A Tribute to Farmers

I watched a wonderful tribute video on this year's farmers' festival - Pongal. "What or which according to you is the most important job in the whole world?" RJ Balaji and Venky go around the city asking this question to people from various age groups. Surprisingly the answers they get are nowhere near the correct answer. Then after getting many clues, one by one realise that farming is the most important profession. Video ends with an upbeat song dedicated to farmers.

While agriculture had been the backbone of our economy even before we emerged as a free nation, what surprises me is the negligence accorded to farming especially by the rising neo-middle class in our cities. Today an average teenager in our nation has the least attraction towards the professions with utmost importance to the society such as teaching or farming. Even the traditionally agricultural families in our villages, who know the importance of farming, want their next generation to work in an air conditioned cubicle rather than on the open lands of villages. Agriculture has become so unattractive today that we see thousands of farmers abandoning their land to migrate to cities in search of the mirage of better life.

On the other hand, farmers today are adversely affected by the rapid changes in natural as well as cultural scenes. Being dependent on monsoon, small and medium farmers often face the failure of their crops and get themselves caught in the debt trap. Ultimately when the pressure breaches the threshold, they take their own precious life. Today our country, which worships land and respects food as God, is facing with rise in farmer suicides, and our urban society has decided to neglect it..! Worse is the mainstream media, which tries to capitalize by politicizing even the minimal attention accorded to the struggles of farmers.

In such a gloomy situation, the infant step taken by the Murugappa Group to educate the city dwellers with the importance of farming, is commendable. I wholeheartedly appreciate and thank it for making such a wonderful tribute to the most undermined profession in our nation. I hope this video will be a trigger for the like minded organisations to work on changing the attitude of society for the betterment of our farmers.

I salute the farmer, who stays hungry, to feed the hungry.

Crowded Bus & Empty Hands

God created humans to help each other and live the life happily, and in that process after 2000 years, we have apparently failed. I have come through many self centered people as well as some generous people with helping tendency. But what I had experienced in my three hour journey in bus to home from Rameshwaram, was really sad and unbearable.

When I boarded the bus it was almost filled and I got an aisle seat. Crowd started rushing as the bus started, and among the crowd was a young lady with a child in hand. That nine month old baby started crying after half an hour, it longed for some air, its mother couldn't stop it from crying. Around her was a set of women sitting and no one came forward to atleast carry the child, the reason was more shocking, the child was a muslim. How could these women think about religion to carry a baby in hands? Aren't they all mothers? Then I asked her to give the child to me, she couldn't resist. After about five minutes that baby stopped crying as wind was gushing through the window. It started playing by holding up my fingers, I could feel the little warm hands tied around my fingers, it started sleeping with a smile on my lap. Does that baby know what religion it belong to? All it needed was a little hope of humanity. I got a little 'Nandri Thambi' from its mother as they left the bus. I was all left alone with empty hands, but happy heart...

Check to the Stalemate

Most of us might have been familiar with the Indian Crab story. It is the story about how a fisherman kept a basket with crabs  uncovered, and when asked about not closing with lid, he replied "They are Indian Crabs; If one tries to climb up, the other will not let it go and they will pull it back in, hence there is no need for a lid". All right, It is a old story, probably used to teach kids about unity and it is outdated now as India and Indians have improved a far better level. But this story came to my mind when I heard about Vishy's Doctorate Controversy. Asking nationality about a man who made his country proud and an upstanding level in International Chess arena is totally out of sanity.

He appeared to be little hurt when the nationality crisis started and his wife Aruna Anand had immediately faxed his passport and it was sent to the HRD ministry immediately. Treating persons like Anand in this manner will surely disappoint them and their career. Though he had controversies around his neck he tackled 40 mathematicians  beat 39 of them, drawn a match to Srikar Varadaraj - a 14 year old teen from Bangalore. Anand looked cool all around the play and said "I always played under Indian flag and held Indian passport right from the time I took my first overseas trip. I came here to play chess and to enjoy the conference. So let us leave it at that". Aruna later said "Every time he plays a match, the tricolor is placed beside his table, and when he won the world championship, the National Anthem was played. He never bothered about these awards. But asking to prove his nationality is disappointing."

HRD minister Kapil Cibal apologised  to  Anand and  said "I told him that we are sorry for what has transpired. It should not take time [to implement such decisions], but sometime it happens. He has done India proud like Arjun Atwal [who won a top professional golf championship in the U.S. on Monday]. We should be proud of those who climb the heights of global excellence and keep the Indian flag flying.” Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad Seyed E. Hasnain met Mr Sibal on Tuesday to sort out the issue. He said "There was a system failure, but things have been sorted out and he [Mr. Anand] will be given the degree,”, as clearing the deadlock.

Thanks for Cibal to end the controversy in a smooth manner. Most of the Indian sportsmen prefer to stay in Europe as most of the world tournaments takes place around the continent. By means of just staying there, doesn't mean they are not Indian citizen. They work from outside the country to make the country proud and up on the stage. We have excellent individual sportspersons and they should not be constrained within the sub continent. Only few Indians take sports as their career. It would be better if we let them have some freedom and help to get expertised with International arena. It is every Indian's responsibility to upgrade other Indians. Let an Indian be an Indian....

Khan wants Justice...

It is really saddening that "My Name Is Khan" is running under so much controversies just because one actor expressed his own ideas in this free India. Don't you think this is injustice? Don't a celebrity have his own freedom of thoughts?? Even if anybody doesn't agree with his ideas, why can't it just be settled with SRK and not with his movies. MNIK has lost almost 45crores as a result of this unnecessary controversy. SRK himself feels that the Shiv Sena should talk to him personally without troubling others. Meanwhile movie director Karan Johar had met the Mumbai Police Commissioner to get assurance for Security at Mumbai theatres. But it was reported within hours Sena has attacked some of the theatres. Are they all needed?? Think... If you agree with me, just go and watch the movie and put full stop to the bogey menaces... I'm already having my ticket...

Jacquieline Saburido

"Not everyone who gets hit by a drunk driver dies".

This will be the first thing you will notice when you visit Jacqueline Saburido's website http://www.helpjacqui.com/...

Jacqueline was returning back to her home with friends after attending a birthday party at Austin. Reginald Stephey, a 17-year-old high school student, was on his way home after drinking beer with his friends at a party. Reggie's GMC Yukon veered into the Oldsmobile carrying Jacqui and the others. Saburido was left to burn for around 45 seconds as the flames engulfed the vehicle. Her face was totally disfigured and she needed 40 operations to ensure survival, including Cornea transplant. Reggie was sentenced to two concurrent seven-year prison sentences inside Huntsville Unit and was fined $20,000.

Jacqui started her campaign against drunken drive. She is most well known for a commercial in which she holds a pre-accident photo of herself in front of the camera, which she lowers to reveal her disfigured face and says, "This is me, after being hit by a drunk driver". When asked why she appeared in the campaign, Saburido stated "I feel very good to do it because I know people can understand a little more what happened to me -- why my life changed completely. So I think for me, for everybody, it's a good opportunity".

Saburido and Stephey met for the first time after his trial and conviction in 2001. Stephey later stated that "What sticks out in my mind is, 'Reggie, I don't hate you.' It's really touching someone can look you in the eyes and have that much compassion after all that I have caused". He was released from Huntsville Unit on 24 June, 2008. Jacqui stated, "I don't hate him, I don't feel bad because he's out, he can reconstruct his life again".

Its hard to forgive a person after he had destroyed your entire life. But Jacqui did this and she is continuing her campaign against drunk driving from her home at Louisville, Kentucky.

Do Not Drink N Drive.....

Do not 'Forward'

Dividing people in name of States has become the effective weapon in today's Indian politics, especially in Tamil Nadu. Before independence the British used the religions to divide us, but now the political parties are using the Regional issues to make themself survive in politics.

More than 10000 tamil speaking people were killed in Srilanka. Yes, that's true. But what is it going to do with the death of the efficient leader YSR?? I received a SMS on wednesday - "No care to the death of 10000 tamizhan, But holiday for an other state person death. Wake up Tamizha... Send this to all veera thamizhans". This shows the real impact of Regionalism in youth's minds. During the election period all the parties USED this for their own benefits, intruding the Tamilans to think like the SMS above, making them even to forget about the death of a skillful CM. All I want to say is even if you receive such messages or mails, please do not forward it to any... Wake up INDIANS...

Sare Jahan Se Achha, Hindustan Hamara...