B Bavyasri did not let her partial blindness be an impediment to score high in the board examination | Express Photo Service
Chennai :
She can barely read her textbooks because she is partially blind. But B Bavyasri did not let her visual impairment of – 17.9 diopters negatively impact her overall marks of 431.
Even though her disability allows her to use a scribe to write faster and exempts her from the language exam, this 15-year-old chose neither. “What if the scribe made a mistake and lost me a mark?” reasons the aspiring chartered accountant.
Her strength of will to do it ‘her’ way has certainly paid off. Has it been mentioned she scored just as much in Tamil as she did in Science: 96? And her proud mom, Vijayalakshmi, tells everyone from the school watchman to her neighbours during her short walk from Velammal Higher Secondary Matriculation School, Mogappair to her home where her daughter is.
Vijayalakshmi, who has been working as a lab assistant at the same school to help her daughter move around easily, and her father R Balaji, a cab driver have Bavyasri as their lives’ focal point. “She can’t take the bus or even a walk down the street because of her eyesight,” Vijayalakshmi explains. This is why they live only a few streets away from the school to which either her mother or grandmother walks her everyday.
So how does Bavyasri read the blackboard or take notes in class? Her class teacher Mini P V says, “I make her sit in the front row; and for notes, she usually gets a little help from her peers once classes are over.” Bavyasri may be one of those who literally has her nose in her textbooks, but she assures us before we leave that she uses her limited vision to enjoy herself as well. “I play a lot of Candy Crush,” she admits with a laugh, “And oh, I love Mahesh Babu!”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Sonali Shenoy / Express News Service / May 26th, 2016
Tamil enthusiast and founder-chairman of Adyar Students Xerox Centre N Arunachalam passed away on Monday evening at the age of 76.
Arunachalam, native of Thirukannapuram village in Nagapattinam district, started his career as a revenue official. Inspired by social activist Periyar’s ideologies, he later quit his job and led anti-Hindi and anti-Brahmin agitations in Nagapattinam along with other prominent leaders.
N Arunachalam (1940-2016)
He shot to fame in 1986 after establishing the Students Xerox Centre at Adyar, at a time when photocopies were available only for the elite. Now the centre has more than 35 branches in the city and is a popular resource centre among student fraternity.
Indeed, Arunachalam and his crew were the first to coin the term ‘Nagalagam’, the Tamil equivalent for ‘Photocopy’.
“He was a pioneer in leading the struggle for introducing Tamil as a medium of instruction in State-run schools during 1998. He had organised a state-wide campaign through his Tamil Scholars Forum and sat on a hunger strike along with 102 Tamil scholars attracting the Centre’s attention”, said Tamil scholar Iraiyelilan.
Though the DMK government assured to implement this, the Government Order was quashed by the Madras High Court and the case was still pending in the Supreme Court.
He was popular among the literary circle for his magazine ‘Nandan’ which wrote extensively on Tamil language, music, atheism and nationalism in layman’s terms.
The family invested profits from the photocopy centres into the forum to conduct State-wide Tamil essay and elocution competitions for school students, recalled M Saravana Kumar who won an award in the early 1990s.
His final rites will take place at his native village on May 25. His body has been kept for public viewing at his residence at Kottivakkam till Tuesday 2 pm. He is survived by wife Santha, son Sowrirajan and daughters Thirumeni and Neelamegam. PMK leader S Ramadoss had condoled his death.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Ram M Sundaram / by Express News Service / May 24th, 2016
The stories are simple but the protagonists are extraordinary. They are children battling various disabilities like cerebral palsy, colour blindness and autism. Their tales of courage, grit and determination are recorded in `Evolving Angels -A collection of nine stories with a disability theme’ by V S Anjana, a former student of Vidya Sagar who has cerebral palsy.
Each tale in the book revolves around the experiences of Anjana and the people she came across in her life. “I graduated in BA Communicative English from a city college. But I found it difficult to find a job. That was when my mentor Shashank suggested the idea of coming out with a book that will connect to children with disabilities and also spark off an entrepreneurial journey for me,” said the 30-year-old.
“The nine tales are told in a playful manner to boost the confidence of children. The stories also have a moral – to create a more inclusive society,” said Anjana, who wrote the book using speech text software. “I was rejected many times when I tried to find a job. I hope the stories will serve as an eye-opener for those who do not give opportunities to people with disabilities,” she said.
In the book, a chapter titled `Football’ talks about how a group of children master sign language to help out a peer who is hearing and speech impaired and loves to play football.
‘Puzzle’ is a story about a teacher who finds fun activities for a disabled child so that he doesn’t feel left out.
‘Evolving Angels’ is available as an ebook and costs Rs 200. Due to financial constraints, a print edition has been put off on hold for the time being, said Anjana.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Chennai / by Shilpa Vasudevan / May 19th, 2016
Former IRPS officer G. Marimuthu has launched his third book Great Speeches of Great Men that saved Humanity (Manuda Amaidhikku Vazhivagutha Perarigyarin Peruraigal). The book is a translation of famous speeches delivered by well-known personalities.
“The book is aimed at instilling values in students and I have chosen speeches that have changed the destiny of the world,” says 63-year-old Marimuthu, who worked on the translation for close to a year.
A total of 41 speeches of international leaders and heads of nations, from the 1600s, find a place in the book.
The book begins with Michelle Obama’s speech and ends with that of Barrack Obama, as an appreciation of their oratorical skills. Queen Elizabeth’s statesmanship and Pope John Paul’s approach to religion are some of the messages the author has conveyed.
Seven women speakers are also celebrated in the book. Gandhi’s ‘The Great Trial’ speech and Kevin Rudd’s apology to ‘aborigines’ in Australia are the other highlights.
The author has previously written two books – Silappathigarathil Sirappana Vazhviyal Sinthanaigaland Arivupasikku Arumaiyana Sinthanaigal. With an educational background in history and law, Marimuttu’s aim to become a professor and educate the younger generation was unfulfilled. To fulfil this dream and to channelise his love for literature, he started writing.
“I am inspired by the speeches of Thamizharuvi Maniyan, Suki Sivam and Sudha Seshayyan,” says the resident of Arumbakkam, who plans to recite these speeches in government colleges and at training programmes.
The book is priced at Rs.169. “Proceeds from sales will be utilised to help students from poor and rural communities,” he says. For further details, call 9444628276.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Down Town / by Roshni Raman / Chennai – May 14th, 2016
Indian-American teacher Revathi Balakrishnan was recently honoured by U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House for her work in the education.
Indian-American teacher Revathi Balakrishnan, who was recently honoured by U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House for her work in the education space, said she was open to visiting India to conduct workshops or have dialogues with teachers here.
“I can teach them how to motivate students to learn, how to teach with rigor and relevance and how to build resilience,” Ms. Balakrishnan toldThe Hindu .
Native of Chennai
The Chennai-born teacher was named 2016 ‘Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year’ and will now represent Texas in the ‘National Teacher of the Year’ competition – a programme that identifies exceptional teachers in the U.S.
Ms. Balakrishnan, who works at Patsy Sommer Elementary School in Texas, did her B.A in economics from Ethiraj College in Chennai. She then did her M.A in economics from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.
“My teaching degree is from Texas State University. I came to the U.S. in the eighties and was a systems analyst for 12 years with Liberty Mutual before becoming an educator. Teaching allows me to be creative in my ways of presenting curriculum to students,” she said. She has been teaching for 10 years now.
Her role is to teach math and English to students who are identified as Gifted and Talented (GT). That is, the top 5 per cent of students in the school.
“GT students have the ability to learn fast and they think in a different way, but too often, they are not understood. This leads to boredom, behaviour issues and under-achievement. In my classroom, they are challenged at their academic and creative level through project-based learning and Socratic questioning,” Ms. Balakrishnan explained.
Quality of teaching
On the education system in India and why it is so tough to get quality teachers here, she said, “I have never taught in India, so I don’t know much about it. Quality teachers just don’t appear magically, whether it is India or the U.S. In order to ‘grow’ successful students, we must ‘grow’ successful teachers. Higher teacher salaries also attract the best of the best to the profession. There has to be a fundamental shift in the way we view teacher support,” she emphasised.
Meeting
On her meeting the U.S. President, Ms. Balakrishnan said, it was a lifetime opportunity to visit the White House and meet the President.
“The ceremony was supposed to take place in the South Lawn. However, as it had rained, it was moved inside. So, I got to see the fantastic portraits of all the Presidents and the lavish decorations. Imagine all the historical conversations that have taken place in the Red Room and the Green Room,” she said.
‘GT students have the ability to learn fast and they think in a different way, but too often, they are not understood’
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Sangeetha Kandavel / Chennai – May 18th, 2016
By the age of four, she started painting, B and at 10, she was an `artivist’ -using her art work to raise funds and create awareness about different social causes. Now, she is 23, and Anjali Chandrashekhar, has made the city proud! Two of her posters have been selected for a disarmament campaign by the United Nations (UN). In a recent event, which was attended by the top officials of the UN, including the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the two posters which she designed were unveiled. In a chat with Chennai Times, she talks about her journey as an artivist, the UN’s disarmament campaign, projects she plans to do in India and more. Excerpts…
TURNING AN ARTIVIST I have been painting since the age of four. My grandmother ran a trust for children with multiple disabilities and growing up with them made me realise how lucky I was to be what people would call `normal’. When I started getting serious about art, I realised that I had this really powerful platform which I could use to talk about issues that I held close to my heart. That’s when it all began.I did most of my schooling in PSBB and was involved in art then as well. At the age of 10, I founded a global social project called Picture It. This project uses art to raise funds and awareness about health, humanitarian and environmental causes for many national and international organisations, including several campaigns associated with the UN. It was then that I realised I was really passionate about using my art for greater causes.
CAREER IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN I headed to New York to study industrial design at Pratt Institute, based in Brooklyn. It seemed like a good marriage of my passion for art and creating physical products that had a tangible impact on people’s lives. I was really excited to try working three dimensionally . There was so much more I could do with an object, and I loved how it was more engaging and interactive.Now, I work as a designer, researcher and consultant and I am trying to gain more experience working at the intersection of design, technology and social innovation. POSTER DESIGN FOR THE DISARMAMENT CAMPAIGN The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs sponsored the UN Poster for Peace Contest, in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the first UN General Assembly resolution, which established the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction.The contest aimed to raise awareness for the need for nuclear disarmament and to inspire citizens across the globe to add their voices, and use their artistic talents, to promote a world free of nuclear weapons.Nuclear disarmament is usually spoken about on such a high level and I believe that art has the power to humanise us, and some of the most pressing issues that the world faces today . It is also able to transcend barriers of age, language and literacy, and so, I thought this was a great opportunity for me to show that the brush can be mightier than arms.
Earlier this year, I worked on a couple of posters around the theme of peace and nuclear disarmament when the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs had announced an international call for entries. With over 4,000 entries received from around the world, I had the honour of having two of my posters being chosen for the official 2016 campaign.
RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE BIGWIGS Releasing the posters on May 3 with the Secretary General was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will cherish forever. I also had the opportunity to meet Mogens Lykketoft (President of the General Assembly), Kim Won-soo (Under Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs), and actor Michael Douglas, who has been the longest standing UN Messenger of Peace. I got to speak with them and understand what they do and the challenges within the realm of nuclear disarmament. Ban Ki-moon also did an art interpretation of my poster.
PLANS FOR PROJECTS IN INDIA I am working on some exciting projects that are based in India, and I am looking forward to it. A project on water and sanitation is something I have in mind. If I get adequate funds, I intend to definitely go ahead with the project.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Chennai / by Ashish Ittyerah Joseph / May 12th, 2016
TRAILBLAZER: Consultant Neurosurgeon Dr.M.J. Arun Kumar, who is also the Founder Chairman & Managing Director of Hannah Joseph Hospital, Madurai. Photo: S. James
He finds joy in handling emergencies. He can be up all night reviving trauma patients. SOMA BASU talks to Dr.M.J.Arunkumar, the man who literally gets inside people’s heads
When seasoned actor Nasser’s son Faisal met with a gruesome road accident on ECR Road, Chennai, two summers ago, it made headlines. The horrific car crash left three young boys dead and inflicted grievous injuries on two others. On May 22, 2014, life was uncertain for the critically injured Faisal.
Twenty months later in January 2016, Faisal travelled for the first time after the accident to Madurai. Besides his parents, the happiest person to watch him eat on his own, speak a few words and sit up with minimum support was an established neurosurgeon, Dr.M.J.Arunkumar, from our very own Temple Town. From September 2014, Faisal has been under the care of Dr.Arunkumar who visits him on weekends in Chennai and keeps account of his progress through whatsapp, chats and telemedicine.
A brain surgeon, Dr.Arunkumar, 49, established the Hannah Joseph Hospital, a 40 bed state-of-the-art complex devoted to Neurosurgery, Neurology, Psychiatry and Trauma, in April 2008. But his knowledge of brain science includes two decades of clinical practice at CMC Vellore and Apollo Hospitals, Madurai. And he says, he is thankful for every single day when he is able to save lives.
“We all tend to take our lives for granted whereas our lives can be gone in an instant,” says Dr.Arun, reminding how frail we are.
More than Arun, it was his father, a bank manager in Thanjavur, who was interested in making a doctor out of his son. “In my childhood, I was happy with my studies, playing hockey and singing in the church choir,” he says.
But there were two things unique about him. He had a penchant for rushing to any accident site to look at the victim and was naturally proficient in dissecting animals. “I enjoyed cleaning and cutting the chicken bought for cooking at home and my parents would discourage me saying I would become a butcher!.”
But, believes Dr.Arun, knives, needles and scalpels always added grace to his fingers! “Brain and human behaviour always fascinated me and I made up my mind early on that I wanted to be a surgeon,” he says.
With a drive to take on the toughest challenges, neurosurgery — ranked next to rocket science those days — became his obvious choice at CMC Vellore, where he also completed his MBBS. Dr.Arun gives full credit to his pioneering teachers — Dr.M.Jacob Chandy and Dr.B.Ramamoorthy — for shaping his mind, attitude and consciousness.
“They flushed me with tremendous confidence to unpack the science behind the theories on brain and the power over our health,” he says.
Neurosurgery is not limited to just the brain but the entire nervous system, including the spine. With his prolific lateral thinking, Dr.Arun was drawn into research and writing papers in scientific journals. He postulated his own theories and received excellent peer reviews. “The time was perfectly fantastic for me as I was credited with the highest number of articles published by any student in India.”
In 2000, when he joined the Apollo Speciality Hospitals in Madurai, to establish the neurosurgery department, little did he know that the hometown of his wife — a psychiatrist by profession — would one day become his operating base and change his life.
With the distinction of having performed the first endonasal total excision of pituitary tumour and the first intracranial aneurysm clipping in South Tamil Nadu, Dr.Arun dreams of making Madurai the ultimate destination for neurosciences.
Patients with cancer in their brains and haemorrhages or bleeding in the brain cavity are brought to him for emergency surgeries with much hope. “It is gratifying to know that I save lives,” he says, claiming 95 per cent success rate in traumatic head injuries.
Without meaning in a vain or egotistical way, Dr.Arun declares that at Hannah Joseph Hospital, he is able to pull out eight out of every 10 patients. This means he also gets lot of referred cases and can never keep his phone switched off. “If I do not answer calls, my patient will die,” he says, adding, “I do not turn away patients either.” Even while holidaying with his family, Dr.Arun skypes with his staff on each patient’s progress. “I feel unhappy if any of my patient reports unwell.”
In corporate sector, feels Dr.Arun, target-based surgery linked to revenue leads to unethical practices and non-transparent work culture. “It adds to the stress levels of the doctors,” he says. He follows the CMC work model at his centre. “I want to run it like an institute and not like a private hospital. We have developed a system where we work as a team and I have the luxury of being assisted by two neurosurgeons, two anaesthetists, a scrub nurse and her assistant and a dozen PG students.”
He has done surgeries which have lasted 16 hours. When such patients keep in touch for years after, Dr.Arun says, he realises how amazing it is to be able to help people regain their lives.
From his first surgery as a resident doctor for removing haematoma (blood clot) at CMC Vellore, Dr.Arun has lost count of the simple and complicated surgeries that he has done over the years. “I perform over 200 surgical procedures a year but even if one patient dies, it does not get easier,” he says. Thankfully, this sort of thing is few and far between at Hannah Joseph Hospital which saw 200 surgeries last year including 50 complicated ones and lost two patients.
“The anaesthetist loves me because I am very fast in surgery,” he smiles. “My surgical skills are flawless too but complications arise due to spasms in the brain or some other surgery-unrelated parameter,” points out Dr.Arun.
He feels blessed to have the education and experience in surgery and neuro-intensive care. “The minute I look at a patient, I know what he/she needs and do quick thinking,” he says.
It is the innate confidence that is now leading him to establish his second hospital which will be a standalone largest private hospital in neurosciences with 150 beds, three ICUs with 12 beds each, four state-of-the-art operation theatres and a helipad.
In four years, Dr.Arunkumar hopes to be on top of resuscitation to be able to reverse a patient’s cycle of death. Most doctors don’t have the time to explain to their patients but Dr.Arunkumar with his wry humour and reassurance showers all his attention on them. Still when people call him heartless and amazingly honest, he knows he is so for the good of his patients.
Known for refusing awards, Dr.Arunkumar believes his religion is his practice and he does charity by giving discounts to needy patients.
“Your earnings do not secure your future,” he says, “but the goodwill you earn does.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by Soma Basu / Madurai – May 05th, 2016
Henri Tipagne, the recepient of the eighth Human Rights award from Amnesty International | P JAWAHAR
Chennai :
Human rights activist Henri Tiphagne has become the first Indian to receive the human rights award from the Amnesty International. Tiphagne, known more as the founder of People’s Watch, says his activism began when in his youth he was stopped from doing flood relief work, because the villagers did not know if he was from a ‘pure’ caste or not.
Q: What does this award mean to you?
A: I think this award is not for me as an individual, but for all those who do good work and go unrecognised. This award highlights the shrinking civil society space globally.
Q: With more than 30 years of active participation in human rights cases, what was the first case that drove you to this phase?
A: It started in 1977, when human rights was not known in the country. We would call it a fight for social justice. In the same year, in November at Vedasandur, a panchayat in Dindigul, a group of volunteers including me went for doing flood relief work as the Alagapuri dam in Vedasandur had broken. But when we started work, we were prevented by the so-called ‘upper caste’ of the village from cleaning a particular well. They said it in good interest. We were supposed to clean only pure well, considering us to be pure people. Only then, I understood the concept of impure well and pure well. They did not know our caste. So they did not allow us to go to the impure well. But we refused to do it, and I think it is that refusal that turned a life of refusal for me and taught me many things.
Q: You are an advocate as well. What made you take up law?
A: To support the poor, you also have to be competent in terms of being a lawyer. That is what forced me to take up law in 1980. But we could not study law in the college, as it taught us how to prepare ourselves for breaking law. So my study of law was study of street law in the streets of Madurai intervening in the lives of several people.
Q: Do you think independent institutions in India can work or survive?
A: Of course, we have the best example of the Election Commission. Though it has drawbacks it still controls the entire nation during elections. They conduct peaceful elections and all States follow their instructions. The reason is most of the people in it are vigilant. We have gone one step ahead. The commission does not only conduct election but also conducts campaign to attain 100 per cent Voting. So if independent institutions work better and are vigilant, that could make a difference.
Q: Things that need to be implemented for betterment of the country.
A: We have to ensure that human rights education is taught in schools so that it functions as an antidote to challenge inequality in this country. Protection should be given to defenders. All persons defending the good are attacked and they should be protected. Institutions should be focused and should be made to work.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Jayanthi Pawar / May 05th, 2016
The eighth Human Rights Award of Amnesty International was presented to Henri Tiphagne, Executive Director, Madurai-based People’s Watch, at a function organised in Berlin on Monday.
“Henri Tiphagne’s passionate advocacy in the fight against torture and discrimination in India is exemplary and serves as an inspiration for activists all over the world who are campaigning for human rights,” said Selmin Calıskan, Director of Amnesty International Germany.
In his address, Mr. Henri said, “We would like to thank Amnesty International for this award, which reminds us that we are not alone in our fight for human rights. India has a vibrant civil society; I am humbled to accept this prize on behalf of all the brave women and men who tirelessly campaign for human rights in India.
However, the space for civil society activists is shrinking constantly.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Madurai / by Special Correspondent / Madurai – April 27th, 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
