21-02-2015:"INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY"

                       

•  The United Nations and people all over the world  celebrate the 'International Mother language Day' on 21 February 2015. 

HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE:

• The day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educations, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in November 1999.The United Nations General Assembly, on May 2007, called upon its member states "to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world." The concept of the 'International Mother language Day' was thus created.
• The first observance of the day was marked in February 2000 in order to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism in the world. The date 21 February has a great significance in history as it represents the day in 1952 when two students demonstrating for the recognition of Bangla as one of the two official languages in Pakistan were shot dead by police in Dhaka, which was then called 'East Pakistan'.
• "All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue," the UN website added.

THEME OF 2015:

• 2015 is the 15^th anniversary of International Mother Language Day. The theme for this year is 'Inclusive Education through and with Language – Language Matters".

UN'S MESSAGE:

• The Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova has mentioned in her message for the day that education in the mother language is an essential part in achieving the goals of equality education, inclusiveness and promotion of education for global citizenship.International Mother Language Day is a moment for all of us to raise the flag for the importance of mother tongue to all educational efforts, to enhance the quality of learning and to reach the unreached," she said via the official UN Website.

 FRIENDS,

    MANY LANGUAGES,MANY DIVERSITIES BUT ONE COMMON DAY TO CELEBRATE!!!

                  

• Understand the uniqueness of your MOTHER LANGUAGE and be proud but never hesitate to speak in your Mother Language.

GOD AND THE SOLDIER : DO WE REMEMBER THEM ONLY IN TIMES OF NEED???

                                 IS OUR ATTITUDE RIGHT??

• God and  Soldier are the ones who protect us in life, one guides us from our birth to death and the other protects us in times of war. Here I move forward with the belief that there is a supernatural power called GOD who is at the centre of everything.
• Now I present to you an anonymous poem which depicts the general tendency of people towards God and the Soldier.

                                                     God and the Soldier
                                                         All men adore
                                                      In times of trouble,
                                                         And no more;
                                                      For when war is over
                                                      And all things righted,
                                                        God is neglected -
                                                   The old Soldier slighted.

            Does this poem really depict the "REAL" attitude of people??
When we consider this in the larger scenario, I personally feel it correctly depicts our thankless attitude in majority of the cases towards God and the soldier with few exceptions here and there. I may be wrong but this is what I feel.

GOD:

• Everyday,we pray to him to give us all the comforts in life and also a life without many difficulties, it is the general tendency of most of the people. But, as we all know, we are bound to face difficulties in life and when they come across, we are at his feet praying for answers and solutions.
• If we assume that God has shown us the way to solve our problems and if we have successfully come out of difficult situations then DO WE REMEMBER HIM WHEN WE ARE IMMERSED IN GLORY??? DOES THE THOUGHT OF THANKING HIM CROSS OUR MIND??

SOLDIER:

• Now consider the case of a soldier. A soldier protects his country and its people from enemies. He personally does not have any relationship with millions of his own countrymen. But then, he is still willing to sacrifice his life for his people. He leaves his family, friends and lives in border area in order to safeguard us. And sometimes in doing so he loses his life.

DO WE MIND THEIR UNCONDITIONAL SACRIFICES?? DO WE VALUE THEM?? DO WE REMEMBER THEM??

MY THOUGHT:

• When we consider the first(GOD) situation, there are some people who sincerely pray and thank god after achieving success. And there are some people who thank god out of fear that something wrong might happen if we do not thank him. And there are others who never thank him.

                             ARE WE TRUE IN OUR WORSHIP?
It's up to the individual to decide whether he is true in his worship or not.

• When we consider the second(SOLDIER) situation, the poor soldier never gets the credit or recognition he deserves. There are only a few who remember and value their sacrifices. The larger section of people doesn't even know his name. This brings me to a question :

                           HAVE WE BECOME TOO  SELF-CENTERED??

The answer is YES. Most of us have become too self-centered to such an extent where we forget their sacrifices in a very short span of time.
The conclusion I want to draw out here is
                                            BE GRATEFUL TO GOD!
                              SALUTE THE SOLDIERS! 
and remember them in times of trouble and also when the trouble disappears as a result of their contribution.

WHAT WE HAVE TO DO??

"GIVE THEM CREDIT AND VALUE THEIR ROLES IN OUR LIVES!"




                                                    

2015 CRICKET WORLD CUP:ALL THE BEST "TEAM INDIA"!!!!!!!

          BILLION DREAMS!!BILLION WISHES!!

                                   
                      IS CRICKET A RELIGION IN INDIA????
        FOR MANY, IT'S MORE THAN A RELIGION IN INDIA.

•  Cricket is the most popular and the most viewed sport in India.We Indians are very passionate about Cricket and we love our cricketers and we want them to do well whenever they step on to the cricket field.

 As Indians get set to defend their title, let us wish them all the best.This is a small piece of work from my side to team India.

                     MEN IN BLUE!!  MEN IN BLUE!!   MEN IN BLUE!!
           you have done it before.You have the talent to do it again.It's TRUE! It's TRUE!
                                            We may not be the best team on PAPER
                                   but,we have what it takes to become the SHOWSTOPPER
                                               bring all your talent to the FORE
                                              b'coz  it's time to settle the SCORE  
                                    Every time when you walk out from the PAVILION
                           Remember, people wanting you to win are more than a BILLION
                                                             Bear in MIND
                                           there are billion wishes BEHIND
                                                              Bear in MIND
                                               there are billion dreams BEHIND
                                                    Bring out your PASSIONS
                                                   Play like real CHAMPIONS
                                                No doubt this is an acid TEST
                                           but make sure you give your BEST
                                            and God will take care of the REST
                                   WE ARE WITH YOU AND WE WILL BE WITH YOU!!!!

                                                    The 1983 World Cup win was SPECIAL!

                                       The 2011 World Cup win was VERY SPECIAL!!
                               Hoping,the 2015 World Cup will be VERY VERY SPECIAL!!!
         GO!!!   INDIA   GO!!!

FATE AND DESTINY:WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE???

                                          FATE AND DESTINY!

Friends,
There are many things which are very confusing in this beautiful world of ours. Sometimes we get confused or misunderstand the terms and sometimes we get confused because of the confusion that is associated with the terms.

              I always wondered what is the difference between FATE and DESTINY??

• I feel that this question might have crossed your mind at some point or the other. I got to know the difference when I read a small but very good story. I would like to share that story with all of you so that your doubts or confusion about Fate and Destiny will disappear forever(If there are any?).

STORY:

Once there was an unhappy Woman who went to the Master to complain about her DESTINY?
       The Master told her,"But it is you who makes your own Destiny".
The Woman replied,"But, surely I am not responsible for being born as a woman?"

The Master merely said................
                                           What did the Master say???
He said,"Your birth as a woman is your fate.That you can't change.But what you make out of your fate is your destiny.

IMPLICATION:

The meaning of the story is that Fate is a fact of life. There is nothing superstitious about it.

• Many things happen in our life without our knowledge and control. These things fall under the category of FATE. Birth is fate.Similarly Death too is fate. They are not under our control.
• But Destiny is in our hands. It is shaped by the quality of our thoughts, feelings and actions. 

Fate is something which is not in anybody's control. So,it is in our hands to shape our destiny for the good of ourselves.

As Swami Vivekananda said,
              "YOU ARE THE MAKER OF YOUR OWN DESTINY"!
should be the driving force for each and everyone of us in life.

CRICKET : IN HOW MANY WAYS CAN A BATSMAN GET OUT?????

                         MODE OF DISMISSALS IN CRICKET!!

Friends,

• Cricket is the favourite sport for majority of the people across  INDIA and is also one among the most popular sports across the globe.
• When it comes INDIA,it is equal to a religion,sometimes even more.We like our cricket and cricketers very much. Isn't it?

                 YES. we do.

• And sometimes people across the world wonder how people can fall in love with a sport like the way Indians do with Cricket?

        Well the answer is simple.It has fascinated the people like no other sport and especially the 1983 World Cup win has stirred the interest even more in the game of Cricket.But there may be different opinions like people are forgetting other sports and are not giving sufficient recognition to other sports and sports persons.It may be true to some extent,but in this post I would like to discuss primarily  on the game of Cricket.

• We are in such deep love with the game that we tend to feel we know everything about the game and we do in the majority of the cases but there may be some things we may not be aware of in the game of Cricket.
• If you know about the topic that I am going to discuss, it's fine otherwise check out this,I feel it may be a useful post to you,the CRICKET FAN.

For all the Cricket Fans,
       How many ways can a Batsman be out in Cricket????
 In Cricket, a batsman can get out in   10 different ways.

They are:

1. Bowled
2. Stumped
3. Catch Out
4. Run Out
5. Leg Before Wicket(LBW)
6. Hit Wicket
7. Hit the Ball Twice
8. Timed Out
9. Obstructing the Field
10. Handling the Ball

Bowled,Stumped,Catch out,Run out,LBW,Hit wicket are general modes of dismissals that we regularly see in Cricket.But there are few dismissals we have rarely seen or sometimes never.

HIT THE BALL TWICE:

If the Batsman "hits the ball twice" he is out.The first is considered to be if the ball has struck the batsman or his bat while the second hit has to be an intentional and separate contact with the ball(again not necessarily using the bat).The batsman may hit the ball a second time with his bat or body(not a hand not in contact with the bat) if it is performed to stop the ball from hitting the stumps.It is therefore possible to be out hitting the ball twice,while not actually hitting the ball with the bat at all.
             No batsman has been out hitting the ball twice in International Cricket so far.

TIMED OUT:

According to the Laws of Cricket,an incoming batsman must be in position to take guard or for his partner to be ready to take the next ball within THREE MINUTES of the fall of the previous wicket.If this is not followed the incoming batsman will be given out,timed out,on appeal. 
                           No batsman has been timed out in International Cricket so far.
Note:However in 20-20 Cricket the incoming batsman should be on the field within 90 seconds.

OBSTRUCTING THE FIELD:

If the batsman, by action or by words,obstructs a fielder, then he is out.The rule intends to prevent batsman from interfering with a fielder by,for instance,pushing him.Also, a player can be given out if they deliberately hit a ball being thrown back to the wicket keeper while being out of their crease.

Players who had been dismissed in this fashion are:

TEST CRICKET

Len Hutton(Eng vs SA in 1951)

ODI CRICKET

                                Rameez Raja(Pak vs Aus in 1987)
                            Mohinder Amarnath(Ind vs SL in 1989)
                              Inzamam-ul-Haq(Pak vs Ind in 2006)
                                 Anwar Ali(Pak vs SA in 2013)
                          Mohammed Hafeez(Pak vs SA in 2013)

HANDLING THE BALL:

If the batsman touches the ball with his hand not in contact with the bat for any purpose,other than with the approval of the fielder(s),to return the ball to the bowler,he is out on appeal.It is considered etiquette for the fielding team  not to appeal if the fielding of the ball does not affect the play of the game,although there are occasions when this etiquette has been ignored.

Graham Gooch given out
handling the ball

Players who had been dismissed in this fashion are:

TEST CRICKET

 Russell Endean,Andrew Hilditch,Mohsin Khan,Desmond Haynes,Graham Gooch,Steve Waugh, Michael Vaughan.

ODI CRICKET

Mohinder Amarnath,Daryl Cullinan.

AGNI-5 :INDIA'S LONG RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILE SUCCESSFULLY TEST-LAUNCHED!!!

            INDIA SHOWCASES IT'S STRENGTH AGAIN!!!

31-01-2015

WHEELER ISLAND, ODISHA: India used a mobile launcher and successfully test-launched its long range ballistic missile, Agni-5, which can carry a nuclear warhead in the east as far as all of China and in the west all over Europe.

• The test-launch, done from Wheeler Island at 8:43 am, off the Odisha coast, for the second time in two years, can travel faster than a bullet despite weighing nearly 50 tonnes and the new delivery mechanism gives the armed forces increased operational flexibility,  is seen as a major step in India's efforts to become a regional power that can counter the dominance of China.

ABOUT AGNI-5:

• The Agni-5 is about 17 meters long and weighs 50 tons. It is a three-stage missile designed to carry an over 1 ton warhead with a range of 5,000 kilometers, allowing it the farthest reach among all Indian missiles. 

• India carried out two successful tests of the basic version of Agni-V in 2012 and 2013. DRDO officials said this advanced model, work on which began in 2009, is likely to be inducted next year.

EXPERTS OPINION:

• Defence analysts said the canister would give the missile full road or rail mobility, lending a great deal of stealth and resilience to the country's strategic strike capability.
•  Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed scientists from the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) for the success and said the missile was an asset for the country's forces.
• "This is a momentous occasion. It is India's first ever inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch from a canister and a giant leap in the country's deterrent capability," said outgoing DRDO chief Avinash Chander.

MY OPINION:

• It's a great achievement by our scientists and they have once again shown the strength and capability of our country to the world.
• We should congratulate each and every scientist who is associated with this massive experiment as they have made us proud once again.

 

R.K.LAXMAN:THE FACE OF THE COMMON MAN!!!

   R.K. LAXMAN: A RENOWNED CARTOONIST PASSES AWAY

Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Laxman (24 October 1921 – 26 January 2015) was an Indian cartoonist, illustrator, and humorist. He is best known for his creation THE COMMON DAY, for his daily cartoon strip, "You Said It" in the TIMES OF INDIA, which started in 1951.

OTHER CREATIONS:

• He also created a popular mascot for the Asian Paints group called Gattu in 1954.  
• His cartoons have appeared in Hindi films such as Mr. & Mrs. '55 and a Tamil film Kamaraj. 
• His creations also include the sketches drawn for the television adaptation of MALGUDI DAYS which was written by his elder brother R K Narayan and directed by Shankar Nag. 

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:

•  PADMA BHUSHAN – Govt. Of India 1973
• PADMA VIBUSHAN – Govt. of India, 2005
• RAMAN MAGSAYSAY AWARD for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts – 1984
• Lifetime Achievement Award for Journalism – CNN IBN TV18, 29 January 2008
• 'Pune Pandit' Award (Scholar of Pune Award) by the Art & Music Foundation for excellence in 'Creative Communication' – 2012
• Honorary Doctorate awarded to R.K. Laxman from the University of Mysore in 2005
• There is a chair named after R. K. Laxman at Symbiosis International University.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY:

                     The Tunnel of Time 

MY OPINION:

R.K's COMMON MAN

• I heard about Mr.R.K. Laxman but I was not aware that he was such a great personality  till the day he passed away.
• Sir,your contribution i.e, Common Man,created in 1957, was the symbol of India's ordinary people, their trials and tribulations, their little joys and sorrows, and the mess they found themselves in thanks to the political class and bureaucracy. But despite the sobering reality of this, there was never any bitterness in your cartoons. Your humour was always delightful, and no one could hold a candle to your brushstrokes.

• Your contribution will be remembered till the cartoons  exist in this world.

          India has lost one of  it's  favourite sons..........

              MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN PEACE....

NOTE:To see some of his best cartoons visit the link:
                   http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Best-of-RK-Laxmans-cartoons/photostory/45944740.cms

RAGS TO RICHES :The WHATSAPP(Jan Koum) story!!!!!

REMARKABLE STORIES THAT PROVIDE ENDLESS MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION!!!!

WHAT'S UP????  WHAT'S UP????

    Well the story of WHATSAPP is here!!!!!!!!!!!

MY OPINION:

Friends,

Everybody comes across problems in life in some or the other form,some never make an attempt to come out of them,some have the desire to make it big but lack enough Dedication and Hardwork but there are some who come out of every obstacle and create history like never before.I am talking about that category of people who provide the greatest inspiration and motivation to the rest of the world.

"Nothing is beyond us if we believe in ourselves" is what these remarkable stories teach us.

                                                                    -MY THOUGHT

In this post,I am going to share with you the story of Jan Koum who became an overnight Billionare ,Thanks to WhatsApp!!   

WhatsApp Story:                    

The poor Ukranian immigrant who became a silicon valley mogul : Jan Koum

• When Facebook announced that it was buying Mobile messaging start up WHATSAPPfor $19 Billion in February 2014, that caused quite a stir.JAN KOUM, the startup's cofounder became the most talked about Entrepreneur overnight.Media reported that the WhatsApp floored Mark Zuckerberg so much that the record offer was made so that the two could become "FRIENDS".

JAN KOUM

• A true rags to riches hero,Koum was born and raised in a village on the outskirts of Kiev,Ukraine,as the only child of a housewife and a construction labourer.
• Forbes reported that his had no hot water,and his parents eared that their phone was tapped by the state and so rarely talked on it.
• He immigrated to California with his mother when he was 16.He used to sweep the floor of a grocery store and stood in line to collect food stamps.By 18,he was an expert computer hacker.
• In 1997,Koum was hired by Yahoo as an Infrastructure engineer,shortly after he met Brian Acton while working at Ernst&Young as a security tester.In January 2009,Koum bought an iPhone and realized that it would spawn a whole new industry of apps.On his birthday,February 24, 2009,he incorporated WhatsApp Inc. in California.   

                                          A TRULY REMARKABLE STORY!!!!!

JANUARY 15:INDIAN ARMY DAY

               SALUTING OUR REAL HEROES !!!!!

Why is Army Day celebrated on January 15 ?

Significance:

• Army Day is celebrated on 15 January every year in India,in recognition of Lieutenant General(later Field Marshal)K.M. Cariappa's taking over as the First Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher,the last British Commander-in-Chief of India, on 15 January 1949.

SALUTING OUR REAL HEROES:

There are many Inspirational stories about our brave soldiers which we need to be proud of,in this post I would like to share a truly great story of one our soldiers.

CONTEXT:26/11 MUMBAI ATTACKS 2008 

             MAJOR SANDEEP UNNIKRISHNAN
                                

MAJOR SANDEEP UNNIKRISHNAN

• Sandeep Unnikrishnan(15 March 1977 - 28 November 2008) was a major in the Indian Army serving in the elite Special Action Group of the National Security Guards(NSG).He was killed in action while fighting terrorists in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.His bravery was honoured with the Ashoka Chakra,India's highest peace time Gallantry Award, on 26 January 2009.
• "Do not come up,I will handle them",were the last words which Major Unnikrishnan told his men as he was hit by bullets while engaging terrorists inside the Taj Mahal palace and Tower during Operation Black Tornado,according to NSG officials.

• Later NSG sources clarified that when a Guardsman got injured during the operation,Major
  
  
  Unnikrishnan arranged for his evacuation and started chasing the terrorists himself.The terrorists escaped to another floor of the hotel and during the chase Major Unnikrishnan was seriously injured and succumbed to his injuries.

MY OPINION:

• I have tremendous respect for the soldiers of this country who time and time again make us proud with their heroics.
• They dedicate themselves and sometimes  sacrifice their lives for our well-being.
• Most of the times their sacrifices are forgotten by us but still they safeguard our people and our country at all times all throughout their lives.
• In this context I would like to thank the parents of every soldier,for giving birth to such selfless patriots.
• I would like to quote a famous statement form one of our soldiers,which I reckon is one of the greatest statements that has been ever made.

 "WE SACRIFICE OUR TODAY FOR YOUR TOMORROW!!!!"

It's truly a great line and I am really proud of our soldiers and I am really proud to be an "INDIAN."

                             THANKS FOR SAFEGUARDING US!!!
THE NATION SALUTES YOU FOR YOUR SELFLESS SERVICE!!

1. 
   

   
2. If you want to thank them,comment YES!!!

HAPPY PONGAL!!!!!!!

Friends,
Pongal is one of the widely celebrated festivals across India.In this post Iam going to give some stories behind the origin of this festival.There might be many stories but these are the most popular ones.
PONGAL:

•   Pongal is an ancient festival of people in South India particularly Tamils. The history of the festival can be traced back to the Sangam Age i.e. 200 B.C. To 300 A.D. Although, Pongal originated as a Dravidian Harvest festival and has a mention in Sanskrit Puranas, historians identify the festival with the Thai Unand Thai Niradal which are believed to have been celebrated during the Sangam Age. 

Legends of Pongal :

Some legendary stories are also associated with Pongal festival celebrations. The two most popular legends of Pongal are stories related to Lord Shiva and Lord Indra. 

• According to a legend, once Shiva asked his bull, Basava, to go to the earth and ask the mortals to have an oil massage and bath every day and to eat once a month. Inadvertently, Basava announced that everyone should eat daily and have an oil bath once a month. This mistake enraged Shiva who then cursed Basava, banishing him to live on the earth forever. He would have to plough the fields and help people produce more food. Thus the association of this day with cattle. 

• Another legend of Lord Indra and Lord Krishna also led to Pongal celebrations. It is said when Lord Krishna were in his childhood, he decided to teach a lesson to Lord Indra who became arrogant after becoming the king of all deities. Lord Krishna asked all the cowherds to stop worshiping Lord Indra. This angered Lord Indra and sent forth his clouds for thunder-storms and 3 days continuous rains. Lord Krishna lifted Mount Govardhan to save all the humans. Later, Lord Indra realized his mistake and divine power of Krishna. 

Pongal Celebrations:

• According to Hindu mythology, this is when the day of the gods begins, after a six-month long night. The festival is spread over three days and is the most important and most fervently-celebrated harvest festival of South India. A special puja is performed on the first day of Pongal before the cutting of the paddy. Farmers worship the sun and the earth by anointing their ploughs and sickles with sandal wood paste. It is with these consecrated tools that the newly-harvested rice is cut. 

Each of the three days are marked by different festivities. 

• The first day, Bhogi Pongal, is a day for the family. 
• Surya Pongal, the second day, is dedicated to the worship of Surya, the Sun God.Boiled milk and jaggery is offered to the Sun God.
• The third day of Pongal, Mattu Pongal, is for worship of the cattle known as Mattu. Cattle are bathed, their horns polished and painted in bright colors, and garlands of flowers placed around their necks. The Pongal that has been offered to the Gods is then given to cattle and birds to eat.

I wish all the people of this country a very very very Happy Pongal!!!!!

May God with every passing day give everyone of you renewed energy to lead your respective lives peacefully.