Giving LIFE to Birds in Kaggaladu

February 13, 2011

Kaggaladu bird sanctuary — Birds at kaggaladu

Kaggaladu (Kaggalaadu) is another remote village which is privileged to have storks and pelicans come every year to settle their nests on trees in the village. Heard of rare birds coming to nestle amidst the noise and chaos of a village… where villagers take care of the hatchlings if they fall down from their nests… where children bring fish to feed them… Conventionally migratory birds such cranes, storks, herons, avoid human habitats and are protected by the forest authorities in bird sanctuaries. Similarly, Kaggaladu (Kaggalaadu) is another remote village which is privileged to have storks and pelicans come every year to settle their nests on trees in the village. Located in Tumkur district in south-eastern part of Karnataka state, Kaggaladu is not a notified bird sanctuary protected by the Karnataka Forest Department. Records show that rare migratory birds such as Painted Storks and Grey Herons have been nesting on the tamarind trees inside the village since 1999.

Kaggaladu village is a tiny gram panchayat located about 9 km to the north-west of Sira town on the Sira-Chengavara Main Road. It has approx 200-300 households and one primary school. The village has two lakes on the eastern and western sides. Rain-based food grain cultivation is the major occupation. Tamarind and Indian Banyan are the dominant tree species in the village. It is interesting to note that the birds only choose Tamarind trees to build nests.

Painted Stork, Grey Pelican and White Ibis are major species that arrive in Kaggaladu every winter to nurture their young. Unlike the other village adopted bird sanctuary, Kokrebellur, the Kaggaladu Bird Sanctuary has been a neglected one with limited conservation activities. The earliest efforts were made by Tumkur-based NGO Wildlife Aware Nature Club in early 2000s, who brought it to media spotlight and persuaded the forest dept. to declare it a bird sanctuary and display notice boards. But afterwards there has been no effort to preserve the water bodies and trees for enabling the birds to nest. In fact, the number of migratory birds coming to nest has dwindled every year.

Fortunately, a voluntary organization named LIFE-Bengaluru (Lets Integrate For Environment) has adopted the village and has begun conservation activities. The team happened to do a field visit to Kaggaladu in July 2008 and was surprised to see the lack of awareness among villagers about bird conservation. As the first intervention, LIFE team organized a tree planting activity and planted 50 tamarind trees. However, the lack of interest from villagers about this activity was disappointing.

LIFE NGO Bangalore — Recent conservation efforts at Kaggaladu

Subsequent visits in October 2009 gave a disheartening picture since most of the saplings planted by LIFE were destroyed. Only a few inside the school compound had survived. So the team decided it is better to work in close coordination with the school administration so that awareness levels among children can be built up in turn leading to better conservation of birds. Thankfully the children and teachers of the government primary school in Kaggaladu were enthusiastic about bird conservation, and became eager participants for LIFE-Bengaluru’s activities. The teachers were quite responsive and showed their interest in educational and awareness activities. One issue they highlighted was the lack of sanitation in the village and the need for health education among children and parents.

It was sad to note that only 50-55 birds arrived to nest this year instead of the usual 120-150 birds. Dwindling tree cover, receding water level in nearby lakes and lack of fish are contributing to the birds decline. The villagers’ gradual shift to cultivating paddy is a major concern. Kaggaladu is already a water stressed area so shifting to growing paddy is dangerous. These water intensive fields can run the lakes completely dry in the birds breeding season. Further cause for concern is the extensive use of pesticides and villagers’ attitude of negligence.

Hopefully, the intervention of LIFE-Bengaluru team, the enthusiasm of school children and raising awareness among villagers can be make things better for birds.

– Factfile –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaggaladu
http://letsintegrateforenvironment.blogspot.com/2009/11/kaggaladu-visit-phase-2-visit-2.html
http://tumkurameen.blogspot.com/2007/04/kaggaladu-home-to-colourful-birds.html

Little What We Have Does Matter

Caleidoscope

February 7, 2011

Everyone have their own share of ups and downs. Most of us are constantly carp that life has bestowed us with the least amount of gains, and I was one such sneering individual. But two years ago, an exceptional day in my life brought about a drastic change in my thought process and from that day onwards, I am a contented person.

It was 19 February 2008, a day which I shall remember for lifetime. I would not be exaggerating if I say that the events of that day clearly spring in my mind even today. I had opportunity to visit some slums in Mumbai. The Wadala and Mahalaxmi slums are inhabited by the poorest of the poor who live in small shacks, deficient of the basic amenities. However, one thing that keeps them going is the happiness that they carry on their faces and total lack of even an iota of snipping.
As I passed through the tapering by-lanes of these slums, there were a group of children who played the perfect guides for my tour. They took me to every house and thrilled me by introducing me as “Pyaari Didi”. May be because I had given them a handful of sweets or possibly they were enjoying my company like I was enjoying theirs. The tale of every house was similar. Space constraints, large number of family members but few earning ones, dearth of primary needs, absence of governmental or NGO help, unhygienic conditions leading to diseases, etc.

I assumed that seeing me they would seek some help or atleast share their tribulations with me. But the men in the family were busy discussing their occupations with me. Some said they sold vegetables and earned their livelihood, while others did carpentry, plumbing and other daily wage activities. The women in the family came across as the shy, soft-spoken and tender individuals of the lot. They told me that they love living in a joint family, eating whatever food they had sitting together, discussing things were the precious moments of their lives.
The most active hosts were the children who had been with me right from the time I had entered the slums. I had almost learnt most of their names. They discussed their school, teachers, picnics and everything else. There was a high comfort level they shared with me and they were almost pouncing on me to grab my attention. Some had even started telling me stories and reciting poems on top of their voices. The phenomenon which astonished me was that I could see the difficulties and hardships they were going through but there was not even the slightest disappointment in their expressions or in their tone of communicating.

I was amidst these people who we consider to be less educated and less civilized than us. But if we give it a thought, it is they who are living their lives to the fullest with whatever little they have. On the other hand, we who have all the luxuries are always frowning with discontent in our faces and distress in our actions. I consider these people to be my true teachers who provided me with their helping hand to comprehend my life. We say this world has become a gloomy place but it is because of you and me who are forever down in the mouth and doleful. The time has come to accept life the way it is and be satisfied with whatever we have.

Text & pic – Siddhi Aras

Odanthurai Powers Ahead with Entrepreneurial Zeal

Priyadharshini

February 6, 2011

Global warming, depleting natural resources, increasing carbon emissions, soil and water pollution; these are some of the issues that have become a major concern for countries across the world. While I was wondering how to change the present world which is filled with pollution & rapid development, I happened to visit a village with a difference rather filled with lush green.

As a part of my renewable energy field trip, I visited a village called Odanthurai Gram Panchayat situated 40 kilometers north of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. In a country where villages are still struggling with inadequate power supply and expect the government to fix the problem, Odanthurai has set an example by producing its own green power for its needs. We met the panchayat president Shanmugam who explained the details about his village’s clean energy sources.

The most notable among Odanthurai’s self-help ventures is the 350-kw wind power generator that it set up in 2006 under the direction of a well functioning gram panchayat. Having witnessed the government help many private companies acquire land in Coimbatore district at subsidized prices for setting up wind power projects, the enterprising Shanmugam thought, “Why not have a wind power project under panchayat ownership? After all a village community is the most legitimate owner of land and wind, the two natural resources that are enough for power generation.”

The economics of green power

Shanmugam worked out the costs; a small wind farm would cost Rs.2.3 crore. Odanthurai could generate Rs 35 lakh as down-payment for a bank loan. With the government support, the panchayat would need a bank loan of Rs 1.15 crore. The gram panchayat liked the proposal and gave its collective seal of approval. This one-of-its-kind proposal took the district administration by surprise. It was hard to imagine a panchayat could aspire to be as entrepreneurial as a private company. The state government sanctioned the project under the Remunerative Enterprises Scheme. Commissioned in 2006, the project became the first ever power project undertaken by a local body in India.

The wind-farm in the Odanthurai generates 7.5 lakh units of electricity in a year. While the panchayat’s need is only 4.5 lakh units, the remaining power is sold to Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, fetching the panchayat an annual income of Rs. 19 lakh. “After repaying the bank loan of Rs. 1.15 crore over seven years, the cost of generating electricity will be virtually zero,” beams Shanmugam.

Odanthurai Panchayat has made inroads in other renewable sources of energy as well. It has installed a 9kW biomass gasifier power generation system to substitute the grid electricity for pumping drinking water supply. The biomass gasifier system saves about 70% of pumping cost when compared to grid electricity (see table). Other renewable energy projects underway are solar street lighting and biogas using human and cattle excrement. The biogas system is connected to each house for cooking purpose, which helps to reduce firewood usage. The panchayat is purchasing waste wood pieces from a saw-mill in the village at low price of Rs. 0.3/kg ($6.7/ton) for the fuel of the gasifier. Low demand for waste wood for cooking purposes might have contributed for very low price. The village has found that total energy planning rather than just electrification can improve the efficiency.

Comparison of operational cost per unit for the power system of Odanthurai Panchayat:

Economics Grid Power Gasifier System

Electricity Rs. 4.5/ kWh Rs.0.45/ kWh

Labour cost Rs.0.45 Rs.0.66

Maintenance cost Rs.0.07 Rs.0.28

Total Rs.5.02 Rs.1.39

Summary of Odanthurai Panchayat Gasifier System:

* Plant capacity – 9kW
* Cost of installation – Rs. 310,000 ($6,700)
* MNES subsidies – Rs. 135,000
* Panchayat contribution – Rs. 175,000
* No. of consumers – 3497 people
* Operation hours – 12 hours
* Tariff structure – Rs. 30 ($0.67) / HH / month
* Fuel efficiency – 1.5kg of wood / kWh
* Cost of fuel – Rs. 0.30 / kg ($6.7/ton) dry wood

Little Magazines and Big Books at Kolkata Book Fair

Trisha

January 31, 2011

The 35th International Book Fair began with much fanfare in the city of Joy, Kolkata on the 26th of January 2011 and will continue till the 6th of February. The inaugural ceremony was graced by Pulitzer Award winning American novelist, Richard Ford, along with Indian writer Atin Bandyopadhyay. It is a huge fair with 550 stalls among which, 200 are dedicated to little magazines. This year’s theme is ‘America’ and a replica of the White House is displayed up to highlight it.

The ‘Kolkata Boi Mela’ (Kolkata Book Fair) is a ‘book lover’s paradise’ which celebrates a festive time when all the big and small publishers from all across the country and abroad descend on the city, to bring the literary community under one roof. The book fair caters to all ages and is a venue of knowledge and information for the bibliophile community including students, writers, artists, painters, journalists, professionals, hobbyists, homemakers and so many others. There is something for everyone here: books, comics, magazines, paintings, posters, DVDs. This fair is not one to be missed; especially if you love collecting books for your library.

Not only will this pustak mela cater to the palate of the English literature enthusiast, but it also brings to you knowledge about literature from all across the globe. Selected book stalls like Uranita Books from Italy, Indo Latin American Association, books from Panama, Columbia, Peru, the Indo-Hispanic Society (Habitat Academy) display the collection of popular books from their respective countries.

Books by established and new authors are available as translations and original texts, in several languages including Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Oriya, Maithili, Gujarati and Nepali. These books cover almost all possible themes including health, education, women, literature, art, history, science, philosophy, religion, self-improvement, sports and lots more. Even a cinema enthusiast can find something for themselves at the stall of Cine Central Calcutta.

At these stalls you can find a selective but wonderful collection of story books, posters, magazines (some in English and some translated into Bengali and Hindi). My eyes fell on some books on ancient Peruvian textiles and culture. After looking around for a while, I noticed something that looked like a ‘mini newspaper’. The stall owners corrected me saying it was a ‘little magazine’. I bought this interesting looking piece, and read it at the stall itself. Here was an intriguing article about a Jewish author called Inca Garcilaso, who translated Leone Ebreo’s work called Dialoghi d’amore and others.

An excerpt from the magazine called Chasqui (Peruvian Mail) that I must share:
“Love, in all its forms, is the divine engine of creation and the link which binds all mankind. In 1950, he published a Spanish Translation of the work in Madrid, signing as “Garcilaso de la Vega.” Faithful to its original text and written in an elegant prose, this translation, “the new fruit of Peru” is still considered authoritative.”
Quite a beautiful thought, isn’t it… coming all the way from Peru.

Here are some interesting titles I came across in the fair: Ornamental Gardening, Mushroom Cultivation, English to Bengali Dictionaries, World Football, Minerals of India, Petroleum – an introduction, Bengali Theatre, Rivers of India, Trekking, Women Who Dared, Self Care for Women, Folklore of Bengal, Masterpieces of Indian Literature, Walls Paintings of Rajasthan, Jewels of the Nizam, Indian Classical Dance, Medieval Temples of India, Citrus Fruits, Rock gardening, Diary Chemistry, The Complete Costume History, Atlases of the World, Michelangelo—Complete Works, Encyclopedia of Perennials, Garden Masterclass, Facebook Marketing, Youtube and Video Marketing.

One of the stalls that caught my eye was an orange-black stall called Rabindra Chitravali. It truly represented the uniqueness of Bangla culture. It stocked paintings of Rabindranath Tagore and also other painters like Abanindranath Tagore, and Judhajit Sengupta. Volumes of plays, stories, and others by Rabindranath Tagore were also available at great prices. ‘Spirituality’ had its own special zone at the fair: Ramakrishna, Vivekananda and Vedanta Literature and stalls from other ashrams across the country were promoting the word of the divine via the essence of books.

Apart from the stalls, the three main pavilions at the fair were named: Acharya Prafulla Chandra Bhawan, Mother Teresa Bhawan, and Santidev Ghosh Bhawan. The halls included some of the bigger stalls of well known publishers like the Oxford Bookstores, Penguin, Crossword, Jaico, Pustak Mahal, Isha Foundation, Taylor and Francis Group, Times Group Books and Pearson. The rest of the book stalls were out in the maidan, adjacent to the wondrous pavilions.

It seemed like the entire book publisher and reader community had flocked to this unique meeting point and for a book lover, nothing could be more exciting. Personally, I got more than I expected. A sense of nostalgia envelopes me now, not only because I brought back volumes of Rabindranath Tagore’s books from the Boi Mela but also because I discovered several new and amazing authors I had never read before. I am going back there tomorrow again; hope to see you there too.

– Factfile –
http://www.kolkatabookfaironline.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.business-standard.com
http://www.indiamike.com

How to Afford Your Dream Wedding Without Burning a Hole in Your Pocket

Caleidoscope

January 23, 2011

A wedding is undoubtedly one of the most special events in anyone’s life. While it can be a really memorable occasion, it is also an expensive one. If you are planning your wedding, the following tips will help you save money. If you are still falling a little short on cash after implementing these tips, you can apply for a personal line of credit for marriage.

Budget

Create a well-defined budget. Determine how much you can afford based on your savings and ensure you set the absolute maximum budget. Make a list of all the expenses you can think of — venue, dress, band, etc. Ensure that you have a buffer of 5%-30% of the budget for unforeseen and last-minute expenses such as additional tables or extra decorations. Remember to stick to the planned budget. If the expenses are slightly higher than your budget, consider taking a marriage loan.

Invitations

You can send electronic invitations for free or email the save-the-date reminders to save money on invitations. If you don’t want to invite electronically, you can opt for DIY invitations. Download a template and print them at home. You can save a lot compared to choosing a professionally printed invitation suite.

Dress

A wedding dress can potentially set you back by thousands of dollars. If the idea of spending a lot of money on a dress that you would wear just for a few hours bothers you, you can consider renting a dress or buying a second-hand dress. There are several businesses that rent out beautiful wedding dresses from well-known designers or sell second-hand dresses that are as good as new.

However, if the idea of renting or buying second-hand wedding dresses doesn’t sound appealing, you can cut costs on accessories and pieces like a veil or headpiece.

Dates and Venue Options

Popular wedding dates come with a higher price tag, so pick a date that isn’t too popular. Also, the weekends are highly sought after as compared to the weekdays, so it would be a good idea to have a weekday wedding.

You can consider a non-traditional venue such as a brewery, vineyard, restaurants or a vacation house to cut costs and give your wedding guests a unique experience. Places that don’t cater to weddings are more affordable than traditional choices. Ensure that the chosen venue is capable of handling a large event and accommodate your guests comfortably.

Catering

Consider different meal options and finalize the one that fits your budget. You can choose between a seated and plated dinners, buffets or family-style stations.

Having an open bar that comprises an elaborate spread of liquors can be expensive. Rather, stick to just beer and wine to save money.

Saving money on your wedding doesn’t sound romantic in the least but doing so will benefit you in the long run. Money saved on the wedding can be put towards other financial goals like buying a house or kids’ education. You can consider a marriage loan to fund your dream yet cost-efficient wedding.

Manila: A Combination of Colonial and Current

Caleidoscope

January 23, 2011

Listed as an ‘Alpha’ global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network in 2016, the name or term ‘Manila’ itself refers to the wide metropolitan area or the city proper. The capital of the Philippines is renowned as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and even now it is one of the most populous urban regions in the country and the world. Yet, it is also one of the wealthiest regions of Southeast Asia. There are a lot of ways to reach there, like:

Railways

The city is catered to by LRT line 1 and 2 which together form the Manila Light Rail Transit system. The line runs in a North-South direction from Tondo towards the Laguna province.

Water transport

You can use the Pasig River Ferry Service which runs on the Pasig River. It is also a form of transportation as the Port of Manila is located in the vicinity of Manila Bay which is the main seaport of the Philippines.

Air transport

You can also reach the city through the Clark International Airport and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Both of them welcome both domestic and international flights so you won’t have an issue booking flight from Abu Dhabi to Manila or Sydney to Manila and more.

Now that you are in the city, there are some places which you should check out while in here, like the:

San Agustin Museum:

If you want to get an insight into the colonial years of Manila which installed its Catholic faith as well as resulted in its partial destruction then this is the place to come to. You should definitely expect to see lots of paintings, crucifixes, wooden statues, antique missals, altars and old vestments which were all brought into the country from all over the world. The museum actually consists of the crypt, halls, refectory, and library of a rebuilt monastery.

Chinatown:

Many consider Manila’s Chinatown to be too rundown and noisy but Bindondo is a reminder of how the Hokkien Chinese immigrants held on during the colonial era. Do pay a visit to the Seng Guan and the Kuang Kong Buddhist temples while here. As a bonus, do try out Chinatown’s dim sum as well.

Intramuros:

A huge contrast to the high rise skyscrapers around it, this former capital of the Spanish East Indies is full of beautiful colonial architecture which ranges from churches to administrative buildings. All of it is contained in by tight 16th and 17th-century walls. Do check out the restored Ayuntamiento building, statue of King Carlos IV on Plaza de Roma and the Puerta de Isabel II gate. As one can expect, this feels like Europe while being away from there and so it forms a strange coalition with the city around it.

If you want to experience Manila in its glory then touring by foot will be the best option because using cars will just get you stuck in snarly traffic jams.

Multicultural Caleidoscope

Nagaraj

January 3, 2011

The word ‘Culture’ evokes strong emotions among people. Particularly in India, the debate on what is Indian and what is imported culture, rages on forever. It has been 20 years since our country liberalised its economy and allowed outside influences. So have we changed… it would be interesting to know whether we have changed and if yes, how different are we in our cultural identity.

These beautiful vivid icons were designed by German based Chinese designer Yang Liu to illustrate the differences between Oriental and the Occidental cultures in a convincing manner! This is an interesting way to find out whether we are still Oriental or have adopted Western culture. Please participate in this quiz to find out… Please click on the buttons next to the images to show your preferences:

A path to sustainable living – Auroville

Levine Lawrence

December 31, 2010

Craft and dogs are ubiquitous in Auroville

Is there an ideal place on earth… where money would no longer be the sovereign lord, where work would not be a way to earn one’s living but a way to express oneself, where education is given for discovering oneself rather than for certificates, where people do not amass personal wealth but create sustainable communities, is there a place of an unending education, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages… Ah! Sounds like yet another naive idealist searching for utopian Shangrila! For a moment let’s imagine that there could be a place which aspires to create a global community of free living and spiritual thinking. For a moment, let’s forget that we are in a materialistic world where everyone lives on their own and nobody cares about the society at large. But if there is a possibility of a global commune which aspires to create a sustainable township of human unity, then it is Auroville.

Stay at Auroville

Athithigriha – the best haunt for every Auroville visitor

I got to know about Auroville when I was working for Madhyam, an NGO in Bangalore. One visit to the nearby Auroville shop was truly enchanting with all its handmade papers, organic soaps, cotton and jute clothing, terracotta and ceramic pottery, natural fibre. Since then I always wanted to visit the place which is outside Pondicherry and get a feel of how a global commune looks like. I visited it for the first time in 2006 and it was love at first time! Since then I have visited the place three times and the hunger is not quenched at all. This time I made an effort to stay in the beautiful Atithi Griha near Visitor’s Centre, which may be the only place outsiders would visit. I was mainly fascinated by the sustainable architecture designed by the Earth Institute mainly using mud and other local material.

Matrimandir

Enchanting view of the Matrimandir

Every visitor to Auroville eagerly looks forward to a visit inside the Matrimandir. Built like a compressed sphere, it is an ethereal experience to meditate inside the sanctum. There is no deity, no flowers or incense sticks, no image and no ritual. You just sit on white mats lied on white carpeted floor, wearing white socks and stare at the large crystal sphere which is sparkling white due to the sunlight falling on it from a hole above. That 20 minutes of silence can provoke existential questions in you!

Ideals of Auroville and a rare view of Matrimandir’s interior

Courage, serenity, solitude, certitude, revelation, samasti, samriddhi, names that seem to suggest the steps to attain nirvana are actually the names of various communities in Auroville. Each one is self-sustaining commune inhabited by people from all over the world. So you will find a French man milking a cow, a German working on a wind mill, an American teaching yoga, local Tamilian doing the plumbing and visitors like us gaping at the strange confluence of people!

Earth Institute

Earth Institute director Sat Prem Maini’s eco-friendly house

Since one important aim of Auroville is that Aurovilians receive no money equivalent as ‘payment’ for their work, and that there be no circulation of money within the township, the community is responsible for providing for the regular needs of each person as much as possible. Many ideals at Auroville derive from Sri Aurobindo’s vision, whose ashram at Pondicherry is now an international study centre. The concept of Auroville – an ideal township devoted to an experiment in human unity – was conceptualised by Aurobindo’s spiritual companion the Mother in 1968.

Recycled designs by Upasana

On 28 February 1968, 5,000 people assembled near the banyan tree at the centre of the future township for an inauguration ceremony attended by representatives of 124 nations, including all the states of India. The representatives brought with them some soil from their homeland, to be mixed in a white marble-clad, lotus-shaped urn, now sited at the focal point of the Amphitheatre next to Matrimandir.

A sample of the gold plated covering of the Matrimandir

Aurovilians research on environmental regeneration, organic farming, renewable energy, building technology, handicrafts, and various small scale industries. Although, their research is rarely at the cutting edge in any given field, their aim to lead a sustainable living. Strong emphasis is placed on artistic pursuits. Aurovilians also assist neighbouring Tamil villages with infrastructure development, healthcare, and education. To an outsider, the idea of Auroville may evoke the Jewish Kibbutz, the American Peace Corps, and an Indian ashram, all rolled into one.

– Factfile –
http://www.auroville.info
http://www.auroville.org
http://www.shunya.net
flickr.com/groups/auroville

Knowledge Basket – Journey of a Tuition Teacher

Caleidoscope

December 22, 2010

Author – Siddhi Aras

Knowledge Basket tuition-kids — My tuition kids

Knowledge basket as the name suggests is a journey from the good old days to the present of being tuition teacher is a passion for me. Right from my school days I loved to help my friends complete their homework and was in constant search of people who are finding difficulties in their studies. I would feel extremely happy when I am in a position to help someone with studies and that gave me immense satisfaction.

Then came the junior college days; it was time to step into the big world with unknown faces around and the constant guidance from parents on do and don’ts. In the initial days, I was quite careful and it involved a huge thought process to decide whom to befriend and whom to stay away from. However, when it came to teaching someone, my cautiousness vanished and all that mattered was that someone needed my help in studies. This way, college days were all about helping my classmates with studies and my only aim was to build up their hunger for knowledge. Soon, I had plenty of friends who respected me and loved me for helping them to face their shortcomings. With every passing day I became “The perfect student teacher” in college and there were more and more juniors approaching me. I was ever joyful to contribute my bit at places wherever they fell short.

Soon, junior college days passed by and it was time to take up a particular stream for my HSC. I took up business management. The reason was to get to learn maximum number of subjects in 3 years and to get a variety of knowledge in a number of areas. However, the turning point in my life was when I saw a woman taking kids tuitions. She just sat watching television engrossed in her own thoughts and the poor kids sitting in front were trying to figure out what exactly needs to be done. That’s when I commenced my tutorials for my neighbourhood school going children. Knowing my passion for teaching and the ease with which I helped individuals understand concepts, my tutorials got a very great response. Every day, these kids came to the class 15 minutes early and left 15 minutes late. Homework was done up to the mark. Every day, children came up with new doubts related to a subject unrelated to their academics, which meant they had read additional books.

I had many pleasant memories teaching my students, but one kid with whom I shared a special bond was Netra. She was a bubbly, innocent first standard kid who simply hated studies. But with time, she began taking keen interest in her studies. She was one of my most devoted as well as the youngest student. The most shocking thing for me was that this kid who once had strong dislike for studies, was now craving to have tuitions in the vacations as well. The higher standard students began asking me to suggest them certain novels which they would find interesting to be read. There was a drastic change in the attitude of these children and they were more dedicated. Each one had a clear goal. The kids were happy, their parents were happy, but the person who was most happy was me.

Somehow it was an accomplishment for me to have brought a shift in the thoughts of these kids and I was totally satisfied with the positive outcome. Now the only hope remains is to widen the knowledge basket with every passing day by educating and passing on knowledge to more and more people regularly and consistently.

Unfair and Lovely?

Levine Lawrence

December 22, 2010

Why can't men be ‘Fair & Lovely'! — Why can’t men be Fair and Lovely!

While watching the movie, ‘Cheeni Kum’, I saw an ad on ‘Fair & Lovely Menz Active’ launched recently! That made an instant connection for me and I was nostalgic about an encounter I had with the movie’s director, ‘adman Balky’ during my early days of journalism…

As a business journalist, press meets, seminars and product launches were daily bread for me. After a while, they lulled me into a trance. Day in and day out, it would be – “So and So Pvt. Ltd launches an ultra new product with extra new features; it is so unique that it gives you an out of the world experience!”

In a brand management seminar, various issues like celebrity endorsements, employee referrals, brand dilution, core competency, thinking out of the box, etc, were talked being about. After two drowsy lectures, the third speaker was good enough make me sit up and notice. He was the renowned creative director Mr.Balkrishnan of O&M or ‘adman Balky’ as he was popularly called. He was talking about how to solve a problem in advertising a product. When he said, “If your client has a problem, rejoice, you have business”, everybody straightened their ears.

As a typical example he took out his campaign on ‘Fair & Lovely’ TV commercial, where a dark girl is crying over her fate and after using the cream, life changes dramatically. He said his client HLL came over to him and told about their problem of deteriorating sales, despite a great brand recall. He thought about an idea how dark girl is always cursed by her parents about not being good enough to get a guy. How the so called ‘Jaathak’ of a dark girl never changes.

This concept was very well highlighted and the TV ad was so well received that Fair and Lovely sales zoomed up. But soon all women organisations went up in arms against it and his team had to change the strategy next time. He quoted his ‘Fair & Lovely Dark Circles’ ad (that cute girl saying “matching not matching!”) was brought in to pacify the moralistic hypocrite women’s lib brigade.

After the lecture, I posed him a query, “Does the product live up to the awesome claims of your commercial?” He asked me, “Do you use Fair & Lovely?” I said no. He said “Use it and you will know the difference!” The audience had a good laugh at my expense.

I came back wondering why don’t all dark coloured women in this world use this miracle cure and become fair. I thought i should tell my dusky girlfriend who is worried that my mom doesn’t approve of her colour. Later I learnt that she does use it and believes that it has done some good thing. I told her I loved her since she is dark and I don’t want her to be fair. She tells me that my mom will never like her that way. I am still perplexed about who is unfair in this world, my mom, HLL company, or Mr.Balky or the whole society?

– Factfile –
First published in Businessgyan – February 2004 –
http://www.dnaindia.com/blogs/post.php?postid=292
http://www.thestar.com/news

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