Stone Age Man and the World Environment Day

Stone Utensil -used to store pickles

Paste maker- used to make chutney or paste for  any gruel side-dish

Dry Grinder to make smaller granules from rice /dhal

The Grinder that would give platter for the Dosas, Idlis and Vadas

Big stone vessel to prepare gruel dishes for more than 10 members

Lamps made of stone to be lit up before deities or  on the crevices on walls specially made to hold them 

Let people call so. But it was a fact that life of 'early man'  and of my early  age revolved around stones. The roads, the walls of houses, temples, the deities, the pillars, the columns, the beams, the carvings,  the boundaries of houses, the steps in ponds/ lakes  , the grindstones of varied sizes for varied purposes, the cooking utensils, the hearths and so on. Every thing was made of stone but not 'man'. Today  but for man nothing is of stone. They are either of plastic or any other unnatural man made material. We laughed at the 'natural life' of our predecessors and today they pity the life we lead today. Just yesterday I came across a canal for about a kilometer  that would carry waters for paddy fields from the  dam filled with plastic and polythene. The entire canal was filled with poly packs and other materials inimical to farm fields. The case is same with every water body in India. A nation of billion and more pollutes  expects the government to do all the cleaning work. 

Even today I watch the holy media from India goes on showing polluted rivers and lakes. Not a single reporter from the lakhs  make a single appeal to people not to throw waste into water bodies. If government borrows  funds from Japan for cleaning up the rivers, people would clap and waiting for a scalp as corruption would erupt and resurrect. 

Any thing of the bygone era  is dirty and everything of the e-era is pretty is not a good idea. Let us build our future on the foundations of our past.

Envy the Environment's Beauty

                         

"We are blessed to be a part of a culture where living in complete harmony with the environment is central to our ethos"

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked the people to serve as “trustees” in protecting the environment and utilising natural resources for the present while ensuring happiness of future generations.

On the occasion of the World Environment Day, he said there is a need to reaffirm the pledge to protect environment and make the planet cleaner and greener.

“We are blessed to be a part of a culture where living in complete harmony with the environment is central to our ethos.

Let us serve as trustees, where we utilise our natural resources for the present & at the same time ensure happiness of future generations,” Mr. Modi tweeted.

He said along with government’s efforts, people’s participation can make a big difference in creating a cleaner and a greener planet.

“Let us ensure that even the smallest step we take in our daily lives will be an effort towards conserving nature and natural resources,” he said.

Growth or Decay?

Development is not to be seen in the decimation of forests,animals and agricultural lands: growth must not be seen in the growth of the number of the multistory buildings: progress is not to be seen in the progress of  speeding cars and evolution is not in attaining more comforts for man.

For instance the habit of transporting cattle in vehicles. They do not enjoy their two/four-wheeler rides. Long distance rides for the animals in open trucks as they stand for days is not an enjoyable experience for  them. They love to walk or run in the way they do. The early morning rides to abattoirs in costly two/four  wheeler  do them no favor. Hence whatever 'development' is seen -  it is to aid man and man alone.  Here lies the flaw. Man thinks he is the sole owner of this earth and controls and commands all other living and non-living beings and things. 

Emperors of yesterdays  depended on pigeons and messengers to send and receive communication. But today as we touch the screen the other person sitting on the other end of the globe gets connected. A ball rolling on the Melbourne stadium touches the eye ball of a cricket fan sitting in India. Just at waving of the hand the song being played in a mobile changes or water falls on our hands. The machines have made man a machine and improvisation is on on this man-machine. He is connected to all gadgets all time but his connect with the humanity remains a disconnect. He continues to commit the crime his predecessors committed and he remains 'small' ever. Murder and rape hog  the lime light  and there is no even a slight decrease in their intensity. 

Today the houses are full but homes are empty. Enough heat is there but warmth is lacking. Every inch of our living space is occupied by non-living thing. We build or buy flats and fill them with machines and we go out seeking happiness. As the houses are full guests are unwelcome. Our flats welcome our guests with a signage,  "No parking of vehicles of visitors allowed".  The happiness quotient is low on the curve and the contentment line is flat for the rich and the poor; the old and the young. 

Laws are there to be broken and rules are there for violations. So many gods and goddesses and all remain deaf to the prayers and dumb to the mercy pleas. As the number of Gods and goddesses decrease the number of quarrels and their intensity keep increasing. Man is devilish in protecting his gods and valiant wars are being fought to protect gods with the weapons created by man. 

He has no time to stop and stare neither at the air nor  at the space. The so called 'growth story' has got unlimited storeys but limits the growth of all other beings. For all this swiftness if a little bit kindness is added no bitterness will be there. 

Hope this humanity attains sanity and not indulge in vanity in perpetuity.  





  

Moment to Celebrate

Personal life story

History was scripted in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan on the evening of 26th May 2014 as Narendra Modi took oath as the Prime Minister of India after a historic mandate from the people of India. In Narendra Modi, the people of India see a dynamic, decisive and development-oriented leader who has emerged as a ray of hope for the dreams and aspirations of a billion Indians. His focus on development, eye for detail and efforts to bring a qualitative difference in the lives of the poorest of the poor have made Narendra Modi a popular and respected leader across the length and breadth of India.

Narendra Modi’s life has been a journey of courage, compassion and constant hardwork. At a very young age he had decided to devote his life in service of the people. He displayed his skills as a grass root level worker, an organiser and an administrator during his 13 year long stint as the Chief Minister of his home state of Gujarat, where he ushered a paradigm shift towards pro-people and pro-active good governance.

Formative Years

Narendra Modi’s inspiring life journey to the Office of Prime Minister began in the by-lanes of Vadnagar, a small town in North Gujarat’s Mehsana district. He was born on the 17th of September 1950; three years after India had gained its Independence. This makes him the first Prime Minister to be born in independent India. Mr. Modi is the third child born to Damodardas Modi and Hiraba Modi. Mr. Modi comes from a family of humble origins and modest means. The entire family lived in a small single storey house which was approximately 40 feet by 12 feet.

Narendra Modi’s formative years taught him early tough lessons as he balanced his studies, non-academic life to spare time to work at the family owned Tea Stall as the family struggled to make ends meet. His school friends remember that as a child also he was very industrious and had an affinity for debates and a curiosity to read books. Schoolmates recollect how Mr. Modi used to spend many hours reading in the local Library. As a child he was also fond of swimming.

Mr. Modi’s thoughts and dreams as a child were quite removed from how most children of his age thought. Perhaps it was the influence of Vadnagar which once used to be a vibrant center of Buddhist learning and spirituality many centuries ago. As a child also he always felt a strong urge to make a difference to society. He was highly influenced by the works of Swami Vivekananda which laid the foundation of his journey towards spiritualism and which inspired him to pursue the mission to fulfill Swamiji’s dream of making India a Jagat Guru.

At the age of 17 he left home to travel across India. For two years he travelled across the expansive landscape of India exploring various cultures. When he returned home he was a changed man with a clear aim of what he wanted to achieve in life. He went to Ahmedabad and joined Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). RSS is a socio-cultural organisation working towards the social and cultural regeneration of India. It was a tough routine for Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad since 1972 when he became a Pracharak for RSS. His day began at 5 am and went on till late night. Late 1970s also saw a young Narendra Modi join the movement to restore Democracy in India which was reeling under Emergency.

While continuing to shoulder different responsibilities within the Sangh during the 1980s Narendra Modi emerged as an Organizer exemplar with his organizing skills. In 1987 a different chapter began in the life of Mr. Modi when he started work as the General Secretary of the BJP in Gujarat. In his first task Mr. Modi won a victory for the BJP in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation elections for the first time ever. He also ensured that the BJP was a close second to the Congress in the 1990 Gujarat Assembly elections. In the 1995 Assembly elections Mr. Modi’s organizational skills ensured the BJP’s vote share increased and the party won 121 seats in the Assembly.

Mr. Modi worked as the National Secretary of BJP from 1995 looking after party’s activities in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. As BJP’s General Secretary Organisation he worked to ensure the BJP won the 1998 Lok Sabha elections. It was in September 2001 that Mr. Modi received a phone call from then Prime Minister Vajpayee which opened a new chapter in his life taking him from the rough and tumble of Organizational Politics to the world of Governance. To read more about Shri Narendra Modi’s personal life story please visit: http://www.narendramodi.in/humble-beginnings-the-early-years/

Years in Governance

Narendra Modi’s evolution from quintessential Organization Man of the BJP to one of India’s best known leaders recognized for his Good Governance over a span of a decade tells a story of grit, determination and Strong Leadership in the face of grave adversity. Narendra Modi’s transition from the world of Political Organizing to the realm of Administration and Governance neither had the luxury of time nor the benefit of training. Shri Modi had to learn the ropes of Administration while on the job right from Day One. Narendra Modi’s first 100 days in office offer a glimpse of not just how Shri Modi made that personal transition but these 100 days also offer a glimpse of how Shri Modi brought unconventional thinking and out of the box ideas to shake status-quo and reform Governance.

Narendra Modi’s path to creating a Vibrant Gujarat as a shining example of Development and Governance did not come easy. It was a path littered with adversities and challenges. Through the last decade if there is one constant trait of Narendra Modi that has stood out it is his Strong Leadership in the face of grave adversity. Shri Narendra Modi’s approach to governance has always been viewed as being above politics. Shri Modi never let political differences get in the way of pursuing solutions to developmental challenges. As Shri Narendra Modi prepares to assume Office as India’s next Prime Minister, his approach to Administration and Governance stands out for its convergent thinking. The finest manifestation of Shri Modi’s philosophy of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” is his Pancha-Amrut construct for convergent Governance.

His performance is reflected in the many Awards his government received from both National and International media. Shri Narendra Modi as India’s Prime Minister brings with him a rich and hands-on experience as one of India’s most successful Chief Ministers and one of its finest of Administrators.

Exercise your right to pollute?

 Just yesterday I came across a canal for about a kilometer  in Thanjavur district that would carry waters for paddy fields from the  dam,  filled with plastic and polythene. The entire canal was filled with poly packs and other materials inimical to farm fields. The people who are polluting this dry canal are not from any foreign nation/ a big  metro city. All of them are farmers who know very well the damages that would cause to their paddy fields. Then why do they pollute? Just exercising their rights of destruction. When  my neighbor has got a right to deface, should not I carry the same? That  is the attitude. Here people contribute their mite for the destruction of their environment. 

The case is same with every water body in India. A nation of billion and a quarter and more pollutes its natural resources. They are united in their stand of this 'national duty' but all of them want the government to act.  Just to remove a boulder that had fallen on the middle of the road they make a call to the Surface transport ministry! Every Indian firmly believes that their government is having Godly  powers and wealth to undo the damages the citizens cause. All of them again staunchly believe that the voting rights which they exercise when ever elections come give them a 'right to pollute'. Long live India!

The Richest Revels Where the World's Poorest Dwells

                                                              


If God has given a shelter as He had given it to some of  His creations man need not go for housing loans or live near the rail tracks across the globe.

The title of the most outrageously expensive property in the world still belongs to Mukesh Ambani’s Antilia in Mumbai, India. The 27-story, 400,000-square-foot skyscraper home–which is named after a mythical island in the Atlantic–includes six stories of underground parking, three helicopter pads, and reportedly requires a staff of 600 to keep it running. Construction costs for Antilia have been reported at a range of $1 billion to $2 billion. To put that into perspective, 7 World Trade Center, the 52-story tower that stands just north of Ground Zero in Manhattan with 1.7 million square feet of office space, cost a reported $2 billion to build.

News: Forbes/flickr

A week- off track

Dear Earthians,
I'm back after a week's stay in my native village. Will be bouncing back with contents and visuals  that are totally different.
With love
rettavayal s krishnasamy