Sopanam E Magazine Vol 3 Issue 3

7/28/2019 Sopanam E Magazine Vol 3 Issue 3

1/31Sopanam - June 2013 1

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For more information contact : Seva Darshan, Kuwait - INDEMB/KWT/ASSN/[email protected]

Sopanam E-Magazine - (For members circulation only)

Volume 3 Issue 3 15th June, 20135115 tPyjvTw


2/31Sopanam - June 20132

Spiritualism

Amritha Vachanam

Subashitam

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Editorial

eoal BoaKrishna Kumar PaliathVibheesh TikkodiAnandharaj KonniReshmy Krishna Kumar

daa MaagmAjaykumar AnjaneyamRajarajan Ganesan

Gopakumar. P

Sindhu SanjithSuresh Varickolil

Roopesh R. Souparnika

Adv.Vidhya SumodDr. Sindu Sudheesh

Shyny Biju NavadeepDivya Satheesh Kumarakam

Anuradha Sundara RamanAnju Prasad

Arun Kumar. N

Vishal VikramRagesh Regunath

Raghiya Menon

Sheeja AnandPraveen V.

Ca & dsgSreenivasan C.P.

Vinaya Babu. C.K.

Sunil Pookode

Cover Design - Deepa Namboothiri

For Comments, Submissions &

Subscriptions please write to

mal : [email protected]

The summer vacations are here. Most families

would be heading home to the green pastures and

rains. A few unfortunate people would watch theTV; listen to the excitement back home during their

phone calls to their loved ones. We wish all our

members and well-wishers a very happy vacation.

We wish our Bala Darshan and Yuva Darshan

children a memorable vacation. Let this be a different

vacation. We encourage the children to learn about

their motherland. Visit as many places of culture

and heritage as possible. Experience the love and

affections on your elders and the family. Enjoy the

nature and the rains.

It is a very memorable June for Seva Darshan

as its project Vivekam is be launched at a grand

function in Kerala by eminent dignitaries on June

19th as part of Reading Day. This project like

our previous efforts is a pointer to the massive

contribution NRIs can make to the development of

our society in India. Development need not always

mean investment in airports and multi storiedbuilding complexes alone. Our biggest contribution

must be towards the all-round development of our

nation and its people. To encourage the reading

habits of our younger generation we must extend all

our support to projects aimed and establishing more

libraries and reading clubs.

We need to inspire our younger generation

to perform for the future of our nation. Shivaji

Maharaj, Rana Pratap, our valiant kings and leadersalongside social reformers like Swami Vivekananda

had dened what our Nation should be. Currently

the Nation is plagued with political dramas and

corruption. The dignity of the ofces in the political

establishment is at an all-time low. Political reforms

after Independence have sadly given a rather dismal

performance and there is a serious need to infuse

new younger minds to the system.

It is equally important that we live as role models.

As role models dening our nation, we need to live

and respect the laws laid down by the community

and its leaders. The ongoing security operation in

Kuwait has left many of us with a sense of fear and

helplessness. It is the responsibility has a community

to remain united and take things in the right stride.

Law enforcement is duty of every Nation as per the

laws laid down by their respective governments. We

must help facilitate the same by helping members ofour community who need assistance and educating

the ignorant. Our government representatives in

Kuwait are also doing taking up their responsibility.

But a greater urgency in response to the crisis on

hand is essential to avoid a feeling of desperation

amongst the Indian community. We hope this issue

will be quickly resolved with the Government.

The Seva Darshan family welcomes you all to the

inaugural function on 19th June at SRV School in

Ernakulum for the launch of the Vivekam project.



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BharathDharshan

Rani Lakshmi Bai was the queen of the princelystate of Jhansi, which is located on the northernside of India. She was one of the most leading

personalities of the rst war of India's independencethat started in 1857. In this article, we will presentyou with the biography of Rani Lakshmibai, whowas an epitome of bravery and courage.

Rani Lakshmi Bai Martyrdom day (according totithi) falls on 16th June this year.

Early life

She was born to a Maharashtrian family at Kashi(now Varanasi) in the year 18 November 1835.During her childhood, she was called by the nameManikarnika. Affectionately, her family memberscalled her Manu. At a tender age of four, she lost hermother. As a result, the responsibility of raising her

fell upon her father. While pursuing studies, she alsotook formal training in martial arts, which includedhorse riding, shooting and fencing. To know thecomplete life history of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi,read on.

In the year 1842, she got married to the Maharajaof Jhansi, Raja Gangadhar Rao Newalkar. On gettingmarried, she was given the name Lakshmi Bai. Herwedding ceremony was held at the Ganesh temple,located in the old city of Jhansi. In the year 1851,

she gave birth to a son. Unfortunately, the child didnot survive more than four months.

In the year 1853, Gangadhar Rao fell sick andbecame very weak. So, the couple decided to adopt achild. To ensure that the British do not raise an issueover the adoption, Lakshmibai got this adoptionwitnessed by the local British representatives. On21st November 1853, Maharaja Gangadhar Raodied.

'Meri Jhansi Nahin Doongi'

On 7th March 1854, the British issued a gazettedissolving the State of Jhansi. Rani Lakshmibai wasenraged due to the injustice when an English ofcer,Major Ellis came to meet Lakshmibai. He read out

Rani Lakshmi Bai :

Warrior queen of Jhansiduring 1857 War of Independence

the ofcial declaration dissolving the State. Thefurious Rani Lakshmibai told Ellis Meri Jhansi

Nahin Doongi (I shall not part with my Jhansi) whenhe sought her permission to leave. Ellis heard herand left. Battle of 1857 The battle for freedom thatstarted from January 1857 engulfed even Meerut on10th May.

Along with Meerut, Delhi and Bareilly, Jhansialso was freed from the British rule. Three yearsafter Jhansi was freed, Rani Lakshmibai took overthe control of Jhansi and she made preparations todefend Jhansi from the likely attack by the British.Sir Hugh Rose was appointed by the British tocapture Rani Lakshmibai, alive. On 20th March1858, Sir Huge encamped with his army 3 milesaway from Jhansi and sent a message to her that sheshould surrender; but rather than surrendering, shestood on the rampart of her fort motivating her armyto ght with the British. The battle started. Jhansicanons started routing the British. Even after 3 daysof continuous ring, the fort of Jhansi could not beattacked; therefore, Sir Hugh decided to adopt the

A Skaka



SpiritualismBharath

Dharshanpath of treachery. Finally, on 3rd April, the army ofSir Hugh Rose entered Jhansi.

The soldiers started looting people. RaniLakshmibai decided to join Peshava by breakingthe bloc of the enemy. In the night, with her troupeof trusted 200 cavalry, she tied her 12 year old sonDamodar to her back and raising the slogan of JaiShankar left her fort. She penetrated the British blocand rode towards Kalpi. Her father Moropant waswith her. While breaking the faction of the Britisharmy, her father got injured, was captured by theBritish and was hanged.

Fight of Kalpi

After riding continuously for 24 hours coveringa distance of 102 miles, the Rani reached Kalpi.Peshava judged the situation and decided to helpher. He provided his squads of army to her as perher requested requirement. On 22nd May, Sir HughRose attacked Kalpi. Rani Lakshmibai rushed tothe front like lightening whilst holding her sword.Her forceful attack resulted in a setback for theBritish army. Sir Hugh Rose disturbed with thissetback brought his reserved camel troops onto the

battleeld. The fresh reinforcement of the armyaffected the ardour of the revolutionaries and Kalpiwas taken over by the British on 24th May. DefeatedRaosaheb Peshave, Nawab of Banda, Tatya Tope,Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi and all the chieftainsgathered at Gopalpur. Laksmibai suggested takingover Gwalior. Shinde, the Ruler of Gwalior, was

pro-British. Rani Lakshmibai won over Gwalior andhanded it over to Peshava.

Sacrice of life on the altar of freedom

Sir Hugh Rose had heard about the defeat ofGwalior by Rani Lakshmibai. He realized that thesituation could go out of control if time was wasted;therefore, he marched towards Gwalior. Lakshmibaiand Peshva decided to ght the British as Sir HughRose touched Gwalior. Lakshmibai took it uponherself to safeguard the East side of Gwalior. Theunprecedented valour of Laksmibai inspired herarmy; even her maids attired in mens uniformtook to the battleeld. The bravery of Lakshmibai,resulted in the retreat of the British army.

On 18th June, the British attacked Gwalior fromall sides. She decided to break the enemy front andgo out rather than surrendering. While breakingthe military front, she came across a garden. She

was not riding her Rajratan horse. The new horsestarted going round and round near a canal insteadof jumping and crossing it. Rani Lakshmibai

realized the consequences and turned back to attackthe British army. She got injured, started bleedingand fell from her horse. Being in a mans costume,the soldiers did not recognize her and left herthere. The faithful servants of Rani took her to anearby Gangadas Mutt and gave her Gangajal. Sheexpressed her last wish that her body should not betouched by any British men and embraced a bravedeath. The revolutionaries all over the world, theorganization of Sardar Bhagat Singh and in the endeven the army of Netaji Subhashchandra Bose were

inspired by the valour shown by Rani Lakshmibai.The Queen of Jhansi breathed her last at the youngage of 23 years.

She inspired many generations of Hindustanis,thus becoming immortal in the freedom ght. We

bow before such a brave warrior, the Queen of JhansiLakshmibai. The life history of the Rani of JhansiLakshmibai, who preferred to sacrice her life at theyoung age of 23 years in battle, is very inspiring.She surprised the British by showing extraordinaryghting spirit and valour in battles fought at Jhansi,

then Kalpi and lastly at Gwalior. The British MajorSir Hugh Rose had to come down to treachery soas to be able to win over the fort of Jhansi. Suchan extraordinary lady, who tied her son on her backwhile ghting the battle, will not be found in thehistory of the world.

Ideal rule of Rani Lakshmi Bai : After the demiseof her husband, eventhough being a lady, she lookedinto and managed the affairs of the Kingdom. Notonly did she look after the welfare of her subjects,

but also fullled all the duties of the kingdom likean ideal ruler.

Inspiration for other freedom ghters : BhagatSingh, Savarkar and many others were inspired

by Ranis bravery and they fought for freedom ofBharat.

Instead of merely reading the biography andbravery of Rani, it is essential that we try to inculcatethose virtues in us. Today our Nation is facing a lotof problems. It is the duty of each and every citizen

to protect and save our Motherland. Hence, let usall pledge that we will do whatever necessary tosafeguard the welfare of our Nation!



BharathDharshan

This month, India is celebrating the 473rd birth

anniversary of Maharana Pratap Singh (1540-

1597), the brave Rajput warrior who ruled Mewar

in present day Rajasthan.

History is full with stories of courage and honour

about leaders who were rich of material resources,

but its rare to nd a leader like Maharana Pratap.His name has always been held in great honour and

respect among Indians and has been projected as the

premier of patriotism, freedom and independence.

By the middle of 16th century quite a number of

Rajput kings surrendered themselves to the Mughals

and their kingdoms were ruled by Mughals. Though

Rajputs value their self respect and freedom a lot

and can make any kind of sacrices for their own

land, people and values; they were undergoing a

very traumatic and tragic period in those days and

helplessly subdued by their enemies who were

invading India. Only Maharana Pratap refused

to bow down to Mughals in spite of his loss of

territory and men in wars. He led major part of his

life in deep forests with tribal people to regain his

motherland.

Maharana was the only king in his time ,whowith his meagre army defended his mother land

and struggled hard for 25 years and that too against

the greatest power of that time.

His name is engraved with gold among the list of

valiant kings who protected Bharat and the Dharma,

Culture and Freedom of this nation by continuous

sacrices and hardships. He died ghting for his

nation, for his people, and most importantly for his

honour.

The Indian Government has issued

commemorative Stamps (1967, 1998) and coins

Maharana Pratap Singh-The Great Son of India

(2003) to honour this great Son of India. The

grateful nation installed Pratap's statue in front of

the Parliament House in New Delhi on August 21,

2007.

Pratap Singh is considered the Pride of India

who inspires Indians still date with the message to

live and die for the glory of the motherland.

Today's generation needs to take inspiration

from his bravery and patriotism.

A Kma. n



SpiritualismViews

The past few days have been very troublesome and

worrying for the expatriate community of Kuwait.

The governments decision to enforce the laws with

a bit of aggressive posture has left everyone appre-

hensive of their future in the country. Without doubt

the enforcement of the law is not meant to be harm-

ful to people who abide by the rules and regulations

laid down by the constitutional authority of the

country we reside in. Unfortunately, incidents hap-

pen that seem to spread a fear in the minds of the

people. We are a nation that is quite young and some

of our generation would have had the experience of

Independence from foreign rule as well as the rule

of the draconian Emergency period in Bharat.

The necessity of following the laws and regulations

is considered a necessity to uphold reasonable ex-

pectations of members of society by fellow mem-

bers, elders, leaders, and rulers. However, history

has repeatedly shown us that no society can achieve

the goal of well-being for its citizens by depending

solely upon mandatory legal compliance. The only

way a civilized society will move forward is if its

members individually and collectively perform their

civic responsibilities.

In many democratic nations, civic responsibility

includes duties, services, and obligations to all fel-low members of society provided by the constitu-

tion of the land. It ensures the privilege of living,

learning, working, or doing business. Most societies

encourage and support the concept of performance

of individual civic duties. Some countries encour-

age institutions to do their part in fostering and per-

forming civic engagement activities. Many govern-

ments have recognized the value of such voluntary

services and have supported various efforts of these

groups.

Civil Virtue is the cultivation of habits of personal

living that are essential for the proper functioning

of a society. These virtues mostly conrm to habits

between people and groups that live in accordance

with a civil society. This is the foundation principle

of a society and often laws are developed aroundthis.

Civic virtues have historically been taught from

childhood and most importantly from homes. When

a broader class of people becomes decision makers,

it is their virtues that characterize the types of deci-

sions and laws made. These laws stress commercial,

communal and martial harmony.

For most people it's a matter of honor. They not only

obey the law, but also treat others with good man-

ners and kindness, because it is the right thing to

do. They carry themselves with dignity and pride,

knowing they're good people and a positive part of

the lives of others. Fewer people obey the law sim-

ply because they fear the negative attention they'll

receive from friends and family if they're caught

breaking the law. Even fewer obey the law simply

because they directly fear the punishment from en-

forcement action if they get caught.

Unfortunately, some people dont hold the law as

absolute and sometimes feel its morally allowed to

disobey the law. Especially when we live in a com-

Civic VirtueKrishnakumar Paliath



Views

munity that refuses to consider people in the society

as equals and decide not to provide basic necessities

that are internationally proclaimed as necessities oflife. Sometimes people refuse to accept the fact that

they have knowingly agreed to be part of such soci-

eties that have certain restrictions outlined ofcially

and by law. So what happens to our duty of obedi-

ence? Just like respect is earned and not taken for

granted, obedience of laws is a character the society

develops when it recognizes the need of such laws

and its impact for a peaceful future. When the obe-

dience of law is expected of a society or community,

we must understand that it is an extensive reciprocalnorm, like those that prescribe gratitude, loyalty and

honesty. In the fervor of enforcing laws if we tend

to create suspicion and disharmony, this will simply

lead to a kind of anarchy that may or may not be

violent but will disrupt the prevailing existence of

any society.

So, we would conclude that the general obedience

to law is essential to human well-being and it is im-

perative that the law abiders, law makers and law

enforcers treat this character of a society with very

well crafted and intelligent methods. Often excess

by the enforcers however small can create huge im-

plications for the law makers of the land. We often

tend to take for granted that fundamental moral rea-

soning of virtues and laws are virtually understood

by all humanity because they are supposed to have

the reasoning of what is wrong and right. But often

this is not the case due to the huge differences in ed-

ucational and logical capabilities in some communi-

ties. Again, we tend to ignore the circumstances andloop holes in our law that is often misunderstood as

leniency to do something we may consider as le-

gitimate as long as we are not caught. We must also

take into consideration that a majority of the popula-

tion may not be able to decipher the ne language of

the law that they need to abide by.

Hence it is essential for individuals and social wel-

fare groups to undertake the responsibility of edu-

cating the community of the essentiality of abid-ing by the laws and making them aware of the law.

Ignorance of law is not an excuse. We assume that

the community abides by laws to ensure their mem-

bership in the community. This maybe right to a

certain extent, but we must also take into consider-

ation that ordinary people often makes distinctionbetween laws. They generally feel they are not do-

ing anything wrong is disobeying certain laws like

speeding, not wearing a seat belt, making illegal

VOIP calls, downloading pirated music and movies.

This is mostly because they get away lightly when

caught. But they would refrain from committing

serious offences like murder and fraud for fear of

punishment. But such assumptions are not rational

in the eyes of the law. We also see that more people

obey the law when they see that the community on

the whole is obeying the laws and it is benecial for

everyone. So, when a certain section of the society

is not penalized for their crimes the law begins to

fail and the rest of the community begins to follow

suit. The law must be the same for all. There can be

no discrimination in the way the laws are enforced.

History has shown us that hard enforced laws in cer-

tain autocratic nations have failed to curb crime and

stop the tendency to break laws. Hence we must un-

derstand that the governments must provide certain

services and condence that encourages the society

to obey the laws.

As citizens of a nation living in a different country

and community, we must be able to understand the

laws that govern that country and must be aware of

the consequences of our actions. This way, we can

live up to the proud stature of our Nation overseas.



SpiritualismViews

India is among the 25 most violent countries to

live in; it ranks 141 out of 162 nations, according

to the Global Peace Index 2013. India topped the

list of countries that are the worst governed by its

politicians, according to a recent ranking released

by the Newsweek magazine.

Our dismal rank on the Human Development

Index is 132. Our share in the World Trade is

dismal; 43% of our children are malnourished

and keep dying of starvation. One look at the

national statistics in the realm of education, labour

productivity, health, integrity, and the list goes

onmake us wonder:

When will our country change?

When will our politicians govern us better?

When shall we see the fruits of development?

When shall we have cleaner roads and world-

class infrastructure?

When shall we have discipline in the country?

The wondering never ceases in frequency

or intensity. Staying here in Kuwait has notdiminished our desire to see an India that can be

compared to any other developing country. In fact,

staying here makes us all the more conscious of

the lacunae we suffer from. Looking around at the

other nationalities and the way their governments

and systems take care of them and the contrast back

home, makes our wondering acute.

One need not ever look further or deeper.

A glance at the headlines in our own nationalnewspapers is sufcient to dispel false notions that

India is shining. All our national symbols are in a

shameful state of extinction, death or bankruptcy.

Do you want to bring abouta Change?

The Maharaja is on the verge of closure due to

bankruptcy... the tiger is on the verge of extinction...

the national gamehockey (yes, it is not cricket)

is gasping for air and well, the national morale isdead, and national pride is outsourced.

Yes, a sense of apathy and gloom seems to be

overwhelming us quite forcefully in the past few

years. The media plays on our cynicism and does

quite a good job of thickening its layers within us.

While the panellists on the news channels scream

incessantly and the members in the Parliament ex

their muscles and each goes about guided by self-

interest alone, can we pause and think a bit? Can

we do our bit?

No, not because our Independence Day is round

the corner, but because our nation is our identity

and we have no option but to live by it. If we make

our identity a little less shameful, it shall make

living easier for us. From the point of view of our

self-interest then, let us take a few small steps...

Just as we go about living our own private

little lives, unmindful of othersso also, we

can go about doing our bit, unmindful of what

and how much are others doing. Beginning with

d. na Ga



Views

whether we, our nation or rather this planet needs

more children or nottake your call. Similarly,

whenever we go about taking our shopping cartswirling around the super market, let us think three

to ve times, before we mindlessly consume. Do

we really need all those creams and those many

conditioners or those many cleaners and softeners

or oor cleaners? Can we have a little mercy on

the suffocating rivers and other water bodies? Do

we need to keep buying newer models of cars,

mobiles, laptops, watchers and other gadgets

all of which are going to increase that dangerous

stockpile of non-biodegradable e-waste? At least,

let us wait till humanity arrives at some solution

to get rid of the toxic waste. Can we pause a while

and then splurge? If each one of us can do that, we

shall do our bit and the resultant change will not be

miniscule but denitely a bigger one.

Can we also pause before we act and react with

other fellow humans? Is it possible to detoxify our

relationships? Maybe small steps but let us at leastbegin. Let us accept the rights of others to do as

they please, and let go off the instinct to control.

This one small step will drastically reduce violence

in our societies. One small step in cutting our

respective egos and urges a little bit, and we shall

talk better with others. We shall be able to treat

others more respectfully and lives shall be a little

happier. Domestic violence, molestation, abuse of

children, senior citizens and minorities, incest, and

many other ills can be more effectively controlled

by our small steps than the huge plans and policies

of our governments. We alone have to live in our

society. It will do us no harm if we can make it a

little less ugly. Do not worry about what others are

doing. Do your bit. You treat others respectfully

and genuinely not try to control others and that

shall be enough. In the chain reaction that ensues,

a little less use of anti-depressants, sedatives, mind

controllers, and sleep-inducers shall also beautifythe society immensely.

There are roles for which we are paid and those

for which we arentat least not monetarily. We

are engineers, doctors, teachers, system analysts or

bankers...and then we are fathers, mothers, sisters,

sons... Is it possible to take small steps in the way we

carry out the roles. Probably, we can borrow a few

minutes from the time that we spend before the TV

analysing whether the PM is playing his role well or

not. Have you taught the right values to the children

whom you have brought here on this planet? Are

they turning out to be humane, intelligent, capable,

and well-balanced individuals? Do they whine and

complain; aggressive and angry; dissatised and

selsh; insensitive and ignorant? Well then, that is

the kind of society we and they will have to live

in... Do they and do we throw the garbage of the

house and the vengeance of our system out at the

designated place? And what about the roles for

which we are paid? If only every sweeper would

have done his job; every minister his duty; every

security personnel his vigil; every doctor, every

teacher and every person his role effectively, our

country would not have been on the verge of losingits national ethos within less than a century of its

Independence.

Just a few minutes of reection before we react,

act, consume, spend, teach, produce, burst out,

talk, write, and throw.

The decision is a big one.

The steps are small though.

The impact will be huge, nevertheless.

=========

Dr. Navniit Gandhi is an academician and an

author. She has authored three Books, two online-

Booklets, and several articles in newspapers and

magazines, till date.



SpiritualismEducation

The Heav-

enly

The Heav-

enly

Education is meant to enlighten human life.Etymologically, the word Education is derivedfrom a latin word educare which means tolead out; or to draw out, The main aim of edu-cation is to prepare the individual for life throughwhich the culture of the country is propagatedand transmitted. The higher education is thatwhich does not merely give us information, butmakes our life in harmony with all existence.

EDUCATION: SOUL TO SOUL CONTACT:

Our ancient Hindu concept of school was basedon Gurukul System, Guru-Shishya Ashram typeeducation. This is echoed in Rabindranath Tag-ores and Sri Aurobindos views that the mostimportant method of education is soul-to-soul

contact between Guru and Shishya. Schoolshould be an integral part of society and intel-lectual education should be linked with humanemotions. This is why curriculum should in-clude ne arts and literature. The emotionaland the practical aspects of experience have to

be connected, so that the growing child shouldbe able to realise nature in both the levels, thatof intuition and understanding.

McDONALDISATION OF EDUCATION :

Over the years, the practices of a serious of ritu-als or sanskaras which were meant to lay thefoundation for a child which in due course oftime help him to attain the highest level of hu-man development, have slowly disappeared.Personalised approach to learning has been re-

placed by fast-food model; the McDonaldisa-tion of education, with a xed menu of learning

bites. Factory metaphor(born out of industrialera) cannot be applied to learning. We are nowrealizing that while cars and computers can be

produced on assembly lines, but not human be-

ings. It is unfortunate that today EducationalInstitutions have become factories producingcertied individuals ,not qualied human re-sources.

PERSONALIZE EDUCATION

Many attempts are underway to change the waychildren are taught trying to bring back holistic

approach of learning. Schools are now empha-sizing on methodologies such as project work,role play, presentation, higher order thinking,logical analysis, etc. But I feel these methodolo-gies have limited impact on learning process andoverall development. It is like giving addition-al menu options to the learner. What is mainlymissing is personalized approach. To deliver

personalized learning, we must have small classsizes, more vocational-oriented curriculum,more freedom to teachers to adopt varied tech-niques of teaching, freedom to learners to learnin their own pace and freedom to experimentnew ideas. Can one massive monolithic educa-tion system has to provide education to every

Indian Education SystemNeed For Change

Laksm My



Education

one? One size of dress ts everyone? Tailor

the syllabus to t each child. Indian educationsystem is built on the assumption that if some-thing is good for one kid, it is good for all kids.Central regulation kills choice, innovation.REWARD ORIGINALITY, RESEARCH, IN-

NOVATION.

Our education system rarely rewards highestacademic accolades. Innovative ideas and ap-

proaches are discouraged, risk taken is mocked,and any deviance is criticized. Build a testingsystem which recognizes original contributions,creativity, problem solving, original research.Memorizing is no learning; biggest aw in oureducation system is perhaps that it puts memo-rizing above originality.CREATE KNOWLEDGE BASED NATION

Our education system is still gripped under the

shadow of colonial education which generatesclerks and low skill based jobs. We do havemaximum number of engineering graduates inthe world, has it translated into any technolog-ical innovation? We are busy in running callcentres, tech support jobs. This is where ourengineering skills end. Let us redene the pur-

pose of education, establish a knowledge-based

economy rather than the low quality serviceprovider nation.

SUPERSTAR TEACHERS

Today we see people coming into teaching pro-fession by chance not by choice. Many con-sider teaching job easy, risk free, low-pressure

jobs. A teacher who works to please the princi-pal or other authorities, who does not enjoy his/

her work, who is not a student himself/herselfwill be a terrible teacher. Such teachers wastevaluable time of young children. Nurture tal-ented, dedicated teachers. Give her free hand toexperiment her ideas, no matter it succeeds orfails. We need leaders, entrepreneurs in teach-ing positions ,not salaried people who try to holdon to their mantle.

To conclude, there should be harmony in our

Education System, because it exhibits strongcascading effect on our society and economy.Education system not just work as placementschools and work force development centres ashappens with capitalist economies, but also fo-cus more on sentiments of nationalism, culture,respect to national gures, etc.



Spiritualism

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Art &Litrature



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Art &Litrature



Spiritualism

Dr. Nandakumar Moorkath

The HeavenlyBreakThe HeavenlyBreak

Travelogue

Art &Literature

Descending the steps, we reached the glass-covered

ticket counter manned by a middle-aged woman.

Rodrigo, the group leader ventured out with his broken

French and after a brief chat with the ticket vendor,

bought 3 tickets. The cute looking rectangular shapedyellowish ticket had a magnetic ribbon on one side

and having the logo RATP on the other side.

Collecting the ticket charge of about 1 Francs from

us promptly, the Chilean friend explained what to do

with the ticket and demonstrated the way to proceed

with the journey, by sliding the small ticket through

a slot in the machine nearby that stood as the block

preventing the entry to the station and platforms. The

ticket emerged on the other side of the slot with a beep

noise indicating a green signal for passage and de-blocking the revolving handle barrier regulating the

entry at waist level of intending passer-by.

Swiftly moving to the other side, collecting the

emerging ticket and pushing the barrier-bar gently ,

the guide supervised our ticket-controlled entry one by

one. This, I murmured is high technology at work and

being used to archaic methods of ticket discharge and

entry at railway stations and bus stations in India, my

admiration for the modern French way of life climbed

a notch higher! While standing in silent admirationof the technology, I wondered too , seeing the

professional performance of Chilean friend, whether

he was working as a tour guide in his country before

TASTE OF PARISUNDER GROUND RAIL SYSTEM

AT NIGHTventuring for the French mission.

Now, guys, we have to spot our station on the map

here, Rodrigo invited our attention to a colourful map

full of crisss-crossing lines, pasted on the wall on way

to the platform. First locate the name of the station

where you are and then determine where you want togo, OK? He continued his training lessons and made us

spot the station name Trocadero on the map where

we were to disembark to view or intended picnic item,

Eiffel Tower(Tour Eiffel).

He taught us too how to travel alone and to change

at the intersections where other metro lines criss-cross

on their routes. Be careful, folks, the Chilean reminded

us, keep the ticket till we get out of the underground

network and this will be needed to get out legally, using

the barrier regulating machine at the station of exit too!If it is a wrong or used ticket, the machine will spot the

wrong-doer with an ear-splitting beep and of there is

a ticket controller or examiner around, then one could

be in trouble and ned heavily for the wrong-doing or

ticket-less travel.

The platforms and stairs were neatly planned and

clean and when a stylish train of a few nicely-lit bogies

arrived at the station like a gentle breeze, through a

poorly lit tunnel, I was simply awe-struck! The train

was amazingly sleek and we along with other waiting

passengers got into the compartment, by gently perking

a small lever like knob, opening the door wide with an

ear-shattering bang! The interior was nicely styled too

Eight Years In Paris:

Musings Of A Pravasi ScientistPart V I



Art &Literature

with cushioned seats and when compared to the archaic

system I had experienced in Bombay underground

trains few months earlier , the whole arrangement was

simply top class and well oiled and programmed for

superior comfort of the commuters.

The driver of the train ensured the closure of doors

of compartments by using a remote controlled system

and after warning the passengers of closure with a

sharp beep signal audible to the incoming or exiting

passengers. The wonder-train took off with speed and

stopped after a few minutes at another station on its

projected route and the process repeated with clock-

like precision. How many years it may take for a such a

superb transport system to be in place in our metropolises

like Bombay (Mumbai) or Calcutta(Kolkata) or Delhi

(New Delhi) and other cities? I just wished such smooth

mass-transport systems become a reality in our country

too, at least during my life time!

Once comfortably seated, Rodrigo invited our

attention to a route map of the train with station names

highlighted in colour and pointed to the station name

trocadero, several stops away and involving a switch

of the route at a junction named chatelet. So, after ajourney of about 20 minutes, we should be at the Eiffel

Tower station, I commented with my voice reecting

perhaps, a sort of impatience and eager anticipation.

The advertisement posters pasted inside the

compartment as well as on the walls lining the

tunnel and on walls of metro stations were somewhat

outrageous and some bordering on the obscene, for the

tradional or conservative-minded as I was then! I was

shocked too to nd some youth and couples engaging in

open courtship and kissing and fondling, unmindful ofpeople or passengers around! Some, at least appeared

to engage in these courtships with an eye to show off to

persons around them! After all this is Paris not Bombay

or Delhi , my conscience reminded me repeatedly. I

was beginiing to see Paris or the new world capital of

narcissists and pleasure seekers!

Small distractions aside, the professional handling

of the mass transport system that I was fortunate to

experience during my rst journey in this metropolis

impressed me enormously. How many years it maytake for a such a superb mass transit system to be

in place in our metropolises like Bombay (Mumbai)

or Calcutta(Kolkata) or Delhi (New Delhi) and other

cities? I just wished such smooth running modes of

transport become a reality or available in our country

too, at least during my life time!

After a magical journey of about 30 minutes, we

reached Trocadero station and hurried to the exit. By

inserting the carefully-guarded metro coupon in the slit

of the machine guarding the exit and after getting the

green signal from the machine of a legal journey, we

were on our way to the outside. We ran up the stairs

and the enthusiasm oozing on our faces was beyond

description! Like enthusiastic school boys on a

discovery mission, we exclaimed in excited disbelief

in unison, HAA, sighting the eiffel tower bathed

in splendid coloured lighting, as soon as we spotted

the marvellous monument, on stepping out from the

stairs.

It was a wonderful sight beyond my realm of

imagination and the carefully choreographed coloured

lighting may have added , perhaps to its aura! I had

hardly imagined that the tower had enough provisions

to house elevators and even a restaurant and I only

could marvel, with tinge of jealousy how the engineer

genius Eiffel had conceived such a momentous

monument in his psyche! It would have been a mistake

or lost opportunity if I had opted to stay put at the hostel

and not ventured for this night mission, I confessed to

my friends excitedly! Although it was getting late in

the night , for Indian standards, the place was lled

with excited on-lookers and tourists with sprinkling

of young couples, perhaps on a romantic mission to

savour some private intimate moments under a moon-

lit sky.

We roamed around the monument excitedly and I

had a taste of the crepe smeared with butter and jam

at a make-shift thatched eatery shop, though cursing

silently the outrageous and exploitative price of the

food item! We chatted and chatted and sauntered

around aimlessly till the chilean guide warned us rather

unexpectedly , common guys, the metro service will

stop within half an hour and if we miss the last train,

the taxi fare to our hostel will be just too much for

our pocket! Like gluttons not yet contended with the

share of hugely -tasting variety of foods on offer, we

hesitatingly rushed to the metro station to catch the lastmetro service to our destination , etching in memory

an unbelievably glowing rst ever travel experience in

continental Europe.Continued .....



Spiritualism

Vichar Bharathi Kuwait in association with the Indian Lawyers Forum conducted 'LEGAL AWARE-

NESS CAMP' on 31st, May, 2013 at United Indian School, Abbasiya. The program was inaugurated

by famous Kuwaiti Lawyer, Adv. Labeed Abdal together with Adv.Thomas Panicker (Indian Lawyers

Forum President), Mr.Krishnakumar Paliath (Seva Darsan President) and Mr.Vibheesh Thikkodi (Vichar

Bharathi Kuwait Coordinator). Adv. Labeed Abdal emphasized the need to ensure equality of various

nationalities living in Kuwait before the law and order. He added that it is a two way responsibility where

the expatriate community should see to it that they abide the law of the country and be part of its devel-

opment. At the same time, Kuwait Government should see that the law is executed keeping the trans-

parency and not hurting or troubling the expatriate community in Kuwait. Adv.Thomas Panicker, Mr.

Krishnakumar Paliath, and Mr.Vibheesh Thikkodi addressed the gathering. Presentations given by Adv.

Sumod.M.K and Adv. Mohammed Basheer covering Indian Civil and Criminal Law, Adv.Rajesh Sagar

and Adv. Thomas Stephen covering Kuwait Labour Law and Kuwait Laws in general were informative.

The expert panel including Adv. George Cherian answered the legal questions raised by the audience.

The camp was marked with relevance of the subject and active participation of the audience. The guests

were honoured by Vichar Bharathi ofcials. Indian Lawyers Forum was specially honoured by Seva-

darsan Kuwait recognizing their contributions to the Indian expat society. Mrs. Reshmy Krishnakumar

delivered the welcome speech and Mr.Arun Kumar delivered the word of gratitude. Vichar Bharathi will

continue to coordinate with the expert panel to address any queries of the public and the questions shall

be forwarded to [email protected].

Vichar Bharathi conductedLegal Awareness Camp

News

Poos : Gas K. naayaa



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News

Poos : Gas K. naayaa



SpiritualismNews

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SpiritualismNews

VIVEKAMVIVEKAM( )

For more details and information kindly contact to us on :-

[email protected].

Vivekam, Vichar Bharatis pilot project of distributing books on the teachings of Swami Vivekananda to

150 schools across South India on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda was

inaugurated in Kuwait on 25th of February 2013.

Vichar Bharati is proud to announce that in association with the Anantharashtra Pusthakotsava Samithi

Cochin ( International Book Fair, Cochin ), the rst contribution to this project will be handed over to the

Samithi at the inauguration of the Vivekandanda Sahityotsavam ( 19JUN 15AUG ).

Vichar Bharath will be sponsoring this project along with the Public Relations Department of theGovernment of Kerala, Saksharatha Mission, Bala Sahitya Institute and the Anantharashtra Pusthakotsava

Samithi.

The inaugural function will be inaugurated on 19 June 2013 at the SRV High School, Ernakulam by

the Honorable Minister of State for Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Central

Government of India, Shri. P. V. Thomas, Shri. Sheik Pareeth IAS (District Collector, Ernakulum), Shr.

K.L. Mohana Varma, Shri, Nedumudi Harikumar, Shri. Chandrahasan Vaduthala, Shri. E.N.Nandakumar

will be the other dignitaries attending.

We aim to have similar functions in all the districts of Kerala during this period to distribute the books

worth Rs 5000/- to the various selected school libraries. Schools from other South India schools will also

be distributed. Book festivals and Chicago Speech competitions will also be held in various districts.

Vichar Bharati invites you all to be a part of the noble venture to spread the message of Swamiji to the

next generation and hope the success of this project will be a tribute to this great visionary.



News

VIVEKAM PROJECT

SALIENT FEATURESSALIENT FEATURES

VIVEKAM PROJECT

The books to 150 schools in India will be distributed to theschool libraries across the southern States of Bharat, under theguidance of Swami Vivekanandas 150th Birth AnniversaryCelebration Committee.

The project strives to uphold Seva Darshans commitment todevelop a vibrant young generation for building a strong nation.

The project aims to create awareness about SwamiVivekanandas inspiring life, his thoughts and his relevance intodays context.

The inspirational books are selected to educate and enlightenour young minds.

We aim to impart the spirit of seless Seva amoungst

our community..


26/31


27/31



Spiritualism

The Youngest Girl Web Designer and Youngest CEO in the World, designed and developed the

ofcial website of her school, Presentation Higher Secondary School, Kozhikode, Kerala, when

she was only 8 years old.

She has won several National and International Awards for her excellence in web designing. The

Association of American Webmasters honoured her by giving their membership along with their

highest award for excellence in web designing, the Gold Web Award. She is the only member of theAssociation of American Webmasters, ever, under the age of 18.

Now she has received the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement 2008, the highest

award in India for Children instituted by Govt. of India.

Sreelakshmi Suresh has already designed and developed 20 websites. Her website for Deafs,

www.kozhikodedeaf.org, ofcially launched by Sri. Binoy Viswam, Minister for Forest, State of

Kerala and her news website for kids in Malayalam, www.e-sandesh.com, formally inaugurated by

Sri. V. S. Achuthanandan, the Honorable Chief Minister of Kerala on 7th December 2008.

Sreelakshmi Suresh started her own web designing company eDesign Technologies (www.ede-sign.co.in), wherein she is the CEO, the youngest CEO in the World. Now Sreelakshmi Suresh

started another rm, Online Pixel Traders in association with Cybrosys Techno Solutions Pvt Ltd

wherein she along with Mr. Sainul Abideen (world famous for his invention of Rainbow Technol-

ogy) are the Managing Partners.

Sreelakshmi Suresh interested in computer applications even from her early childhood. When she

was 3 years old, she used to draw pictures using MS Paint program in Computer. Then she learnt

typing alphabets and gradually started studying web designing. When she was studying in 3rd

class, she was entrusted with the work of developing a website for her school. The site, www.pre-

sentationhss.com was launched on 15-1-2006 by Sri. Binoy Viswom, Minister of Kerala, when she

was only 8 years old and studying in 4th class. Sreelakshmi Suresh is the daughter of Adv. Suresh

Menon and Mrs. Viju Suresh. Now she is 15 years old and is studying in 11th standard at Presenta-

tion Higher Secondary School, Kozhikode.

Sreelakshmi Suresh

A.vya Smo

Bala Lokam

INTERVIEWWITH

THE YOUNGEST

CEO



A shy ,often serious nature ,very unassuming per-

sonality, full of wit and humor , is how I can describe

Miss .Sreelakshmi Suresh, 15 years of age,I had the pleasure of interviewing Sreelakshmi,

during her visit to Kuwait on 17/5/13. I recorded our

interview as under

(Q) Sreelakshmi, you received the prestigious

award from the association of American Web De-

signers called American Web Master Award in

2007.How did you publish your talent to that As-

sociation?

(A) I had designed my schools website by 2007,

so my father helped me in contacting the AAWMA,through their CEO m/s Donna Snyder, Who inspect-

ed my work ,approved it and thus i got the award.

(Q) What are the awards you consider as the best in

your line of work till now?

(A) National Award for child and for exceptional

achievement2008

Best Women Entrepreneur-2012

Young Achievers Award, Achievers Award,

Swadeshi Science Congress and so on.

(Q) You have designed many International Web-

sites, can you name a few?

(A) I have designed 100 and more websites,. of

that

Cricket tvonline (UK).. Lalas dot com, Palav-

attom .com..Expatcorner, GCC.com, srikrishna

mandir(Canada), pravasi corner.com(Saudi). Dallas

cars..

Are some the sites watched by many.

(Q) Which is the website designed by you that youlike the most. and why?

(a) State of kerala.com, .It is a mini encyclopedia of

Kerala, my home state. I learned a lot about Kerala.

(b)e-sandesh.com, was inaugurated by the then

Chief Minister Sri. Achuthanandan, who I really re-

spect.

(Q)Sreelakshmi, I understand that you had designed

sites for the hearing impaired and for orphans. As a

gesture of good will, what were those web sites?

(A) Yes, Kozhikode deaf.org, for the association

of deaf, and

Deenarseva.org, for orphans.. I did not accept any-

thing from them,st felt good that I could help the

underprivileged and hearing impaired people, in my

way.(Q) What is your concept on charity?

(A) Charity is not the correct word. We should see

god in everyone around us and serve them as much

as much as we can. We should give a deserving per-

son just what he needs.

(Q) According to you what are the effects of Glo-

balization in your eld of Web- Designing.?

(A)There are advantages and disadvantage

The advantages are-: Many international compa-

nies have approached me to make their websites. All

these connections were made through internet ,while

disadvantage is that competition is on a larger scale

and I have to be the best. Advantages outweigh the

disadvantages.

(Q) What was the happiest moment in your life till

now?

(A) When my schools principal called me to do

my schools website. And afterwards when I got the

National Award.(Q)Sreelakshmi, you have spoken in many inter-

views that Bill Gates is your role model, why?

(A) Windows were made user friendly by Bill

Gates. He has inspired millions of persons.

(Q) Can a web site you have created be en-

croached?

(A) Yes..Hacking, cracking, phishing are negative

aspects of web- technology. Government should

have he will power to stop and block bad sites.

(Q) Have you done any websites on temples in

Kerala?

(A) Yes..Malanada.com about Sabarimala, Aran-

ikkulamtemple.com,

Vaidikavijnanakendram.com are about temples

and their history.

(Q)Can I ask you something? Most people study to

get a job, you have a great job, why study more?

(A)(Sreelakshmi smiling) I have to excel in my

eld, so I have to study harder.It was then time to go to Airport , so we concluded

our interview.

Bala Lokam



Spiritualism

A young prince is seated on the throne. His soldiers

have brought a handcuffed Patil (a village chief) be-

fore him. Patil, with a thick and long moustache, had

dishonored a helpless widow. In a stern and majestic

tone the young prince announced the judgment, cut

off his both hands and feet!! This is the least punish-

ment for the crime he has committed. All present

were taken aback at the rm devotion of the prince

to justice. Not only were they wonder-struck but alsopleased beyond measure. The village people began

to say to one another: Ah! Look! How devoted to

justice our young prince is!? He is not in the least

afraid of the wicked people. He is kind and loving

towards the poor, the downfallen and the wretched.

He is ever determined to help them and to protect

them. What is more, he regards all women as moth-

ers!

Don't you wish to know who this young princewas? He was none other than Shivaji. At the time

of this incident he was just fourteen. In another in-

cident in Nachani village of Pune province, a

ferocious and huge cheetah was creating nuisance.

He used to attack villagers suddenly and run away

into the jungle. Scared villagers ran to Shivaji for

help. They cried, Save us from this wild animal.

He has killed so many children. He attacks us espe-

cially in the night when everyone is sleeping. After

patiently listening to the villagers, he said, don?t

worry!! Calm down. I am here to help you. Shiva-

ji, along with his chieftain Yesaji and few soldiers,

went to the jungle. As soon as the cheetah appeared,

Shivaji's soldiers frightened and backed off. But

Shivaji and Yesaji bravely confronted the Cheetah

and killed him in no time. Villagers rejoiced and

hailed, Jay Shivaji!!

Shivaji's father's name was Shahaji. He was al-ways away from home, ghting wars. How he be-

came aware of this fearless and unique nature of his

son is itself an interesting story. On a certain occa-

Bala Shivaji

sion, Shahaji took his son to the court of the Sul-

tan of Bijapur. Shahaji and all others touched the

ground thrice and saluted the Sultan. He asked his

son Shivaji to do the same thing. But.....! Shivaji

stood erect with his head unbent. He seemed to be

determined that he would not bow down to a foreign

ruler. He walked back from the court with a lion-like

gait and bearing.

You may ask: how did Shivaji acquire all these

noble virtues - courage, heroism, love of the moth-

erland and love of Dharma? Even when he was a

little child, his mother Jijabai used to tell him sto-

ries of heroes, of saints and sages who appear in

the Ramayana, and the Mahabharatha. She taught

him all about Hindu Samskars and patriotism. As

Shivaji listened to these tales of heroism and Dhar-

mik deeds, he grew more and more eager to be like

Rama or Krishna, Bheema or Arjuna. His teacher

and guide, Dadoji Kondadev was a great man. He

not only taught Shivaji about all kinds of warfare

tactics but also about politics and good administra-

tion. Both, Dadoji Kondadev and Jijabai, carved his

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31/31

They ght, cry, laugh and even play pranks

on each other and at the end of the day they are

best friends .Even though they do not talk, we

understand what they say. Its a simple, funny

world of fantasy lled with emotion of being

friend and enemy.

And to live like frenemies, its just so much

fun for us. It takes a lot of things like soft mind,

personal clown and creativity to give tough time

to your friends. Tom and Jerry is a pair of ideal

frenemies who share something in common

how to live like a true creature, whether big,

small, thin etc and even show how to keep

themselves busy all day with activities.

Nature has some of its own rules. Nature made

Live Like Tom & Jerrytoday. This cat and mouse ght not for too long,

as the nature itself says inside enemies there is

a bond between them, the bond of friendship.

But humans are into rule breaking. They are

of the same kind, yet hate each other, ruin the life

of other etc. Thinking about our own life, Tom

and Jerry episodes does teach us something.

They tell us about an ideal life. Too much

of anything turns you and your friend into

frenemies.

LIVE LIKE A TRUE FRIEND EVEN IF YOU

ARE ENEMIES

Shikha Pradeej

personality.

Though Shivaji was a prince, he enjoyed playing

with anyone of his age and easily mixed up with thecommon peple. Soon, he became the heart of all. At

the age of twelve, he and his friends took the oath

of defeating foreign rulers and establish swarajya

where people can live fearless and happy and follow

their dharma. At the young age of sixteen, he started

raising his own army. In the same age, he captured

one of the forts. It was the fort of Torana. Another

meaning of Torana is garland. Jijabai proudly said,

look! Shivaji has brought us a garland of indepen-dence!.

As Shivaji grew old, he fought many wars and de-

feated several lieutenants and commanders of for-

eign rulers. While ghting with the enemies, he put

himself in a grave danger very often. He not only

established his independent sovereign against all

odds but also undertook reforms to make his people

happy. He inspired and united the common man to

ght against the tyranny of foreign rulers such as

Aurangjeb, by inculcating a sense of pride and na-

tionality in them. Isn't it great about Shivaji? Sant(sage) Ramadas was his spiritual guru (teacher). He

sang in praise of Shivaji: The land and its Dharma

have been uplifted. A kingdom of bliss has arisen.

After reading the thrilling and inspiring tale of

Shivaji, don't we feel that we too should follow the

example of Shivaji? Why is this so? It is because

Shivaji underwent all hardships for the sake of his

country, for the sake of its Dharma. He did not care

for his own life and quite often entered the very jawsof death. Till his last breath, he lived for his country

and for the Dharma of the Hindus. It is nearly three

hundred years since he died but the memory of this

great man lights up the torch of inspiration.

Bala Lokam

Sopanam E Magazine Vol 3 Issue 3

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Transcript of Sopanam E Magazine Vol 3 Issue 3