No Limitation for Histories

                                                              

                                                                 No Limitation for Histories

Mahatma said “Villages are backbone of India” because, from the total population, 75% lives in villages. Even our forefathers told us thousands of villages make India a wealthy country. But nowadays some villages were still facing some problems like no proper roads, hospitals, and schools etc., which can be solved by our government but not all. But still some villages are not getting their own funds allotted for their development by our government. Government is providing free electricity, but for specific time. Government is providing free education, but no proper school building. Free Government hospitals, but no proper facilities. Do you think our government is not able to allot jobs for educated or graduated villagers? Still some villagers were working for daily wages. These unemployed people were used for some illegal activities by some vendors. Due to their illiteracy they were misused for some activities like breaking the rock mountains, Cutting forest trees or mountain trees, removing the river side soils and more. They did not know how these activities will affect our nature. By cutting forest trees and mountain trees we are not getting proper season rains nowadays, by removing the Rock Mountains our landscape is loosening the strength and it can be easily affected by earthquake, by removing river side soil, villages were damaged by floods. This article is not about the problem around us, it’s about the heroes who try to solve those problems and made a silent revolution in their own village.

I met a person named George on 11 April 2008; he was from a village called Boddapalem in Andra Pradesh. I was introduced to George by my friend Shanti; she was a Graduate from a nearby village Uppada. Few days ago I met her in a National Conference held at Bangalore. I was impressed by her speech and her topic was about Road Traffic and its Obstacles. For some masterminds shanti’s topic seems very puerile but ideas which she shared with us was really acceptable. Nowadays the upcoming graduates were coming with excellent concept and new creative ideas. After that conference I met her personally and I shared my own ideas to her it made us understand each other and that friendship leads to see George. One day she invited me for an inauguration function to Boddapalem village and she introduced George and their friends Ahmad and Manoj. Ahmad is working as Teacher in that village Primary school. Later on I came to know an interesting fact about Ahmad was he is an Engineering graduate from Auroras Engineering College, Nalgonda, Andra Pradesh but working as a primary school Teacher in his own village. I need to tell about the reason behind this, Ahmad’s father a farmer in their own village, Ahmad got scholarship for his studies but his father worked hard to settle Ahmad’s sister who was in the age to marry. As announced in the year 1999 by our government that they were providing Agriculture loans for villagers. Ahmad’s father and some more farmers from the same village applied for that and received. They started paying the bank interest for 2 years. Unfortunately due to sudden changes in monsoon rains their cultivation was affected and they are not able to pay for a year. Due to continues pressure from the bank some lend money from local money lenders and this continues stress and pressure from local lenders made some farmers to commit suicide and Ahmad’s father was one in that. This incident gave him a break to think and act to stop this spineless decision taken by his father and few more farmers. Few farmers took this foolish decision with their whole family. For their own family they got loans from bank and for their family they are working day and night and finally they are taking these type of foolish decision, our government also should understand the condition of those people and they should be reliable some times, cultivation is depends on seasons and climatic conditions it’s not in our hands. Due to lack of education, villagers are not able to understanding the problems and they are not in a condition to solve it. This made him to set his goal to edify his own people first. For that he tried to get that Teacher job in their government school which gave him an opportunity to teach his own people. Everyday evening he spend his time to teach elders too. Ahmad becomes an inspiration for George, as he completed his Veterinary Studies from College of Veterinary Science, Tirupati, Chittoor District and trying for a job in Hyderabad. As his family background is good and wealthy, he planned to construct a veterinary hospital for his village. But his father did not approve for that. Even-though, he did not give-up his aim he selected few students who studied with him in his college and who has real interest to serve their village, with that team he applied for a loan in a private bank and waiting for the approval. Till he gets the approval from bank, he joins hand with Manoj and work for a Social welfare committee. They named that Social welfare committee as “Ma Gramam”. Shanti invited me for this inauguration function. Founder for this committee is Manoj; he is a specialist in Landscape horticulture, in his schooling he was very interested in botany and studies about plants, so he continued his graduation in Horticulture at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Chennai. He presented few papers on Landscape horticulture. His idea is to make his farmers effort profitable, for that he made this Committee “Ma Gramam”, as I said he is the founder but all farmers should be the members in that committee for that manoj and his friends spread into several team and visited every farmers/villagers house and convinced them by telling the profit of being in the committee and made them to join “Ma Gramam”. For this initial stage they took the help of their village panchayat broad. The Principles of “Ma Gramam” is all vendors and sellers should be registered in the Committee. Rates or Prices for the cultivating products will be fixed by the committee. No interaction between Local sellers or buyers. For every purchase farmers or land owner should be there and with the notice to the farmers, owners should sell the products to vendors or buyers through the committee. Depends on the climatic season and festival times prices or rates will be rearranged by the committee and owner with a notice to the farmers. From the overall profit some minimum percentage were allotted for committee’s welfare and for people working in the committee. Panchayat broad members also involved in this “Ma Gramam” for financial aspects. Due to these principles farmers can know their real work and also they can know what profit the owners are making by selling the cultivated products. The main concentration of “Ma Gramam” is to show the real productivity of our farmers and this will also help us to show our government about our advanced thinking and this activity should make our government to take up this model in all other major villages. Government should undertake this model and add this cultivation job in their job list. Nowadays people from villages with education or without education they are focusing on some cities for their jobs. We are not getting proper manpower for cultivation. This act will make a change in our society and in future. By keeping all in his mind manoj started this committee and we all congratulated for their success. 

I felt very happy after seeing them and hearing all this information and I’m very much proud to share this details which may help to make awareness in our society. We should believe in ourselves that we can do something for our nation. In future it remains as a history.

                © Copyright 2012    www.madurairaam.wordpress.com    All rights reserved

To be the Leaders of Tomorrow

 

I want to share some good moments which happened in my life and which changed my life…

My self Vignesh, I am from an Orthodox family. My father retired from Revenue Department (National Insurance) and my Mother is a homemaker. They wanted me to become a successful Engineer. But I am not interested in that. For their interest I completed my professional degree in Mass Communication and I got job in one well known DTH Service Company. Even though my earning is good, I am not fully satisfied in that job. I had an ambition in my life, to become a social worker.  By seeing my family environment, nobody guided me to achieve my aim. I took my own interest in fulfilling by ambitions.  I started serving for this society by helping some team of professionals who improve the quality of life for People in some specific rural areas. We usually target a village, every weekend we used to stay there and we serve medical facilities and make that environment more ecofriendly by planting some useful herbal plants as per the fertility of the land. Finally, while leaving the village, we collect the information from the villagers, like what they reasonably need for the development of their village. That request will be taken to the government’s knowledge by us.

Even though we are doing well for this society, but I am not fully satisfied on those activities. Last month we visited Thodaneri village which was 14 kms from Madurai west. The village has 465 families with total population of 1840 People. As usual we started our medical service and planting process. Day 2, as a final part we visited each house personally and collected their reasonable needs, which can be taken to our government’s notice through us. So many requests rose, but a request which made me to think was kanimozhi’s demand. Her father passed away three years before by a nameless disease. She finished her schoolings in government school. After her schoolings she could not continue her studies. After her father’s death they ran their family with her mother’s daily wages in a cultivating field. The amount which her mother was earning was not even sufficient for their food per day. Her sister was also studying sixth standard so she decided to help her mother by doing housemaid jobs. Kanimozhi added some words that her father told her before his death “I got 87 % in 12^th exam; My father wants me to study for doctor, if our government provide seats for our peoples all my village people were very eager to see me studying in a medical college, but government never took any step on that, my father used to go to collector office once a week for my scholarship, but no response. Finally we felt nothing will happen. We stopped following them. Later on my father had fallen ill due to some unknown disease and he left us alone soon. In this condition I cannot achieve my father’s goal, so I started working in some houses as housemaid.

Kanimozhi’s words were repeating in my ears when we are returning back from that camp. For Next two days I was fully disturbed with kanimozhi’s family situations. I took a decision to help her. Next morning while taking breakfast with my parents I told about my camp and Kanimozhi. I noticed that they were not much interest in hearing those issues. I told my mom, I decided to help her personally. My Mom said ok. I took a cheque for 2 lakhs from my personal savings. I elaborated about my camp visit to one of my friend who was working in a Mid-sized reputed media company and a photographer too and we three visited Thodaneri again on the next day. Kanimozhi’s sister was at home at that time. I asked her “why today you did not go to school”. She replied “No, I finished my lunch and came home, I will call my sister. she went to take tree wooden pieces please wait here” she ran to call her sister. Kanimozhi came with her sister. She offered us water. Kanimozhi told me that “her mother was in field, she will come only at 6.00 PM”. I replied “That’s ok, could you please come with us to panchayat office, she accepted and we took her to Thodaneri panchayat office and registered that money as Initiative for their village Children’s Education welfare. I told my friend “this news should be published tomorrow in your News Paper“, because it will motivate People like me who have intention to help or work for poor society. Kanimozhi requested us to come to cultivating field to meet her mother. But I refused; reason behind was for whole day if they work continuously they will get 50 or 60 rupees. I do not want to be the reason for deduction of that money. In the mean while we three of us with Kanimozhi visited some specific people like Kanimozhi who need governments help or who needs sponsors for their studies or loans etc., we gathered those details for publishing. Finally we met kanimozhi’s mother and I informed Kanimozhi and her clearly that “I can able to sponsor for Kanimozhi’s studies if she is ready to study in a nursing college” because with my personal earning I can help her in this way. Otherwise I will try to find a sponsor who will be ready to sponsor for her doctor studies as I cannot do with my monthly earnings. Both of them felt happy by hearing those words from me. I too felt happy that I took steps to achieve my ambition. Kanimozhi was ready to have me as a sponsor for her nursing course because admission was going on in one nursing college which was located in nearby town. My friends were shocked by seeing my sudden activity and they were happy too. They were very happy to publish this news. My friend who was with me there, promised me that he will be the sponsor for kanimozhi’s sister’s studies till her secondary schooling. Her mother filled with joy and excitement. I got confident that after publishing this news those villagers who really need help will be sponsored by some good sponsors. We three started from there with peaceful mind and with excitement.  The next day the responses for the News Paper article were good and after few days it was excellent, which we did not expect.  Most of the main problems of villagers were occupied by some businessmen, few industrialists and many volunteer professionals. The company, were I was working, also became the sponsor for the school building in that village. Panchayat President visited our office and thanked me.  I could not get words for my happiness. I felt myself that I did something for my society. There are thousands of villages which can be developed, if they get some sponsors like Thodaneri Village got. By seeing the article responses I felt that people are there in our country and ready to help poor people. Many of them show their interest in village development also.  After this incident, people started contributing with their own interest selecting some under developed villages and started their own services which initially, only few of us did.

Human nature is like a tree, it would leads to more branches, so please try to contribute something which can help our society or country leading to a poverty free nation and to be the leaders of tomorrow.

© Copyright 2011    www.madurairaam.wordpress.com    All rights reserved

The Loved Ones

The Loved Ones

We are returning back to our camp after a long conflict.  It is rainy here; I felt we should reach the camp before this weather changes badly. In this climate fighting in the river areas are very dangerous. Anyway our conflict came to an end. When we were alone in the camp, my friend used to tell about his family. Even though he was a senior, he never felt uncomfortable while discussing about his family with me. I too felt very happy, by seeing his joyful face while telling about his son and I felt I should have a lovable family like his. Then I started dreaming about childhood and my Anjali. We both met in an Orphanage. When she came there, she was very quiet and never spoke to anybody. First day, I did not care about her. I did not have any friends there. I was sitting alone and watching others play. I felt I should have some friends, but nobody allowed me to joined in their team. The second day, I was attracted by Anjali’s loneliness, because it resembled mine. Still I remember the day we both got introduced by ourselves. I had a magic cube in my hand, I went near her and I showed that magic cube to her and I requested her to take it. She saw my eyes and moved her head horizontally. I thought she did not like that. Suddenly she responded to me by giving a paper doll, made and given to her by our caretaker. From that day we became friends, we spent those days by playing together. At certain period, Orphanage members separated the home based on age. Then weekly once we met each other in weekend parties conducted by our committee members.

Individual decisions were always welcomed by our orphanage members. They guided us to take our own decisions. So some people were not interested to continue with their sponsors and the committee. They were whole heartedly given freedom by orphanage to terminate (free) their relation with the orphan committee. Anjali was one of those people who unbound their relation with the orphan committee and moved out to stand on their own legs. I knew the real reason for Anjali’s chose to get released from the orphanage, because I gave her this idea. Anjali’s sponsor was a foreigner, he guided her to continue her college studies, but she was no more interested in studies, main reason was she did not want to continue with her sponsors. She was interested in developing her knowledge in embroidering and textile designing.  At that time, I was very much interested to join our Indian army.

One of our orphanage members guided me in a right way to be selected in Indian army. I finished my practical exam and was waiting for the date of written exam. Anjali helped me when I was preparing for my written exam. I felt very comfortable in sharing those days with Anjali. I knew she felt the same. We never discussed openly about our love, but we both knew we were in love. After my army selection, I went to her institute with some sweets and gift books. She started smiling at me, but when I showed the selection order, the brightness in her eyes and spark from her smile slowly dimmed and her face totally changed to miserable mood. By seeing her face I noticed that she was missing me. Within few seconds she came to normal, thinking that I should not feel that she is not comfortable in sending me to army. She made herself happy only because I loved this military job. She knew that joining military was my childhood dream so she pretended to be happy in front of me. I was telling to myself, I should live only for her, and whole of my life should be shared with her. I loved her so much, but she loved me more than that, as we both did not have any one to share our love as parents or brother or sister. When we were kids we both shared our love with each other, the love which we had between us also grew together with us and I felt we both together will make a lovable family. Finally we decided to marry because now I got the selection order from Indian Army and she started her own small institute for Embroidering and textile design. So now were confident and with the help of our known Church Father we became life partners.

From my childhood, my aim was to serve in military as a fighter. Every Indian will feel proud to work in Indian army. I too felt the same. I was never interested in any senior position, I want to be a great fighter. I’m proud to be a fighter. My first conflict was in Kashmiri region in 1997. I spent three years in the same region because this conflict was larger subsidy. Including this Kashmiri region, Aksai Chin was also in problem because this area comes under china. My seniors allotted me continuously in those areas. So I was not in a position to go for vacation. Letters were the only media between me and Anjali. Again we both felt lonely. Sometimes I thought I made a mistake by getting this opportunity, because, I was missing Anjali a lot. I used to remember the last day when I left to Jammu, I spent the whole day with my Anjali and we went to temple, markets and more. When I received the second letter from Anjali, I felt very happy by seeing that line, she wrote “don’t feel that you left me alone, god gave us a gift for our love now. Don’t worry I will take care of myself and our baby too.”….

Really my heart hurts me, I should not have left her like this, till now I never felt that I did not have any family environment but after seeing that letter, I got angry on god for keeping us in this situation. I don’t know what words will make her satisfied in this condition. Here, I can’t request for leave. Because this is ongoing conflict, they put me in new field by name Operation Parakram. I was not in a position to write letters to my Anjali, I know she will be worried more than me. I never got time to go to the camp. She would expect a reply letter from me. I felt ashamed on myself for giving a critical condition to my loved ones. Years passed, I spent my day and night in warfare by thinking about my Anjali and our precious baby. I was expecting the days to go to our camp and see the letters from my Anjali. She might have written about our baby. These five years armed force militants were totally not in a condition to communicate with their families, me too, and finally our batch militants retreated in June 2002. I approached my commander for my leave. He agreed. He passed my papers to the headquarters. In these two days, during day and night travel from field to camp, my whole thoughts were about my Anjali and my baby. By thinking all this, we reached our camp by our vehicles. Everybody was approaching to master’s room for getting their letters. I received four letters from my Anjali.

I sat quietly and started reading all those letters the whole night. In every letter she showed her interest on our baby, she wrote, “we got a marvelous gift from god – a baby girl and she named her as Rohini”. She did not want me to feel that I missed these days staying away from her and missed the days of kissing my baby girl. She waited for my reply after every letter. In her next letter she wrote “our girl started walking”. By seeing all these letters I did not wait I started writing for my Anjali and my girl. I wrote three pages, I did not know what I was writing, but all I wrote was about love to my Anjali and my girl. In the last line I wrote I will be coming soon.

For the whole night, I did not sleep. I was smiling and speaking to myself.  Next day I went to my commander and informed about my wish to leave military services. They were shocked and I explained everything what I had in my mind. The Commander smiled at me. I don’t know the meaning of that smile. I did not care about that. I gave my request. The process would take three months. During that period, my everyday main prayer was only one “war intimation should not come “. Days were running. Another day I got one more letter from my Anjali. She was very happy by seeing my reply to her letter. By seeing her letter, I got to know how much confidence she had in me. Finally after reading that letter I felt very happy. I did not have words to write a reply to her letter, I wrote a reply in one line “Before April 2003 I will come”. Those words made her comfortable and happy again.

My papers finalized and they started my demobilization on 12^th February 2003. From camp my friends gave me so many things which they got from nearby villages. I took all the items and I started my travel, I was excited and very much happy on that day when I was travelling to see my Anjali and my girl Rohini. I felt little sad because I was going with final retirement from Indian Army. My heart spoke to me “I spent some years in army for my nation and I’m satisfied on my job and I’m happy too”. My sacrifice is not at all comparable to my Anjali’s sacrifice, without any support she struggled a lot. When I left her alone, she was doing a small business in embroidering and textile design that did not give her sufficient money for her survival. With courage and confidence she gave birth to our child and she brought her up for five years without any support. We both struggled in life in different conditions. She struggled for our family and I did for our nation. Really I’m proud to have a wife like her. Once she wrote in her letter that god gave us a gift “Rohini, our girl”, but for me, god gave a gift “Anjali”. Now I got everything in my life which I lost in my childhood. Even though we both were not brought up in a family situation but the real love in us made us to full fill our needs and this sacrifice which we did is only because of our love which we had on us. I need to spend rest of my life with my Anjali and my Rohini.

Whole of my traveling days were filled with their thoughts. Third day of travel, train is approaching the place where I should get down. I had two bags in my hands and one in my shoulder.  After Stepping out from the train my eyes were searching for a taxi and I found one and I took that , after few minutes the driver stopped the taxi and told me “sir vehicle can’t go in this bridge, it’s just walk able distance”. I replied “Ok I know Thank u “. I get down and I noticed that, I remember that bridge, where I and Anjali used to spend some time. Because those days, vehicles could not pass this bridge and still it’s like that. While passing that bridge I was very happy that I’m going to see my Anjali and Rohini in few seconds. I crossed the bridge, People started noticing me. I did not feel even a small change in our place. Everything remains same ‘Rathna cafe’, ’Malar Rice mill’, ‘Periyar Auto Stand’, ‘Rassi Fancy Store’ etc.

I continued my walk towards my Anjali’s institute. But unfortunately, I found her standing in a departmental store with a beautiful yellow saree which I gave on her birthday which remembers old days to me. I can able to see a little girl hiding behind her, which made me sure she is Rohini. I went near the store. After her purchase she turned back to home and suddenly she saw me walking toward them. She was surprised by seeing me. She ran towards me and hugged. My girl was few steps behind her mother. Anjali called her and she told “Rohini, come here, see your papa”. I took my girl in my hands and felt this day will not come again and said sorry ma, really I’m very sorry hereafter I won’t leave you both alone. Anjali smiled. Both of them were asking so many things to me, but I’m totally filled with happiness, I was astonished by hearing my girl speak. With my girl in one hand and my love Anjali laying her head on my other shoulder, we walked towards our home.

“We can realize the real love during our sacrifice for our loved ones”

© Copyright 2011    www.madurairaam.wordpress.com    All rights reserved

 

Our goals will happen one day

Our goals will happen one day

Yesterday evening I went to see my friend Rahul, 6 pm at his home, but he was not there. His house was locked. I called on his mobile, it was switched off.  Then I went to beach where we use to sit every evening, I was expecting Rahul to come there .but it turns 10 pm night, then I slowly started to walk towards my home. My mind was fully filled with his (Rahul) thoughts, because we will be together every day. He (Rahul) was trying for a job in IT field for past 4 years, I too never thought  about my job. My mom always used to tell us both to try to get any job initially and then try for aimed jobs , but we never took that to our mind.   Rahul’s father was a tax consultant in government organization in retiring stage; he was very much worried about his son, because Rahul lost his mom when he was in childhood so his father strained a lot to bring him to that stage.

We did graduation, then what’s lacking with us in getting a job. I was asking this question to myself, by thinking all these , I reached my home , my mother was waiting outside for me , by seeing her eyes,  I noticed she was waiting for a long time to tell me something , I went near and asked her , have you finished your dinner . She did not care about the question what I asked her, she interrupted by putting another question immediately, have you seen Rahul? I said no. then I asked what happened? Did he come here? She (my mother) replied me – No, but his (Rahul) father passed away. I was shocked by hearing this. Immediately I started running to his (Rahul) house. Rahul’s neighbors were there but I was not  able to find Rahul in his house, I asked one person there how it happened, he said -   in his office afternoon his son came there, they were speaking outside of the office, after half-an-hour talk Rahul left the place , he came inside then after an hour in cafeteria he fell down by touching his chest , we carried him , but we found that he left us . We searched for his son, but we could not  able to find him. I was totally confused by hearing this. I sat down there, seeing Rahul’s father. After 10 minutes I came out and I started calling all other friends to check about Rahul, but nobody has seen him. Later on ,  my mother came there and  we went inside. Everybody is asking to me about Rahul, because we used to roam together so I left the place, my mind is scolding him, but my eyes were searching for Rahul all the streets. I saw one person approaching towards the street, I found that it’s Rahul, I went near him – he asked me when you came here but i am not in position to answer, I again questioned him where u went we all are searching for you since 6 pm. he asked again why? , I didn’t say anything ,  he found that people were standing outside his house , he asked me what happened , I told about his father ,  he ran inside , I followed him . He was totally out of his mind by seeing his father in that view; his tears wet his father’s blanket.  I took him up and moved out. In crying eyes he said ,  I made a mistake, and then he described what conversation he had between him and his father today afternoon at his office. His father’s friend is offering a job for him (Rahul) and his father told him to join that company. But he (Rahul) refused. (His father doesn’t want to break his son’s dream, he doesn’t want to see his son ideal and his interest is to see Rahul employed before his retirement.)

Then the people from Rahul father’s family called us to start the arrangement for funeral. After the funeral, we returned back, my mother told me to stay with Rahul tonight. I to felt the same. Rahul was thinking about his father the whole night. I was thinking about our future, “we were engineering graduates but still we are not in a position to get a job by our own. some companies approached us but we neglected the offers because those jobs are not in our mind, but neighbors and friends used to tell us what my mom use to tell me “Initially sit in job on temporary base and then try for your goal”, we searched for jobs in our own interested area but it did not work .  finally it made us to think. Because our parents are more worried by thinking what their kids are going to do in this unemployed situation, whether they can survive without parent support – these type of stressed thoughts lead our parents to danger (like what happened to Rahul’s father).  By thinking all these I also slept.

We woke up this morning with glorious mind that we should do something for us, I know for Rahul it will take some time to come out from this situation. I will try to help him to come out from his situation and change his mind to normal anyway life should go on. Due to this incident I got a clear picture in my mind that we should not waste our precious time by waiting idle for our goals to happen, we shall sacrifice little for our parents who worry every day for us, making them satisfied & give them confidence that we are able to stand on our own legs. Our goals will happen one day; we will make it happen one day.

 

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