Mani, Dhanasekhari and humanity

 

It was the day after Diwali 2020, Taylors road saw a new resident, but, this resident was not moving into a house, this new addition was going to live in the streets, the pavement of this road. He chose a place close to a tea shop opposite the Salesian Institute of Graphic Arts. No, he was not clever to be able to make this choice, it was just so. 

Mani knew he had a home in TB Chathram, maybe he did not know how to get there? He seems to have been living with his 2 sons. The local tea shop man says that he was bought here and left behind. Abandoned….. what a very strong word….

How would any of us feel, if we were abandoned, left to fend for ourselves, when we are old, unable to take care, feeble, hungry, in poor health. Helplessness is not a happy place to be…..

One morning I was returning from my walk and

found him on the road, his pants were wet and he was cold. He was just outside the tea shop. I have him enough money for food for the day and then I noticed his trousers and realised he had wet himself. When he saw my eyes going towards his feet he smiled shyly and asked me for a pair of trousers. I asked him to wait in the same place and that I would bring him some. And, if I did not return in some time he was to come to my home. I gave him directions. 

I started walking home, a few steps and I realised that he was following me. He had left the cup of tea on the road and set off behind me. I told him to wait and that I would be back.

An hour later, the skies opened up and down came the rain, heavy rain. A dark, gloomy, wet day. My thoughts shifted to immediate issues at hand. A while later I took my car and went out searching for Mani, I could not find him. I returned with the hope that he had found shelter in this heavy rain.

Next morning, I did not find Mani, I asked at the teas shopand Muthu told me that he had not seen Mani since yesterday. I once again confirmed that he had been abandoned and had no support.

I contacted Arnish Community Service Director of Rotary Club of Chennai Kilpauk, sent him a photograph of Mani and gave him the location. Within the hour a rescue team was looking for Mani. They did find him, but he refused to go. He said that he had a house and will be going back.

My next task was to walk around and inquire if Mani really had no support and receive confirmation that he was in fact a destitute and it would be good to find a home for him.

I sought help of the police who checked and convinced him to go. That evening he was rescued from the streets and taken to an old aged home.

This morning I stopped at the tea shop to thank Muthu for his support and asked who had been helping Mani the last few months. Muthu and others points me to a small shop down the nature lane adjoining the tea shop and pointed me to a petty shop. They said the woman who ran the shop was Mani's benefactor, she would bring him food and clothes. Mani needed lots of clothes, he had no control of his bladder.

At the petty shop I saw a man, her husband Srinivasan, sitting and reading a newspaper and asked him for the owner of the shop. He said that it was his wife and called her. 

Dhanasekhari, is a small made woman with av veryvery large heart. Without expecting anything in return she had been taking care of Mani. Giving him food, clothing and the hope that there was someone to take care of him.

It was relatively easy for me to give many a little money and then to stage for him to be taken to a home. Dhanasekhari had looked after him, and would have continued to do so if need be.

When I wanted to take her pictures she refused, she says that she did not want any publicity nor any recognition and that she was happy to have helped. I did manage to take her picture...

This world needs more people like her. This world needs to learn from her, recognise her. 

She leaves behind deep foot prints and I hope others follow.

Your Astro Health Service

I have a simple idea for a business. The idea is to bring together medicine and astrology. Keeping patients happy with the knowledge that the stars and moons from all planets, black holes, quasars, nebulae, asteroids and various astronomical bodies are working double hard to give them a long and healthy life. At the same time the practicing medical professional uses the same heavenly bodies to maximise income while giving their patients the best care while being guided by the science of astrology.

The prospective flyer

Your Astro Health Service

Remember that every aspect of your life is influenced by the planets, stars and moons in this universe. We are in the process of taking the science of astrology beyond our galaxy into other galaxies and providing our customers with detailed predictions and advice on various aspects of their health. Do not get carried away with what the medical profession tells you, remember even they are guided by the sae planets, stars and moons. Do not leave anything to chance, talk to us.

Remember, we have our desks at most hospitals to enable us to access our services easily. Many medical professionals heartily recommend us.

Our services are all encompassing, do not leave anything to chance and do not be misguided by hard facts.


Services that will be offered:

To the patient:

1. Matching of patients horoscope to the Dr to find a match.
2. Suggesting a course of treatment with the help of planetary movements, stars, moons and solar systems with the help of the thousands of heavenly bodies which exist only for this purpose.
3. Advise on how to convince your medical professional to pursue the course of treatment suggested by you. Charts, astrological predictions with calculations will be provided. A team of psychologists are also available at a fee to help you in this process.
4. A detailed schedule can also be provided as to the exact timings for surgery, injections, examinations, intake of medications etc.
5. If the patient is particular we can also match horoscopes of all caregivers with that of patient.
6. Every aspect of your health care is analysed and with the help of experienced astrologers we can take charge of your long life. Entrust us with your wealth and health and we will take care of you.
7. If you prefer a on site astrologer to answer all questions as and when they arise we can station one at your bedside. Please contact us for charges.
8. A detailed route that you must take to the hospital can also be provided, remember that google maps can only give you directions and without care for vastu or the exact science of astrology. We give you the most beneficial route to take.
9. Avail of our special services - Vastu. Our consultant will visit your home and the hospital and the room that you will stay in to check for its Vastu. We would suggest that you obtain from the hospital a certificate provided by us as to the vastu of the hospital.

There are various other services which we provide and too numerous to list here, please contact us with all your questions.

Drs and medical professionals, we have a list of services that has been designed for you specially. Please request for a free paper on "How to ensure your horoscope matches with your patients".

Drs, we can ensure that your horoscopes match perfectly with every patient of yours. We can also guide you in the line of treatment to enhance your reputation and success rates. Do not leave your success to diagnostic labs, there have been mistakes and wrong readings and you know that well. We will guide you through a successful medical career.

Hospitals, do get in touch with our sales team and set up a astrological desk in your premises, become patient friendly and triple your profits, we will show you how.

Personality Bashing

Gather around a few people who are talking animatedly, heatedly about current affairs, the weather or just about everything on this planet. Ask a question, What would Gandhi have done in this situation? Actually you can substitute any well known personality for Gandhi. One might have to be a little persistent if the conversation does not change. If you have been forceful and successful then most probably you will find the majority sharing their point of view on Gandhi.

I have heard comments about Gandhi such as Pimp, Spy for Pakistan, India spent so much money in keeping him in poverty, he ensured that we stayed back in time and more.

Why does this happen?

Most often this is a result of parents passing such comments and all children echo what parents say and many times, later in to life too. Parents need to understand that what they say is imprinted in the minds of their children, for a long time. When one hears such opinion many times over one starts believing it. Not many bother to search for truth, it is easier to believe what others are saying specially if it scandalous.

Sit them down patiently and enquire their knowledge of the lives of the personality in question and you will find that most often it is not much. Does this mean that lack of knowledge promotes personality bashing, aided by public opinion of similar people?

One stray incident in the life of a personality and such people latch on to it and make an Everest out of that and this one incident relevant or not sets the base for all abuse. The more one questions their opinion and the basis on which it rests one will find them getting defensive and later abusive.

This is actually fun, try it out. I do hope the result of this is that such people take the time off to read biographies, history, opinions, essays and more. Enhance their knowledge and then sit down to argue on what makes Gandhi Great or what makes him a Pakistani Spy. I have experienced intelligent people falling prey to Personality bashing with little knowledge of that person or the field in which he was involved.

Yes, there are a few who do their work; Carry out research, critically analyse the life and actions of the person involved and come to an opinion worth listening to.

Cheque Collection Policies in India

Take some time off and read the RBIs policy on Cheque Collection - this is the policy of the RBI on matters pertaining to cheques that you deposit into your account.

http://rbi.org.in/scripts/FAQView.aspx?Id=78

Also note the following words in the policy

"The cheque collection policies of various banks are made available on the website of Reserve Bank of India under  the link

http://www.rbi.org.in/commonman/English/Scripts/ChequeCollectionPolicy.aspx

Banks are obliged to disclose their liability to you by way of interest payments due to delays for non-compliance with the standards set by the banks themselves. You are eligible to be compensated by way of interest payment even if no formal claim is lodged by you."

 Go ahead and access your bank's policy (if you can, I found the links to may banks go to their website and form their to navigate to find the required information is not easy)

Most banks almost use the same words -

"As a policy, bank would give credit to the customer account on the same day clearing settlement takes place. Withdrawal of amounts so credited would be permitted as per the cheque return schedule of the clearinghouse." 

Questions remain - 

1. What about delays in sending the cheque to the clearing house, caused by the bank?

2. If you read the wordings closely there are so many clauses that keep this policy from being effective - 

1. Banks will give you credit and allow you to use the funds the same day the clearing settlement takes place - Can someone please clarify when the settlement takes place...
2. Withdrawal of amounts so credited would be permitted as per the cheque return schedule of the clearinghouse. - SO, what is the cheque return schedule?

All Indian banks hide behind words, policies and the RBI while laying down policies does not ensure implementation.

Take a look at Citibank's policy

c. Clearing of Local (intra-city) Cheques

1. The branches of Citibank as of the date hereof,

are located in the cities and towns listed in

Annexure A

1. Branches of banks in each of these cities and towns participate in local clearing, viz, thecredit or debit of the proceeds of cheques where the presenting bank and the drawee bank are in thesame location. Cheques in local clearing are processed through the local clearing house which as per the clearing time-lines stipulated by the relevant clearing house, gives effect to the clearing andsettlement of cheques presented.

2. If a customer of Citibank presents a cheque on Day 0, the customer's account with the Citibank branch in that city/town would be provisionally credited in the morning on Day 1. Subsequent to receiptof information from the clearing house with regardto cheque returns for that clearing cycle, and requisiteprocessing of the same by Citibank, the customer’saccount is debited for any returns and for chequesnot returned in clearing, clear funds are availableto the customer.

Can Indian Banks demonstrate clarity? consideration for customers rather than hide behind words and policies to safeguard themselves against inbuilt (people) inefficiencies?

Who do you think suffers?
 
 
 
 
 

1.  

What makes an Alumni tick?

I have come across people who complain that the alumni do not take interest and that there alumni gatherings are a waste of time due to lack of participation. Numerous complaints, failures, bickerings makes one thing why a person who having passed out of a school does not want to go back or does not take active interest or any type of interest in the alumni association or gatherings etc.

Possible reasons:
1. Unhappy time at the school
2. Quality of the institution has dropped so much that the alumni do not want to be seen belonging to the institution.
3. Drab uininteresting events
4. A few people wanting to control the alumni association not allowing broader particpation.
5. The institution demostrates a motive not in favouor with the alumni.
6. Demands being made of the alumni at the gatherings.
7. Moved away from the city where institution is situate.
8. Insufficient participation from the same batch of students.


I am sure there are many more reasons why there is lack of participation, in my opinion if the institution keeps building on quality and reach it guarantees a good attendance and a want to belong.

Courier Coconuts to temple in Orissa: Plagiarism

I came across this piece of news in Deccan Chronicle, Chennai edition in mid September 2007 and was rather thrilled, happy, overjoyed to see such a coming together of people to keep the faith alive. can this happen anywhere else in the world? Do people still have faith and belief?

Talking about this with a friend I realised that he had not seen this piece of news and that I would search for this on the net and email it to him. My search showed up many newspapers having carried this story and Deccan Chronicle was definitely not the first to do so. I had thanked DC for bringing me this piece of odd news earlier and now when I found that the news was actually 6 years and more old and that over these years many magazines and newspapers and TV Channels had carried this news in various forms.

News is for everyone and no one claim copyright to news, but when people plagiarize pictures and words blatantly it definitely is worrying and suddenly my faith and belief in journalists starts going downhill.

This piece of news with what I gather was featured first in India Today in 2001 and then has been featured in other papers, magazines and websites all of whom being too numerous I have not bothered to list. However, you will find a small list of well known magazines, papers below with links.

Please do visit the links and see for yourself how news spreads.


India Today issue: 21st march 2001

BBC News - South Asia - 3rd Feb 2006

The Asian Age: Sunday, September 16, 2007

The Telegraph - Calcutta - | Monday, January 31, 2005 |

The Organiser - May 2006

The Siliconeer - February 2006

Here is the news item as it appeared in Asian Age in 2007.

Bhubaneswar: If a devotee wants to offer a coconut to the Maa Tarini Thakurani temple located within the forests of Keonjhar, he just has to wrap it in red cloth and wave it while standing on any road in the State.

The next bus which comes along will surely stop and the driver or conductor will accept the coconut with reverence.

It does not matter if the bus is traveling on another route. The driver will see to it that coconut is passed on to a vehicle traveling in the direction of the temple. Then it gets passed on from one person to another till it reaches the Maa Tarini Thakurani temple.

This unparalleled courier service has no commercial motive at all. It is driven purely by faith.

Hundreds, maybe thousands, lend their hand every day to reach coconuts of devotees to the doorsteps of the deity.

Around 15,000 coconuts are delivered every day to the Maa Tarini Thakurani temple at Ghatgaon through this amazing spontaneously organized network. It relies on the goodwill of people, a network of collection boxes on roads and other temples.

"Coconuts change hands like batons in a relay race before reaching the temple," said Guru Charan Singh, secretary of the temple trust. "It is a religious courier service."

In recent years, the deity's fame has extended beyond the borders of Orissa and people are sending coconuts from other States too. They are certain that their offering will reach the Goddess somehow. And the courier system is at work for them.

It is not unusual to find transport buses going to Keonjhar stacked with coconuts picked on the way.

Drivers on the route believe that carrying coconuts to the deity will ensure a safe journey.

"We will invite the wrath of Maa Tarini if we refuse to transport these coconuts," said Harihara Madhi, who drives a bus between Bhubaneswar and Keonjhar. "We may have engine trouble or even accidents."

Local people have a store of stories about the problems faced by those who refused to carry the coconuts.

"The Goddess rules the highway," says Shyama Ghana Mohanty, a road-side dhaba owner.

Buses offload the coconuts in collection boxes from which they are picked up by other vehicles or devotees.

But all the coconuts that reach the temple are not offered to the deity. "It would be impossible to crack open thousands of coconuts each day," said Singh.

"A few hundreds are offered to the Goddess and the rest are sold," Singh said.

The coconuts are sold by the temple authorities at Rs 2 each in the local market. "The temple earns around Rs 30 lakhs annually through this," added Singh.

Around 1,000 Tarini temples have come up in different parts of the State in the last five years and all of them serve as collection points for the coconuts going to the main Maa Tarini Thakurani temple.

The unique courier service has become a subject of study for management students.

"It is really amazing to see how the system runs effectively without any commercial interest," said Gopal Nayak, professor in the Xavier Institute of Management of Bhuba-neswar.

Kills herself to give vision to her children

Tucked away inside the newspaper was this piece which makes people think. Think about what a mother can do for her children, think about what delays can do to a life, think about the tragedy of life, think about the feelings of this woman in her last moments about her actions and her hope that her life would give her children the vision that she thought they needed.

CHENNAI, MARCH 19. In a bid to help her children get vision, a 36-year-old woman, allegedly committed suicide in her house at Kodungaiyur, on Friday.
According to C.Sylendra Babu, Joint Commssioner of Police, North, Tamizh Selvi's two sons — Kumaran (17) and Mohan Kumar (15) — are visually impaired. A few months ago, the woman pledged her eyes with Sankara Nethralaya.
Before hanging herself, she wrote a note that she had pledged her eyes for her sons.
The police informed Sankara Nethralaya authorities and the eyes were removed, Mr. Babu said.