Nilu Phule - RIP

Veteran Marathi film actor Nilu Phule, breath his last yesterday. He was one of my most favourite. He was a person with social conscience, and man of integrity - apart from being a great actor. People of his tribe are vanishing fast.

I cannot say 'May his soul rest in peace', as he was fierce rationalist and did not believe in such concepts as soul. So long, sir! It has been a treat while you were around.

Couple of gems

Following are poems by american poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Absolute gems.

Loss and gain

When I compare
What I have lost with what I have gained,
What I have missed with what attained,
Little room do I find for pride.

I am aware
How many days have been idly spent;
How like an arrow the good intent
Has fallen short or been turned aside.

But who shall dare
To measure loss and gain in this wise?
Defeat may be victory in disguise;
The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide.

Psalm of life

WHAT THE HEART OF THE YOUNG MAN SAID TO THE PSALMIST

TELL me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream ! —
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real ! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal ;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way ;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle !
Be a hero in the strife !

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant !
Let the dead Past bury its dead !
Act,— act in the living Present !
Heart within, and God o'erhead !

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time ;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate ;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

Sterling results at Sevalaya secondary school

Sevalaya’s X STD students secured 100% results for the fifth successive year. 53 students appeared for the X board exams in 2006-2007 and secured 100% results. Mahakavi Bharathiyar Higher Secondary School run by Sevalaya charitable trust provides free education to Orphans, destitute and economically weak rural students. The trust does not charge any fees from these students. In addition, uniforms, books and notebooks are also provided free of cost.

K.Chitra secured the first place scoring 461/500. P.Amul with 435/500 got the second place and the third place is secured by M.Gomathi who scored 425/500.

The first three rank holders of Sevalaya are first generation learners coming from economically backward families. K.Chitra who secured the 1st position is a raised at Sevalaya’s Mother Theresa Home for girls since the past 10 years. She lost her father at a tender age and her mother works as a daily wage earner at construction sites. P.Amul’s parents are agricultural labourers who admitted their daughter at Sevalaya in her 10th year as they were not in a position to bring her up and educate her. M.Gomathi’s father is an agricultural labourer. These students have been very systematic and painstaking in their efforts throughout the year. They took extra efforts to solve question papers and clarify even the smallest of doubts.

Sevalaya takes all round efforts to help students prepare for the exams by providing boarding and lodging facilities for all the day scholars from November. The students could therefore concentrate fully on academics and additional help was provided by the availability of teachers round the clock to clear any doubts. These consistent efforts have gone a long way in ensuring continuous good results.

Sevalaya trust which is functioning since the past 19 years at Kasuva a hamlet 40 kilometers west of Chennai near Thiruninravur follows the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, Mahakavi Bharathiyar and Swami Vivekananda in its functioning. The trust which started its service activities with 5 students has today flowered into an organization which offers services in various sectors.

The trust runs Swami Vivekananda boys home and Mother Teresa home for girls which houses nearby 160 orphans and destitute children. Mahakavi Bharathiyar Higher secondary school provides free education to students of the home and nearby 1000 children belonging to 15 villages in and around Kasuva. Importance is given not only to academics but training in sports, craft, teaching and practice of principles of Bharathiyar, Gandhi and Vivekananda, tours to various places(Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Trivandrum, Hyderabad etc) is also a part of the curriculum Ramakrishna home for aged houses nearby 60 elders who have no one to support them in their twilight years. Vivekananda Library with nearby 12500 books provides free access to a wide variety of books to the villagers living nearby. Vinobaji cow shelter houses dry cows and the Kasthuribai craft centre provides free tailoring training to ladies living in the village. All these services are provided free of cost without making any distinction of caste and religion.

Further Mahakavi Bharathiyar Higher secondary school which has been securing 100% results in 10th board since the past 5 years has got appreciation certificate for the same from the Hon. Minister of Education Government of Tamilnadu and from our esteemed President Hon. A.P.J.Abdulkalam.

Yet another achievement was the Innovative education award, awarded by TCS education world in 2006. It is significant that Sevalaya emerged a winner among 25000 schools from all over India

All these achievements have been possible due to the team efforts of the Sevalaya Management, Staff and students.

Sevalaya school results - A report by managing trustee

100% results in the Agriculture Stream third time in succession at Sevalaya – School overall this year 98%


Sevalaya’s agricultural students secured 100% results in the +2 exams a third time in succession while overall result is 98%. 22 students belonging to the computer stream and 26 students of the Agricultural stream appeared for the 12th board exams in 2006-2007 and secured 98% results. 47 out of 48 students cleared the exams. Mahakavi Bharathiyar Higher Secondary School run by Sevalaya charitable trust provides free education to Orphans, destitute and poor rural students. The trust does not charge any fees from these students. In addition, uniforms, books and notebooks are also provided free of cost.


L.Vijaya Kumar belonging to the computer stream secured the first place scoring 1051/1200. S.Nithya with 992/1200 got the second place and the third place is secured by B.Sathish who scored 942/1200. In the Agriculture stream E.Chitra scored 994/1200 and bagged the first place while M.Ramani with 990/1200 got the second rank and the third rank holder is M.Santhini who secured 987/1200.


The first three rank holders of Sevalaya are first generation learners coming from very poor families. L.Vijaya Kumar who secured the 1st position belongs to a very poor family. His father works as a coolies in a brick kiln. The student, who is growing up in a family where making both the ends meet is in itself a challenging affair, managed to continue his studies with Sevalaya’s help and his achievement is indeed praiseworthy. E.Chitra who secured the 2nd position also belongs to a very poor family. Her father and mother are working as coolies and she belongs to an environment where even electric lighting is a problem. S.Nithya’s father works as a laborer in a lorry company helping in loading.

Sevalaya keeps a track of the students who pass out of 12th. Many of the previous year’s students are studying in colleges, Teacher training college etc. These students are making slow but steady strides from an economically weak status towards better education and opportunities. Sevalaya takes on the responsibility of sponsoring higher studies, for those who are very good in academics.

Sevalaya success story

Ilayaraja, a product of Sevalaya got selected in TCS selection process yesterday and will be joining TCS next month.

This boy lost his father when he was seven years old. His mother was selling peanuts in Thurininravur railway station. She was not able to support the boy and hence came and left the boy under Sevalaya's care, 18 years ago. He grew up in Sevalaya, completed his studies and then finished his diploma in computer science. He appeared for WTI test and interview and was selected to work in the Barclays BPO project. After a year, TCS shifted this business to Intellinet and hence he became a intellinet employee. Now he has come back to TCS. He comes to Sevalaya every weekend and talks to the children about his experience. As Sevalaya grows, we would like Sevalaya to be managed by children grew up in Sevalaya. Hence we have taken him as one of the trustees, he is now part of Sevalaya management. Now he has taken a house and is taking care of his mother.

Ilayaraja says "Sevalaya is solely responsible for my growth. Now I want to give back to the society and do my bit and make sure that all other kids at Sevalaya come up in life like me". His mother says "But for Sevalaya my son would have been selling peanuts in the station today as I was doing long ago. Never in my dreams I thought that my son will get a job in such a big organization".

Thanks a lot for all your support.

Dalit anger

The recent desecration of Dr. Ambedkar's statue in UP was a deplorable and henious crime. I can perfectly understand anger felt by our dalit berthern, though I may not agree with their methods of protest. But protest they must, lest this crime will go unpunished. Losing young lives during protests is not desirable. Non-violent but strong protest, say a huge rally or a candle light march, by all who oppose this henious crime (and not just dalits) is called for.

In this hour of crisis, we must show that we stand with our dalit bretheren and understand their anguish. Lets stay united and fight these divisive tendancies.

Sanitation - a must

As I am recovering from a serious complication of parasitic infection, I am left musing about the state of sanitation in India. We Indians pay 7% of our GDP on healthcare and most of it is out of pocket, by us consumer. Most of it is spent in curing diseases such as upper respiratory tract infections, infections of digestive tract and other water borne diseases. Nearlly all of these are preventive diseases.

We, the urban well off, do take care at point of consumption at our homes, to make sure that we are not taking in harmful germs with our water and food. But we cannot guarantee the same when we are forced to eat out, for example. Harmful germs can enter the served food anytime between the food is collected at source till it is served. The most common and prevenatble cause of these germs getting into our food and water is lack of sanitation.

People defecate in open, for lack of toilets. The faeces carry a lot of harmful germs which find their way in our water and food sources. If we provide toilets for every one, we'll eliminate one great source of infection. May be we can save a signifcant portion of health care expenses (7% of India's GDP is huge!).

So what are our leaders doing. Surprisingly they do have an understanding of the issue. There are politicians (from Maharashtra, from where I hail) like, Mr. R. R. Patil (a.k.a Aba) and Mr. Narayan Rane who are looking into these. Both of them have done some work in area of sanitation in their respective constituencies. Aba Patil has tried to introduce sanitation in statewide agenda, by starting a grassroot level scheme to encourage sanitation. Mr, Rane has declared to make his entire district (which is much bigger than his constitunecy) free of open defecation. This is not a glamorous issue. No TV channel or new paper will be ready to cover this. However this is an important issue, which these grassroot level leaders are addressing. We in India, tend to abuse our politicians and take a dig at them at slightest provocations. But we must also give them their dues when they are trying to make a fundamental change without giving in to cheap publicity.

So from my convalescence bed I salute Mr. Patil and Mr. Rane for doing the right thing!