Sulabh Swachh Bharat - VOL: 2 | ISSUE 48

sulabhswachhbharat.com

06 Sanitation In Brazil Brazil has a vision of achieving 92 per cent access to sanitation by the year 2033

14

20

24

Virginia Woolf

Crusader Against Child Marriages

The Making Of A Legend

“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”

She has been fighting injustice since before she was born & now battling against child marriages

PM Modi holding a bilateral meeting with Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy POSTAL REGISTRATION NO. DL(W)10/2240/2017-19

RNI No. DELENG/2016/71561

Scan this with your smartphone

A Good News Weekly

Vol - 2 | Issue - 48 | Nov 12 - 18, 2018 | Price ` 10/-

Vrindavan Widows Celebrated ‘Green diwali’

New Leaves On Withered Trees New Elation And Hope Ahead…

These Women Also Have A Right To Enjoy Their Lives!

So what if there were no firecrackers to burst? This Diwali, Vrindavan widows burst into laughter the Sulabh way and showed the way to celebrate an eco-friendly Diwali

02

‘Sulabh-Green’ Diwali

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

Vrindavan widows welcoming Lal Baba aka Dr Bindeshwar Pathak

Quick Glance Vrindavan widows celebrated a green Diwali full of bhajans and laughters Dr Pathak changed the entire scenario of widows: OP Yadav, former DPO The Vrindavan widows believe Dr Pathak has restored lights in their dark lives

Swastika Tripathi

T

here was a sweet smell of flowers in the air. The earthen lamps and string lights were dazzling. One could hear mesmerising bhajans from a distance. There was laughter. There was joy. Each face had a bright, wide smile. It was an evening no less than a fairytale. And why

wouldn’t it be? After all, it was indeed a special day. It was the ‘Green Diwali’ celebration of the widow mothers of Vrindavan.

For the sixth year in a row, the thousands of widow mothers of Vrindavan were celebrating the festival of lights. And for the first time it was so that instead of bursting crackers, they instead burst into laughters of joy – an innovative Diwali concept incepted

by Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh Sanitation and Social Reform Movement, who is the crusader who made it possible six years ago to break the ages-long tradition of widows being exempted from participating any pious festivity.

Not Crackers, Burst Into Laughter Speaking on the occasion, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak said, “We are all aware that the Supreme Court has partially banned crackers to curb pollution. So I thought we don’t need crackers to celebrate Diwali, when we can instead light-up people’s faces with smiles and fill the

“God has his ways. It’s like that Lord Krishna sent Dr Pathak to address the plights of these mothers” – Om Prakash Yadav, Former Vrindavan DPO

air with laughters. So here we celebrated the festival in an eco-friendly manner.

In place of firecrackers, we held a musical evening full of joyous laughter, bhajans and bright light of earthen lamps.” The eco-friendly Diwali showed the way for the entire nation that Diwali even without crackers can be much illuminated if people keep bright, wide smiles on their faces. The way the widow mothers sang, danced, lighted the lamps and celebrated the festival of lights with full zeal, it was a moment to cherish.

Filling Lights In The Gloomy Lives Diwali symbolises filling the inner

light that protects us from darkness, from evil. And that is exactly what the evening at the historic Gopinath temple was all about. Every troubled soul in this world is looked after by God and his angels. For these widow mothers, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak is that angel. He filled lights in the once gloomy and saddened lives of these women. He met with them, lent his ears to their plights, extended his hand of support and pulled them out of the darkness. He saved them from the evil customs of the society.

“Some customs in our society are evil. The customs or taboos attached to widows are among those. If a man’s wife dies, he is free to carry on with his life with full enjoyment, but if a woman becomes a widow she is pushed into a life of monotony and restrictions.

She is not allowed to laugh, sing or dance. She is instead to just sit around chanting God’s name and awaiting her own death,” said Dr Pathak.

“We told these widows that ‘yes, you too have rights’ and that they too should laugh, dance, sing. Here we are today.

They are celebrating Diwali. They were earlier not allowed to celebrate Diwali, light earthen lamps or play Holi. Now they are doing all these,” he added.

“Lal Baba blessed us with true happiness. There were pain and grief earlier. God sent Baba to us to restore light in our dark lives. We are poor people. We are living normally today.

There cannot be more happiness we can ask for. This is true peace to us. All hail Lal Baba, all hail Gopinath -- the God who sent him to us,” said Kanak Lata, the eldest widow mother present on the occasion, who is over 100 years in age yet enthusiastically celebrated Diwali with thousands others.

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

‘Sulabh-Green’ Diwali

03 07

A

God Sent His Angel In Dr Pathak Also, present on the occasion was Om Prakash Yadav, former DPO of Vrindavan, who was delighted to see these widow mothers have a gala time.

He told that how in 2011 when he took charge as the DPO here, at that time the condition of these widow mothers

was unspeakable. They lived in shelter homes and had to work to fill their stomach.

The former Vrindavan DPO recalled, “One day I needed an ambulance but for two days none were facilitated. I prayed to Lord Krishna and questioned that when I am not even able to arrange an ambulance, then why have I been

even sent here? But as they say, God has his ways. Lord Krishna addresses people’s problems through some or the other source. He sends some or the other guardian angel to get the work done.”

“So in the midst of all these troubles, the Supreme Court of India gave the ordered that Sulabh International Social Service Organisation be asked whether it can provide these mothers with food. Dr Bindeshwar Pathak immediately accepted the proposal.

So it’s like that Lord Krishna sent Dr Pathak to address the plights of these mothers,” he added.

Yadav told that Dr Pathak then came to Vrindavan, met with these widow mothers, queried of their troubles and

s Diwali come, people get engage in cleaning of their houses, office premises, etc. Diwali, as much as it is a festival of lights, is a festival which also denotes the importance of the cleanliness.

Speaking exclusively to Sulabh Swachh Bharat, Dr Pathak gave a message of cleanliness for the nation.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spread his cleanliness campaign across the nation.

We can call it a mass awareness.

Everybody is talking of cleanliness. Sulabh has been doing the same since 1968.

If you look around the campus, it is spic and span.

When you are celebrating Diwali, you should ensure that the campus is clean. What is the use of celebrating such pious festival in a dirty area?

Diwali is a festival of lights which also gives the message of cleanliness. Celebrate Diwali, but also contribute to a ‘Swachh Bharat’.”

“God sent Baba to us to restore light in our dark lives. There cannot be more happiness we can ask for. This is true peace to us” – Kanak Lata, An elderly Vrindavan widow

04 02

‘Sulabh-Green’ Diwali

C

hhavi Sharma is confident, bold and happy the way she is today. Hailing from Guwahati, Chhavi came to Vrindavan in 2013 in search of peace in her widowhood. When she first stepped in the holy land, she was unaware and clueless of the way ahead – all this till she remained unknown to a name which was popular among thousands of other widows living in the city.

The name being ‘Lal Baba’!

Narrating her journey since 2013 till today, Chhavi Sharma spoke exclusively to Sulabh Swachh Bharat and briefed her version: “I came from Guwahati, Assam, to Vrindavan in 2013. After spending a few days here and there, I met another widow mother who took me to Gurukul Ashram. There I heard that a ‘Seth’ comes to Vrindavan from Delhi. I enquired about him and got to know that he is called ‘Lal Baba’. I had an urging to meet with this Lal Baba. Days passed and then came Diwali. The festival was being

celebrated in Pagal Baba Ashram that year. That was the first day I saw him. Since that year I have been witnessing him organise such beautiful Diwali functions. We are getting to celebrate Diwali with him, play Holi with him, tying Rakhi on his wrist.

What do I say about Lal Baba? He is such a great person. He is a God for us. We are such poor people that we cannot even dare to travel in reserved class in trains. But here he is flying us out on planes to Kolkata, Ujjain, Bombay, Pune and where not. He is giving us Rs 2000 per month. He has provided us with free medical facilities. He is doing everything for us. What do I say about him? No words in any language are enough to define him, to praise him.

He is our friend, our brother, our son, our Baba – he is our everything! That was our first birth before we met him.

And after meeting him, it feels like we have taken another birth in the same lifetime.”

“These leaves had withered and we have reinstilled greenery into them. There are no words to express the joy I feel seeing them this happy” – Dr Bindeshwar Pathak

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

studied their requirements. On the first day itself, Dr Pathak gifted five ambulances to these mothers. After this many initiative lined up. Food was provided, sewing machines we brought, etc.

“We were here longing for even one ambulance, and now all of a sudden we had five of them. The problem vanished away in a snap of a finger.

The entire scenario has changed and it is infront of our eyes. A few moments back I saw this widow mother, whose age is over 100 years, clap and laugh with joy. Another mother who is of 90 years was dancing right next to me.

Who could have imagined that years of sorrow can be erased this quick? It was only due to Dr Pathak’s efforts that it was all possible. I am sure Sulabh will take them to even greater heights,” said Yadav.

The Withered Leaves Are Green Again Before 2012, these widows had to beg

for food. They used to get only Rs 4 to 8 on performing bhajans. There were no medical facilities for them. The worst of all was that after death their bodies were cut into pieces, put into sacks and thrown into Yamuna river because there was no money for their last rituals.

This sad state of the widows was published in a newspaper after which the Supreme Court took the matter into cognizance. The apex court asked the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to ask Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, a non-

‘Sulabh-Green’ Diwali

profit voluntary philanthropy social organisation, whether they can take up the responsibility of feeding these mothers.

“I then received a letter from them.

I said that it is a great opportunity.

In 2012 I came to Vrindavan, met with these mothers. They used to cry expressing their sorrow. Even I cried many a times hearing their plight. They all used to say that they want to die. After this, I not only ensured to feed them but also provided with ambulance facilities, education opportunities, fridge, TV, etc.

In 2012 Sulabh helped the widow mothers start living their lives again. They were showered with the love which one gets in their parents’ home. From that day since, these widow mothers never looked back

03 05 07

Standing true to the celebration of reunion and unity, the widows of Mathura took part in Diwali festivities with fervor. The spirited widows sung bhajans and danced

I took them places, urged them to celebrate festivals to do away with the monotony that had filled their lives,” said Dr Pathak.

In 2012 Sulabh helped the widow mothers start living their lives again.

They were showered with the love which one gets in their parents’ home.

From that day since, these widow mothers never looked back.

“These leaves had withered and we have reinstilled greenery into them.

It’s just like making a crying person laugh. The mothers and sister who were widowed are together celebrating Diwali. It is a joyful occasion for all.

There are no words to express the joy I feel seeing them this happy,” said Dr Pathak with a smile of content.

06

Sanitation

Nov 12 - 18, 2018 Brazil

‘Public Sanitation’ The Next Battle Brazil has a vision of achieving 99 per cent coverage of safely managed water supply by 2033 and 92 per cent access to safely managed sanitation services by the same year to sewage treatment. Data from the Trata Brasil Institute show that only 44.92 per cent of sewage collected in Brazil is treated today.

Brazil is attempting to meet the target of granting full coverage in its sewage system by 2033. This goal, set forth in the National Basic Sanitation Plan, would require costs totalling $3.66 million a year over the course of 16 years.

Pro-ecology country

SSB BUREAU

A

ll across the country, hospital admissions stemming from diseases related to poor sanitation and little access to quality water cost Brazilian public hospitals nearly $25 million in 2017.

Health authorities have reported 263.4 thousand admissions. The number is high, despite the decrease from the previous year’s 350.9 thousand, and costs adding up to $31.47 million.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), every dollar invested in water and sanitation results in $4.2 spared in health care costs. Private organisations linked to sanitation met in São Paulo at the National Water Meeting and stressed the statement in 2017. Calculations made by the organisations showed that ensuring universal access to sanitation in Brazil would allow

According to Brazil’s national plan, at least $ 124.7 billion will be required from 2013 to 2033 to build & recover structures necessary to achieve nearly universal basic coverage Urban

Sanitation & Hygiene 54,7 %

Urban Water supply 37,8 %

rUral 55, %

Sanitation & Hygiene 3,0 % Water supply 3,0 %

6% 4%

North

9% North East

Water Supply

$314.4 million to be spared in health care every year.

In the same event, representatives from sanitation-related companies

16% North East

8% South

4%

Central West

Sanitation & Hygiene

argued that only 1,600 of the country’s 5,570 municipalities have at least one sewage treatment station, and 100 million Brazilians still have no access

Across the country, more than 35 million Brazilians lack adequate facilities for the safe disposal of human waste

Brazil is viewed as a pro-ecology country, however, only 46.8 per cent of the country’s population has sewage services and only 62.9 per cent of the sewage is treated. In other words, only 29.44% of the sewage produced by around 200 million inhabitants is collected and treated.

That is a shocking number. In the last survey conducted by the World Bank regarding the development of sanitation, Brazil was ranked 112th.

If you look at the country’s more populated cities, the issue becomes even more dramatic. If we take the urban population alone, around 55 per cent have access to sewage collection, while only 34.6 per cent have their sewage treated. There are 22 municipalities in the State of Rio de Janeiro, like Paraty, where sewage collection is non-existent. That’s right, zero per cent. Even in large capital cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, collection varies from 78 per cent-96 per cent and treatment from 72 per cent - 80 per cent.

Besides being a case of public health, sanitation is one of the key contributing factors to quality of life, and a major factor in the extreme inequality in the country. From the public health and productivity point of view, in 2012 alone, around $560 million was spent in hours paid and not worked by employees who were absent due to stomach infections.

By focusing on Brazil’s sanitation issues the country’s overall economy would be greatly improved. Forecast project that the universalisation of sanitation in Brazil could create around 120,000 jobs, with revenues

Globe

Nov 12 - 18, 2018 Incredible Challenge

Proportion of Population served

Access to basic water and to hygiene is over 80 % in Brazil 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

Urban Basic water supply Safely managed sanitation

Rural

Safely managed water supply Handwashing station, soap & water

Basic sanitation Fixed point defecation

Brazil’s Water And Sanitation Crisis

B

razil has a large population – 207 million people. While access to safe water and sanitation has increased since 2010, there are still deep inequalities in access among the country’s geographical regions, rural and urban communities and households.

Currently, there are five million people without access to safe water and 25 million without proper sanitation. For those who do have access to safe water, the water supply downtime, disruption in service and deficiencies in drinking water systems remain challenging.

At the same time, there is a

of more than $970 million. Better sewage and water services could also contribute to the appreciation of property prices, with estimates of property appreciation reaching around $90 billion.

A country of Brazil’s size and importance to the Latin American region, needs to better by its entire population, not just the wealthy.

More awareness needs to be created in order to drive this initiative to the forefront of political debate. These issues around sanitation equality

growing set of financial institutions with interest in expanding their services to offer solutions for water and sanitation needs to people in need. With microfinance expanding, Brazil is a market well-suited for our WaterCredit solution.

Six major actions to ensure an aggressive approach to progress include: 1. Continue to channel adequate public and private resources mainly to urban sanitation and hygiene, and to rural water and sanitation and hygiene 2. Scale-up strategies to eliminate open defecation in rural areas and improve access to basic sanitation levels 3. Identify and better target resources to improve coverage for vulnerable groups 4.

Increase regulatory oversight in urban water supply and improve quality in order to achieve the new standards for safely managed services and enable utilities to be attractive for additional financing 5. Improve revenue collection and ring-fence financing for operating and maintenance costs 6. Promote escalation of good governance practices among public utilities.

should be the next battle in Brazil.

Total social inclusion in terms of sanitation, education and healthcare, should be the next major issue tackled.

Until sanitation is improved, Brazil will never reach its full potential as one of the leading world powers.

Brazilian authorities say they are working to improve sanitation, especially for the country’s urban poor who live in slums or favelas but a recession and political turmoil has hampered the government’s investment ability.

07

Two Indian Women’s Mission To Circumnavigate Globe Phase 1 of the Colors-WE! The expedition has now been completed and the circumnavigation will resume soon

Agency

K

eithair Misquitta is on a mission along with Aarohi Pandit to become the first Indian women to circumnavigate the globe in an ultra-light motor glider.

She says it is not an easy mission.

Pandit and Misquitta are flying a Light Sports Aircraft from the Tropic to the Arctic -- India to Greenland.

Their journey in a tiny single-engine, two-seater plane weighing less than 500 kg, over deserts, mountains, plains and oceans, is part of a daring circumnavigation attempt in the world.

Phase 1 of the Colors-WE! The expedition has now been completed and the circumnavigation will resume soon.

Talking about the journey so far, Misquitta told: “It was incredible. We had a chance to fly to places no one has ever been to, met so many kind and wonderful people. The journey wasn’t always easy, but we had the experience of a lifetime.”

What are the lessons they

stumbled upon?

“The most important lessons were to keep going, and wait for your turn. The weather may not always be supportive, but if you are patient enough you will find a way out,” Misquitta said.

Pandit, 22, and Misquitta 24, both Indian CPL and LSA licence holders, set course westward on July 30 from Patiala, flying a Pipistrel Sinus 912 aircraft across Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat stopping in Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Serbia, Slovenia, Germany, France, UK, Iceland and Greenland and overflying Croatia, Bulgaria and Austria.

Misquitta says the challenges have revolved around the weather and unfamiliar terrain.

“We had to be extra prepared since this was the first time either of us had flown like this. We spoke to other pilots at airports, looked through various apps to anticipate the terrain and weather, and did as much studying and research as we could rather than be at the mercy of the forecasts which can change really fast.”

02 08

Tourism

Nov 12 - 18, 2018 Darjeeling

Slump-Battered Tea Gardens In Darjeeling Embrace Tea Tourism In A Big Way Some famous tea gardens have developed tourist retreats that are certain to floor you on the spot

T

Prasanta Paul

ired of checking into hotels and missing the mist and aroma of Darjeeling? Here is a lucrative option the slump-hit tea estates in Darjeeling have started offering you. True, you need to have deep pockets, but for the first time, iconic tea producers of the hills have opened their doors to the visitors weighed down by corporate muscle flexing, erratic quarterly results or an unexpected rise in the GST bills. Some famous tea gardens have developed tourist retreats that are certain to floor you on the spot.

The tea tourism has just arrived with a bang in Darjeeling. What the retreats have on offer? An affluent visitor would get everything on the platter a five-star property will offer – spa, wellness, yoga, tea testing, and a fantastic view of the hills laced with greenery of the tea gardens. The big gardens like Goodricke, Ambootia, Jungpana and Orange Valley are in various stages of completion, the existing players like Chamong and Goomtee have embarked on a massive expansion. The Durga Pujas in October had drawn a record number of visitors this year in the wake of a complete revival of the peace process in the three hill subdivisions.

The tourism industry which is the mainstay of the hoteliers and the locals, has shown tremendous growth.

The state government, in tandem with the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council(DGHC), has pitched in with some key development packages as a result of which the hotel owners and the associated tourist bodies based out of the hills, have done good business this year, defeating neighbouring Sikkim. Coming as it does in the wake of deep concerns over the business viability of tourism industry in the Darjeeling hill areas after nearly a couple of years of protracted agitation for a separate state, tea gardens have been looking for newer avenues to boost their revenues, having suffered losses owing to the agitation. Hence, tea tourism has emerged as one of the safest options for the gardeners to push ahead.

The famous tea estates of Darjeeling have come up with a distinct expansion plan through organic tea tourism This apart, union commerce secretary Anup Wadhawan who was recently in Kolkata to address the 135th Annual General Meeting of the Indian Tea Association (ITA), the apex body of the tea producers, stressed on the need for benchmarking itself against the best and modern practices in order to equip the industry leaders with due features to face the steep competition in the international market. New branding of tea, value addition and a revamped marketing strategy besides a new e-auctioning method were among other strategies that came up for discussion in the AGM. There was unanimity of opinion among the industry leaders on the need to bring in growth as it is essential to explore new export markets and a fast-changing consumption pattern has made it imperative for the growers to evolve.

However, for all this, the gardens would require to invest; and this is

where the need for tea tourism is growing.

The famous tea estates of Darjeeling have come up with a distinct expansion plan through organic tea tourism. For instance, Goodricke group has been on an overdrive to refurbish its heritage bungalows in Thurbo and Margaret Hope estates and the plan is to completely upgrade them into resorts. Goodricke is investing close to Rs 2 crores for a complete revamp of its bungalows.

Interestingly, these estate owners are not very keen to turn hoteliers themselves; rather, they like to hand over the properties to professional bodies on a yearly contract after upgrading them to match the global standard.

Makaibari Tea Estate, one of the famous gardens in Darjeeling known for its exotic quality of tea which is exported all over the world, has decided to hand over the resort to Bengal Ambuja and Taj Hotels will be

running it. Tea connoisseurs across the world are already aware of the quality of tea produced in this estate.

“The visitors in our estate will be treated with a rare walk through our magnificent gardens; the forested path in the backdrop of the majestic Kanchenjunga and adjoining peaks will be an added attraction for the early morning walkers,” one of the spokesmen of the estate said.

Two other picturesque gardens that recently changed hands – Jungpana and Goomtee – from the Kejriwals to planter Sanjay Agarwal, are likely to witness some major changes. “A 16-unit resort will be coming up in Jungpana within two years and the existing four-unit resort at Goomtee will be upgraded to six in view of escalating demand from the tourists,” Agarwal explained.

Another factor that has been influencing the latest trend of organic tea tourism, is a rampant migration of labourers. “Since the bushes are getting old, we’re at times forced to lay off the labourers who migrate to other gardens or other jobs. When we need to hire them, they’re not available,” Sanjay Bansal of Ambootia Group claimed. The group which has several gardens of various sizes in Darjeeling, plans to invest Rs 2 crore in the next couple of years to develop three gardens into resorts and run them commercially to tide over the crisis of cash. The group is currently in talks with an eco-tourism firm to get the project officially started at the earliest.

The other players like Glenburn, Soureni, Singtom and Chamong who have already won the hearts of the tea-travellers, are also on an expansion mode. The Chamong estate wants to be little different; a spacum-wellness yoga centre is what the estate is planning. “We want to offer a different blend of tea tourism in the hills, unlike other hotels or resorts,” said its chairman Ashok Lohia. Given the current boom in tourism in the three hill subdivisions, the gardens are planning it big. However, the biggest rider is peace; if it prevails for a long period, the entire landscape of Darjeeling is poised to change forever and that’s for sure.

Sanitation

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

09 07

Ahmedabad

Swachhata Sammelan

Nine Fined For Urinating In Public

Jharkhand Soon To Become ODF

The drive would continue and the teams would be given specific instructions to catch such offenders SSB BUREAU

W

hat do you do when you have an urgent need to attend to nature’s call in the middle of the road? Do you wait to spot a public toilet or do you just relieve yourself in the middle of the road, hiding behind a bush?

Well, if you thought of the second then get ready to shell out Rs 100 next time you do so. The Solid Waste Department of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has decided to fine anyone found urinating on the road to put an end to this public nuisance.

The AMC’s solid waste management was on a drive to check overflowing litter bins on October 29, when they saw a man urinating on the road and immediately fined him Rs 100. They said that throughout the day, they

fined eight other men.

Director of the Solid Waste Department, Harshad Patel, said, “This is for the first time that the AMC has imposed any fine on those urinating at public places. Though there is a provision for fine, we had never thought of implementing this rule.”

Solanki further said that the drive

would continue and the teams would be given specific instructions to catch such offenders.

A senior AMC official pointed out that there was a need for more pay-anduse public toilets to curb the situation.

He also said that the existing ones are either stinky or in unclean condition and hence, people are reluctant to use them.

We Indians are very good at criticising our country for being dirty.

Yet, we tend to litter on the roads, spit ‘gutkha’ at public spaces and urinate in public. Not only does this make our country filthy, but it also creates a public nuisance. No one wants to see another person attending nature’s call.

If we have to genuinely achieve the status of Swacch Bharat, then it should be our first-hand responsibility as citizens to ensure that public spaces are clean and are treated with respect.

Uma Bharati said that with the present rate of sanitation coverage in Jharkhand, the state will become ODF on its upcoming foundation day, on November 15 Agency

W

ith the current rate of sanitation coverage in Jharkhand, the state will become open defecation free (ODF) by November 15, Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharti said.

Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000, to create a separate state. She was speaking at the ‘Ganga Gram Swachhata Sammelan’ at Rajmahal, Jharkhand.

“Ganga Gram” is a concept to transform the banks of the Ganga river there into ideal villages with emphasis on ODF, solid and liquid waste management, water conservation, groundwater recharge, modern crematorium, tree plantation, and organic and medicinal plant agriculture, a government statement said.

Littering Police

BBMP To Penalise Those Littering B’luru Roads The move comes following the high court’s directive to the civic agency to keep the city clean

T

Agency

he Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike will deploy mobile civic patrol squads, on the lines of the city police’s Hoysala units, to crack down on those dumping garbage on roads at night. To start with, the civic agency will use its Pahari emergency vehicles for the purpose. D Randeep, BBMP special commissioner (solid waste management), issued instructions to this effect to the eight joint commissioners. The move comes following the high court’s directive to the civic agency to keep the city clean. Randeep said the biggest step to help beautify the city is to prevent

people from dumping garbage on roadsides. He said night patrolling will commence and squads have been told to penalise violators.

One wonders why the BBMP did not think of this absurdly simple measure of deploying patrolling squads to deter people from dumping waste on roads before the tongue lashing from the high court. The BBMP does not lack teeth. There are enough laws under which civic agency officials can penalise offenders. Citizens too should ensure public spaces are kept neat and tidy. It stands to reason that if civic agency officials and workers do their jobs diligently and if citizens use a little common sense, the city can remain clean.

In this regard, Bharti stressed upon public participation as a key to making the Ganga bank villages ideal “Ganga Grams”.

“Participate in solid and liquid waste management activities, do not litter around and pollute water sources, and take care of waste management to promote organic farming,” she said. Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, highlighted the societal and financial gains from the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and said that in the past four years, the sanitation coverage has gone up from a low 39 per cent to over 95 per cent in rural areas. Citing reports from organisations such as Unicef and WHO, he said that a family in an ODF village saves on an average Rs 50,000 annually on its medical expenditure. “With such a growth, Swachh Bharat Mission would have saved about three lakh lives by October 2019,” he said.

Bharti also laid the foundation stone of the Maskalaiyya Crematorium and Ghat and the Municipal Waste Water Project at Rajmahal.

10

Interview

NOV 12 - 18, 2018

Compelling journey for Imtiaz Qureshi

Reminiscent of all things synonymous with the bygone era, the times that Qureshi was growing up in were very different from the fast-paced lifestyle of today

He comes from a family of Lucknowi chefs and was brought up amid intense fondness hat began as a nine-yearfor Indian cuisine old’s venture at Krishna corn Siddhi Jain

W

Caterers about eight decades ago in the city of Nawabs turned into an awe-inspiring, lifelong affair with cuisine. Imtiaz Qureshi, a widely admired and adored figure in the Indian culinary space, has served lip-smacking delicacies to several heads of state and government, and other luminaries.

The 87-year-old chef, in an interview, revealed that he took the culinary plunge at a very early age. Reminiscent of all things synonymous with the bygone era, the times that Qureshi was growing up in were very different from the fastpaced lifestyle of today. He comes from a family of Lucknowi chefs and was brought up amid intense fondness for Indian cuisine.

“Jis zamane mein humne aur

humare baap dadao ne kaam shuru kiya, us zamane mein shaadiya five star mein nahi hoti thi. Baarat ghar pe aati thi, chaahe voh jhopde ke andar ho ya mahal ke andar. Tent shamiyane, tamboo yahi lagte the, aur ussi maidan mein khana bhi banta tha,” he recalled, pointing out that there were no five star hotels during those days and marriages used to be held at homes, whether it was a hut or a palace.

And food -- for all intents and purposes-- is central to Indian marriages. So here was young Qureshi cooking at Krishna Caterers in Lucknow, hopping from one marriage to another and charming the appetite of his customers.

His salary was barely Rs 100 but the young lad had little to bother for one could buy a complete meal at just one or two rupees during those days.

“Even after spending a significant amount of money to buy a meal for just one person, there is little satisfaction to one’s taste buds today,” he lamented.

But destiny had greater plans for the chef-in-the-making. As it turned out, Krishna Caterers used to serve food to the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Chandra Bhanu Gupta, who served three terms.

What followed is vividly scripted in his memory. One introduction led to the next and, along the journey, Qureshi began scaling heights in the

culinary world, reviving a taste for regal dishes.

His name would soon be at the tip of the tongues of influential political leaders. “When I worked for Krishna Caterers in Lucknow, Jawaharlal sahab (former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru) used to frequent Uttar Pradesh a lot. We were hired to serve him,” he said.

Taking us back into the dining room of Chandra Bhanu Gupta, he recalled that once during Nehru’s visit, he was instructed to prepare a vegetarian meal for him, President Zakir Hussain and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The then young chef racked his brains and cooked vegetarian dishes, which, at least in appearance and odour, resembled the opposite. Bottle gourd and jackfruit was used to prepare dishes which looked like “fish musallam” and “murgh musallam”.

“When the table was set, Nehruji read the menu aloud and exclaimed about the ‘daawat’ (feast). There was a moment of panic and I was summoned, when I spilled the beans about the trick, leading to a good laugh about my ‘gustaakhi’ (mischief),” the maven quipped.

Qureshi, a retired grand master chef at ITC Hotels, is primarily known for reinventing “Dum Pukht” and “Dal Bukhara”.

Elaborating, he said that the former, a process of slow-cooking in a sealed “handi”, is something that needed research to be revived, requiring him to even pore over old Urdu manuscripts for the recipes, while the latter, another slow-cooking process, allows ingredients to simmer over coal fires for hours at a stretch.

The taste of dishes prepared by these methods has millions of fans but the experience of serving nawabs, maharajas, presidents and prime ministers is something not every chef gets. It has indeed been an incredible journey for Qureshi, who today sports a long moustache, complimenting his full, grey beard.

State-news

nov 12-18, 2018

11 07

Nishulka beti vahini

Stree-Dhan: Jaipur Couple Buys Bus With PF Money He used 75 per cent of his PF to offer free bus service for college girls; this man’s story will leave you teary-eyed SSB BUREAU

P

a e diat r ician Rameshwar Prasad Yadav, a government doctor who has used his general provident fund and his savings to buy a white Tata Starbus for Rs 19 lakh, is the man of the hour. This bus is exclusively for women and provides free rides to and from college for girls of Churi, Pawal, Kayampura Baas and Banethi in Rajasthan’s Jaipur district.

In the world where everyones priority is self-development, Dr RP Yadav’s selfless act is winning thousand hearts Dr RP Yadav, hailing from Kotputli in rural Rajasthan did something extraordinary which changed the life of 40 and more girls. While most of us plan to save PF money for old days, this man did not give a second thought and break his PF of Rs 19 lakh to buy a bus for college-going girls.

On a heavy downpour day when Yadav and his wife gave a lift to five girls, they came to know about the tragic situation about how these girls travel to their college. As there

was no means of transport, the girls had to walk to college every day.

This conversation also made Yadav aware of the constant eve-teasing

Thanks to his large-heartedness, 40 girls from places like Ramnagar and Bhopalpura are able to travel to college free of cost n SSb bureau

F

Madhya Pradesh

Debut Of Women In CRPF CRPF is the only Paramilitary force in the nation to have six Mahila (ladies) Battalions

the girls had to face on their daily commute.

Extremely disheartened by the situation, he broke his PF and

or the primary time within the historical past of Madhya Pradesh, the Central Reserve Police Drive (CRPF) has deployed its ladies personnel in Bhopal, Indore and Ujjain to assist police keep regulation and order in the course of the elections.

CRPF IG (MP sector) PK Pandey told one company of women cops has been deployed in three cities. “They are performing their duty sincerely whatever task is assigned to them. This is the first time that we have deployed women force for elections in MP,” said Pandey. Total 90 women cops up to the rank of DSP have been deployed in the three cities.

When asked why ladies cops had

been deployed in three districts solely, Pandey stated, “CRPF deploys ladies cops when their companies are sought by the native police. We are going to deploy extra ladies personnel if there’s a demand.” He stated they’ve shaped an election cell to execute duties.

Ladies personnel had been first recruited by CRPF in 1986-87.

Since then they’ve been performing totally different duties equally nicely like males.

Citing the instance of Chhattisgarh, Pandey stated, “Now we have a full ladies battalion functioning in Chhattisgarh.

The battalion additionally has commandoes. They’ve been doing a superb job there.”

Girl personnel stated that for them it’s their responsibility.

bought a bus for college-going girls.

Thanks to his large-heartedness, 40 girls from places like Ramnagar and Bhopalpura are able to travel to college free of cost. The doctor called the same five girls who had first made him aware of the situation to perform the puja for the bus.

He wanted to get the bus delivered before the session but due to a shortage at the agency, it was delivered after 19 days. But it’s better late than never.

Doctor Rameshwar Prasad Yadav and his wife Tarawati lost their daughter, Hemlata, when she was just six months old in 1976. The couple thought they would have invested around Rs 20 lakhs on their daughter’s education & wedding, so why not provide this ‘nishulka beti vahini’ to these girls.

Dr Yadav has done many good deeds to serve society, and everyone, including his colleagues at the medical department, is aware of it.

He is also associated with the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign and is working to create awareness about it.

“CRPF is, without doubt, one of the most disciplined forces within the nation. We’re solely performing our responsibility. We’re doing, whatever we’re asked to maintain law and order,” a cop stated.

Notably, since May 2018, over 240 women combatants as part of the 743-strong Bastaria battalion being raised by the CRPF had joined men from the force fighting Maoists deep in the jungles of South Bastar.

CRPF is the only Paramilitary force in the nation to have six Mahila (ladies) Battalions. Ever since they accomplished their coaching in March 1987, ladies battalions have gained laurels for his or her efficiency in the course of the Meerut riots and later with the IPKF in Sri Lanka.

12

Off-Beat

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

Puu

Book on manual scavenging enlightens young adults Puu is a fascinating, bold, brave and timely book that addresses the issue of manual scavenging Agency

I

n a slim picture-book targeted at young-adult readers, and dedicated to “all the rationality left in the world”, Scholastics “Puu”, tackles the issue of manual scavenging and the stigma associated with it, telling more in its few pages than what similar volumes have done in their lengthy avatars.

Authored by CG Salamander and illustrated by Samidha Gunjal, it is the story of a young girl, with her as the protagonist as well as the narrator, and is told with both caution and liberty.

It is cautious in its narration, as also in its depictions, so as to allow its readers -- young children with their imaginations still unhindered by the whyfores and wherefores of the larger world around -- to find for themselves the story within the story. At the same time, it is liberal in its outlook for it takes on an issue -- far too significant and yet so ignored. But the real beauty of the book lies in the manner that it

is told. “‘Puu is a fascinating, bold, brave and timely book that addresses the issue of manual scavenging. The word ‘Puu’ means flower in Tamil, but in this book, the authors have masterfully given it many layers,’ Shantanu Duttagupta, Publishing Head, Scholastic India, said in a statement.

The authors said that they made a children’s book on manual scavenging because they believed “children have a greater sense of outrage when it comes to the injustices of the world”.

“As adults, we’re desensitised, and we’re more prone to making excuses for social inequalities; that’s why we wrote and illustrated this book in layers. We wanted it to be as much a book for adults as it is for children with stories running in parallel, looming over and buried deep within.

It’s a book to stir conversation and provoke outrage about this deplorable and inhumane practice,” Salamander and Gunjal said in a joint statement.

The young girl in the story faces discrimination, has few friends, is ignored by most people. “And I don’t know why,” she says, adding “It’s not like I care”. It is told from a child’s

point of view and deserves a read.

It is priced at Rs 195, and was conceived at a workshop titled “Children Understand More”, organised by Goethe Institute.

Community facilitate

Social Relationships Key To Improving Learning In Schools Study finds social capital has 3-5 times the impact of funding

Agency

S

trong relationships between teachers, parents and students in schools are more likely to improve student learning capacity than financial support, suggests a new study.

The study found that social capital had a three-to five-times larger effect than financial capital on reading and math scores of primary school children.

Social capital is the name given to the network of relationships between school officials, teachers, parents and the community that builds trust and norms promoting academic achievement.

“We found that money is certainly important. But this study also shows that social capital deserves a larger role in our thinking about cost-effective ways to support students, especially the most vulnerable,” said Roger Goddard, a professor at the Ohio State

University in the US. The study, involved 5,003 students and their teachers in 78 public elementary schools in Michigan.

Teachers completed a questionnaire that measured levels of social capital in their schools and rated how much they agreed with statements like “Parent involvement supports learning here”, “Teachers in this school trust their students” and “Community involvement facilitates learning here”.

Also, the team used performance of state-mandated fourth-grade student based on reading and mathematics tests to measure student learning.

Results showed that on average, schools that spent more money did have better test scores than those that

spent less.

However, the effect of social capital was three times larger than financial capital on math scores and five times larger on reading scores.

“Social capital was not only more important to learning than instructional expenditures, but also more important than the schools’ poverty, ethnic makeup or prior achievement,” Goddard said.

Importantly, while social capital tended to go down in schools as poverty levels increased, there was no major decrease.

“More than half of the social capital that schools have access to has nothing to do with the level of poverty in the communities they serve,” he said.

Off-beat

Nov 12 - 18, 2018 women sailor

transport

Indian Navy To Induct Women In Sailor Rank At present, women are deployed in different branches of the Navy but are not sent to sea SSB BUREAU

I

ndian Navy will soon allow women to join as sailors, and the deployment of women on warships may soon become a reality. The issue of deployment of women on warships, which has been a long pending demand, came up during the threeday Naval Commanders Conference in New Delhi.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while addressing the naval commanders on the final day of the conference, urged the Navy to give impetus to the enrollment of women in the Navy. Responding to Sitharaman,

Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba confirmed that women in sailor rank is one of the key points of the agenda of the ongoing commanders conference.

“Besides sailor rank, inclusion of women in sea going cadre is also being looked at in near future, not immediately,” an officer privy to the development said.

At present, only the Army has decided to induct women as soldiers or jawans, and 800 of them will be recruited for the Corps of Military Police. Currently women are serving as officers in the Army, Indian Air Force (IAF) and Navy. The recruitment of women jawans in the Army will begin

The government is also working towards purchasing more buses

T in a phased manner with the selection and training of 52 candidates every year. The Navy has so far deployed women officers in eight branches, including education, law and naval constructions, where women have been given permanent commission as nonsea going cadre. For the deployment of women in sea, future warships are being modified with ‘suitable facilities’ to accommodate women crew onboard.

The Navy has also deployed 70 women officers as observers or tactical operators on the maritime patrol aircrafts Boeing P-8I and IL-38, which are armed, and it is considered as a combat role.

IIT (M) develops India’s First Microprocessor The Shakti microprocessor can be used in low-power wireless systems and networking systems Agency

R

India, IITM said.

The other crucial aspect of such an indigenous design, development and fabricating approach is reducing the risk of deploying systems that may be infected with back-doors and hardware Trojans.

This development will assume

CCTVs, Panic Button In Delhi Buses Agency

Microprocessor Shakti

esearchers at Indian Institute of TechnologyMadras (IITM) have designed and booted up India’s first microprocessor, Shakti, which could be used in mobile computing and other devices.

According to IITM, the Shakti microprocessor can be used in low-power wireless systems and networking systems besides reducing reliance on imported microprocessors in communication and defence sectors.

The microprocessor can be used by others as it is on par with international standards, researchers said.

The Shakti family of processors was fabricated at Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL), Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO) in Chandigarh, making it the first ‘RISC V Microprocessor’ to be completely designed and made in

13 07

huge significance when systems based on Shakti processors are adopted by strategic sectors such as defence, nuclear power installations, government agencies and departments.

“With the advent of Digital India, there are several applications that require customisable processor cores.

ransport Minister Kailash Gahlot said, “After careful detailing and system design, Delhi government has floated tenders for installation of CCTV, panic buttons and GPS in all DTC and cluster buses...”He called the decision a “big step forward” in making Delhi’s buses the safest public transport system in the country. At present, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is operating 3,750 buses in the national capital and other 1,650 buses are being run under the cluster scheme. Apart from this, the government is also working towards purchasing more buses.

The 180nm fabrication facility at SCL Chandigarh is crucial in getting these cores manufacturers within our Country,” said Prof Kamakoti Veezhinathan, Lead Researcher, Reconfigurable Intelligent Systems Engineering (RISE) Laboratory, Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IITM. According to IITM, Shakti processor family targets clock speeds to suit various end-user application devices such as various consumer electronic devices, mobile computing devices, embedded low-power wireless systems and networking systems, among others.

The project is funded by Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

The impact of this completely indigenous fabrication is that India has now attained independence in designing, developing and fabricating end-to-end systems within the country, leading to self-sufficiency, IITM claimed. With a large percentage of applications requiring sub 200 MhZ processors, the current success paves the way to producing many hand-held and control application devices.

In July 2018, an initial batch of 300 chips, named RISECREEK was produced under Project Shakti, that were fabricated at the Multinational Chip Manufacturer Intel’s facility at Oregon, USA, that successfully booted the Linux operating system. Now, the fabrication has been done in India.

14

International Personality

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

Virginia Woolf

Literary Icon Of Modernism And Feminist Narratives Woolf had the gut to question the society ‘norms’ - the norms which had already decided a girl’s fate in her life

Did You Know…

•As a child, it took Woolf longer than usual to begin speaking coherently.

While she was in the nursery, she was nicknamed “The Goat.”

•Woolf had a fascination with putting pen to paper — literally. Even before she was a teenager, Woolf continually experimented with an array of pens to find the perfect one that would inspire her writing.

•Woolf liked to walk. Her afternoon excursions would involve up to eight miles of climbing hills, hopping over ditches, or crawling through fences.

•Woolf was a staunch pacifist.

•The Woolfs had a pet monkey named Mitz.

•Woolf believed in democratic socialism and consequently became a member of the political movement, the Fabian Society.

•Woolf once said that her death would be the “one experience I shall never describe.”

•Woolf was a difficult shopper, often arguing with shopkeepers over what products they had for sale and what products she imagined they should have for sale.

•Woolf was an ardent fan of attending concerts and the Opera.

•Woolf was highly critical of her friends’ eating habits at the dinner table, often reproving them for eating with either too little grace or too much enthusiasm.

•As a teenager, Woolf became so terrified of people that she blushed when someone spoke to her and was incapable of looking strangers in the eye •One of the things Woolf disliked most in life was being peered at or having someone take her photograph.

•After getting married, Woolf thought she should learn some domestic skills, so she enrolled in a school of cookery. Shortly after, she accidentally baked her wedding ring in a pudding.

“A

n Urooj Fatima

woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”—Virginia Woolf Virginia Woolf ( January 21, 1882 – March 28, 1941) was an early 20thcentury British-born novelist, critic and essayist, part of the Bloomsbury

Group of artists and intellectuals who lived fairly scandalous lives for that era and were responsible for a great deal of modernist thinking. She was best known for works such as Mrs Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and A Room of One’s Own. Woolf was famous for pioneering the stream-of-consciousness method of writing, as well for experimenting with

various forms of narration in her other novels and stories.

Woolf’s novels concentrated on the inner lives of women in a way that was new at the time, although some of her more experimental work is pretty unreadable. Her essays and reviews are probably her better work, though not so groundbreaking artistically. She was an important contributor to feminist thinking and ideas about women writers, particularly with the booklength essays A Room of One’s Own and Three Guineas.

Till date, she is remembered to be one of the boldest modernist classic writers as she raised the question of why women cannot be independent.

Given the era she comes from, women were always taught to be

submissive in nature. They were taught to be at home and make peace with the fact that the breadwinner will always be the man in her family. In all stages of her life, she is, by default, under control of first her father and brothers and then, her husband.

But writers like Woolf had the guts to question the society ‘norms’ - the norms which had already decided a girl’s fate in her life. The norms, so to say, pointed that women will not be allowed to work and even in most cases, pursue education.

Her belief in the oppressive nature of the society on women, did not stop with just one book. Almost every book of hers, puts her women characters to be in a moral dilemma between ‘what is right’ and what she desires.

International Personality

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

15 07

Advice On Creating Memorable Character •Practice character-reading until you can “live a single year of life without disaster.”

•Observe strangers. Let your own version of their life story shoot through your head — how they got where they are now, where they might be going — and fill in the blanks for yourself.

•Eavesdrop. Listen to the way people speak, but pay special attention to their silence •Write characters who are both “very small and very tenacious; at once very frail and very heroic.” Let them have contradictions.

•Write about people who make an overwhelming impression on you.

Let yourself be obsessed.

•A believable character is never just a list of traits or biographical facts.

•Illustrate your characters outside of the superficial standards of their time. Let them be complex.

•Any captivating protagonist should be someone you can imagine in “the center of all sorts of scenes.”

•Find a common ground between you and your characters — “steep yourself in their atmosphere.” Learn to empathize.

•Describe your characters “beautifully if possible, and truthfully at any rate.”

Feminist Icon

Though Woolf wrote extensively about the difficulties women, and particularly female authors, faced, she didn’t become a feminist symbol until the 1970s. As the secondwave feminist movement picked up steam, her works have since garnered much attention and widespread commentary for “inspiring feminism”, an aspect of her writing that was unheralded earlier.

Early days

Born in an affluent household in Kensington, London, she attended the King’s College London and was acquainted with the early reformers of women’s higher education.

Having been home-schooled for the most part of her childhood, mostly in English classics and Victorian literature, Woolf began writing professionally in 1900.

Virginia Woolf was one of four children, born into a gifted family whose ancestors included generations of writers. As a child, Virginia is remembered for her beauty — flamecheeked a green-eyed —as well as her terrible rages, and her precocious command of the language. She was the family storyteller who could make everyone laugh. It was decided early that her sister Vanessa would be a painter and Virginia a writer.

Woolf also had free range over her father’s mammoth library and made the most of it. Reading was her

passion—and an act, like any passion, to be engaged actively, not sampled passively. Early on, she learned to pair literature with vitality and movement, and that sensibility runs throughout her lively critical essays, gathered in numerous volumes.

Family Tragedy

As a child, Woolf suffered a succession of family tragedies in less than a decade, which took a toll on her mental well-being. She lost her mother Julia in 1895 at age 13, her older halfsister Stella two years later, and then her father to stomach cancer in 1904.

Her father’s death turned out to be her breaking point, and Woolf attempted suicide by jumping out a window not long after.

Tragedy Strikes Again

After her father’s death, Woolf and her siblings sold the family home and bought a house in Bloomsbury—a bohemian neighbourhood enjoyed by writers and artists. For a time, she was able to pick up the pieces of her life. She started writing for the Times Literary Supplement, taught at a college close by and read to old ladies.

However, tragedy struck again in 1906, and her brother Thoby contracted typhoid fever while they were on a trip to Greece and passed away upon his return to England. Woolf channelled her grief into her writing, and her 1922 novel Jacob’s Room is said to be inspired by his death.

“Women have served all these centuries as lookingglasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size”

Retreat

Monk’s House, located in the village of Rodmell just south of East Sussex, was an 18th-century cottage purchased by Woolf and her husband in 1919, and it was there that she wrote her most famous novel, Mrs Dalloway. Each day, she would spend three hours writing in a shed in the garden, writing in large notebooks which she bound herself through her printing press. At the end of each day, she would date her work in the margin and cross out the bits she disliked.

Journaling Is Good for the Soul

Woolf had occasionally kept diaries growing up, but beginning at age 33, she started seriously journaling—a practice which she kept up until her death. Her last entry was recorded four days before her suicide, and altogether, she left behind 26 journals written in her own hand.

For Woolf, keeping a journal was a way to practice her craft in a “for her eyes only” setting, and she found it to have numerous creative benefits.

After her death, her husband Leonard published the journals, which offered great insight into her mind and her writing.

Virginia Woolf ’s Books

Virginia Woolf wrote many books including 10 novels and a number

of nonfiction books. Many of these books became and remain bestsellers and have cemented Woolf’s reputation as one of the great writers of the 20th century. Woolf’s novels were written with the stream-ofconsciousness literary technique which focuses more on the character’s inner thoughts than on the plot.

Her works are widely read all over the world and have been translated into more than fifty languages.

Hogarth Press

She published her first novel titled The Voyage Out in 1915, through the Hogarth Press, a publishing house that she established with her husband, Leonard Woolf. Hogarth Press initially published a lot of translations and works on psychoanalysis; they handset the type themselves. The Press is still extant today as an imprint of Random House.

Love for her husband

Despite committing suicide at the age of 59, Woolf had an intimate bond with her husband who helped her through many of her darkest hours.

The letter she left for him in March 1941 revealed as much: “What I want to say is I owe all the happiness of my life to you. You have been entirely patient with me and incredibly good... I don’t think two people could have been happier.”

16

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

Dr Vivek Arya

A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people

Mahatma Gandhi

VIEWPOINT

Writer is a Pediatrician in Najafgarh, Delhi and has an experience of 13 years in this field. His passion is propagation of Vedas

Lala Lajpat Rai Vision Of Dalit Reformation He was critical of maltreatment meted out to Dalits in different parts of the country

The Right Education

Beating it down with your idea of what is education, because your idea of education is social status and money

T

he focus of education should be not to suppress information but to kindle thirst for knowledge. Then you can’t stop the child from learning, he’s going to learn anyway. But instead of kindling that, you’re suppressing it.

Beating it down with your idea of what is education, because your idea of education is social status and money.

So, children who are joyful become sad because you’re just disorienting them with your compulsions.

So, it is you who brought that competition and comparison, because, for most parents, it is not about education, it is about first rank. They’re not interested in learning or education.

The whole effort is how to sit on top of the pile. Isn’t it so?

Everybody cannot sit on top of the pile, only a few can.

Others will naturally end up at the bottom and get suppressed, isn’t it? Whatever the activity, if our focus is just to outdo others, many others will get suffocated under the pile. This is bound to happen; there is no other way. If your attitudes change, the schools will change.

You want your child to get first rank. Schools are just trying to fulfil your requirements. In the course of your activity the child is getting ruined; this is a sickness which has to go. True human capabilities will not find expression in comparison and competition.

When you are trying to race with somebody, you will think only one step ahead of them. You’re not thinking of what is your ultimate potential. We’re just ruining a whole generation of people with the kind of schooling we’re doing.

(Jaggi Vasudev).

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

L

ala Lajpat Rai, Sher-i-Punjab was, indeed a lion both in thought and deed, in what he professed and practised, in his political, social and even economic ideas and ideals, in his sense of service, patriotism and nationalism, in his dealings with the ‘old’ and the ‘new’, the high and the mighty, and the low and the depressed. Issues and problems affecting him a lot and destiny of the Dalits had a special place in his ideas and vision of nationbuilding. He witnessed the Indian society was characterised by status summation i.e. low status in the caste hierarchy itself implied a correspondingly low status in social, religious and economic position. Dalits formed the most indigent, ostracized, apolitical and illiterate section of the Indian society.

During his student-age, Lala Ji was attracted towards Aryasamaj because of its nationalistic outlook, its programme of social reform, its education mission and the spirit of self-sacrifice, selfreliance and self-help that it instilled in the young minds. His views were nurtured by the company of brilliant scholar Pundit Guru Dutt Vidyarthi and Lala Hansraj with whom he later established DAV institutions.

Lala Ji considered the rigidity of Hindu Caste system as the bane of Hindu society and a barrier in the social and national progress of the Hindus. He considered it as a disgrace to humanity, sense of justice and feeling of social affinity. He considered allowing of valuable human resource to rot in a state of utter depression and helplessness as unsound

by all aspects. He was against categorisation of the Indian population in the census on basis of religion, caste, tribe etc. as an attempt by Britishers to implement a divide and rule policy.

He openly condemned Christian missionaries proselytising activities and considered it as regular toll and loss to Hindu society. He said that the missionaries who were posing as social levellers and egalitarians had failed to eradicate caste distinctions and were only building castles in the air. He considered caste and intercaste jealousies as the blockage for national progress.

He was critical of maltreatment meted out to Dalits in different parts of the country. In one of the speeches as president of depressed classes at Gurukul Kangdi, he chided the Rajputs of Hoshiarpur for cruelty to Kabirpanthis, the Brahmans of Jammu for placing a hot plate iron on the body of a Vashisht caste Hindu and people of Ludhiana for not allowing a Ramdasi Hindu to drink water from the municipal tap.

He was critical of Hindu attitude towards untouchables before and after conversion. He said as a Hindu you won’t touch him [Dalit], you would not let him sit on the same carpet with you, you would not offer him water in your cups, you would not accept water or food touched by him, you would not let him enter your temple, in fact you would not treat him like a human being. The moment he becomes a Mohammedan or a Christian, without even giving up his ancestral occupation, you are all smiles to him, you welcome him to your home; and have no objection at times to offer him a

The social and national efficiency of a nation can never be achieved until hard steps are not taken to eradicate the evils of caste system

Nov 12 - 18, 2018 drink and food in your utensils etc.

What an irony? What a paradox? Why and where did the so much boasted of tolerance of the Hindus disappear, the moment that tolerance was demanded by the classes lower in the social scale?

Was that Hinduism? No, he believed that I was nothing but disgrace to the good name of Hinduism.

Lala Ji pressed on levelling down of all equalities and wanted that the reformation must begin from below.

He supported the Varna system and rejected the caste system. He pointed out that the Hindus had established their caste system (Varna system) on basis of work, merit and disposition.

The division was founded on justice and the needs and principles of the community. But afterword’s the classification became purely a matter of birth and the institution of caste was clothed with a divine sanction to the glory of the Brahman and the desecration of the Shudra.

Lala Ji supported the Aryasamaj concept of Shuddhi of Dalits who were made non-Hindu by force or incentive in past. Aryasamaj motive was not only to water down the apartheid character of the caste super-structure of the Hindu society by asserting that individual’s caste status was always achieved and not ascribed, and by reclamation, reconversion and Shuddhi, the Aryasamaj put the Dalits at a slightly higher social substratum, but it also made systematic and sustained efforts to make the untouchables coalesce in the society as an agreeable section. Aryasamaj was instrumental in providing ageold deprived facilities like water, education, technical training and thus economic uplift. The main idea behind this exercise was the eradication of evils of the caste system and the creation of Hindu Sangathan. The social work done

by Aryasamaj in different famines and the opening of orphanages for orphans was another achievement to his works.

The inter-caste marriages and widow remarriage was like a social revolution in caste-ridden society. Opening of school, college and Gurukul both for boys as well as girls where education was provided irrespective of caste differentiation was turning point in the field of education.

In nutshell, Lala ji had a very soft corner for the dalits and his remedial measures had the stamp of his own making. The social and national efficiency of a nation can never be achieved until hard steps are not taken to eradicate the evils of caste system.

The dream of Lala ji is still unfilled even after 68 years of independence because of lack of political will. Today caste is withering but casteism is flourishing.

The evil of casteism must be destroyed from our minds to unite humanity.

OpEd

17

Dinesh C Sharma

Opinion

An award winning journalist, columnist and writer, He has won the Computer History Museum Book Prize for 2016

3D Scanning Technology Can Tell How Clean Indian Cities Are The new method is cost-effective and could readily be used by municipal bodies across the country to estimate the waste collection efficiency at neighbourhood level, say experts

A

t any given point, the national capital has about 5.57 lakh tons of municipal solid waste illegally dumped on the roadside or in open plots. This is 62 times higher than the daily municipal solid waste generated in the city, according to a new study.

The estimate has been arrived at by using a new method that deploys 3D sensor scanning technology to quantify the mass of illegally dumped municipal solid waste, combined with ‘urban transect’ sampling technique.

The method can not only help estimate the volume of waste piles but also the type of waste dumped – debris, plastic, biodegradable and so on.

For scanning of waste dumped on roadside, researchers used USBpowered handheld scanner based on very short-range scanning technology.

Using high definition colour cameras and a highly sensitive infrared projector, this technology allows scanning any objects with precise volume measurement. The scanners were taken around street-by-street in four localities representing different socio-economic strata – Jangpura extension, Brijpuri, Bhogal and Safdarjung Enclave. The data was then extrapolated for the whole city.

The commercially available scanners are normally used for creating images for 3D printers so that those objects can be printed. “Since we were using these scanners for the first time for measuring municipal solid waste, we validated the 3D sensors before deploying into the field. Objects having different regular and irregular shapes with a known volume were scanned by 3D sensor and compared with real volume of the object. The difference found was less than 1%,” explained Dr Ajay Singh Nagpure from the University of Minnesota,

who conducted the study in Delhi. The results of the study have been published in journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling.

“Since we were using these scanners for the first time for measuring municipal solid waste, we validated the 3D sensors before deploying into the field.”

The study estimated the amount of illegally dumped municipal solid waste on the roadside or in open plots in four neighborhoods with different economic status for estimating annual municipal waste collection efficiency.

As per official estimates, the annual average waste collection efficiency in the city is 83 percent, meaning this much municipal solid waste is collected and transported to landfill. But the study has found that the collection efficiency differs from locality to locality and is linked with the economic status. It is 67% in poor localities, while it is up to 99 percent in higher income areas.

The difference is due to better waste management infrastructure including door-to-door waste collection, waste collection centers and municipal street sweepers in higher income colonies.

On the other hand, poor localities only depend on municipal street sweepers and trucks for collecting the waste and, there is no door-to-door waste collection.

The composition of illegally dumped of municipal solid waste also differs significantly across all wealthy and poor neighborhoouds.

High quantity of inert material construction material and debris - were found in higher income localities while

more food material and plastic was observed in a poor areas.

Any waste that was dumped in open areas and plots other than the community dump or dhalao was considered illegal in the study. “It is true that illegally dumped waste also makes its way to the landfill, wherever there is public outcry. In the study, the estimated illegally accumulated dumped waste includes both timeto-time removal (to the landfill) and dumping of waste,” Dr Nagpure explained.

The municipal solid waste collection efficiency in most Indian cities ranges from 50 to 90 percent of per day generated MSW. The remaining waste is left uncollected every day, resulting in accumulation of a large quantity of waste on roadside and open plots in cities.

Dr Nagpure said the new method is cost-effective and could readily be used by municipal bodies across the country to estimate the waste collection efficiency at neighbourhood level, which, in turn, could help in designing appropriate policies. Till now there was no field method available to estimate municipal solid waste collection efficiency at the neighbourhood level.

18

Photo Feature

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

‘Sulabh-Green’ Diwali Thru The Lens

Vrindavan widows gather to celebrate clean Diwali amid pollution concerns Photo: Montu

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

Photo Feature

19 07

20

Gender

NOV 12 - 18, 2018

battling all odds

A Crusader Against Child Marriages Kriti Bharti has been fighting injustice since before she was born. This is her story Archana Sharma

H

er struggle for survival began even before she was born. Her own family members wanted to kill her in her mother’s womb after her father abandoned them. Rajasthanbased Kriti Bharti had been fighting ever since – which eventually led her to battle for those who are are let down by their families and forced to get married as children.

Born prematurely at seven months, she first fought for her own survival; then she fought her family which considered her to be a curse. And now she has been fighting for years against child marriages despite facing death and rape threats.

While Kriti’s mother decided to have her as it was too risky to go for an abortion, her personal struggles were not over as she was constantly tormented by her relatives. Owing to some medical complications, she got stuck in the womb, due to which she had serious head wounds.

“This was my first struggle – to survive in this world. Born against the will of my relatives, I had to face torture and taunts in my childhood.

When my mother went out to work, I was ill-treated and mentally tortured by my relatives who said I had bad blood,” Kriti told.

“Some relatives went to the extent of changing their paths to avoid seeing my face (thinking she brought ill-luck),” she recounted sadly.

While such experiences scarred her psyche, it was her mother Indu and grandparents, Nemichand and Krishna Mahnot, who supported her, becoming pillars of strength.

But the social torture crossed all limits when one of her relatives gave her slow poison when she was just 10 years old. Even as she survived, the poison paralysed her body, save her head and a hand.

“I could not sit, walk, stand or even change sides while sleeping.

About 90 per cent of my body became insensitive. Despite being taken to

Besides working for annulment of child marriages, she also works for rehabilitation of child labourers, victims of child trafficking and child abuse several hospitals, nothing worked,” she said.

During this traumatic time, her mother took her to Reiki teacher Brahmanand Saraswati’s ashram in Bhilwara where several Reiki (a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing) sessions led to some improvement.

For the second time in her life, she had to again learn to walk. At 11, she was able to crawl like a toddler. Then she learnt how to sit and walk with some support. At the age of about 12, she could again stand on her own feet and started walking.

But traumatised by her childhood memories, Kriti was disenchanted from the world, gave up everything and changed her last name to Bharti, becoming the “daughter of Bharat (India)”. She learnt the Reiki art of healing while also learning Yoga practices.

After being counseled by her mother and her teacher Brahmanand Saraswati, she resumed her education and appeared for open board exams after a gap of four years and skipping six standards.

“With regular 15 to 16 hours study, I cleared my class X exams, followed by class XII and then did my graduation, post graduation and doctorate in psychology from Jai Narayan Vyas University in Jodhpur.”

After her doctorate, she set out on her mission to work for the welfare of stigmatised children and women and now has a dream to make Rajasthan child marriage-free.

After freeing many girl children from child marriages, she has become the guardian and mother of such “balika vadhus” (child brides).

In 2012, she started Saarthi trust in Jodhpur and is now a rehabilitation psychologist and managing trustee of the organisation.

“With a firm pledge to eradicate child marriages in the country, I prevented dozens of child marriages. But such marriages continued and innocent children were forced to follow traditions, thus wasting their lives,” she said.

Faced with the challenge of finding a solution, Kriti turned her attention to a legal remedy and discussed the situation with legal experts and came up with the idea of annulment of such illegal child marriages.

“Annulment of child marriage means the marriage which took place years ago is made legally null and void. After annulment, the boys and girls who tied the knot of child marriage years ago are freed from this bond,” she explained.

A victim of child marriage, Laxmi Sargara, came to Kriti seeking help and her marriage was successfully annulled -- a first in the country, setting a precedent for future cases. This also brought national and international fame to Kriti and her organisation.

Not only did she find a place in several record books for the first annulment of a child marriage in the country, her campaign also found a place in the syllabus of class XI and XII of Central Board of Secondary Education.

Once infamous for the highest number of child marriages in the country, Kriti’s campaign is slowly bringing about a change in Rajasthan, especially Jodhpur, which tops the list in the country for the most number of child marriage annulments.

Kriti’s efforts have helped annul 36 child marriages so far, which took place years ago. She has also created a record of preventing thousands of child marriages, finding a place in record books like Limca Book of Records and World Records India, and Unique Book of World Records.

In 2016, her name was once again registered in World Record India, India Book of Records and Unique World Records for nullifying three child marriages in three days.

Besides working for annulment of child marriages, she also works for rehabilitation of child labourers, victims of child trafficking and child abuse. She also works for the rehabilitation of women. Till now she has rehabilitated more than 6,000 children and more than 5,500 women.

“I face many brutal attacks and threats but I continue working for the protection of girls. Being a woman, I received rape threats several times, but I stood firm,” she said.

At the international level, Pixel Project ranked her seventh in the list of role models, and her organisation Saarthi was ranked 10th in the global list.

With grit and determination, she continues to pursue her life’s goals.

Culture

NOV 12 - 18, 2018

21 07

pottery

Roots Of A Delicate Art An art that is fading both from the minds of the people and the marketplace

Pankhuri Johri

O

ne of the few art forms that had been started from the early ages and is still present, in an evolved version is “Pottery”.

In the bookish language, it can be defined as, the delicate art of making pots, dishes and other everyday articles from fired clay.

This art has been practised in India since the 2600 to 1700 BC, that means this art was present even during the Indus Valley civilization.

Traces of pottery vessels have even been found during the archaeological excavation at the early human settings Mohenjodaro and Harappa.

The fact that such vessels were present even at the very beginning of our civilization, points out to the fact that clay pottery has been a huge part of the lives of the people both by functioning as a source of livelihood as well as an art that creates useful utensils such as plates, glasses, cups, and even saucepans.

The art of pottery has evolved a lot since its beginning in the Neolithic Age of pottery. During this period the pots and other utensils were all made by hands without the help of the potter’s wheel, and that led it to have a rough exterior. They were made with a mixture of clay, sand and mica and were devoid of any colour and decorations.

During the Indus Valley Civilization, the humans started making instruments to help them in their day to day chores; pottery also saw advancement by the invention of the potter’s wheel.

Pottery at that time used to be simple and featured the use of colours such as red, black and green. Also, an interesting fact that popped up after examining various vessels that were excavated was that none of them had handles or spouts. Pottery plaques were also discovered and have been compared to the wooden plaques, that may have been for writing purposes.

As the Civilization moved into the Vedic period, it meant that now the

potted on a fast wheel and was made of fine-grained clay.

The black colour achieved by the pots was due to the application of an emulsion of fine clay and plant juice to the dried pots and then being fired again. Large people were being ruled by This art needs to be and heavy kings and the entire nation propagated amongst utensils were was divided into numerous not made kingdoms. Hence, the the youth and using this pottery saw a shift from should be given its pottery and being raw and being used due respect and hence it by common people to importance or else was mostly being sophisticated and for intended for the royalty. This period was it may die out the elite of the ruled by the Painted Grey Ware society. pottery. The pottery items made After the Northern were painted grey in colour and were Black Polished Ware pottery extremely fine in nature. The walls came to the Red Polished Ware of the pots made could basically be pottery, this was widely found in compared to being eggshell thin. Such Gujarat, Rajasthan and West Bengal. fine pottery made it evident that there This pottery showcased the influence must have been highly the Northern Black Polished Ware. It specialised craftsmen mainly specialised in creating domestic to make this type of vessels such as cooking pots etc but in pottery and these may certain areas, sprinkler and spouted either have been used water jars were also created. for religious purposes The current era of blue pottery that or for the royalties. is popular in Jaipur, has its roots in the After the system Turks Mughal period of pottery. As of being ruled by the Mughal rulers encouraged potters kings and queens ended, our country from Persia, Central Asia and the opened up to the global influence Middle East to come and settle in our and that was very visible on all the land. During this era, painted pottery products that were manufactured started trending and is still in use. during that age. The Iron Age culture The pottery being done over the paved way for the Northern Black past few years is known as Terracotta Polished Ware pottery; it was seen as Pottery. The term “Terracotta” a sign of advancement of our country refers to “Baked Earth”. This type of towards urbanisation and the use of pottery is usually used to create flower iron. The pottery during this age was

pots, bricks, roofing tiles etc and is mostly brownish-orange in colour.

The products created by terracotta pottery are porous in nature. In the past terracotta was also used to create idols of gods and goddesses for temples as well as for commercial purposes.

The art which had started out of usefulness in order to create vessels of different kinds then turned out to be a source of livelihood, but now this art is diminishing and it would not be long that the few potters left would also diminish, making this delicate art just another part of our history.

Pottery in recent years is facing extreme competition from plastics and metals. Although the urban potters are coming up with modern designs and techniques to still have a place in the market, rural potters are barely able to make a living out of pottery anymore.

Pottery may be a measure of the kind of evolution our country has undergone since the beginning of civilization. As it has changed, in accordance with the change of an era in India. It reflects the influences our culture has had from other cultures and from the various hardships our country has faced. The end of pottery would mark the end of another era in our country’s history.

Pottery, nowadays, it not pursued by anyone as a career or profession but rather as a hobby, something that they can do to, while away their free time. So for those who wish to learn the art of moulding clay to form beautiful objects, there are various places opening up in India where one can explore or visit to get a taste of the art.

This art needs to be propagated amongst the youth and should be given its due respect and importance or else it may die out even sooner than we think.

22

Society

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

Assam

Air pollution

Now Air Filter On Buses To Counter Delhi’s Pollution

The buses clean atmospheric air through filters Pariyayantra fitted on their roof Agency

U

nion Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan flagged off five buses fitted with air-filters, which trap the pollutants in the air, as a pilot project.

He along with his Delhi counterpart Imran Husaain also formed 52 rapid action teams consisting of over 250 officials from the Centre and Delhi government to control air pollution and check environment-related offences for the next few days.

Designed by Faridabad-based Manav Rachna Innovation and Incubation Centre (MRIIC), the project proposes to ply 30 more such buses in Delhi. The buses flagged off are meant to carry school children.

The buses clean atmospheric air through filters --Pariyayantra -fitted on their roof. The filters don’t require any power to operate and are equivalent to filtration provided by six room air-filters, said the developers from MRIIC. The developers said these air filter

units can be mounted on the roof of any vehicle, including auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers.

“As the vehicle moves, air passes through the holes in front of the device. During experiments, we found the filters can trap up to 98 per cent of the particulate matter,” said Prof. BS Gill, leader of the research team.

Meanwhile, the minister raised concern over deteriorating Delhi’s air quality, saying “the weather conditions, stubble-burning and festival season will deteriorate it further”.

The minister flagged off 52 teams comprising over 250 officials from the Ministry, Delhi government and

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

Of 52 teams, 44 will report to 33 SDMs posted in Delhi. The Ministry officials said that more than one team is being posted at the pollution hotspot, like Rohini and Dwarka.

“Pollution rises around Diwali and it is important to check it. While many teams of CPCB are already active, 44 additional teams will monitor different regions of Delhi, while 8 teams will be active in NCR cities to keep a check on garbage burning, construction and others,” said Harsh Vardhan.

The Minster said in the wake of the toxic air of Delhi and NCR, several teams have recommended that rules on construction activity and garbage burning are strictly adhered to.

“On the implementation scale of 10, Delhi scores 4.63, Noida 7.36, Faridabad 5.01, Gurugram 3.93 and Ghaziabad 3.77 (the higher the score, better is the implementation of antipollution measures),” the minsiter said.

BSF motorcyclist

Seven World Records In Five Days Team Captain Janbaz, created two world records in ‘riding on fuel tank free hand driving’ and ‘back riding standing on ladder’ Agency

B

order Security Force’s (BSF) trick riding team ‘JANBAZ’ created two world records on October 31, making total seven world records since October 15.

Inspector Awadhesh Kumar Singh, team Captain Janbaz, created two world records in ‘riding on fuel tank free hand driving’ and ‘back riding standing on ladder’ on his 350CC Royal Enfield Bullet.

The first record of free hand tank riding was made by riding for 66.1 kms in 1hour 21 minutes and 25 seconds.

Sing broke the older record held by Indian Army Dare Devil for riding 46.9

km in 1 hour 27 mins.

The second record was made by backward riding on a ladder at 3.6 meters ladder height for 68.2 Km in 2 hr 11 min 18 sec.

“BSF ‘Janbaz’ team has initiated their dedicated venture of setting new world records on 15th Oct’ 2018 on the birthday of Bharat Ratna Abdul Kalam and took it to culmination on National Unity Day on the birthday of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel,” said a statement from BSF. On October 15, BSF’s Constable (CT) Sudhakar and Ct Shashi Kumar A made new world record by Side Riding sitting for 105.2 Km covered in 03 hrs 13 min 27 sec. On October 17, Head Constable Sanjeevan Kumar and CT

Prosenjit NR Dev set record by sitting on tail light for 143.4 Km covered in 3 Hrs 21 Min 58 Sec. On October 22, Constable Sunil Yadav and Constable Arjun Singh made a record by ‘standing on seat-bracket riding and Carrying One Adult Man on shoulder’ on Royal Enfield 350cc bike for 19.850 km covered in 41 Min 12 Sec. The same day HC Ramphal Singh made a record for left-side standing on foot rest riding on Royal Enfield 350 CC for 77.6 km covered in 2 hrs 11 min 05 sec.

On October 24, Constable Ravinder Minde created a world record by double-back riding sitting for 64.3 km covered in 2 hrs 10 min 57 sec.

Don Bosco Varsity Gets ‘University Of The Year’ Award The ADBU received the prestigious award among all the universities in India, which are in existence for one to ten years Agency

T

he Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU) has been honoured with ‘University of the Year’ award by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry at the 14th FICCI Higher Education Summit 2018: A Global Conference & Exhibition.

The ADBU received the prestigious award among all the universities in India, which are in existence for one to ten years. The award was received

by Pro Vice-Chancellor, Fr Joseph Nellanatt, on behalf of the university.

R Subrahmanyam, SecretaryHigher Education, MHRD, gave away the awards to 13 educational institutions and eminent personalities in the field of education.

“It is indeed a proud moment for our university, which also received a certificate of special mention for social commitment. At Don Bosco University, we want to make a social commitment as our institution’s distinctiveness,” said Fr Joseph Nellanatt.

“If we compare the national scenario of literacy, at least 20 per cent of our population cannot read and write. Only 10 per cent of the country’s total population has passed Class X. So, we believe, it is our responsibility to contribute to the society,” he said.

The ADBU is already engaged in significant activities in the university’s neighbourhood, said Fr Joseph Nellanatt. “It is our commitment to ensure that the villages located near our university also develop as our university develops,” he said.

Library

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

23 07

Shaheed Bhagat Singh Pustakalaya

Library Built By Industrial Workers, Labourers “Behtar zindagi ka raasta behtar kitaabon se hokar jaata hai”

It is on a mission – to create a small education revolution by touching the lives of the many children coming here to study

Jaideep Sarin

A

t first look, it is just another small room with one wall almost crumbling. But this 25-square yard space means the world for children of factory workers and labourers in Punjab’s industrial hub Ludhiana.

Without any grant or support from corporates or the government, this education endeavour by workers and daily-wage earners living in the Rajiv Gandhi colony area of Jamalpur in Ludhiana’s Focal Point industrial area, is making a sea of difference to the lives of children who come here every single day with their working parents.

The Shaheed Bhagat Singh Pustakalaya has no fancy address, no high-profile CSR support and no big-time NGO dedicating its resources. Yet, it is on a mission – to create a small education revolution by touching the lives of the many children coming here to study.

Messages from martyrs like Bhagat Singh, Safdar Hashmi and others adorn the walls of the library. “Behtar zindagi ka raasta behtar kitaabon se hokar jaata hai” (The road to a better life passes through good books) – a board outside the room says.

“We established this library in April this year. It is entirely an effort of workers and labourers of

the industrial units in Ludhiana, who live in the vicinity of the LIG (low income group) flats and Rajiv Gandhi colony,” Lakhwinder Singh, the man behind the mission to guide the workers’ children to a better future, told. The library has been set up under the aegis of the Karkhana Mazdoor Union by collecting funds from the workers. Contributions ranged from Rs 100 to Rs 5,000. Most workers themselves earn less than Rs 10,000 per month.

Lakhwinder, 33, who himself has done an advanced diploma in dye and mould making from a central institute in Chandigarh and has been living in Ludhiana since 2006, is the main force behind the library project.

He is married but has no children yet.

“We began everything on a small scale. We have got no funding from the government or any corporate.

The children coming here are not being forced to do so. They come here on their own and are liking the concept of teaching here,” he pointed out.

Ludhiana, one of the largest industrial hubs in Asia, with a population of 3.5 million people, is known for its bicycle industry, textile units, auto-parts manufacturing and scores of other businesses. A majority of the workforce here is that of migrant workers from other states, especially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who have been living here for decades.

The library gets active from 4 pm to 7 pm every day when the children come here to get an education.

Krishan Kumar, a teaching volunteer, uses hands-on concepts, including showing films, to create awareness and impart education. The library

has over 500 books in Hindi and Punjabi stacked on iron shelves.

“We make a lot of friends at the library. It is like a family,” Arjun, 12, a student of class VI in a government school, said.

Lakhwinder pointed out that the parents of a majority of the children who come to the library have themselves not studied beyond Class VIII or are illiterate, but do not want their children to suffer the same fate.

“The room can accommodate over 30 children. At times, we have to put a stop on the numbers as the room cannot accommodate more children,” Lakhwinder pointed out.

For an annual charge of only Rs 50, the children are provided a library card and are allowed to take two books home at one time. The fee is charged so as to make the children responsible for the books they take.

“The children like to come here. They are allowed to express themselves freely even when they are being imparted education,” he said.

The children coming here are enthusiastic about what they are doing here.

“It’s quite nice and refreshing to come here. Learning here is a lot of fun,” Khushi, 13, a student of Class VII, said.

In its own modest way, this library is making a definitive change in the lives of the young ones.

24

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

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

G-20 Summit - Turkey

PM Modi holding a bilateral meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy at Antalya, Turkey on November 16, 2015.

P

rime Minister Narendra Modi attended the G-20 Summit at Antalya, Turkey on November 15 and 16. The twoday summit was overshadowed by terror attacks in Paris which left over 129 people dead and more than 352 injured.

The visit to Turkey centred round the G-20 Summit in Antalya. Modi said that terrorism is the principal global challenge and sought global action to deal with the menace. The two-day

In an intervention made during the G-20 working dinner, Prime Minister Modi described terrorism as a principalw global challenge that ranged from regions in conflict to the streets of distant cities, and was extracting a deadly price.

Without naming Pakistan

summit was overshadowed by terror attacks in Paris which left over 129 people dead and more than 352 injured. The Indian Prime Minister met BRICS leaders and called for effective steps

specifically, he lamented that several countries are using terrorism as an instrument of state policy.

He also highlighted the changing character of terrorism such as its global links, franchise relations, home-grown terrorism and the use of cyber space for recruitment and

to end funding, supplies and communication channels of terrorists. He also stressed on the need for global cooperation to prevent use of cyber networks by terrorist groups.

Group photo of world leaders at the G20 Leaders Summit at Antalya, on November 15, 2015 .

propaganda.

He warned that there is a new level of threat to pluralist and open societies.

Prime Minister Modi said that the existing global framework for security was defined for another era and for other security challenges, and that there was an urgent requirement for a comprehensive global strategy to combat terrorism, rather than being selective in “using the instruments that we have”.

Prime Minister Modi said that there was an urgent need to isolate those who support and sponsor terrorism; and, stand with those who share values of humanism. He called for a restricting of the international legal framework and to also adopt a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism without delay.

Prime Minister also flagged the slowdown in global trade as being matter of major concern, and called for accelerating global economic growth and creation of a transparent, equitable, nondiscriminatory and rule-based global trading system.

He said it was absolutely vital for all to achieve the Doha Development Round goals and implement all elements of the Bali package fully, keeping in mind the need for including small and medium enterprises in the global value chain to expand global employment, increase labour mobility and skill portability.

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

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

Malaysia and Singapore

The visit marked 50 years of formal ties between Singapore and India. India was the second nation to recognise Singapore after its independence in 1965.

Singapore has emerged as the second largest source of FDI into India; outward Indian FDI to Singapore has also increased. India regards Singapore as an essential ally in the implementation of our Look and Act East Policy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

PM Modi visits the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), at Ang Mo Kio, in Singapore on November 24, 2015.

PM Modi and PM Najib Razak at the Torana Gate inauguration ceremony in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on November 23, 2015.

PM Modi addressing the 37th Singapore Lecture, in Hotel Shangri-La, Singapore on Nov. 23, 2015.

P

rime Minister Modi visited Malaysia and Singapore between November 21 and 25, 2015. In Malaysia, both Prime Ministers Mohammad Najib Tun Abdul Razak and Narendra Modi agreed to take steps to enhance the Malaysia-India Strategic Partnership to its full potential Both leaders acknowledged the contribution made by Malaysia

Malaysian PM Najib Razak with PM Modi at the inauguration of the Torana Gate in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Nov.23, 2015.

and India in promoting growth, economic development and stability in the Asia–Pacific region and also witnessed the signing of a cultural exchange programme agreement for 2015-2020.

Both countries also agreed to work mutually in fields like human resources, health, science and technology and public administration, etc.

On his second visit to Singapore as Prime Minister between November 23 and 25, Modi described it as an extremely eventful one that included meetings with leaders and potential investors and addressing the Indian diaspora, and urged them to be a part of India’s development journey.

Bilateral ties between both countries were also elevated to the level of a strategic partnership.

Address to The Indian Community reception in Malaysia

The highlight was the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership, which will elevate ties between the two countries. It will broaden and deepen ties across various sectors, including defence relations, economic and cultural cooperation, skills development and capacity building.

The glory of India’s freedom struggle was written, in part, by the struggles and sacrifices of Malay-Indians.

(November 22, 2015) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Najib Razak witnessing the signing of India-Malaysia bilateral agreements, in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on November 23, 2015.

India is not confined to its territory. India also exists in every Indian in every part of the world. Malay-Indians are the largest contingent to the annual Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in India. The glory of India’s freedom struggle was written, in part, by the struggles and sacrifices of Malay-Indians.

Address to The Indian Community in Singapore

It is not because of Modi but, because of you that the whole world today looks towards India with trust and respect.

(November 24, 2015) India can learn a lot from Singapore, cleanliness is one of them. I thank all present here from the bottom of my heart

25

PM Modi joins hands with ASEAN leaders for a group photo during the ASEAN plus India meeting in Kuala Lumpur on November 21, 2015.

It was obvious that reforms were needed. We asked ourselves the question— Reforms for what? What is the aim of reform? Is it just to increase the measured rate of GDP growth?

Or, is it to bring about a transformation in society?

My answer is clear: we must reform to transform.

Prime Minister for upholding the good name of you that the whole world today India in the whole world. It is not looks towards India with trust because of Modi but, because of and respect.

Narendra Modi

ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Malaysia

Continue in next issue

26

Health

Nov 12 - 18, 2018 Meditation

Urology

Meditation Can Boost Emotional Intelligence

Women, Drink More Water To Reduce Bladder Infections Physicians suspect more fluids help to reduce bacteria and limit the ability of bacteria to attach to the bladder

SSB Bureau

W

omen who drink about an extra litre-and-a-half of water daily are nearly 50 per cent less likely to suffer from bladder infections, especially in premenopausal stages, a new study has found.

According to researchers from the University of Texas in the US, more fluids help to reduce bacteria and limit the ability of bacteria to attach to the bladder.

“The study is important because more than half of all women report having bladder infections, which are one of the most common infections in women,” said Yair Lotan, Professor of Urology with the Simmons Cancer Center at the varsity.

For the study, the team focussed on 140 women with recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI), who typically drank fewer than 1.5 litres of fluid (about six 8-ounce glasses) a day.

For 12 months, they asked half of these women to continue their usual fluid intake and asked the other half to drink an additional 1.5 litres of water daily.

The findings revealed that 93 per cent of the women who drank an additional 1.5 litres of water daily had two or fewer episodes of cystitis -- a type of UTI -- while 88 per cent of women in the control group had three or more episodes.

The increased consumption of fluid could also help reduce the use of antibiotics as such infections are typically treated with antibiotics.

The people who meditated more regularly scored higher on total emotional quotient and had lower perceived stress

F

SSB Bureau

inding it hard to cope with work-related stress?

Take heart, practising a silent form of meditation at your workplace can lead to significant improvements in emotional intelligence as well as perceived stress, according to a study.

The study found that those who meditated more regularly scored higher on total emotional quotient and had lower perceived stress, also known as psychological stress -- the most common occupational health problems affecting workers worldwide.

They also showed improvements in general mood, stress management, adaptability, intrapersonal awareness and reality testing. This indicates that emotional intelligence has a moderating effect on psychological well-being and mental health, the researchers said. “This study

demonstrates the benefits of meditation in the workplace,” said Laurent Valosek, Executive Director, Center for Wellness and Achievement in Education -- a US-based non-profit organisation.

“And with a growing body of research on the value of emotional intelligence and the harmful effects of psychological stress, organisations are looking to give their employees tools for reducing stress and developing competencies like centeredness, selfawareness, and empathy,” he added.

The team found that during a four-month period, those practising the transcendental meditation -- a form of silent mantra meditation -experienced significant improvements in emotional intelligence and perceived stress, as compared with controls.

The research highlighted the role of emotional intelligence and perceived stress as important factors associated with mental and physical health and organisational effectiveness.

According to the World Health Organisation, psychological stress adversely affects organisational commitment, work engagement, and productivity, as well as contributes to poor mental and physical health.

Emotional intelligence has garnered considerable attention in the workplace because of its positive association with mental and physical health and its connection to leadership capacity and performance.

boost health

Cottage Cheese As Late Night Snack Can Boost Health Study found having 30 gms of protein about 30 minutes before bed appears to have positive effect on muscle quality, metabolism, health SSB Bureau

G

uilty about your late night snacking habit that leads to weight gain? Switching to a protein-filled snack like cottage cheese can help you to have a positive effect on muscle quality, metabolism and overall health, say researchers.

In the study, Michael Ormsbee, Associate Professor at Florida State University (FSU), gave active young women in their early 20s samples of cottage cheese 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.

They found that consuming 30 grams of protein about 30 minutes before bed appears to have a positive effect on muscle quality, metabolism and o verall health.

And for those who have sworn off eating at night, there is no gain in body fat, revealed the findings.

“Until now we presumed that whole foods would act similarly to the data on supplemental protein but we had no real evidence,” Ormsbee said.

“This is important because it adds to the body of literature that indicates that

whole foods work just as well as protein supplementation, and it gives people options for pre-sleep nutrition that go beyond powders and shaker bottles.”

The results serve as a foundation for future research on precise metabolic responses to whole food consumption.

“While protein supplements absolutely have their place, it is important to begin pooling data for foods and understanding the role they can play in these situations,” said former FSU graduate student Samantha Leyh, now a research dietician with the Air Force. The study will help examine more pre-sleep food options and the optimal food choices that can aid individuals in recovery from exercise, repair and regeneration of muscle and overall health, the researchers noted.

Languages

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

27 07

mother tongue

English Important, But Not At Cost Of Mother Tongue: British Council “English has one of the highest numbers of loan words from Indian languages and it is only natural that it has become one of India’s languages”

Nivedita Singh

T

he British Council, which is working closely with the Delhi government to improve the English skills of students in government schools here, believes the language is important in the present scenario but not at the cost of one’s mother tongue.

“English is not a replacement for the mother tongue, but is important (in the context of) the present global situation,” British Council India Director Alan Gemmell told.

The British Council, along with the University of Cambridge, is running “The Language of Education in Multilingual India: Exploring Effects on Reading and Mathematics” project in Delhi government schools to explore and develop the multilingual learning and cognitive abilities of the students.

“Appropriate use of English in education systems has been part of our global charter. English has one of the highest numbers of loan words from Indian languages and it is only natural that it has become one of India’s languages. It has also become an essential skill in the 21st century,

an ‘operating system language’ across the world,” Gemmell told.

This research project, he said, will provide further evidence for their belief in multilingualism and the role the mother tongue plays in early years of education.

The project started in 2016 to find out whether children who speak a language at home that is different from the medium of instruction in school, have lower learning outcomes than children whose home and school language is the same.

Apart from Delhi, the project is also running in Hyderabad and Patna.

“One of the reasons for choosing the three cities was that we have our collaborators present in all these cities. In this project, the British Council is the strongest partner,” Ianthi Maria Tsimpli, Professor of English and

Applied Linguistics any system should be that a child at the University of should be able to acquire the first Cambridge, told. language, she said, adding: “When Data collection he is comfortable with the first is underway with language, only then will he be able to about 1,000 child learn all other things.” participants and Tsimpli echoed the sentiments: the findings are “Being able to communicate is the expected to be first step of learning. Until you are reported in 2020. able to communicate in a language, There is also you cannot learn in that language.” another challenge.

Another issue arises here. The “The challenge is children in government schools children are coming are mostly first generation learners to schools and not who do not have any exposure to being able to adapt the written language. Even their language skills. exposure to the spoken language is The system has less. failed in teaching “Their parents are often engaged the children how in making their ends meet. They do to read, learn and not have time to even talk to their express in language. children,” Marlena explained.

This makes it Speaking about other key issues difficult for them to use the language in the learning process, Tsimpli said: in other subjects as well. When a child “The size of the classroom matters in finds it difficult to read a language, learning. It is difficult for a teacher to he will find it difficult to learn social teach and at the same time to keep science, science and other subjects the focus on 50-60 students.” in that language,” Atishi Marlena, “When we came in, there were former advisor to classes with over 150 students,” Delhi Education Marlena said.

Minister One of the problems M a n i s h government schools face is “English is not a Sisodia, the discipline issue. replacement for the told.

“The teacher asks the mother tongue, but is T h e student to stand out of the class over discipline issues, basic of important (in the but they failed to realise context of) the that the child is creating present global the disturbance as he is not situation” able to pay attention to the class. He failed to learn the basic language skills. They will not access the happenings of the classrooms if they cannot read the things written on the blackboard or in a textbook,” Marlena said.

“The minute they start acquiring what is happening in the class, the minute they start understanding what the teacher is saying, they will pay attention and the system will transform. The challenge before us is: How are you going to make them learn,” she said.

28

Sports

NOV 12 - 18, 2018

India Is Future Boxing Powerhouse Leigh said that the country needs to carry its success in amateur boxing to the professional level Ajeyo Basu

A

sserting that India has the potential to emerge as a boxing powerhouse, WBO member Jack Daniel Leigh said that the soon to be launched Mega Boxing professional tournament could become just the right platform to help the sport grow in the country.

Scheduled to be launched in Gurugram on November 30, Mega Boxing will have professional fighters from India and several other countries.

Leigh, who has been a member of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) since 1996, feels that the tournament will provide the right platform to Indian boxers who aspire to enter the world of professional boxing. “In India, everyone wants to do a league. However, boxing is an individual sport. Therefore, it was essential to develop a structure which has individual fighters pitted against each other and not teams, much like how WWE, UFC and ONE Championship work. Other sports, which primarily have individuals competing against each other, such as Formula 1, Moto GP and Golf, also helped us define the dynamics of Mega

Boxing,” Leigh told.

“This would essentially mean regular promotions for the Indian talent and possibility to integrate with the international professional boxing network. The overall concept is inspired from the Sylvester Stallone hosted reality show, The Contender, which in the past, has given some middleweight world champions, through the selection of raw talent, subsequent coaching and proper platform,” he added.

“Hopefully, by the end of the year, we shall discover an Indian fighter who can challenge for a title fight in Vegas.”

Pointing out that India has all the conditions required to produce world class boxers, Leigh said that the country needs to carry its success in amateur boxing to the professional level.

“Two key ingredients for the growth of professional boxing are present in India, population and poverty (only a poor guy would want to get punched in the face for money and fame). Further, India is significantly underdeveloped in the sport. Moreover, for India now, the medals need to be converted into

13,000 boxers from the age of 8 to belts.

18+. That is a huge talent pool, which “India has the talent. Not many if directed properly, can make India a people might be aware, but an Indian top nation in professional boxing in professional boxer Pradip Singh the world,” he added.

Sihag, who was also a participant However, Leigh felt the system in in The Contender Australia, was a India needs to improve in order to help middleweight champion in Asia and Indian boxing reach its full potential. held multiple titles. And Vijender “Professional boxing is Singh now also holds a scattered in India and couple of WBO SuperIndia lost a few years Middleweight Asian India has all the in the sport with the titles. One only conditions required to amateur federation needs to look at shut for almost 4 India’s success in produce world class years till end-2016. amateur boxing boxers, Leigh said that Hence, the prime at the Olympics, the country needs to crop of those times Commonwealth carry its success in lost out on many Games, Asian amateur boxing to the opportunities. Mega Games and other Boxing would help world competitions. professional level the future crop in not However, graduating losing out as such,” he from the amateur circuit asserted. to the professional one “Entertainment tax on would need more concerted efforts professional sporting events needs to as it requires training in certain skill be reconsidered in order to promote sets, preparation, right guidance and the sport, specially when it comes to platform,” he said. a sport such as boxing, which appeals “A platform such as Mega Boxing to both the urban and rural markets. would give talented boxers a chance to Educating boxers about the fact perform, get more top quality fights that if they perform in professional for building up their career and go on boxing events, their selection can’t be to get fights at international levels. hampered in international amateur In addition, there are more than 130 competitions due to AIBA ruling in academies in India and more than favour of such participation.”

Leigh, who is also the chairman of the WBO’s Australian chapter, was excited with the commercial possibilities afforded by a huge market like India to emerging professional tournaments like Mega Boxing.

“The Indian sports market is a billion dollar industry however professional boxing doesn’t find much of a place in that. Hence, the opportunity to develop a platform for the sport in a scattered and underdeveloped market is very exciting. India doesn’t have any quality platforms in professional boxing, despite the raw talent available in the country,” he said.

“Further, sport media consumption is exploding in India. So, quality fights shall provide deeper engagement for the fans, both on the ground and in digital media. Hence, possibilities are immense when things are done in the right manner for this sport.”

Entertainment

NOV 12 - 18, 2018

A n tariksha

29 07

S a n c har

The 90-minute staging has the characters of Ramanujan and a classical dancer, Sita, as its protagonists

“A

n Siddhi Jain

ntariksha Sanchar” is a unique fantasy production with six classical Bharatanatyam performers, led by veteran danseuse Jayalakshmi Eshwar, dancing to the beat of electronic music. It’s a riveting tale of airplane flights and the “irrational world of dreams and rational world of (Indian maths genius) Ramanujan”, its creator says.

Its title translating to “transmissions in space”, the multimedia dance production was conceptualised in 2010 by Eshwar -- who is married to an Indian Air Force pilot -- as a tale of ‘vimaanas’ or airplanes.

“The 2010 version was purely dance, no animation or DJ music. It was based on what mythology said could fly -- Hanumaan, ‘Pushpaka

Vimana’ and ‘Vaimanika Shastra’, a Sanskrit text on aerospace technology,” the Bharatnatyam exponent, who has been performing since 1970, told.

“Then my son Avinash came in with the animation,” she added.

What started then was nothing short of an “experiment in transmedia

A

n Internationally acclaimed Bharatanatyam exponent of par-excellence, an excellent Performer, Choreographer, Teacher and an Author with an experience of more than 5 decades of dance being a leading Bharatanatyam dancer of her generation. Her glorious career has seen her transmit her education in performing Arts at “Kalkshetra” Chennai– the pioneering college of fine arts envisioned by Rukmini Devi Arundale, who has been a guiding vision for Jayalakshmi. Had her Arangetram at Kalkshetra on her convocation day 1st Dec 1970 under the able guidance of Rukmini Devi Arundale.

Jayalakshmi strikes a perfect blend of tradition and contemporary interpretation, without obscuring the aesthetics of the classical idiom.

She has a vast range and depth of productions, having performed in Solo, group and collaborative formats extensively in India and abroad. She is the Head of the Bharatanatyam Department at the Triveni Kala

cultural experience”, as design strategist and Eshwar’s son Avinash Kumar put it. “The production is a combination of music, dance, visuals and video games,” explained Kumar, who also designed a video game titled “Antariksha Sanchar” to popularise south Indian culture.

Sangam, New Delhi, apart from having her own dance group Abhinayaa. She has also enacted as the Tanjore Dancer in the National Award Winning classical Kannada film”Hamsa Geethe” of G.V.Iyer.

Awards / Recognitions By many organising both in India & abroad. She has also been the recipient of Senior Fellowship Award of Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Actively engaged and leading all her projects on all fronts whether its imagining narratives, choreographing movements, building sound compositions or designing costume and décor, Jayalakshmi creates productions that are wholesome, educational and spiritual for audiences. Her belief is that dance is a language that everyone should have access to and enjoy as a means of communicating with others as well as knowledge-based and learning about oneself and the very existence of Life and it is this belief that imparts a sense of wonder and engagement for audiences with her Dance.

A visual spectacle on stage, the production features seven trained classical dancers, who, through poised ‘abhinaya’, demonstrate the story of young Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920), whose contribution to mathematics is profound.

Why him?

“Ramanujan said he saw his mathematics pursuits in dreams,” Kumar said, adding that the production combines the irrational world of dreams and the rational world of maths and Ramanujan.

The production, which is a mix of many mediums, also has a gripping storyline. The 90-minute staging has the characters of Ramanujan and a classical dancer, Sita, as its protagonists. As it evolves, the storyline shows the math prodigy meeting mendicants and priests, who tell him that he is destined to build a ‘vimaana’.

With the almost-psychedelic digital animation taking the viewers through a sojourn of south Indian aesthetic culture, the dancers show Ramanujan entering his ‘swapna lok’ (world of dreams), to retrieve the formula to build a ‘vimaana’.

The production, complete with music and animations, took about a year-and-a-half to complete, Eshwar said.

The novel additions, however, did not bother the exponent, who comes from an “orthodox” dancing background.

“I had performed “Awakening” and “Akhanda Laya”, which were productions with similar music.

I realised fusing electronic music with our own Sanskrit lyrics does wonders for a young audience,” she said.

A 35-minute preview of “Antariksha Sanchar” was recently staged at the Triveni Kala Sangam, and was presented by Red Bull music. It will be staged at Mumbai’s Royal Opera House on November 22, and Delhi’s Kamani Auditorium on December 5.

30

Sulabh Parivar

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

Abhay Singh, a writer and director along with Abhijeet, Cameraperson and Kesha, Soundperson, Dr Diganta B Das, Research Theme Leader, Senior lecturer in chemical engineering from London and some other visitors visited Sulabh Campus.

Manoj Chauhan, Municipal Commissioner along with a group of 28 sanitation and engineering staffs from Meerut Municipal Corporation, Meerut visited Sulabh Campus. They were explained various units of Sulabh Gram.

Several visitors visited Sulabh Campus and saw different activities of it.

They were amazed to see the Sulabh International Museum of Toilets which has a rare collection, pictures and objects detailing the historic evolution of toilets from 2500 BC to date.

Sujeet Mishra, Reporter from Navbharat Today, Noida and a group of 80 students of B.Tech Civil Engineering alongwith 5 faculty members from Greater Noida Institute of Technology, Greater Noida, visited Sulabh Campus

POEM

Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow Recited by Bhawna

(Trade: Cutting and Sewing) Time flies but the memory remains Each day walking through to the different lanes Living our life everything we imagine with our brains The flowing river that keeps on flow The breezy wind that keeps on blow There is a moment of a happy and sorrow Life is all about a Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow The past behind has already gone Another present new day has begun The future rises and things have been done There is a moment of a happy and sorrow Life is all about a Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Well at last all I can say a few words is Untill the life goes on and on Give a smile and take a smile Make a peace, not a war Make a friend not an enemy.

Peace, Love and Happiness.

Yesterday’s gone, today has been done And tomorrow moving ahead many rivers to cross need to run.

There is a moment of a happy and sorrow Life is all about a Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

Events

Nov 12 - 18, 2018

events & more...

Across

events SSB crossword no. 48

The 21st JK Tyre National Racing Championship Venue: Buddh International Circuit

1 2 3 5

4 7

6 8

A-25, Siri Institutional Area, Asian Games Village Complex, Siri Fort, New Delhi 23 Nov 11:00 AM - 25 Nov 10:00 PM

10 13 14 15 17

16

Jaypee Sports City, Yamuna Expressway, Distt.

Gautam Buddh Nagar, Greater Noida 18 Nov 2018: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM 17 Nov 11:00 AM - 18 Nov 8:00 PM

Watch Thought-Provoking Movies At This Film Festival Venue: Siri Fort Auditorium

9

11 12

18

19 20

Chawri Bazaar Hauz Qazi, Old Delhi, Delh Sat, 24 Nov 9:30AM - 12:00PM

1.Daos

11.Aristotle

2.Aids

12. Holland

3.Mongolia

13.Korea

4.Andi

14.Chernobyl

5.America

15.Bhutan

6.India

16.Venice

7.MI5

17.Mossad

8.Super Nova

18.Canada

9.Seattle

19.Colombia

10.Kiwi

20.Germany

solution of sudoku-47

Daksh 2018 Venue: Vaishali Jindal

FabHotel BMK Greater Kailash Hotel BMK, B-3, Outer Ring Rd, Greater Kailash Enclave I, New Delhi Sun, 25 Nov 9:00AM - 9:00PM

2. Silviculture is the management of6. Minamata diseasse are first detected in 7. What is the sign of Parinirvana in the life of Gautama Buddha?

11. Who is called as the Einstein of India?

15. Who is called as the Ashoka of Modern India?

16. Name the part or organ of the human body most commonly affected by diptheria17. Which is the National River of India?

18. Who was the main Architect of the Russian Revolution?

19. Which river is known as Bengal’s sorrow?

20. Asia’s first sjy city is proposed to be set up at-

Down

SOLUTION of crossword no.47

Dilli Chhe - With Madhavi Menon, Nitika Arora and More Venue: Darwesh

31

1. Dwaraka(Dvaraka) pitha(Math) founded by Adi Shankaracharya in which direction?

3. Which is the highest peak of Deccan plateau?

4. Who is the all in all in Loksabha?

5. Nainital lake is situated in 8. Which city of India is known as pearl city 9. The second capital of Kanishka was 10. the Headquarters of the Amnesty International is located12. Fundamental rights in indian constitution taken from 13. What is the name of the horse of Gautama Buddha?

14. In which Shakespearean Drama is “Desdemona” a chracter?

sudoku-48

Comedy Gear With Beer - With Vijay Yadav And Anubhav Bassi Venue: Comedy munch Dramebaaz 2624, 1st & 2nd Floor, Hudson Lane, Hudson Lane, GTB Nagar, New Delhi Mon, 19 Nov 8:00PM - 9:30PMFri, 16 Nov 9:00PM - 11:30PM

on the lighter side by DHIR

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

32

Newsmakers

Nov 12–18, 2018

Samay Godika

Bengaluru Boy Wins Rs 2.9 cr Global Science Prize Samay was, recognised alongside some of the world’s top scientists and mathematicians

B

engaluru’s boy, Samay Godika (pictured), won the Breakthrough Junior Challenge with 400,000 USD (more than 2.9 million rupees) as a reward.

Samay, a 16-year-old student at Koramangala National Public School, will receive a $ 250,000 collegiate scholarship (worth Rs.1.8 million) his ninth and tenth grade science teacher, Pramila Menon, who encouraged his interest in life sciences and tutored him after school to encourage

his curiosity about scientific ideas, will win a $50,000 (over Rs 36 lakh) prize.

In addition, his school will receive a state-of-the-art scientific laboratory valued at $ 100,000 (over 72 lakh).

The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a global science video competition designed to inspire creative thinking about fundamental concepts in the life sciences, physics, and mathematics. Samay’s video, submitted in the life sciences category, focused on circadian rhythms, the 24-hour biological processes that can affect simple daily experiences such as waking up for school or jet lag.

Samay was, recognised alongside some of the world’s top scientists and mathematicians. Expressing his happiness Samay said, “It feels amazing and unbelievable. I’m very happy to be among these great scientists. Our school is very science-centric and laid the foundation right from the beginning, shaping and guiding me to be the person I am today.”

Asma Jahangir

Pak Lawyer Wins 2018 UN Human Rights Prize Jahangir, who was given the award posthumously, served as the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions

P

akistan’s late human rights activist Asma Jahangir has won the prestigious UN Human Rights Prize for 2018.

Maria Fernanda Espinosa, the president of United Nations General Assembly, tweeted that Jahangir, along with Rebeca Gyumi, the founder of a Tanzanian NGO, Brazilian lawyer Joenia Wapichana and the Irish human rights organization Front Line Defenders have won the prestigious UN award.

Jahangir, who was given the award posthumously, served as the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions from 1998 to 2004 and as the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief from 2004 to 2010. Jahangir died in February at the age of 66 after she suffered a stroke, RFE/RL reported.

Asma Ja h a n g i r started her involvement in social activism at a very young age when she protested against the false detention of her father by the military regime in 1972. During her elaborate career, she became- a crusader of rights for women, children and religious minorities in Pakistan.

Interestingly, she is the fourth Pakistani woman to be awarded the prize.

She remained one of the leading faces for the Lawyer’s Movement that began in Pakistan in 2007 for the restoration of judicial independence. She went on to become Pakistan’s first woman to serve as the President of Supreme Court Bar Association. She has also authored two books and has written for many publications.

Praveen Ranjan

Delhi Autowala Proves That Humanity Still Exists Autowala gets praise for refusing money from women returning from work at late hours

W

hile Delhi is considered one of the most unsafe cities for women, a recent incident has opened the nation’s eyes to the existence of an unsung hero, an auto driver who not only ensured that a woman reached her destination safely at night but also refused to take any money from her. While horrific incidents in the national capital, especially the 2012 Nirbhaya case, have naturally created a fear in the minds of women who travel alone, Kolkata-based Neha Das is “so glad to have met him!” She met an auto-rickshaw driver, who not only ensured she reached safely to her destination but also offered a free ride.

Sharing the story online, Neha Das, originally from Kolkata, wrote on Facebook about Praveen Ranjan.

It was a regular workday for Neha, who left office a little after midnight, after completing and wrapping up her work for the day. With winter having set in, the streets were not just empty but also foggy, and Neha waited outside her office in an attempt to

find an auto rickshaw to take her home.

A short while later, an auto pulled up in front of her, and when she asked the driver about the fare, he said, “Madam mein khuch nehi leta ladkiyon se itni raat ko. Unko thik se ghar pauchana zyada zaroori hein“ (Madam I do not charge any fare from girls at this hour. Getting them safely home is what is important). Neha, like perhaps anyone in her position, was taken aback at hearing this. In her post, she writes, “I stood there wondering if he is for real. Delhi is full of shitty people, but there is this kind as well.”

She goes to write that while she tried giving him some money once she reached home, he refused to take it. So, Neha decided to click a picture of this good samaritan instead and found out that his name was Praveen Ranjan.

She ends the post by saying, “Thank God for such nice, genuine people. There is always good in things around us. We probably don’t come across it often.”

RNI No. DELENG/2016/71561, Joint Commissioner of Police (Licensing) Delhi No. F. 2 (S-45) Press/ 2016 Volume - 2, Issue - 48 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