At The Hindu: Two legends, two nations and one great ideology
March 17, 2009 at 6:04 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: Chennai, civil disobedience, freedom, India, internship, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., non-violence, The Hindu, U.S.
CHENNAI: Two men from opposite sides of the world transformed their countries based on the same precepts: non-violent protest can spark change, not only within a nation, but around the world.
To mark 50 years since Martin Luther King Jr.’s pilgrimage to India, the U.S. Consulate General here inaugurated an exhibition at Sri Krishna Sweets on Monday, featuring the ideological exchange between India and the U.S. The “Journey Toward Freedom” exhibit focuses on two legendary leaders in particular: Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
He came to India in 1959, 11 years after Gandhi’s death, wanting to see the sights and the country wherefrom the Gandhian thought originated. India was the only country to which he said he would travel as a pilgrim, not a tourist.
“King did use what he learned here and he imparted those methods to the U.S.,” said Frederick Kaplan, U.S. Consul for Public Affairs.
Seeing that Gandhi was able to catalyse India’s freedom struggle from Britain, he used the same method to fight for the rights of black Americans in the U.S.
U.S. Consul General Andrew T.Simkin said “today, we can see some of those ideas influencing U.S. President Barack Obama.” He said Obama has not only read the writings of both thinkers, but has also demonstrated their struggles were not in vain.
“His election as President shows the fight by King Jr. has reached its height, a new historic landmark.”
The ideological exchange is something that continues today and will only continue to flourish, Mr. Kaplan said, as interactions between people of both nations have become more frequent.
Mr. Simkin said the exhibit is a reminder of the links between Indian and U.S. thinkers: “We take away the value of non-violent struggle for justice in a diverse society.”
At The Hindu: At Bala Mandir, happiness is the right of every child
March 15, 2009 at 6:02 pm | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: anniversary, Bala Mandir, Chennai, education, India, internship, orphans, school, service, The Hindu
CHENNAI: A sea of smiling children sang out in unison, “Happy Birthday to you!”
It was their wish to sing at their alma mater’s 60th anniversary celebration scheduled for Saturday, and because happiness is the right of every child at Bala Mandir, Maya Amma granted them permission.
“As adults, we often forget what children want,” said honorary secretary of Bala Mandhir, Maya Gaitonde, ‘Maya Amma’ to the children. But, from the looks of it, she’s been doing her part to secure not only the happiness but also the success of her children.
Since 1949, the Bala Mandir Kamaraj Trust has provided children with holistic care. Established by the former Chief Minister, K. Kamaraj, and S. Manjubhashini, Bala Mandir has kept its doors open to children below the age of 5 and, in some cases, the staff have nursed infants back to health.
The medical unit provides paediatric, homeopathic, allopathic and Ayurvedic services, and there are several 24-hour counsellors on the staff to cater to the children’s emotional and mental well-being.
“If you see a child smile, that’s the greatest thing,” says Chitra, a Bala Mandir social worker.
Now Bala Mandir, described as a “banyan tree” by Ms. Gaitonde, may open branches in other districts of Tamil Nadu.
Children are usually admitted from poor or dysfunctional families, and in many other cases, they have been abandoned altogether. Chitra says initially they are emotionally disturbed, but, through unconditional love given by the staff, they learn to trust adults again. It’s the job of the staff to provide children with that missing piece of their lives — family — as many of them come back to visit ‘ammas’, ‘akkas’ and ‘annas’” they grew up with.
“They all have a sibling relationship with each other,” says Chitra. After school and marriage, some girls even return during pregnancy, as per Indian family tradition. The staff conduct ‘Valagappu’ and ‘Seemandham’ ceremonies on request.
The day begins with prayer. Lakshmi Krishnamurti, employed at Bala Mandir for more than 30 years, says they recite a sarva dharma prayer, acknowledging all faiths. Then the children proceed to school.
Bala Mandir recently started targeting two special groups — girls who have dropped out of school to babysit younger siblings, and working mothers who have not wanted to institutionalise their children.
In the evenings, they take part in playtime and extracurricular activities — music and dance lessons, vocational training and chores.
Ms. Krishnamurti says all of the children have to shoulder responsibility, from cleaning to cutting vegetables and cooking. “Though there is a cook, if the girls do not know how to cook, they will not be prepared for their life after marriage.”
Bala Mandir also offers vocational training in computers, carpentry, tailoring and laundering, so the students can land jobs after leaving school.
The trustees hope to implement foster care and vocational training for the empowerment of women. Indian society has warmed up to female children and adoption, but Ms. Gaitonde says there’s more to be done.
On its 60th birthday, staff and students celebrated ‘Service to man, service to God,’ but Bala Mandir seems to have provided much more than service to its children; it has provided them with family and a future.
At The Hindu: Semmangudi tributes, memories mark the day
March 14, 2009 at 6:00 pm | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: Carnatic music, centenary, Chennai, internship, Semmangudi, The Hindu
CHENNAI: At a three-fold celebration of musicians, revered stalwart of Carnatic music, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer was remembered by rasikas, family, and friends at a function organised by the Maadhyama Dharma Samajam to mark his centenary. The programme, held here on Friday, was part of the Gopalakrishna Bharathy Music Festival.
It was the third phase in a series of celebrations honouring the musical legend, and the chief guests provided a sketch of their interactions with the musical maestro.
N. Gopalaswamy, Director of Dalmia Cements, said he once visited Tirukodikkaval, the birthplace of the musician and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was home to many other artistes, including GNB, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, and Maharajapuram Santhanam.
“The place is surrounded by villages where from several musicians have hailed,” Mr. Gopalaswamy said.
He added that today’s budding artistes are capable of reaching the great heights as Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, but must also follow his example in learning under a guru. He said devotion to one’s guru and the guru-shishya relationship is essential to understanding Carnatic music. “Keep the old, but improve on tradition,” he said.
N. Murali, Managing Director of The Hindu, said that while many recognised Semmangudi’s contributions, not as many people are aware of compositions by Gopalakrishna Bharathy to music, even though he was a contemporary of the musical trinity — Tyâgarâja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri.
Mr. Murali said Gopalakrishna Bharathy had composed his own set of pancharatna kritis and the equivalent of Tamil “operas.” He is best known for his Nandanar Charitram.
“He deserves this festival and to be feted everywhere, for his contributions to Tamil music in particular,” he said.
Vocalist Sudha Raghunathan was also felicitated at the function for her musical achievements. M. Murali of Sri Krishna Sweets said her music has been a gift, as she has managed to bring the divine to her listeners through her music.
Ms.Raghunathan also paid tributes to Gopalakrishna Bharathy, sharing a poem comprised of lines from his several compositions.
On “Semmangudi Mama,” she said she turns to his work and the guidance of her gurus when she seeks deeper understanding of a raga and its nuances. “His music is like a textbook, an encyclopaedia,” she said. Though she regards him as an energetic and talented artist, she remembers best the times when he was just “part of the family.”
At The Hindu: Setting sights high on World Glaucoma Day
March 13, 2009 at 5:58 pm | Posted in At work | 1 CommentTags: awareness, Chennai, eye, glaucoma, internship, The Hindu
CHENNAI: There is more than what meets the eye when it comes to diagnosing glaucoma, said Sripriya Krishnamoorthy, ophthalmologist at Sankara Nethralaya’s Shrimati Jadhavbai Nathmal Singhvee Glaucoma Department.
To commemorate the World Glaucoma Day on Thursday, Sankara Nethralaya organised an open house here to promote glaucoma awareness. Its research indicated that more than 95 per cent of the people who had glaucoma did not even know they have it, she said.
As the second leading cause of blindness in India, glaucoma is a disease that damages the optic nerve gradually, halting the transmission of images sent from the eye to the brain. It is usually caused by an increase in inter-ocular pressure, when the fluid in the eye does not drain properly. By next year, 12 million Indians are expected to be affected by glaucoma.
Dr. Krishnamoorthy said the disease generally affected those aged above 35 and was common in diabetic patients, or those who had a family history of glaucoma. If it was not diagnosed early, it could cause blindness.
“Severe vision loss caused by glaucoma is irreversible,” said Ophthalmologist Aditya Neog. The problem is that patients cannot discern the symptoms of glaucoma until it gets very serious, though there are some warning signs: headaches or eye pain due to increased eye pressure; difficulty seeing objects on the side; and frequent changes in spectacle power. “That is why we call it the silent thief of sight,” Dr. Neog said.
Similarly, the detection of glaucoma may be missed in a basic check-up, according to ophthalmologist Ronnie George. That was why routine, comprehensive exams were a must. Unless a yearly comprehensive eye exam was performed—including a check of the angle of the eye and examination of the optic nerve to test the visual field—the doctor would not be able to detect glaucoma. “Because it is convenient, most people take the shorter route,” he said, referring to the basic check-up.
Extrapolated figures from Sankara Nethralaya’s Chennai Glaucoma Study show that less than 5 per cent of India’s urban population and less than 2 per cent of the rural population have been diagnosed with the disease.
At The Hindu: 60 years of harmony
March 12, 2009 at 5:55 pm | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: Austria, Chennai, India, international relations, internship, The Hindu, Vienese Chamber Orchestra
CHENNAI: At a concert by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra Wednesday to commemorate 60 years of Indo-Austrian diplomatic relations, Honorary Consul of Austria B.H. Kothari said ties between the two nations were strong.
“Austria is very supportive of India,” he said. “The two nations are part of a whole cultural exchange.”
Since the former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru supported Austria’s wish to have foreign occupational forces removed in 1949, bilateral relations in trade, tourism and intellectual collaboration, had been amicable.
Indian Council for Cultural Relations Director N. Rajappa said that though Indians were steadfast in their traditions, India had opened its doors to foreign cultures.
And the Chennai audience enjoyed the performance, asking for an encore of more pieces by Austrian native Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The Vienna Chamber Orchestra, founded in 1946 by conductor Philippe Entremont, has received worldwide renown, performing frequently in Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, the U.S., South America, and now in India.
But the orchestra’s India tour this year is only one on a list of initiatives taken by both the countries to recognize and nurture the cultures of each. Austria has hosted several classical artists of India.
“It is beautiful to know that one country is friend of another and working together,” said Orchestra double bassist Gustavo D’Ippolito.
As part of the cultural exchange, the seven orchestra members who performed Mozart’s pieces said they also visited the KM Music Conservatory school of the Mozart of Madras—A.R. Rahman. They conducted a workshop for demonstration of the Western instruments.
“The children’s interest is the most important,” said Orchestra violinist Balazs Csonka. “It was new for them.”
At The Hindu: Doctors replace hip of 99-year-old patient
March 11, 2009 at 5:53 pm | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: Chennai, hip replacement, internship, old age, The Hindu
CHENNAI: Doctors discharged 99-year-old Robert Manning from Fortis Malar Hospitals on Tuesday after a “challenging” hip replacement surgery in which the patient was not administered general anaesthesia.
Senior Consultant, Trauma and Joint Replacement Surgeon Nandkumar Sundaram said doctors at other hospitals in Chennai had refused to operate on Mr.Manning due to his age. “People don’t operate because they think by giving anaesthesia, the heart will stop,” he said. “[The] Anaesthetist is key.”
Apart from some renal and liver dysfunction, Mr. Manning’s health record was flawless. M. Thanigai Vendan, Senior Consultant, Anaesthesiologist, Fortis Malar, said that is why he was able to administer a segmented epidural, by which the patient is given small calculated doses via a catheter inserted through his back.
This numbs a limited region of the body without disturbing the neighbouring organs. Mr. Manning was conscious for the duration of the procedure, which lasted 40 minutes.
“We did not give any sedation to the patient,” Dr. Thanigai Vendan said.
Now, Dr. Sundaram says Mr. Manning is living pain-free and will gradually be able to perform his daily routine once more.
An active entrepreneur, Mr. Manning continued to work until about three months ago when he fell and broke his hip. While he was bedridden, his hipbone joined incorrectly, keeping him from walking and causing such pain that he was unable to move, Dr. Sundaram said.
During the procedure, doctors used a stainless steel dynamic hip screw to fix the deformed fracture. Had he been confined to his bed, bed sores and infections would have caused further complications.
It was the patient’s will to live, work, and be with his family that gave Dr. Sundaram and his team the confidence to perform the operation. Dr.Sundaram said the most important thing doctors can do for a patient is improve the quality of life.
At The Hindu: Need to dispel misconceptions about organ donation
March 10, 2009 at 5:50 pm | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: Chennai, India, internship, organ donation, The Hindu
CHENNAI: A brain dead patient whose body is clinically and legally declared dead can live on only through organ donation, said R. Surendran, head of surgical gastroenterology, Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital.
The main reason families decline to donate organs is that they believe the pumping heart and breathing lungs of a patient are signs of life—a common misconception, according to Dr. Surendran.
He was speaking at a seminar organized here on Monday by the Rotary Club of Midtown Madras. The team of doctors of the hospital, led by him, which conducted south India’s first successful liver transplant in the public sector, was felicitated.
Dr. Surendran said a family’s emotional turmoil and the sense of miracles that Indian culture fosters led people to distrust the doctor when he or she declared a patient brain dead. But the only way for the patient to live on was by donating organs to those whose lives could be saved. “We don’t have a spare parts shop for these organs.”
Organs which can be donated include eyes, liver, kidney, pancreas, heart and lung. When one of these organs suffers disease “beyond the point of redemption,” the only option for a patient is organ transplant.
“Organs are scarce,” says nodal officer Rosy Vennila, “and God only knows who’s going to require an organ in future.” Dr. Surendran said that at his hospital alone, 155 patients were awaiting a liver from a donor.
Currently, the statute allows organ donations with the informed consent of the family, so even if a brain dead patient holds a donor card, he or she cannot donate organs without the consent of the family—a husband, a wife, or parents if the patient is a minor. Donating organs through a living will is not suffice under the legal conditions. Until the family approves harvesting organs from the cadaver, the patient’s body remains intact.
Surgical gastroenterology assistant professor S. Jaswant said the family should understand that doctors conduct a clinical exam first to verify the loss of consciousness and the absence of brain stem reflexes. A patient’s family may spend between Rs.25,000 and Rs.50,000 a day, keeping the patient on life support, whereas donating an organ is free for the donor’s family.
At The Hindu: Campaign against complexion complex
March 8, 2009 at 5:41 pm | Posted in At work | Leave a commentTags: complexion, gender issues, India, internship, The Hindu, women
Chennai: “Indian groom, 28, auditor, seeks bride, 20-25, complexion: very fair,” reads the matrimonial ad.
…And there’s much more where that came from.
For the tanner, qualified woman, the future of marriage possibilities seems dark—shades darker than it does for the Indian male, says Kavitha Emmanuel, founder of Women of Worth (WOW), a network of women across Chennai that works to empower them in social, professional, and personal spheres.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, WOW launched a campaign geared at an issue still facing women looking to get married: complexion. The week’s events, which included entertainment by seven all-female bands, a seminar on personality building, and an art contest featuring this year’s theme, ‘Dark is Beautiful,’ came to a close on Saturday.
The message behind all of the events was the same: a woman’s skin colour should not determine her worth.
“There’s a lot of emphasis on how women look rather than what they do,” says Ms.Emmanuel. “God has helped me,” says Joy Christina, her friend. “If He has created me as what He considers beautiful, then who am I to say I’m not?”
Emmanuel says the purpose of the contest was to give people an outlet to express their sadness or frustration regarding discrimination based on skin colour. But she says the fair ideal is not one that realistically depicts the Indian image. Children often get confused when waiting in the beauty parlours with parents because the images of perfect skin and hair–fair skin and blonde hair– reflect the Western look, she says.
It’s the correlation between fairness and success promoted in fairness cream advertisements that her organisation is trying to dispel.
“Why should you be anything other than yourself?” she says.
Meanwhile, Ms.Christina says the standards by which a single woman is measured up for marriage are stricter than those for men, especially with regard to complexion. “Somehow,” she says, “they get away with it.”
Many women agree with her. Abigail Paul, student of the Hebron Boarding School in Ooty, says since childhood, she has witnessed discrimination only against women with dark skin, including herself. Ms.Paul’s artwork, which inspired the campaign, will continue to be on display at the British Council until March 12, along with several paintings, photographs, short stories and poems that were part of the contest.
Columnist Sharanya Manivanan, who co-judged the poetry entries of the contest, noted that, as pleased as she was with the writing, many of the works expressed ‘dark is beautiful too.’ She said through awareness and the spread of this campaign, the message should go further: “We can say, ‘Dark is beautiful.’”
Viewer discretion advised
January 22, 2009 at 3:01 am | Posted in At work, Seen and Scene | Leave a commentTags: IBN, internship, sensationalism
I’m at my wit’s end. What makes news?? As an intern, my primary task at IBN is to come up with story ideas. It sounds simple enough, especially because this is what my job also included when I was working at AM850. The only problem is, here, in Chennai, what constitutes news for the large English national channel is different than what constitutes news in little ole’ Gator town. In Gainesville, everything was news. For IBN, nothing is news.
But what concerns me are the stories that are given up and the ones which are picked up for the sake of headlines and competition. In J-school, we learn about the battle between Hearst and Pulitzer’s competing publications during the era of yellow journalism. That was then, I thought. But now I see that scandal, violence, conflict–these are what sell even today.
Yesterday, the Dalai Lama was in Chennai. Knowing that no one is our office was covering it yet, I called up one of the reporters and asked her if I could do the story. World leader. In chennai. Speaking at Madras University. Again, this is something I would expect would scream “story” in the eyes of any news organization. But she told me it wasn’t worth covering.
What?? A major world leader, proponent of peace, visits India, not even two months after the Mumbai attacks and it isn’t worth covering?
I later asked one of the other girls working why this wouldn’t be newsworthy. Her response: “Well if there was violence going on in Tibet or something, that would be a great story.” Ahh ok. Now I understood better. Just the other day I heard our bureau chief turn down another reporter’s story idea about property thefts asking, “Is there any murder linked to these property thefts? If not, it’s not a story. I need a recent murder.” So we’re looking for blood and guts, the rated-R stuff. Gotcha.
This realization of what makes news and what doesn’t has somewhat discouraged me. At a time when I’m thinking about my graduate school options because job prospects are limited, such episodes only deter me from journalism. I chose it because journalism is fun, you have to know a little bit about everything, you meet extraordinary people, you can write about your interesting experiences, and you do something different every single day. It isn’t your average 9-5 cublicle work. I know there are catastrophes, murders, kidnappings, and natural disasters to report, but it depresses me to know that these are the stories news organizations seek out at the expense of lighter, equally newsworthy topics. Sensationalism isn’t why I chose this field.
They say internships not only pad your resume and give you practical experience, but they give you some insight into what you may like to do in the future. Well, if these little instances are indicative of what to expect at the larger bureaus of other major news networks in the U.S., then I know for a fact that it’s not where my interests lie.
Notes from the motherland
December 30, 2008 at 3:47 pm | Posted in Ramblings | 1 CommentTags: desi, India, internship
I never imagined volunteering myself to stay in India longer than three weeks. My parents had brought me to Chennai every single year of my life. The images of India I had always conjured included countless mosquitoes, power outages, and sweltering heat. I’ll be honest. I didn’t like it.
But after the demise of my grandfather over the summer, and the realization that I could graduate from UF a semester early, I decided to use my free extra spring semester to give my grandmother company in the haunting and historic house we affectionately call “Ekamra Nivas.”
Of course, there have been some been some selfish factors at play as well. Over the years I have actually grown accustomed to life in India, and I thought the best way to see if I could ever bear living here is by immersing myself in Chennai for a few months at least. That, plus, I lined up two internships: one at CNN-IBN’s Chennai Bureau office, and another at The Hindu, India’s largest national newspaper.
I skipped graduation, said goodbye to my friends, and for the first time in my life, after traveling across the world more than 30 times, I made the trip alone. Until just a few weeks ago I had always made this trip with my parents. As (bad)luck would have it, this was also the first time it took me three days to get here thanks to a three hour delay in Detroit.
When I (finally) arrived in Chennai airport, for the first time I thought “I made it. I’m home.” Yes, home. Never over the course of 20 years had I said that before. I suppose that 21st year gave me some perspective.
I’ll be spending the next few months here working alongside Indian television and print journalists….living with my grandmother and servants who have seen three generations of the same family blossom….immersing myself in a culture which I’ve never identified as foreign, but one which I have had to deliberately work to make my own. I give you notes, from the motherland.
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