Sulabh Swachh Bharat - VOL: 2 | ISSUE 37

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Vrindavan Saga

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The Making of a Legend

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The Diaspora left no stone unturned in strengthening India-USA ties.

An optimist, Devi believes one should live where their happiness lies

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Vol - 2 | Issue - 37 | Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018 | Price ` 5/-

Indresh Kumar Glued by the attraction of Sulabh “If someone has the ability to forgive, then he is God”

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Indresh Kumar in Sulabh

n Sanjay Tripathi

ndresh Kumar, All India Executive Member, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was warmly received by Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder, Sulabh Sanitation Movement and Social Reform, accompanied with senior

Quick Glance Indresh Kumar was fascinated with Sulabh inventions, especially the Two-pit technology

It took 50 years to connect women like Usha to the mainstream society: Dr Pathak

The one who has both human and divine qualities, that person is unique: Indresh Kumar

Sulabh executives, liberated scavengers of Alwar and widows of Vrindavan and Varanasi to Sulabh Gram on 10th August. Dr Pathak himself introduced Indresh Kumar to the activities and inventions of Sulabh.

His fascination with Sulabh inventions, especially Two-pit pourflush toilet, biogas, Sulabh Public School, and the Toilet museum was so much that he spent nearly 5 hours in Sulabh Gram. This was not the first time when a guest stayed for so long at Sulabh premises after the welcome address. The attraction of Sulabh is such that people can’t stay away from it.

After grabbing all the information about the techniques and function of Sulabh complex, when Indresh Kumar arrived at the Sulabh auditorium, it was jam-packed to see and hear him. He was welcomed according to the Sulabh tradition on stage.

Indresh Kumar and Surya Prakash Pandey, Assistant Professor of Delhi University, were welcomed with shawl and garland by Sulabh President and former scavenger Usha Chaumar. The eulogy of Indresh Kumar was read-out

by Megha Kumari, a 9th-grade student

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

Gandhiji believed that manual scavengers should be relieved from the inhumane work of manual scavenging and brought to the mainstream society: Dr Pathak of Sulabh Public School.

Indresh Kumar is a Social Engineer: Dr Pathak In his welcome speech, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak said about Indresh Kumar, a thinker, philosopher and Pracharak of RSS, “Although you have studied engineering, but the contribution made by you for the country is a ‘Social Engineering’. What is the texture of society, how it should become better, how India’s pride and legacy can be safe, he delivers this message to people.

The Sulabh family is very happy to have you today at our campus. God has

created this world and I have also made my own small ‘Sulabh world’. And the purpose of Sulabh world is to find the solutions to the problems prevailing in the society. The world will prosper only with love, and will be devastated by hatred. You also taught the lesson of love to the countrymen. I did not study technology, but invented one which you saw in Sulabh campus. If I had not invented the Sulabh technology, then even today the practice of carrying night soil on the head would be in front of us, because the Sewer and drainage system has not provided any proper solution

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

BIO

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ndresh Kumar , the guide of the Nationalist Organization of the Muslim National Forum, India.

He was born on February 18, 1949, in Samana, Punjab. About fifteen days after his birth, his family had shifted to Kaithal, HaryanaणIndresh Kumar completed his education in mechanical engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh .

After completion of engineering, Indresh Kumar joined the RSS as a full-time preacher of the RSS on July 16, 1970. In order to connect the Muslims to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Indresh Kumar formed the organization of the Muslim National Forum on December 24, 2002. He also played an active role in the underground movement in the 1975 Emergency. In addition to the Muslim National Forum of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, they rehabilitate Kashmiris from Jammu and Kashmir , formation of village security committees, establishment of organization for ex-servicemen, establishment of Himalayan family, overall national security platform, India-Tibet Leadership for the cooperation movement, the National Poet Sangam, the land for the Amarnath pilgrims, to give land to the government.

Books by him…

Safalta Ka Rahasya Jammu-Kashmir Se Sakshatkar

yet. Gandhiji believed that manual scavengers should be relieved from the inhumane work of manual scavenging and brought to the mainstream society.

Sulabh has fulfilled Gandhiji’s dream.

Not only this, we adopted another theory of ‘caste by choice’. People have the right to change their religion and they do, then why not caste change? Why can’t we give them the right to choose their caste? These erstwhile scavengers, who are standing in a yellow sari in front of you today, chose their caste as Brahmin. Now, Usha Chaumar is Usha Sharma, Pooja as Pooja Sharma and likewise rest of them. Not only in Alwar and Tonk, this experiment can be done in the entire country, if we get support from everyone. The practice of carrying night soil in the country has come to an end, but the social recognition which they should get is still not done.

When I was 25 years old, I started this work. Today I am 75 years old. It took 50 years, to connect women like Usha, to the mainstream of the society.

The widows sitting in front of you from Vrindavan and Banaras widow shelters were living a colourless and miserable life. We tried to fill colours in their life and gave them their right to live with happiness. Today all these widows play Holi, celebrate Deepawali and other festivals.”

Forgiving and Forgiveness is a divine quality: Indresh Kumar Prior to addressing in Sulabh auditorium, Indresh Kumar honoured Usha Sharma with shawl and garland and said, “I am seeing you all in one identity, the identity of God. What is my relationship with you, that God will decide. Who will be your mother, sisterbrother, this God decides. But who will be your uncle, aunty, friends this is what we human decide. So, I am remembering you in the same divine relation.

I have heard about Sulabh for years, even got the chance to meet Dr Pathak several times. Today, after visiting the

Indresh Kumar in Sulabh

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Make your stature so big with your work and your mind full of love that people follow in your footsteps: Indresh Kumar whole campus, I have realized that Sulabh is the centre of the world. Dr Pathak is its Indra, and you all are gods and goddesses. Someone asked me to tell the qualities of a powerful person.

I said the one who knows how to ask for forgiveness and the one who knows how to forgive is the most powerful man in the world. Apologizing is the best quality of a man. If someone has the ability to forgive, then he is God. This is a divine quality.

The one who has both human and divine qualities, that person is unique.

The person, who is always happy and makes others happy, nobody can stop him, neither annihilate. He becomes a powerful person. So be happy and spread happiness. Dr Bindeshwar Pathak is living this life. It is a different kind of fun to live this life and that is the reality.

Being a miser is not a good quality, so do not be so stingy in sharing happiness; be diligent to share happiness. To ask for oneself while praying to God is selfishness. God doesn’t listen to your prayers this way. And to pray for others is a selfless act, God makes the path of heaven easier and answers your prayer quicker. Praying for others lead you to the path of Moksh.

Suppose you ask God to give you strength to treat ten cancer patients, to help in the marriage of fifty girls and to give education to a hundred poor children, God says ‘tathaastu’ quicker.

By doing so, we will not become poor, illiterate, not even we will feel humiliated. This is the truth, I have lived it. So whenever you pray, pray for the welfare of the nation, automatically you will get rid of your poverty, hunger,

unemployment and disease.

A rich man gave two crore rupees to a man and asked him to go to Delhi, Mumbai, America, England, Russia, China, Germany, Japan, to buy two grammes of ‘Punya’ from the two crore rupees. You can go to any corner of the world to buy Punya, but you will not get it even if you spend billions. But if you spend even 1/100th of that amount to shower love and respect on the poor, the one who is sad, helpless, patients, and needy, you will not only earn two grammes of Punya, God will shower umpteen amount of Punya on you. Rich cannot buy Punya, but by loving and respecting a poor he can earn it for sure.

When you treat the poor with humanity and love, you get respect in society. The poor people are more powerful than the rich. They can easily make rich people earn Punya and respect in society, therefore, it is said ‘who is of poor, he gets respect and happiness in life’. He gets a place in heaven.

5200 years ago, there was a legend man with qualities like austerity, piety, knowledge and wisdom. Everybody used to visit him, including the billionaires, scholars, high ranking officers. One day he felt that every single person comes to meet me, maybe people start considering me as arrogant. He then took a very strange decision to meet somebody. Not of high or backward caste, not rich, or powerful, he went to meet the one who was standing at the end of the earth, had no clothes to cover his body, without roof or bread to eat.

People call him Krishna and to whom he went to meet is known as Sudama.

Krishna chose Sudama to meet, so he is

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Indresh Kumar in Sulabh

Harmony is the elixir of society The RSS ideologue argues for a different rationale of society and its traditional roots

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t is true that “United we stand, Divided we fall”. That is, there is strength in unity, and division is destructive. This is why a harmonious society is the elixir of a nation. The meaning of a harmonious society is there should be no untouchability, there should be no hatred, tension or violence, there should be no religious conversion, no corruption or crime. Instead, there should be love, brotherhood, a sense of service and sacrifice and honesty. Not homogeneity but bonding that is true unity. Not equality, but affectionate togetherness is harmony. This oneness and harmony is the all-powerful symbol of motherhood.

The basis of thinking should not be the individual; it should give birth to a sense of familial concord The natural meaning of society refers to institutions. That is how the caste system was formed, which was based on division of labour, but gradually it became one based on birth. Valmiki, Vyasa, Vidura, Ravidas et al in the pantheon of the wise and holy is a direct reflection of this truth. It is due to the criterion of birth that gave rise to castes, sub-castes clans.

In Indian culture, the basis of society

called God. If Krishna went to meet any emperor or a billionaire, then he could not have been Lord Krishna. Who is poor, sad, afflicted, weak, and helpless, do not disdain him. If you work fairly then no sobriquet or degree is needed.

Is there any title attached to Lord Ram like Padma Shri or Bharat Ratna?

Or with Hanuman? Not even with Vivekanand or Dayanand. Because these people were recognised by their work not by their titles or degrees. Those

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

is not the citizen but the family.

The meaning of family is a system that protects and nurtures a person, man or woman, from childhood to old age. “It is an automatic Life Insurance System of a Man.” There was no need in India for a life insurance system, while in the contemporaneous West of ever new possibilities this was a firm necessity. It is so because there the primacy is not that of the family but of the individual. It is alright that today in our society the need has arisen for life insurance. The reason is clear – a society, its life and its declining family system caught in the chains of slavery to foreigners for a long time. Secondly, western societies have become intolerant because of the primacy given to the individual, there reconciliation and a sense of bonding did not develop. If at the physical and local level, individual was dominant, at the collective and societal level, religion was dominant. It is for this reason that the practice and thinking

people are identified with titles or designation who fear that they will not be recognized with their work. When your work for the society creates your identity, then these small things do not matter. Make your stature so big with your work and your mind full of love that people follow in your footsteps.

Sulabh Gram has done the same thing.

The path of heaven is open for anyone who is connected with this world.”

Transformation of society with

of one religion with no place for another is seen growing stronger. In India, the understanding of the idea of family is “many paths, one goal”.

It is for this reason that there are many ways of worship, religions, castes et al are seen. Gradually, there arose hatred in the caste structure, and the sense of big and small, high and low, untouchability and from these mutual hatred and violence. Not just this. In some places, attachment to modes of worship developed, because of which sectarian violence emerged. Disputes arose because of differences in region and language.

Many harmful social trends resulted from this, and they are eating into today’s society like rust and fungus. But it should be remembered that the above mentioned distortions are not that of Hindutva thinking and philosophy, but they are distortions which came into Hinduism.

Translated Excerpt from Yaksh Prashnon Ke Uttar Indresh Kumar (Answers to the Questions of the Yaksha by Indresh Kumar), Prabhat Prakashan, New Delhi

experience: Prof Satyendra Tripathi In his statement, Professor Satyendra Tripathi said, “It is a great privilege to have Indresh Kumar among us. He saw the work of Sulabh, the way of working and all inventions, gave his blessings.

There is a very important dialogue of Bindeshwar Pathak: “In India, there are three kinds of traditions. One tradition is of Shruti (revelation), the second is of Smriti (memory), and the third is of anubhav (experience). The tradition of Shruti is verbal, when there was no written matter; people went to the ashram to read and learn, sat at Guru’s feet and used to transform the

society. The speech delivered by Dr Pathak was the tradition of that time.

When the second tradition of Smriti comes then the oral tradition breaks down. We get the written things in this tradition. Then comes the third tradition of experience. The man who is not well read or written, without any Guru still transforms the society.” The contribution of Dr Pathak in preparing this framework of society is a matter of pride for us.”

After these words of Prof Tripathi and concluding with the National Anthem, Indresh Kumar departed from Sulabh Gram.

Meeting

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

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UNGA PRESIDENT-ELECT

Dr Pathak Narrates A Tale of Social Change He invited Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces to come to Sulabh Gram on her next visit to India n ssb bureau

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aria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, the Presidentelect of the United Nations General Assembly, is on a tour to India. She met Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, on August 11. She said that she had a successful meeting with PM Modi in New Delhi where the two agreed on the importance of improving the efficiency of the world body.

The Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India, organised a welcome meeting in honour of the President-elect of UN General Assembly at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi, where, apart from other people, she met the representatives of different NGOs working in India.

Maria Fernanda interacted with the NGO leaders and got information about what they were doing in their respective fields for the benefits of Indian society.

Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, congratulated Maria Fernanda on her election for the post of the President of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and felicitated her with a shawl and garland.

During the interaction with the UNGA President-elect, Dr Pathak discussed the core activities of Sulabh in the areas of environmental sanitation, public health and hygiene and the social movement that he started way back in 1968 in the form of Sulabh Sanitation Movement.

He also briefed as to how he went on to change the society by following Gandhi’s ideals of non-violence which led to a vast transformation in the lives of the untouchables, helping them

Dr Bindeshwar Pathak explaining about the work and technologies of Sulabh to Maria Fernanda Garces

to perform the rites, rituals of the Brahmins and upper castes, helping them to go to temples and have food with Brahmin families which had never happened before in this country. He elaborated on how he empowered and restored the dignity of the Untouchables and brought them on a par with the Brahmins and other upper castes.

He narrated how his efforts in Alwar and Tonk (towns in Rajasthan) have brought a change in the mindset and attitude of the people. And now there is hardly any sign of untouchability in these towns.

They have been able to carve out for themselves a dignified place in society and the very same people who earlier treated them as ‘untouchables’, have started to socialize and share food with them. Now, they have virtually become Brahmins and the society has accepted this change.

Their odious past is now a forgotten chapter altogether.

Dr Pathak told the UNGA Presidentelect that even Mahatma Gandhi didn’t have the inkling that one day it would be possible for the untouchables in India to get the status of ‘Brahmins’.

He invited Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, to come to Sulabh Gram on her next visit to India. Dr Pathak said that

he would personally come to the USA to meet and apprise the UNGA President-elect about Sulabh, its major work and its outstanding contribution in changing the sanitation scenario in India.

Dr Pathak met Hector Cueva Jacome, Ambassador of Ecuador, and interacted with him too.

He presented the UNGA President-elect the impressive coffee-table book “Narendra Damodardas Modi: The Making of a Legend” authored by Dr Pathak himself, which brings out the life, the struggles and the rise of Prime Minister Modi to the top post of the world’s largest democracy. He also presented the book “Mahatma Gandhi’s Life in Colour”, the photobiography of the Mahatma, which contains nearly 1,300 colour photographs. This book aims to spread the ethics of nonviolence by disseminating information about and popularizing Mahatma Gandhi’s life and works.

Later Dr Pathak also accompanied the UNGA President-elect when she visited the various stalls put up at the Dilli Haat showcasing the handicrafts and local culture of different states of India. She took a keen interest in the handicrafts and other stuff made by the artisans.

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Infrastructure

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

west bengal

Mission

Bengal Govt To Adopt HAM For The Infra Push HAM has been formulated out of a hybrid mixture of EPC and BOT

Prasanta Paul

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amstrung by lack of capital, the West Bengal finance department has devised a new model to mobilise capital to fund the developmental programmes in the state. Christened as ‘HAM’ model, the department, it is understood, had undertaken initiatives to prepare a roadmap for unveiling the new model in the state to fund various infrastructure projects.

According to the department experts, the state is in need of a huge capital to give a major push to various infrastructure projects such as flyovers, bridges and roads; but the state government, having been burdened with a huge debt and accrued interest, is unable to mobilise funds for them.

Plus, the state treasury is already under enormous pressure for capital required for these projects. On top of it, in order to attract private capital, even though the state authorities have launched the PPP (public private partnership) model, industrialists have not been evincing keen interest to participate in it. Hence, the state finance department has decided to launch the HAM model.

What exactly is HAM (Hybrid

UP Government has managed in its kitty more than a few thousand crore through this HAM for building the Purbanchal Expressway Annuity Model)? This is comparatively a new method of wooing private investment in the state-run projects.

HAM has been formulated out of a hybrid mixture (so to say) of EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction) and BOT (Build, Operate & Transfer). Almost all the flyovers built in the state have followed the EPC path where the state authorities made all the investment while private construction firm/firms implemented the projects. Under the BOT scheme, the private firm/firms bear the entire expense of the project/ projects and maintain the same for a specific period. The concerned firm/ firms are supposed to raise the project cost through introduction of toll tax on roads or flyovers. West Bengal had seen

a major project – the Second Hooghly Bridge –on the Ganges which was built on this BOT model. However, BOT has lost its luster among the private entrepreneurs as it has turned out to be quite risky to invest in this model.

The experts feel that HAM is likely to open a new horizon in the state and the private enterprise will feel attracted towards investing in the government infrastructure. The state government will neither have to await sanction of the bank loan nor the matching central grant. As per this model, the state government plans to invest around forty per cent of the total project cost right at the beginning and the balance might be divided between the private industrialist and a state-run bank.

The banks would feel interested towards lending in this project primarily owing to a couple of reasons; first, the state government will solely be responsible for the project and secondly, the government will organise to see that the amount loaned from the bank is repaid as per the terms and conditions of the bank.

“If an entrepreneur is interested to invest in the state on a road (infrastructure) project, the earning the state authorities are likely to reap through this toll tax system, will help them pay back the entire amount invested in the project,” one of the financial experts said while explaining the benefit of HAM. It was in 2016 that the union road and surface transport minister Nitin Gadkari unveiled this model to mobilise funds to build roads across the country. It has yielded a very positive result so far, more than Rs 28,000 crore has been raised through private investment towards building of thirty national highways in India.

In Uttar Pradesh, the state government has managed in its kitty more than a few thousand crore through this HAM for building the Purbanchal Expressway. Taking a cue from this, the West Bengal government too is going all out to utilise HAM as much as possible for giving a fillip to infrastructure projects across the state.

WHO Acknowledge Swachh Bharat Mission WHO shower praise on the Prime Minister’s pet ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’

n AGENCY

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auding India’s effort towards safe sanitation services, World Health Organization (WHO) said that Swachh Bharat Mission can avert up to 3 lakh deaths due to diarrhea and proteinenergy malnutrition (PEM) by October 2019.

“As the initial results of a WHO modelling study on the health impact of the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G) outline, India’s accelerated coverage of safe sanitation services, and its determination to end open defecation, will have a substantial effect on the burden of diarrheal disease and PEM by reducing mortality and accumulative Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs),” said WHO quoting Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director for South-East Asia.

According to WHO, the Swachh Bharat Mission could result in over 14 million more years of healthy life in the period measured, with the benefits accruing yearly thereafter.

According to Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, sanitation coverage in rural India under the Swachh Bharat Mission rose to 85 per cent with 7.4 crore toilets built across rural India. As a result, over 3.8 lakh villages and 391 districts were declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) this year.

Vrindavan Saga

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

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DEVI

“There Is No Turning Back From Happiness” Devi’s story is not very different from other widows, but her optimistic approach towards life sure is

Quick glance • Devi was only 7-year-old when she was married to a 10-year-old boy • With age, when widowhood knocked on her door, she accepted it quietly • An optimist, Devi believes one should live where their happiness lies

n Swastika Tripathi

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ah! Why would I want to go back when everything is good here; when I am happy here…” Yes, she is happy. It is visible from the way she talks with a spark in her eyes, the joy with which she tells about Vrindavan, the way she laughs each time she attempts speaking in Hindi and each time when someone fails to understand her Bengali accent.

It has been a decade in Vrindavan for Devi. She originally belongs to Ranaghat, Nadia district, West Bengal. Her story is not very different from her widow-inmates living with her, but her optimistic approach towards life sure is.

Devi was a 7-year-old little girl when she was married to a 10-year-old boy. It was “normal’, as Devi would laugh it off whenever someone gives a surprised look on hearing it. And with same ‘normalcy’, in course of time, she gave birth to a baby girl.

Her husband, being a farmer, would spend his entire day in the fields, and Devi would look after the daughter and the daily household chores. Money was also not much of an issue since it was a small family of three. They were keeping it low yet merry.

The daughter grew up (even so the age was still tender) and the couple started focusing on getting her married to a suitable match.

The societal pressure had them well-versed that it was their core responsibility to find the best groom for their daughter and get her settled to start a family of her own.

So finally the daughter was married off with joyous celebrations.

Devi and her husband were now each other’s only support. Their already small family was smaller now.

The world had somehow shrunk for them. But they remained calm and

“We are happy here and one should stay where they find happiness. And so, there is no turning back” lived with a smile on their faces. A few years passed this way.

Devi’s husband with age developed severe breathing issues. It got worse with passing days and ended up becoming his killer. Gasping for breath, Devi’s husband passed away, leaving Devi behind all alone.

Devi was now solo. She had entered the colourless life of a widow.

A life which is not only monochrome but also monotone. Yes, she was

saddened by the demise of her husband, but Devi handled this new phase of her life without complaining – “After all what has to happen, it will happen. You have no control over it and there is no point sitting around complaining about how unfair life is.”

Time went by, Devi kept moving on with her life. Then one day, a few of her neighbours were going to Vrindavan and they asked her to accompany them on their journey.

Devi had heard about Vrindavan a lot before. She was aware that a lot of widows from her area would eventually migrate over to that holy city of Radha Rani and Lord Krishna in search of peace. This generated some curiosity in her that what is it about this city that attracts so many people towards it. So she didn’t let go of this opportunity and packed her bags.

Devi left for Vrindavan with her neighbours. On reaching the holy land, she was mesmerised by its aura.

“Everything I had heard about Vrindavan was finally making sense to me. It is a serene environment here. Everybody is immersed in worshipping the Lord. Why wouldn’t one find peace here? And I could feel it. We roamed around the city for many days. I got so involved with the lifestyle here that when my companions packed up to return, I told them to go ahead without me. I decided to stay back. Forever!”

It was 10 years ago that Devi came to Vrindavan, but she says it seems like yesterday. She has been living in Sulabh International Social Service Organisation-assisted Ma Sharda Mahila Ashram for years now. Being the happy and optimistic person that she is, Devi happily sings bhajans, talks a lot with her inmates, watches television and spreads joy around.

“Once in a year I visit my daughter for a month. But I have no intentions of turning back. Life is here. Why would I want to go back when everything is good here? Lal Baba (alias of Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh) is taking care of us widows like his own mothers, sisters and daughters. We are happy here and one should stay where they find happiness. And so, there is no turning back.”

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Sanitation

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

mali

use nutrients from their food. In turn, under-nutrition makes them more susceptible to diarrhoea and the cycle repeats.

Rebuilding Toilets

An estimated 5.5 million people in Mali do not have safe drinking water and over 12 million — 80 per cent of population — do not have adequate sanitation SSB BUREAU

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ali is one of the leastdeveloped countries in the world, ranking 176 of 187 on the Human Development Index.

Of 139 healthcare facilities studied in Segou, Mopti, Tombouctou and Gao regions, 62 percent experience water quality issues, 68 percent have limited handwashing facilities and 20 percent have insufficient water to meet their patients’ basic daily requirements. A lack of safe water, toilets and handwashing facilities poses significant health risks to patients, health workers, and nearby communities. Indeed, the 2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa underscored the urgent need for addressing this critical issue.

Back in Mali’s village, people were still defecating in the open. Few households had latrines, and diarrhoea and undernutrition were common.

Gouna was participating in a community-led total sanitation activity, aimed at stopping open defecation.

The WASHplus project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and led by FHI 360 and in partnership with CARE and Winrock International, is working with communities in Mali to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and reduce diarrhoel diseases and under-nutrition.v It turned out that the community-led total sanitation

approach, designed to trigger feelings of shame and disgust, was working beyond the village of Gouna.

Having seen what was happening in our neighbour’s community, other villages decided to improve the sanitation condition in their village.

In nearly a year, more than 60 latrines were built and rehabilitated ones that had never been used.

The role of WASH in nutrition Despite progress in recent years, defecating in the open is still a common practice in Mali. More than 1.5 million Malians – or 10% of the population – defecate in the open, which means that diseases like diarrhoea and intestinal worms can spread quickly.

“When people were defecating in the open in many of these villages, flies were taking the diseases from the faeces onto the food they were eating,” says Sahada Traore, WASHplus project leader at CARE International Mali.

Faecal matter was also contaminating villagers’ hands, water jugs and homes.

While inadequate dietary intake and disease, including diarrhoea, are the primary causes of under-nutrition, lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation, along with the absence of good hygiene practices are some of the key underlying causes of under-nutrition globally and especially in Mali.

When children have diarrhoea, they eat less and are less able to absorb and

Improving nutrition outcomes To help combat this issue, WHO, in collaboration with USAID and UNICEF, are calling for nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes to work together to maximize nutrition gains and meet important global targets.

A new report, “Improving nutrition outcomes with better water, sanitation and hygiene: practical solutions for policies and programmes”, recommends high-impact WASH interventions, such as improving access to latrines, be integrated into nutrition programmes around the world.

Additional WASH and nutrition interventions recommended include increasing water supply, handwashing with soap, ensuring safe household water management through treatment and storage, screening children for under-nutrition, exclusive breastfeeding and diversifying children’s diets with local products.

Quick Glance Use of improved sanitation facilities- 22% Use of drinking-water from improved sources- 67% More than 1.5 million Malians defecate in the open

meaning every household in the village has access to a covered latrine to reduce flies, and soap and water for handwashing.

Beyond building latrines, behaviours have also changed. People are now using latrines, washing their hands, and treating and safely storing their drinking water.

Working together Prior to implementing the WASHplus project, experts in WASH and nutrition in Mali worked separately. The water programmes built water points often next to fields where people defecated, and nutrition programmes focused on teaching breastfeeding and preparing nutrient-rich foods.

“No one was connecting the dots when it came to open defecation,” Traore explains. “The water supply people did

Sanitation, drinking-water and hygiene status overview During the 2014 Sanitation and Water for All High Level Meeting, Mali made five commitments to improve the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector in the country. The commitments were: • Inspired by the 2008 eThekwini Declaration, the Ministry of Economy and Finance undertakes, as from 2015, to allocate at least: 0.2% of GDP to health and sanitation; 5% of the national budget to sanitation and water.

• The Ministries of Sanitation and Water undertake to produce and implement a human resources strategy for the water and sanitation sector by the end of 2015.

• The Ministries of Sanitation and Water undertake to strengthen the monitoring system (by including additional indicators for hygiene and sanitation and by providing information for the indicators) through improved use of existing tools (database links, uploading of national and regional-level databases online) by the end of 2015.

• The Ministries of Sanitation and Water undertake to extend the sustainability pact from three regions in 2014 to five regions in 2016.

• The Ministry of the Environment and Sanitation undertakes to review the National Sanitation Policy and its sub-sector strategies in order to take account of community-led total sanitation and equity/inclusion by the end of 2015.

One village at a time In Mali, community members in 180 villages, supported by USAID’s WASHplus, have built their own latrines – more than 9000 in 2 years. Each village identified the best ways to reduce open defecation and received guidance to construct the right latrines for their environment.

To date, 128 of these villages have been certified free of open defecation,

not talk to the nutrition people when they were designing and implementing programmes, and thus we weren’t seeing any reduction in diarrhoea or undernutrition.” But this is now in the past, he says. “We work together more now and we’re seeing less under-nutrition because, alongside the delivery of key nutrition interventions, people are drinking safe water, using latrines and washing their hands.”

Environment

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

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saving heritage

Pollution Can Be Brutal The Taj Mahal Is Wasting Away And May Soon Pass The Point of No Return

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nCAROLYN ROBERTS

he saying goes that the Taj Mahal is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening, and golden when the moon shines. Though this may once have been true for the famously pristine marble monument, a mixture of pollution and poor management has now burdened the Taj with a 24-hour layer of yellowy-brown.

Condemning the “lethargy” of restoration efforts.

Located in Agra, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, the Taj Mahal is one of the most iconically beautiful buildings in the world.

Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a testament to his grief, following the death of his first wife Mumtaz Mahal, Rabindranath Tagore called it “a tear running down the cheek of time”.

The Taj was constructed of translucent white marble, brought to Agra from the north-west Indian region of Rajasthan. It was then inlaid with semiprecious stones, including jasper, jade, turquoise, lapis lazuli, sapphire and carnelian. The whole riverside complex, including the gardens and surrounding sandstone walls, was finished in 1653.

A mausoleum in need of new life Over the last four centuries the Taj has aged and darkened as a result of natural oxidation processes – the marble equivalent of rust – but it has been given no help by its hostile surroundings. It has been drenched in acid rain, coated in soot from industrial and domestic chimneys, and eroded by atmospheric pollutants.

Air pollution in Indian cities is legendary, and Agra is no exception.

As in many Asian cities, increasing car ownership has caused traffic to surge, while dirty air seeps from Agra’s oil refinery and tannery chimneys.

These pollutants – sulphur dioxide, Nox gases, and mainly carbon-based particulates – have steadily weathered and eroded the Taj’s brilliant white façade, giving it a yellow sheen.

Despite the establishment of a 4,000 square mile protective area around the site, (the Taj Trapezium Zone), within which emissions are supposedly strictly controlled, photographs show a marked deterioration in the Taj’s condition over the last few years.

Legal emission limits have been long contested by developers, and are widely ignored. Smoky funeral pyres are lit, and piles of rubbish are regularly burned very close to the buildings. Pollution from the Yamuna River presents a further challenge. Untreated sewage and industrial waste pours in from the city, creating nutrientrich waters. These nutrients are then picked up by the wind and deposited in the Taj’s increasingly porous stonework, allowing riverderived microorganisms to thrive on its surfaces, colouring them green. Allegedly, excrement from the many insects that thrive in

the contaminated river water has hastened the damage, but the effect is surely negligible compared to that of fossil fuel-derived sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.

Since 1998, a range of Indian research institutes have explored restoration methods, and millions have been spent trying to reverse the discolouration. One attempt involved smothering the Taj with damp clay poultices similar to face packs. It was hoped they would draw the damaging acids out of the surface layers of marble, but, if anything, they seem to have made the situation worse.

A template for renewal In London, some 50 years after the completion of the Taj Mahal, Sir Christopher Wren designed a structure of comparable ambition. St Paul’s Cathedral was finished around 1711, a resting place for the nation’s great and good, and was built from

It is a wonder of the modern world, but this national and international treasure needs swift and decisive action if it is not to lose its legendary lustre

the light-coloured, calcerous rock, Portland Stone. St Paul’s has suffered many of the same problems as the Taj Mahal – acid rain, soot, atmospheric pollutants, darkening with age. But after 40 years of monitoring by teams of university geographers, employing scientific techniques such as repeated observation with microerosion meters, the extent of the weathering is far better understood Older British readers may recall the infamous smogs that engulfed Britain’s cities in the 1940s and 50s.

Four hundred years of coal-powered domestic heating, and latterly the fumes emanating from vehicles and coal-fired power stations, allowed sulphur dioxide and fine particles of carbon to reach toxic levels in London’s air. On cold, still autumn evenings, dense chemical smog can do as much damage to calcerous or chalky stone as it can to people’s lungs. Combined with rainfall it creates weak sulphuric or nitric acid, which over centuries can erode calcareous stone. When St. Paul’s was closely examined in the 1980s, some of the parapets and carvings had crumbled away completely leaving stone surfaces held together by black sooty crusts, hiding the voids beneath.

The worst excesses of soot and sulphur dioxide have been curbed by environmental legislation, though the atmospheric nitrogen produced by traffic, particularly diesel vehicles, still causes problems.

Like Agra, London regularly breaks the World Health Organisation limits on air pollution. However, the rate of weathering on St Paul’s seems to have halved with the fall in atmospheric sulphur dioxide.

Concerns remain over microflora growing on stone surfaces, but sensitive cleaning and the odd replacement stone have largely protected Wren’s legacy. It remains to be seen whether the Taj can be similarly restored. The Taj Mahal is a wonder of the modern world, but this national and international treasure needs swift and decisive action if it is not to lose its legendary lustre.

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War Widows

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

Vasantharatna Foundation

A Helping Hand For ‘Veer Naris’ The mission is to empower the wives of our country’s martyrs by helping them discover their true potential and giving them the necessary skills and support to achieve their goals

Col Vasanth Venugopal

Quick Glance Build a more secure and sustainable future for the families of martyrs Change common social perceptions to enable re-integration into society To increase public awareness of the sacrifices of soldiers and their families

I

n G Ulaganathan

t was on July, 30, 2007, that the tragedy struck. Ten persons, including a senior army officer and a trooper, were killed during a threeday gun battle on the Line of Control near the border town of Uri in north Kashmir.

In an act of bravery, Col Vasanth Venugopal, the Commanding Officer of 9 Maratha Light Infantry and Lance Naik Bachan Shashikant Ganpat, achieved martyrdom while fighting with hardcore Afghan terrorists, who had infiltrated across the LOC, in the morning of July 30, 2007 in Uri Sector.

A large number of terrorists in PoK, were waiting on the Pakistan side of the LOC. Col Vasanth’s battalion was deployed in an inhospitable terrain. A fierce exchange of fire started during which Col Vasanth led his troops from the

front, slowly moving forward towards the terrorists.

“The engagement was exhausting and went through the entire day and night of July 30. Outflanking the terrorist position, Col Vasanth started engaging the terrorist position with accurate fire. Col Vasanth

personally brought down one terrorist but was himself injured when another group of terrorists opened fire on him.

Regardless of his injuries and fire that was coming from two sides on his position, Col Vasanth kept engaging the terrorists and gradually moved forward.

“On closing in with the group, which

Subhashini, wife of Vasanth, believes that education and empowerment through the arts is an effective way to reach out to people across the country

War Widows

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018 had two terrorists left, he charged the position bringing down one terrorist.

Meanwhile, the second terrorist fired a burst, which brought down Col Vasanth. In the last action before losing consciousness, Col Vasanth fired at the terrorist and killed him.” explains a defence ministry spokesman.

It was a major infiltration attempt by heavily-armed militants to enter Kashmir and army soldiers had foiled it by not only killing all the intruders but also by the supreme sacrifice of Col Vasanth and Lance Naik Bachan Shashikant Ganpat.

Col Vasanth was cremated with full military honours in Bangalore on August 1 the same year.

In an interview, soon after, Col Vasanth’s wife Subhashini said, “At the outset let me tell you that I really am not the first in this list; there have been many more brave women who have faced these kinds of situations before in our country - and I just joined the line today (August 1). And I am very proud of my husband for this supreme sacrifice that he has made for the country.”

It was an extraordinary act of quiet courage that she faced cameras just hours after bidding a final, fond farewell to her heroic husband.

In that hour of grief, a few thoughts crossed her mind as well. “Is it enough to honour the few military men whose deaths come to public notice? Is it sufficient to express sympathy for their families? What about the many more whose demise is known only to their families, friends and colleagues? What about the even more numerous wounded soldiers, many of them permanently disabled?

What about the social and economic situation of the families of deceased or injured soldiers?”

That thought must have inspired her to launch the Vasantharatna foundation to help the war widows and help them to rebuild their lives.

Subhashini Vasanth, on 13th January 2016, was honoured with Neerja Bhanot Award. She was presented the award for her endeavour to help people in distress and for empowering widows of martyrs and their families across the country.

Col Vasanth was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra in 2008 for his selfless, supreme sacrifice.

However, Vasanth’s home state Karnataka went by an old Government of Mysore order, which offered a minimum of a one-time cash award, an annual amount and/or land to live on.

The State

Forever Forty, the book Forever Forty is a biography which celebrates the life of this illustrious son of India

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ritten with the intention of celebrating life, Forever Forty describes the scenario when being posted far away on cold, rugged, inhospitable mountains, memories of events, the love for his marriage and family, and joyful moments with his friends.

Forever Forty follows a man who stayed true to himself and his love right from growing up in a loving household and a childhood filled with wonderful friends, to marrying the woman he loved, raising beautiful children, and honouring his service in the army right to the very end. Subhashini wanted to capture the thoughts and person of her husband – a reminiscent means to portray the man she shared her life with as he was seen by his family and friends. In her author’s note to Forever Forty, Subhashini says, “[the book] was meant to be a way of preserving his memories for “his two dear little fellows” as he fondly referred to our daughters”. Drawing on letters and stories from family and friends, Subhashini says, “This book is really authored by Vasanth himself and how fitting that is”. It is co-authored by Veena Prasad, cousin of Col. Vasanth. Veena was younger to the colonel by nine years.

government sent Subhashini a cheque of Rs 20,000, sanctioned an annual amount of Rs 800, and Rs 1 lakh to buy land in Bangalore. She returned it pointing out that the state was still using 1971 wartime compensation figures.

The state government, however, informed her that the next Ashoka Chakra awardee will be given Rs 5 lakh, but this would not apply retrospectively in her case!

She started the Vasantharatna Foundation in memory of her husband.

The foundation provides educational

Vasanth Memorial award

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asantharatna Foundation for Arts has also instituted the Col Vasanth, AC Memorial Award for Excellence in Leadership to honour and motivate the best high school student.

Today, the VRFA community has over 120 wives and children, with programs starting in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, and Delhi.

“We know we cannot let them stand alone. While many individuals and socially-conscious organizations are very keen to reach out and make a difference in the lives of these families, they often do not know how to go about it.

Vasantharatna Foundation for Arts is here to bridge the gap.

There is nothing better than the heart of a volunteer, and we can never have too many. If you have a skill, or professional advice and expertise, or just your time to offer, we would be very happy.

“Contact us if you or your organization would like to partner with us to bring about change – or if you would like to volunteer with us individually in one of our programs,” she says..

The VRFA team has been trained to conduct workshops for the families of martyrs to help them come to terms with their loss, regain their confidence, and build trust in each other.

The empowerment programs have changed lives.

Here’s what one of the Veer Nari has to say:

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“We were given Empowerment training in the management of Personal Finances, Computer Literacy and English speaking over the last 6 years by way of regular workshops. Both my children and I immensely benefited from the training imparted to us. Earlier we were afraid to go out of our home but now we feel confident of travelling even to distant places and to visit Government offices to get our work done.”

Here is what our educational scholarship recipients have to say: “Thank you for providing the Educational Scholarship from Vasantharatna Foundation for Arts. It was very useful for my daughter’s education. We wish the foundation grows and improves in the future. We wish Subhashini and the foundation all the best.”

Leena Bidappa about the Junior Educational Scholarship.

“I am grateful to the Foundation for helping me complete my LLB course. I am very happy and thankful for the financial assistance.”--Archana Krishna Patil about the Masters Educational Scholarship In one of her interviews recently, Subhashini had said, “You have your good days and bad days but you learn to cope. What else one can one do but accept the bitter truth? It was not easy (then), it is not easy even now. I understood that nobody could help you in this but you. This is your battle.”

scholarships, conducted empowerment programmes and outbound learning programmes for women and children.

Subhashini helps the wives of martyred jawans to face life with confidence and supports the education of their children She has now become a onewoman AWWA --Army Wives Welfare Association—for more nearly 50 widows of jawans from across rural Karnataka.

Within three months of his tragic demise, she also wrote and performed in the play ‘The Silent Front’ about soldiers who die unsung in combat, and staged it in Delhi and Bangalore.

She collected donations and started the foundation - the Vasantharatna Foundation for Arts – in memory of her late husband, Karnataka’s only Ashoka Chakra awardee.

She requested the Sainik Department in Karnataka for a list of families who had lost jawans in the state. The list included 30 families in Belgaum, Bagalkot, Coorg and other parts of rural Karnataka.

“When VRFA was started, we identified 30 Veer Nari’s in Karnataka with young, school going children and have been working with them ever since.

We have been adding families to this list as and when we come across them.

Today, we have a total of 150 (wives and children) who have been a part of the VRFA journey over the last 10 years”, she says.

“I visited the martyr’s wives in their homes and I knew they needed utmost support and handholding,” she says.

She realised that legal and financial help was crucial for the wives of jawans.

With Pegasus Institute, she organised a three-day camp for these women on Bangalore’s outskirts where financial, legal, psychological advice was turned into active modules.

When Captain Ravi of Pegasus asked

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War Widows

her what her goal was for them, she said, “Self-Esteem.” Basically, women are still tuned to clean, cook and sew and look after your husband’s home, this is taught to be both your worldview and your role definition, especially in the army.

“But there are immediate realities one needs to put a focus and learn to move on.

The transition needs to be supported. I felt there was a vacuum there.”

Some of these women were hesitant to travel alone and come to Bengaluru as Subhashini had put a condition:“You will have to travel un-chaperoned by your family and bring your kids.”

Left with no choice, they finally came, and were received at the railway station.

The camp was complete with a counsellor, financial and legal advice, Bonfire, singing and dancing, English communication for the children, Games and bonding.

The women who had never been allowed to have fun, slowly opened up and shared their joys and sorrows.

For them, it was the first time someone had thought of them as individuals, as human beings, since 1999. The next camp happened in Belgaum.

There are many beneficiaries---one of them is a 7th standard pass in Jamkhandi, near Belgaum, whose husband was martyred, finished her education and is now a principal in a local government school.

“Our work at VRFA cannot be accomplished single-handedly. It takes a whole army of caregivers and professionals from various fields to come together in service to our fellow citizens”

Foundation’s initiatives Education scholarship for School and Master’s Program: To ensure that there are no breaks in the child’s (above 6 years of age) education, we put a fixed deposit of Rs 30,000/- in each child’s name. The interest is received every year and when the child turns 18, they get the principal amount, which can then be used towards their graduation.

We also completely support the pursuit of Masters Education of the children and the Veer Naari’s education.

Empowerment programs: The VRFA team has been trained to conduct workshops for the families and we also tie up with other organizations such as Pegasus Institute for Excellence, Samvada and Anekataa to conduct Empowerment programs for the women and children.

Besides this we have regular skill building workshops such as computer and English classes etc.

Gift-a-birthday: What would make one feel more loved than receiving an unexpected gift on one’s birthday? Martyrs wives tend to neglect their own happiness in the absence of their loved one. We at VRFA feel that it is important to acknowledge the martyr families during these times to thank them for their sacrifice and to let them know that they are special.

Memorial awards: How best to remember a martyr than to receive a scholarship in their name. We help keep the memory of the martyr alive by helping to institute a scholarship in their alma mater.

Salute to Heroes: Started as a platform for Arts, mainly to fundraise and to build awareness of the sacrifices of the soldiers among the civilian community. However, it has gone beyond, exploring every avenue to empower families of martyrs. however, keeping art alive.

Website: www.vasantharatna.org How it is done...

1. Identify martyrs’ families and their needs 2. Identify local/regional support groups and individuals with similar objectives and partner with them to meet our common goals 3. Set up legal assistance and counselling for martyrs’ families 4. Establish educational scholarships for the children of a martyrs’ family 5. Partner with regional schools and colleges to provide admissions 6. Work with vocational training institutes for the women and children 7. Facilitate job placements for women and young persons from martyrs’ families

“Did you know a martyred jawan’s child gets Rs 800 annually for shoes and uniform? And often the widows and their children don’t know how to get their reimbursements,” she told the media.

An ongoing project is to send gifts for their as well as their kids’ birthdays.

Subhashini’s four-member team at the foundation works out of a small room in her parents’ home, where she lives with

her two daughters.

A trained Bharatanatyam dancer, she continues to take dance classes. A couple of months ago, she gave a scintillating dance performance in Bengaluru with none other than her guru and eminent dancer herself, Vyjayanthimala Bali doing the nattuvangam in front of a packed audience.

Subhashini is of the firm belief that

a Veer Nari is so much more than just a martyr’s wife. “She does not deserve our pity. She deserves to live a full life, discover her true potential and make the lives of her loved ones brighter. She need not be a burden to anyone. She is not only capable of standing on her own feet but can also help others do the same. This has been our endeavour at VRFA”.

While the Army and the Government provide basic monetary support to the martyr family, many women have not been able to avail this help for numerous reasons ranging from inability to fill up forms to not even being aware that help exists. Moreover, the monetary support is in the form of reimbursement i.e. she has to pay the money first, and then claim reimbursement from the Government, which in itself is a lengthy process.

The foundation’s work is three-fold: 1. We work with the families of martyrs to enrich their lives and to empower them to build a better future for themselves.

2. We work towards changing social perceptions about wives of martyrs, so that they find their self-worth, and reach a stage where they can help others.

3. We attempt to bridge the gap between Government policies and the people in need of those policies, and enable them to claim their rights with dignity.

Gender

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

SWAT TEAM

Breaking Into A Male Bastion India gets its first, one of a kind, all-women SWAT team and we are beaming with pride n Agency

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elhi Police inducted an all-woman Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team comprising 36 commandos, the firstever by any police force in India, for anti-terrorist operations. Home minister Rajnath Singh has formally inducted the unit in Delhi Police on August 10 The minister asked Delhi Police to play a lead role in combating terror, and exhorted them to become a role model for police forces from other states and union territories. “The practices adopted by Delhi Police should be among the best practices of police,” he said.

A big achievement The formation of this team is being

considered a big achievement as most western countries do not have all-women SWAT teams due to the kind of training required to become one.

The maximum numbers of members (13) are from Assam and five each from Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Manipur.

They are trained in the Israeli Krav Maga, an unarmed combat style, and equipped with MP5 submachine guns and Glock 21 pistols.

Call of duty These commandos will be stationed at strategic locations in central and south Delhi. Amidsintel inputs of women fidayeens planning to target the capital, this all-women unit would helm the security apparatus around Red Fort and

The women commandos were also trained in Krav Maga, which is a selfdefence system developed for the Israel Defence Forces

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Six things to know about the new division of the Delhi Police 1. The SWAT team is the brainchild of Amulya Patnaik, the Delhi Police Commissioner, and comprises 36 women from the North East. 13 of them are fromAssam, 5 fromArunachal Pradesh, 5 from Sikkim, 5 from Manipur, 4 from Meghalaya, 2 from Nagaland and 1 from Mizoram and Tripura, each.

2.ThecommandoshaveundergonerigoroustrainingunderspecialistsfromIndia and abroad for 15 months.

3.Thecommandoshaveundergonetrainingtohandleurbansituationsaswellas jungleoperations.Theirexpertiseincludesunarmedcombat,ambushandcounterambushandurbanoperationslikebuildinginterventions,vehicleinterventionand VVIP security.

4.Their15-monthtraining also includedthe basic knowledge ofexplosives and ImprovisedExplosiveDevice(IEDs).TheyareskilledatusingweaponrylikeMP5 submachine guns and Glock-21 pistols.

5. Respondingtoemergencysituationsisextremelycrucialforthespecialpolice team. Elaborating on their competency, a trainer for the Delhi SWAT team said, “Experts at abseiling and scaling,theycan springfrom deep sleepto action,fully armed,within a minute ofan alarm. Not onlyhave theymixedwellwith personnel from other parts of the country, but there is also an amazing mix of cultures on display at the academy at present.”

6.ThecommandoswillbestationedatstrategiclocationsinCentralandSouth Delhi as well as around the Red Fort and India Gate.

India Gate as well.

Many of them would be posted in anti-terror vans called Parakram.

Experts at being lethal They are experts in unarmed combat, ambush and counter-ambush, jungle operation, urban operation which includes building interventions,

vehicle/bus intervention and VVIP security. They have also been imparted basic knowledge of explosives and IEDs apart from being trained to use a wide array of weapons,” DCP (Special Cell) Pramod Kushwaha said.

“Experts at abseiling and scaling, they can spring from deep sleep to action, fully armed, within a minute of an alarm. Not only have they mixed well with personnel from other parts of the country, there is an amazing mix of cultures on display at the academy at present,” said a trainer.

Don Designer Uniform For fashion designer Ashish N Soni, designing uniforms for the “first allwomen SWAT team” of the Delhi Police has been a journey full of excitement and pride.

The northeastern women, who form the SWAT, were happy to don the designer uniform that would help them in shattering the various misconceptions about people from the northeast.

Soni said the entire process of designing the uniform took him four to five months of research and brainstorming. “It was quite a process from start to finish -- from small small things like buckles, to getting the right manufacturers involved, getting approval from the officers in the force,” he said.

Soni also interacted with the women in the run-up to designing the uniform and sought their inputs on what they wanted.

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Muslim Women

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

Darul Qaza Khawateen

India’s First Sharia Court For Muslim Women It was only a few days ago that Women Board and Sunni Ulma Council gave the approval to open Women Darul Kaza or Sharia Court

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n S. Shukla

ven as All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) decision to open Sharia Courts across country to solve their religious matters stoked a major controversy, Muslim women in Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh dared the maledominated Muslim world by setting up India’s first Muslim Women Darul Qaza, known as ‘Darul Qaza Khawateen Court’, to provide relief to victims of instant triple talaq and Nikah-Halala.

The initiative to set-up country’s first all Muslim women court was taken by the India’s first Sunni sect Shahar Quazi Hina Zaheer and Shia Shahar Qazi Maria Fazal. Their appointment was vehemently opposed by the Muslims in large numbers two years ago. But the two fought and remained ensconced on the coveted posts.

“The idea of setting up India’s first Darul Qaza Khawateen Court came to our mind after we saw sudden spurt in instant triple talaq cases and

victimization of Muslim women by their husbands and family members against the Sharia and Islamic laws,” said Hina Zaheer.

She claimed that the court would be chaired by only prominent Muslim women having good knowledge about Sharia, Quran, Hadis and Islamic laws.

“Only Muslim women are allowed to file cases in the Women Darul Qaza, exclusively set-up to take up their disputes related to their marriages,” said Maria Fazal.

She pointed that it opened a floodgate allowing the court and the government to interfere in issues pertaining to the Muslim community.

“If we had addressed the issues plaguing Muslim women, there was no need for the Supreme Court and the Central government to interfere in our religious and personal matters,” pointed she.

But before daring to set-up India’s first Darul Qaza Khawateen Court in Kanpur, both the Shahr Qazi sought permission from the All-India Khawateen Board and Sunni Ulema

Council. “Once they gave a go ahead, we opened up the court at Nawab Compound on Mall Road in Kanpur to make a new beginning for Muslim women in the city,” said Zaheer.

The court will function purely as per Sharia and Islamic laws and the disputes related to marital discord and religious matters would be settle in the light of the Islamic laws as envisaged by prophet Mohammad, they claimed.

The concept of Darul Qaza Courts is not new in India. In Uttar Pradesh alone they are functioning in as many as 44 districts. But a new twist of was added to stoke a countrywide row by right-wing forces when Qazi Courts were renamed as Shari Court after the Muslim Board announced to open more Qazi Courts across country.

Like Khap Panchayats Qazi Courts also do not have any constitutional sanction but even the Supreme Court of India had allowed them to function in solving Muslim community’s religious and personal issues amicably with the consent of the parties involved in the dispute. Darul Qaza Courts could not become popular as they are all chaired by males where relief to aggrieved Muslim women does not come easily.

Cases go on for years and in most of the cases women are forced to reach a compromise in cases of marital discord in the name of justice.

It was one of the main reasons that Muslim women preferred to go to the civil or higher courts than to seek justice

Hina Zaheer and

Maria Fazal have been selected to serve as Mahila Qazis in the Sharia court in Kanpur for solving issues of women

from Darul Qaza Courts. “Our main aim is instill confidence among Muslim women by attending their grievances through quick redressal,” said Zaheer.

After seeing the response of India’s first all-women Darul Qaza, the two Shahr Qazi plans to open more such courts across country to get justice to the aggrieved Muslim women.

“It is a welcome step. We will give our full support to the first Muslim women court. But the question is how to ensure that its orders are respected and followed by the party who loses the case,” said Shahista Amber, the Chairperson, All-India Shia Muslim Women Personal Law Board.

The instant triple talaq crusader and founder of Hazrat Aala Helping Society Nida Khan said the first all Muslim women court will provide a platform for the victims to raise their voices.

“Majority of Muslim women wrap the atrocities and their torture by husbands and family members under their veil.

This will give them a platform to raise their voices against the injustice. Most importantly, their instant triple talaq and Nikah-Halal ordeal would be highlighted through the new court,” said Khan.

Farhat Naqvi, sister of the Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and founder of NGO ‘Mera Haq’ also hailed setting of Darul Qaza Khawateen. “I would suggest to open more such courts across country to ensure equal rights to Muslim women as envisaged in the Sharia,” said she.

The AIMPLB is keeping a studied silence on setting up of Darul Qaza Khawateen. However, a senior Board member and Chairman of Indian Islamic Centre Maulana Abdu Rashid Farangi Mahali said that any Muslim body which resolves the personal and religious issues of community members in the light of the Islamoc laws and Sharia should be encouraged and welcomed as it will reduce the interference of others into community matters.

Bengal

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

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culture

Selected Offerings To Celebrate All Things Bengali The Bengali culture, is filled with a connecting sense of singularity and is yet uniquely diverse in its own way n Saket Suman

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f all the states in India, West Bengal stands apart as a rich and vibrant land of people with shared customs and tastes. If history stands testimony to the everlasting sea of stories, music and art that have evolved in Bengal and made a mark not only in India but globally, the very streets of the state resonate with a shared love for its cultural heritage.

Not to forget, Bengalis form the third largest ethno linguistic group in the world.

Over a quarter of a billion people strong and growing the Bengali community has produced three Nobel laureates, world class scientists and an unending stream of writers and philosophers. If Sourav Ganguly aka Dada ruled the cricket pitch for years, the surreal world of Satyajit Ray still evokes curiosity among cinema lovers. Rabindra Sangeet and macher jhol (fish curry), once a trademark in Bengali homes, have today travelled lengths and found a place in distant corners of the globe.

The Bengali culture, thus, is filled with a connecting sense of singularity and is yet uniquely diverse in its own way.

Bengalis were also among the firsts in India to receive the benefits of Western education as Calcutta ( n o w Kolkata) was then the Indian c a p i t a l

of a under British rule.

“Contrary to what photographs cosmopolitan city Throwing light on we think, it is not Calcutta-within the all these aspects that otherwise close-knit go into the making of easy to describe the Bengali culture ‘culture’, nor is it community.

“Bengali Culture: are three recent easy to write the Over A Thousand offerings from Niyogi Books. Presented in cultural history Years” by Ghulam Murshid (translated separate genres and from the original styles, these three books are a stunning tour de force Bengali by Sarbari Sinha) brings into everything Bengali. Together, authentic recorded history out of they evoke a sense of satisfaction the walls of libraries and classrooms, in the Bengali way of making it a part of everyday of non-academic life, provide minute conversation i n f o r m a t i o n readers. The book further checks about its traditions, the entry of unfounded myths and open doors to bigotries into intellectual space.

“Contrary to what we think, it is discussions on customs that not easy to describe ‘culture’, nor is seem as old it easy to write the cultural history. as time Writing the history of Bengali itself and culture is even more difficult because p r e s e n t Bengali society is truly plural in its unseen nature, made even more so by its political division,” notes the author.

Written for the general reader, the language is simple and the style lucid. It shows how the individual ingredients of Bengali culture have evolved and found expression, in the context of political developments, and how certain individuals have

molded culture. Above all, the book presents the identity and special qualities of Bengali culture.

And then there is a pictorial book titled “Calcutta: 19401970”, with a foreword by Gopal Krishna Gandhi, text by Soumitra Das and photographs

by Jayant Patel. This stunning collection of photographs, with the text running in between the pages, arouses a sense of nostalgia, a feeling of wanting to return to the city of the times when people lived their lives in the pursuit of pleasure and happiness. From a scintillating view of the Hooghly with a half-clothed Sadhu praying in the backdrop captured in 1943 at Outram Ghat to a leisure evening of 1954 at Ramakrishna temple at Belur Math where people can simply be seen lounging in the open, the book opens a window to the Calcutta of yesteryears. But a careful study of Bengal cannot be complete without studying its literature and as Buddhadeva Bose, the noted Bengali litterateur, once observed that the greatest treasure of the Bangla literature is its children’s and young adults’ stories, here is an apt fiction title “Timeless Tales from Bengal: An Anthology of Bangla Children’s and Young Adults’ Stories”. The collection has been edited by Dipankar Roy and Saurav Dasthakur.

This unique anthology of 34 translated stories invites the reader to a feast that offers on the platter most of the sub-genres in the realm fantasy, folk tales and animal stories through comic tales, detective fiction and adventure and suspense stories to ghost stories, historical narratives, sports narratives and tales of social consciousness.

Enriched with beautiful illustrations, bio-notes of the authors, a glossary and a well-informed Introduction, this anthology would also be helpful for enthusiastic researchers.

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Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

VIEWPOINT

‘Sanitation is more important than political independence’ Mahatma Gandhi

Richard Pais

Professor at St Aloysius College

Sociology of Sanitation None else has done more for sanitation in India than Dr Bindeshwar Pathak

Money And Maya

How can you own something that outlives you?

M

oney gives us a sense of freedom and ownership. We feel that with money, we can own anything or put a price tag on anybody’s services.

Ownership of something means total control of its existence from beginning to end. How can you own something that outlives you?

Money also gives the idea that you are powerful and independent, blinding you to the fact that we live in a world of interdependence. The awareness of dependence makes one humble.

When people lack faith in divinity and in the goodness of society, they suffer from a deep sense of insecurity. Then, all that appears to provide security is money.

Due to the illusory notions of independence that it brings, money is considered a part of maya: miyate anaya iti maya means “that which can be measured is maya”. Human values are eroded when you try to put a price tag on all that cannot be measured, like truth, and life itself.

There are also those who blame money for all the ills of society. Not only does possessing money bring arrogance, rejecting it does, too. The ancient sages never denigrated money or maya. They honoured it as a part of the divine and thereby transcended the grip of its illusion.

They honoured wealth as Goddess Lakshmi, born out of Yoga. It is the wisdom of Yoga that transforms one from arrogance to self-confidence, from the burden of dependence to the realisation of interdependence, from craving for the freedom to the recognition of unboundedness, from a limited ownership to oneness with the whole.

(Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)

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

W

hen we examine the history of sanitation in India, there clearly emerge four stages. 1. MohenjoDaro and Harappan Civilization, 2. Efforts of Mahatma Gandhi, 3. Efforts of Dr Bindeshwar Pathak and 4. Swachh Bharat Mission by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Harappan Civilization Harappa, Lothal and Mohenjo Daro are three places where extensive archaeological excavations in the region of the Indus Valley Civilisation have taken place. They are noted for sophisticated public works that included sewage drainage systems, public wells and private and public baths. Here, streets were built on a grid pattern and networks of sewers were dug under them. Toilets were flushed with water. The ancient Indus Valley Civilisation was prominent in hydraulic engineering and had many water supply and sanitation devices that were the first of their kind.

Efforts of Mahatma Gandhi Mahatma Gandhi had realized early in his life that the prevalent poor state of sanitation and cleanliness in India and particularly the lack of adequate toilets, in the then largely rural India, needed as much attention as was being devoted toward attainment of swaraj. He said that unless we “rid ourselves of our dirty habits and have improved latrines, swaraj can have no value for us”. Along with the struggle for India’s independence, he led a continuous

struggle for sanitation, cleanliness, and efficient management of all categories of wastes throughout his public life.

He observed that towns were of considerable importance to the development of a country and we should learn from the West in respect of municipal administration. He stressed the role of the municipalities in eliminating insanitation. According to Gandhi, an ideal village will be so constructed as to lend itself to perfect sanitation.

Efforts of Dr Bindeshwar Pathak None else has done for sanitation in India than Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh Sanitation and Social Reform Movement.

Credit goes to him for inventing and developing the two-pit pour-flush compost toilet and giving it the name ‘Sulabh Shauchalaya’. More importantly, in this toilet, manual scavenging is not required as a result the untouchable scavengers have been relieved from the subhuman occupation of cleaning night-soil.

This toilet also gives bio-fertiliser to raise the productivity in the field. In fact, this Sulabh toilet has become a tool of social change and has brought vast beneficial effects for the society.

Like Gandhi, Dr Pathak did a lot to remove untouchability. After the human scavengers had been relieved from this subhuman occupation, he tried to rehabilitate them. In fact, he took the help of upper caste people of the society and persuaded them to sit with

Like Gandhi, Dr Pathak did a lot to remove untouchability. After the human scavengers had been relieved from this subhuman occupation, he tried to rehabilitate them

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018 these human scavengers and to dine with them. In order to give status to the ex-scavengers, Dr Pathak started giving education for reading, writing and putting their signature wherever required because education is the key to human development. He also started giving them vocational education to earn their living. Further, Dr Pathak took these ex-scavengers to temples where entry of the untouchables was banned.

With the objective of imparting quality education, Sulabh Public School was set up in Delhi in 1992.

The school aims at preparing children from the weaker sections of society for a better life by bringing quality education within the reach of boys and girls from scavenger families. Apart from academic activities, co-curricular activities are regularly organised at school to promote social integration among students. The school is also open to the children of families from non-scavenging communities.

Another area in which Sulabh has played a pioneering role is the development of the concept of community latrines by constructing public toilets on ‘pay and use’ basis.

Recycling and reuse of human excreta for biogas generation is an important way to get rid of health hazards from human excreta. Sulabh is a pioneering organisation in the field of biogas generation from public toilet complexes. Biogas is utilised for cooking, lighting through mantle lamps, electricity generation and being converted into energy to be used for lighting street-lights and such other uses. Sulabh has a Museum of Toilets located at Sulabh campus, New Delhi.

He gave an academic thrust to sociology of sanitation by introducing it into the curricula of 11 Universities.

In the words of Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, “It is my firm belief that the time has now come when ‘Sanitation’ should be included as a discipline in sociology because the core problem areas embodying sanitation like social deprivation, hygiene, ecology, water, public health, poverty, gender equality, welfare of children etc. require sociological intervention also being intertwined with spiritual and philosophical knowledge. Hence, I have termed it as Sociology of Sanitation”. He also started a weekly, Sulabh Swachh Bharat.

Efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi After Shree Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of the country, he took upon the task of developing India. One of the important methods was to start Clean India Campaign. Swachh Bharat

Abhiyan was announced by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on Indian Independence Day, 2014 and launched on 2nd October, 2014, Gandhi Jayanti day. This campaign aims to accomplish the vision of ‘Clean India’ by 2nd October, 2019, 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and is expected to cost over Rs 62,000 crores.

The programme includes elimination of open defecation, conversion of insanitary toilets to pour flush toilets, eradication of manual scavenging, municipal solid waste management, bringing about a behavioural change in people regarding healthy sanitation practices, generating awareness among citizens about sanitation and its linkages with public health, strengthening of urban local bodies to design, execute and operate systems to fulfil these objectives and creating and enabling environment for private sector participation in capital expenditure and operational expenditure. The basic question is whether we will be able to reach the target by 2019. In fact, we are making records every day for construction.

UP holds a state-level record for constructing 3,52,000 toilets in just 17 days. Bihar constructed 6.5 million toilets in 10 months. These eye popping numbers are a testament to the progress being made by Swachh Bharat Mission in building toilets for all by October 2019. Though physical targets may be reached but due to social habits these toilets may not be used. Going out in the open is also seen as being more comfortable than stuffy, airless latrine. Men prefer open defecation, seen as a ‘manly’ activity.

Fear of latrine pit filling up, lack of a water connection and poor condition of the toilets are some reasons people still preferring open defecation.

Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Bindeshwar Pathak Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Ambedkar are the two great personalities who

have worked for sanitation and removal of untouchability. Though there are many common things among them there are also differences among them. I would like to point out three differences among them.

Both have their own life styles.

Mahatma Gandhi wanted his followers to follow his own life style such as wearing Khadi and teetotalism whereas Dr Bindeshwar Pathak wants his followers to follow their own life-style.

He even encourages them to follow their own life styles.

Secondly, they differ in their views on caste. Though Mahatma Gandhi was against caste and untouchability, he considered Varna system to be functional to the society. But Dr Pathak is very liberal regarding caste.

He says that one should be able to choose one’s own caste. In fact, Mahatma Gandhi was born a Bania and Dr Pathak a Brahmin. I have seen the photo of Dr Pathak carrying night-soil.

As a Brahmin, it would have been very difficult for him to do that.

Third aspect refers to the means to attain goals. Mahatma Gandhi used Satyagraha to attain his goals. He made us free from the British by using satyagraha. Even now, politicians and others are using satyagraha or dharna to attain their political ends. But, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak never used satyagraha or dharna to achieve his ends nay he used persuasion. By persuading Brahmin priests, he took the liberated scavengers to the temples. Similarly, he took them to bathing ghats and even to Ganges. I also saw liberated scavengers having cat-walk with the models of Delhi. I was also told that he even takes them to 5-star hotels where people of all castes eat so that they also feel that they are important.

In fact, if Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Bindeshwar Pathak were born Roman Catholics like me; they would have become saints like Saint Mother Theresa. However, they have involved themselves in holy activities which are useful to the society.

Suggestions Before I close I would like to make some suggestions to Dr Bindeshwar Pathak and Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

Today, these suggestions are because in 2020 Sulabh would be completing 50 glorious years of its existence.

First, both the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dr Pathak have done a lot regarding construction of toilets. A good number of Indians have

Credit goes to Dr Pathak for inventing and developing the two-pit pour-flush compost toilet and giving it the name ‘Sulabh Shauchalaya’

OpEd

17

the habit of open urination specially in the night. Further, men urinate more than women in open since the women control themselves. So, I suggest to you Sir and Prime Minister Modi to build more urinals or pissoirs specially in urban areas. I have seen in Europe in the middle of the footpaths, where footpaths are broad, they have erected a pole and four partitions are made around it and urinals are provided in each of them. In India too, such arrangement cab be made.

Second, people in India travel long distances by bus. People, specially ladies and children suffer a lot because of lack of latrines in these buses. So, I suggest the Governments and transport corporations to provide latrines in the buses specially in night buses. I have seen Europe people travelling long distances with coaches having latrines.

Third, you can organize an International conference so that people of the world could come to know about your work. Of course, you have your Sulabh Organization abroad specially in developing countries. It will be an opportunity people of different countries to interact with each other and present fruits of their research.

Fourth, on April 2nd you completed 75 fruitful years. On that day, I decided to edit and dedicate a volume to you and that volume will be Dr Bindeshwar Pathak and Sanitation in India. I have already approached some scholars and they have agreed to contribute articles. All those present here also can contribute articles related to the topic and the length should be at least 10,000 words. So, I request you to release this book in 2020.

Fifth, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. Prime Minister Modi and all those concerned can try in this direction.

Finally, in the last five years there is great academic thrust by Sulabh by organizing seminars and conferences.

Many have written books on sanitation and on other topics and even 11 Universities have started courses on Sociology of Sanitation. So, now I want you to start a college of sanitation and a University of sanitation. Since Gujarat is first in many respects and since there are two Vice-chancellors and a Central Minister here, Gujarat may be the correct place to start a Sulabh College and University of Sanitation.

If Gujarat is not ready, you can come to Mangaluru, Karnataka. I have prepared the Under-graduate syllabus keeping in mind the Karnataka pattern of three majors. One is sociology and social sciences, second include engineering and architecture and third public health. I can also provide you with land, both urban and rural, and other infra-structure.

18

Photo Feature

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

I n The Time of De l uge When Kerala faced torrential rains and faced devastating floods, along with teams of the Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the fishermen joined rescue operations and saved the stranded people

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

Photo Feature

19

20

International Personality

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

Marie Curie

Marie Curie was an intj. Her life is an example of an intj’s driving force for knowledge and also her love and loyalty to Pierre and their daughters was her world “She was the first woman to win a Nobel prize in physics, first female professor at the University of Paris, and the first person - note the use of person there, not woman - to win a second Nobel prize,” Fara says.

Humble beginnings Born Maria Sklodowska on November 7, 1867, in Warsaw, Poland, she was the youngest of five children of poor school teachers.

After her mother died and her father could no longer support her, she became a governess, reading and studying in her own time to quench her thirst for knowledge. She never lost this passion.

Her family valued education, and so she began her education early. She possessed a remarkable memory. She graduated from secondary school when she was sixteen, receiving a gold medal for her work. Unfortunately, her father made some bad investments and she had to go to work at a young age as a teacher,

postponing the continuance of her own education. At the age of 18, she became a governess, and put her sister, Bronia, through school with the agreement that Bronia would return the favour- and she did.

In 1891, at the age of 24, Sklodowska went to Paris to study mathematics, physics and chemistry at the Sorbonne.

She studied fervently, and subsisted almost entirely on bread, butter and tea.

And sometimes because of the lack of finances to buy proper meals, she fainted from hunger. However, determined to learn, she did not discontinue her studies.

During her years there, she changed the spelling of her name to the French version, Marie.

She married her lab partner She met Pierre Curie in Paris while she studied there, and they soon married in a Civil ceremony. She was introduced to Pierre Curie, by a Polish physicist. At the time of their meeting, Marie Curie was

“I am one of those who think like Nobel, that humanity will draw more good than evil from new discoveries.”

FACTS

n Urooj Fatima

M

arie Curie was a radiating (literally) example of how irrelevant your gender should be in science. She did groundbreaking research in the fields of radioactivity and radioactive substances (which is not the same), together with her husband.

Besides her scientific achievements, she also proved that married couples are able to work together without a negative effect on the quality of their work.

She is still one of the most important scientists who ever lived. In a field that

even late in her life was totally dominated by men, her accomplishments are even more outstanding. Among Curie’s many achievements, she became the first person to win two Nobel prizes, coined the term radioactivity and discovered two elements, polonium and radium.

She has been chosen the most important woman in history by a poll. For the poll, BBC History asked for experts from 10 different fields to nominate 10 significant women, each from the history books.

Curie was nominated by Patricia Fara, president of the British Society for the History of Science.

• Marie Curie was the first woman to be awarded a place in the Pantheon for her own achievements.

• Marie applied for a position at the Polish University of Krakow.

However, being a woman, she was denied.

• Entitled “Pierre Curie,” Marie Curie wrote her husband’s biography.

• Marie Curie was offered the most distinguished French honor, The Legion of Honor (Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur), which she politely refused.

• She was also the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris, and also the first woman to receive a PhD from a French university.

• The UN declared 2011 as the “International Year of Chemistry,” while Poland and France declared it as the “Year of Marie Curie.”

• Marie Curie proved that atoms were divisible • Initially, the Nobel Prize Committee didn’t want the award to be given to Marie as she was a woman • She Was Educated At A Secret University That Accepted Women • She Developed A Mobile X-Ray Machine For Battlefield Use

International Personality

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

21 07

Letter from A. Einstein to Madam

Highly esteemed Mrs. Cu rie,

Madam Curie in need of a laboratory, and were among the first to work along with 23 the Polish physicist was of with radium and polonium. the opinion that Pierre could members at Solvay It was Marie Curie who Conference afford to arrange a laboratory coined the term radioactivity, in 1911 for Marie to continue her and she named Polonium mission. after her home country of Pierre cleared a space for her in the lab, Poland. Pierre was chiefly concerned and the two hit it off. According to Marie, with the physical properties of radium “Our work drew us closer and closer, until and polonium, while Marie worked to we were both convinced that neither of us isolate radium in its pure state. She and could find a better life companion.” one of Pierre’s students, Mr Debierne, In a love letter to Marie, Pierre wrote: accomplished this, and Marie received her “It would, nevertheless, be a beautiful doctorate in 1903 based on her findings. thing in which I hardly dare believe, to Regarding radium, Marie Curie said: pass through life together hypnotized in “We must not forget that when radium our dreams: your dream for your country; was discovered no one knew that it our dream for humanity; our dream for would prove useful in hospitals. The science.” The two were married in the work was one of pure science. And this is summer of 1895. Marie wore a dark blue a proof that scientific work must not be outfit that she continued to wear in her considered from the point of view of the lab for years afterwards. direct usefulness of it. It must be done for itself, for the beauty of science, and then Work on radioactivity there is always the chance that a scientific The Curies became research workers at the discovery may become like the radium a School of Chemistry and Physics in Paris benefit for humanity.” and there they began their pioneering work into invisible rays The First Solvay given off by uranium – a Conference In 1906, Marie’s new phenomenon which had In the prestigious invite-only life was struck recently been discovered by Solvay Conference in 1911, by tragedy when Professor Henri Becquerel.

Marie Curie was the only Pierre was Marie and Pierre Curie woman invitee out of its 24 killed in a street devoted themselves to the members. Einstein was also accident study of radioactivity, and one of the attendees of the

Do not laugh at me for wr iting you without having sensible to say. But I am an so enraged by the base ma ything nner in which the public is prese ntly that I absolutely must giv daring to concern itself with you e ve convinced that you consist nt to this feeling. However, I am en it obsequiously lavishes res tly despise this rabble, whether pe to satiate its lust for sensa ct on you or whether it attempts tionalism! I am impelled how much I have come to to tell you ad and your honesty, and th mire your intellect, your drive, at made your personal acqu I consider myself lucky to have aintance in Brussels. An yone who does not number among these reptiles is certainly happy, now as before, that we have su ch personages among us as you, and Langevin too, real people wi be in contact. If the rabb th whom one feels privileged to le co then simply don’t read th ntinues to occupy itself with you, at reptile for whom it has be hogwash, but rather leave it to the en fabricated.

With most amicable reg ards to you, Langevin, an yours very truly, d Perrin,

conference.

Albert Einstein, who met Marie at the Solvay Conference in 1911, wrote her a letter encouraging her during her tough time with the public. When the Collected Papers of Albert Einstein were released

by Princeton University in 2014, a letter from Einstein to Madame Curie was made public, exposing his thoughts on the silly “scandal”.

Multiple Nobel Prize In 1903, Marie and Pierre were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics jointly with Henri Becquerel for their combined, though separate, work on radioactivity.

In the same year, Marie passed her doctorate thesis in Physics.

In 1906, Marie’s life was struck by tragedy when Pierre was killed in a street accident after being knocked down by a horse and cart. Her indomitable spirit, however, kept her working and she on to succeed him in his Chair as “Iwent have been Professor at Sorbonne, as well as carrying impressed with the on lecturing where he had left off.

Her determination urgency of doing.and remarkable endeavours led a second Nobel Prize in Knowing istonot 1911, this time in chemistry for creating enough; must radioactivity. a means we of measuring apply.

Being Not long after, Sorbonne built the first radium institute willing is notwith two laboratories; one for the study of radioactivity under enough; we must Marie Curie’s direction, and the other for do” biological research into the treatment of cancer.

A. Einstein

Science in the Family Marie and Pierre Curie had two daughters.

Irene was born in 1897 and Eve was born in 1904. Marie Curie’s daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie followed in her mother’s footsteps, becoming the second woman to win a Nobel Prize in chemistry (also shared with her husband) in 1935. Irène would later become Director of the Radium Institute (now known as the Curie Institute), which was founded by her mother in 1914.

Twice Buried Our favourite two-time Nobel laureate was also buried twice! Madame Curie died of leukaemia attributed to her radioactive work, and was buried alongside her husband Pierre in 1934. However, their remains would be re-interred at the Panthéon in 1995 with full honours. The Panthéon is a special mausoleum in Paris, containing the remains of France’s most esteemed dead. As of now, Marie Curie is the only woman there - but in May of this year, she will be joined by two other exemplary women. Hopefully, more women will see this great honour to their memory in the future! Marie Curie’s life as a scientist was one which flourished because of her ability to observe, deduce and predict. She is also arguably the first woman to make such a significant contribution to science. Marie Curie the charity is proud to be named in honour of her.

22

Society

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

EXTENTIA

Extending A Helping Hand The main focus is to help their clients transform their digital strategies n G Ulaganathan

‘D

o More. Be More’ is the motto of Extentia, a technology and services firm based in Pune and Bengaluru.

Though their main focus is to help their clients transform their digital strategies on enterprise mobility, cloud computing, and user experiences, Extentia goes a step further.

Through Sakaar, their corporate social responsibility program, Extentia promotes learning and development, empower young adults, develop strong leaders, and champion for the advancement of the community through its various initiatives and longterm partnerships.

Since its launch in 2001, Sakaar (The name, derived from the Hindi word ‘Sakaar’, means ‘to realize, fulfill or achieve’) has undertaken activities in association with various NGOs – CPAA (Cancer Patients Aid Association), Deep Griha Academy, and Friends of Children (FoC) among others.

For Friends of Children (FoC), it has conducted skill development workshops where volunteers from Extentia visit FoC centres located

Deep Griha Academy has joined hands with Extentia workshop

in Pune and speak to children about leadership training, interview skills, teamwork, and communication.

Extentia recently conducted two such workshops – the first, at Sangli for second and, third-year college students on ‘Adaptation and Unconscious Bias’, and the second at Narayangaon for third-year students on ‘Handling Transitions’.

The Deep Griha Academy has joined hands with Extentia in organising a Diwali art and craft workshop, an English workshop, an Independence Day session and a tree plantation drive. Around 40 children attended the Diwali workshop and

discussed the various Diwali activities they undertake at home and school.

Volunteers conducted a storytelling session where students learned about the origin of Diwali through a narration of the Ramayan.

At the English workshop, volunteers crafted interesting games to explain concepts in an easy and fun manner.

They used a ‘Word Maze’ to help build basic vocabulary, and ‘Hangman’ to improve word building and spelling.

For the Independence Day-themed arts and crafts workshop, 60 students from the community participated in various drawing and quiz activities.

The students were taught interesting

facts about independence told through stories. The highlight of the session was a self-choreographed piece presented by the students. As part of the tree plantation drive, Extentians planted 30 Sapota saplings, spent quality time with kids at the orphanage, and helped code and label school library books.

The Poveda Foundation, on the other hand, has also organised an annual Diwali sale at Extentia, with items ranging from handmade mud lamps, bags, lanterns, jute bells, quilts and magnets. Every year, Extentians buy a number of items and contribute towards the education of the underprivileged, making Diwali special for the children of the Poveda foundation.

Sakaar activity also includes the Kapdaa-Kapdee donation drive, where Extentians enthusiastically contribute clothes, footwear, books, and toys to make this drive a success. The collected items are distributed among various NGOs to aid old-age homes, orphanages, and the underprivileged.

As part of Sakaar, Extentia holds a raffle every year at its Annual Party to support a worthy cause. This year, Extentians and guests contributed generously to support Navkshitij, a home for the mentally challenged.

As part of its commitment to help society, Extentia has organised a blood donation drive in association with KEM Hospital, Pune. The blood collected is used by KEM to support hospital procedures, such as emergency transfusions, and for the treatment of long-term illnesses.

haryana

Massive campaign launched to create awareness amongst thousands of marginalised communities in 11 districts of Haryana n Chandrani Banerjee

N

ational Rights Resource Centre (NRRC) have launched a massive campaign in Haryana with the support from European Union and ActionAid Association to reach out thousands of Dalits, Minorities and other vulnerable communities who have been discriminated to access government schemes.

The campaign is also supported by Jan Kalyan Society Haryana, Mewat Caravan, Rooh Sanstha and other local people’s organizations. The campaign team will be travelling more than 1200 kilometres, organising 200 village level meetings and supporting Dalits, minorities and other

vulnerable to access government welfare schemes.

This campaign ran in Kaithal from August 10 to 13th, after that it will enter in Kurushetra followed by Ambala, Yamuna Nagar, Karnal, Jind, Hisar, Mewat, Palwal, Faridabad, and Gurugram.

The state-wide campaign called “Jan Sampark Va Samvad Abhiyan” is flagged off by National level young Archer Amarjeet Atwal and Social worker Mukesh Kumar, from Ravidass Temple, Pundri (Kaithal). This campaign will be run in the entire state, jointly with Jan Kalyan Society Haryana, Mewat Caravan, Rooh Sanstha and other local people’s organizations. This campaign will run from 10th August to 23rd September

to spread awareness among people on government run public welfare schemes meant for socially and economically deprived persons and families. National Rights Resource Centre Coordinator Rakesh Thakur said, “71 years after getting independence a large section of society is still waiting to realise their basic human rights. People from weaker and deprived sections and caste are fighting for equality. In our patriarchal society, the situation of women and children is more pathetic. Now, it is the responsibility of all the citizens to break their silence and raise their voices against inequality and discrimination in society.”

Campaigner of National Rights Resource Centre and members of Jan

Kalyan Society Haryana Suresh Tank said, “Dr Bheem Rao Ambedkar told us – Untouchability is worse than slavery.

Untouchability and discrimination are the biggest obstacles in the progress of people from weaker sections. We need to stand together to eradicate untouchability and discrimination based on caste. Several schemes are being run by the government for the welfare of Dalits and minorities, but it is not benefitting a large section of eligible people from marginalised community due to the prevailing corruption. We are running this massive campaign to aware our community so they access welfare schemes and stand against discriminatory practices.”

Religion

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

23 07

religious symbols

THE STORY OF SYMBOLS

n Apoorva Gautam

H

ave you ever thought what do symbols represent in religion?

For many, it is sacred; for some, it is their identity, or represents their culture, history, practices, beliefs, spirituality, architectural artifacts, buildings and decorations or signifies their place in religious worships and rituals, or a relic of historical values. Its original purpose was to function as a discipline and technique, guiding the progress of spiritual conscience, before its ideals were completely distorted to set up a dogmatic rulebook of blind devotion, intimidating myths and ritualistic lifestyle. Below are some of the most revered and famous iconic symbols.

JUDAISM: STAR OF DAVID

Most people are quite surprised to learn that the six-pointed star has been widely used as a singularly Jewish symbol for only about 200 years. This six-sided figure symbolizes that God rules over the universe and protects us from all six directions: north, south, east, west, up, and down with the middle - the hexagram - providing the spiritual dimension.

As Islam utilizes geometrical shapes in place of pictures of living things, the six-pointed star is a common fixture, alongside the eight-pointed star.

HINDUISM: OM The Om, or Aum, is a mantra, made up of three Sanskrit letters, a, u and m. The syllables come together to make the sound, Om. It is the sound of the infinite. By sound and form, it represents the Trinity of Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The three letters also represent three planes of existence –

heaven, earth and the netherworld and other important triads.

TRIDENT: TRISHUL Did you ever stop to observe what is similar to most religions of the world?

It is the tridents of the Hindus. The most ancient religion of Hinduism has tridents with three prongs.

The three prongs of Trishul represent: Trinity Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh.

Sarasvati: Lakshmi and kaali.

3 modes of nature: creation, maintenance and destruction.

3 kaal: past, present, and future.

3 Gunas: sat, raj, tam.

3 lokas: swarg, bhu and patal.

3 powers: will, action and wisdom.

3 types of miseries: physical, mental and spiritual.

Three has special significance in Hinduism. Remember Shiva has three eyes and known to be triloka, trikaala, jnani. There is a symbolism of three around him. Trishul is polyvalent and rich in nature. Polyvalent having the property of counteracting several

related poisons or giving immunity against many different strains of a microorganism. But in our case it has the capacity to remove our many different negative qualities which inhibit us to be one with the almighty so helps to makes us rich at spiritual level.

ZOROASTRIANISM: FARAVAHAR The faravahar is one of many vital symbols in the Zoroastrian religion.

“The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men”

Each part of the faravahar has a significant meaning.

1) The Faravahar’s face represents the face of human being, and therefore shows a connection to mankind.

2) The faravahar has two wings, each of which has three main feathers. The feathers indicate three things, “good reflections”, “good words”, and “good deeds.”

3) The lower part also consists of three parts. The meaning of these three feathers is opposite to that of the wings.

They represent “bad reflections,” “bad

words,” and “bad deeds.” This will bring misery and misfortune to humans.

4) There are two loops on the Faravahar .One on each side. They represent “Sepanta Minu,” and “Ankareh Minu.”.It indicates to us that we must look forward for the good in life, and turn away from the bad.

5) There is a circle in the middle of the Faravahar’s trunk. This symbol indicates that our spirit is in a way endless, having neither a beginning, nor an end.

6) One of the hands on the Faravahar points upwards, showing that we have to struggle to prosper.

7) The other hand holds a ring. Some interpreters consider that it is perceived as the ring of covenant. This ring represents loyalty and faithfulness.

ISLAM: The Star and the Crescent Likewise, the star and the crescent were not meant to be Islam symbols.

It was history and practice that slowly connected these heavenly bodies to the religion. For instance, the star and the crescent have long been symbols of Southern Arabia, even before Mohammed’s first

Revelation in 610 CE. They were used in their currency.

SIKHISM: KHANDA Also called “Coat of arms” or Khalsa crest, the symbol is made up of three important components reflecting the fundamental concepts of Sikhism.

The Khanda, a double-edged sword which appears at the centre of the

logo, symbolizes Divine Knowledge that cleaves Truth from Falsehood.

Circling the Khanda is the Chakar, a circle without a beginning or an end symbolizing the perfection of God. The two curved swords, called Kirpans, symbolize the twin concepts of Meeri and Peeri introduced by Guru Hargobind.

JAINISM: THE AHIMSA HAND

The symbol represents the vow of ahimsa and the belief that all life is sacred. The Samsara wheel symbolizes endless rebirth and at the centre of the wheel is the word, ahimsa. Together, they represent the halting of the cycle of reincarnation through the avoidance of harm to any living creature.

24

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

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

California, USA

The Indian Diaspora has left no stone unturned in strengthening India-USA ties. We are very proud of the accomplishments of our diaspora that has made immense contributions to both our societies. I am sure my US visit will be fruitful and further deepen the bond between the world’s oldest and largest democracies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

prior to his visit to California, US September, 2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi rides in an electric car at TESLA Motors

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Elon Reeve Musk, CEO and Product Architect of Tesla Motors during a visit to TESLA motors facility in San Jose, California, United States

O

n his second visit to the United States of America after assuming office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set, as usual, a hectic schedule for himself. The significance of this visit lay, not as much in his address to the United Nations General Assembly, as on his visit to California, where he covered a range of activities over two days.

California gains prominence in

the vision that Modi has articulated in view of it being a global hub of information technology and start-ups.

These business ventures have a strong presence of Indian Diaspora that Modi wanted to capitalise upon.

Prime Minister Modi visited the Google campus and met with CEO, Sundar Pichai. He was briefed on Google’s innovations and future plans. He also held discussions with Apple Inc CEO, Tim Cook; Adobe Systems’ CEO, Shantanu Narayan

and other heads of California based multinational corporations.

The Prime Minister addressed an event organised by Konnect, a platform for Indian Start-ups to showcase their innovations.

At the Facebook Inc head office in Palo Alto, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a Town Hall meeting with its Chairman and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. The question-answer session covered a diverse range of subjects.

The Prime Minister dwelled on the environment of optimism that is now prevalent about India in the global business community and was candid about his vision to convert his country into a USD 20 Trillion economy. He acknowledged the strength of the social media. “We used to have elections every five years and now we can have them

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets the CEO of Master Card and Chairman of USIBC, Ajay Banga in New York, on September 24, 2015.

every five minutes,” he said.

The Prime Minister also addressed the Indian Diaspora at the SAP Centre Arena, San Jose. The venue was packed with a crowd of more than 45,000.

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets the Chairman and CEO of AECOM, Mike Burke, in New York on Sept. 24, 2015.

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

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google, in Mountain View, California.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets the Chairman of Lockheed Martin, Ms. Marillyn Hewson, in New York on Sept. 24, 2015.

25

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Tim Cook, CEO Apple Inc. at a meeting in San Jose, California.

We are excited that we finally have a government in India that is focusing on the growth and development of the country. The Prime

Minister’s visit to Silicon Valley signifies a much-needed change in the Indian government’s come through innovation and technology.

Prakash Bhalerao

high-tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist

Ten quotes from the speech of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at SAP Centre, San Jose, California A lot has changed in 25 years since I last came (here). I have experienced in California a vibrant image of India.

The magic of your fingers on the keyboard has given India a new identity. You are forcing the world to change.

Did anyone think brain drain can become brain gain? This is not brain drain, but brain deposit.

India-born Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the search engine giant will provide high-speed internet services at 100 railway stations in India initially and then expand it by 400 more by next year.

The Indian Express Don’t think of this as brain drain. When the opportunity comes, it will come to the service of Mother India—with

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, John T. Chambers, Executive Chairman of Cisco, Paul E. Jacobs, Executive Chairman of Qualcomm and Google CEO Sundar Pichai during the Digital India and Digital Technology dinner function in San Jose, California.

Interest!

working hard, day and night?

It is being believed that the 21st century is India’s century.

From the Upanishads, we have moved to upagraha. India has succeeded in its Mars Mission in the very first attempt.

I have faith in the nation, because India is youthful. 65 per cent of our population is under the age of 35.

Today after 16 months, I want a certificate from you. Have I kept my promise? Am I

I have realized E-Governance is easy, effective and economical.

If it has taken the UN 15 years to define terrorism, how long will it take to fight terrorism?

Continue in next issue

26

Science & Technology Hypnopedia

Sorry, More Evidence Just Debunked The Idea We Can Learn While We Sleep

L

n CARLY CASSELLA

ife is short, and we spend a lot of our time sleeping, which is why the idea of hypnopedia, or the ability to learn during sleep, has been tantalising scientists for so long. Now, a new study adds more evidence against the whole idea.

According to the new research, while the brain is capable of hearing different sounds during sleep, the ability to accurately group these sounds into a sequence completely disappears when we doze off.

The report suggests that the human brain does not function in the same way when we are sleeping, potentially putting a biological limit on the sophistication of lessons that we can learn while we snooze.

Ever since the 1950s, when the first studies of sleep-learning were published, hypnopedia has gone in and out of favour in the scientific community. At first, it seemed like a great way to extend learning time, by teaching through the subconscious brain into the wee hours of the morning. For a while there, it was popular practice to fall asleep listening

to audio tapes that promised to help you quit smoking, memorise Spanish vocabulary, master martial arts, or even boost your material wealth.

But then, evidence debunking the outlandish claims of hypnopedia began to pile up, and scientists soon had to admit that sleepers cannot wake up with brains that are somehow able to recall entirely new facts and figures. Recently, however, the idea of hypnopedia has begun to resurface, although the claims are a tad less far-fetched now than they were just a few decades ago. Several studies in the past few years have suggested hypnopedia isn’t quite as baseless as we once thought.

In 2014, a team of Israeli neuroscientists found that they could train sleepers to make subconscious associations between cigarette smoke and foul odours.

Another more recent study, found it is possible to teach acoustic lessons to people while they

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018 sleep. While this research did in a way that the sounds could be not support the idea of learning grouped into sets of three. dictionary definitions in our sleep, The findings reveal a key difference it did find evidence to suggest that between the way a brain functions the human brain can undergo pattern during sleep and the way it functions learning, even when sleeping. during wakefulness.

The new study puts a further While the MEG brain responses damper on these ideas, arguing that showed evidence that patients could it is not clear if sleep allows for more hear individual sounds during sleep, sophisticated forms of learning. there was no response observed in The researchers used magneto the patients that could be attributed encephalography (MEG) to measure to sound grouping. When awake, the brain activity of 26 participants however, all participants had MEG during wakefulness and during slow responses that reflected the grouping wave sleep (aka nonof sounds into three rapid eye movement According to the elements. sleep, or NREM), which This is a small new research, is a part of sleep when study that needs brain activity is highly to be replicated. the brain is synchronized.

But examining capable of On both occasions, the results, the participants were hearing different authors suggest that exposed to a series of the reason we are sounds during sounds, either randomly incapable of higher sleep organised or structured learning during sleep is because the high-order brain structures are deactivated during slow wave sleep. This would account for why we are still able to detect sound while sleeping, even though we aren’t able to analyse that sound into statistical regularities.

So even though some elementary forms of hypnopedia appear to be possible, it remains unclear whether we can learn foreign vocabulary or other complex topics after we hit the sack.

Parker Solar Probe

Why Won’t It Melt?

Several other designs on the spacecraft keep Parker Solar Probe sheltered from the heat. n Agency

W

ith NASA launching a historic Parker Solar Probe deeper into the solar atmosphere than any mission before it, the question arises: Why won’t it melt?

Inside the solar atmosphere -- a region known as the corona -- the probe will provide observations of what drives the wide range of particles, energy and heat that course through the region. The spacecraft will travel through material with temperatures greater than several million degrees Celsius while being bombarded with intense sunlight.

According to the US space agency,

Parker Solar Probe has been designed to withstand the extreme conditions and temperature fluctuations for the mission. “The key lies in its custom heat shield and an autonomous system that helps protect the mission from the Sun’s intense light emission, but does allow the coronal material to ‘touch’ the spacecraft,” NASA said in a statement.

While the Parker Solar Probe will travel through a space with temperatures of several million degrees, the surface of the heat shield that faces the Sun will only get heated to about 1,400 degree Celsius. The probe makes use of a heat shield known as the Thermal Protection System, or TPS, which is eight feet in

diameter and 4.5 inches thick. Those few inches of protection mean that just on the other side of the shield, the spacecraft body will sit at a comfortable 30 degrees Celsius.“Tested to withstand up to 1,650 degrees Celsius, the TPS can handle any heat the Sun can send its way, keeping almost all instrumentation safe,” said NASA. Another challenge came in the form of the electronic wiring -- most cables would melt from exposure to heat radiation at such close proximity to the Sun. To solve this problem, the team grew sapphire crystal tubes to suspend the wiring, and made the wires from the chemical element niobium.

Several other designs on the

spacecraft keep Parker Solar Probe sheltered from the heat.

Without protection, the solar panels -- which use energy from the very star being studied to power the spacecraft -- can overheat. The solar arrays have a surprisingly simple cooling system: a heated tank that keeps the coolant from freezing during launch, two radiators that will keep the coolant from freezing, aluminium fins to maximise the cooling surface, and pumps to circulate the coolant. The spacecraft, launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on August 12, will transmit its first scientific observations in December.

Health

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

27 23 07

Ignore Expiry Dates

Use By Dates Are A to Te ll if s y a W d e k c a -B nce H e r e A r e 12 S c ie ll y G o n e O ff a e R s a H d o o F r Yo u

T

nERIN BRODWIN

he best way to tell if a food is still good to eat isn’t necessarily looking at the sellby date printed on the package.

Expiration dates are based on rough estimates. They can tell you when a carton of eggs or a raw steak will likely reaches the limit for their best quality, but that’s about it, according to research compiled by the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), a nonprofit environmental organisation. “Millions of people are tossing perfectly good food in the trash because they think it’s not safe to eat after the date on the package,” Dana Gunters, a senior scientist with the National Resources Defence Council, said in a statement last year.

Here’s how to tell if everything in your refrigerator – including milk, cheese, hummus, and fish – has gone bad.

A bad egg floats. Egg shells are slightly porous, and as they age, small sacs of air begin to form between the shell wall and the egg. If there’s enough of an air bubble inside an egg to cause it to float in a bowl of water, chances are it’s gone bad, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

to StillTasty.

Expired hummus develops a sour taste If your store-bought hummus starts to develop a sour taste, it’s probably a sign that it’s gone bad, according to EatByDate.

Olive oil stops smelling like olives when it’s gone bad. “Good olive oil should smell fragrant and fruity and taste like the olives it was made from,” chef Marcus Samuelsson wrote on his website.

Oil that’s gone bad will often smell like motor oil or glue, according to The Daily Meal.

Bad fish starts to give off an abnormally fishy odor. Fresh fish should be eaten within 36 hours of purchase, according to Whole Foods, EatByDate, and The Kitchn. Fish that’s spoiled will typically have a slimy flesh with a thick, slippery coating. It may also develop a fishierthan-normal smell.

Fresh vegetables turn yellow when they’re going bad. Green vegetables turn yellow when they expire.

That said, some vegetables can still be salvageable, according to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. They suggest trimming Millions of people the discolored are tossing perfectly portion of veggies good food in the trash like celery and soaking it for 10because they think 15 minutes in ice it’s not safe to eat water to refresh.

Expired yogurt begins to puddle more than usual.

When kept in a sealed container, yogurt can last between one and three weeks.

That’s after the date on the Sour milk gets thanks to its live package lumpy. The biggest bacterial cultures, red flag for spoiled which act as a natural milk: changes in texture, preservative. smell, or consistency. When the But when those cultures lactic acid in dairy starts producing start to die off, things go awry. More bacteria, it gives off a sour odor. liquid than usual will pool on the Lumps or chunks can also develop as surface, and sometimes mould will a result. form.

Other signs of expiration include Fresh fruit changes texture when curdling near the bottom, according

it’s expiring. If fruit gets mushy or grainy, it’s probably a sign that you shouldn’t eat it, according to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Other warning signs that a fruit has gone bad include extreme discoloring, foul odours, or wrinkly skin that’s peeling away.

Bad bread grows mould. If you spot mould on one slice of bread, it’s not safe to eat another slice – even if there’s no visible mould on the rest of the loaf. That’s because bread is porous, meaning that mould spreads easily throughout the loaf.

Bead that gets stale, hard, or dry, on the other hand, isn’t necessarily expired. Mould requires moisture to grow, so dry bread may still be perfectly fine to eat .It can typically be safely used to make bread crumbs or croutons.

Expired deli meat gives off an odd smell or changes texture. Smelly deli meat may be plagued by bacteria.

Turkey, ham, or salami that has become hard or slimy has also likely expired.

Deli meats purchased directly from the deli counter should be eaten within three days, according to EatByDate.

Spoiled cheese starts to smell like sour milk. When it comes to cheese, perishability is all about moisture.

The softer and more moist a cheese, the faster it spoils. Bad cheeses will typically give off a sour milk smell, according to chef Nora Singley.

If mould grows on soft cheeses like cottage or cream cheese, they should be discarded, according to the Mayo clinic. That’s also true for shredded or sliced cheese.

Harder cheeses, however, take longer to spoil because of their density. In many cases, it’s possible to cut off a moldy outer layer and find the interior to be fine, since mould doesn’t penetrate far into harder cheeses like cheddar or parmesan.

28

Sports

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

Asian Games

Asiad 2018: Energy Of Asia It’s the second time for Jakarta to host the Asiad, which had its fourth edition in the Indonesian capital in 1962

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n ssb bureau

he history of Asian Games goes back to 1947 when the Asian Relations Conference held in New Delhi decided to organise International games meet for Asian countries. This was planned in accordance of Olympic Games—once in four years. Since then the games have grown to become Asiad—the biggest sports festival of Asia. Asian Athletic Federation was first formed in the year 1949 in New Delhi. Guru Dutt Sodhi, who was a member of Indian Olympic Committee, played a pivotal role in bringing various sports personalities of Asian countries to a common platform of Asian Athletic Federation. This Federation paved the way for the inception of Asian Games eventually. Since the Asian Athletic Federation came to existence in New Delhi, this city was unanimously chosen to host the first edition of Asian Games in 1950. 11 Countries participated in the first edition of Asian Games held at 1951 in New Delhi. India was one of the first five founding members of the Asian Games Federation on February 13, 1949, in New Delhi; the organisation was disbanded on November 26, 1981, and replaced by the Olympic Council of Asia. New Delhi, the national capital of

India, has hosted the Asian Games on two occasions: the inaugural 1951 Asian Games and the 1982 Asian Games

Motto, Emblem and Torch of Asian Games

The Asian Games Federation adopted ‘Ever Onward’ as the motto of Asian Games. This motto was given by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru which continues till today. The official logo of the First Asiad depicted a bright sun in red with 16 rays and a white circle in the middle of the disc of the sun and eleven rings, representing each participating nation, on a white background, symbolising peace. The emblem is found in the logos of all version of Asian Games ever held.

The Maharaja of Patiala presented the torch and the flag of first Asian Games and since then they have been carried from country to country.

1951 Asian Games

The 1951 Asian Games, officially known as the First Asian Games, was a multisport event celebrated in New Delhi, India from 4 to 11 March 1951. The Games received names like First Asiad and 1951 Asiad. A total of 489 athletes representing 11 Asian National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in 57 events from eight sports and discipline.

The Games was the successor of the Far

India Sent a contingent of 524 athletes, comprising 277 men and 247 women Eastern Games and the revival of the Western Asiatic Games. The 1951 Asiad were originally scheduled to be held in 1950, but postponed until 1951 due to delays in preparations. The games were managed by a strong Organising Committee.

Countries invited included almost all the independent Asian countries of the time except Soviet Union and Vietnam, due to the political structure of those nations.

National Stadium was the venue for all events. Japanese athletes won the most golds and overall medals, with 24 and 60 respectively; while the host nation India had the 15 golds and 51 overall medals with most bronzes (20) and finished at the second spot in a medal table. The next Asian Games organised by India were the 1982 Asian Games, some 31 years later.

Asian Games 2018

The 18th edition of the Asian Games began on 18th August, and the tournament features close to 11,500 athletes, which is about 1,000 more than a typical Summer Olympics.

Forty-five nations are entered from Afghanistan, Bahrain and Bangladesh to Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.

China has the largest delegation with 845 athletes. But it’s a young team. It includes only 214 who have been in previous Olympics or Asian Games, and only 19 Olympic gold medalists.

For the first time ever, the Games are being held in two cities, with Indonesia hosting the event, Jakarta

and Palembang. Indonesia has hosted the event once before, in 1962, as Japan finished in top place on that occasion.

The Logo for the 18th Asian Games is a colourful circle taken from the shape of the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, and named the Energy of Asia, depicting the strengthening spirit of the Games, participated by multicultural nations shining for all the world to see.

The 18th Asian Games also introduces three mascots namely Bhin Bhin, Atung and Kaka. The mascots represent three aspects of these competitive games, being: Strategy, Speed and Strength. Each mascot wears special attire inspired by the traditional textiles from Papua, Jakarta and Palembang. Bhin Bhin comes in the image of the Cendrawasih or Bird of Paradise (mainly found in Papua), Atung is a Bawean Deer, a symbol of speed, and Kaka is a Rhino representing strength.

The Jakarta Asiad stages 465 events out of 40 sports, among which 330 events from 32 sports will feature in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Games will also showcase climbing and skateboarding, the two sports being added to the schedule of the Tokyo Olympics. The Indonesian martial art of Pencak Silat will be among 10 events making their Asian Games debut.

Jakarta had the less than the normal amount of time to prepare for the Games. It was selected only four years ago after Vietnam, the original host, pulled out due to financial setbacks.

Entertainment

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

29 07

Tom Alter

An Englishman In India He broke the typical mould of a foreigner in India with his interest in and understanding of the culture and languages, both Hindi and Urdu n Vikas Datta

and Malyalam cinema.

The blue-eyed, ‘Gora sahab’, with his command of both Hindi and Urdu, e was the most different is assured of a firm place in Indian American India has seen.

Born in independent India to cultural expanse, being the only actor a family with roots in the subcontinent who has appeared as two key figures spanning a momentous near-century from roughly around when the Mahatma returned from overseas, Tom of the country’s history – portraying both Bahadur Shah Zafar and Lord Alter was drawn to Bollywood after Mountbatten. seeing Rajesh Khanna in “Aradhana” With his perfect diction in Hindi and moved from play ‘firangs’ onscreen and Urdu – with only a slight trace and on stage to also portray a wide gamut of Indian historical and cultural of an endearing accent, Alter was an obvious fixture as a British officer icons. in any Bollywood film or TV serial He was also an avid cricket fan depicting the Raj. Though he made his who did the first ever TV interview of Sachin Tendulkar, played regularly (in debut with Ramanand Sagar’s “Charas” a team called ‘MCC’ – Match Cut Club (1976), where he is Dharmendra’s – along with Naseeruddin Shah, Vishal customs department boss, he came to greater prominence with Satyajit Ray’s Bhardwaj, and Aamir Khan), wrote much on the game, coached students in “Shatranj Ke Khiladi” (1977).

As Capt Weston, a blond-haired, his short teaching career, and also has luxuriantly moustachioed and the distinction of giving commentary sideburn sporting British officer in in a One-day match India played. But Wajid Ali Shah’s Lucknow, he appears it was in the entertainment world that quite early in the film, briefing new Thomas Beach ‘Tom’ Alter (19502017) distinguished himself. In a four- Resident, Gen James Outram (Richard decade career which only ended earlier Attenborough) about the ruler and appearing quite impressed with his this year after he was a diagnosed literary talents. with cancer (that ultimately ended At his superior’s urging, he also his life on Friday, Sep 30), he was not recites one of the Nawab’s shers: only seen on the big and small screen “Sadma na pahunche koi mere jismbut also on the stage -- and not only ezar par, ahista dalna phool mere in Bollywood but also in Assamese, mazar par/Har chand khaak mein Gujarati, Kannada, Kumaoni, Marathi

H

Passionate about Urdu and Cricket, the actor is remembered for being the epitome of a pluralistic Indian culture tha magar ta falak gaya/Dhoka hai asmaan ka mere ghubar par”.

He is also the tactful translator when Outram interacts with the Nawab’s Prime Minister, Ali Naqi Khan Madar-ud-Daula (Victor Bannerjee) and then the Queen Mother (yesteryear’s actress Veena), where he tempers his superior’s intemperate words into chaste, diplomatic Urdu: eg “Aisa karna danishmandi nahi hogi”.

But Alter was not content with this niche only. While this accounts for some of his memorable roles -spanning characters both sympathetic and understanding (as Weston) to those stereotypically tyrannical and racist (in “Kranti”), he also went on to appear as the heroine’s elder brother in Raj Kapoor’s “Ram Teri Ganga Maili” (1986), a Pathan underworld don in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s cult “Parinda” (1989) -- the only major character apart from Jackie Shroff to survive, the obnoxiously strict AngloIndian incharge of a girl’s hostel in “Aashiqui” (1990) and so on. For good measure, he also portrayed Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in Prakash Jha’s “Loknayak” (2004), based on the life of Jayaprakash Narayan -- and would go to reprise the role in a stage

play.

And then he went on to play Saul, the biblical King of Israel, in “One Night With the King” (2006) opposite Peter O’Toole as the Prophet Samuel, though their scenes form only the prologue of the Luke Goss starrer.

Alter also was a major presence on TV, appearing in various roles in the British-era episodes of Shyam Benegal’s “Bharat Ek Khoj”, as Shaktiman’s mentor Mahaguru in the popular superhero TV series, the ‘Vishwapramukh’ (world president) in science fiction series “Captain Vyom” and the King of Paristan in “Hatim”.

And while his stage life, initiated with Film and Television Institute of India contemporaries Naseeruddin Shah and Benjamin Gilani, started with plays like “Waiting for Godot”, Alter soon diversified here too, staging an adaptation of Malayalam writer Vaikom Mohammad Bashir to portraying icons of Urdu literature like Mirza Ghalib and Sahir Ludhianvi in original works.

An impressive career record, it is however testimony to India’s inclusive acceptance as much as to his undeniable talent.

30

Sulabh Parivar

Dignitaries Who Visited Sulabh Gram

Dr Davendra Saroj, Senior Lecturer, Surrey University, England and Dr Hannah Simcoe-Read, Chief Executive Officer, NVH Global Limited, England visited Sulabh Campus.

They were surprised to know about the Technology invented by Dr Bindeshwar Pathak in 1970 “Twin Pit Pour Flush Compost Toilet” and public toilet based Biogas Plant.

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

A group of 80 students from Nehru Yuva Kendra Sansthan, New Delhi, looking at the lump of decomposed excreta that is excavated after two years of decomposition phase from Sulabh Two-Pit Pour Flush Compost Toilets, Subrahmanya Bhat, National Convener, Pariwar Prebodh, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh and Member, Chintak- Maitriye Gurukul, Mangalore, Karnataka, Gopal Arya, Central Officer Secretary, RSS and Nidhi Ahuja, Treasurer, Sewa Bharti, RSS with Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder and Social Reformer, Sulabh Sanitation and Social

Reform Movement, after Morning Prayer Assembly at Sulabh Sansaar on August 07, 2018.

A Tale Of True Friendship

Literature

Krishna Reveals Himself

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arna asked: “Who are you, Sir”? Krishna said: “I am Krishna. I admire your spirit of sacrifice. In any circumstance, you have never given up your spirit of sacrifice. Ask me what you want.”

Beholding Krishna’s beauteous form, Karna said with folded hands: “Krishna! To have the vision of the Lord before one’s passing is the goal of human existence. You came to me and blessed me with your form. This is enough for me. I offer my salutations to you.”

during their visit to Sulabh Sansaar on August 11, 2018.

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nce Duryodhana’s wife Bhanumathi and Karna were playing a game of dice. As the game progressed, it was evident that Karna was winning and Bhanumathi was losing. Just then Duryodhana entered his queen’s chamber. Karna had his back to the door while Bhanumathi was facing it. Seeing her husband coming, she was about to stand up.

As she was just rising, Karna, thinking that she was trying to get away, snatched at her drape, studded with pearls.

Here he was, in the royal chamber, playing a game of dice with his friend’s wife and, as if this was not enough, he had the audacity to catch her clothes, thus embarrassing and endangering her chaste reputation. He stood dumbfounded and transfixed. As both Bhanumathi and Karna look down sheepishly, unable to meet Duryodhana’s eyes, the Kaurava scion only asks, “Should I just collect the beads, or string them as well.”

Events

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

events & more...

Pankaj Udhas Live Concert - Jazbaa Venue : Sirifort Auditorium, Delhi

ACROSS 1. From which place did Madan Mohan Malaviya publish his famous newspaper The Leader?

6. Where Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place?

8. What is East Pakistan called now?

9. Who started Satyagraha?

11. Gandhiji was also called _____ in Hindi which means Father?

14. Which was the summer capital of India during the British rule?

15. When Partition of Bengal Happened?

17. Hitavada, the newspaper started by Gopal Krishna Gokhale in 1911 was initially published from – 18. Where was Gandhiji born ?

19. With which of the following leaders is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel equated?

20. 12. What was Gandhiji’s wife’s name?

SSB crossword no. 37

events

August Kranti Marg, Asian Games Village Complex, New Delhi August 30 | 7:00PM – 10:00PM

SOLUTION of crossword no.36

Art Mart 2.0 Venue :

Greenr Gurgaon 32nd Milestone, Gurgaon September 2 | 12:00PM – 6:00PM

Startup Open House Venue :

31

1.Japan 2.Lion 3.Facific 4.Belgium 5.Sandalwood 6.Thailand 7.China 8.Egypt 9.Zaire 10.Brazil

11.Arctic 12.Africa 13.Modem 14.SMPT 15.Sutlej 16.Gold 17.Netherland 18.Andes 19.Atlantic 20.Lakes

91springboard Noida C2, Sector 1, Noida August 31 | 4:00PM – 7:00PM

solution of sudoku-36

DOWN 2. In which language was Kesari, a newspaper started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak published?

3. Who created Azad Hind Fauj?

4. From which country India got the Independence.

5. At which place did the British Government arrest Gandhiji for sedition for the first time?

7. Dadabhai Naoroji was the first Indian to be appointed as a Professor at Elphinstone College in 10. First organized militant movements for Indian Independence were in _________.

12. Who is the founder of Ghadar party?

13. In which year was the Banaras Hindu University established by Pt Madan Mohan Malviya?

16. Where was the Civil disobedience movement launched in1922?

sudoku-37

Moongphali – ‘Charchebaazi’ Album Showcase Venue : Cafe

Turquoise Cottage, Delhi A 5 Green Park, Sri Aurobindo Marg, Block C 2, Bhim Nagri, Hauz Khas, New Delhi August 31 | 12:00PM

Cracker Jackers Venue : Studio Xo Bar, Delhi

M4 Second Floor, South Extension Part 2, Delhi, NCR August 27 | 7:30PM – 9:30PM

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

Aug 27 - Sep 02, 2018

kerala rescures

How Citizens And Organisation Mounted Rescue Operation In Kerala Indian Navy Shajitha Jabil, a resident of Aluva, was in an advanced stage of pregnancy when water levels in her area started rising. But quick action by the Navy helped save not just her life, but also that of her unborn child. With amazing speed, Shajitha was air-lifted and taken to a hospital where she delivered her baby boy.

Indian Railways Indian Railways announced free transportation for relief material across to Kerala as well. The Department of Food & Public Distribution has provided 50,000 million tonnes (MT) of food grains for the victims so far.

Mata Amritanandamayi Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma) has announced that her organisation will donate Rs. 10 crores to the Kerala Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. “Each day we see the rain just keeps coming,” the spiritual leader and humanitarian said of her home state. Each time it starts up again, we know it is causing more and more destruction. My heart goes out to those families who are losing their homes and dear ones. We want to help them in whatever way we can,” she said in a press statement.

Khalsa Aid International As Kerala reels under its worst flood in nearly a century, Sikh volunteers from the Khalsa Aid International, the UK based philanthropist group, have reached the state to help the flood victims. Their group’s volunteers from their Indian wing reached Kochi and have set up a Langar to feed food for 2000 people.

IAS – G Rajamanikyam & N S K Umesh Both these officers have been personally overseeing the relief operations in floodhit districts. Not ones to stand around and watch, both these officers themselves started unloading rice bags at the Collectorate for distribution to relief camps. According to some citizen reports, these two officers have been working non-stop without even taking a break to catch up on sleep.

Sahas Foundation Sayed Furqan, a senior official of the ‘Sahas Foundation’, said they would supply notebooks and other educational stationery to at least 10,000 students in the floodravaged state. They have also issued a statement with the bank account details of Kerala chief minister’s relief fund and appealed to the people to donate the amount there itself. Muse NGO They have formed 12 collection centres across Mumbai where citizens can donate food,

clothes and other items that would be sent to the flood-affected people. They have collaborated with ‘anbodu kochi’, a Bengaluru-based organistaion that is sending relief material to Kerala.

Kanayya Kumar Chances are that you have watched the viral video in which a rescue officer is seen running across the bridge with a child in his arms.

The clip, after all, became a national sensation. The heroic act was captured in a video by a television journalist and mere moments after Kanayya crossed the bridge with the child, the bridge collapsed!

P M Manoj, Resident Editor, Deshabhimani On August 19, Manoj’s daughter was to be engaged. However given the situation in Kerala, Manoj decided to cancel the function and instead donated the money earmarked for the engagement ceremony to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. In a FB post, Manoj stated that the decision comes on the back of the “extraordinary natural crisis” facing Kerala, and that the timing of the entire event seemed inappropriate when millions of their fellow state residents are suffering.

Sandhaya Menon Sandhya Menon has taken to Twitter and Instagram to organise relief efforts and the response has been “incredible”. Ms Menon said that employees from Uber India and Grofers, an online grocery delivery service in India, also reached out to her after seeing her tweets.

Kerala Donation Challenge – Siddharth For a change, a social media challenge is being used for something good. After an overdose of seeing people jump out of cars in the name of a challenge, this comes as a relief. Tamil actor Siddharth, who has been at the forefront of several such campaigns during the Chennai floods and other calamities, has a new one for us all. “I dare you. I beg of you! What do I have to do to make you read and share this? I did the #KeralaDonationChallengeIt was awesome! Will you?

Please? #KeralaFloods #SaveKerala @CMOKerala,” read his tweet.

Fishermen Community Over 100 fishermen took their boats in the flooded streets of Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram. They patrolled the cities and helped those in distress. With their unique design of their boats, they could take their boats out on rough tides and flows every day for a living. So they were able to easily raft over the choppy water in Kerala’s flooded cities, accelerated by open dam gates in several places.

RNI No. DELENG/2016/71561, Joint Commissioner of Police (Licensing) Delhi No. F. 2 (S-45) Press/ 2016 Volume - 2, Issue - 37 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