Happy Independence Day ! remembering a great martyr born this day in 1900 !! ~ “Ami je dekhinu tarun balak unmad hoye chhute…”

 

The Nation celebrates its 80th Independence Day and it is time we remember our real heroes.  Today our Honble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji hoisted the Indian National flag at Red Fort.  

Two things that we read in History books that needs deletion from our memory !!   (distorted truths)  :  1. British who ruled us were – kind, clement and cared about their subjects 2. Freedom was obtained by only Gandhi & Nehru without shedding blood !!   Fact remains that British were cruel and have been waging wars killing millions; also scores of Countries too got their freedom (but there are no Nehrus in their  History!) .. .. freedom was not gotten easily, it was obtained by the gory bloodshed of thousands of our countrymen.

 

Sad, that most of them remain unsung, hidden from public memory with prejudiced History books mentioning Allahabad prison story and the letters !!  ….  Have you read /heard these lines of the very famous Indian Poet who gave us our National anthem … … and the occasion ??

“Bhagaban, tumi juge juge dut pathayecho bare bare Doyahin samsare…”

— “Lord, through the ages you have sent messengers again and again into this merciless world…”

And towards the end comes the devastating question:

“Tumi ki tader khoma koriyachho, tumi ki besechho bhalo?”

— “Have You forgiven them? Have You loved them?”

A great martyr born on 15 Aug 1900  .. .. but passed away young 31 !  Post graduate and LLB  shot down cruelly !!!!

Santosh Kumar Mitra  [15 August 1900 – 16 September 1931)  is the martyr whom our school History books never taught !!  Mitra was born o  in Kolkata, in a middle class Bengali Kayastha family. He passed matriculation from Hindu School, Kolkata in 1915 and became graduate from the University of Calcutta in 1919. During the period 1921–22, he completed his M.A and LL.B.  He participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement of the Indian National Congress leading to his imprisonment in 1921. After the suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement, Santosh Mitra shifted to extremist activities in the struggle for Independence. In 1923, he got associated with lawyer Jatindra Mohan Sengupta, Barin Ghosh of Jugantar and Bipin Behari Ganguly.

On August 3, 1923,  there was attempted dacoity at  Shankharitola Post Office. The postmaster was killed, Barendra was caught while escaping and was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.   Mitra was charged with Shankharitola Murder Case and arrested in 1923  because of his association with Barendra Ghosh and other co-conspirators of this case. Similarly, he was also arrested in connection with the Second Alipore case of 1923. Both times, he was acquitted of all charges by the help of Jatindra Mohan Sengupta.

After his acquittal in the Shankharitola case, he was not simply allowed to walk free. The colonial government detained him under the Bengal Criminal Law Amendment legislation, essentially treating him as a dangerous revolutionary even without a successful criminal conviction. He remained in detention until 1927. In   1930 he was again imprisoned and eventually sent to Hijli Detention Camp where his brutal end came !! 

Three detention camps were created by the British — one at Buxaduar, one at Berhampur and the other at Hijli – where people were kept in harsh conditions. The detainees had many grievances and complaints against the jail administration but initially there was never any serious altercation. On September 15, 1931, three detainees — Nalin Das, Phani Das and Chintamani Das — escaped from the detention camp. The jail authorities were extremely enraged by this incident. On September 16, 1931, with prior approval from district authorities, the police surrounded the camp and some entered the premises. They started a deliberate altercation with the detainees and suddenly started firing on these defenseless men. For no reason, the alarm bell of the detention centre started off. Santosh Kumar Mitra and Tarakeshwar Sengupta were shot. Mitra was shot in the abdomen while Sengupta was shot in the forehead. About 29 rounds of ammunition were fired.  Besides the death of these two, over 100 were injured, out of which 23 were seriously injured. The British government first tried to cover up the incident but failed to do so. Anandabazar Patrika came out with the news in detail and followed up with the story. Subhash Chandra Bose and J.M. Sengupta visited Hijli to bring back the dead bodies of Santosh Kumar Mitra and Tarakeswar Sengupta. Many national leaders, including Rabindranath Tagore, raised strong protests against the British Raj over this incident.

In the beginning, the British government tried to blame the detainees saying that the firing was done by police for self-defense. Under severe public pressure, the government put up a judicial inquiry led by Justice S. C. Maulick and Drummond, I.C. S., District Magistrate. The commission condemned the behaviour of the sepoys.

The Detention Camp was closed in 1937 and was reopened in 1940. In 1942, it was closed for the final time and the detainees were transferred elsewhere. During World War II, it was occupied by the US Air Force.

The Hijli shootings caused a major public reaction in Bengal. A protest meeting was held in Calcutta on 26 September 1931, presided over by Rabindranath Tagore, who expressed his anguish in his poem Proshno.

By Roll of honour KC GHOSH - Roll of honour KC GHOSH, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=165980075

 Well   the Nation almost forgot its sons who died fighting for freedom !!   

Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, started in 1951 is on the premises of Hijli. A part of the Hijli detention camp building is now named as Hijli Shaheed Bhavan. There  is a memorial plaque in the name of both Santosh Kumar Mitra and Tarakeswar Sengupta at the campus. Also there are small busts of them in the same premises. The main road inside the IIT Kharagpur Campus has been named after Santosh Mitra.

            Tagore's “প্রশ্ন” (Prashno / Proshno, “The Question”)  was written  following the Hijli firing and the wider anguish it caused. It was later published in Parishesh (1932) There is also a particularly striking passage in the poem:

“Ami je dekhinu tarun balak unmad hoye chhute…”

roughly: “I have seen young men, driven to desperation, hurl themselves against stone in agony…”  

Santosh Mitra Square now  is a public square and tourist attraction located in Bowbazar, Kolkata. It is a popular gathering place for various cultural and political events. The park is named after the Bengali freedom fighter Santosh Kumar Mitra. One of the events held here is Durga Puja, an annually held festival, for which the park is crowded during puja days

Decades after Independence – we kept reading about our clement British rulers – not how they looted but how they were kind to us !?! – not of the elite few who fought and sacrificed but our minds were ingrained with concept of ‘freedom gotten without bloodshed’ – that Britishers benevolently handed to us freedom !!  How sad, we forgot our real heroes!

Jai Hind. Bharat Mata ki Jai; long live our Nation and remembering all those who gave their blood and life for our freedom.

With respects and regards to all of them – S Sampathkumar
15.8.2026

when SYMA celebrated Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav

 

வீர சுதந்திரம் வேண்டி நின்றார் வேறு ஓன்று கொள்வாரா!

வந்தே மாதரம் என்று உரைத்த பின் தேசத்தை வணங்குவாரே !!

 

இது பாரத மாதாவின் அருந்தவப் புதல்வர்கள் இன்னல்களை எதிர்கொண்ட அந்தமான் சிறைச்சாலை (miniature)

 

எல்லாருக்கும் சுதந்திர தின வாழ்த்துக்கள்... எதுக்கு சுதந்திர தின வாழ்த்துக்கள் சொல்லணும்.?? ..75 வருஷமா யாருக்கும் அடிமை இல்லாம சுதந்திரமா நம் நாடு இருக்கிறத கொண்டாட வாழ்த்துக்கள் சொல்றோம்..! .இந்த சுதந்திரம் நமக்கு கிடைக்க காரணமா இருந்தவங்களை நினைச்சு பார்க்க வேண்டாமா.??

 

..கண்டிப்பா நினைச்சு பாக்கணும் அதுக்குத்தான் *SYMA வந்தே மாதரம்* தலைப்புல கண்காட்சி நம்ம பெசன்ட் ரோடுல இருக்கிற NKT Girls High School a ஏற்பாடு செஞ்சிருக்காங்க...15ம் தேதி வரைக்கும் காலை 11 மணி முதல் இரவு 8 மணி வரை இந்தக் கண்காட்சி நடக்கும்...நாம அவசியம் கண்காட்சி யை பார்ப்போம்...

 

நம்மோட அடுத்த தலைமுறை நம்ம சுதந்திரம் கிடைச்ச வரலாற்றை தெரிஞ்சுக்க அவசியம் அவங்களையும் அழைத்து வரவும்...

*வந்தே மாதரம்...ஜெய் ஹிந்த்* 

 

My post this day on Aug 2022 – when SYMA organized an exhibition celebrating 75 years of Indian Independence – Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav

Great artwork conceptualized and executed by Vittal Narayanan !

Thiruvallikkeni Kolangal !

 

Beautiful colourful kolam – put up at Vasavi Parthas, Venkatrangam Street, Triplicane, in 2025  – welcoming Muthumariyamman

Chasing dream Girl !! ~ மயிலே மயிலே உன் தோகை இங்கே !!

dream girl !! மயிலே மயிலே உன் தோகை இங்கே !!

தேவதையை கண்டேன் ! காதலில் விழுந்தேன் !! - அதுவும் ஸ்ரீரங்கத்து தேவதை !!

நீங்கள் 1970/80களில் மாணவரா !!  - உங்களுக்கு இந்த உணர்வுகள் புரியலாம்.  அப்போதெல்லாம் வெள்ளியன்று படங்கள் வெளிவர, மக்கள் தெரு மூலைகளில், போஸ்டர்களை நின்று படித்து, அது பற்றி விவாதிப்பார்கள். அப்படி ஒரு நாள் தேவி பாரடைஸில் பிரீமியம் Rs.2.90 டிக்கெட் வாங்கி சில பல விளம்பரங்களையும், டாக்குமெண்டரியும் பார்த்துவிட்டு வெள்ளித்திரையை கண் கொட்டாமல் பார்த்தால் .. ... ... 

SA ராஜ்கண்ணு அளிக்கும்,   என ஸ்ரீதேவி ஓடியாட, சப்பாணி, மயில், பரட்டை, குருவம்மா என பெயர்கள் ஓட இசைஞானி இளையராஜா தன் குரலில் 'சோளம் வெதைக்கையிலே .. ..' என மிரள வைக்க ரசிகர்கள்  ஆரவாரித்த படம் '16 வயதினிலே'

Peacock  - is something that is extremely attractive.   Peacocks are present in Madras (Chennai) and are associated with the city's history, mythology, and modern-day life, most notably in the Mylapore area. The name "Mylapore" itself comes from 'Mayil arparikkum oor', which means 'the land of the peacock screams'.  

In recent times, a lone Peacock is reported to be roaming in Triplicane area, pictured by some ace photographers ! BUT – I was not able to see it nor take a picture – hence longing to picture it, have been travelling, chasing Mayilu, my dream !! 

Di Goldene Pave refers to a mythical golden peacock and is a common symbol in Yiddish poetry.  The golden peacock is a popular symbol in Yiddish culture. Yiddish poet Itzik Manger's golden peacock symbolized Jewish resilience and optimism. In one poem, Manger explains [like the stateless Jew], the golden peacock has no country but is alive wherever Yiddish is spoken. The golden peacock is a rare bird.

The IFFI Best Film Award (officially known as the Golden Peacock for the Best Feature Film) is the main prize of the International Film Festival of India presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India.  It is one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with the Golden Peacock a representation of the Peacock, India’s national bird.   

Only seasoned Cinema buffs would know that a movie by name ‘Mayil’ starring Rajesh, Rupa Devi hit the screens in 1981 and bombed in box-office.  

For the youth of 1970s / 1980s – Mayilu was the dream girl !!  ~  have you heard this song !!  SPB  “மயிலே மயிலே உன் தோகை எங்கே ?” என்று ஆரம்பிக்க மிருதங்கம் தொடங்கிவிடும். ஜென்சி பாடும் பல்லவி சிறிது வித்தியாசமாக இருக்கும்.  படம்  : கடவுள் அமைத்த மேடை - வரிகள் - வாலி; இசைஞானி இளையராஜாவின் இன்னிசையில்   எஸ்.பி.பி, ஜென்சி பாடிய பாடல்.  கர்நாடக ஹம்சத்வனி ராகத்தில் அமைந்துள்ளது.

மயிலே மயிலே உன் தோகை இங்கே; ஒயிலே ஒயிலே உன் ஊஞ்சல் இங்கே

குளிர் காலமல்லவோ தனிமையில் விடலாமோ

தளிர் உடல் தொடலாமோ; மயிலே மயிலே…மயிலே மயிலே

இரட்டை வேடங்களில் ஹீரோ நடித்த படங்கள் ஏராளம்ஆனால், நாயகி இரட்டை வேடமிட்டு நடித்த படங்கள்  குறைவு.   ‘கடவுள் அமைத்த மேடை’  திரைப்படத்தில் சுமித்ரா இரட்டை வேடங்களில் நடித்திருந்தார்.

Here is the Mayilu, my dream girl, I have been chasing – pictured at Guindy Children park, not inside cage, but smartly sitting outside !!

Regards – S Sampathkumar
13.8.2026

a Maltese dog !

 

A beautiful Maltese dog photographed by me !! 

The Maltese is an ancient companion breed associated historically with the Mediterranean island of Malta. They are small but surprisingly lively and intelligent. Their long white coat is one of their most distinctive characteristics.

They are generally: Very affectionate and people-oriented; Intelligent and quite trainable; playful;  Low-shedding, although their long coat requires regular grooming and brushing

One particularly endearing characteristic is that Maltese often have a very expressive face. The combination of the partly covered eyes, black nose and tongue hanging out makes the dog look almost as though it is smiling at the photographer.

the six pack !!!

 

The Six pack that I saw in the morning nearer home – Six Parakeets perched on tree !!

A six-pack refers to the visible, segmented appearance of the rectus abdominis muscle—the long, flat muscle that runs vertically down the front of your abdomen.

 The “packs” are created by horizontal bands of connective tissue (tendinous intersections) that divide the muscle into distinct sections, giving it a chiseled, block-like look when body fat is low enough to reveal them.  The rectus abdominis is actually a pair of parallel muscles, not six separate muscles.

lights ! @ Thiruvilakku Pooja

 

A glimpse of Thiruvilakku pooja organized by Triplicane Unit of TAMBRAS  (captured a small section of the people assembled) –trying to capture the row of flames !

 

Look forward to your views !  ~ photo digitally altered removing people around as also the flimsy water bottles kept on the table

SYMA ~ Independence Day 'Cataract' eye camp

 

On 14.8 – SYMA enters its 50 !  .. .. the  facade of our   Srinivas Youngmens Association (SYMA) as it was till 2019.

For couple of decades and more,  Celebrating our Independence Day, we organise 'Cataract eye detection camp'   - here is a banner in front of Peyalwar Koil St office in 2o18 seen fisheye effect !!

தரையில் இறங்கும் விமானங்கள் !!

 

தரையில் இறங்கும் விமானங்கள் !!

In life, people look upon others, compare themselves and become unhappy ! – those flying objects land and take-off; creatures on land should be contented and be happy in being able to move around, and not imagine flying !!

Swami thinkeranandha !!

பசுவுண்ட தேம்படு தண்ணீர் அமுதமாம் !! ~ நேர் படப் பேசு

 

பசுவுண்ட தேம்படு தண்ணீர் அமுதமாம் !! ~ நேர் படப் பேசு

A nice looking Cow heading straight towards me … a photo and some Tamil literature on Cow and Sangam poem on the water drunk by Cow !!

தமிழில் “பசு” என்ற சொல் விலங்கைக் குறிக்கும் பொருளைத் தவிர, சைவசித்தாந்தத்தில் உயிர் அல்லது ஆன்மா என்ற தத்துவப் பொருளிலும் வருகிறது. பதி–பசு–பாசம் என்ற முப்பொருள் கோட்பாட்டில், பசு = ஆன்மா, பதி = இறைவன், பாசம் = ஆன்மாவைக் கட்டுப்படுத்தும் பந்தங்கள்.

“பசுவுண்ட தேம்படு தண்ணீர் அமுதமாம்” என்பது அறநெறிச்சாரம் என்னும் நூலில் வரும் நீதிக் கருத்துடைய பாடலின் ஒரு பகுதி. தமிழ் இலக்கியம் மற்றும் பழைய அகராதிகளில் பசுவுக்கு வழங்கப்படும் பெயர்கள் பல உள்ளன. அவற்றில் சில நேரடிப் பெயர்கள்; சில கூட்டுப்பெயர்கள் அல்லது குறிப்பிட்ட வகைப் பசுவைக் குறிக்கும் பெயர்கள்.

பசுவின் பொதுப் பெயர்கள்:   பசு;   ஆ; ஆன்; கோ; பெற்றம்; தேனு; கபிலை; சுரபி; குரால்; குரம்; கூலம்; கோமளம்; சுரை; பத்திரை;    சுதை; வற்சலம்; வற்சை. “ஆ”, “ஆன்”, “கோ”, “பெற்றம்” ஆகியவை பசுவுக்கும் காளைக்கும் பொதுவாக வழங்கப்படும் பெயர்களாகக் குறிப்பிடப்படுகின்றன.

ஒரு பொருளின் மதிப்பு  அது யாரிடம் சேர்கிறது என்பதே தீர்மானிக்கிறது. பால் பாம்பிடம் சென்றால் நஞ்சாகிறது; தண்ணீர் பசுவிடம் சென்றால் பால் போன்ற பயனுள்ள பொருளாகிறது. அதுபோல அறிவு மட்டும் போதாது—அதைப் பயன்படுத்தும் மனிதரின் பண்பு, நோக்கம், ஒழுக்கம் ஆகியவையே அதன் விளைவைக் கட்டுப்படுத்துகின்றன.

 

பாம்புண்ட பால் எல்லாம் நஞ்சாம்; பசுவுண்ட

தேம்படு தண்ணீர் அமுதமாம் — ஓம்பற்கு

ஒளியாம் உயர்ந்தார்கண் ஞானம்; அதுபோல்

களியாம் கடையார்மாட்டு.

 

அறநெறிச்சாரம் நூலின் ஆசிரியர் முனைப்பாடியார்;  இவர் சமண சமயத்தைச் சார்ந்த அறிஞராகக் கருதப்படுகிறார். இந்நூல் பொதுவாக கி.பி. 13ஆம் நூற்றாண்டைச் சேர்ந்தது என்றும், 226 வெண்பாக்கள் கொண்டது என்றும் கூறப்படுகிறது.

பதினெண்கீழ்க்கணக்கு நூல்களின் சில பாடல்களுக்கு புறத்திரட்டில் கிடைக்கும் வடிவங்கள் முக்கியமான பாடச்சான்றுகளாக அமைந்தன. இதனால், உ.வே. சாமிநாதையர் இதனை “எனக்குக் கண்ணைக் கொடுத்த நூல்” என்று பாராட்டியதாகக் கூறப்படுகிறது. அதாவது, சிதைந்தோ மாறுபட்டோ கிடைத்த பாடல்களின் சரியான வடிவத்தை அறிய இந்நூல் உதவியது. பதினெண்கீழ்க்கணக்கு என்பது சங்கம் மருவிய காலத்தில் தோன்றிய 18 தமிழ் நூல்களின் தொகுப்பு. இவற்றில் பெரும்பாலானவை அறம், ஒழுக்கம், வாழ்வியல், காதல், போர் போன்ற கருத்துகளை எடுத்துரைக்கின்றன. நினைவில் கொள்ள உதவும் பாரம்பரியத் தொடர்:

**நாலடி நான்மணி நானாற்பது

ஐந்திணைமுப் பால் கடுகம் கோவை

பழமொழி மாமூலம்

இன்னிலை காஞ்சியுடன் ஏலாதி

என்பதூஉம் கைந்நிலையும் ஆம் கீழ்க்கணக்கு**

இங்கே “முப்பால்” என்பது திருக்குறளையும், “மாமூலம்” என்பது சிறுபஞ்சமூலத்தையும் குறிக்கிறது.

Interesting !

Regards – S Sampathkumar

11.8.2026

 

the fastest on earth is not Usain Bolt ... not Cheetah or Peregrine Falcon !!!

On that day in  Sept 1988, we witnessed the spectacle of a man turning around after passing approx 60m – then raising his hand and still finishing in 9.79 creating a new WR.  Ben Johnson, the Canadian sprinter was rescinded the medal disqualified for doping. 

Mites, along with ticks, are small arthropods belonging to the subclass Acari  and the class Arachnida. The scientific discipline devoted to the study of ticks and mites is called acarology. In soil ecosystems, mites are favored by high organic matter content and by moist conditions, wherein they actively engage in the fragmentation and mixing of organic matter.

Usain Bolt now is the fastest man on earth – holding both the 100M and 200M World records – he is the reigning Olympic champion in three events, the first man to win six Olympic gold medals in sprinting, and an eight-time World champion.  Even Usain Bolt,  cannot outpace greyhounds, cheetahs, or the pronghorn antelope, according to a light-hearted comparison of the extraordinary athleticism of humans and animals in the Veterinary Record. Often we have read that the fastest land animal is the Cheetah which has a recorded speed of 96–120 km/h (60–75 mph). The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest bird, with a speed of 389 km/h (242 mph).  The fastest animal in the sea is the Black marlin, which has a recorded speed of 130 km/h (80 mph).

Humans can run at a maximum speed of 23.4 miles per hour (37.6 kilometres/hour) or 10.4 metres per second, which gives them the edge over the Dromedary camel. Cheetah is much faster and there are many animals which run faster than the fastest man.  Most Quizzers would answer that Cheetah is the fastest animal on land – Scientists would say differently !

To them – insects too are animals ….the Australian tiger beetle could run at a speed of 171 body lengths every second. On the other hand, a cheetah can run at around 16 body lengths every second. However, both these speed demons pale in comparison to P. macropalpis. The tiny mite is only around the size of a sesame seed but it can travel an astounding 322 body lengths in a single second.  So, the fastest land animal is Southern California mite (Paratarsotomus macropalpis), according to a team of researchers from the Claremont Colleges.

It is not speed and distance parameters alone but the body length – the mite was recorded to be running at 322 body lengths per second; which is equivalent of Usain Bolt running at 1,300 miles per hour. The presumed title holder Cheetah by this yardstick moves at a measly 16 body lengths per second. Since the mite’s body size is smaller than a sesame seed, it’s unlikely that the mite could actually beat Usain Bolt, with his great stride, in a one-on-one race. 

“Both relative speed and stride frequency increase as animals get smaller,” Pomona College biologist Jonathan Wright, who led the team, said in a summary of the research. The research team used high-speed cameras to record the mites’ speed in the laboratory and in their natural environment. Extrapolated to the size of a human, the mite's speed is equivalent to a person running roughly 1300 miles per hour.  The mite is local to Southern California and is often found running along rocks or sidewalks. Although it was first identified in 1916, little is known about its habits or food sources.The mites also are adept at stopping and changing directions extremely quickly, attributes the researchers are investigating further for potential insights that may be relevant to bioengineering applications.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

10^th Sept. 2014.

elephants block ambulance ~ suffering of a pregnant woman

Heard of the word ‘depredation’ (n) – the dictionary meaning is ‘an act of attacking or plundering’ ~ often this is associated with damage caused by pachyderms.  We read about ‘human-animal’ conflict…. ~ it is  the interaction between wild animals and people and the resultant negative impact on people or their resources, or wild animals or their habitat. It occurs when growing human populations overlap with established wildlife territory, creating reduction of resources or life to some people and/or wild animals. 

You hear of elephants walking to human domain, blocking roads etc., quite often in Coimbatore… sometime back tension was simmering on the proposed elephant corridor in Ooty foothills. While conservationists say this is essential to restore the man-nature balance, farmers and property owners question the State government’s decision to acquire 7,000 acres of fertile land for it. The whole area from the Bandipur reserve forest in Karnataka, adjoining the Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary of Tamil Nadu and the foothills of Ooty, was once untouched “tusker territory”, say wildlife activists.  It is stated humans have now intruded into the wilderness and encroached upon the Nilgiri biosphere reserve. Of the around 2,000 elephants in the southern peninsula, half are in the three contiguous, ecologically sensitive sanctuaries.

Elephants are commonly sighted in palces like Masinagudi, Mavanallah, Bokkapuram, Vazhaithottam, Anaikatty and Sigur. Once in a while you read of elephants rampaging in areas like Kovaipudur, Thondamuthur, Valparai, Madukkarai etc.,  Elephants often raid the fields ransacking crops in search of water and food.

Away in US, the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service awarded $3.8 million in 2011 and 2012 for a “African Elephant Conservation” grant that, in part, aims to “decrease human-elephant conflict.” The grant award for 2013 is estimated at $1.5 million to continue efforts to protect African elephants and their habitat.  The funds  are granted to African government agency responsible for African elephant conservation and protection and any other organization or individual with demonstrated experience in African elephant conservation. 

Jumbos have had the measure of humans  in Tamilnadu. Large herds and loners have caused fear by entering villages bordering forests in Erode, Krishnagiri, Coimbatore and Dharmapuri districts~ but the experience of 34 year old tribal woman Vasantha Devi was harrowing as reported in Times of India.  The news states that a herd of six elephants blocked the pathway of the ambulance that was taking Vasantha, who was in labour, to a hospital. The delay in getting to the hospital led to the loss of her infant son who was stillborn.

Her husband B Nenjan witnessed and underwent pain as it was not possible to make the elephants move and have the way for vehicle. His wife was writhing in pain; by the time more people came for assistance, she had delivered a stillborn baby.  Later she was rushed  labour ward intensive care unit of Coimbatore Medical College Hospital due to post-pregnancy complications. It is stated that the elephants just stood there for more than half an hour and refused to give way to the ambulance. The traumatic ordeal left Vasantha in an extremely vulnerable state with her blood pressure shooting up, leading to severe eclamptic seizures, a pregnancy related complication. The herd eventually moved out of the way and she was transferred from the ambulance into the jeep and rushed to Sathy government hospital. The authorities there referred her to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital where she is recuperating but still kept in the intensive care unit under medical supervision.

The ambulance in which Vasantha was being taken to the hospital had reached a stream near Kallampalayam. Irudhiyaraj, the panchayat president of Thengumarahada, a collection of more than five hamlets, claimed that the bumpy ride through the forest route itself is a traumatic experience for pregnant women and there were several cases where pregnant women delivered inside the vehicle.

Nanjan (36), is a casual labourer and has been married to Vasantha for more than three years. They live in a tribal hamlet near Kallampalayam, accessible through Bhavani Sagar forest region in Erode. It is a remote area where there are no proper transport facilities. Though it falls in Nilgiris district, the nearest source for medical aid is a health centre near Thengumarahada and then at Sathyamangalam in Erode for complicated cases.

Really sad to read of their ordeal ~ caused this time by the elephants

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

4^th Sept. 2013

News source : Times of India; photo courtesy : The Hindu.

deers of Chennai ... collision and translocation plan ...

Chennai is bursting at seams with the ever increasing traffic and at places there are stray cattle which are the menace …. Surprisingly in the concrete jungle, there still exist some places where one can spot deers in Chennai.   With an explosion in the population of spotted deer or chital and limited green cover, the animals are straying out of their natural habitat and into danger on the streets.  Guindy National Park (GNP) the only national park within city limits, has  more than thousand spotted deer and hundreds of black bucks. As the foliage reserve in the park is insufficient for the animals, the deer often stray outside in search of food.

A deer-vehicle collision occurs when one or more deer and a human-operated vehicle collide on a roadway. It can result in deer fatality, property damage, and human injury and/or death. In 2000, of the 6.1 million lightweight motor vehicle collisions reported in the US, 1 million involved animal-vehicle collisions. Over there, deer–vehicle collisions lead to about 200 human deaths and $1.1 billion in property damage every year.  Deers are not entirely at fault. Habitat fragmentation occurs when humans encroach the natural habitats of animals. As human beings live in closer proximity to animals they are more likely to encounter one another. Because highways are isolated points of fragmentation, deer wander about them freely because they see little to stay away from.

In 2011, in Chennai, as part of the Metro Rail construction, the Forest Department  translocated 40 spotted deer from the Poultry Research Station at Nandanam, claiming it to be the first successful change of location of deer in the country. The deer were translocated to Aringar Anna Zoological Park and Guindy National Park, as a metro railway station was planned at the Nandanam campus.  A recent report in The Hindu states that sighting spotted deer on the Anna University campus, or in Kotturpuram, Adambakkam and other residential localities will soon become a thing of the past. Thanks to the efforts of wildlife authorities, deer found outside protected areas such as Guindy national park and the campuses of Raj Bhavan and IIT-Madras will be translocated.

A senior wildlife officer said these free-ranging deer fed on garbage dumped by people and, in some areas, were fed by residents. They were also exposed to the danger of being bitten by community dogs. In light of these issues, the authorities have decided to translocate them, the officer said. An estimated 300 spotted deer are found outside protected areas in a total of 30 locations within the city limits, identified by wildlife authorities. Guindy Industrial Estate, Indra Nagar, Thillai Ganga Nagar, Adambakkam, Tambaram Railway Colony, Kannagi Nagar, Velachery and Kotturpuram are some of them. A proposal to translocate the deer was sent to the government sometime ago, and it issued an order a couple of days ago, sources in the wildlife department said. A sum of Rs. 44.73 lakh has been sanctioned for the work, which began last week and would be completed by March next year, said a senior wildlife officer.

Explaining the process involved in translocating the deer, authorities said they had decided not to use chemical tranquilisers to trap the deer. Instead, a cage would be set up with feed inside.

For nearly a fortnight, authorities would provide feed inside the enclosure. Once the deer gets accustomed to eating the food kept in the enclosure, the animal would be trapped in it and transported to the protected areas. Trapped deer would be translocated to Guindy National Park, Vandalur zoo, Vandalur reserved forest and other nearby forest areas, according to authorities. Already, officials have translocated nearly 60 deer from the Ekkatuthangal, Kotturpuram and Madhya Kailash areas on a trial basis, they added.

On a web search a newsitem in www.northlandsnewscenter.com revealed that Minnesota drivers odds for colliding with deer were  declining,  according to new claims data from State Farm Insurance.  The odds drivers will hit a deer in Minnesota are 1 in 88 and is ranked 8th in the country for the most deer collisions compared to 6th last year. The months a driver is most likely to collide with a deer in Minnesota, mostly due to mating and hunting seasons are June, October, and November.  In Hawai, it is reported to be : One in 10,281. Illinois drivers are less fortunate. Their odds are 1 in 211, a slight increase from last year, but better than the national average of 1 in 169. In West Virginia it is 1 in 39. Another report in Chicago Tribune states that traffic fatalities drop 30 percent in Illinois.  To avoid becoming a statistic, among other actions it is recommended that drivers use high beams at night when no oncoming traffic is present and slow down — not swerve — when spotting a deer. Also remember that deer typically travel in groups.

The deer whistle is the most widely studied and scrutinized form of deer-vehicle collision prevention method. Deer whistles are products that attach to a vehicle and act as an alarm system for deer and other wildlife. The manufacturing of deer whistle products has emerged into a multimillion-dollar industry. Their manufacturers advertise that ultrasound, which they say deer can hear but humans cannot is emitted as air passes through the whistle; they are  designed to be attached to the bumper of a vehicle. When a vehicle moves faster than 35 mph, a whistle sound is induced which is believed to ward off animals from a roadway.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

19^th Sept. 2014.

cows smuggled in a tanker ~ and stowaway in a washing machine

The Government has put on alert customs officials at all international airports and land and sea borders to further intensify measures to check gold smuggling, which it suspects could rise during the ongoing festive season. The move comes following a three-fold jump in the cases of ‘gold smuggling’ since the beginning of this fiscal compared to approximately the same period last year.

Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects (and sometimes people too !) across varied places especially borders of a State (Country).  There are various motives, almost all illegal and banned in civil society.  Stowaway is different – this refers to a person who secretly boards a vehicle, such as an aircraft, bus, ship, cargo truck or train, to travel without paying and without being detected.  According to IMO, the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic, 1965, as amended,  define stowaway as "A person who is secreted on a ship, or in cargo which is subsequently loaded on the ship, without the consent of the shipowner or the Master or any other responsible person and who is detected on board the ship after it has departed from a port, or in the cargo while unloading it in the port of arrival, and is reported as a stowaway by the master to the appropriate authorities".

Now read this interesting report of smuggling (source : Times of India) :

In a bid to outsmart police, cattle smugglers have been devising newer ways of transport. The Shahjahanpur police in UP seized an oil tanker in which 25 cows were being transported. Police received a message  that an oil tanker had jumped a road barrier and struck a jeep. The police team immediately cordoned off the area and signalled to the driver to stop. The driver and cleaner of the tanker fled on seeing the police team.

The vehicle bore the name of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation. An inspection revealed an opening in the rear. Usually, tanker vehicles  vehicles only have a cap on the upper portion. When police opened the lid on the rear of the vehicle, they found 25 cows inside which were later taken to a veterinary hospital. SP Rakesh Chandra Sahu of Shahjahanpur told TOI, “The cattle smugglers had created an opening in the rear of the tanker through which they stuffed the cows in after injecting them with sedatives. We have lodged an FIR under the Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act against unidentified people. We are trying to trace the owner of the tanker’.

Now there is this news on ‘stowaway’ caught trying to sneak across the border in a …………….. (as reported in Daily Mail) ….

Stowaways on board vessel, inside containers, in little space on aircraft – nothing new …. Now a man was discovered in the large appliance inside a U-Haul in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas …. It was inside a washing machine and - a cardboard box held four other undocumented immigrants – all trying to cross the Mexican border into US were detained by U.S. border patrol in Falfurrias, Texas. The group was travelling in the back of a U-Haul. Also detained were the man behind the wheel and his female passenger.

Meanwhile, high-ranking U.S. Senate Democrats last week called on the Obama administration to reverse its new policy of detaining Central American immigrant families, warning it could be damaging to the young children being housed in the facilities. Many of the migrants are fleeing El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, where gang violence, drugs and human trafficking are rampant.

Strange are the ways of people !!

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

21^st Oct 2014.