Mukti Foundation makes and distributes 15 customised limbs

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The visitors at Express Avenue mall curiously peered down to the central atrium from the above floors.

The event was held at Express Avenue Mall  Debadatta Mallick
The event was held at Express Avenue Mall  Debadatta Mallick

Chennai :

The visitors at Express Avenue mall curiously peered down to the central atrium from the above floors. On a blue stage set up between the two lifts, four people sit on the dais. Above them, the words ‘Mukti’ is printed on the stage in bold letters. The Mukti Foundation held an awareness event at the mall to educate the public on the organisation’s work in the field of disability, on Sunday.

Started in 1986, Mukti Foundation provides artificial limbs and ciphers free of cost for amputees. Thus far, the organisation has given away three lakh limbs, all produced at their centre in Meenambakkam. They also conduct camps across the state to provide limbs to the needy.

The chief guests for the event were Letika Saran, former Director General of Police, Varadha Kutti, state president for Tamilnadu Udavakaram Association for the Welfare of the differently abled, and T Ramakrishna, director of DD News. “For those so-called able-bodied people, we also need props, if not physical, to carry on with our lives. Not only mental support, but physical support is very important for everyone, especially people with disability,” said Saran.

The chief guests provided 15 customised limbs made by the Mukti Foundation’s team of highly trained technicians to 15 people. Their centre in Meenambakkam also employs people with disability (PwDs), and offers skill training and vocational programmes for PwDs to assist them in being independent in their lives.
In his speech, Ramakrishna said, “Most buildings are inaccessible. Even the language is prejudiced against PwDs. Children with disability in villages, especially girls, live in a vegetative state, without education or employment. I look forward to the day when people with disability are accepted into society.”
Mukti’s staff members were presented awards by the chief guests for their support and assistance. The evening ended with a karaoke performance.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / May 27th, 2019

Yamaha opens musical instruments factory in Chennai

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Yamaha Corporation of Japan opened its factory in Kanchipuram for musical instruments under the Make in India initiative.

The factory has been launched in Kanchipuram
The factory has been launched in Kanchipuram

Chennai :

Yamaha Corporation of Japan opened its factory in Kanchipuram for musical instruments under the Make in India initiative. Takashi Haga, MD, Yamaha Music India, said that Yamaha Music India plant is fully geared up to produce the full line of Yamaha Musical Instruments.

Stating that Yamaha has designed and created the most versatile and customised portable keyboard for Indian customers, he said the new keyboard will address the requirement of all customers. Under the Chennai factory project, the musical instruments will be manufactured in India and sold in India.

By 2022, Yamaha has committed an investment of Rs 500 crore which will generate jobs to 800 people. Under phase-I, the company will manufacture acoustic guitars and portable keyboards which will be later diversified to portable audio speaker from 2020.

Yamaha is planning to tap education institutes in India which stress on the importance of learning music. The products are expected to be unique, efficient and customised to suit the needs of music teachers, students, and professionals.

World over the music industry is on a growth trajectory. Thus, Yamaha Music India will not only produce its equipment for the Indian market but make India its major export hub. The company plans to upgrade its factory as and when required depending on the growing demand.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / May 28th, 2019

Vijay Shankar — living his father’s dream

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Great journey: From training in the driveway of his house to the nets at The Oval, Vijay Shankar has come a long way. | Photo Credit: AP
Great journey: From training in the driveway of his house to the nets at The Oval, Vijay Shankar has come a long way. | Photo Credit: AP

‘The great guy’ who put behind him adversities with aplomb

Away from the chaos that’s part of every Indian metropolis resides Vijay Shankar, in a two-storey house in the suburbs of Chennai.

Krishnan, the owner of a juice shop across the road from Vijay’s house, describes him as “a great guy”. So do family, friends, coaches and school principal.

The principal at his first school, Modern Senior Secondary, K. Mohana, remembers Monday morning prayer assemblies (she was vice-principal then) when Vijay would invariably be present with awards and trophies after exploits over the weekend.

For the sake of cricket

It was around Class X that Vijay’s father, Shankar, asked him if he wanted to take up cricket seriously. He then switched from the Central Board of Secondary Education to a State board school, King’s Matriculation.

But regular cricket engagements meant maintaining required attendance became a problem. Vijay dropped out and gave his Class XII examinations via correspondence.

Shankar, meanwhile, provided his sons, Vijay and elder brother Ajay, with everything needed to pursue a cricketing career — move to a bigger house, space to put up nets and work out.

“Through school to college, we used to practise on his terrace,” said N.S. Chaturved, who plays Twenty20 cricket for Tamil Nadu.

Today Vijay is living his father’s dream.

Now a medium-pacer, Vijay switched from off-spin after the age of 22. S. Balaji, his personal coach, felt he could use his height and strength to add pace bowling to his arsenal.

There was a point in time during his Ranji days when Vijay feared he would lose his spot. He had made 190 runs in six innings during the 2014-15 season before the quarterfinal against Andhra.

Coach W.V. Raman pulled him aside for a quick chat in the lead-up to the game. Vijay values Raman’s backing in getting over his insecurities.

“He backed me at the right time and I delivered,” he says. Vijay scored 111 and 82 in the win over Andhra. He followed that up with a 91 in the semifinals and 103 in a losing cause in the final against Karnataka to finish as Tamil Nadu’s third highest run-scorer that season.

The 28-year-old has had many ups and downs in his career. His momentum in domestic cricket and India-A series were halted by what Vijay considers “freakish injuries.”

But none were as painful as the time when he had to undergo a knee surgery in 2016, which ruled him out of the India-A tour of Australia.

Vijay’s introduction to international cricket was a trial by fire.

Followers of the game will remember how he struggled to put bat to ball in the Nidahas Trophy final against Bangladesh. Luckily for Team India, Dinesh Karthik’s late cameo saved the day.

But Vijay wasn’t too lucky. He was the subject of vitriol and jokes on social media. And it wasn’t just limited to the virtual world.

Hitting back

Vijay immediately put the disappointment behind. He scored 212 runs for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL that season before impressing on the ‘A’ tour of New Zealand in which he finished top-scorer.

His impressive run led to the call-up to the India side for the shorter formats on the tours of Australia and New Zealand.

For Vijay, who enjoys long drives, the journey has only begun.

Click here to read the full story in The Sportstar

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Cricket / by  Aashin Prasad / May 26th, 2019