The man who moved the hill to bring road to village…..

To some, politics is  bad outright  and politicians do nothing good –

It is not the Metropolis or major cities but India still lives in villages – how many of us know or have been to or heard of villages named –  Agaramcheri, Alangayam, Andiyappanur, Chinnavarikkam, Chittiappanur, Eachampattu, Girisamudram, Kadavalam, Kammiyampattu, Kulidigai, Kurisilapattu,  Mallagunta, Mothagapalli, Nekkanamalai, Peddakallupalli, Sammandhikuppam, Shimugapattu,  Somalapuram, Thottalam, Udayendram, Valayambattu, Vellakkal, Velthikamanipenda  ................... and the like

Sure to you some do not even sound Tamil names and perhaps are situated elsewhere !!  These are some of the villages in Vaniyampadi  town of Vellore District.  Vellore, not far away from the capital Chennai is a district bounded by Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Thiruvannamalai, Krishnagiri Districts and north by Andhra Pradesh State. 

Many villages are green and are governed well by local leaders who are widely respected for their integrity and their will to serve their place.  There is the system of local self-Governments known as Gram Panchayats at the village or small town levels.  The Gram Panchayat is the foundation of the Panchayati Raj. The Sarpanch or Chairperson is the head of the Gram Panchayat. The elected members of the Gram Panchayat elect from among themselves a Sarpanch and a Deputy Sarpanch for a term of five years. In some places the panchayat president is directly elected by village people. The Sarpanch presides over the meetings of the Gram Panchayat and supervises its working. He implements the development schemes of the village.   The Sarpanch has the responsibilities of looking after street lights,  construction and repair work of the roads in the villages and also the village markets, fairs, festivals and celebrations,  keeping a record of births, deaths and marriages in the village, looking after public health and hygiene by providing facilities for sanitation and drinking water and providing for education.  A Himalayan task indeed !!

Though not a recent one – I had once shared the deeds of an extraordinary person  Dashrath Manjhi, who was once asked  by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to occupy his chair for a little over five minutes.  The CM had said that was one way of acknowledging the greatness of the great deed.  This real hero died in 2007 at AIIMS New Delhi and was accorded state funeral.  Dashrath Manjhi was born in 1934 into a poor labourer's family in Gahlour village near Gaya in Bihar. He fought a lengthy battle against the mountain – not out of any grudge but for a social cause. He was ridiculed in 1959 when he started hewing a way through the Gahlaur Ghati hills of Bihar’s Gaya district, some 150 km from Patna. Age, health, bereavement, criticism, ridicule -  nothing deterred him – as he carried on with grit for 22 years and made a reality 360ft-long, 30ft-wide road across the mountain. What was once a precarious passage just a foot wide became wide enough to accommodate cyclists and motorcyclists – helping locals hailing from nearby villages with ease.  From 1960 to 1982 it certainly was a long journey but the accomplishment of herculean task made him happy.

Now the newsitem in today’s (28^th Oct 2011) ‘The New Indian Express’ – Chennai Edition makes us realize that such great men are not alone and there are some who are to be placed in the same pedestal. 

You read a list of some of the villages in Vaniyampadi Town in Vellore District.  One amongst those tiny tots of village is Veladhikamanipenta.  This hill village  near Vaniyambadi,  is on the district/state border of Andhra Pradesh – the death of a 85 year old person has the made the whole area sad and mourn the death.

Jalappa, is most illustrious son of this village.  He as the Village Panchayat, spent his life to ensure that the village gets connected with the rest of the World.   Veladhikamanipenta, is about 3,000 feet above sea level and  is a picturesque hill village, some 15 kms from Vaniyambadi.  There are more than 200 villages in the hills, most of them in Chittoor district of AP, sharing border with Vellore. All these villages had no transport facility and the villagers who had to sell their produce at the nearest town Vaniyambadi, had to trek the hills everyday.  Jalappa, as the panchayat president in 1972, was determined to get roads for the villages. He teamed up with another panchayat president, M M Basheer of Jafferabad in the foothills, who shared a similar vision. Both of them took up the matter with the TN and AP forest departments and got the approval for a road linking the National Highway 46 and NH 4 after a long struggle.  Basheer, who is in his eighties now, mourning the death of Jalappa, recalled how hundreds of villagers from the hills worked day and night to clear debris. The then District Collector Paramasivam, with the help of his counterpart in Chittoor, got the roadwork extended within its territory. The `70-lakh project began in 1972 and was completed in 1974. It was declared open by the then PWD minister.  While the road was ready, it did not have protective walls and hence, both the State governments had refused to ply transport services. After several efforts by Jalappa and Basheer, the wall work was completed and the mini bus service was introduced in 2008.

It was a day of delight and merriment not only for Jalappa & Basheer but also for the entire village which celebrated by distributing sweets when the buses carrying the villagers landed in Vaniyampadi.  But the visionary – Jalappa was not contented… he wanted the inter-state highway to be expanded to accommodate bigger  vehicles.  The duo once again began their visits to the government offices and got the NABARD sanction `2.28 crore two years ago. But the work had not been taken up.

The newspaper states that at old age of 85 the frail Jalappa went to Hyderabad last week  to seek the intervention of the government to move papers for the expansion work.  Today, Jalappa is no more.. the village mourns his death.. it might take a few more years – but he will live in the hearts of the villagers by his selfless great deed.  The one-acre land Jalappa had donated at Veladhikamanipenta for a school will stand testimony to this simple man, who had dedicated his life for his villages.

BHARAT – our Great Mother land has more Jalappas –  it rains still and  We are leading peaceful life only due such noble acts of such Great persons.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

the calls that alarmed Emergency Services 108 in Chennai

Do you know which type of calls  alarmed 108 on Deepavali day ?

Whenever you see an accident or somebody in dire need of medical attention, do not panic.. try and assist the victim in some possible manner.. the simplest is to call the Emergency Service (108) and inform them clearly of the need, probable requirement and  the place where their attendance is required.

Often we see vehicles flashing with warning lights and sirens – unfortunately such vehicles (ambulances) are also caught up in the melee of traffic and find it difficult to manouvre out of the muddle.   A timely response and care is  most essential in saving lives and we on our part should at least ensure that their passage is easy and fast.  Remember that ‘whatever be your urgency’ – the movement of an ambulance is more essential as it is either transporting sick / injured people or would be moving to assist one in dire need.  Next time you hear or see an ambulance, please do stop / move to a side, giving free way to the ‘emergency assistor’ irrespective of whether those in front and behind do the same.. you need not be guided by what others do, but can set your own rules !   

Some also have the nasty habit of driving fast behind in the leeway created by the movement of ambulance.. silly .. the movement of ambulance is the top priority – rest all can wait !

There was a time, when Emergency services were not readily available.  Now you have a host of Private hospitals providing immediate urgent service besides the good services of “108” – the one managed by GVK EMRI in Public Private Partnership with the Govt in the State of Tamilnadu and in many other States as well.  GVK EMRI handles medical, police and fire emergencies through the " 1-0-8 Emergency service". This is a free service delivered through state- of -art emergency call response centres.

A few months back, Delhi Police launched a special drive to book and penalize those callous motorists who deny and block passage of emergency vehicles, ambulances, fire tenders and Police control room vans.   Should there be prosecution and should not people desist from this on their own does not need any lengthy explanation !

Deepavali – the festival of Lights was celebrated grandly in the State. The incessant rains did dampen the spirits yet people were out celebrating the festival in style, wearing new clothes, bursting loads of crackers and visiting their friends and relatives

--- and all lived happily thereafter  (is an ending only in fairy tales)

The Emergency Services remain on tenterhooks throughout such festive occasions.  If you think, that it is the crackers and the possible fire or injuries out of bursting of cracker that causes most damage, you are far away from the mark…………….  It is the drunken driving that keeps posing a big worry to all Emergency Services..

Quite unfortunately, revelling in drinking is the form of enjoyment to some.. such people cause more harm to themselves and to Society at large..  One is at liberty to enjoy – but those inebriated often cause trouble and injuries to others by their negligent acts and callous driving in drunk condition.  There are reports that  Ambulances had a tough time on Wednesday (26^th Oct 2011) in the City of Chennai ,not so much because of fire accidents as accidents but more  caused by drunk drivers.  Quoting  108 Service, TOI reports that  the Service received 1,500 more calls than they usually  get on a normal day. The number of cases involving vehicle accidents more than doubled in the days of festivity.  From an average of 350, it rose to alarming 700 approx.   The ambulance service got only 21 calls for burn injuries on Tuesday and 44 on Wednesday.

The police attributed this sudden jump in vehicular accidents to drunk driving.  Expecting this,  Police had conducted a special drive to crack down on drunk drivers and caught more people than usual. The Chennai City Traffic Police has 87 breath analysers that they use during weekends and such occasions. 

Chennai is a city bursting with population reportedly of 4.68 million and more millions of floating population who visit the city daily.  It is becoming virtually impossible for the Law Enforcement Agencies to keep things in check.  No body has the liberty to cause harm unto others even when they are unlikely to get caught.  

Next time,  Nay  – Every time – Drive Carefully – Have concern for other road users and give way to Emergency Vehicles.  In a civilized Society, care and concern for the Society is of utmost importance much above self.

With regards

S. Sampathkumar.

Boeing 737 Dreamliner’s maiden commercial flight : Haneda – Hongkong.

Innovations are what keeps One above their competitors and ‘plastic jet’ is one.

When we celebrated Deepavali in our backyards, (on Oct 26, 2011) something remarkable occurred elsewhere in Japan– the Boeing 787 flew its first commercial flight from Haneda to Hongkong.  .  The first 787 was officially delivered to launch customer All Nippon Airways in September 2011 and now is the first commercial flight.  Handea Airport is more better known as  Tokyo International Airport .  Tokyo has   airports  and Haneda is in Ōta, Tokyo, 14 km  south of Tokyo Station.  Haneda handles almost all domestic flights to and from Tokyo, while Narita International Airport handles the vast majority of international flights.  The inaugural flight was on air much later than the original plans – 3 years later. The airline  had auctioned six business-class seats on the inaugural flight, with one selling for $34,000 (£21,200) - about 13 times the price of a regular business-class ticket between the two Asian hubs.

The specialty was it was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner – a  long-range, mid-size wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The first 787 was unveiled in a roll-out ceremony on July 8, 2007, at Boeing's Everett assembly factory, by which time it had become the fastest-selling wide-body airliner in history with 677 orders.  It seats 210 to 290 passengers, depending on the variant. Boeing states that it is the company's most fuel-efficient airliner and the world's first major airliner to use composite materials for most of its construction.  It is claimed that  787 consumes 20% less fuel than the similarly-sized Boeing 767.    The 787 was designed to become the first production composite airliner, with the fuselage assembled in one-piece composite barrel sections instead of the multiple aluminum sheets and some 50,000 fasteners used on existing aircraft.  Industry reports state that Boeing initially priced the 787-8 variant at US$120 million, a low figure that surprised the industry but the reports were raised subsequently

It flew for All Nippon Airways Co Ltd (also known as Zennikku) one of the largest airlines of Japan, headquartered  at Shiodome City Center,  Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It operates services to 49 destinations in Japan and 35 international routes.  It has some regional airlines of which Air Next is  a low-cost carrier.   The  new aircraft would allow All Nippon Airways to open new routes to cities not previously served, such as Denver, Moscow, and New Delhi.   All Nippon Airways launched the 787 Dreamliner program with an order for 50 aircraft in 2004.

The Wednesday’s flight (26^th Oct 11)  was a special charter and the normal services are to start next month.   Because of the materials used in construction - carbon fibre rather than aluminium - as well as new engines and aerodynamics, it is claimed to be more fuel efficient than similarly-sized models flying today.  That would be a big help for airlines coping with the high price of jet fuel, which is usually their biggest single cost.  ANA's chief Shinichiro Ito and Boeing vice-president Scott Fancher broke open barrels of sake with small hammers and passed it around to passengers as they boarded in Tokyo.  The plane has bigger windows, wider seats and aisles less.  The cabin hosts specially modified levels of air pressure and humidity to help avoid the headaches and nausea that can accompany a long-haul flight. The 787 also boasts 60 per cent lower noise levels and comes with anti-turbulence systems and even an advanced air-filtration system to eliminate unwanted odours. The overhead compartments are 30 per cent bigger than those on the Boeing 777, and comfortably take a suitcase.  Some technical specs are given as :

Seats: 210 to 250. ; Range: 8,800 to 9,400 miles. ; Wingspan: 197 feet. ; Length: 186 feet.; Height: 56 feet. ; Cruise speed: Mach 0.85, about 650 mph. ; Cargo volume: 4,400 cubic feet. ; Maximum takeoff weight: 502,500 pounds.; Engines: Rolls Royce or General Electric.

Boeing 737 has many orders in the pipeline and it is reported that  Thomson Holidays expects 12 in 2012; British Airways expects first of its 24 in 2013, Virgin Atlantic expects first of 15 in 2014.

Remember that I had posted in July 11 of the dreamliner landing at Delhi.  To read that post click :  here

On 13^th July 2011,  American aircraft manufacturer Boeing's most-anticipated passenger jet - the 787 Dreamliner aircraft - landed in the Capital on its maiden visit  - for demo trials to Air India.  It was received with a water cannon salute at that time.    

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

Sushil Kumar wins 5 Crores in KBC 5 - Do you remember Koteeswaran

‘Naan ready – Neenga Readiya ?” – was the poser to audience by Sarathkumar….. not many years ago !  Do you remember the show “Koteeswaran” featuring the actor in Sun TV on the lines of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepathi’ ?  Koteeswaran is common name – a Hindu name after Lord Easwar; one denoting unlimited riches.  ‘koti’ is crore and the one named so is blessed to possess crores of values… way back in 1955 there was a Sivaji Ganesan / Padmini starrer produced by Sri Ganesh Movietone with background score by G Ramanathan. 

This is nothing about the Cinema – about the mind sport or more about a person from Bihar turning riches in the game.

Koteeswaran was a much hyped game show, a regional Quiz on the lines of KBC – remember was sponsored by Hindustan Lever…   in those days the advt rates for KBC  were stated to be  around Rs 3.5 lakh for 10 seconds.  Koteeswaran never succeeded the way KBC did – the poor tamil viewers were thus denied opportunity of becoming richer unlike their counterparts from cow belt.  There was another attempt - `Koteeswari',  initially intended to be a game show, a precursor of jackpot, hosted by Kushbu.  The prize money was a lowly lakh of rupees.

Perhaps South Indians can never win in KBC – there would always a Q on Hindi tinseldom, a sitter for most Indians and certain doom for people like us.  Then the one in mythology or local adaptation also would be a killer..

The 5^th season of  game show "Kaun Banega Crorepati" is on and now  Sushil Kumar from Bihar has won the mega prize of Rs.5 crore.  The present episodes show the participant’s background, their homes, their locality often portraying their simplicity.  Sushil Kumar, is a  computer operator and tutor who earns Rs.6,000 per month.

For those uninformed, Kaun Banega Crorepati is an Indian reality/game show based on the UK game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? – the 5^th version which is now aired offers a maximum cash prize of Rs.5 crores (Rs.5,00,00,000/-)   The show first aired in 2000 and was hosted by Amitabh Bachchan. This was the first appearance of Bachchan on Indian television. On 5 August 2005, the show was restarted after a four-year hiatus with prize money enhanced to 2 crores.    It  abruptly ended in 2006 with Amitabh falling ill.  Star Television roped in Shahrukh Khan to host the third season of the show but was not a real success.  So the 4^th season, it was Amitabh at the hot seat again (rather infront of the hotseat which was reserved for the select participants) calling computer jee, lock kiya jaye !! – but the prize money was decreased to 1  crore with a jackpot Q for 5  crore.  It was an instantaneous hit.

The fifth season which is currently on air started on 15 August 2011 on the Independence Day of India with the same format.  Bihar is one of the poorest states in India but its resident Sushil Kumar has turned rich.. Sushil Kumar has become a crorepathi (5 crore winner)

It perhaps was a better version of the hindi blockbuster - Slumdog Millionaire.  The winner who got married recently was reported as stating that he never thought in his wildest dreams that he would do this !  "This is what the common man is all about. This is what KBC is all about - given an opportunity, the common man has the strength the ability and the accumen to prove to the world that he is the best and second to none,"  stated the 69-year-old Bachchan, who hosts KBC.

Questions would look simple and answers too easily known when you see and judge it from outside… that is more because your failures are not counted and your answers are not valued… attach some value of gain or a loss to your decision then most men would fumble often on very ordinary Qs, answers to which most people would claim to know.   That way, there should have been  pulsating excitement on the set and the expectations on air at the venue for the crew and spectators should have been unimaginable.  It is the highest prize money ever  in the history of Indian television.  Tension would grip the viewer as each question would be answered and perhaps sometimes you start praying for the participant to know the right answer !!

The reports state that Sushil took more than long time in deciding on going for the last Q after crossing the 1 crore mark.  The defensive mindset would have forced ordinary mortals to walk away with the crore prize money; he eventually decided to go for it and after he answered and results were known, the  entire place just exploded. The family of Sushil Kumar, the contestant, not prone to any kind of public jubilation ran on to the floor of the set in uncontrollable joy and screams and tears of happiness, whilst the live audience were whooping it up on their feet with the loudest scream.  The episode, featuring Sushil  Kumar's win, will be telecast Nov 2, 2011.

In the first season Harshvardhan Nawathe from Mumbai won 1 crore; in 2004 Rahat Taslim from Jharkand won Rs.1 crore but quit before the jackpot question for Rs.5 crore.

In the show there is something known as ‘lifeline’ which the participant can use when one is unsure of the answer.  It is limited option.  The current lifelines in KBC 5 are :

Audience Poll: - showing bar graph format answers of all those audience

Phone a Friend:- contestant can ask a friend – to be answered in 30 seconds, where often friends fumble to answer within the given time.  

Ask an Expert: - provides the contestant to ask an expert via  live face-to-face audio and video connection.

Double Dip:  -   allowing the contestant to make 2 guesses at a Q.  

In the first episode there were the famous 50/50 which will remove 2 wrong answers off the 4 and Flip the Question by which the contestant can avoid the Q and take another Q from the Computer.  

Quiz is fun but can be boring at times with the time taken and with advertisements running in between…

With regards

S. Sampathkumar.