Monthly Archives: December 2014

Anglo India hand

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's

Eric Stracey talks about his book ‘Growing up in Anglo India’

EricStaceyBF25dec2014

“If as a little boy in the 1920s, I had been asked what I was, I would have said, ‘English’.” In Growing up in Anglo India (EastWest) Eric Stracey, 80, writes about an elusive 400-year-old community. Sometimes reviled, often used, rarely admired, the Anglo-Indians are a people who perhaps got as close to immortality as they ever would with Ismail Merchant’s Cotton Mary.

“Cheap novelists and scriptwriters have often found in the Anglo-Indians ground for sensationalism,” says Stracey. Stracey’s writing is a nostalgic, picturesque, sometimes brutally honest journey through the times, places and achievements that characterised the lives of his parents and 11 siblings.

“There was the realisation that we were an unusual lot and that our story called for some kind of record,” he says. “Another reason was that Bangalore and the conditions prevailing there when I was growing up in the cantonment – the best of weather, pure air, clean water, fine schools, a moral climate and cheap living – have changed beyond recognition. Unfortunately for the worse.”
Stracey migrated to Australia for “family reasons” in 1980. During a retirement marked by “boredom and low spirits”, his writing flourished. He updated his first, unpublished novel Odd Man In – memoirs of his years in the police service, which climaxed when be became director general of police, Tamil Nadu, in 1979.
Growing up in Anglo India is in a sense a literary tribute to his people: “Among our proudest qualities are our sense of loyalty and steadfastness. We stuck to our post and did our duty when others faltered.” It is no wonder then that cities as far afield as Calcutta and Bangalore have their own mini-legends about Anglo-Indian police officers like Stracey.
And despite great distances, this father of two sons, Mike, 52, and John, 54, is as close as he ever was to his community. So while he writes with regret that a lack of financial resources has led to conditions among the Anglo-Indians “going downhill”, he might take consolation in the fact that he will always be remembered for knowing well and writing truly of a time when it was otherwise.
source: http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in / Indiatoday.in / Home> Society & The Arts> Books / by Sonia Faleiro / September 04th, 2014

Sahitya Academy award for Poomani for Agnaadi

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Chennai :

Tamil writer Poomani has won this year’s Sahitya Akademi award for his historical novel ‘Agnaadi’. The novel has been called “a landmark work” and covers a period of more than 170 years from the beginning of the 19th century, revolving mainly around the lives and fortunes of several families in villages in Virudhunagar district.

The 1,200-page novel looks at caste conflicts in the region over the past two centuries. It has also won the inaugural Gitanjali literary prize.

While last year’s award winner, Joe D’Cruz’s novel ‘Aazhi Soozh Ulagu’ (Ocean-Ringed Earth), was based on imagination and creative writing, Poomani’s book is a research-based story – similar to Su Venkatesan’s ‘Kaval Kottam’ that is a saga of the kallar community. Poomani, though born in a dalit-pallar family, has written about families belonging to various communities including nadars whose socio-economic and cultural advancement in the 100 years, giving rise to a prosperous business class in Virudhunagar, is a remarkable story in modern Tamil society.

Pooliththurai Manickavasagam, aka Poomani, collected information on events and developments during the colonial period using archival sources in the region. In addition, the author also collected source materials from National Archives and the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi, National Library in Kolkata, and the India Office Library in London.

“Poomani is an acclaimed author and is famous for his writings on dalits. He deserves to receive the award,” said writer S Ramakrishnan.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / December 20th, 2014

Training given in sea turtle conservation

Education, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature

J. Vinodh, a home guard in Kadapakkam on East Coast Road, has been assisting the police in patrolling the areas and checking vehicles during weekends. Now, he has learnt to collect eggs laid by Olive Ridley turtles and translocate them properly.

Mr. Vinodh was one of the 75 people who underwent training in protecting and conserving marine resources on Saturday. A total of 17 home guards, 20 forest watchers, six panchayat presidents and 31 sea turtle protection force volunteers underwent the training on Saturday.

Jebastian Emmnuel, a forest watcher who completed the training, will now take care of the coastal stretch between Napier Bridge and Lighthouse. He says: “Earlier, I did not know that when the weather is hot, adequate cover is needed around the spot where the eggs are translocated. I learnt this during the training.”

Forest department sources said a total of 15 field staff, including the wildlife headquarters range officer, underwent the training. The department has proposed to post five persons along the Marina stretch, and another five along the Besant Nagar stretch and along the east coast up to Mahabalipuram. These watchers will help local marine life conservationists to relocate the eggs, rescue stranded turtles along the coast and count dead Olive Ridley turtles.

Supraja Dharini of TREE Foundation said the training was scheduled just before the commencement of the nesting season of Olive Ridleys along the Chennai coast. The training focussed on the integrated sea turtle conservation programme, which is imparted in association with the wildlife wing of the State forest department, she said. Protocols, interaction and exchange of information on sea turtle monitoring and conservation methodologies were part of the training, she added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by P. Oppili / Chennai – December 21st, 2014

V Balasubramanian, Vikatan editor and animal lover, dead

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature

Chennai :

Veteran media personality and Vikatan group chairman V Balasubramanian passed away at a private hospital in Chennai after a brief illness. He was 79. He had served as editor and publisher of Ananda Vikatan, a widely read Tamil weekly founded by his movie-moghul father S S Vasan.

During his tenure, Balasubramanian launched Junior Vikatan, a racy, tabloid-like weekly that set a new trend by dishing out an exciting fare consisting of political reporting, investigative stories and serialized historical novellas.

Balasubramanian became a test case of the extent of legislative privileges when in 1987 the assembly speaker ordered his arrest for publishing on the cover of his magazine a cartoon on legislators. M G Ramachandran was chief minister at that time. While speaker P H Pandian insisted he had “sky high” powers, Balasubramanian stuck to his guns and went to jail.

Observers at the time couldn’t miss the irony of Balasubramanian having produced an MGR-starring film ‘Sirithu Vazha Vendum’ (Live life smiling) earlier.

“He was released in two days after protests erupted all over the country but our editor was not satisfied with that. He filed a lawsuit against his wrongful arrest, asked for token compensation and won his case,” cartoonist Madhan, who served as joint editor of the Vikatan group, said. “He framed the cheque for the compensation amount and displayed it in his room,” said Sudhangan, veteran journalist who started career with Vikatan.

Balasubramanian was an expert farmer, with special interest in the cultivation of high-yielding winter crops. A dog lover, he bred German shepherds. He was a successful aviculturist and is known for having bred many types of parrots.

His father, S S Vasan, was a celebrated journalist, freedom fighter and film magnate – he was the proprietor of Gemini Studios.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / December 20th, 2014

10 Pilots Get ‘Wings’ at INS Rajali Passing Out Ceremony

Business & Economy, Education, Records, All
Vice Admiral R K Pattanaik, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, inspecting the cadets during the 83rd Helicopter Conversion Course, held at Naval Air Station, INS Rajali at Arakkonam on Saturday | express
Vice Admiral R K Pattanaik, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, inspecting the cadets during the 83rd Helicopter Conversion Course, held at Naval Air Station, INS Rajali at Arakkonam on Saturday | express

Vellore :

Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral R K Pattanaik, AVSM, YSM, awarded ‘wings’ to 10 pilots – eight naval and two coast guard pilots at the passing-out parade held at the 83rd Helicopter Conversion Course at Naval Air Station (NAS), INS Rajali, in Arakkonam on Saturday.

Vice Admiral Pattanaik also awarded ‘The Governor of Kerala Rolling Trophy’, for the best all-round trainee pilot and a book prize, for standing first in ground subjects to Himanshu Kukreja and awarded ‘The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command Rolling Trophy’ for the trainee pilot standing first in order of merit in flying, to Praffur Kishor Itape.

Speaking on the occasion, Pattanaik congratulated the trainee pilots, and wished them success in their future endeavours. “You (trainee pilots) have faced and overcome many difficulties  during the trainee period to gain success. But, this is not the end but is instead the beginning of your career. The real problems are waiting for you, outside the base.”

The pilots underwent rigorous training for 22 weeks in flying and aviation subjects at the Helicopter Training School (HTS) INAS 561 located in the NAS at Arakkonam. The HTS commanded by Paul Mathew has graduated 616 pilots for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard till date.

The squadron was awarded the ‘Best Training Squadron’ trophy for the year 2013-14. The school was also recently awarded ISO 9001:2008 certification and has also been adjudged ‘The Best Naval Air Squadron’ for the year 2012-13 among all the naval air squadrons of the Navy. The squadron is 43 years old and was initially established at INS Garuda, Kochi and later in June 1992 was re-based in INS Rajali in Arakkonam.

Graduating pilots will be joining operational flights in Mumbai, Port Blair, Goa, Kochi, Visakhapatnam, Daman and Chennai.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / December 22nd, 2014

Country chicken rearing receives a boost in dist

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Resources of Free Materials

Trichy :

Due to changes in lifestyle, the country chicken ‘naatu kozhi’, once a common sight, has largely vanished from the homes in the state.

It has been replaced by the juicier, cheaper and more easily available broiler chicken. However, country chicken varieties are slowly making a comeback in the district, thanks to the efforts of the department of animal husbandry.

Under a scheme to boost country chicken breeding, the department is providing individuals and women self-help groups (SHGs) money and other incentives.

It enables eligible applicants to get Rs 1,29,500 for every unit of native chicken breeding. One unit consists of 750 chickens, which will be given in three dues of 250 each.

Half the money would be provided by banks, which has to be repaid later. The state government and the national bank for agriculture and rural development (NABARD) will provide 25% each of the total cost.

The beneficiaries have to set up a shed and lights to create an atmosphere conducive for chicken breeding. For 2014-15, 160 people are receiving the units, worth Rs 2,07,20,000.

The number of beneficiaries in 2013-14 and 2012-13 were 240 and 35 respectively, with a total cost of Rs 2,80,80,00 in 2013-14 and Rs 40,95,000 in 2012-13.

Unlike broiler chicken, which has been said to create health problems in the long run, country chicken is bred in natural circumstances. Under the scheme, the chickens are fed with greens for healthy rearing. It takes around 75 days for a chicken to attain its full growth of 1.5 kg. Each kilogram of country chicken costs around Rs 300.

District collector Jayashree Muralidharan said that the scheme had benefitted a lot of women and it gave an impetus to rear country chicken.

Dr R Mohanarangam, joint director, department of animal husbandry, said that immunization drops were provided to the country chickens to protect them from diseases.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Trichy / December 09th, 2014

M.C. Sampath passes away

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
M.C.Sampath / The Hindu
M.C.Sampath / The Hindu

Mr. Sampath, retired Senior Associate Editor of The Hindu, suffered a massive cardiac arrest. He was 78.

M.C. Sampath, retired Senior Associate Editor ofThe Hindu, passed away here on Saturday evening after suffering a massive cardiac arrest. He was 78.

He retired from The Hindu in 2012 after serving the newspaper for 50 years, not counting the five years during which he was the part-time correspondent in Chengalpattu. Joining the organisation in June 1961 as a Staff Reporter, he rose to become an Editorial writer and a Senior Associate Editor. He was also in charge of the Book Reviews for some years. For long years, he was writing the Religion column in the newspaper.

In his later years with the newspaper, as the seniormost member of the editorial team, Mr. Sampath assisted the Editor in managing the editorials for the day, finally seeing them off on the page after scrutiny.

MCS was an old school journalist who was meticulous in his commitment to accuracy, contextualising and fairness. As an editorial writer, he was clear-headed, sceptical about big claims, nuanced, and able to deal with complexity skilfully and to present a persuasive argument with ease. But he never shied away from expressing a forthright opinion on issues that mattered. And as a coordinator of editorials, willing to put in long hours, he was considered the safest pair of hands any Editor could wish for.

His father, the late K.M. Narasimhachariar, was the Agent for The Hindu in Chengalpattu. An M.A. in Economics from Madras University, Mr. Sampath was a genial friend, philosopher and guide to his colleagues. Though he was due for retirement in 1996, he was given extension of service till 2012 by successive Editors.

He is survived by his wife and two sons.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News / Chennai – December 21st, 2014

Coconut plucking: women take giant strides

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature
A woman undergoing training in coconut plucking at Parangipettai in Cuddalore district.
A woman undergoing training in coconut plucking at Parangipettai in Cuddalore district.

Even though Cuddalore district abounds in coconut trees, the price of coconuts is high. The reason trotted out for such market behaviour is the lack of manpower to pluck coconuts or the high wages the workers demand.

It has created a situation in which even the ripe coconuts are left either to rot on the trees or fall. It has become consternation for the coconut growers to find the workforce on time to harvest, not to speak of the plight of the households having a few coconut trees in their garden.

To overcome the problem, the M.S. Swaminatan Research Foundation (MSSRF) has launched the “Friends of Coconut Tree” programme for farmers and the unemployed youth.

R. Elangovan, Project Officer of the MSSRF, told The Hindu that the six-day training programme organised under the aegis of the MSSRF Village Resource Centre at Parangipettai was intended to help the farmers and unemployed youth learn to climb trees to pluck the coconut.

To start with, 20 persons, including four women hailing from Killai, Nochikadu, Manikkollai and Parangipettai, joined the programme conducted recently. It was conducted in coordination with the Coconut Development Board that provided the device for climbing the trees free of cost.

In-house training

It was a sort of an in-house training as the trainees would stay at the Parangipettai centre throughout the training programme. Besides mastering the tree climbing techniques, they were also taught yoga and pranayam.

Mr Elangovan said the Coconut Development Board had made it mandatory that 30 per cent of the trainees ought to be women.

It was a surprise that four women had come forward to enroll their names in the programme.

One of the trainees, Kausalya, 24, told this correspondent that initially she had hesitation in joining the programme as she lacked courage in climbing tall trees.

But, the device provided by the centre made the job simple and easy. She gained confidence gradually.

However, the centre has prescribed a dress code for women — they should either wear salwar kameez or a pair of trousers to avoid risks.

Mr Elangovan said that after completion of the training programme, Parangipettai Town Panchayat Chairman Mohammad Yunus gave away certificates and the climbing device (free of cost) to the participants.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Tamil Nadu / by A.V. Raghunathan / Cuddalore – December 18th, 2014

Doctors correct spinal dislocation, through the nose

Records, All, Science & Technologies

Chennai :

Surgeons at a government hospital in the city set right a neural disorder that causes an uncontrollable shivering of limbs by inserting an endoscope through the patient’s nose.

Manaangatti, 60, a labourer from Red Hills, could not find proper work for the past five months because of shivering in his hands and legs. He was admitted to the neurosurgery department of Stanley Medical College Hospital in October. Doctors diagnosed the condition as atlanto-axial dislocation.

“An MRI scan showed that his atlas bone in the spine was dislocated and causing severe compression of nerves. This caused shivering and loss of sensation in the lower part of his body,” said Dr Jacob Grand, head of the neurosurgery department.

In a procedure performed last month, surgeons inserted an endoscope (a device with a light used to look inside a body cavity or an organ) through his nose and corrected the dislocation by removing the C1 and part of the C2 vertebrae.

“Conventionally, this is done as a standard surgery through the mouth. We cut open the soft palette and perform the procedure. But in an attempt to avoid tissue loss, we decided to do a nasal endoscopy, which is minimally invasive and relatively painless,” said the doctor.

Since some bones in the spine had been removed, the doctors used a collar to maintain the position of the neck. Stanley dean Dr A L Meenakshi Sundaram said such minimally invasive procedures reduce blood loss, pain and the length of hospital stay. “Considering the age of the patient, doctors skipped the conventional open surgery and managed to achieve much better results.”

Three days after the procedure, doctors performed spinal surgery and attached titanium rods to stabilize the neck bone.

Within a few days, the patient regained sensation in his limbs and could move around normally.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / December 17th, 2014

Teacher’s Tribute to Hero Bharathi: 750 Pens to Kids

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features
C Kannan handing pens to the students in Coimbatore | EXPRESS
C Kannan handing pens to the students in Coimbatore | EXPRESS

Coimbatore : 

A science teacher has sought to reach out to his students by going back to the once popular Hero pens.

The teacher at Velliangadu government school near Karamadai chose to pay his respects to the his hero, revolutionary poet Subramania Bharathi, on his birth anniversary by gifting the fountain pens to all the 750 students from classes VI to XII.

For C Kannan, who spent `20,000 for the gifts, such acts of benevolence are not new, as he has already provided students from economically weaker sections with two sets of uniforms.

The science teacher, who has completed two years at the Velliangadu Government Higher Secondary School, says the gesture would also serve as an encouragement for the students who are in the middle of their half-yearly exams.

Speaking to Express, Kannan said, “Sincerity and dedication from teachers motivate students to perform better. Inspiring children and moulding them into responsible citizens are part of the duty of every teacher.”

R Palanisamy, headmaster of the school, said that though Kannan was appointed as a BT Assistant to handle science classes for students of classes VI to IX, out of interest, he used to take English and Mathematics classes.

Whenever teachers handling Class X were not present, he used to chip in and help the students, he added. Another interesting aspect with Kannan, as pointed out by his colleagues, was that he would make the learning process interesting for students by discussing general issues with them before getting into the text books.

According to the staffers, “Kannan also has good knowledge about computers and helps us a lot in our work. He is always optimistic and ready to help.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> TamilNadu / by Ram M Sundaram / December 16th, 2014