59th Republic Day greetings to all

I always had high standard for Dr.Abdul Kalam. Somehow, the present president of India does not make any impression to me for bigger stages. I always felt Kalam had a vision for himself as well as for India. It would be good to revise some of his ideas on our 59th Republic Day. Here is what he said on Jan 25th 2004 in his Presdiential Address:

Profile of Competitive India

A Nation that is prosperous, healthy, secure, peaceful and happy.
A Nation where the rural and urban divide has reduced to a thin line.
A Nation where there is an equitable distribution of energy and quality water.
A Nation where agriculture, industry and service sector work together in symphony, absorbing technology thereby resulting in sustained wealth generation leading to higher employment potential.
A Nation where education is not denied to any meritorious candidates because of societal or economic discrimination.
A Nation which is the best destination for the most talented scholars and scientists all over the world.
A Nation where the best of health care is available to all the billion population and the diseases like AIDS/TB, water borne diseases, Cardiac diseases and Cancer are extinct.
A Nation where the governance uses the best of the technologies to be responsive, transparent, easily accessible and simple in rules, thereby corruption free.
A Nation where poverty has been totally alleviated, illiteracy and crime against women are eradicated and the society is unalienated.
A Nation that is one of the best places to live in, on the earth and brings smiles on a billion faces.
These are the ten dimensional transformations needed for a competitive India and we have to work for.

Please find the present President's Republic Day's Speech which she delivered yesterday in the following link:

http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=420478&sid=NAT

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தைப்பொங்கல்: Pongal Greetings to you all!

Thai Pongal (தைப்பொங்கல்) is a harvest festival equivalent to a thanksgiving event celebrated by Tamilians across the world. Pongal in Tamil means "boiling over or spill over." The act of boiling over of milk in the clay pot is considered to denote future prosperity for the family.

Traditionally it is a feast of the prosperity associated with the harvest by thanking the rain, sun and the farm animals that have helped in the harvest. The festival is at least 1000 years old although some believe that the festival is more than 2000 years old. As per epigraphic evidence, it used to be celebrated as Puthiyeedu during Medieval Chola empire days. It is thought that Puthiyeedu meant the first harvest of the year. People of all religions celebrate the pongal festival. Sweet pongal rice. Tamils refer to Pongal as "Tamizhar Thirunal" (meaning "the festival of Tamils"). This festival originated in Tamil Nadu. The saying "Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum" (தை பிறந்தால் வழி பிறக்கும்) meaning "the birth of the month of Thai will pave the way for new opportunities" is often quoted regarding the Pongal festival Usually, the festival takes place January 12 — 15. The festival is celebrated four days from the last day of the Tamil month Maargazhi (December — January) to the third day of Thai (January — February).

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Go to the whole world! (Mt 28) Except Orissa!

Armed members of ‘Kui Samaj Samnyaya Samiti’ block the highway

Protestors from all over India rise against the atrocities on the church and christians in Orissa on Christmas day. In Mumbai Mahesh Bhatt and members from differnt NGOs protested to the extent of demanding a ban on the VHP.

The attack on over two dozen churches in which two persons were killed and at least 25 injured, also saw VHP miscreants attack the houses of politicians like the Orissa Steel & Mines minister, 6 churches set on fire, an orphanage run by missionaries targeted, etc. on Christmas day and thereafter. A police station, a police outpost and the official jeep of the circle inspectors were also torched ablaze. The protestors felt attack seemed well-planned, executed with precision, leading one to conclude that it is a precursor of further attacks on minorities, in the aftermath of the Gujarat election results.

A circular sent by the CBCI Secretary General Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandes to all the dioceses of India proposing that in solidarity with all of them, the Catholic Church with other Christians in India spend a week of prayer –from this Sunday 30th December to Sunday 6th January 2008 - for the Christians of Orissa.

I would like to present to you a quote from Fr. Ambrose Pinto, SJ from his talk in the APIA meeting in Bangalore August 17 - 21, 1998
"One of the salient features of globalization is that it does not provide chances to the poor to become economically stable, developing nations to become stable. Criminalisation, aggression, violence, intolerance, social discrimination and injustice make inroad into the community life of the poor. Majority of those get affected are essentially dalits, tribals, women and other backward classes. Everything of human existence gets commodified - the body, mind, behaviours, dreams, desires, relationships et all. The media is taking the Indian masses to a world of trade and commerce creating false images. The culture of sharing resources with others is replaced by the culture of denial. The commercialization of value system conditions social relationships. Individual self is preferred to the "self-for-the-others".

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