Science, in Deepana Gandhi’s rural Ooty school, may have whetted her appetite for the great unknown, but it gave her no inkling of where it would lead her.
The 26-year-old, is today a member of Team Indus, the only team from India to have been shortlisted among 16 global teams for the $30 million Google Lunar XPrize competition, the race to land a privately-financed robotic craft on the Moon by December 2017.
Gandhi also happens to be the centerpiece of a documentary series that traces the competing teams’ backstories.
Titled Moon Shot, the series is produced by JJ Abrams, the co-creator of the TV series Lost and director of last year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
“India’s changing. What I have been through is proof of it,” says Gandhi in the documentary, “Now there are women who are doing well in science and space studies. Soon, there will be an equal number of men and women (in these fields).”
Gandhi is part of the flight dynamics group at the Bengaluru-based Team Indus, responsible for controlling the spacecraft from the point it gets separated from the launch vehicle, till the touchdown on the moon.
Abrams’ documentary, directed by Oscar-nominated Orlando von Einsiedel, traces Gandhi’s story from her school days in Ooty to her present-day moon mission. She was fascinated with maths from a young age. “Maths mixed with science is beautiful,” she says, as the film shows her teaching children in a small-town school about space.
Gandhi was among those from Team Indus who travelled to the US to be part of the launch of the documentary series. “She’s incredible. When an American journalist asked her a technical question, she said, “Give me a whiteboard, I’ll explain it to you’,” says Sheelika Ravishankar, who leads Team Indus’ outreach and people programmes.
Gandhi’s inspiration was Kalpana Chawla, the Indo-American astronaut who became the first woman of Indian origin in space.
She went on to do her MTech at PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, following it with an internship at ISRO. “People used to say you are a girl, you can sit at home and relax,” she says. But her family, her father in particular, supported her. “My dad always said a girl can do what a boy can. That kept me tryingAt last, I got the opportunity to prove myself,” she says about her stint with Team Indus.
Founded by IIT Delhi alumnus Rahul Narayan, Team Indus started out as the inexperienced and under-resourced underdog in the competition, but is now a frontrunner.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bangalore / TNN / April 24th, 2016
Coimbatore residents have been putting their backyards to good use … and no, we are not talking about just kitchen gardens. The braver of the lot are rearing honey bees in their gardens not only as a hobby but also as means to supplement their income.
M R Srinivasan, of the entomology department of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), said while many farmers attended the training programme conducted by them every month on beekeeping, the number of home makers and students taking part was, interestingly, on the rise. “This can be done anywhere as it does not require much investment or time. One needs some practice and should learn the basic nuances. We get entries from people from all walks of life,” he said.
While some women got interested in beekeeping out of curiosity, some wanted to produce honey in their homes. N Krishnaveni, a software engineer, said she found a beehive in her garden and became curious. “I wanted to learn the art of beekeeping. I was told that bees are best at cross pollination so I thought this would help increase the yield in the mango farm maintained by my family,” she said.
Like Krishnaveni, Saranya, an MBA student, wanted to get involved in beekeeping to increase the yield in her farm. But some women said they were aware of the benefits of pure honey and wanted to extract it on their own. “My husband is in the honey business and has a company in Bengaluru. But I want to rear them at home to extract honey for household purposes. I have already started learning the techniques,” said F Shabeena, a homemaker from Ukkadam.
Many women who already have terrace gardens and kitchen gardens are also rearing bees. K Jayanthi, 26, says she comes from an agricultural background and has always loved rearing bees. “I take part in various training camps conducted by TNAU and government to learn the techniques,” she said.
The women said they were not scared of the bees. “Unless we disturb the bees, they do not we disturb the bees, they do not attack. If right techniques are used, there is no danger at all,” said Krishnaveni.
An apiary expert, R Philip Sridhar said beekeeping was be coming popular as one just needs to give some time. “There are no maintenance costs involved. We need to check the chambers once a week at least to ensure the bee count is appropriate. One needs to check for the presence of eggs, honey and pollen storage. Moth attacks need to be prevented. Other techniques if learned, can not only make beekeeping fun but also yield commercial benefits to beekeepers,” said Sridhar.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Coimbatore / Komal Gautham / TNN / April 22nd, 2016
A view of the Thana Road, Arasappa Mudali Street junction. It is one of the places that is the parties’ favourite venues for organising rallies.— PHOTO: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
Places like Thana Street and Robinson Park bear witness to momentous occasions that shaped the State’s history.
K. Umapathy was 27 when heard the former West Bengal Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu, address a rally at Mangollai in the city’s Mylapore area in May 1991.
A resident of Mylapore’s Warren Road, he used to attend every public meeting at Mangollai. “I cannot forget that meeting. Even as the meeting was on, it was wound up abruptly. Only later did we hear about the news of assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi,” recalls Mr. Umapathy, now a resident of Mudichur on the city’s outskirts.
Similarly, V. Rama Rao remembers how he used to listen to politicians at Thana Street in Purasawalkam. For R. Ramesh, the arrest of some leaders under provisions of the Maintenance of Internal Security Act after their speech at Bharathi Thidal in West Tambaram remains a vivid memory.
These places, despite having transformed over the decades, remain political parties’ preferred venues for organising election meetings.
“Every political party used to organise public meetings on Thana Street. I used to have meals for just 50 paisa at Eswari Mess and then listen to speakers talk from the stage near Saraswathi Theatre. This was in the 1960’s and both the theatre and the mess have gone,” Mr. Rama Rao recalls.
Mr. Ramesh, a restaurant owner, says Bharathi Thidal was created by members of Communist Party of India. “Former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and Kamarajar have spoken here.”
Says historian V. Sriram: “The meeting in Robinson Park in 1948 was a turning point in the history of Tamil Nadu. C.N.Annadurai spoke from here to launch Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam after breaking away from Dravida Kazhagam.”
It is now known as Arignar Anna Poonga.
All trade union meetings in the city used to be held at Mayday Park, originally called Napier Park, in Chintadripet and leaders who spoke there went to become top political leaders too, Mr. Sriram adds.
A news report in The Hindu in March 1957 said that a meeting was organised by the Congress at Bandi Venkatesan Street in Triplicane (near CSI Kellet School) in support of Union Finance Minister and Lok Sabha candidate T.T. Krishnamachari.
Things have not changed at all as meetings continue to be held there.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by K. Manikandan / Chennai – April 22nd, 2016
Over 200 creative designs were showcased on the ramp at Hotel Clarion recently. No heavy expenses, no competition and no over-the-top decor. This fashion show – Life is a Label — was all about giving a platform to student designers who may not have had the resources to showcase their designs on their own.
Taking this initiative forward was Fashion Students’ Association (FSA) president B Arul Mozhi who was a designer herself. After watching one session of avant garde on ramp, City Express had a chat with her in the green room, which was chaotic and energetic. “A year has passed since FSA was launched. This is the first time we have had sponsors for our second show. The first was held in a resort in ECR. There were only about 12 designers that time,” recalls Arul about the initial journey of FS
So, why did she decide to create a platform for young designers? “I’m a B Tech fashion graduate from Anna University. When I attended job interviews, they’d ask for my last collection and I hadn’t done any more after my college project. Many colleges don’t teach students about what should be done to flourish in this creative field. Moreover, designing new collections and putting up shows is very expensive. There are also those who don’t have a degree but still get into the industry because they can afford the entry fee of fashion shows,” she opines. This got her thinking and FSA was created.
A student designer, S Priyadarshini, who was a part of two fashion shows by FSA, chips in about her experience. “Last year’s show was my first and I struggled to come up with good theme and creative ideas. Though I chose nature as my theme, I was not happy. But I watched the other designers and learnt a lot by mere observation and further research. This time, I am pretty confident,” she smiles and continues to talk about her new cocktail collection.“Sometimes, designers do come out with their own collections, but then what? Hosting a show is expensive and the clothes end up collecting dust. Hence, we’ve decided to host four shows a year where designers can exhibit their latest works at an inexpensive entry fee,” informs Arul.
FSA vice-president R Kalpana who exhibited her silk-inspired outfits wants to design clothes for celebrities. “People who come in to watch us may go back and talk about it to people in the fashion or film industry. It would be a dream come true if I could design one for actor Trisha,” she says. The fashion show was an all-day event where Pradeesh Raj, actor and assistant director of film Visaranai was also present.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express Features / April 21st, 2016
Meet 14-year-old Yamini Prashanth, the author of two novellas and a collection of short stories
Yamini Prashanth speaks as though she’s given countless interviews. She breezes through, with no trace of self-consciousness. The 14-year-old author has two books to her credit, and speaks to us ahead of the launch of her third, Uma, Not-so-Perfect. “I just think I’m extremely lucky,” she says, seated amidst rows of plastic chairs that will seat the audience for her event.
Being a published author at a young age is an achievement, but Yamini takes it in her stride. “I’m not ecstatic or anything. I’m neutral,” she shrugs. “I don’t think I’m really that great.” But her third book found a publisher without much effort on her mother’s part, which speaks for her work.
Yamini started writing when she was seven. She wrote sequels to books she enjoyed, such asMalory Towers and St. Clare’s. Mishti, a novella she wrote during her class five summer holidays, went on to get published by Unicorn Books. The story is set in India of the Nineties, when children spent their evenings playing outside instead of staying indoors glued to gadgets. Yamini put together a world she heard of from conversations with her mother.
Her second book, Best of Granny’s Stories, is a collection of short stories. Uma, Not-so-Perfect, which is about a girl who moves to the U.K. from India, deals with finding one’s roots in a new place, “without compromising on who we are,” explains Yamini. Her love for writing comes from her love for reading, which was instilled in her by her father. “Reading is a very big part of who I am,” she says. “Even if I don’t carry water to a place, I don’t fail to take a book with me.”
Now that she’s in Class X, writing has taken a back seat; but she does write poems when she finds inspiration. Despite finding success with writing, Yamini is sure of one thing: that she’ll not take to writing full-time. For, “I want to write for the love of it. If I’m forced to do it, it’ll be under pressure,” she says.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Akila Kannadasan / Chennai – April 20th, 2016
Statues of the Marudhu Pandiyar brothers — Periya Marudhu and Chinna Marudhu — who were hanged for their revolutionary acts, in Madurai. Photo: S. James / The Hindu
One of the freedom fighters, Puli Thevar, is considered the first south Indian to rebel against the British rule.
A documentary, commemorating the efforts of freedom fighters belonging to the Thevar community, was released on Sunday, the 15th anniversary of the Marathiya Manila Thevar Munnetra Peravai, an association of the community in Mumbai.
Titled ‘Contributions of the Thevar Community to the Indian Freedom Movement’, the 20-minute documentary gives a glimpse of the role the community played in the freedom struggle.
At a function in the Shanmukhananda auditorium, the contributions of five Thevar freedom fighters were commemorated in the presence of over 2,500 members from the community.
One of the freedom fighters, Puli Thevar, is considered the first south Indian to rebel against the British rule. He fought between the 1750s and late 1760s.
Varadarajan, founder president of Marathiya Manila Thevar Munnetra Peravai, said: “At a time when women were oppressed, Rani Velu Nachiyar valiantly fought in the 1740s, opposing the taxes levied by the British.”
The Marudhu Pandiyar brothers — Periya Marudhu and Chinna Marudhu — who were hanged for their revolutionary acts, issued a proclamation of independence from the British in 1801. Another freedom fighter, Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar, was mentioned for the role he played in garnering support from south India for Subhash Chandra Bose.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mumbai / Alakananda Chatterjee / Mumbai – April 19th, 2016
Sitting judge of the Madras High Court S. Vimala was awarded doctorate in law by Governor K. Rosaiah here on Monday.
Justice Vimala was one of the 5,397 candidates awarded their degrees at the 8th convocation of The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University. Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul was the chief guest and Mr. Rosaiah presided in his capacity as the Chancellor.
Senior Civil Judge R. Sathya and N. Ramapiran Ranjith Singh, member of the Syndicate – the highest decision-making body of the TNDALU – were among the 103 who received their degrees from the Governor.
Dr. Singh is an Assistant Professor at the Government Law College, Tirunelveli. For her Doctor of Philosophy degree, Justice Vimala worked on juvenile justice and how it conflicts with laws in Tamil Nadu.
“One positive feature that has emerged not only in legal education, but also in other forms of education, is the steady increase in the number of female students. We now see a significant percentage of female students in legal education and this, in turn, reflects in a larger number of women entering the subordinate judiciary, teaching and in legal profession,” said the Chief Justice.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – April 19th, 2016
If you have ever been on a heritage walk, you may have wondered about the wealth of information that was shared with you about the city, its history, its people and institutions. Where does all of these come from? On World Heritage Day (April 18), we spoke to four people who conduct these walks to find out.
If you have ever been on a heritage walk in the city, you may have wondered about the wealth of information that was shared with you about Chennai, its history, its people, its institutions and its organisations.
Where does all of this come from? Where do those who conduct heritage walks discover interesting nuggets of information about the city’s streets? On World Heritage Day (April 18), we spoke to four people who conduct these walks to find out more.
Who: Sudha Umashankar and Padmapriya Baskaran. Contact: sudha.ganesha@gmail.com
What: Walk down Harrington Road
How: When Sudha Umashankar moved to Harrington Road in 1977, it bore no resemblance to the well laid-out street with coffee shops, a shopping mall and eateries that it is today. “It used to be deserted in the evenings and it was notorious for house break-ins,” she says. For the walk, which was held last month, Ms. Umashankar spoke to residents of the road, went to institutions to collect information and read a lot. “Books about Chennai, publications such as booklets or magazines brought out to commemorate milestones — these are all useful. I did get information online, but corroborated it first,” she says. The trick is to put the whole thing together in a digestible way, spiced with rumours or legends that people can identify with. Her next focus is Marshalls Road — choosing a street with history, a unique facet to it or landmark institutions helps, she says.
How: “One of the advantages of researching about an institution that has been there for so many years is that every development which has happened over the last century has been recorded in the form of letters, documents and books,” says N.L. Rajah, a senior advocate of the Madras High Court (HC).
Interactions with people who had worked at the High Court over the years and authoring a book, The Madras High Court: A 150-year Journey from Crown Court to People’s Court, also yielded a lot of information about the history surrounding the High Court; the legal history of the 150-year-old institution and the architectural value, all of which is explained during the walks. “Most of my walks are attended by architecture students wanting to learn about the sprawling premises, which will turn 125 years next year. As a part of the heritage committee of the HC, we speak about the ongoing renovation work and its importance for a structure with so much heritage value,” he says.
NICA IDs: 153220034/153220035/153220036
Who: V.S. Sukumar. Contact: 9840622611
What: Gandhi Nagar Heritage Walk
How: Having lived at Gandhi Nagar for 65 years, V.S. Sukumar, honorary secretary, Gandhi Nagar Cricket and Sports Club, knows the ins and outs of this area, which is one of the earliest planned layouts of Madras, built just after independence.
“Several of us have studied in the schools here, played cricket at the cricket club and even gone to the same nursery,” he says. Land documents, publications of the government from the time of the inauguration of the colony, the book South of the Adyar River and information from organisations are all sources of information, he says.
“There are also old institutions such as Theosophical Society and Kalakshetra nearby which are resources,” he says. Senior citizens apart, residents who have moved in to live in many of Gandhi Nagar’s bungalows-converted-to-apartment-complexes are interested in these 131 acres. The walk is held in December every year, he said.
Pics:
Who: Kombai S. Anwar. Contact: anvars@gmail.com
What: Nawab of Arcot: Walajah Trail
How: Kombai S. Anwar, who has previously hosted the ‘Nawab of Arcot: Walajah Trail’ and a walk focussing on the Islamic heritage on Mount Road says that he likes to focus on heritage which had been overlooked.
“We are inundated with heritage structures and monuments in Chennai so much so that many remain unaware of their value. I had a fair idea about these structures but information from books available at the Connemera, Madras University and Mohammeden Public Libraries in Chennai about Muslim monuments as well as the general literature of that period serve as great pointers towards how many of these heritage structures came to be,” he says.
He recalls that his initial tryst with research into the city’s heritage was as part of the Madras Gazetteers Project. “Visiting the many heritage structures in the city yielded so much information,” Mr. Anwar says.
Pics: In NICA today
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Zubeda Hamid & S. Poorvaja / Chennai – April 19th, 2016
Sivasundari Bose with the original manuscript and published version of her father M.V.S. Ratnavale’s catalogue of ancient Tamil poetry. Photo: M. Moorthy
M.V.S. Ratnavale’s catalogue of classical Tamil works is a worthy tribute to the language
Though technology has made it easier to research ideas and let the mind wander down the lanes of a world where the writer is God, it has become harder to write prose or poetry that could be called a timeless classic.
At a time when nearly every word has a loaded significance due to the polarisation of discourse, lovers of classical writing can welcome a compendium titled English Catalogue of Ancient Tamil Literature (Palantamizh Ilakkiya Thoguppu).
The editor of the tome is M.V.S. Ratnavale, (1915-1994), who has meticulously recorded 687 works of Tamil poets from 1000 BC (pre- to post-Sangam period). “My father had no reason to write his book except for his love of Tamil language,” says Sivasundari Bose, who finally put together the tome as a souvenir to celebrate Mr. Ratnavale’s birth centenary on December 25, 2015.
Bringing the 600 loose typewritten sheets into a modern book format was in itself a challenging task, says Ms. Sivasundari, a Tiruchi-based author who writes in English and Tamil.
“Outsourcing the typing work to data entry operators was not a good idea, because those who know accurate Tamil typing are hard to find,” says Ms. Sivasundari.
Born in Tuticorin into a family of 11 children, Mr. Ratnavale was the seventh child of M. V. Shanmugavel Nadar, the founder-chairman of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank. “His father died young, but my grandmother made sure that all the children were educated,” recalls Ms. Sivasundari. Mr. Ratnavale studied History in Presidency College, Chennai and American College in Madurai.
“He was always interested in doing something more than just earning a living,” says Ms. Sivasundari.
It was this desire to live differently that led him to start cultivating cardamom on the wild forest slopes of the Western Ghats in his estate ‘Kaantha Paarai.’
Besides collecting books in English and Tamil, his days were consumed by a passion for numismatics, philately and photography.
He won a national-level bronze medal for his extensive collection of Indian and British Commonwealth stamps.
After a peripatetic life, and the marriages of his four children, Mr. Ratnavale chose to settle down in Kallidaikurichi, Tirunelveli district, near the foothills of his estate. “Though my father wasn’t from a literary family, he had developed a taste for Tamil literature, and was equally fluent in English. He used to buy a lot of old books which he thought had to be shared with the world. And he felt the sharing would be best done in English, to reach out to a wider audience,” says Ms. Sivasundari. “That’s when he started taking notes.”
For over 20 years, Mr. Ratnavale tracked down the works for his catalogue, and kept saving his work on loose sheets of translucent paper.
“He had time, but he also worked very hard,” says Ms. Sivasundari. “He’d be at his writing desk at 9 a.m. and work till lunch. There’d be a short break, and he’d go back to the manuscript in the evening,” she adds.
Operating in a pre-internet era in a village where there was nobody he could share his work with or seek assistance from, Mr. Ratnavale’s catalogue, which begins at Aadai Nool and ends at Yellathi, is an example of meticulous research and physical effort.
“Each entry had to be typed correctly, and corrections had to be made immediately. It is so easy to delete or correct sentences on the computer. But I didn’t realise then what he was doing. Now I see the manual and intellectual effort he had put in to compile the book,” says Ms. Sivasundari.
After he completed his manuscript, Mr. Ratnavale faced the hurdle common to most first-time authors: finding a publisher. “Up until his 80s, he used to visit me in Tiruchi and go looking for publishers, but nobody was interested,” says Ms. Sivasundari.
The catalogue has managed to unearth works of greater literary and thematic depth than the ones that have held sway over popular imagination. “We all know Silapathigaram, or Thirukkural or Kamba Ramayanam, but there are others that we haven’t even heard of which are listed in this catalogue,” says Ms. Sivasundari. “Perhaps the lack of annotated texts or ‘urai’ to explain the lingo prevalent at that time could be a reason why they are forgotten now,” she adds.
Treatises on the need for harmony in music (Isai Nunukkam by Sihandi, 6th century), geriatric medicine (Moopu Choothiram composed by Ambihaananthar, 8th century) and an exhaustive Tamil Thesaurus (Pingala Nigandu by Pingala Muniver, 8th century) are among the little-known texts that are listed out in the catalogue.
Mr. Ratnavale has also added his own notes on various works to make it more reader-friendly.
Information from palm-leaf scripts suggests that the poetry of this era was not just about divinity or royalty, but also accounts of daily life, the performing arts, and mercantile activity that saw Tamil traders sailing to ancient Ur and Rome.
Publishing the book posthumously has made his family happy, but the book deserves to be more widely read, feels Ms. Sivasundari. “Ideally it should be available in university libraries as a key reference work. Tamil is like a treasure chest to some of us. It has a history going back thousands of years, and we should hold on to it because it is a way of life,” she says.
* * *
A life less ordinary
“My father was very liberal with me,” says Ms. Sivasundari Bose, an attitude she attributes to Mr. M.V.S. Ratnavale’s own childhood spent in an extended family that included not just his 11 siblings, but also cousins and relatives. “Children growing up in big families don’t judge others harshly,” she reasons.
Her own upbringing was marked by open style of parenting, says Ms. Sivasundari. “I was taught everything that my three brothers were taught,” she says. “My father never said ‘you are a girl and you shouldn’t do this.’ So I used to cycle to school, which was considered radical in those days. And because of the wild animals on the estate, I was also taught how to use a gun.”
Her mother introduced her to lessons in music and dance. “Nothing was forced on us, but we were always told where the limits lay.”
Ms. Sivasundari is the author of Golden Stag, a trans-generational saga about a community in Tamil Nadu that was published in 2006. In addition to this, she has translated Sangam-era love poems, and also written books in Tamil on more contemporary themes.
* * *
Gems from the catalogue
Some of the rare works listed by Mr. Ratnavale:
– Koothu Nool by Cheyitriyanaar, 6th century, explains theory of dance and drama
– Manthira Nool by Putkaranaar, 6th century, on mystic theology
– Thaala Samuthiram by Bharata Choodamani, 8th century, on the importance of beat in music
– Kaasiyappa Silpam by Pattinathu Adigal highlights excellence in sculpture in 10th century
– Thiraavaaham Ennooru by Macha Muni, 14th century, about science of metallurgy and alchemy
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / Nahla Nainar / April 15th, 2016
First Indian woman jockey crosses social barriers to carve a niche for herself.
When Rupa Singh won the Annamalai Plate in the Ooty races on Thursday, it wasn’t her first. Rupa has done it many times before, but every time the city-based jockey wins a race, she feels like crossing an obstacle that society has put in front of her. The 33-year-old, from Velachery, is the only woman jockey in the country and she has won 720 races and seven championships. But it was never an easy road to glory for her. “I suffered a lot of rejection initially because I am a woman. I raced with ordinary and average horses for almost three years.It was only after I won 50 races with average horses that I could ride favourites,” Rupa said.
For a long time, the owners and trainers did not show confidence in her skill. “My horse kept getting poor odds. The chances were few and it was demoralizing at times,” Rupa said, recollecting her difficult days. The champion jockey, however, concedes that men get an advantage in this sport, because riding a horse demands a lot of strength. “We don’t have the stamina and physical strength that our male counterparts have.We can get the strategy right but it takes immense strength to control a horse and a race. It is only through rigorous training that I have increased my stamina. I have always undergone the same training as the male jockeys,” Rupa, who is a Rajput by birth, pointed out.
Her family has a history of dealing with horses and Rupa got hooked to it pretty early on in her life.
“My grandfather Ugam Singh used to train the British Army horses here. My father Narpat and brother Ravinder have both been jockey and trainer. So I used to ride from my school days,” she said.
The first woman to make a name in the Indian horse racing circuit was Silva Storai, an Italian. It was Rupa’s father’s wish to see his daughter as the first Indian woman jockey . “Riding a horse is risky and I broke my collar bone and ankle after I had taken up racing as a profession. But in my childhood, I was more scared of my father than the horse,” Rupa laughed. Narpat was like a coach and he told her that she can give up racing after she had done it successfully . “But once I started racing, my passion for the sport grew. As I won a few races, I wanted to show the world that women can be as good as men.”
Rupa rose to prominence in 2010 when she toppled the favourite in the A-Class race in one of the Madras Classics. “It was special because I was riding an average horse. So when I won the race, even MAM Ramaswamy came to meet me and encouraged me,” said Rupa. But the icing on the cake was the Shikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Championship Cup, which she won in Poland in 2014. “I had raced in Germany , Abu Dhabi and the Netherlands but the Poland race was really special. I never thought I would win riding against famous jockeys of the world,” said Rupa.
Despite all the success, there’s a tinge of sadness that she hasn’t been able to inspire any other Indian woman to become a jockey . “I feel proud and sad at the same time for my achievements. I am perhaps living with a false hope that I can inspire at least one girl to take up the sport. The family has to be supportive and the girl needs to have a lot of mental toughness to go through the physical grind,” Rupa said, hoping for brighter days.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India/ News Home> City> Chennai / by Shilarze Saharoy / TNN / April 16th, 2016
