Mahatma Gandhi-A Common Indian

It was the morning of 6^th April 1930, at the coastal village of dhadhi a tenuous but determined man along with his around 50,000 followers is about to break an ardent law which is going to judder the established British Raj.

With his diminutive hands he raised a lump of salty mud and declared, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire."

Mahatma Gandhi had conducted a 24 days march which had passed through 4 districts and 48 villages. More than 1 lakh people had joined Gandhiji in this march which has covered over 390 kilometers of distance. This great march has turned up into Civil Disobedience Movement later on and played a crucial role in the Indian Independence Movement.

When asked by his party men that why he has choose salt to be his object for the movement he says “Salt tax is my deeply symbolic choice, since salt is used by nearly everyone in India. An item of daily use could resonate more with all classes of citizens than an abstract demand for greater political rights. The Salt tax represented 8.2% of the British Raj tax revenue, and most significantly hurt the poorest Indians the most”.

Such a common man Gandhiji was. Yesterday on 30th January 2011, world has observed his 63rd death anniversary as “Martyrs day”.

Today, the same commodity “salt” which was dislodged by Gandhiji from Britishers has achieved a benchmark success.

India is today a third largest salt producing country in the world (after the US and China).The growth and achievement of Salt Industry over the last 62 years has been spectacular.  When India attained Independence in 1947, salt was being imported from the United Kingdom & Adens to meet its domestic requirement.  But today it has not only achieved self-sufficiency in production of salt to meet its domestic requirement but also in a position of exporting surplus salt to foreign countries.  The production of salt during 1947 was 1.9 million tones which have now increased ten fold to record 20 million tones during 2005.

India has, for the first time, exported 32,500 tonnes of common salt to the US during December 2002, creating a history of sorts.

 

The per-capita consumption of salt in the country is estimated at about 12 kg, which includes edible as well as industrial salt. The current annual requirement of salt in the country is estimated to be 60 lakhs tones for industrial use. 

There are about 13000 salt manufacturers engaged in production of Common salt in an extent of about 5.50 lakh acres in the Country. It is estimated that 90 per cent of the total number of salt manufacturers are small salt producers (having an individual extent of less than 10 acres for salt manufacture), 5.5% is large scale producers (having an individual extent of more than 100 acres) and 4.5 % is medium scale producers (having an individual extent between 10 and 100 acres).

It’s worthwhile to note that Indian railways play an important role in moving the 57% of the salt for human consumption to various parts of the country.

Despite being the third largest producer, Indian salt industry continues to remain labour-intensive and substantial portion of the production comes from small and medium salt manufacturers, who have no exposure to the latest technologies. There are around 12,000 salt manufacturers who are operational in the country and 85 per cent of them are small time producers.

Private sector plays a dominant role contributing over 95% of the salt production, while the public sector contributes about 2-3%. The co-operative sector contributes about 8% whereas the small-scale sector (less than 10 acres) accounts for nearly 40% of the total salt production in the country.

 

With a vies to ensure universal access of iodised salt for the prevention and control of goiter and other iodine deficiency disorders in the country.Government of India has adopted the strategy of Universal Salt Iodisation and Consumption for elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) in the country under the National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme(NIDDCP).

The Programme was started in 1962 initially confining to Goitre endemic areas but after 1984 it was implemented throughout the country.  Thus as on date a significant progress has been made on Universal Salt Iodisation.  The country produces about 50 lakh tones of Iodised salt and about 49 lakh tones of iodised salt is supplied for human consumption against the requirement of about 54 lakh tones for entire population.  The country has created more than adequate salt iodisation capacity of over 110 lakh tones.

However, decades after the programme started, the prevalence of the disease still remains high. 5 out of every 100 children in some of the endemic areas of the country show symptoms of goitre, an iodine deficiency-related disease. 

The day on which this world will get free from this vicious disease, would be perhaps a literal day to pay our sincere tribute to this great son of our country which has brought us a pride to feel the real taste of salt.

Jharkhand swimmers practicing without water for coming nationals

 

The 34^th national games are going to start from 11^th February 2011 at Ranchi. The Games were awarded to Jharkhand in 2003 and were originally scheduled for 2007. The dates were postponed six times for want of satisfactory infrastructure.

It’s quite contrite to see a full page colored advertisement of Jharkhand Sport Ministry in a premier English newspaper of our country exaggerating its achievement whereas an ironic dismal report presenting a grim picture of its player’s state of preparedness has also been published in another daily newspaper .

According to the news published in one of the leading daily news paper of Delhi “No one seems anymore interested in the games that have been postponed many times. The conditions in which players are practicing are diabolical. Swimmers mastering their butterfly strokes on dry ground, shooters taking aim without bullets, hockey teams never playing on Astro turf”.

Till some days ago, the swimmers were practicing inside a flat, where they would lie on the ground and thrash about as if in water! Not only that, more than half of the 40-member strong contingent haven't even seen a swimming pool in their lives. Having grown up swimming in lakes and ponds in their native villages, the sportspersons were unaware of the swimming pool.

“How are we supposed to do well if we are practicing on the ground and not on water?” asks Jharkhand swimmer Kriti Agarwal.

Trying to defend them self, jharkhand sport authority’s spokesperson says “the aquatic venue at Khel Gaon is ready. But the local swimmers cannot access it as it has to be kept in top shape until the games begin”.

The condition of state shooters is also distressful. Around 33 shooters selected for the National Games are practicing without bullets and other infrastructure. They are bind to target by only keeping their eyes on the bully that too a manual bully whereas in the National Games, they have to compete with players of other states who practice on electronic bully.' 

The condition of hockey is more or less the same. The men and women hockey teams for the National Games are yet to be selected. The training camps are to begin Feb 1.

We can have the notion of seriousness involved in organizing the National Games by merely visiting its official website as picture of none of the national player has been their on its homepage. What you will find there are the picture of our honorable ministers and diplomats trying to give their best cheese pose. 

It’s ignominious for a nation who has just successfully organized the 12^th commonwealth games for such a crappy condition of its country’s own national games. If this is the real scenario of sports in Jharkhand than we must applaud the state archer Deepika Kumari who has won 2 gold medals in the commonwealth respite of such a hell out situation.

No joy left for the people of City of Joy

It’s a derision for a nation where cricket is been followed as a religion that its one of the biggest ground has been dumped to host the match of its own nation against England in coming Cricket World Cup 2011.

In an unprecedented decision, the International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Haroon Lorgat on Friday summarily rejected Cricket Association of Bengal's (CAB's) plea to give them time till February 7 to make the Eden Gardens 'match-fit' to host India's World Cup match against England on February 27.

An ICC team which has earlier inspected the Eden on Tuesday has pointed out its apprehension towards the lethargic preparation going on the ground for the coming world cup and their clear view was that Eden Garden would not be able to get ready by February 27.

Later taking action against the report submitted by inspecting team, ICC on Wednesday decided to cancel the scheduled match at Eden.

However, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Jagmohan Dalimiya, wrote a plea to BCCI president Mr Shashank Manohar informing him the reason which ultimately resulted in such unexpected deferment and requested him to ask for 10 days extension from the ICC since the India-England fixture was to be the only game where the fans get to see the home team in action during the world cup. He had also mentioned the point that the venues in Sri Lanka and Wankhede has been asked to hand over the ground 20 days prior to the match. In that scale CAB should also get the time till 7^th Febuary.

In his reply to Shasnak Manohar, ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat informed him that the world premier cricket body has turned down CAB's request because their experts were of the view that the unfinished renovation work at the Eden Gardens cannot be completed by February 7. He has also informed Mr Manohar that Eden Gardens' chances of hosting the remaining three non-India matches now rest on a further inspection by the ICC's venue-inspection team which is scheduled to visit the venue on Monday.

This is for the first time in the history of cricket world cup that a venue has been striped of its right to host a World cup match for its failure to prove its preparedness. However, in 2007 world cup a warm match was shifted from the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Trinidad because the venue was not ready.

Established in 1864, Eden Garden is perhaps one the oldest and most beautiful cricket ground in the world. The ground has been named after the sister of Lord Auckland, the former governer general.

Eden is a witness of some of the greatest cricketing action. In 1991, at Eden India’s finest all rounder Kapil Dev took an ODI hat-trick against the Sri Lankans in 1991 and became first Indian to take an ODI hat-trick.

It was the Eden only where in 2000-01 VVS Laxman had scored mammoth 281 runs against Australia which ultimately brought a surprise win to India. It was only the third time in Test history that a team had won after being forced to follow on.

Loss of world cup match has brought a heartbroken set back to the cricket lovers of city of Joy. Not to the people of Kolkatta only, this is a mishap for the cricket lovers of world also. In a statement on a website, a cricket lover exhibits his dejected feelings as “A cricket World Cup without Eden Garden is like a kiss without a hug”

Fans in Kolkata are not the only ones left heartbroken by the ICC's decision to shift the World Cup match between India and England out of Eden Gardens, the English cricketers are also disappointed that they would not be playing at the historic venue.

On his Twitter page, English pacer Stuart Broad wrote "Shame Eden Gardens not ready for World Cup, our game vs India there would have been special with 100,000+ crowd,"

Master of Heavenly Voice

The scintillating voice which has kept the world on its toe for more than half a century has gone for a never ending silence on 24^th January. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi who was a legend of legends in the world of Indian Classic Music has passed away yesterday. The news of his sudden demise has left the world mums & shocked.

It’s mere a irony that the voice which reckoned the most popular patriotic song “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” has gone silent two days before the day our nation is going to celebrate its 62^nd Republic Day. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was the main face in this video which was created for the purpose of national integration in India.

Born in to a Kannadiga family in the town of Ron, Bhimsen was the eldest among his 16 siblings. Music had such a magnetic pull over him that a 'bhajan singing' procession or just 'azaan' from a nearby mosque was said to draw him out of house.

Bhimsen had followed traditional Guru Shishya Parampara (master-disciple) to learnt Khyal from his  guru Sawai Gandharva , who was the chief disciple of Abdul Karim Khan, who along with his cousin Abdul Wahid Khan was the founder of the Kirana Gharana school of Hindustani music.

At the young age of 19 years, Joshi gave his first live performance. His first album was released in 1942. Later in 1943, Joshi moved to Mumbai and start his stint as a radio artist.

The critics and the masses have been stunned by Bhimsen Joshi’s music. His performance has been said to have been marked by spontaneity, accurate notes, dizzyingly-paced taans which make use of his exceptional voice training, and a mastery over rhythm. Some of Joshi's more popular ragas include Shuddha Kalyan, Miyan Ki Todi, Puriya Dhanashri, Multani, Bhimpalas, Darbari, and Ramkali.

Joshi had also sang for several films, including Basant Bahar (1956) with Manna Dey, Birbal My Brother (1973) with Pandit Jasraj and Nodi Swami Naavu Irodhu Heege. He also sang for the films Tansen(1958) and Ankahee(1985).

Very few among his followers and well wishers knows that he had a great passions for cars.sen .He was known to be an expert swimmer, a keen enthusiast of yoga and a football player in his younger days.

Panditji has awarded by almost every music categorical award for his exceptional contribution to the world of Indian traditional music. In 2008, he was awarded with the Bharat Ratna, the highest dignitary award of Indian citizenship.

Following lines which was penned down in an article in The Hindu should not be written for any one else then the master of heavenly voice Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.

“He was ever the wanderer, engendering brilliant phrases and tans more intuitively than through deliberation” 

blue meets pink

“Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill.” 

Words from Barbara W. Tuchman have perhaps summed up the essence of significant role played by literature in the development of any nation.

India is emerging as a prominent player in the international literature & publishing sphere. According to the data released by Federation of Publishers' and Booksellers' Associations of India in 2005, the vibrant publishing industry in India generates a turnover of approximately Rs 70 billion annually (Rs. 7,000 crores). Around 16,000 publishers in India publish 70,000 titles (estimated) out of which 40% are in English, which makes India the third largest English language publishing country in the world. Exports have grown from Rs 330 million in 1991 to Rs. 3,600 million in 2003.

Furthermore, as per the latest data released by Ministry of HRD the literacy rate has increased astonishingly to 72% in comparison to 12% at the time of British Rule in 1947. Increased literacy has boosted the publication industry to span its wings and fly to new heights. 

In spite of all this remarkable developments, there lies a hearting fact in the heart of each of Indian that so far only one of our fellow citizens (Dr Rabindranath Tagore) got the prestigious noble prize for literature. However, Indian made an acceptable attendance in Man-Booker prize by winning it thrice. 

Every year to celebrate the spirit of literature, many great personalities from literature, cinema & social arena pucker up at Jaipur. Every year in the month of January they all meet to mark the ceremony where the blue ink of literature blends with the pink color of Jaipur City.

The Jaipur Literature Festival is an annual literary festival taking place in the pink city of Jaipur since 2006.The Diggi Palace Hotel serves as the main venue of the festival. The Jaipur Literature Festival is the biggest literary festival not just in India, but in Asia, and was described by Miranda Seymour in the Mail on Sunday of the 10th August 2008 as "the grandest literary Festival of them all". 

The festival is originally conceptualized by writers Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple.

In the last 5 years Jaipur Literature Festival has grew enormously both in terms of standards & visitors. Initial year of the festival saw meager attendees where only 18 writers had taken part including Hari Kunzru, William Dalrymple, Shobhaa De and Namita Gokhale.  

Gradually after 2006, the festival has started to gather the acknowledgment of the literature fraternity of globe. In 2007 the festival grew in size and featured some the great writers like Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai, Suketu Mehta, Shashi Deshpande, and William Dalrymple.

In 2008 the festival continued to expand with about 2,500 attendees and the authors/speakers like Donna Tartt, John Berendt, Paul Zacharia, Indra Sinha, Uday Prakash, Christopher Hampton, Manil Suri and others.

In year 2009 , world saw remarkable growth in the paradigm  of the festival when about 12,000 attendees and over 140 authors/speakers including Vikram Seth, Pico Iyer, Michael Ondaatje, Simon Schama & .Tina Brown took part in it.

The 2010 festival had about 30,000 attendees and 172 authors/speakers, including Geoff Dyer, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Jamaica Kincaid, Niall Ferguson and Vikram Chandra.

The 2011 edition of the festival has already begun with a splendid bang today at Diggi Palace, the official venue for the DSC Jaipur Literary Festival 2011. After the rhythmic rajasthani folk tune, the festival has been declared open by William Dalrymple. Talking to the jam packed Dalrymple said, “Jaipur Literary Festival shows the burgeoning cultural movement. Jaipur Literary Festival is the largest festival in the eastern half of the world. Its aim is to create an intellectual fusion, where greatest literary minds come together from twenty-three countries. This magnificent festival not only focuses on English, but also on various other languages.”

During the remaining 5 days, festival will show case the work of many writes/ speakers like JM Coetzee, Orhan Pamuk, Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, Junot Diaz, Martin Amis, Jay McInerney and many more.

Ensure to book your seat in this mega event which is set to mark the stature of literature on the globe.

Makar Sankranti-Ubiquitous Festival of India

Makar Sankranthi is probably one of the ancient festival of India which is celebrated across the length and breath of the country with great cheer and jest. According to the archeological findings in Latin America, a similar sort of festival was celebrated by our ancestors Mayans.

Unlikely to other festivals, sankranti is not confined to any one specific region or territory.

Owing to the vast geography and diversity of the culture of India, this festival is celebrated for innumerable reasons and in innumerable ways depending on the climate, agricultural environment, cultural background, and location.

Sankranti is the Sanskrit word, which refers to the transmigration of the Sun from one Rashi (zodiac in Indian astrology) to the other. There are 12 such sankrantis in all. The Sankranti festival usually refers to Makara Sankaranti or the transition of the Sun from Dhanu rashi (Sagittarius) to Makara rashi (Capricorn).

The festival takes place around 21 days after the tropical winter solstice (between December 20 and 23rd) that marks the start of Uttarayana, which means northward journey of the Sun.

The Winter Solstice marks the beginning of the gradual increase of the duration of the day. The shortest day of the year is around December 21–22, after which the days begin to get longer. The winter Solstice is on December 21 or December 22, when the tropical sun enters Makara rashi. Therefore the date of Uttarayana is December 21. This was the actual date of Makar Sakranti too. But because of the Earth's tilt of 23.45 degrees and the precession of the Equinoxes, Ayanamasha occurs. This has caused Makara Sankranti to slide further over the ages. A thousand years ago, Makar Sankranti was on December 31 and is now on January 14. Five thousand years later, it shall be by the end of February, while in 9000 years it shall come in June.

In 2011, Makar Sankranti will be celebrated on the 15th of January, because the sun enters Makar rashi (Capricorn) at 6:44 pm on the 14th, and as per Hindu mythology any event is considered auspicious when the event occurs on the day before the sun rises on that day. So any event beginning with the rise of the sun is believed to be auspicious. Makar Sankranti is therefore on the 15th of January in 2011.

While the traditional Indian Calendar is based on lunar positions, Sankranti is a solar event. So while dates of all Hindu festivals keep changing as per the Gregorian calendar, the date of Makar Sankranti remains constant over a long term, 14 January. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the Hindu calendar month of Magha.

Makar Sankranti is a major harvest festival celebrated in various parts of India. Apart from being a harvest festival, Makar Sankranti is also regarded as the beginning of an auspicious phase. It is referred to as the auspicious transition, and marks the end of the inauspicious phase, which according to the Hindu calendar begins around mid-December. It is believed that auspicious and sacred ritual can be sanctified from this day onwards. Scientifically, this day marks the beginning of warmer and longer days compared to the nights. In other words, Sankranti marks the termination of winter season and beginning of a new harvest or spring season.

This festival also symbolizes the importance of the special relationship between father and son. According to the Purannas, on this day Surya (Sun) visits the house of his son Shani (Saturn), who is the lord of the Makar rashi (Zodiac Capricorn). Though the father and son duo did not get along well, the Surya made it a point to meet his son on this day. He, in fact, comes to his son’s house, for a month.

Whatever the reasons would be, maker sankranti is festival of joy, cheerfulness and brotherhood. By celebrating it we all Indians acknowledge our graditude towards the almighty to honoured us with such an unique festival to celebrate.