addressing the General Assembly of United Nations on 26 September 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his desire that 21 June should be declared as International Yoga Day. Within 75 days only, 177 countries sponsored proposal. On 11 December 2014, this proposal was accepted by the United Nations unanimously. Since then, 21 June is celebrated as International Yoga Day.

Namami Gange In this ambitious scheme designed to make Mother Ganga clean and free from pollution, a cleanliness drive has been started from Gangotri to Ganga Sagar for which a provision of Rs. 20 thousand crore has been made in the budget. It is

committed that this goal should be achieved before 2019. Under this scheme, 231 projects have been initiated in the states of Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Haryana and Delhi which are connected with Ganga.

If we are able to clean the Ganga, it will be a great help to 40 percent population of the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

What will be attained after the death; path to this is not shown by yoga and therefore, it is not a religious ritual. Yoga gives the strength for getting mental peace in this eternal world by keeping the body fit and maintaining unity in the society.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

July 23 - 29, 2018

excerpts from the book: “NARENDRA DAMODAR MODI: the making of a legend”

Swachh Bharat (Clean India)

Social Harmony Drive Year 2016 was the year of 125th birth anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar. To mark this, a social harmony drive has been started, under which the birth anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar has been celebrated at a very large scale.

•26 November 2016 was celebrated as the Constitution Day, under which a special session of the parliament was called.

•Mahu railway station was named after Baba Saheb Ambedkar.

•Foundation stone was laid in New Delhi for the construction of an International memorial dedicated to Baba Saheb Ambedkar.

•Construction work has been initiated for memorials to be situated at Alipore Road, Delhi and Chaitya Bhoomi, Mumbai.

•Memorial in London has been inaugurated.

•A postal stamp and a coin have been issued in the memory of Baba Saheb Ambedkar.

•125 Dalit researchers have been sent to Columbia University and London School of Economics where Baba Saheb received education.

More we remember the thoughts of Dr. Ambedkar, more is our respect for his thoughts on comprehensiveness and his approach.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Clean India is the commitment of our prime minister for fulfilling the dream of Mahatma Gandhi. First phase of the movement targeted schools, where separate toilets were proposed to be constructed for boy and girl students. In the second phase a movement has been spearheaded for complete eradication of the open defecation. Alongside a movement of cleanliness has been spearheaded in all cities and towns across the country.

2.31 crore toilets have been constructed and 75,072 villages have been made completely free from open defecation.

Being the children of Mother India, it is our responsibility that neither we will litter nor will we allow somebody else to do so.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

25

Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana This scheme is being run through the Members of Parliament who are to convert adopted villages in their constituency into model villages by doing all round development.

For doing so the Members of Parliament can take advantage of all development schemes of the centre and the states and also invite participation of the public. In the tenure of five years, every member of parliament has to adopt two villages. In every parliamentary constituency three villages will be made model village under this scheme.

This scheme is motivated by the public and it will be completed under the supervision of the MPs and through public participation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Continue in next issue

26

Unity

July 23 - 29, 2018 tazia artisans who were adept with the artistry associated with it. The project was headed by Azhimuddin bhai. With nine kids, he was keen to work with us and hence we had their designs and skills which helped them earn name, fame and revenue also,” she told.

It was more like a pure engagement with these artisans who created impressive spheres. Even the tazia artisans enjoyed doing something innovative, said Kaswaliwal.

Later, she brought taziainspired designs to her house while celebrating birthday parties of her daughters.

Instead of plastic balloons, tazia artisans decorated the venue with handmade craft.

The big balloons and lamps were quite authentic which caught the attention of all those present.

Kaswaliwal ensured this art was taken to the next level and asked the artisans to decorate the wedding mandap of her sister’s marriage solemnised in New Delhi in 2009.

“They did it with their heart and soul and the response was amazing. Everybody was talking of these designs and this is how their art gained wings and reached heights from where there was no looking back,” she added.

“No one in our family had any resistance anywhere when my sister’s wedding mandap was being designed

by Muslim artisans. They loved their integrity and engagement with which they did the decor,” she recalled.

There is another positive side to the story. The designs crafted by tazia artisans are via paper and bamboo which gives a strong message of sustainability and ecological balance.

When asked about remuneration, Bilal said it’s the size of the mandap and party venue which defines their remuneration and the number of people also depends on the quantum of work.

“Seeing our work, we have received orders to design the Rajasthan Heritage Week Festival. Also, we did the design in 2009 when Art Institute of Chicago delegates were in India.

We used bamboo-made sets which were praised a lot,” said Bilal.

“What we love is the fact that people of all castes and communities admire our work and tell others about it. What else does a grassroots artisan want?” Bilal asked with a smile.

The designs crafted by tazia artisans are via paper and bamboo which gives a strong message of sustainability and ecological balance

Muslim artists

Breaking Faith Barriers Shia Muslim artists create Hindu wedding mandaps

F

n Archana Sharma

or centuries, their creations have been used in sombre processions to commemorate and reconstruct the narrative of the 7th century Battle of Karbala in Islamic history. But now, these artists, mostly Shia Muslims, make Hindu wedding mandaps, replicating the design of the shrine of Prophet’s grandson Imam Hussain Ali, who was killed in that war.

Hundreds of couples in the country have exchanged wedding vows under these mandaps, representing the replicas of the complex, housing one of the oldest mosques in the world and a holy site of Shia Muslims in the Iraqi city of Karbala. These replicas, also called tazia, which otherwise Shia mourners use during their annual Muharram processions, are also used for decorating venues of birthday parties.

The art of tazia making arrived in India from Central Asia and is said to have flourished during Mughal rule.

One of these artisans, Mohammad

Bilal Azhimuddin, speaking to IANS, said they were in Mumbai recently to design a Hindu marriage mandap at the Hotel Grand Hyatt there.

“Our clients wanted us to design something exquisite, which we did,” he said, adding that caste and creed never comes into the picture.

“Our designs have been used in Hindu weddings as well as in birthday parties of children. What clients love is the exquisitely adorned minarets which have won millions of hearts and are making waves across the nation,” he said.

Many art connoisseurs have also decorated their residences, offices, theme parties and corporate events with tazia-inspired minarets and lamps, he added.

Basically, these artisans make tazias during Muharram processions.

As this symbolises sorrow to their community, they never charge any price for it. “It is a service to God,” says Mohammad Bilal Azhimuddin, who learnt this craft from his father who was known as Azhimuddin Bhai (brother) in community circles.

Meanwhile, their socio-economic standards have witnessed a sudden rise as they started taking up commercial projects.

The fortunes of this tazia community changed when a leading designer of the country, Geetanjali Kaswaliwal, owner of globally reputed Anantaya which is committed to the development of ideas using local crafts evolved over centuries, watched a tazia procession for the first time in Jaipur. Anantaya is known for showcasing UNESCO award-winning luxury cutting-edge objects, furniture, textiles and accessories inspired by the culturally-rich artisanal world.

She was moved by the attractive presence of tazias on the streets. Soon after, when her husband’s firm, AKFD Studio, got the order for making markers for the entire city during the Jaipur Virasat Heritage Festival 2007, she thought of using tazia-inspired designs for the city.

“We wanted to make something sculptural for this event to ensure guests bask in the glory of the cultural craft. We created a huge structure of tazia. The task was commissioned to

July 23 - 29, 2018

Vrindavan Saga

27 07

Parulbala

‘In the end, nothing matters but your true devotion’ A series of jolts that life served Parulbala, she lost all hope. But Vrindavan changed her perspective n Ayodhya Prasad Singh

L

ife is uncertain, that is true.

It is a mix of smooth highways and bumpy roads, that is well known. But it will give you a series of ‘strokes-after-strokes’, that is not something one is always prepared for.

And that is what Kolkata’s Parulbala Ghosh had to face unfortunately.

Parulbala was 16-year-old when she was married to a 20-year-old man.

Her husband worked in a factory. The income was not much but sufficient for the couple to row their merry life.

They were having a beautiful time of their life.

In the course of time, Parulbala gave birth to three children – two boys and a girl. The couple raised their children with a lot of care and warm love. It was a happy family of five. When the children grew up, they married them off in time, as pompously as they could.

But as they say, life is not all about ups. It has its fair share of downs.

And downs come over unannounced – when you least expect them, in the way you can least anticipate. That is also what happened with Parulbala.

One morning, her husband suffered a stroke which he could not survive.

And so a full stop was put to the life of Parulbala’s husband. An all-time smiling Parulbala went quiet, as though somebody sucked all happiness out of her life. The white of widowhood took all colours away from her. She started

living a tasteless, monotonous life.

But that was not it. Life showed no mercy to Parulbala. Her younger son was ailing with diabetes for some time by then. The disease ate him up and one more member of the family left them forever. Sorrow clouded over Parulbala and her family, again.

But that was not the end of Parulbala’s troubles. Before she and her family could cope up with the loss of the younger son, Parulbala’s elder son also suffered a stroke and died. It was like a tsunami of bad days flooded the family. One of the greatest pain of a mother is to see her children’s dead body. Parulbala had to go through it, not once but twice. As if the sorrow of widowhood was not enough, that life took her sons away from her, one after the other.

Parulbala had tough time accepting her widowhood, and to top that, her daughters-in-law were also in white now.

“God has his own ways to test us.

And sometimes the tests are tougher than we could have ever imagined, especially when the life were as smooth as they were for us. I was going through the same phase. Each time I thought that it could not get any tougher, any harder – there came up another tragedy, another misery. I started feeling that my life is made out of tragedies only and I am destined to suffer only,” recalled Parulbala.

“Each time I saw my daughters-inlaw’s faces and their white outfits, it

“Each time I thought that it could not get any tougher, any harder – there came up another tragedy, another misery”

made me ache. I started questioning myself whether I am such a bad person that God took away my husband and my children away from me.”

Parulbala says that after these jolts that life gave her, she had become a lifeless person – more like a robot – who was just moving, functioning but had lost all sense of feelings, emotions and attachments. Even when her two brothers died after the death of her husband and the two sons, she took it as a normal phenomenon. She had accepted that life is all sadness and sorrows. No joy, no peace.

After suffering her share of pain, Parulbala a year ago came to Vrindavan. She had heard that this place has something about it that turns lives back to normal – or at least offers peace. So she started living in Sharda Ashram here. She would roam the streets of Vrindavan and sing bhajans in Lord Krishna and Radha Rani’s temples.

She realised that what she had heard about this holy land was true.

The aura, the environment, the people and the devotional bhajans of Lord Krishna and Radha Rani – all give peace even to the most disrupted lives.

They say better late than never.

Yes, normalcy took its time to return

Quick glance • Parulbala was 16 when she was married to a 20-year-old • It was a happy family of five, but what followed was not expected • She lost her husband and both sons one after the other

to Parulbala’s life but it did find its way back. Vrindavan helped it recover. Parulbala now lives in a Sulabh International Social Service Organisation assisted widowsashram. She says that ‘Lal Baba’ (alias of Dr Bindeshwar Pathak – founder of Sulabh organisation) takes care of everything, and she and her fellowwidows just concentrate on chanting the name of the Lord.

After all, “everything will be left behind, and only your true devotion will take you throught the tunnel to the light,” she said.

28

Sports

July 23 - 29, 2018

F I F A fi n a l s

One Team, One Dream

The French victory in the World Cup highlighted the story of the immigrant players Gitanjali Chettri

T

he 2018 world cup in Russia has been one rough and quirky journey. It seemed to be the most volatile and unprecedented tournaments ever. From defending champions Germany’s dreadful performance in the group stage to the home team shocking run in the knock out stage. The ride for all 32 teams this world cup was not less than a nightmare.

Finally the World Cup came to an end and it was an outstanding one.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup has been the most outstanding World Cup ever.

There were smiles and joy as millions of people came from all over the world to celebrate the 31-day festival of football.

This World Cup brought surprises and excitement by new teams, leaving the old legendary teams

behind.

For the second time in history and for the first time since they were hosts in 1998, France was crowned champions of FIFA 2018. It secured the status of memorable World Cup tournament ever. This was the highest goal-scoring final ever after 1966 when England beat West Germany. Goals and performances from midfielder Paul Pogba and forward Antoine Griezmann, who were the main stars, contributed in bringing victory and the Cup home. As the game unspooled their perfection refined at every step, and that’s how their success was all the more impressive than expected.

Although France lifted the trophy, the opposing team Croatia was no less brilliant because for a country with a population of just 4.1 million that gained independence in 1991, it is quite an achievement for the Croatian team.

Even though everything was at stake, Croatia had nothing to lose. It was not eligible for the World Cup until 1994 but by reaching final it had already carved its greatest feat on the global stage.

No player in the World Cup has set a better example than midfielder Maestro Modric of Croatia.

Modric, like many of his team-mates, and his family were displaced during the Croatian War of Independence. But unlike many of his team-mates, the Modric family did not flee to Europe.

When he was just six-years-old, the future Real Madrid star’s grandfather was executed by a Serb militant group. Modric, living with his grandfather at the time while his parents worked long hours in a factory to forge an income, had to leave the village. “When the war started we became refugees, and it was a really tough time,” Modric said.

Grie zm Though Modric could not Fran ann, ce gift his motherland the World Cup, he had at least made his people proud by receiving ‘Golden Ball’ after being deemed the most impressive performer of the tournament. Modric was integral to his side

Ma nd Cro zukic atia ,

team didn’t lag behind to put ample efforts of hard work so as to bring the Cup to the country.

As France’s team was multicultural at a time when Europe is facing the political, economic and cultural challenge of non-European immigrants, the victory of the team with the migrants outnumbering the natives was a triumphant statement in itself.

As the World Cup was presented a storm broke, the heavens opened and there was a downpour.

Not that anything was going to dampen French celebrations. From Russia with love. What a World Cup this has been and, rightly, it ends with a worthy winner.

becoming the surprise package of the World Cup by reaching the final.

Huge crowds waving Croatian flags and wearing the national red and white colors greeted the players with excitement, cries of encouragement with the chants of ‘Champions’ heard from the crowd despite the team losing to France in the World Cup final. The team’s success has been described as the biggest in the nation’s sporting history.

France was the champion but the performance of Croatia remained as memorable as that of the winners.

Playing excellent in the first half, but forcing an own goal from Mandzukic a free-kick, a mistake which gave a lead to the France.

Ultimately winners are winners. The mistake of Croatia did not really matter.

In the end, France deserved to be champions bearing in mind their assured performance throughout the World Cup journey. Any team that has scored four times in final are entitled to feel they have won in style and nobody ba, seemed to mind. Eventually Poge l u Pa Franc France proves to be the best attacking team and left Croatia behind. Though the game was a close battle with equal efforts on both sides but the mental strength and techniques of France was so immense that they won the title. Despite the enviable lifestyle of the country, the

July 23 - 29, 2018

Entertainment

29 07

Naseeruddin Shah

The Epitome of Honesty Naseer claims that awards have no influence on him as an actor n Nikita Sanyal

W

henever we think of the finest veteran actors of India, one of the first names that pop up in our minds is that of Naseeruddin Shah. He is a prominent figure in Indian Parallel Cinema, where his aweinspiring performances have made him a favourite. While the actor has, on several occasions, stated his dislike for commercial Bollywood films, he has acted in quite a few of them and garnered a great deal of appreciation.

What makes him truly interesting though is the fact that he is a very innovative and experimenting individual. He started out with art cinema, and then acted in commercial cinema. He has done television, anchored cricket shows and he has also been actively involved in theatre. Not only that, he also appeared in a number of international films, most notably in the Hollywood comic book adaptation, “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”, where he played Captain Nemo. He had also starred with Sean Connery in the film “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”, in 2003.

Born on 20th Of July, 1950 in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, Naseeruddin Shah celebrated his 68th birthday on 20th July, Friday last week. Throughout his childhood, the actor was fascinated with films and cricket. As a child, he loved western classics and war movies.

He was exposed to films like “On the Waterfront”, “Citizen Kane”, “Zorro Rides Again” etc. In an interview with Cover Story, Shah explained the lack of Hindi movies in his youth being due to his school not showing Hindi films and his father’s supervision on what they watched as kids. While there were actors in the Hindi film industry he appreciated, like Motilal, Balraj Sahni, and Yakub, none of the Indian actors really inspired him. He was rather influenced by actors like Anthony Quinn, Paul Muni, and Spencer Tracy.

The most outspoken person Naseeruddin Shah is very selective about the projects he pursues

chronicled their lives.

The veteran actor’s autobiography, “And Then One Day”, has the actor narrating his life from childhood to the beginning of his acting career in Bollywood. The book is brutally honest as Shah addresses every mistake and struggle of his life, including his dependence on drugs. It ends with his marriage to actress Ratna Pathak Shah and his daughter (from his first marriage) returning to India.

Walking down memory lane, he provides an account of his years at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Shah has been very open about the Delhi’s National School fact that he shared a of Drama (NSD) and troubled relationship Naseer calls the Film and Television with his father, Aley Ratna Institute at Pune (FTII).

Mohammed Shah. Like Pathak Shah Naseer calls Ratna most parents, his father Pathak Shah the “one struggled to accept his the “one true true love of his life”. son’s poor performance love of his life” Shah claims to have in academics. Their fallen head over heels in relationship worsened further when a 19-year-old Naseer love with his wife at the very first sight. plunged into the world of theatre at In his autobiography, he described Aligarh Muslim University, instead of how he saw her for the first time while concentrating on academics. However, talking with the legendary theatre gradually with time, and the birth of director Satyadev Dubey about a play his own children, Shah has gained a at a roadside sugarcane juice stall. He better understanding of his father. found it nearly impossible to take his Back in 2014, Naseeruddin Shah eyes off the striking young woman. joined the long line of actors who had Later, he found that she was a part

of Dubey’s play as well. However, the case was slightly different for Ratna Pathak. About their first meeting, Ratna told in an interview “It was not love at first sight. When Dubey introduced us, I did not even know his right name. One day we were not even friends; the next day we were going out together.”

The two are one of the most loved couple of Bollywood even now.

Shah has won a number awards, including three National Awards, Parma Shri and a Padma Bhushan.

However, he claims that awards have no influence on him as an actor or a human being. In an interview with a popular daily, the actor admitted that all the awards he has won have been put away in some cupboard at his house and that he has forgotten about them. He said in the interview, “I value people’s opinion because they are not pretending and have spent their money on me by buying tickets.”

Known as one of the most outspoken actors of the industry, Naseeruddin Shah is very selective about the projects he pursues. But no matter how many films he does, his love for theatre is irreplaceable, as he expressed in a recent interview with Showsha, “I am planning to do two new plays this year. I just love theatre. I can’t do without it.”

Similarly, the audience’s adoration for the talented individual is total, that Mr. Shah is irreplaceable. We only hope that we get to see him on our screens for many more years to come.

30

Literature

July 23 - 29, 2018

story - 1

The Tortoise And The Bird

story - 1

A

tortoise was resting under a tree, on which a bird had built its nest. The tortoise spoke to the bird mockingly, “What a shabby home you have! It is made of broken twigs, it has no roof, and looks crude. What’s worse is that you had to build it yourself. I think my house, which is my shell, is much better than your pathetic nest”.

“Yes, it is made of broken sticks, looks shabby and is open to the elements of nature. It is crude, but I built it, and I like it.”

“I guess it’s just like any other nest, but not better than mine”, said the tortoise. “You must be jealous of my shell, though.”

“On the contrary”, the bird replied. “My home has space for my family and friends; your shell cannot accommodate anyone other than you. Maybe you have a better house. But I have a better home”, said the bird happily.

ded tter a crow Moral: Be ly mansion. e n lo a n a hut th

T story - 2

The Camel And The Baby

O

ne day, a camel and her baby were chatting.

The baby asked, “Mother, why do we have humps?” The mother replied, “Our humps are for storing water so that we can survive in the desert”. “Oh”, said the child, “and why do we have rounded feet mother?” “Because they are meant to help us walk comfortably in the desert. These legs help us move around in the sand.” “Alright. But why are our eyelashes so long?” “To protect our eyes from the desert dust and sand. They are the protective covers for the eyes”, replied the mother camel. The baby camel thought for a while and said, “So we have humps to store water for desert journeys, rounded hooves to keep us comfortable when we walk in the desert sand, and long eyelashes to protect us from sand and dust during a desert storm. Then what are we doing in a zoo?” The mother was dumbfounded.

r strengths, u o Y l: a r o M owledge are n k d n a , ls il sk e are not in th u o y if s s le e us right place.

story - 3

Good Company, Bad Company

wo parrots built a nest in a banyan tree. They lived with their two young ones, which they took good care of. The mother and the father parrot went out to gather food in the morning and came back home by evening. One day, when their parents were away, the young parrots were taken by a cruel hunter.One of the birds managed to escape and flew away from the hunter. He ended up at a hermitage and grew up listening to kind words and compassion. The hunter put the other parrot in a cage, and soon it learned a few words and phrases. The hunter and his family were crude and didn’t care much about kind words. One day, a passerby was resting outside the hunter’s hut. Sensing someone outside, the parrot said, “Fool, why are you here?

Fool! Leave! I’ll cut your throat”. Scared, the traveler went away, and on his journey, he reached the hermitage where the other parrot was. The parrot at the hermitage spoke, “Welcome traveler. You are free to stay here as long as you want”. Surprised, the traveler told the parrot that he encountered a similar parrot elsewhere and it was very cruel. How is that you are so kind?” The parrot replied, “That must be my brother. I live with the sages, and my brother lives with hunters. I learned the sage’s language, and my brother learned the hunter’s language.

The company we keep decides who we will be”.

any good comp p e e K l: a r Mo d to be a goo if you want person

Events

July 23 - 29, 2018

events & more...

ACROSS

1. The 8th India-Oman Joint Commission meeting begins in __________.

5. Which country plans to launch 300 low-orbit satellites to provide worldwide communication services?

6. The Education Department of which state launched ‘I am not afraid of English’ initiative from Class 1 in the state’s primary schools?

8. This country becomes vice chair of Asia Pacific Region of World Customs Organisation.

11. The 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) will be held in __________.

12. India’s first private UAV factory will be set up in __________.

14. Dr. TCA Raghavan was appointed as the Director General of this department.

16. The 4th National Conclave on Mines & Minerals was held at __________.

17. Scientist RA Mashelkar proposed as the Chancellor of __________ Institute .

18. This country will host the 2018 BIMSTEC summit.

21. The Second India-China Maritime Affairs Dialogue was held in ___

Sanskriti Museums GHITORNI Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Anandagram, Anand Gram, Ghitorni, New Delhi 5 Aug 2018, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

SSB crossword no. 32

events

Clay Around And Make New Friends Venue :

DOWN

SOLUTION of crossword no.31

Hear Anurag Kashyap, Watch Films & Attend Journalism Master classes Venue : India Habitat Centre LODHI ROAD Institutional Area, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 3 Aug 9:30 AM - 4 Aug 7:30 PM

Musical Tribute to Mohd Rafi Sahab Venue :

Sirifort Auditorium : Delhi., August Kranti Marg, Asian Games Village Complex, Gautam Nagar, Delhi Tue 31 Jul, 05:30 PM

Snap Episode 003 feat. Varun Thakur and Atul Khatri Venue : Sirifort Auditorium: Delhi,

31

1.Fiji 2.Tokyo 3.1839 4.UK 5.17 6.Google 7.Ronaldo 8.CEAT 9.BHEL 10.Assam

11.ICAT 12.Pune 13.BSNL 14.Wipro 15.HDFC 16.China 17.HAL 18.Football 19.1993 20.Orissa

August Kranti Marg, Asian Games Village Complex, Gautam Nagar, Delhi, NCR 110049, Sun 29 Jul, 07:30 PM solution of sudoku-31

2. The World’s largest visa centre has been opened in which of following city?

3. Vivek Sharma has beem appointed as the new MD of Indian Electricals Business for this company.

4. Which country announced new NATO training Centre?

7. Which state government has constituted Heritage Cabinet to preserve the history and culture of state?

9. Which company introduced ‘Launchpad Accelerator India’, a mentorship program for AI start-ups of India?

10. Indian Railways introduced Double Stack Dwarf Container Services from which railway station?

13. India’s first-ever metal craft exhibition was held in which city?

15. LIC has approved the proposal to hold a 51% stake in this bank.

19. Name of the drug firm, who get an approval from the U S Food and Drug Administration for Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate tablets that is used to treat malaria?

20. The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has praised which bank for its effective communications strategy?

sudoku-32

The Asiad Circus, 4th Edition Venue : DDA Ground

TRILOKPURI Mayur Place, Mayur Vihar Phase 1, New Delhi 10 Jul 4:00 PM - 29 Jul 7:30 PM

on the lighter side by DHIR

Please mail your solution to - ssbweekly@gmail.com or Whatsapp at 9868807712, One Lucky Winner will win Cash Prize of Rs 500/-. Look for the Solution in the Next Issue of SSB

32

Newsmakers

July 23 - 29, 2018

hima das

New Poster Girl Of Indian Athletics

The first Indian woman to win a gold at the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championships in the 400m final race

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ima, the last of five children of a rice-growing farmer in Kandhulimari village, in central Assam, created history becoming the first Indian to win a track gold at a world meet.

It was not an unexpected gold for Hima, the first by Indian woman athlete at the World Under-20 Track and Field Championships. She went to Tampere, Finland, as a favourite, having clocked her best 51.13 seconds at the InterState Championships, her timing being better than that of her nearest competitor, Symone Mason of the US, whose personal best was 51.53 seconds. She started with 100 and 200 metres and has taken to running 400 metres less than a year ago. There is more than one hat that Hima Das, popularly known as “Ding Express” in Assam, dons. A world-class athlete, who swept past global competition with relative ease, is a socially-conscious teenager, who participated in a crusade to close liquor shops, and ensure education for girl children in her village, said her family, who recalled how a school teacher made her take athletics in place of her first love, football.

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Nanuram Rao

Blind Boy Clears Prelims If you have faith and dedication, nobody can stop you

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othing is impossible, if you have faith and hard work, an example of this is a visually impaired young man living in Lohsar village of Rajasthan has cleared the IAS pre-examination. Nanuram Rao wants to become a collector (IAS) after passing the mains examination.

Nanuram Rao has told a media that if you have faith, hard work and dedication anything can be achieved. I am preparing for the IAS examination to fulfill my father’s dream, and have full confidence that I will make my father’s dream come true after passing this year’s examination.

He lost his eyesight, when he was in class 6. Even after losing his eyesight, he continued studying.

Nanuram has said that my only goal is to go to the administrative

service, that too an IAS officer.

So I am just focusing for the IAS. So far, I have not applied for any other recruitment.

He said that there are a lot of blind and handicapped people like me in the country. The one who wants to do something, do not have the resources. I would like to have separate school, recorder arrangements for them and I will achieve my goal.

Rajaram

Teacher Became Part-time Driver

or students of Baarali village in Udupi district’s Brahmavar taluk, Rajaram is not just their science and mathematics teacher but also the one person, who ensured that they did not drop out of school.

Rajaram, a school teacher ensured that his students do not drop out from school as they were compelled to trek a 3km- forest area to reach school. Lack of roads and transport facilities forced more than five children each week to drop out of their schools.

Rajaram said, “The children were dropping out quickly and with the headcount in our school falling low, we were at the threat of shutting down too. One evening, I had finished counting how many children had dropped out and I was upset.

Every week at least five to six students were not turning up. I called up one of our former students – Vijay Hegde and proposed the idea of buying a bus to pick up and drop the children.”

Vijay Hegde along with another alumnus of the school pooled in money and bought a bus for the school children which would pick them from their houses and would drop them after the school.

The driver for the bus would have cost Rs 7,000

The teacher who changed the lives of children was identified as Rajaram per month which was an unaffordable amount so, Rajaram decided to drive the bus himself.

Rajaram’s initiative increased the school’s strength from 50 to 90 students.

Every morning, Rajaram leaves home early in the morning and completes four pick-up trips by 9.20 am. Rajaram also got himself a license to drive the bus and he began the pick-up and drop service for the students. Rajaram spends money from his for the vehicle’s insurance, diesel, and any other maintenance cost.

“I am thinking of constructing a fence around the school and also a track so children can practice sports. The problem is I don’t have enough money.

I have reached out to the alumni of the school and asked if they will help. So far, there is money trouble but I am sure we will surpass that hurdle as well.

The children will be motivated to attend classes if there are sports and other activities,” Rajaram added.

RNI No. DELENG/2016/71561, Joint Commissioner of Police (Licensing) Delhi No. F. 2 (S-45) Press/ 2016 Volume - 2, Issue - 32 Printed by Monika Jain, Published by Monika Jain on behalf of SULABH SANITATION MISSION FOUNDATION and Printed at The Indian Express Ltd., A-8, Sector-7, NOIDA (U.P.) and Published from RZ 83, Mahavir Enclave, Palam-Dabri Road, New Delhi – 110 045. Editor Monika Jain