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A Family-Magazine from Seva darshan Kuwait

Volume 4

5116 {imhWw

Issue 5

August, 2014

For more information contact : Seva Darshan, Kuwait - INDEMB/KWT/ASSN/150

Sevadarshan@gmail.com
Sopanam - August, 2014

Sopanam E-Magazine - (For members circulation only)

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Sopanam - August, 2014

Editorial
When the editorial team decided to have an Independence
Day special this month, our thoughts went to our previous
years issues and the articles that were written then. It is
definitely an occasion for us to celebrate our hard earned
freedom. A few fiery speeches applauding a selected few
contributors and flag hoisting across the nation. A few hours
hence, the flag and the freedom fighters are soon forgotten for
another one year.
Even when there is news of happenings that raise our
National pride, we often find remarks and political discussion
that kill our spirit. The recent quick action of our Central
government in coordination with the Kerala state government
for the release of the 56 nurses trapped in the civil war in
Iraq is highly appreciated. It brings to focus the results of
working together. The expatriate community has gained a
new confidence of a strong government that is ready to back
them at times of need. But it was unfortunate, that a prominent
leader in the state had to rubbish the same, claiming it to be
an act of compassion by the dreaded separatist fighters of the
ISIS. You need to have character and courage to call a spade,
a spade.
The educational system of our nation is stuck in the age
when this was initially adopted with a selfish motive to
keep the society misinformed and ignorant of the great
contributions given to our civilization by our great sages and
peers. The dream of our freedom fighters who gave their life
for the nation, of developing a society that was self-sufficient
and highly educated, still remains a dream. Education alone

Editorial Board

Krishna Kumar Paliath

Vibheesh Tikkodi
Anandharaj Konni
Reshmy Krishna Kumar

Data Management

Ajaykumar Anjaneyam
Rajarajan Ganesan
Gopakumar. P
Vijayaraghavan P.V.
Sindhu Sanjith
Roopesh R. Souparnika
Adv.Vidhya Sumod
Dr. Sindu Sudheesh
Divya Satheesh Kumarakam
Arun Kumar. N
Vishal Vikram
Ragesh Regunath
Raghiya Menon
Sheeja Anand
Praveen V.
Jithin Krishna
Chandini Sajam
Sujithra Nijil

Creative & Design

Sreenivasan C.P.
Vinaya Babu. C.K.
Sunil Pookode
Sreenadh. S
Cover Design - Nigesh Karunakaran

For Comments, Submissions &

Subscriptions please write to

email : vbkuwait@gmail.com
Sopanam - August, 2014

does not progress a nation, but it forms an important part

in the development process in creating a strong nation.
We have repeatedly failed in instilling any national pride
through our educational system and this reflects in the
younger generation attitude of despair in anything and
everything related to their future in our Nation. This must
change. It is welcome change to see the diplomatic change
that is happening on Indias relationship to its neighboring
countries. Realizing the importance of developing a South
Asian unity of economically and military strong nations, in
maintaining world peace, the government has taken the right
steps in boosting our military and defense mechanisms. The
commissioning of INS Vikramaditya, the purchase of French
Rahael military jets, the approval to build roads in all our
border towns are a major boost to the service men who stand
watch of Nation. This also automatically creates a feeling of
internal security among the citizens, who have been victims
to act of international and domestic terrorism.
The government has brought forward a very progressive
budget that will lay the foundations of our economic revival
coupled with a nationalistic approach in developing our
nation. The railway budget is an eye opener to the futuristic
policies this government is to take in the future. The
budget paves way for a pan India development rather than
personal interests. It gives importance to developing and
building the existing infrastructure to match international
standards rather than make hollow promises. The budget
fpr the current financial year is one with adequate reforms
to bring in investment and allocation for infrastructure
development. The government has taken care to maximize
the effort of developing the eastern states that have been left
wanting all these years. Special emphasis has been laid with
a nationalistic approach to uplift the weaker sections of the
society. The budget promises to set in motion an attempt to
better develop the nation with the existing facilities to ensure
that a spirit of confidence is created in the nation before
embarking on radical changes that will boost the economy.
Over thousands of years ago when King Purushothaman
( Porus ) withstood the attacks of the Greeks, Indians have
been struggling to save our nation from the sea of attacks that
have come in the form of Arabs, Persans, Portugese,French,
British and so on. We have withstood all this with a nationalist
pride and feeling of oneness across the Nation. Sixty Nine
years after Independence, we stand proud in the memories
of our martyrs who gave their life for the well-being and
security of our Nation. At the same time, we, as Ambassadors
of our Nation who will take this country forward must evolve
our self from the various hindrances like caste differences,
language superiority, race, religious fanatic, regionalism,
which is increasingly interfering in the day to day life our
citizens. Here is the importance of an alternate political
thought of Integral Humanism, that emphasis on the need
of the nationalist citizens to think and work together for the
Nation taking to advantage the common factors that unite the
Nation like language, cultural heritage and symbols of our
National identity,
We need to grow from being the largest democracy in the
world to the strongest nation in the world. Only from a strong
platform can we ensure world peace and the coexistence of
various civilizations and cultures. We must be able to show
the world the most perfect model of integral development
that will help achieve this universal thought...

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Infinite patience, infinite purity, and infinite perseverance are the

secret of success in a good cause
I want each one of my children to be a hundred times greater than
I could ever be. Everyone of you must be a giant
must, that is my word. Obedience, readiness, and love for the
cause if you have these three, nothing can hold you back.

Swami Vivekananda
Sopanam - August, 2014

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Learn with Quiz Master

Reshmy Krishnakumar

1. Who made the famous speech Tryst with Destiny on the eve of Indias Independence toward the
midnight on 14th August 1947?
2. Which National Park in Tamil Nadu is also known as Topslip?
3. Who is the first Indian Cricketer to take hat-trick in International Test Cricket?
4. Mark Twains novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn gives a colorful description of people
and places along which river?

Answers page - 30

5. Name Indias first Arctic research station?

6. Which famous freedom fighter made Ganapati Festival as a large, public event in 1893 which is
very popular in Maharashtra?
7. Which Malayalam writers pseudo name is Nandanar?
8. Name the mantra Sage Agatsya given to Rama to infuse confidence in Rama during his fight with Ravana?
9. Which country hosted and won the first FIFA world cup football in 1930?
10. When the office of both the President and the Vice President of India are vacant, who will discharge their duties?
12

Sopanam - August, 2014

`mcX Zi\w

Bharath
Dharshan

Inspiring Sinhagad
In our country, Bharat, every bit of land is having
great history. Great people have borned and did
great things in every part of our country. The great
warriors fight with our national enemies (mlecha) for
the protection of our country and culture. Sanyasis,
for them it is life-time mission, were preaching and
guiding the people and kings in the dharmic way.
Every sand became holy by the touch of their feet.
God Himself came in the form of Avatar to protect
the good people by destroying evils and re-establish
the Dharma . All these happened in every part of our
country.

Rajarajan Ganesan

One such place is called Sinhagad.

Sinhagad is a fort on the Sahyadri mountain,
about 25 km south of Pune in Maharashtra. Sahyadri
mountains are of a peculiar formation. They are long
mountains having both sides are vertical without
slope. It is very difficult to climb up the mountain,
but if reached, we can see a vast flat area like a city
on the top. Sahyadri mountains are in ranges one
after another, so that it is very very difficult to cross
from one side to another.
The bus left us at the feet of Sahyadri mountains.
Then by hired jeep or own vehicle only we could
climb up to reach the main gate of the Sinhagad fort.
On the way, both sides the tall mountain of Sahyadri
was welcoming us with his majestic sound of wind.
I opened my eyes wide ! .... My ears were sharp
!...
In the midst of the wind I could hear the sound of
running horse feet.....
Har..har...Mahadev ! ..the hitting metallic sound
of swords....
Ha..ah... who is that on the white horse? ... In his
hand is a glittering sword !.. .. on the head is the
conical turban !!...that small and sharp beard !!.....
Sopanam - August, 2014

13

`mcX Zi\w
ArmnId
Bharath

Spiritualism
Dharshan
Yes...yes...He is the Chatrapati !....
Chatrapati Shivaji !!

yes...

Shivaji 's sword is moving at tremendous speed

making the enemy's heads rolling down on the
slopes !!...
Now everything is over. His horse is walking on
to the fort...
My jeep stopped.
We reached the Pune darwaza-1, the first gate
of the fort. A big parking area was there. From the
first gate steps are lead to the top. There was also
another gate called Kalyan darwaza to approach
from other side of the mount. Kalyan darwaza was
the main gate during the period of Shivaji.
There were some repairing works going on in
the midway. We saw donkeys were struggling to
carry the heavy stones to the work spot. After the
Pune darwaza-2, right side a small building like a
rest-house was seen. Then we came to know that
building was the ammunition storage during Shivaji
period and it was the only building of historical fort
in tact till now. All other buildings were demolished
during the British rule.
The fort wall was very strong and well designed
as nobody could approach the fort wall form outside.
The fort itself was of strategically important that
from this fort one can view other four forts. We
walked along the fort wall. In many places big stones
were about to fall from the wall. Fort maintenance
was poor.
What is that on the corner? Temple? Oh...this is
the smarak mandir of Tanaji..! Tanaji Malusare..! A
childhood friend and great subedar of Chatrapati....
His bravery and valor is incomparable!
One day, Mata Jijabai told Shivaji to capture the
prestigious Kondana fort. On the fort is a temple
of Kondaneshwar, so the fort was called Kondana
fort. The brave subedar Tanaji was given the task.
14

Sopanam - August, 2014

`mcX Zi\w

Bharath
Dharshan
Tanaji was preparing for his son's wedding. Once
he heard the message, without second thought he
immediately left for capturing the Kondana fort.
Disguising the local tribe, he secretly studied
the fort for the weak point to enter. He found the
security is vigilant on the fort, but one place was
unguarded as that cliff is very steep assuming that
nobody from outside can climb up in that area.
March 15, 1670
Tanaji was having a pet lizard named yashwanti..!
This monitor lizard was 1.8 metre in length and
obedient to its master. Tanaji used this yashwanti to
scale the steep cliff. Using the the power of gripping
with its strong claws, Tanaji tied a rope and climbed
up with 342 Maratha soldiers.

The name Sinhagad, though, pre-dates this event,

and can be seen in written evidences, this fort in
memory of the successful attack and balidaan of
Tanaji. It remains to this day a grand symbol of a
great Maratha victory.
We did pranam to the gambeer pratima of Tanaji
at the smruti mandir built on the spot where he
sacrificed himself for the motherland. Also there
was a small memorial mandir where his left hand
was cut and fell down. There our eyes became wet
and body shivered. Because of the sacrifice of grat
people like Tanaji, now we are living without fear!

At the same time his brother Suryaji was attacking

the Moghul warriors at the Kalyan darwaza.
Udayabanu, a Rajput and the Moghul army chief
tried to stop Tanaji. There was a fierce fight took
place between Tanaji and Udaybhanu.
Udaybhanu managed to rid Tanaji of his shield,
but Tanaji fought on by tying a cloth over his left
hand and using it to ward off Udayabhanu's sword
attacks. When blocking the sword attack, his left
hand was cut and fell down. Still he was fiercely
fighting with one hand. Finally both gave a fatal
blow to each other. Udayabanu was killed and
Tanaji also fell down. Suryaji organized the soldiers
and continue fighting till the fort was captured in the
morning.
This was in line with the ideology of Shivaji,
wherein the Marathas were not fighting for a king or
a master, but for the freedom of their motherland. A
loss of the leader should not deter the morale of the
force but instead a new leader should take his place
without any delay.
Shivaji when heard the demise of Tanaji , he
became sad and told," Gad aala pan sinha gela" "We gained the fort, but lost the lion".
Sopanam - August, 2014

15

`mcX Zi\w
ArmnId
Bharath

Spiritualism
Dharshan

We walked on pathways inside the fort. Walking

on the stone pathway was awe inspiring as I was
walking on the pathway that once Chatrapati Shivaji
walked on!
A big tiled house.... Tilak bungalow...This house
was purchased by Lokamanya Balagangadhar
Tilak. He used to stay here. Netaji, Gandhiji and
many other freedom fighters have visited this house.
Tilakji wrote the famous book Gita Rahasyam when
he was arrested and kept in this bungalow. Another
famous research book The Arctic Home in the Vedas
was also written by him here.
Chatrapati Shivaji's second son Chatrapati
Rajaram died in this fort in 1700. His tomb is also
built here.
When we were coming down I saw a book shop.
I found booklets of many other forts, but Sinhagad!
I buy several books on other forts. I know each and
every fort in Sahyadri mountain will tell inspiring
stories!

16

Sopanam - August, 2014

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Spiritualism
Dharshan

Shyam Prasad Mookerjee (1901-1953)

Dr. Mookerjee's mother Jogmaya Debi exclaimed,
on hearing of her son's death.
"Proudly do I feel that the loss of my son is a loss
to Mother India !"
Born on 6th July 1901 in a famous family. His
father Sir Asutosh was widely known in Bengal.
Graduated from Calcutta University he became
a fellow of the Senate in 1923. He enrolled as an
advocate in Calcutta High Court in 1924 after his
father's death. Subsequently he left for England in
1926 to study in Lincoln's Inn and became a barrister
in 1927. At the age of 33, he became the world's
youngest Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University
and held the office till 1938. During his tenure, he
introduced a number of constructive reforms and
was active in Asiatic Society of Calcutta as well as
was a member of the Court and the Council of the
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and Chairman
of the Inter-University of Board.
He was elected as member of the Legislative
Council of Bengal as a Congress candidate
representing Calcutta University but resigned
next year when Congress decided to boycott the
legislature. Subsequently, he contested the election
as an independent and got elected.
He became the opposition leader when Krishak
Praja Party - Muslim League coalition was in power
1937-41 and joined the Progressive Coalition
Ministry headed by Fazlul Haq as a Finance Minister
and within less than an year resigned. He emerged
as a spokesman for Hindus and shortly joined Hindu
Mahasabha and in 1944, he became the President.
After the assassination of Gandhiji, he wanted
the Hindu Mahasabha not to be restricted to Hindus
alone or work as apolitical body for the service of
masses and broke away from it on this issue on
November 23, 1948.
Pandit Nehru inducted him in the Interim Central
Government as a Minister for Industry and supply.
On issue of Delhi pact with Likayat Ali Khan,
18

Mookerjee resigned from the Cabinet on 6th April

1950. After consultation with Shri Golwalkar Guruji
of RSS Shri Mookerjee founded Bharatiya Jana
Sangh on 21st Oct. 1951 at Delhi and he became the
first President of it. In 1952 elections, Bharatiya Jana
Sangh won 3 seats in Parliament one of them being
that of Shri Mookerjee. He had formed National
Democratic Party within the Parliament which
consisted 32 members of MPs and 10 of Members
of Rajya Sabha which however was not recognised
by the speaker as an opposition party.
To voice his opposition he turned outside
Parliament and on Kashmir he termed the
arrangement under Article 370 as Balkanisation of
India and three nation theory of Shaikh Abdullah.
Bharatiya Jana Sangh along with Hindu Mahasabha
and Ram Rajya Parishad launched a massive
Satyagraha to get removed the pernicious provisions.
Mookerjee went to visit Kashmir in 1953 and was
arrested on 11th May while crossing border. He died
as detenu on June 23, 1953.
A veteran politician, he was respected by his
friends and foes alike for his knowledge and
forthrightness. He outshined all other Ministers
in the cabinet except perhaps Pandit Nehru by his
erudition and culture. India lost a great son at a very
early stage of Independence.
Sopanam - August, 2014

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Sopanam - August, 2014

19

hoWw
ArmnId

Views
Spiritualism

History is written
by the victors

Krishna Kumar Paliath

History is written by the victors. Our Nation

celebrates this great day, 15th of August, with so
much fanfare: with customary falg hoisting and
speeches across the nation. We speak volumes about
our Independence fighters, distribute sweets and at
the end of it we fold our flags and wait for another
year.
What we need to think about is have we gained
as much as the great struggle our Nation has seen
and has the lives we gave up for this struggle
gone in vain? As the country moved forward in
development and size, have we actually proved
ourselves worth of this Independence from British
rule? Perhaps very little statistics is to blame for
the patriotic spirit of our people, who have always
held high the very names that have over crowded
our academic literature. We seem to know a lot
about our lead players, a few politicians, and a few
leading intellectuals who seem to be threatening the
intelligentsia from the thought process of our nation.
A few months back a prominent politician was
accused of not standing in attention during the
National anthem. But how many of our generation
know the meaning our National anthem and who it
came to be adopted. The reason so much inaction,
corruption and anti national activities take place in
our nation is because the spirit of the nation has not
been instilled in our citizens. With such activities
not taking place in educational institution, schools
and where a large percentage of the population is
illiterate, we cannot expect people to be proud of
their Nation and its heritage. Most of our citizens
celebrate Independence Day and Republic Day by
simply hoisting the National flag and hear a speech
and spend the rest of the day as a holiday.
What our people need is not promises but actions
20

which reassure them their government is true to

the promises given at the time of Independence
of Nation that will stand tall in the world. Actions
that will ensure basic needs and necessities are
fulfilled. They do not want to hear of what great
leaders did in yester years, but what elected leaders
will do today. And this feeling has come about due
to the irresponsible way our elected leaders have
performed in the last many years after Independence.
Rampant corruption, under development of rural
areas and villages, inflation and a poor economy
still suffering to match international standards in
many aspects. These ways of running a government
have led the entire Nation to depend on freebies
and subsidies for everything in their life. The true
value of the economy is not projected as everything
is subsidized. Due to fear of losing power, political
establishments have been feeding the population
dreams with these subsidies creating huge deficits
in our budgets.
Our Nation then and now, never lacked committed
leaders. Unfortunately, the failed aspirations of the
poor people have led them to splinter violent groups
like the Maoists and Naxals in their quest to have a
nation free from corruption, aristocracy, dynasties
and double-standards. To simply condemn these
groups and their ideology is akin to covering up our
Sopanam - August, 2014

hoWw
Views
inactions and low capabilities in leading the Nation
forward.
The only ray of hope is the youth of the Nation.
They are politically and socially active. But turning
them in the right direction must be the top agenda
of our society if we are to survive as a Nation and
move forward competing in this world. They must
perform not for their own benefit alone but with a
sense of pride that their contribution is towards the
betterment of the Nation and the world as a whole.
Aspirations for a politically correct, economically
successful, socially vibrant Nation must not end
up being a dream. A hope for achieving this in our
lifetime alone will keep the Nation moving forward.
Or else there will only be desperation which can
ruin the foundations of our country.
Whilst our history books speaks volumes of a
few notable freedom fighters like Nehru and Gandhi
(and the dynasty that has followed), we have
forgotten the names of many of our fighters who
laid down their lives for our Nation much before the
British even ruled us.
Names like Shivaji, Rani Laxmi Bai, and Rana
Pratap have become small paragraphs in many of
our text books today. Twenty years before Gandhiji
even came into the Independence stuggle Pandit
Shyamji Krishnavarma initiated the movement
for Independence in London. He was the first to
advocate Non-Cooperation. A strong advocate of
non-violence, he never ruled out the use of force
to free his motherland. An exponent in the Vedas
and a radical reformer, he took his Guru Dayanand
Saraswatis message across the nation. He strongly
supported Lokmanya Tilak in his struggle against
the British government. He succeeded in his vision
and he produced the greatest revolutionaries such as
Madam Bhikhaiji Cama, Sardarsinh Rana, Krantivir
Vinayak Savarkar, Virendra Chattopadhyay, and
Hardayalji etc.
If you look at Indian Freedom History after
Sopanam - August, 2014

Mahatma Gandhi, the name that stands out is of

Subhas Chandra Bose or Netaji. Netaji is really
one of the most influential and charismatic
personalities of India. Netaji sacrificed everything
for the sake of our beloved India. Finally, he even
gave his life for the sake of the Nation. Mahatma
Gandhi and Netaji both had highest regards for
each other although their path was diametrically
opposite. Ultimately, we did achieve Independence
through non-violence led by Mahatma Gandhi.
But this does not mean that we should ignore the
sacrifices made by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose,
his Indian National Army during World War II and
many other Freedom Fighters.
Many great names like Veer Savarkar, Dr.
Hedgewar, Bharatiyar have been conveniently
taken out of our academic test books and have
always highlighted the names of Gandhiji and
Nehru alone. Great warriors like Durgavati, Ahalya
Bai Holkar, Rudramaambaa have no mention
at all. We also cannot forget the contributions
of great leaders like Maharaja Ranjit Singh,
Gopa Bhandhu Das, Madan Mohan Malviya,
Subrahmaniya Bharati, Thakkar Bappa, Birsa
Munda, Pazhshi Raja, ,Vasudev balbanth fadkke,
Veuthambi dallava,Madan Lal Dimgra,Udham
Singah,Thamthiyathoppya, Azad and ever
reformers like Narayana Guru These are a few of
the names that have shaped the future of our nation.
Their lives are a message by itself for us on how
we must lead this country forward and become the
leaders of the World tomorrow.
They have truly done their part in achieving
our independence through non-violence and
dialogues. But in the process the lives of so many
people have been sacrificed. Our Nation itself had
to face the consequence of partition. And today we
face a greater danger of a society and Nation being
brought up without acknowledging these true
leaders and their struggle. We must do much more
to make our generation and the younger minds the
ideals of their sacrifice for the nation and what we
have gained, and yet to gain, from it.
21

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Sopanam - August, 2014

hoWw
Views

Total Change Where do Labour stand now?

C.K. Saji Narayanan

Former National President, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh

Dr.Jagadish Bhagavati, who is a world renowned

economist was invited to deliver a speech in
parliament in the presence of Prime Minister,
Opposition leader etc. The subject was Growth
and poverty. His speech as well as reactions to
his speech has been brought out in the form of a
book with the same title. He found it hard to explain
that Growth and poverty exist in our country
simultaneously. This is a paradoxical situation.
We face an unbalanced growth taking place in the
country.
Labour sector is moving through an explosive
situation both in organised and unorganised sectors.
Both the sectors are grossly neglected. The total size
of labour sector now comes to about 47 crores which
is nearly 40% of the total population. Organized
sector is now faced with mainly loss of employment
and increase of contract labour; whereas the
unorganized sector is without proper wages, service
conditions and social security protections. Workers
in villages work in very bad working conditions with
inadequate wages. Many of them live like cattle.
Almost all the systems have failed to liberate
them socially and economically. All systems like
Government Departments, Political parties, Social
organisations, Judiciary, Media etc. including Trade
Unions have failed to improve their conditions. So
divisive tendencies like Naxalism, terrorism etc.
are taking roots among them. There is so called
red corridor starting from Nepal border up to
Andhra Pradesh, which is also the countrys poverty
belt. People in the villages want socio-economic
liberation. Trade unions are the group most
proximate with the working poor in this country.
Hence trade unions can act as a catalyst to bring
radical changes in the development trajectory. The
miserable conditions in many parts of our country
tell us to go for radical change. Especially in the
Sopanam - August, 2014

unorganized sector it is a battle for total change.

Now what is the driving force of social
progression? Why we need an agenda for change?
Karl Marx believed in a process of constant class
struggle based on dialecticism that will bring change.
Capitalism also believes in struggle for existence and
competition. But we believe in co operation and co
existence of all. So we reject violent revolution, and
opt for navothan. i.e. not kranti but samkranti. We
do not believe in class interests and class conflicts,
but we stress on human brotherhood.
We often speak about param vaibhav of our
Nation. When are we going to achieve it? Known
leftist economist Prabhat Patnaik in his latest book
Re-envisioning Socialism (2011) wrote, the
socialism that we envisage will take at least 300
years to come. Frontline magazine commented,
who want the socialism that will come after 300
years! So we have to be practical visionaries. Shri
Doctor Hedgevar had said- What we wish is not to
see society celebrating silver jubilee, golden jubilee
etc. We wiish to see at the earliest, Society fulfilling
its aim and society merging with The Nation.
Vision is not dream, but an advance realisation. Shri
Eknathji was entrusted with the work of constructing
the great Vivekananda memorial at Kanyakumari.
He went to the Kanyakumari sea shore with a coworker from Calcutta, sat there and looking at the
rock asked- What do you see there? Nothing
was the reply from the co worker. Eknathji said,
But I see in front of my eyes a big memorial on
that rock! He had a vision and was sleepless till
it was achieved. Determination makes impossible
things possible. Even to bring about a small change,
everyone has to become a nav Bhagiratha.
What is the chemistry for a total change? In
the 1970s, Jayprakash Narayan started a student
25

hoWw
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Views
Spiritualism
movement in Bihar and made a call for Total
Revolution. Late Shri Nanaji Deshmukh brought JP
and his concept of total revolution to our movement.
Thus our movement became a part of it. But all his
dream of total revolution ended with the failure
of the political experiment of Janata Government.
Total revolution and sarvepi sukhina santu
are similar in content. Let us bring a non-violent
revolution in the village India. Our Antyodaya
concept also says that fast changes should reach
the last man in the country. Let us not be satisfied
with anything short of total change; nothing short of
total transformation is acceptable for the rural poor.
Governments slow pace of progression is of no use
to the Nation. An example is the recent Child labour
elimination programme. Government planned
elimination process in 250 districts, that also at the
District centres. So how many decades it will take
for total elimination of child labour: one century?
So, social progression has to be revolutionised.
Governance for the people is to be reinstated. This is
important for trade unions, as 40% of the population
is labourers.
Change has to be from work without quality to
quality work or decent work as proposed by ILO.
UN has come with a proposal to eradicate world
poverty through its 2nd phase of MDG (Millennium
Development Goal) starting from 2015 involving
trade unions also. Organised sector and unorganised
sector have different issues and the issues are very
large. So trade unions may have to adopt new
styles and methods while going to the vast area of
Unorganised Sector. Minor programmes here and
there will not be able to bring any change. Trade
unions are well aware that the long used conventional
trade union methodology will not suit to meet the
emerging challenges in the world of work.
India lives in villages. BMS which is working
closely with the lowest strata of the society, has taken
up the challenge of transforming the situation. In the
last National conference of BMS held at Jalgaon,
Maharashtra, it had given a new direction to the trade
union movement by raising two slogans: Organise
the unorganised and March to Villages. This is
giving thrust to the liberation of vulnerables in the
26

country. We also brought a younger leadership to

the trade union movement.
Today the workers in the country have recognised
BMS as a powerful instrument of change. BMS is
the largest trade union in the country, and second
largest in the world (next to Chinese trade union
ACFTU). Trade unions have changed a lot in their
attitude because of BMS leadership in the joint
trade union movement. Bread and butter trade
unionism has been changed to a movement of
National development. Developmental issues are at
the centre of trade union movement now. So trade
unions in the country had to come together under
the leadership of BMS and conduct National strike
with the slogan Save workers, save the Nation.
Out of 10 demands raised in the Joint Strike, five
are general which relates to people in general and
only 5 are directly related to workers. This is the
new Trade Union activism which BMS has initiated
in the country.
For bringing about Total Change, a large army
of dedicated and efficient workers are required.
Organization can survive test of time only when there
is such an army of workers. That is the process of
reaching the unreached. There is a book called Rise
and fall of Communism written by Archie Brown.
It tells the story of communism which has inspired
the youths in its initial days. But Communism failed
in passage of time due to various reasons, including
the failure of its leaders. This applies to every
organisation, unless its leadership is vigilant about
it. Leadership should be persons of principles. The
Nation still want a leadership which uphold values,
to bring changes in the country. That is what we saw
in the unprecedented and sudden expectation shown
by the people towards the agitation of Shri Anna
Hazare. Most of his supporters were youths. People
want value based change. This is an indication to
movements like ours, who believe in values. Only
our movement can supply to the nation a dedicated
leadership based on values.
Our pace of social progression has to be
accelerated, because starving people cannot wait.
March forward fast, till the goal is reached. This is
the Bharat Mata pooja that we can do.
Sopanam - August, 2014

hnZr`rmkw
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hnZr`rmkw
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Education
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Sopanam - August, 2014

hnZr`rmkw
Education

Inspire Kids for Self Learning

Lakshmi Murthy
Self-regulated learning combines cognitive
skill and motivational will, so that students can
select challenging tasks, apply effective learning
strategies, measure their success against personal
standards. Self regulated learning builds
confidence in children and enables them to acquire
effective problem solving skills that extend
beyond the classrooms. Self learning promotes
self confidence, creates initiative, promotes
perseverance and eventual self satisfaction. The
more opportunity people get at decision making, at
reading their own minds, their feelings, wants and
needs when they are young, the more likely they learns good work ethics, and gets trained to delve
grow into mature, sensible, healthy, productive the source for information which reduces the
and compassionate adults.
possibility of erroneous material. Self learning
is unlimited, but not unstructured. This does
In his book How Children Fail John Holt
not mean children go berserk. Recording and
writes, School is a place where children learn
documenting is recommended so that the student
to feel stupid. How demeaning it would be for
can look back the path of steady progress.
a child if he/she will be exposed as not being
Students retain more naturally when they do the
intelligent or smart anytime he/she is unable
work versus parents or teachers, spoon feeding
to answer a question?? Such wounds are life
the information to them. Children are good
sentences for the child. He may try to bury it
observers, they learn from actively investigating
under his post school success, but many times the
the world around them.
struggle to prove oneself drains his energy.
Children like open ended questions. The
Schools face severe restrictions imposed
children will never enjoy schooling unless they
on them in terms of pre defined syllabus, fixed
are allowed their space. The challenge is more in
schedules, Board restrictions etc. In the midst of
the system, than in the teachers/administration.
all these hurdles it is possible for school teachers
The education system is not supporting individual
to create personal space for children. Lets not
learning. The love for learning increases only
forget, self learning is inert instinct and inborn skill
if the learning is fun, engaging, encourage
of a child. Unfortunately it is snatched or checked
creativity, gives more space for self exploration.
when he starts schooling. The topics introduced
Kirsten Olsons book Wounded by School
at school can also be explored in greater depth and
portrays the realities of modern schooling more
in a more meaningful way through a self learning
vividly. In this book she mentions the Rights of
approach.
Learners. Every learner has the right to multiple
A student becomes an independent thinker, patterns to understand a concept, an idea, a set of
Sopanam - August, 2014

29

hnZr`rmkw
ArmnId

Education
Spiritualism
facts or a series of constructs. Every learner is
entitled to some privacy in his/her imagination
and thoughts.
Then what does the school do? How can we
give the child his rights within the system? Is it
possible for schools to follow Board syllabus and
evaluation system, but still find time to expose
children to self learning? Very challenging, but
not impossible. The curriculum lends itself better
to self learning. Children can be self taught using
any curriculum available. Curriculum can be
adapted to the school culture and climate. Self
taught children are self motivated because they
have self realization and gain confidence and are
motivated by the sense of a job well done.
Believe me, your children will be smarter than
anyone if they are self learnt children. Think of
something in your educational background that
never made sense to you, you never performed

Quiz Answers

well academically, but still teachers pushed you to

next level simply because your time was up and
time to move on. What a stupid idea! I wonder
who decided that 35% of the understanding of the
material is enough to fix the passing grade when
65% is not learnt and understood!!!
Mastery over concepts is achieved only when
children are encouraged to use self learning
techniques. If self learning is encouraged in
schools and also at home, we can change the
face of education in India. More than anything
else, it changes the life of students from boring
classes to interactive classes, passive listening
to active learning , from accepting everything
blindly as they are taught to self experiencing
and experimenting, from short term learning
to lifelong learning. Self learning leads to Self
Mastery. Let your children take a self propelled
flight.

1. Jawaharlal Nehru
2. Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary & National
Park, Annamalai Hills, Pollachi
3. Harbajan Singh
4. Mississippi River
5. Himadri
6. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
7. P. C. Gopalan
8. Adithya Hridayam
9. Uruguay
10. Chief Justice of India

30

Sopanam - August, 2014

hmI
News

Sopanam - August, 2014

31

ArmnId
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Spiritualism
News

32

Sopanam - August, 2014

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34

Sopanam - August, 2014

_metemIw

Bala Lokam
Thought provoking:

INDEPENDENCE - FREEDOM
SWATANTRAM - SUTANTRAM

What is the meaning of Independence?

leaders started ruling our country.

Independence means not depending on anybody

or anything - that means self- manageable.

But, did the way of ruling and way of thinking

change? There is no change.

India was never depending on any other country.

At the same time many countries were depending on
India. After the world war, Britain became almost
bankrupt and so much in need of money . We were
under their nefarious clutches. So, Britain was
depending on India for their citizens daily bread !

During British period, Macaulay introduced in

our schools a fabricated and distorted history of our
country . Still our children are reading the same in
the schools. Is this our own way ?

On August 15th
At the same time Britain became Independent..!
No more depending on India!!
So, August 15th
Indian Freedom day
and
British Independence Day..!
Right?
Aug-15th is Indian Swatantra dinam.
What is the meaning of Swatantram?
Swa + tantram. Swa means our own. (Antonym
is para, that means others) tantram means technique
or method or way.
Before Aug-15, India was under the clutches
of British, so their method was imposed on us. It
was taught that our mother language was inferior to
English, our culture and tradition were inferior to
British, our dressing was uncultured and British way
of dressing was superior, and like that., we got rid of
the clutches and got Freedom. is is Indian Swatantra
dinam.
After 15-Aug, 1947, British left and our own

Sopanam - August, 2014

Sarve Bhavantu Sukhina: This is our way of

thinking, This way is swa-tantram.
But in practice, public wealth is looted and kept
in Swiss banks. This is not swa-tantram. This is
para-tantram. This is British way.
So, are we really marching in swatantram? This is
a thought provoking question that everyone should
think on this.
In Tamilnadu, it is called as Sutantram . Though
in practice, the word swa was pronounced as su by
Tamil people, su also has another meaning - good.
So sutantram means good way, good method or
good technique. This is the time we have to think
the way of our national life is in su-tantram or dustantramAs a conclusion,
1) India was always independent from times
unknown.
2) India repelled the short-period-British clutches
and got Freedom on Aug-15, 1947.
3) The way and method we are following for the
past 65 years is not swatantram or sutantram. ( It is
paratantram or dustantram )
4) All that we need is the rethink and start
marching in line our own way which time tested and
will lead to world peace.
35

_metemIw
ArmnId

Bala Lokam
Spiritualism

Udham Singh

(1899-1940)

Udham Singh, a revolutionary nationalist, was

born Sher Singh on 26 December 1899, at Sunam,
in the then princely state of Patiala. His father,
Tahal Singh, was at that time working as a watchman on a railway crossing in the neighbouring
village of Upall. Sher Singh lost his parents before
he was seven years and was admitted along with
his brother Mukta Singh to the Central Khalsa Orphanage at Amritsar on 24 October 1907. As both
brothers were administered the Sikh initiatory
rites at the Orphanage, they received new names,
Sher Singh becoming Udham Singh and Mukta
Singh Sadhu Singh. In 1917, Udham Singh's
brother also died, leaving him alone in the world.
Udham Singh left the Orphanage after passing the
matriculation examination in 1918. He was present in the Jallianvala Bag on the fateful Baisakhi
day, 13 April 1919, when a peaceful assembly
of people was fired upon by General Reginald
Edward Harry Dyer, killing over one thousand
people. The event which Udham Singh used to recall with anger and sorrow, turned him to the path
of revolution. Soon after, he left India and went
to the United States of America. He felt thrilled
to learn about the militant activities of the Babar
Akalis in the early 1920's, and returned home. He
had secretly brought with him some revolvers and
was arrested by the police in Amritsar, and sentenced to four years imprisonment under the Arms
Act. On release in 1931, he returned to his native
Sunam, but harassed by the local police, he once
again returned to Amritsar and opened a shop as
a signboard painter, assuming the name of Ram
Muhammad Singh Azad. This name, which he was
to use later in England, was adopted to emphasize
the unity of all the religious communities in India
in their struggle for political freedom.
Udham Singh was deeply influenced by the activities of Bhagat Singh and his revolutionary group.
In 1935, when he was on a visit to Kashmlr, he
was found carrying Bhagat Singh's portrait. He
invariably referred to him as his guru. He loved
to sing political songs, and was very fond of Ram
Prasad Bismal, who was the leading poet of the
36

revolutionaries. After staying for some months in

Kashmlr, Udham Singh left India. He wandered
about the continent for some time, and reached
England by the mid-thirties. He was on the lookout for an opportunity to avenge the Jalliavala
Bagh tragedy. The long-waited moment at last
came on 13 March 1940. On that day, at 4.30 p.m.
in the Caxton Hall, London, where a meeting
of the East India Association was being held in
conjunction with the Royal Central Asian Society, Udham Singh fired five to six shots from his
pistol at Sir Michael O'Dwyer, who was governor
of the Punjab when the Amritsar massacre had
taken place. O'Dwyer was hit twice and fell to the
ground dead and Lord Zetland, the Secretary of
State for India, who was presiding over the meeting was injured. Udham Singh was overpowered
with a smoking revolver. He in fact made no attempt to escape and continued saying that he had
done his duty by his country.
On 1 April 1940, Udham Singh was formally
charged with the murder of Sir Michael O'Dwyer.
On 4 June 1940, he was committed to trial, at the
Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, before Justice
Atkinson, who sentenced him to death. An appeal
was filed on his behalf which was dismissed on
15 July 1940. On 31 July 1940, Udham Singh was
hanged in Pentonville Prison in London.
Udham Singh was essentially a man of action
and save his statement before the judge at his
trial, there was no writing from his pen available
to historians. Recently, letters written by him to
Shiv Singh Jauhal during his days in prison after
the shooting of Sir Michael O'Dwyer have been
discovered and published. These letters show
him as a man of great courage, with a sense of
humour. He called himself a guest of His Majesty
King George, and he looked upon death as a bride
he was going to wed. By remaining cheerful to
the last and going joyfully to the gallows, he followed the example of Bhagat Singh who had been
his beau ideal. During the trial, Udham Singh had
made a request that his ashes be sent back to his
country, but this was not allowed. In 1975, however, the Government of India, at the instance of the
Punjab Government, finally succeeded in bringing
his ashes home. Lakhs of people gathered on the
occasion to pay homage to his memory.
Sopanam - August, 2014

_metemIw

Bala Lokam

Aditya Prakash

Yuvadharshan Student

Sopanam - August, 2014

37

ArmnId

Spiritualism

38

Sopanam - August, 2014