Category Archives: Nri’s / Pio’s

An inspiring saga of the Tamil diaspora’s contribution to India’s freedom struggle

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TAMIL NADU / OVERSEAS:

Spread from South Africa to Malaysia and Singapore in south-east Asia, the diaspora members involved themselves in the Indian freedom struggle. Some others, though having no direct relation to the national movement, led such a life that motivated those in India to carry on their struggle against the colonial regime.

Govindaswamy Krishnaswamy Thambi Naidoo’s love for the homeland knew no bounds, said the Mahatma. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The contributions of Indian Tamil diaspora in the field of public life in the early part of the 20th Century carry many inspiring accounts. Some of them had involved themselves in the Indian freedom struggle while some others, though having no direct relation to the national movement, led such sterling lives that motivated those in India to carry on their struggle against the colonial regime. The Tamil diaspora’s presence was spread from South Africa to Malaysia and Singapore in south-east Asia.

Giving an account of the work of the Tamil community, S.N. Nageswara Rao, who headed the Department of Historical Studies at Sir Theagaraya College, in a recent publication of the Tamil Nadu government, Tamil Nadu’s Contribution to the Freedom Struggle, said, “Its [the Tamil diaspora’s] role is not a small part in the large national project. Its size and location in the strategic colonies ensured a bigger role for Tamils, manifest in the scale of mobilisation. Their crucial and emphatic efforts enhanced several fold the momentum of the struggle.”

A story to remember

The story of the diaspora can be best illustrated through the work of Govindaswamy Krishnaswamy Thambi Naidoo (1875-1933), Gangathura Mohambry Naicker (1910-1978), also called Monty Naicker, and Janaky Athi Nahappan (1925-2014).

Speaking of Thambi Naidoo, Mahatma Gandhi, in his book Satyagraha in South Africa (1928), mentioned, “He had never seen India. Yet, his love for the homeland knew no bounds. Patriotism ran through his very veins. His firmness was pictured on his face.”

Naidoo, the first president of the Transvaal Indian Congress, was born in Mauritius but his family’s roots were in Thanjavur district. He was a key member of the Satyagraha campaign led by the Mahatma during 1906-14. An article published by Frontline, a sister publication of The Hindu, in the issue of October 15-28, 1988, says that when, in 1906, Gandhiji sought to broaden the base of his political initiatives against the Smuts Administration, he turned to Thambi Naidoo. “But each step Thambi Naidoo took was extraordinary — extraordinary in its strength and resoluteness.”

During the picketing of Registration Offices in July 1907, Naidoo was the first to be arrested. He was given 14 days’ imprisonment. On December 28 that year, he was charged for refusing to register and sent out of Transvaal. When he refused to obey the orders, he, along with Gandhiji, was arrested on January 10, 1908 and sent to jail, points out the article carried in Tamil Nadu’s Contribution to the Freedom Struggle.

Born to a successful businessman who was into export of fruits, Monty Naicker was sent in 1927 to Edinburgh and Dublin to complete his matriculation and medical education. He returned in 1934 and began a medical practice in Durban. He was a member of the Liberal Study Group before he joined the Natal Indian Congress (NIC). Monty Naicker also participated in unionising Indian workers, according to an article authored by Surendra Bhana in a site (https://omalley.nelsonmandela.org/index.php /site/q/03lv02424/04lv02730/05lv02914/ 06lv02917.htm), which is hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

A Gandhian more than a Marxist, Naicker had a passion for freedom and justice, and believed that the best way to achieve them was to demand fully what rightfully belonged to Indians as citizens of the country, according to the article. Explaining the rationale behind Naicker’s approach towards his work in public affairs, a report in The Hindu on September 6, 1943, quoted him as saying that “a voteless, voiceless community, such as Indians in South Africa, could not expect to remain silent when suppressed with legislation. Therefore, they had to appeal to India.” The fighter, who favoured multi-racialism, also made it clear more than once that his struggle was not directed against the white people of South Africa but against injustice.

Faith in Netaji

Janaki Athi Nahappan (1925-2014) was one example of the Indian diaspora who took part in the freedom struggle directly. She was a member of the Indian National Army (INA) headed by Subhas Chandra Bose. She rose to the rank of Captain and Second-in-Command of the Rhani of Jhansi Regiment and during World War II, she fought against the British on the Burma-India border, Dr. Rao writes.

Janaki Athi Nahappan, who rose to the rank of Captain and Second-in-Command of the Rhani of Jhansi Regiment of the INA and fought aagainst the British during World War II.  | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Born in Kuala Lumpur, Nahappan grew up in a well-to-do Tamil family in Malaya and was only 17 when she responded to Bose’s call to persons of Indian origin to give whatever they could for the fight for Indian independence. Twenty-five years ago, while participating in an event to receive an award in Eluru of Andhra Pradesh, she said she thrust her diamond ear rings and gold chain into his hands as her contribution towards the war fund. She pleaded with her parents, who were of Indian origin, to sign the papers permitting her to serve in the INA, according to another news item carried by The Hindu on February 3, 1998.

Stalin Gunasekaran, writer, who authored a book on the contributions of Tamils to the freedom struggle nearly 20 years ago, recalls his meeting with her. He said she, also known as Janaky Thevar, was one of the Tamil women who accounted for 75% of the strength of the Regiment. In 2000, the Indian government conferred on her the title of Padma Shri.

source http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Tamil Nadu / by T Ramakrishnan / November 07th, 2023

T.N. plans portal for workersabroad intending to return

Business & Economy, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion

An estimated 2.5 lakh workers from State are expected to return, says an expert

The State government is planning to develop a portal for Tamil Nadu natives who are employed abroad and intend to return in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

“The portal should be up in the next few days,” a senior government official said. Once the COVID-19 lockdown was lifted and transportation including air traffic opened, the data from this portal could be used in allowing them to return as well as quarantine them, he said.

Kerala government has already set up a portal allowing its natives working abroad to register. “We are expecting about a lakh workers to return,” he added.

Another official said a lot depended on when and how the Centre would open up air traffic into the country.

“The subject of air traffic was discussed during the recent video conference the Prime Minister had with the Chief Ministers. So, naturally, we need to plan on how to manage the inflow of NRI workers,” he said.

Professor S. Irudaya Rajan of the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) in Thiruvananthapuram, a noted expert researching on migrants, feels an estimated 2.5 lakh Tamil workers could return from abroad. “Over 25 lakh workers from Tamil Nadu are employed in various countries and of them, I expect at least 10% of them to return this year,” he said.

Planning ahead was necessary as to who should be allowed preference since most of them would be in a rush to return. “Priority would be given naturally to pregnant women, children and elderly persons.”

According to Mr. Rajan some 12 lakh workers are employed in the Gulf countries. “Almost all the countries are affected by COVID-19 and because of the repercussions, most of them would want to or be forced to come back home, if they could not continue to work there anymore,” he said and pointed out there may not be any job for them here too at once. Tamil Nadu and Kerala had 25 lakh and 22 lakh of their people working abroad respectively, which constituted almost one-fourth of 200 lakh Indians workers employed abroad, he said.

Based on a survey of a random sample of 25,000 households across Tamil Nadu in 2015, his team of researchers have put the figure as 25 lakh.

Mr. Rajan emphasised that in many households, the family was dependent on the remittances made by their family member employed abroad and once he/she lost his/her job, the family would have to find another source of income. The State government could think about conducting medical checks for them, finding jobs for them, among others.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by Dennis S. Jesudasen / Chennai – April 28th, 2020

IIT Madras alumnus appointed to National Science Board in USA

Amazing Feats, Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Three of the institute’s alumni are currently on the Board

Sudarsan Babu, a 1988 graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras was appointed to the National Science Board in United States of America on Monday. He is the third alumnus from the IIT-M to currently occupy the Board. The members are appointed for a period of six years.

Mr. Babu completed B.Tech from PSG College of Technology and graduated with M. Tech in Metullurgical and Materials engineering at the IIT Madras in 1988.

The other two alumni are Sethuraman Panchanathan and Suresh V Garimella. Mr. Sethuraman is tipped to become the director of another prestigious institution the National Science Foundation. One of his predecessors is Subra Suresh, another alumnus of the institute, who is currently the president of Nanyang Technological University.

Mr. Sethuraman completed M.Tech in electrical engineering in 1986. Mr. Garimella graduated in 1985 in B.Tech mechanical engineering.

Institute director Bhaskar Ramamurthi said, “Our alumni have done us proud in India and abroad and have been a great pillar of support to their alma mater.”

“Having three alumni on the Board is a first for the institution. It speaks of the academic research culture that we had established even a long time ago and continue to foster. This is a direct validation of the institution’s ecosystem as a whole, as a research institution going back to the early eighties. All of these people we talk about today were students here in the mid-80s. The ecosystem has created these superstars and we have continued to grow from strength to strength. That is in essence why we talk about these achievements,” said Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean of International and Alumni Relations, adding that the alumni were “deeply involved in advising the institute in its activities.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by R. Sujatha / Chennai – April 21st, 2020

COVID-19: IIT Madras students make face shields, give them to healthcare professionals, police

Amazing Feats, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

The group has supplied around 25,000 shields so far and has an order for nearly 30,000 more

The shields were distributed to Home Guards on Saturday | Photo Credit: S.R. Raghunathan
The shields were distributed to Home Guards on Saturday | Photo Credit: S.R. Raghunathan

Four students from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, in collaboration with an entrepreneur, have developed face shields which have been provided to healthcare professionals and police personnel who come in direct contact with COVID-19 infected people.

The students initially used 3-D printing technology to develop the shields. Their effort was much appreciated and soon demand for the shields increased after which a Chennai-based company came to their help.

Now, the group has shifted to the injection moulding method to cater to the demand. “Now we make 4,000 pieces a day,” said Pranit Mehta, a third-year dual degree student of Engineering Design.

The other students are Hari Ramachandran, a fifth-year dual degree student of Metallurgy; Anuj Khandalikar, third-year dual degree student of Engineering Design and Denil Chawda from the M.S. Aerospace Engineering department. They were guided by a couple of alumni and Professor Satya Chakravarthy of the Aerospace Engineering department.

The group has supplied around 25,000 shields so far and has an order for nearly 30,000 shields. They have supplied to hospitals in Cuddalore, Puducherry and Kanniyakumari so far.

The students are currently helping units replicate their model in Delhi, Indore and Mumbai after they received requests for the shields. “It is a social impact project. We are giving the shields free of cost to the police and we are running a fund-raiser campaign. We have got donations from people now,” Pranit said.

The need for funds came up as the cost of the shields rose. “With 3-D printing it cost us ₹100 each, but with injection moulding it costs ₹60 per piece. It is a not-for-profit initiative. The more people we reach, the more the impact will be,” he said.

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An earlier version of this copy mentioned that the prices of 3D printing and injection mold incorrectly. The error is regretted.

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source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by R. Sujatha / Chennai – April 18th, 2020

Indian origin doctors come together to battle COVID-19

Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Hundreds of doctors of Indian origin came together under the banner of Global Indian Physicians COVID-19 Collaborative on Saturday to share knowledge and foster cross-system learning in the fight against COVID-19.

Addressing the first virtual meeting of the collaborative, Prathap C. Reddy, chairman, Apollo Hospitals, and founder-president of the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO), said that the pandemic was unlike anything he has seen in his 65 years of practicing as a doctor.

Stressing on the need for collaboration by breaking all barriers, he said that the pandemic had made medical professionals realise their amazing ability to find solutions in record time.

Indian response

Vinod K. Paul, NITI Aayog member and co-chair of the Empowered Committee for COVID-19 Response in India, said that India’s response has been calibrated, graded, and it was yielding results.

On the availability of PPEs, he said that the present availability was adequate for the present situation and in a matter of two to three weeks, the availability of PPEs would be sufficient to cater to even worst-case and extreme scenarios.

He said that India was also focusing on developing vaccines for COVID-19, with four possible vaccine candidates being worked on in four of the country’s laboratories.

Sudhir Parikh, secretary general of GAPIO, expressed hope that convalescent plasma therapy would prove to be an effective treatment for COVID-19 and highlighted, in the American context, the need for creating a database of persons who had recovered from COVID-19, for plasma donation.

Patrice A. Harris, president, American Medical Association, highlighted the need for increased collaboration at international, national and local levels, and accurate data collection.

“For instance, the African-American population seemed to be disproportionately affected by the disease. However, we do not have data at the national level,” she said.

Kamlesh Khunti, director, Centre for Black and Minority Ethnic Health in the U.K., said that early data had indicated that South Asians and Black minorities were disproportionately affected by the disease in the U.K. as well.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – April 12th, 2020

Indian-American scientist Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan to lead National Science Foundation in US

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan
Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan

Dr. Panchanathan, who completed his bachelors degree in University of Madras, is currently the Chief Research and Innovation Officer at the Arizona State University

U.S. President Donald Trump has picked Indian-American computer scientist Sethuraman Panchanathan to lead the prestigious National Science Foundation.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is a U.S. government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan brings to this position a wealth of experience in research, innovation, academic administration, and policy as exemplified by his long and distinguished career,” Kelvin Droegemeier, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said on Thursday.

Dr. Panchanathan, 58, would succeed France Cordova when her six-year term as the NSF Director ends in 2020. NSF Director is a Senate-confirmed position.

Dr. Panchanathan is currently the Executive Vice President and the Chief Research and Innovation Officer at the Arizona State University (ASU). He is also the Founding Director of the Centre for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing at the ASU.

Appointed to the National Science Board (NSB) in 2014, Dr. Panchanathan served as the Chair of the Committee on Strategy for the NSB. He also served as a member of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

“Dr. Panchanathan brings numerous achievements and well-earned recognition including from his role as a member of the National Science Board,” Mr. Droegemeier said. “As the Trump administration continues its undeterred focus on ensuring American global leadership in science and technology, Dr. Panchanathan’s commitment, creativity and deep insights will be instrumental in leading the National Science Foundation on its continued path of exploration and discovery,” he said.

Dr. Panchanathan is also the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). He was the Chair of the Council on Research of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and Co-Chair of the Extreme Innovation Taskforce of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils.

He was appointed as Senior Advisor for Science and Technology by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey in 2018.

In a statement, Dr. Panchanathan said he was “humbled and honoured” to be chosen as the NSF Director.

Dr. Panchanathan earned a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Madras in 1981 and in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in 1984.

He then earned his master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras in 1986 and PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Canada-based University of Ottawa in 1989.

“Dr. Panchanathan’s expertise and dedication will ensure that the NSF continues to be a driving force for US discovery, innovation, and technological growth. He will be a key partner in advancing research and development in the technologies that will benefit all Americans, from artificial intelligence to quantum information science and high performance computing,” said Michael Kratsios, Chief Technology Officer of the United States.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> International / by PTI / Washington , December 20th, 2019

Meet the man who built a dosa batter empire in the US

Business & Economy, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

On the grind According to Mani, four containers of the batter are sold every minute across the US
On the grind According to Mani, four containers of the batter are sold every minute across the US

Every day, fresh batter for spongy idlis and crisp dosas makes its way across the West Coast of the US to homesick Indians, and Americans enamoured by this gluten-free, vegan treat. A man from Thirunelveli is behind it all

In a quiet neighbourhood in San Jose, California, a young Mexican boy opens rice and dal bags. He apportions them onto 150 containers using an automatic weighing and dispensing machine; then soaks them in water. Another operator, cleans the rice and lentils, and loads them onto the 34 custom made stone wet grinders. The machines start whirring and another Mexican employee, wearing a head net and apron, hovers over them with a super-size spatula, constantly checking on batter thickness.

“There are 25 employees who work here, and they can pronounce the names of Indian food and ingredients more articulately than I can,” smiles Mani Krishnan, founder and president of Shastha Foods, which makes 12,500 kilos of fresh idli and dosa batter every week. With this batter, approximately 100 million dosas have been served across the US, over the last 16 years. “Let’s simplify that further,” he adds. “Every minute, four containers of Shastha idli or dosa batter are being sold across the US”.

Hailing from Kadayam village, Thirunelveli, Mani recounts that when he decided to start this business in 2003, it was neither new nor unheard of in America. “There were already players in the market. I think the system that I created, helped me maintain quality, ensure consistency in delivery and also scale up. I am proud to say that it is Indian technology at work in the US.”

Prior to becoming a foodpreneur, Mani managed a profitable business selling Intel processors, mother boards and hard disk drives to Indian organizations for 18 years. “I had 25 offices in India. However, that business went South and I came to a point where I had to re-build my life from scratch. I was in my 40s by then.”

The genesis

Using his experience in Indian import, Mani decided to bring filter coffee powder to America. “We stumbled upon the idea to sell idli batter in 2003; we did not do a formal market study but we made an observation; it was the phase when there was a steady rise in Indian nuclear families in the US and people had no time to buy the rice, soak it, grind it and allow it to ferment”. In the beginning, Mani would grind the batter using Ultra1.5 litre grinder and deliver the containers to Indian stores in San Jose. Today, his batter is in 300 stores across the West Coast of the US.

“I envision batter to be distributed the same way we get our milk everyday,” he says. The first batch was delivered in his car. As the company grew, they acquired a refrigerated cargo van. “Soon, we out-grew that and we invested in small refrigerated trucks. We now use three small 14ft refrigerated trucks and a cargo van because we need to drive through city roads and smaller neighbourhoods; we need to be able to park!” he quips, adding that delivery happens seven days a week.

Mani Krishnan at the facility | Photo Credit: special arrangement
Mani Krishnan at the facility | Photo Credit: special arrangement

The first five years, Mani faced challenges which were beyond his kitchen. “There were restrictions on the import of two main ingredients required to make the batter: rice and dal. At one point, I was buying rice from Africa, Dubai and USA. Once you are in production, you need to supply; stopping is not an option,” says the 66-year-old, who holds a Masters in Accounting from the University of Bombay.

The heart of Shastha’s operations is a 7,000 square foot spotless kitchen with several stone grinders in stainless steel drums, which have been customized to work in rhythm. Mani and his friends brainstormed to create a process flow for the plant to minimize overall movement. “I learned that one cannot come up with 100 percent accurate design in the initial stage itself. As the business grew, we had to make minor modifications to meet the new challenges. The 100 percent organic products launch in 2017, is a good example. This was not envisaged in the early stages but when this new line of products was approved, I had to make some minor modifications without disrupting the production of the other 13 varieties of batter, and still launch the organic line.”

A fresh plate of khitchari made of millet batter | Photo Credit: My Friday Food Swings
A fresh plate of khitchari made of millet batter | Photo Credit: My Friday Food Swings

Rise of the millets

Though it sounds uncomplicated, most people still find it a challenge to make idli batter, which will result in softest idlis, every single time. “Processes can be automated; the quality and consistency can be maintained only by human intervention. We process small batches. Our batter is a combination of rice, urad dal and salt. We don’t add any other ingredients.”

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Rice cakes from afar
  • “There are no artificial ingredients in Shastha batter variants to make it last forever,” explains Soma Sengupta, a California-based food blogger (My Friday Food Swings). A working mother and food blogger, she created two recipes using the Shastha batter which was showcased at the Incredible India booth at the Travel Adventure Show in Santa Clara in 2019. “I created a multi millets adai with their readymade batter and the ayurvedic millets khitchari. My inspiration was of course the super grain millets.” At her home kitchen Soma tweaks traditional recipes with a little fusion for her daughter. “With the Shastha dosabatter I often make a dosa quesadilla with cheese, peppers and some pasta sauce. I also make pizza uttapams and idli pops served with guacamole.”
  • Since dosas are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free, a large non-Indian population is also trying the ‘steamed rice cakes’. One such customer is Brad Osterhout, from Roseville, California who has been using the batter for almost one year. “I was trying different foods with friends at work and loved the taste and protein available in the batter,” he says, adding “Quinoa was the first batter I tried and I really enjoyed the taste. I paired it with vegetables and a mango chutney. I learned to make dosas from YouTube videos.”

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Along with his wife Anandhi, Mani experiments with most of the batter at home, sharing it with colleagues and friends for feedback, before going large scale.

“Hands down, our idli and dosa batter are still the most popular and fast selling product line. However, batters like the brown rice dosa, oats dosa, quinoa idli, millet dosa, adai, pesarattu are also doing well,” reveals Mani. He has been given the nod of approval for his vegetable idli batter from his close circle of friends, and it will soon be available in the market. “My future plan is to grow the non-idli dosa batter business; which is primarily millets.”

A believer in old school word-of-mouth advertising, Mani actively supports Indian events at the Bay area. His idlis are served at gatherings conducted by the Tamil Mandram, at the Spring Festival, Concord Murugan Temple and Livermore Temple. “The goodwill has carried us through. The community and Indian grocery stores have supported our journey, so we believe in giving back in our own way.”

With a gleeful smile, Mani says he is keen on introducing a robot, which will pack 25 containers of batter within a minute. “Robotics will increase productivity and efficiency. I don’t have to constantly ask my team to spend less time on their phones!” jokes Mani. Just then a notification from Doordash and Grubhub appear on his phone, to collect a container of pesarattu batter and idli batter. In the other room, his administrative staff are managing the online orders. Meanwhile a team is creating an icebox to package batter for deliveries in other parts of the US. Looks like there is much more grinding to do.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Food / by Jayanthi Somasundaram / August 27th, 2019

Passion for playing video games keeps this college student going

Education, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

While he plays for 12 hours a day during weekends, he plays for four to five hours on weekdays.

MonishKumarCF20apr2019

Chennai :

Born and raised in Qatar, 21-year-old Monish Kumar was introduced to gaming in 2011 by his friends who asked him to casually play Counter Strike 1.6, a first-person shooter video game. He was instantly attracted to it, and today, he has played over 20 tournaments professionally and is part of Arknemesis gaming group.

“I loved the game and started gaming in Dubai servers. However, I did not know the local tongue, so I could not develop connections. In 2012, I came to Chennai for a vacation and realised gaming was a profession and people earned money through it. That day I decided to take it up professionally,” he says.
In 2016, Monish shifted back to Chennai to pursue Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Sri Venkateshwara College of Engineering, and also take forward his interest in gaming.  “I started with League of Legends and one of my gaming friends introduced me to Overwatch, a team-based shooter game. I joined Arknemesis in 2017,” says Monish.

Though his parents were initially hesitant about him spending hours on gaming, when they realised Monish was being paid a salary and he was getting sponsors, they began supporting him.

Since 2017, Monish has been part of many tournaments. “My first was the Skirmish Tournament by Coolermaster where two Indian teams and one Malaysian team were battling against each other, and we bet both of them. At that point winning over an international team was a big deal. We came second in Indian Cyber Gaming Championship (ICGC), first in LXG Indian Land Gaming First Minor and second in LXG Indian Land Gaming Second Minor,” says the avid gamer.

While he plays for 12 hours a day during weekends, he plays for four to five hours on weekdays. After his graduation, he plans to pursue sports management. “E-sports is starting to get recognised as a sport. Getting into the management side might help organise and manage e-sports events,” he says.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by K.V. Navya / Express News Service / April 20th, 2019

A batsman’s success story in thirteen chapters

Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Alvin Kallicharran is the founder of a cricket academy based out of Raleigh, North Carolina in the US.

The pre-launch of Alvin Kallicharan’s book was held on Monday  Debadatta Mallick
The pre-launch of Alvin Kallicharan’s book was held on Monday  Debadatta Mallick

Chennai :

Chennai holds a special place in former West Indies cricket captain and legendary batsman Alvin Kallicharran’s heart as his mother Padma was born here. Each visit is a celebration, and he was here on Monday for the pre-launch of his upcoming book Colour Blind. The event was held at Amir Mahal where he spoke about cricket and the book.

“In the book, I recount four important stages of my life — from growing up as an impoverished child to becoming a cricketer, trying to find meaning to life through cricket, and finally recognising the need to give back to the community with spiritual guidance and awareness,” said Alvin. The book is expected to be released in May 2019.

Sharing a matchbox-sized home in Guyana with around 20 people including 11 siblings, Alvin has come a long way. “At the age of 10, I was working at a rice mill from 8 am to 6 pm. I used to come back home, eat food if there was any left, or head to the streets to play cricket where coconut branches were our bats and we made ball with wood from the tree. Injuries were so common that at least one person used to be in a hospital every day,” he said.

Through the 13 chapters in the book, he shares various stories including his childhood defined by his status as the grandson of indentured labourers in the sugar plantations of Guyana, his encounters with the great cricketers and how his upbringing helped him adapt rather quickly, his test match debut century, the daily rigors and demands required to become a professional sportsperson, significant issues of cheating, questionable run out tactics, umpires without accountability and much more.

Alvin Kallicharran is the founder of a cricket academy based out of Raleigh, North Carolina in the US.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport> Cricket / by Express Features / March 27th, 2019

A solo drive across the country, for a ‘clean’ mission

Amazing Feats, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion

Sangeetha Sridhar. | Photo Credit: K_Pichumani
Sangeetha Sridhar. | Photo Credit: K_Pichumani

NRI spreads awareness on Swachh Bharat

“Tamil Nadu is the 29th state I’m visiting. I’ve been driving through the country for around 183 days and have covered 41,000 km,” says Sangeetha Sridhar, rattling off numbers when asked about her journey.

An NRI from UAE, Ms. Sangeetha, who originally hails from Coimbatore, has been driving through the country in her modified Tata Hexa for her initiative – ‘Clean India Trail’.

“I wished to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE and the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and undertake this trip as a goodwill journey. Gandhiji always dreamt of a clean and safe India for women and I planned this trip systematically to show that this doesn’t have to be a faraway dream,” she says.

Ms. Sangeetha began her trip from Mumbai on August 12 and has been travelling solo since then, visiting over 290 cities. Her travels, she says, have taught her self-reliance and sustainability while allowing her to soak in different cultures and have engaging conversations with interesting people.

Sanitation audit

“Through this journey, I’ve been auditing the condition of sanitation facilities available and creating awareness about the Swachh Bharat Mission. I drive a vehicle that is made in India and only use products and technology that are home-grown,” she says. Her car is fitted with solar panels and the middle seat has been removed to ensure that she can sleep inside. “At night, I ensure that I find a safe place to park my vehicle – either inside the compound of a residential complex or a police station. I sleep inside the vehicle and use the public sanitation facilities available,” she says.

Ms. Sangeetha has also been engaging with nearly 59 signature industries across the States she has travelled through and has also visited various heritage sites. Collaborating with a start-up, she explains that all the information she collects are documented on an app in her phone. “For my audit of the sanitation facilities, the app provides me with a log and I also can record voice notes which will be location-tagged so that I can go back to them later,” she says.

With her website www.cleanindiatrail.com detailing her travels, Ms. Sangeetha says that the results of her audit will be handed over to the United Nations Sustainable Development Board and the Ministry of Tourism. “People everywhere have been extremely welcoming. For women who wish to travel and go on long solo road trips, it is extremely important to prepare physically and mentally. Plan your milestones clearly so that you know what it is that you want to see and it is imperative to study everything along your route,” she adds.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by S. Poorvaja / Chennai – March 02nd, 2019