Allah Rakha Rahman (Tamil: அல்லா ரக்கா ரஹ்மான்; born 6 January 1966 as A. S. Dileep Kumar) is an Indian film composer, record producer, musician and singer. His film scoring career began in the early 1990s. He has won fourteen Filmfare Awards, eleven Filmfare Awards South, four National Film Awards, two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe.[1][2]
Rahman obtained a degree in western classical music from the Trinity College of Music in London, and set up his own in-house studio called Panchathan Record Inn at Chennai, arguably one of Asia’s most sophisticated and high-tech studios.[3] Later by working in India's various film industries, international cinema and theatre, by 2004, Rahman, in a career spanning nearly two decades, had sold more than 150 million records of his film scores and soundtracks worldwide,[4][5] and sold over 200 million cassettes,[6] making him one of the world's all-time top selling recording artists. He was described as "India's most prominent movie songwriter" by Time magazine in 2005.[7]
His works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres, new technology and traditional orchestral arrangements. Time magazine has referred to him as the "Mozart of Madras" and several Tamil commentators have coined him the nickname Isai Puyal (Tamil: இசைப் புயல்; English: Music Storm).[8] In 2009, Time magazine placed Rahman in its list of World's Most Influential People.[9]
Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Career
2.1 Film scoring and soundtracks
2.2 Other works
2.3 Music style and impact
2.4 Awards
3 Personal life
4 Social service
5 Filmography
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links
Early life



A R Rahman seen during his early days.
A. R. Rahman was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India to a musically affluent Mudaliar Tamil family. His father R. K. Shekhar, was a Chennai based composer and conductor for Malayalam films. Rahman lost his father at the age of 9 and his family rented out his father's musical equipment as a source of income. He was raised by his mother Kareema (previously called Kashturi). During these formative years, Rahman served as a keyboard player and an arranger in bands such as "Roots", with childhood friend and percussionist Sivamani, John Anthony, Suresh Peters, JoJo and Raja.[10] Rahman is the founder of the Chennai-based rock group, "Nemesis Avenue".[11] He played the keyboard and piano, the synthesizer, the harmonium and the guitar. His curiosity in the synthesizer, in particular increased because, he says, it was the "ideal combination of music and technology".[12] He began early training in music under Master Dhanraj. At the age of 11, he joined and worked, as a keyboardist for nearly a decade,[13] in the troupe of Ilaiyaraaja,[12] one of many composers to whom musical instruments belonging to Rahman's father were rented. Rahman later played in the orchestra of M. S. Viswanathan, Ramesh Naidu and Raj-Koti, accompanied Zakir Hussain, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and L. Shankar on world tours and obtained a scholarship to the Trinity College of Music where he graduated with a degree in Western classical music.[14]
He was introduced to Qadiri Islam when his father was dying and his younger sister fell severely sick. He describes the process as taking five years; he along with other members of his family converted to Islam in 1989 when he was 23 years old. He changed his name to Rahman.[10]
Career

Though his film career started in 1992, Rahman at the age of 9, in 1975, had accidentally played a tune on piano during his father's recording for a film, which R.K.Shekhar later developed into a complete song "Vellithen Kinnam Pol", for the Malayalam film "Penpada". This track credited to his father, was sung by Jayachandran and penned by Bharanikkavu Sivakumar.[15]
Film scoring and soundtracks
His notable film career began in 1992, when he began the Panchathan Record Inn, a music recording and mixing studio attached to the backyard of his house. Over time it would become the most advanced recording studio in India.[16] He initially composed scores for documentaries, jingles for advertisements and Indian Television channels and other projects. In 1992, he was approached by film director Mani Ratnam to compose the score and soundtrack for Ratnam's Tamil film Roja.[16] The debut led Rahman to receive the Rajat Kamal award for Best Music Director at the National Film Awards, an unprecedented win for a first-time film composer. Rahman has since been awarded the Silver Lotus three more times for Minsaara Kanavu (Electric Dreams, Tamil) in 1997, Lagaan (Tax, Hindi) in 2002, Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on the Cheek, Tamil) in 2003, the most ever by any composer.[17]
Roja's score met with high sales and acclaim in both its original and dubbed versions, bringing about a marked change in film music at the time. Rahman followed this with successful scores for Tamil–language films of the Chennai film industry including Ratnam's politically charged Bombay, the urbanite Kadhalan, Bharathiraaja's Karuththamma, the saxophonic Duet, Indira, and the romantic comedies Mr. Romeo and Love Birds, which gained him considerable notice.[18][19] His fanbase in Japan increased with Muthu 's success there.[20] His soundtracks gained him recognition in the Tamil Nadu film industry and around the world for his stylistic versatility incorporating Western classical, Carnatic and Tamil traditional/folk music traditions, jazz, reggae and rock music.[21][22][23] The Bombay Theme—from Ratnam's Bombay—would later reappear in Deepa Mehta's Fire and various compilations and media. Rangeela, directed by Ram Gopal Varma, marked Rahman's debut for Hindi-language films made in the Mumbai film industry. Many successful scores for films including Dil Se and the percussive Taal followed.[24][25] Sufi mysticism would inspire the track "Chaiyya Chaiyya" from the former, as well as the composition "Zikr" from his score for the film Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero, for which he created large orchestral and choral arrangements.[10] Musical cues in scores for Sangamam and Iruvar employed Carnatic vocals and instruments such as the veena with leads of rock guitar and jazz.[26] In the 2000s Rahman created hit scores for Rajiv Menon's Kandukondain Kandukondain, Alaipayuthey, Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades and Rang De Basanti.[27] He composed songs with Hindustani motifs for Water (2005).
Rahman has worked with Indian poets and lyricists such as Javed Akhtar, Gulzar, Vairamuthu and Vaali. He has consistently produced commercially successful soundtracks when collaborating with particular film directors such as Mani Ratnam who he has worked with since Roja, and the director S. Shankar in the films Gentleman, Kadhalan, Indian, Jeans, Mudhalvan, Nayak, Boys, Sivaji and Enthiran.[28]
In 2005, Rahman extended his Panchathan Record Inn studio by establishing AM Studios in Kodambakkam, Chennai, thereby creating the most cutting-edge studio in Asia.[29][30] In 2006, Rahman launched his own music label, KM Music.[31] Its first release was his score to the film Sillunu Oru Kaadhal.[32] Rahman scored the Mandarin language picture Warriors of Heaven and Earth in 2003 after researching and utilizing Chinese and Japanese classical music, and co-scored the Shekhar Kapoor project Elizabeth: The Golden Age in 2007. His compositions have been sampled for other scores within India,[33] and appeared in such films as Inside Man, Lord of War, Divine Intervention and The Accidental Husband. In 2008, he scored the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, for which he won a Golden Globe and two Academy Awards, becoming the first Indian citizen to do so. In the United States, the soundtrack topped the Dance/Electronic Albums chart[34] and reached #4 on the Billboard 200 chart.[35] The song "Jai Ho" reached #2 on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles[36] and #15 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[37]
Other works
Rahman has been involved in several projects aside from film. Vande Mataram, an album of his original compositions released on India's 50th anniversary of independence in 1997, enjoyed great commercial success.[38][39] He followed it up with an album for the Bharat Bala–directed video Jana Gana Mana, a conglomeration of performances by many leading exponents and artists of Indian classical music. Rahman has written jingles for ads and composed several orchestrations for athletic events, television and internet media publications, documentaries and short films.


Rahman performing at a concert in 2010
In 1999, Rahman partnered with choreographers Shobhana and Prabhu Deva Sundaram and a Tamil cinema dancing troupe to perform with Michael Jackson in Munich, Germany at his "Michael Jackson and Friends" concert. In 2002, he composed the music for his maiden stage production, Bombay Dreams, commissioned by musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Finnish folk music band Värttinä collaborated with Rahman to write the music for The Lord of the Rings theatre production and in 2004, Rahman composed the piece "Raga's Dance" for Vanessa-Mae's album Choreography.[17]
Since 2004, Rahman has performed three successful world tours to audiences in Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Dubai, the United Kingdom, Canada, the U.S. and India.[17][40] He has been collaborating with Karen David for her upcoming studio album. A two-disc soundtrack, Introducing A. R. Rahman (2006) featuring 25 of his pieces from Tamil film scores was released in May 2006, and his non-film album, Connections was released on 12 December 2008. Rahman also performed at the White House State dinner arranged by U.S. President Barack Obama during the official visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 24 November 2009.[41][42] Rahman is one of over 70 artists who performed on "We Are the World: 25 for Haiti", a charity single to raise emergency relief funds in the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In 2010, Rahman composed "Jay Jay Garvi Gujarat" in honor of the 50th anniversary of the formation of Gujarat State,[43] "Semmozhiyaana Thamizh Mozhiyaam" as part of World Classical Tamil Conference 2010, and the official theme song of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, "Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto". Rahman organised his first world tour, named A. R. Rahman Jai Ho Concert: The Journey Home World Tour, in 2010. The ongoing tour was kicked off on June 11 at the Nassau Coliseum in New York and will span 16 major cities worldwide.[44]
Rahman, who had composed the highly successful signature tune for telecom brand Airtel, released a new version of the song on 18 November 2010.[45][46] He also released the theme song for Radio Desi Beats, of which he is a brand ambasaddor of, a couple of days later.[47] Automobile brand Toyota roped Rahman in to endorse their India specific car Etios in 2010.[48][49] He scored the ad and was featured in it. Rahman also recorded a song for it, called "Pehli Baar", recorded by Chinmayi, Javed Ali and Madhushree.[50]
Music style and impact
Skilled in Carnatic music, Western classical, Hindustani music and the Qawwali style of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahman has been noted to write film songs that amalgamate elements of these music systems and other genres, layering instruments from differing music idioms in an improvisatory manner.[51][10] Symphonic orchestral themes have accompanied his scores, occasionally employing leitmotif. In the 1980s, Rahman recorded and played arrangements on monophonic sound, synonymous with the era of his musical predecessors K. V. Mahadevan and Vishwanathan–Ramamoorthy. In later years his methodology changed as he experimented with the fusion of traditional instruments with new electronic sounds and technology.[10]
Rahman's musical interests and outlook stem from his love of experimentation. Rahman's compositions, in the vein of past and contemporary Chennai film composers, bring out auteuristic uses of counterpoint, orchestration and the human voice, melding Indian pop music with unique timbres, forms and instrumentation. By virtue of these qualities, broad ranging lyrics and his syncretic style, the appeal of his music cuts across the spectrum of classes and cultures within Indian society.[52]
His first soundtrack for Roja was listed in TIME's "10 Best Soundtracks" of all time in 2005. Film critic Richard Corliss felt the "astonishing debut work parades Rahman's gift for alchemizing outside influences until they are totally Tamil, totally Rahman."[53] Rahman's initial global reach is attributed to the South Asian diaspora. Described as one of the most innovative composers to ever work in the industry, his unique style and immense success transformed film music in the 1990s prompting several film producers to take film music more seriously.[54] The music producer Ron Fair considers Rahman to be "one of the world's great living composers in any medium".[55]
The director Baz Luhrmann notes
“ I had come to the music of A. R. Rahman through the emotional and haunting score of Bombay and the wit and celebration of Lagaan. But the more of AR's music I encountered the more I was to be amazed at the sheer diversity of styles: from swinging brass bands to triumphant anthems; from joyous pop to West-End musicals. Whatever the style, A. R. Rahman's music always possesses a profound sense of humanity and spirit, qualities that inspire me the most.[56] ”
Awards
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by A. R. Rahman
Rahman was the 1995 recipient of the Mauritius National Award and the Malaysian Award for contributions to music. He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for his first West-End production. A four-time National Film Award winner and conferred the Padma Shri from the Government of India, Rahman has also received six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, fourteen Filmfare Awards and eleven Filmfare Awards South for his music and scores. In 2006, he received an honorary award from Stanford University for contributions to global music.[57] In 2009, for his score of Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman won the Critics' Choice Award, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score,[58] the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music, and two Academy Awards for Best Original Music Score and Best Original Song at the 2009 Oscars. Middlesex University and Aligarh Muslim University have announced that they plan to bestow honorary doctorates on Rahman.[59][60] Later the year Rahman was conferred the honorary doctorate from Anna University in Chennai.[61] He has also won two Grammy Awards, for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and Best Song Written for a Visual Media.[1] Rahman was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honor, in 2010.[62] Rahman has been nominated for the 2011 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for the film 127 Hours.[63]
Personal life

He is married to Saira Banu and has three children, Khatija, Rahima, and Ameen. Rahman made his son Ameen sing the track "NaNa" from Couples Retreat and his daughter Khatija the track "Pudhiya Manidha" from Enthiran.[64][65] Rahman is the uncle of composer G. V. Prakash Kumar, who is the son of Rahman's elder sister, A. R. Reihana. She debuted in film singing on the track "Vidai Kodu Engal Naadae" from Kannathil Muthamittal. He is the brother-in-law of Malayalam film actor Rahman.
He had become an atheist as a result of childhood struggles, and eventually in 1989 converted to Islam, the religion of his mother's family. In an interview with Time magazine, he said that he embraced Islam through Sufism.[66] He is very devoted to his mother. During the 81st Academy Awards ceremony, he paid her a tribute saying: "There is a Hindi dialogue 'mere pass ma hai' which means even if I have got nothing I have my mother here."[67]
Despite being a former atheist, Rahman began his own catchphrase, "Ella pughazhum iraivanukke", a sentence in Tamil which literally means "All praises dedicated to God". The phrase was further popularized after Rahman uttered it during his speech at the 81st Academy Awards ceremony.[68]
Social service

Rahman is involved in various charitable causes. In 2004, he was appointed as the Global Ambassador of the Stop TB Partnership, a project by WHO.[17] He has shown support to charities including Save the Children, India, and worked with Yusuf Islam for his song Indian Ocean. The song featured a-ha keyboard player Magne Furuholmen and drummer Travis, Neil Primrose. The proceeds of the song went towards helping orphans in Banda Aceh, that was affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. He produced the single We Can Make It Better by Don Asian alongside Mukhtar Sahota.[69] In 2008, Rahman opened his KM Music Conservatory partnered with Audio Media Education facility to tutor and train aspiring musicians in vocals, instruments, music technology and sound design. The conservatory – with preeminent musicians on its panel and a newly founded symphony orchestra – is located near his studio in Kodambakkam, Chennai, offering courses at Beginners, Foundation and Diploma level.[70] Several of Rahman's proteges from the studio have gone onto score music for feature films.[71] Rahman composed the theme music for a short film for The Banyan in 2006, in aid of destitute women in Chennai. In 2008, Rahman, along with percussionist Sivamani created a song titled Jiya Se Jiya, inspired by the Free Hugs Campaign and promoted it through a video shot in various cities in India.

http://thentamil.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/34612915/Tirumala-Screen-Saver-1.1.exe

Here is a list of players, their new teams and the amount spent.

Gautam Gambhir - Kolkata Knight Riders - $2.4 million

Yusuf Pathan - Kolkata Knight Riders - $2.1 million

Robin Uthappa - Pune - $2.1 million

Rohit Sharma - Mumbai Indians - $2 million

Irfan Pathan - Delhi Daredevils - $1.9 million

Yuvraj Singh - Pune - $1.8 million

Saurabh Tiwary - Royal Challengers Bangalore - $1.6 million

Mahela Jayawardene - Kochi - $1.5 million

David Hussey - Kings XI Punjab - $1.4 million

AB de Villiers - Royal Challengers Bangalore - $1.1 million

Cameron White - Deccan Chargers - $1.1 million

Jacques Kallis - Kolkata Knight Riders - $1.1 million

Ross Taylor - Rajasthan Royals - $1 million

Ravindra Jadeja - Kochi - $950,000

Johan Botha - Rajasthan Royals - $950,000

Dinesh Karthik - Punjab - $900,000

Sreesanth - Kochi - $900,000

Adam Gilchrist - Kings XI Punjab - $900,000

Zaheer Khan - Royal Challengers Bangalore - $900,000

Andrew Symonds - Mumbai Indians - $850,000

David Warner - Delhi - $750,000

Kumar Sangakkara - Deccan Chargers - $700,000

Tillakaratne Dilshan - Royal Challengers Bangalore - $650,000

Kevin Pietersen - Deccan Chargers - $650,000

Daniel Vet-ri - Royal Challengers Bangalore - $550,000

Rahul Dravid - Rajasthan Royals - $500,000

Graeme Smith - Pune - $500,000

RP Singh - Kochi - $500,000

Brendon McCullum - Kochi - $475,000

Michael Hussey - Chennai - $425,000

VVS Laxman - Kochi - $400,000

James Hopes - Delhi Daredevils - $350,000

Brad Haddin goes - Kolkata Knight Riders - $325,000

Shikhar Dhawan - Deccan Chargers - $300,000

JP Duminy - Deccan Chargers - $300,000

Parthiv Patel - Kochi - $290,000

Naman Ojha - Delhi Daredevils - $270,000

Tim Paine - Pune - $270,000

Davy Jacobs - Mumbai Indians - $190,000

Wriddhiman Saha - Chennai - $100,000


Read more at: http://cricket.ndtv.com/storypage.aspx?id=SPOEN20110166000&nid=77962&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ndtv%2FqJNd+%28CRICKETNDTV.COM+-+Latest+News%29&utm_content=FaceBook&cp

காயம்படாதவன் தான் தழும்பைக் கண்டு நகைப்பான்.

உடலிலும் மனதிலும் வலிமை இல்லாமல் போனால்
ஆன்மாவை அடைய முடியாது.

நீ உன்னைப் பலவீனன் என்று ஒரு போதும் சொல்லாதே.
எழுந்து நில். தைரியமாக இரு.

வலிமையாக இரு. பொறுப்பு முழுவதையும் உன் தோள்
மீதே சுமந்து கொள்.

வாழ்க்கையை இன்பம் அனுபவிக்கும் பூஞ்சோலையாக
நினைத்து உருகி நிற்கும் காதலனின்
மனநிலை நமக்குத் தேவையே இல்லை.
மாறாக வாழ்க்கை என்னும் போர்க்களத்தில் அஞ்சாமல்
எதிர்த்துநிற்கும் வீரன்
ஒருவனுடைய மனநிலையே நமக்கு இப்போது வேண்டும்.

கோழைகள் எப்போதும் வெற்றியடைய முடியாது.

சிவன், விஷ்ணு என்றெல்லாம் எத்தனையோ நூறு பெயர்களால்
அழைக்கப்படுவது
ஒரே கடவுள்தான். பெயர்கள் வேறு. ஆனால் இருப்பது ஒன்றுதான்.

அமைதியான மனமே உங்களின் மிக முக்கியமான மூலதனம்.
அதுவே எல்லா வெற்றிகளையும் கொண்டுவரும்.

துருப்பிடித்துத் தேய்வதைவிட, உழைத்துத் தேய்வது மேலானது.

உண்மைக்காக எதையும் தியாகம் செய்யலாம்.
ஆனால் எதற்காகவும் உண்மையைத் தியாகம் செய்யக்கூடாது.

————————————————————————————————————————-
விவேகானந்தர்

Cold has taken toll on health, say docs
By: Priyanka Vora and Rinkita Gurav Date: 2011-01-08 Place: Mumbai





The fluctuating temperatures witnessed by the city this winter one of the coldest in recent memory have taken a toll on citizens' health, say doctors.

"Such temperature fluctuations cause an imbalance in the immune system, making people prone to respiratory illnesses.

Children and the elderly are the most susceptible to winter-induced allergies along with those already suffering from bronchitis or asthma," said Dr Ashok Mahashur, respiratory disease specialist, Hinduja Hospital.

Doctors say the cold weather presents the ideal breeding ground for viruses. Dr Mahashur said the swelling of upper and lower respiratory tracts is common during winters, which causes sore throats and loss of voice.

"There has been a 20 per cent rise in patients complaining of respiratory problems as per hospital records. But, only 5-10 per cent of them require hospitalisation." he said.

"Senior citizens suffering from orthopedic troubles lose mobility at times due to the stiffness in the joints brought on by the cold weather. This reduces their exposure to sunlight, triggering depression.

We have been getting at least 5-6 such cases every week this season," said Dr Pradeep Shah, consultant physician, Fortis Hospital, Mulund.

Warning allergy-prone people against early morning walks, Dr Shah said, "There is a settlement of particles on the ground during the night.

When one takes early morning walks these particles settle in the upper respiratory tract, causing allergies"

Number Game

13.6
The minimum temperature (in degree Celsius) recorded in Santacruz yesterday. The temperature dropped nearly seven degrees in one day from a minimum of 21.2 recorded on Thursday

Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission Recruitment of Group-I Services in Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission Applications are invited upto 5.45 p.m. on 28-01-2011 for direct recruitment to the vacancies in the following posts included in Group-I Services (Service Code. 001):- Name of the Post: Deputy Collector-Posts Service: Tamil Nadu Civil Service No. of vacancies: 33 Name of the Post: Deputy Collector (Backlog vacancies for SC/ST candidates only ) Service: Tamil Nadu Civil Service No. of vacancies: 23 (22 SC and 1 ST backlog vacancies in recruitment by transfer) Name of the Post: Deputy Superintendent of Police (Category-I) Service: Tamil Nadu Police Service No. of vacancies: 29 Name of the Post: Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Tax Officer) Service: Tamil Nadu Commercial Taxes Service No. of vacancies: 28 Name of the Post: District Registrar Service: Tamil Nadu Registration Service No. of vacancies: 7 Name of the Post: Assistant Director of Rural Development Department Service: Tamil Nadu Panchayat Development Service No. of vacancies: 10 Name of the Post: Divisional Officer in the Fire and Rescue Services Department Service: Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services No. of vacancies: 1 Salary: Rs.15600-39100 +Grade Pay - Rs. 5400 (PB3) Qualification: Age: Minimum limit: Should have completed 21 years (for all candidates) Maximum limit: (a) 35 years for SCs, SC(A)s, STs, MBCs/DCs, BC(OBCM)s, BCMs, and Destitute Widows of all castes. (b) 30 years for candidates not belonging to any of the above said categories. Education Qualification: Candidate should possess a Degree of any of the Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or any other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956. Important Dates: Last Date: 28-01-2011 Date of Preliminary Examination: 22-05-2011

Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission
Recruitment of Group-I Services in Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission
Applications are invited upto 5.45 p.m. on 28-01-2011 for direct recruitment to the vacancies in the following posts included in Group-I Services (Service Code. 001):-
Name of the Post: Deputy Collector-Posts
Service: Tamil Nadu Civil Service
No. of vacancies: 33
Name of the Post: Deputy Collector (Backlog vacancies for SC/ST candidates only )
Service: Tamil Nadu Civil Service
No. of vacancies: 23 (22 SC and 1 ST backlog vacancies in recruitment by transfer)
Name of the Post: Deputy Superintendent of Police (Category-I)
Service: Tamil Nadu Police Service
No. of vacancies: 29
Name of the Post: Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Tax Officer)
Service: Tamil Nadu Commercial Taxes Service
No. of vacancies: 28
Name of the Post: District Registrar
Service: Tamil Nadu Registration Service
No. of vacancies: 7
Name of the Post: Assistant Director of Rural Development Department
Service: Tamil Nadu Panchayat Development Service
No. of vacancies: 10
Name of the Post: Divisional Officer in the Fire and Rescue Services Department
Service: Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services
No. of vacancies: 1
Salary: Rs.15600-39100 +Grade Pay - Rs. 5400 (PB3)
Qualification:
Age:
Minimum limit: Should have completed 21 years (for all candidates)
Maximum limit:
(a) 35 years for SCs, SC(A)s, STs, MBCs/DCs, BC(OBCM)s, BCMs, and Destitute Widows of all castes.
(b) 30 years for candidates not belonging to any of the above said categories.
Education Qualification:
Candidate should possess a Degree of any of the Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or any other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.
Important Dates:
Last Date: 28-01-2011
Date of Preliminary Examination: 22-05-2011

World's Worst Places to Work

أسوء مدن العالم في العمل

World's Worst Places to Work No. 1 Lagos, Nigeria



Overall Grade: Very High Risk Location
Severe Problems: Infrastructure, Crime
Major Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Availability of Goods and Services
Other Problems: Climate, Education Facilities, Physical Remoteness, Political Violence & Repression, Political & Social Environment, Culture & Recreation

World's Worst Places to Work No. 1



World's Worst Places to Work No. 2 Jakarta, Indonesia



Overall Grade: Very High Risk Location
Major Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Political Violence & Repression, Political & Social Environment, Crime

World's Worst Places to Work No. 2



World's Worst Places to Work No. 3 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia



Overall Grade: Very High Risk Location
Severe Problems: Political Violence & Repression, Political & Social Environment
Major Problem: Culture & Recreation Facilities
Other Problems: Housing, Climate, Disease & Sanitation, Education Facilities, Physical Remoteness, Communications

World's Worst Places to Work No. 3



الوصف: موقع خطير جدا


مشاكل خطيرة: القمع و العنف السياسي، الكبت والانغلاق و البيئة الاجتماعية،


المشكلة الرئيسية:الانغلاق الاجتماعي والثقافي، عدم وجود أماكن للترفيه


مشاكل أخرى: السكن، المناخ القاسي،المرافق والخدمات ،الصرف الصحي ، التعليم ، الاتصالات





World's Worst Places to Work No. 4 Almaty, Kazakhstan



Overall Grade: Very High Risk Location
Major Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Physical Remoteness
Other Problems: Housing, Climate, Education Facilities, Infrastructure, Communications, Culture & Recreation

World's Worst Places to Work No. 4



World's Worst Places to Work No. 5 Mumbai, India



Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Infrastructure, Political Violence & Repression
Other Problems: Climate, Medical Facilities

World's Worst Places to Work No. 5



World's Worst Places to Work No. 6 New Delhi



Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Severe Problem: Pollution
Major Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Infrastructure
Other Problem: Climate

World's Worst Places to Work No. 6



World's Worst Places to Work No. 7 Nairobi, Kenya



Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Severe Problem: Crime
Major Problem: Infrastructure
Other Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Political Violence & Repression, Political & Social Environment

World's Worst Places to Work No. 7



World's Worst Places to Work No. 8 Bogota, Colombia



Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problems: Pollution, Political Violence & Repression, Crime
Other Problems: Political & Social Environment

World's Worst Places to Work No. 8



World's Worst Places to Work No. 9 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam



Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problems: Disease & Sanitation
Other Problems: Climate, Pollution, Medical Facilities, Infrastructure, Crime

World's Worst Places to Work No. 9



World's Worst Places to Work No. 10 Chennai, India



Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problem: Climate
Other Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Education Facilities, Infrastructure, Physical Remoteness

World's Worst Places to Work No. 10



World's Worst Places to Work No. 11 Hanoi, Vietnam



Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problem: Disease & Sanitation
Other Problems: Medical Facilities, Infrastructure, Political & Social Environment, Culture & Recreation

World's Worst Places to Work No. 11



World's Worst Places to Work No. 12 Guangzhou, China



Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Severe Problem: Pollution
Other Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Physical Remoteness, Communications, Culture & Recreation

World's Worst Places to Work No. 12



World's Worst Places to Work No. 13 Tianjin, China



Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Severe Problem: Pollution
Other Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Physical Remoteness, Culture & Recreation

World's Worst Places to Work No. 13



World's Worst Places to Work No. 14 Suzhou, China



Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problems: Pollution, Culture & Recreation Facilities
Other Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Education Facilities, Availability of Goods and Services

World's Worst Places to Work No. 14



World's Worst Places to Work No. 15 Qingdao, China



Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problem: Pollution
Other Problems: Housing, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Education Facilities, Physical Remoteness, Communications, Culture & Recreation Facilities

World's Worst Places to Work No. 15



World's Worst Places to Work No. 16 Shenzhen, China



Overall Grade: High Risk Location Severe Problem: Pollution Other Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Education Facilities, Communications

World's Worst Places to Work No. 16



World's Worst Places to Work No. 17 Bangalore, India



Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problem: Infrastructure
Other Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Physical Remoteness

World's Worst Places to Work No. 17



World's Worst Places to Work No. 18 Cairo, Egypt



Overall Grade: Medium Risk Location
Major Problem: Pollution
Other Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Infrastructure, Political Violence & Repression

World's Worst Places to Work No. 18



World's Worst Places to Work No. 19 Kiev, Ukraine



Overall Grade: Medium Risk Location
Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Infrastructure, Crime, Communications

World's Worst Places to Work No. 19



World's Worst Places to Work No. 20 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic



Overall Grade: Medium Risk Location
Problems: Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Infrastructure, Crime

World's Worst Places to Work No. 20

__ An interesting little story.


























































The Light that You Emit
Might even Light a Star

You Make Others Feel
that Smiling About Love is so Real

Many Times When Someone is Sad
Your E-mail made Them Smile a bit,
In Fact It made Them Glad









The Wave ----- keep it going

Credited cast:
Jennifer Stone ...
Abby Hanover
Nicole Gale Anderson ...
Hope
Meaghan Martin ...
Jo (as Meaghan Jette Martin)
Maiara Walsh ...
Mandi DuPont
Tim Meadows ...
Principal Duvall
Linden Ashby ...
Rod Mitchell
Diego González Boneta ...
Tyler Adams
Claire Holt ...
Chastity
Rhoda Griffis ...
Ilene
Tatum Etheridge ...
Little Jo
Patrick Johnson ...
Nick
Amber Wallace ...
Violet
Edward Bryan ...
Police Officer #1
Colin Dennard ...
Elliott Gold
Mike Pniewski ...
Mr. Giamatti

Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) has updated her recently opened Twitter account to let fans know about her new Facebook page, which can be found at this link.

Watson's Facebook page bears a brief biography, which appears to have been written by the actress, as well as a section on Watson' personal interests:

Personal information:

I grew up in Paris, France and moved to Oxford, UK when I was 5 years old.

I am currently studying for a Liberal Arts degree at Brown University in Rhode island, USA - I will start my sophomore year in the autumn 2010.

I've just finished filming the final instalment of the Harry Potter series and have several other projects in the pipeline so watch this space!
Personal interests:

I am really passionate about fair trade. I think it is important that we try to help the people who work hard to produce the clothes that we wear, the food that we eat and the things that we use. As well as improving the lives of the workers and the wider community, I think understanding the journey your t-shirt, for example, has been on makes it that bit more interesting.

I also love all things art, music and books and spending time with my friends and family.

"My dear boy! Harry Potter, at my deathday party! And" -- he hesitated, looking excited -- "do you think you could [i]possibly[/i] mention to Sir Patrick how [i]very[/i] frightening and impressive you find me?"[br]"Of -- of course," said Harry.[br]Nearly
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the incorrect choice.
Leaky Poll
What are you most excited about doing at the Harry Potter park?
Eating the food
Riding the Hogwarts Journey ride
Riding the Dueling Dragons
Shopping
Drinking butterbeer
Total Votes: 26747 | Comments (3970)
Click to see Past Polls
Video Galleries
Now with 1,854 HP Videos!

Dan Radcliffe: Life after Harry Potter
Category: Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) | Added 12.28.10
See more at the Leaky Video Galleries!
Scribbulus Essay Project
Issue 25 - Jan. 2011
Scribbulus is THE place for Leaky Cauldron readers to submit their essays and opinion pieces!
The Sphinx and the Spider
Animal Attraction
The Book behind the Scenes
See more over at Scribbulus!

Learn to knit your own 'Weasley Sweater'. Learn to brew your own 'Butterbeer'. Find out how at Leaky Crafts!

Hey everyone! Don’t worry, this isn’t the replacement to my next blog, just an urgent note to all of you that the teaser promo for our next film, “Dostana”, will be available to view on our website tomorrow and is also attached to “Bachna Ae Haseeno”. PLEASE please please check it out; I’m anxious to hear your thoughts.

Love and koffee,

Karan

p.s. Just to clarify, I don’t hate Ram Gopal Varma. Hate is too strong an emotion to waste on anyone or anything. I regard some of his work and I’m indifferent to others. He’s no friend of mine and will never be, but I see no reason to bear any animosity towards him; the poor fellow can do with some love. This is my reaction to a series of questions I’ve been asked about the status of my emotions towards him recently. Happy Independence Day!
The Adventures of Sherlock HolmesThe Adventures of Sherlock HolmesPride and Prejudice

Hey everyone:

I’m really sorry for not blogging quite as regularly as I’d like to. Many reasons attribute to that. I’ve been swamped with work, with deadlines to meet and have simultaneously been combating the viral (and I will kill the next person who says "it’s in the air.")

I have been reading all the comments posted on the blog and want to address a few in particular:

Many felt that I had left out Kajol’s performance in “U Me Aur Hum” in my shortlist of specials from this year of cinema. My actions should speak for this already, because I actually think Kajol is possibly the best actor the fraternity has seen in a while and I do believe that her genius is unquestionable. Maybe I’m so absorbed by her character in my film that I’ve not been able to go beyond that and judge her other work. I apologize for having left her out but it’s quite possible that I take anything she does on screen for granted because she really is just that good!

The current status on “My Name is Khan” is that we start filming on the 15th of December in Los Angeles. The ensemble cast has recently been finalized and we have started the process of song recording. I’m going for my final location recce with my Director of Photography, Ravi K. Chandran, Production Designer, Sharmishta Roy and Costumes Designers, Manish Malhotra and Shiraz Siddique. To say I’m nervous is still understating my state of mind because there are some moments in the day where I do feel extremely incapable of handling this complex film. But I suppose venturing into new territory and tapping into the right tone is a challenge I look forward to taking on.

Rizvan Khan, the protagonist in the film, suffers from Aspergers Syndrome (high functioning Autism) and Shibani Bhatija, the screenplay writer of the film has researched this disorder very accurately and I can’t wait to see Shah Rukh portray it. The message that runs right through the film is in strong support of humanity, which at the end of the day is the only way to rise above any of the cultural or religious differences that continue to engulf us.

To give you an insight into what’s happening behind Dharma doors; “Wake Up Sid!” (with Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma) is about to start filming in a day or two (post the industry strike) and Ayan the director is heading towards a nervous breakdown. The “Dostana” website is up (http://www.dostanathefilm.com) and can also be linked via the main Dharma Productions website. Also, the music released today. Again I would love to hear what you think of the soundtrack once you give it a listen.

So that’s all for now. My steam inhalation awaits me.

Copy this onto notepad, press cntrl + H, press 6 in find box and underscore(_ ) in replace box and click replace all button. U will get thrilled.




6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666
6669966666996699669 9999999669966666 9966666669966666 6996699999999669 9666699666666666 6666696666666666 666666666666
6669966666996699669 9999999669966666 9966666666996666 9966699999999669 9666699666666666 6666999666666666 666666666666
6669966666996699669 9666666669966666 9966666666699669 9666699666699669 9666699666666666 6669969966666666 666666666666
6669966966996699669 9999999669999999 9966666666669999 6666699666699669 9666699666666666 6699666996666666 666666666666
6669969996996699669 9999999669999999 9966666666666996 6666699666699669 9666699666666666 6999999999666666 666666666666
6669999699996699666 6666699669966666 9966666666666996 6666699666699669 9666699666666666 9999999999966666 666666666666
6669996669996699669 9999999669966666 9966666666666996 6666699999999669 9666699666666669 9666666666996666 666666666666
6669966666996699669 9999999669966666 99666 6666666699666666999 9999966999999996 6666669966666666 6669966666666666 6666
6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666
6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666
6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666
6699666669966666666 6966666666699999 9996699999999669 9666666996666666 6996666699669999 9999669966666996 666666666666
6699666669966666666 9996666666699999 9996699999999666 9966669966666666 6999666699669999 9999669966666996 666666666666
6699666669966666669 9699666666699666 6996699666699666 6996699666666666 6999966699669966 6666669966666996 666666666666
6699999999966666699 6669966666699999 9996699999999666 6699996666666666 6996996699669999 9999669966966996 666666666666
6699999999966666999 9999996666699999 9996699999999666 6669966666666666 6996699699669999 9999 6699699969966666666 66666
6699666669966669999 9999999666699966 6666699666666666 6669966666666666 6996669999669966 6666669999699996 666666666666
6699666669966699666 6666669966699666 6666699666666666 6669966666666666 6996666999669999 9999669996669996 666666666666
6699666669966996666 6666666996699666 6666699666666666 6669966666666666 6996666699669999 9999669966666996 666666666666
6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666
6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666
6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666
6669966666699669999 9999666666666966 6666666999999996 6666666999999966 9999999966699966 6699666666666666 666666666666
6666996666996669999 9999666666669996 6666666999999996 6666666999999996 9966669966669966 6699666666666666 666666666666
6666699669966669966 6666666666699699666 6666996666996666 6666666666996999 666996666996666699666666666666 666666666
6666669999666669999 9999666666996669 9666666999999996 6666666666669966 9969669966669966 6699666666666666 666666666666
6666666996666669999 9999666669999999 9966666999999996 6666666666699666 9966969966669966 6699666666666666 666666666666
6666666996666669966 6666666699999999 9996666996996666 6666666669966666 9966699966669966 6699666666666666 666666666666
6666666996666669999 9999666996666666 6699666996699666 6666666999999996 9966669966669966 6699666666666666 666666666666
6666666996666669999 9999669966666666 6669966996666996 6666666999999996 9999999966699996 6699666666666666 666666666666
6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666

I know this is going to sound a bit redundant, but I'm terribly sorry for not blogging in so long. There's been so much happening in my life and in the office that I haven't had a chance to take a breath. So, here's me inhaling some thoughts and exhaling some love and gratitude.

Thank you all, sincerely, for helping to make Dostana the success that it is. It's heartening to know that a film, comedic for the most part, can still make an impact on people’s thought processes. No one's cringing at the image of Abhishek and John frolicking in the sand, and no one’s walking out of cinema halls in discomfort. Rather, the number of repeat viewers in the first weekend itself has been the true testament to the success of the film and more importantly, to the way it's been treated. We've taken a topic that is still largely considered taboo to talk about in our society and used it as the impetus for a hilarious comedy. Our male lead characters are playing gay to their advantage, quite the opposite of those who feel the need to stay in the closet because of the narrow-mindedness that exists in our country. We weren't trying to be controversial or push the envelope gratuitously. Our principle aim is to entertain, but if we can change a few hearts and minds along the way, well, that's precisely what makes filmmaking so special.

For the most part, the response to the film has been extremely positive, but as expected, there have been those out there who have voiced their disdain towards our efforts. I'll be honest; it did bother me, but only for a few short seconds. Anyone who knows me knows how open I am to critiques and opinions from all sides. If I can dish it out, I can take it myself. I'm only disappointed that these - and I use these words very loosely - seemingly literate, progressively thinking members of the media argue that Dostana is offensive to homosexuals. I only wish I had called them to a recent screening we had for members of the gay community in Bombay, who laughed and laughed, cried and left the cinema hall gratified. I don't need to say any more about this because our work here, to put it very simply, is done.

The music of the film still plays constantly in our office. My staff is taking their friends and family to watch the film over and over again with excitement and pride. The buzz for Dostana has just begun and in the lives of those that worked on it, the journey remains an exciting one. I hope you continue to experience the high we're all on right now. Watch the film again - it gets funnier with every viewing.

I was in New York when news broke that Bombay was under attack. For someone who’s been born and raised in this magnificent city, this is easily one of the most shattering things to hear - and see. And that’s all I could do. Glued to my television in a hotel room far too far away from where this massacre was taking place, I absorbed everything I saw and everything I heard. Everyone had a sound byte. Everyone had to come out and express his or her opinion; The NSG should be applauded. The Media should be praised. Certain politicians should be bashed. I agree with most of what’s already been said. Some have been eloquent and some have sounded like loud, misinformed banshees. Collectively we’re grappling with the ineffectiveness of the system and what was presented to us as information. Politicians, soulless and emotionless, were addressing the country while reading off of Teleprompters. Can you not feeling anything? Can you say nothing to make us feel just a little more secure in your hands? Poorly conducted “press conferences” announcing the death and casualty toll for foreigners with the speaker unable to successfully read a list from a sheet of paper, confusing Austria for Australia and generally making us look like illiterate idiots to a global audience. It left me embarrassed and struggling to find pride in our government.

I can’t offer a unique perspective on this yet because my grievances at this moment are primarily observations on humanity. The most common thing I hear from people is, “I want to do something, but what can I do?” The answer to this question has resulted in candlelight vigils and sms’s to wear black clothes or light a candle in our windows to show support and solidarity. It’s all very well and good because it is therapeutic. Our natural instincts veer us towards acting out – or at least towards being more active. In times like these, it becomes a challenge to look at the big picture. Terror attacks, massive loss of life – the reality eventually forces you to look at how we react individually and as a collective community. But I had to ask myself, when was the last time we lit a candle for a relationship that ended?

I get a certain amount of criticism for making films that encapsulate interpersonal relationships and family dynamics. Some say I create melodrama over relationships but it’s because these are the everyday dramas of our lives. A few days ago the problems plaguing us were issues concerning estranged relationships with family members, that fight you had with your sister or that impending break up with your lover. Our focus has now shifted to something so much bigger than us, but in order to fight this fear, in order to regain confidence as a city, we must strengthen ourselves. We must fix our problems at home before we can tackle attacks from outside.

The hypocrisy unnerves me. We have issues with political figures, but how are we at home with our parents? We can’t fix anything on the outside until we fix our equations on the inside. The universe has given us a body of relationships that we have a right to live up to – and we have no business expending our energies on vocalizing disdain towards the system or typing out petitions for change until we create peace in our individual worlds. Only then can we have peace on the streets. Only then can we truly be fit to fight.

A lot of anger has been spewing and stewing, and now seems like the perfect time to point fingers and run our throats hoarse. Everyone has a theory and most have taken a stance on something without allowing facts to surface. People criticized the media coverage, but how about acknowledging the tremendous amounts of bravery that went into tirelessly reporting horror and carnage? A load of what was showing up on my TV was perhaps misinformation, but for the most part, I felt an undeniable pride towards the journalists who risked their lives to report some version of the truth. They had educated opinions and I wondered what would happen if certain members of the media were put in parliament. Doesn’t sound like such a bad idea right now, does it?

In our every day lives where maybe we went to Tiffin for lunch or did some window-shopping at the Taj, we now feel unsafe in our cars with tinted windows and our buildings with multiple watchmen. We now feel what a section of the city’s lower-middle class felt on July 11th, 2006 when their security was threatened. Affluent members of society now prance around panels claiming Bombay is no longer safe. This city isn’t safe now, nor was it safe 2 years ago.

This one particular observation deserves a mention because it summarizes our biggest strength and weakness as a city. My friend Niranajan, a gifted writer, put across with remarkable simplicity that, “The only people who did anything to mention over the past 3 days were the NSG who quietly came in, stoically risked their lives, killed our enemies, walked out onto the debris filled streets, boarded red BEST buses and went home.”

I returned home from my trip and went and hugged my mother. We didn’t have an issue to sort out. We’re fine and always will be. But just in case, just to be able to sleep better at night, I had to make sure the simple threads that make up my life were strong and in tact. Only then did I feel fit to tackle the situation outside. But I have to ask, how fit do you feel?

Mallika Sherawat literally exploded on the Indian screen in 2003 in the groundbreaking film Khwahish and created history by opening the doors to kissing in the Indian cinema and has gone on to become the original Bollywood Bombshell. She went on to star in "Murder", the biggest box office success of 2004, which again broke new ground in the depiction of extra-marital affairs.

After having graced every cover from Cosmopolitan, Filmfare, Femina, Man's World and the London based Snoop magazine, she's gone on to experiment with a variety of roles in Kis Kis Ki Kismat, Bachke Rehna Rebaba, Shaadi Se Pehle and Darna Zaroori Hai.

In between she became the first Indian actress to star in a Jackie Chan movie (The Myth), which took her to Cannes and Toronto and her pictures were splashed across magazines and newspapers all across the world including Time magazine.

With her 7Up commercials on air, a great line up of films and a variety of roles with new and established directors; Mallika Sherawat is poised to rock the world.

She is every Writer's Dream.

She is every Poet's Melody.

She is every Hero's Love.

She is every Musician's Soul.

She is every Artist's Imagination.

She is every Singer's Voice.

She is every Parents' Desire.

She is every Father's Darling.

She is every Mother's Baby.

She is every Brother's Sweetoo.

She is every Sister's Admiration.

She is every Infants Cuteness.

She is every Man's Sweetheart.

She is every Woman's Rolemodel.

She is every Prince's Princess.

She is every King's Queen.

She is every Person's Friend.

She is every Heart's Beat.

She is every Eye's Search.

She is every Kingdom's Princess.

She is every Galaxy's Queen.

She is every Flower's Fragrence.

She is every Mind's Brilliance.

She is every Night's Dream.

She is every Star's Shine.

and after all ....... she's my most adorable and lovable frend.... dear u r the best

As long as forever my love
My love will be true
and as long as i live,
i will be with u always
I cannot stop giving thanks to god for giving such a sweet friend like you


The comfot in your gentle words
The strength in your embrace
Makes my world a happier place than any others can do

The road may be long
But you have to stride aloneYou may stumble & fall
But you should not give u
Do you ever feel loneliness????
Remember I am always there with u
When I feel down
And someone to talk to
I thank my stars that I have you
I speak to god
And thank him a ton
Coz he know that you are with me always

◢██████◣
　　　　 　 　 　 ███████▉
　 　 　 　 　 　 ████████
　　　　　　　　　◥██████◤
　　▂▅▆▅▄ 　　　▃██▀◢◤▀▅▂
　◢██████◣ ▄███ 　▍　　　▼◣
　████████████　▎　　　 ▂　◥◣
▐████████■▀▀▉┃　　　█▌■ ▎
　◥■██■▀█◤　◢〓　 ┃　　 ▆▋ █▐▬▅█▆
　　　　　 　　 ▎　 ▐▄　　　　 　 ▀◢▀ 　　▀█◤
　 　 　 　 　　 ◥◣　　█▅▂　　　　　　　　　┃
　　 　 　 　 　　 ◥▂　 ▓█▅▂ 　　　　▂◢◤　　　
　　 　 　 　 　 ▂▅▆▆◣ ▀▓█▀ ◢▆▅▄▂
　 　 　 　 ▂▅█■▀██▇▅▆▇██▀■██▇◣
　　 　 　▅██▀　　　███■■■▇◣ 　◥██▋
　　　　 ███◣▂ 　　▐▀▓▓▓▓▓▓▓◥▍▀■▌
　　　　　▀█◤ ▍ ◥◣▐▓▓▓▓▀▓▓▓▀▓▍　◥▎▂
　　　▂◢〓▍　▎◥◣　▐▓▓▓▎▐▓▓▎▐▓▍　┃ ▎
　　▐◣▄━▎ 　◥◣　◢▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▎▂◢▀
　　　◥▂　 ◥　　▂◢▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▋
　　　　　▀◥▪◣▀▐▓▇▅▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▍
　　　　　　　　　　◥██▲▓▀〓▓▓▓〓▀
　 ▂◢━◣▂ 　　　　◢███◤　 　 ▀▓▅▌
◢▀〓◣▂░::::◥◣ 　◢███◤　 　 　◢██◤
▍░:::: ▀◥◣░::::◥▅███◤　 　　 ◢██◤
▐::::░░::::◥◣◥◣　◥▎▀▉　　▃◤▆██◤▂▃▬▂
　◥▂░░:::: ◥▲::::░░▎ ◢::::░▀■░▍::::░░::::◥◣
　 　◥▂░░::◥◣▲░::::▍▍░░░░::::░░░░░:::::▍
　　　　 ▀◣▂◢◤▼◣░▎▐::::░░░░░░░::::▂◆
　 　 　 　 　▀▃░▂▼

"DIS IS FOR MY CHWEET N CUTE FRND........

THIS IS A WONDERFULL PLACE TO LEARN & TO TEACH...
LIFE AS A WHOLE IS A LEARNING PROCESS.....
SO KEEP ON LEARNING NEW THINGS,,,
KEEP SMILING & ROCKING

forget the past that made you cry and focus on your present that completes your life

Facebook Users Uploaded A Record 750 Million Photos Over New Year’s
13digg
4

13 Comments
Jason Kincaid
1 hour ago
It doesn’t come as a huge surprise, but it’s still staggering to think about: over the New Year’s weekend, Facebook saw 750 million photo uploads from its users. That’s a lot of celebrating, and it sets a new Facebook record.

The stat was just tweeted by Facebook marketing director Randi Zuckerberg (who is also founder Mark Zuckerberg’s sister). We’ve reached out to Facebook to ask what the last record was, but I’m guessing it was set over Halloween, which has historically been the biggest day for Facebook Photos.

To give some context to that number, in July Facebook said that more than 100 million photos get uploaded every day (that average is higher now, obviously). Here’s another stat: Flickr had its 5 billionth photo uploaded in September 2010 — Facebook would get that in a week or two if photos were uploaded at the rate they were last weekend. That’s a little apples-to-oranges (though Facebook does now offer support for high quality image uploads), but it gives a sense of the scale of Facebook Photos.

Change your lifestyle for a healthy 2011!



A man once asked Lord Mahaveer “What is the most intriguing thing you find about mankind.”

Lord Mahaveer replied “They lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore health. By thinking anxiously about future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor for the future.”

Isn’t this true? We work hard to earn, plan the future and manage our careers, but we completely ignore our health!

Let us amend the habit of sidelining our wellbeing. It is time to bring change; we say, sooner, the better! New Year is round the corner, so, pull out your Resolutions Diary today and jot down these valuable healthy resolutions.

Resolution 1 – Eat a lot but Healthy!

Eat of lot of fresh salads and fruits. It’s nature’s gift, packed with vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fibre. Take efforts to make your diet a balanced one, with the right amount of nutrients. Increase your water intake to the recommended quantity.

Resolution 2 – Avoid too much fried food.

Try to avoid fried food and beverages high in sugar. The bad fat in fried food finds its way to the arteries and clogs it, especially trans-fat. Even if you do eat fried food once in a while, limit your intake. Food high in sugar ends up as flab. Also, restricting the intake of salt will be helpful.

Resolution 3 – Exercise.

Make it fun, sweat it out! You probably could have predicted this resolution in the list, but healthy diet accompanied with exercise is proven funda for healthy living! Try to include at least a half-an-hour walk in your day’s routine. If you can afford it, become a member at a gym. If you find the exercise routine in gym boring, join with friends to play some outdoor games – badminton, cricket or basketball. Swimming is refreshing and an excellent alternative, provided you beat the hunger there after with fibre rich diet.

Resolution 4 – Sleep tight.

Sleep is an important ‘activity’, as your body rejuvenates while you sleep. Push aside worries and work, and leap on the bed for a good 8 hours. Exercise can be really helpful for a good sleep. You’d notice that your work efficiency, mood and concentration improve with better sleep!

Resolution 5 – Go for a regular health check up.

No matter how insignificant a problem seems – constant tiredness, lack of sleep, headaches, do consult a doctor to get to the root of problem and get appropriate treatment. If you are above 40, it’s a good idea to go for a master health check up to pin point diseases at an early stage.

Resolution 6 – Quit!

Quit smoking and excessive drinking. You probably are aware of its ill-effects, how smoking affects your heart, lungs and how excessive drinking can affect your liver, but it’s time to make serious efforts to quit. You’d see the benefits of ‘quitting’ as you make progress!

These resolutions are the basic key to good health. A good life begins with a healthy body.

Actress Meena Gives Birth to a Baby Girl
Actress Meena has been blessed with a baby girl on January 2. The actress gave birth to a baby girl at 11.30 am at a popular hospital in Chennai. Meena entered into wedlock with Bangalore-based Software Engineer Vidyasagar at Tirupathi temple on July 12th 2009. Needless to say, the child has brought joy to al

Platform Updates: Beta Tier and Developer Love
On the last day of 2010, we only have a few updates to share. We are looking forward to an exciting 2011, with more great products, better reliability and improved documentation for developers.

Testing on the Beta Tier
As we outlined several weeks ago, we encourage you to test your applications against our beta tier, beta.facebook.com, starting on Sunday before our weekly push on Tuesday. Testing on beta prior to the production site being updated is the best way to ensure that your application will not be impacted by any changes we have made. If you discover an issue in beta, it gives us all 48 hours to address it before it impacts our shared users. We are publishing a change log that you can use to determine if there are known breaking changes. (We are stilling working on automating this report and ensuring it is complete.) Lastly, we will are now prioritizing bugs reports for issues found on the beta between Sunday and Tuesday, so please include the tier information in bug reports.

Developer Love
Bugzilla activity for the past 7 days:

102 new bugs were reported
21 bugs were reproducible and accepted (after duplicates removed)
2 bugs were fixed (1 previously reported bug and 1 new bug)
As of today, there are 4,164 open bugs in Bugzilla
Developer Forum activity for the past 7 days:

366 new topics were created
236 new topics received at least one reply in the past week
Of those, 72 were replied to by an admin
Of those, 85 were replied to by a moderator
This week we also rolled out a new apps on Facebook.com developer guide. Expect to see many more improvements to the developer site in the new year.

The Adventures of Sherlock HolmesKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl TechnologyPride and PrejudiceInception (Two-Disc Edition) [Blu-ray]Speak NowSudokuApple iPod touch 8 GB (4th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Let’s change today for a greener tomorrow!



90,00,000 kgs of garbage is dumped in the wastelands of Mumbai every day. Rainforests may completely vanish in another 100 years. India may run out of drinking water by 2020.

We read this and other environment related news every day. Little do we realise that all of us are inadvertently contributing towards the deterioration of the environment. With a little awareness and effort by making changes to our lifestyle and adopting greener ways we can save our environment and our home, starting right at our homes. Here’s what you can do!

I. Energy saved=Energy created:

Change bulbs to CFL or tubelights -
Discard that bulb and opt for CFL or tubelight. CFLs use 60% lesser energy for the same wattage. Though it’s costlier, in the long run, it saves much more.
Note: Don’t throw away CFLs or tubelights after use. It contains mercury, thus has to be disposed off properly.
Adjust the temperature of AC -
If you use Air Conditioner, keep the temperature at 26 or 27 degrees. You would save 5 to 10% of the energy consumed. If you are using it during daytime, keep the shades on, to block all sunlight.
Switch off –
Switch off lights and fans when not in use. Unplug appliances after use. It would save a lot of energy!
Dust regularly –
Take a dusting cloth and wipe the coils of the refrigerator. Wash the filters of Air Conditioner regularly. A dust-free appliance saves energy.
Cook in a wider pan and pressure cooker –
In kitchen, cook food in a utensil with wider base. Prefer to cook in a pressure-cooker.
Use sunlight –
Solar energy is clean and free! If you are open to wacky ideas, use a solar cooker to cook rice.
II. Water saved=Water replenished:

Recycle water –
Use the water used to clean vegetables to water plants. Collect the unclean water from kitchen or after washing clothes to use it in bathroom. It would save a lot of fresh water, which is precious.
Rainwater harvesting –
Drop by drop makes an ocean. We heard it. Now let’s implement it. Try to collect maximum rainwater and let it go through the dried borewells or on to uncemented land. Let the rainwater not pass through the drain. This will help replenish the water table.
Change leaky taps –
A leaky tap can waste from 5 to 50 Litre of water in a day. That’s 150 Litre in a month. Change/fix all leaky taps at your home.
Utensils –
While washing utensils, pre-wash it in a large container filled with water and then wash it with fresh water to save at least 30% of it.
III. Landfills saved=Land reclaimed:

Compost and recycle –
90% of waste in our garbage can be composted and 9% of it can be recycled. Join with neighbours and create a compost pit or collectively hire a person for it. Press your municipal corporation to work in this direction.
Carry your own bag –
95% of polythene bags in landfills come from homes. Carry your own jute or polythene bag for shopping.
Avoid buying products that cause pollution –
Paper, leather, petrochemicals are some of the most polluting industries. Recycle and re-use paper whenever you can. Avoid buying leather products. Use all petrochemical products judiciously.
These are a few steps you can take to make your home green. These may seem like a mammoth effort and the resources saved may seem insignificant, but if a billion people adopted it, imagine the impact!

Let us all take the green step today. This is the time to change!

Bring a holistic approach to good health this New Year!



We are entering into a new decade this New Year. New Year’s the time when one should check on the road taken so far and get ourselves back on track.

Good health is not just about a healthy body, it is about the whole person, it includes the body, the mind, moods and emotions. It is what we call a holistic approach to good health. Our ancestors had a good idea about this and it might not hurt to take a leaf out of their lives.

And we are talking about healthy changes, from sunrise to sunset, from head to toe, from inside out. Let’s bring a holistic approach to good health this New Year. Here are a few tips:

Start the day early –
By getting out of bed early, you can plan your day better. According to experts of Ayurveda, waking up early gives active Vata advantage. It improves flexibility, function of sense organs, mental activities, secretion and release of hormones.
Take a glass of warm water –
According to Ayurveda, drinking a glass of warm water with a dash of lemon can be beneficial as it stimulates the gastro-intestinal tract. Lemon is rich is vitamins and it stimulates the tongue to secrete saliva, which is helpful in digestion.
Spend time to do yoga and pranayama -
The benefits of Yoga and Pranayama are innumerable but can be summed up as an exercise that improves flexibility, strengthens limbs and magnifies your endurance. The best time for yoga and pranayama is early morning.
Take an oil bath -
Oils are rich in Vitamin E, which is great for beautiful skin. Also, one benefits from acupressure, through the massage.
Substitute sugar with jaggery –
Jaggery and sugar have the same sweetness and calories. But jaggery is rich in iron, thus an added advantage.
Eat Chyawanaprash –
Chyawanaprash contains amla, long pepper, punarnava, chandana and several such beneficial herbs. It boosts immunity and extremely good for a healthy body.
Cook in a low flame –
In villages, people still cook with firewood in utensils made of mud. The benefit is that the vitamins and minerals are retained in the vegetables. The food takes time to cook, but it is rich in nutrition. While it’s not practical in cities, try to cook the food in a low flame.
Include shad rasa –
According to Ayurveda, food must be a balance of 6 tastes – sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter and astringent. Your menu should include all the tastes for complete food. Also, eat on a banana leaf as it releases Vitamins beneficial for body when hot food is served on it.
Don’t compromise on sleep – Sleep is essential as your body needs rest. Always go to bed at the same time, make it a routine. Don’t sleep at daytime and try to do some light exercises, such as walking, in the evening.
Drink water stored in brass utensil –
Drink optimum quantity of water everyday. Avoid drinking water while eating as it weakens digestion. But above all, store water in a brass utensil. It kills all germs, making your water clean and healthy to drink!
What also important to note is the appropriate eating times -

Breakfast – Before 8 AM

Lunch – Between 11 AM to 1 PM

Dinner – Before 7 PM

So, ready to modify your lifestyle? We say, start right away. It is a new year & a new decade; and is the time to change old habits and welcome a new life!

உலகத்தில் போராடலாம்
உயர்ந்தாலும் தாழ்ந்தாலும்
தலை வணங்காமல் நீ வாழலாம்

(உன்னை)
மானம் பெரியது என்று வாழும் மனிதர்களை
மான் என்று சொல்வதில்லையா
தன்னை தானும் அறிந்து கொன்டு ஊருக்கும் சொல்பவர்கள்
தலைவர்கள் ஆவதில்லையா

(உன்னை)
பூமியில் நேராக வாழ்பவர் எல்லோரும்
சாமிக்கு நிகர் இல்லையா
பிறர் தேவை அறிந்து கொண்டு
வாரிக்கொடுப்பவர்கள் தெய்வத்தின் பிள்ளை இல்லையா

(உன்னை)
மாபெரும் சபையினில் நீ நடந்தால் - உனக்கு
மாலைகள் விழவேண்டும் - ஒரு
மாசு குறையாத மன்னவன் இவனென்று
போற்றிப் புகழ வேண்டும்

உன்னை அறிந்தால்...நீ உன்னை அறிந்தால்
உலகத்தில் போராடலாம்
உயர்ந்தாலும் தாழ்ந்தாலும்
தலை வணங்காமல் நீ வாழலாம்

"...A key psychology for leading (is to).. retain absolute faith that you can and will prevail in the end regardless of the difficulties, and at the same time confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be... Create a culture.. for the truth to be heard. Creating a climate where truth is heard involves four basic practices:

1 Lead with questions, not answers.
2 Engage in dialogue, not coercion.
3. Conduct autopsies without blame. and
4. Build red flag mechanisms that turn information into information that cannot be ignored.

Leadership does not begin just with vision. It begins with getting people to confront the brutal facts and to act on the implications..." Jim Collins - Good to Great
"...The goal is not to speculate on what might happen, but to imagine what you can actually make happen...." Gary Hamel in Leading the Revolution

"... As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the World, as in being able to remake ourselves. We must become the change we wish to see in the world...” Mahatma Gandhi

"When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world." - Author Unknown on Changing the World.

"They call you 'Little Man', 'Common Man'; they say a new era has begun, the 'Era of the Common Man'. It isn't you who says so, Little Man. It is they, the Vice Presidents of great nations, promoted labour leaders, repentant sons of bourgeois families, statesman and philosophers. They give you your future but don't ask about your past....I have never heard you complain: "You promote me to be the future master of myself and the world, but you don't tell me how one is to be the master of oneself, and you don't tell me the mistakes in my thinking and my actions."

"Your liberators tell you that that your suppressors are Wilhelm, Nikolaus, Pope Gregory the Twenty Eighth, Morgan, Krupp or Ford. And your 'liberators' are called Mussolini, Napolean, Hitler and Stalin. I tell you: Only you yourself can be your liberator!"

"This sentence makes me hesitate. I contend to be a fighter for pureness and truth. I hesitate, because I am afraid of you and your attitude towards truth... My intellect tells me: 'Tell the truth at any cost.' The Little Man in me says: 'It is stupid to expose oneself to the little man, to put oneself at his mercy. The Little Man does not want to hear the truth about himself. He does not want the great responsibility which is his. He wants to remain a Little Man...." Wilhelm Reich - Listen Little Man

"...In a very real sense, followers lead by choosing where to be led. Where an organised community will be led is inseparable from the shared values and beliefs of its members..." Dee Hock - The Art of Chaordic Leadership

"In modern times there is no lack of understanding of the fact man is a social being and that 'No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe' (John Dunne, 1571-1631). Hence there is no lack of exhortation that he should love his neighbour - or at least not to be nasty to him - and should treat him with tolerance, compassion and understanding. At the same time, however, the cultivation of self knowledge has fallen into virtually total neglect, except, that is, where it is the object of active suppression.

That you cannot love your neighbour, unless you love yourself; that you cannot understand your neighbour unless you understand yourself; that there can be no knowledge of the 'invisible person' who is your neighbour except on the basis of self knowledge - these fundamental truths have been forgotten even by many of the professionals in the established religions.

Exhortations, consequently, cannot possibly have any effect; genuine understanding of one's neighbour is replaced by sentimentality, which ofcourse crumbles into nothingness as soon as self interest is aroused...

Anyone who goes openly on a journey into the interior, who withdraws from the ceaseless agitation of everyday life and pursues the kind of training - satipatthana, yoga, Jesus Prayer, or something similar - without which genuine self knowledge cannot be obtained, is accused of selfishness and of turning his back on social duties.

Meanwhile, world crisis multiply and everybody deplores the shortage, or even total lack, of 'wise' men or women, unselfish leaders, trustworthy counselors etc. It is hardly rational to expect such high qualities from people who have never done any inner work and would not even understand what was meant by the words..." E.F.Schumacher, A Guide for the Perplexed

"...The desire to share knowing with another human being is a fundamental one. It is at heart a desire to make your thoughts known to the other and to learn whether they are understood, even shared - always with the chance that I will mean more than I meant before, because of the way the other has understood what I have said. The process is one that truly works from both the inside out and the outside in, as we each become different persons through our interaction with one another..." - Deanne Kuhn, Professor of Psychology and Education, Columbia University in Piaget Vygotsky & Beyond: Future Issues for Developmental Psychology and Education, 1997

"You know, you could not see me unless you could also see my background, what stands behind me. If I, myself, the boundaries of my skin, were coterminous with your whole field of vision you would not see me at all. You would not see me because, in order to see me, not only would you have to see what is inside the boundary of my skin, but also what is outside it. This is terribly important -

- for every outside there is an inside,
and for every inside there is an outside,
and though they are different, they go together.-
... you do not find one without the other."

- Alan Watts in Om - Creative Meditations, Edited and Adapted by Judith Johnstone, 1980


What do you see? A vase or two faces, or both? At the same time?
அகம் - புறம்... இரண்டல்ல

"...The capital period of my intellectual development was when I could see clearly that what the intellect said might be correct and not correct, that what the intellect justified was true and its opposite was also true. I never admitted a truth in the mind without simultaneously keeping it open to the contrary of it.. And the first result was that the prestige of the intellect was gone..." Aurobindo quoted in Satprem's Adventure of Consciousness

"...The (mind)... seems to deal effectively only with parts of the total reality. It directs its attention to discrete and separate parts of the whole. In order that it may understand, the mind separates and conceptualises. It separates that which is connected and the very process of separation distorts an understanding of the whole. The mind thinks in sequence in time. The present is a fleeting moment and is then gone forever. Thoughts are so much grist to its mill. Words and concepts are the instruments of its trade. The mind seeks to clarify one concept by having recourse to another. It defines one word with another. There is no end to this process nor is there a starting point. The mind deals in opposites. There is no idealism without materialism; there are no means without ends; there is no detachment without attachment; there is no free will without determinism; there is no good without bad. If everything was good what would it mean? Presumably, we would stop using the word..." Nadesan Satyendra On the Bhavad Gita, 1981

"...all the propositions of logic say the same thing, to wit nothing. To give the essence of a proposition means to give the essence of all description, and thus the essence of the world. The limits of my language mean the limits of my world. What can be shown, cannot be said. There are, indeed, things that cannot be put into words. They make themselves manifest. My propositions serve as elucidations in the following way: anyone who understands me eventually recognizes them as nonsensical, when he has used them - as steps - to climb up beyond them. (He must, so to speak, throw away the ladder after he has climbed up it.) He must transcend these propositions, and then he will see the world aright. What we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence..." Ludwig Wittgenstein


"The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea,
The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,
And all the air a solemn stillness holds,
Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,
And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds:

Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tower
The moping owl does to the moon complain
Of such as, wandering near her secret bower,
Molest her ancient solitary reign.

Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree's shade,
Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap,
Each in his narrow cell for ever laid,
The rude Forefathers of the hamlet sleep.

The breezy call of incense-breathing morn,
The swallow twittering from the straw-built shed,
The cock's shrill clarion, or the echoing horn,
No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed.

For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn,
Or busy housewife ply her evening care:
No children run to lisp their sire's return,
Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share,

Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield,
Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke;
How jocund did they drive their team afield!
How bow'd the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!

Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,
Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;
Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile
The short and simple annals of the Poor.

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Awaits alike th' inevitable hour:-
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.

Nor you, ye Proud, impute to these the fault
If Memory o'er their tomb no trophies raise,
Where through the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault
The pealing anthem swells the note of praise.

Can storied urn or animated bust
Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?
Can Honour's voice provoke the silent dust,
Or Flattery soothe the dull cold ear of Death?

Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid
Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire;
Hands, that the rod of empire might have sway'd,
Or waked to ecstasy the living lyre:

But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page,
Rich with the spoils of time, did ne'er unroll;
Chill Penury repress'd their noble rage,
And froze the genial current of the soul.

Full many a gem of purest ray serene
The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.

Some village-Hampden, that with dauntless breast
The little tyrant of his fields withstood,
Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest,
Some Cromwell, guiltless of his country's blood.

Th' applause of list'ning senates to command,
The threats of pain and ruin to despise,
To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land,
And read their history in a nation's eyes,

Their lot forbad: nor circumscribed alone
Their growing virtues, but their crimes confined;
Forbad to wade through slaughter to a throne,
And shut the gates of mercy on mankind,

The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide,
To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame,
Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride
With incense kindled at the Muse's flame.

Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,
Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray;
Along the cool sequester'd vale of life
They kept the noiseless tenour of their way.

Yet e'en these bones from insult to protect
Some frail memorial still erected nigh,
With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture deck'd,
Implores the passing tribute of a sigh.

Their name, their years, spelt by th' unletter'd Muse,
The place of fame and elegy supply:
And many a holy text around she strews,
That teach the rustic moralist to die.

For who, to dumb forgetfulness a prey,
This pleasing anxious being e'er resign'd,
Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,
Nor cast one longing lingering look behind?

On some fond breast the parting soul relies,
Some pious drops the closing eye requires;
E'en from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,
E'en in our ashes live their wonted fires.

For thee, who, mindful of th' unhonour'd dead,
Dost in these lines their artless tale relate;
If chance, by lonely contemplation led,
Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate, --

Haply some hoary-headed swain may say,
Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn
Brushing with hasty steps the dews away,
To meet the sun upon the upland lawn;

'There at the foot of yonder nodding beech
That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high.
His listless length at noontide would he stretch,
And pore upon the brook that babbles by.

'Hard by yon wood, now smiling as in scorn,
Muttering his wayward fancies he would rove;
Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn,
Or crazed with care, or cross'd in hopeless love.

'One morn I miss'd him on the custom'd hill,
Along the heath, and near his favourite tree;
Another came; nor yet beside the rill,
Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he;

'The next with dirges due in sad array
Slow through the church-way path we saw him borne,-
Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay
Graved on the stone beneath yon aged thorn.'

The Epitaph
Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth
A youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown.
Fair Science frowned not on his humble birth,
And Melacholy marked him for her own.

Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere,
Heaven did a recompense as largely send:
He gave to Misery all he had, a tear,
He gained from Heaven ('twas all he wish'd) a friend.

No farther seek his merits to disclose,
Or draw his frailties from their dread abode
(There they alike in trembling hope repose),
The bosom of his Father and his God."

யாதும் ஊரே ; யாவரும் கேளிர் ;
தீதும் நன்றும் பிறர்தர வாரா ;
நோதலும் தணிதலும் அவற்றோ ரன்ன ;
சாதலும் புதுவது அன்றே ; வாழ்தல்
இனிதுஎன மகிழ்ந்தன்றும் இலமே; முனிவின்,
இன்னா தென்றலும் இலமே; ‘மின்னொடு
வானம் தண்துளி தலைஇ, ஆனாது
கல்பொருது இரங்கும் மல்லற் பேர்யாற்று
நீர்வழிப் படூஉம் புணைபோல, ஆருயிர்
முறைவழிப் படூஉம்’ என்பது திறவோர்
காட்சியின் தெளிந்தனம் ஆகலின், மாட்சியின்
பெரியோரை வியத்தலும் இலமே;
சிறியோரை இகழ்தல் அதனினும் இலமே.

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

“Makers of Modern India” is different to “India After Gandhi”, could you describe the format of the book?
It’s an anthology. I’ve done other anthologies in the past, of writings on cricket and the environment, but this one is more important. It’s an orchestra of 19 brilliant individuals and I’m the conductor; putting their thoughts in a particular order, setting one idea or thinker against another, exploring their tensions and arguments.

This book evolved over a period of time. It could not have been done by a younger person. I’ve been reading people like Gandhi, Nehru, Tagore and Ambedkar for 15-20 years. As I worked on “India after Gandhi” and various other projects, I realized there was a very rich and robust tradition of political debate and argument in modern India, starting with Rammohan Roy and continuing on with the Marathi social reformers, through Gandhi and Nehru and their critics right up to the 1970s. I first thought I’d write a book about it in my own words, selectively quoting from these people, as a sort of history of debates on democracy.

Yet, as I started working on the project, I realized the writings themselves were so powerful, so vivid, so evocative, that they should be presented in their own words, with this kind of orchestration placing them in some sort of context for the reader. Especially younger readers, who might not know some of these individuals, so they get a sense of who they were, where they were coming from, what they were trying to say, what they were trying to do, and hence this book emerged.

What kind of research went behind this book and how long did you take to complete it?
It may have been about five years ago when I decided to edit, introduce and compile this book. In 2005-6 I had a debate with Amartya Sen on intellectual traditions in India and this book is in a sense an outcome of that debate. But as I said, somewhere subconsciously it’s been evolving in me for a very long time. Had I not been grappling with these thinkers and their legacies for so long, I could not have done this.

What are the common traits of the personalities featured in the book, was there a specific criteria you employed when you were choosing who to profile?
The criteria I employed were, the people who featured in this book had to be both thinkers and activists. Not pure intellectuals. Radhakrishnan, for example, was a very important figure in the middle decades of the 20th century, but he was an academic philosopher, not a political activist. Of course he was later President of India but that was more a symbolic, ceremonial role.

So they had to be thinkers and activists. On the other hand where you have intellectuals like Radhakrishnan who are not actors, you have actors like Subhas Chandra Bose, Indira Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel, who are very important in shaping the history of our nation - but they did not leave behind a corpus of written work. They were out and out doers, they were not thinker-activists in the way in which Gandhi and Ambedkar and the others in this book were.

The second criteria was that their writing had to be of a certain quality and relevance. They had to be speaking of important social and political issues. Not inward, psychological, spiritual writings, but reflections on caste and gender inequality, on religion and politics, on India’s attitude to the world.

The third criteria for inclusion was that the prose had to travel across the generations. You read Rammohan Roy writing in 1820 and he’s still fresh and alive today! Whereas some other thinkers, who I won’t name, wrote a very stiff, formal and archaic prose. There are some 19th century political activists whose prose is incomprehensible to the younger reader.

These were the three defining criteria. They had to be thinkers and activists. They had to be writing about important social and political issues. And their writings had to be clear, accessible and timeless with the ability to communicate across generations.

Can you comment on the timelessness of the ideas presented in the book?
This book reflects the sheer size, diversity and unique nature of the Indian political experiment. We’re trying to create a united country out of so many diverse parts that we’re trying to run democratically. This social churning has thrown up some very interesting and original thinkers.

These writers speak about freedom of the press, the plight of the farmers, the position of women, about the need for Hindu-Muslim harmony. However, this book is not a manifesto or work of advocacy. I’m not telling the reader what to make of its contents. I’m presenting this extraordinary richness and diversity of our political tradition through 19 representative figures. I’m telling the reader of today that if you’ll acquaint yourself with the history of India of the last 150 years through reading this book, you’ll get a sense of the sophistication of thought, of argument, of the real personality of these people. Now what is fresh about them, what is relevant about them, I’ll leave for each reader to decide.

It seems peculiar that you’ve included Jinnah as a “Maker of Modern India”.
Jinnah is a controversial inclusion, but I had to include him because he shaped the history of our country - for good or for bad. Through the two-nation theory, the politics of the 20s and 30s evolved in a particular direction. Because Pakistan was created the politics of the 50s and 60s evolved in a certain way. You could say he is a negative influence but he is an influence all the same.

Nehru would not have so vigorously promoted Hindu-Muslim harmony had it not been for Jinnah. He certainly shaped the history of our country in a very profound way and his writings are very eloquent and direct. The case of Pakistan is made with such clarity and force; you have to contend with it. Including Jinnah (or even Golwalkar), doesn’t mean I endorse what they did or what they stand for. It’s simply that as a historian I’ve recognized the profound impact they had on the history of our country.

On contemporary politicians versus The Makers of Modern India
We should not expect contemporary politicians to be thinkers because there are very few original thinkers amongst politicians anywhere in the world. Sarkozy is not a well read or articulate man. David Cameron gets someone else to write his speeches for him. The only thinking politician of today is probably Obama.

What we should be worried about is that politicians of today are so ignorant of the legacies they claim to represent. Mayawati hasn’t read Ambedkar’s speeches to the Constituent Assembly, Rahul Gandhi does not appear to know about Nehru’s letters to Chief Ministers. That’s what we should be worried about. Even someone like George W Bush, who is as anti-intellectual as any President can get, would know the legacy of the founders of his country - he would know what Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln stood for. You don’t expect Rahul Gandhi to have the original ideas of a Nehru, but he should be more aware of his tradition and legacy.

Politicians who are also original thinkers are not common in any country or time period. A Nehru comes once in a generation, an Ambedkar comes once in a century, a Gandhi appears perhaps once in millennia - we were just fortunate they came together in 20th century India.

General (Miscellaneous)

As an avid cricket fan who has written a few books on the subject, what are your predictions for the upcoming World Cup?
I don’t normally predict and I should also say I’ve more or less stopped writing on cricket after Twenty20. I’m not a fan of Twenty20 at all. It’s a vulgar debasement of the game. ODIs are slightly better but Test cricket is the real cricket for me. Two months ago when India played Australia in a Test match in Bangalore, I was there for all five days. In that sense, I’m a purist, a romantic, an old-fashioned guy who likes Test cricket.

The other thing about me which is slightly peculiar, is that I’m not a cricketing jingoist. I like good cricket, I’m not really desperate for India to win. I appreciate good cricketers and I grew up admiring the West Indians. I’ve admired the Australians, the Pakistanis - Wasim Akram is one of my all time favourite cricketers. I want to see good cricket. Of course, I’d like India to win, but it’s not a top priority for me, it’s not something I’m obsessed about.

You’ve been a teacher who has taught all over the world, what has the experience been like?
I enjoy teaching. I enjoy working with young people. Teaching is very important. For someone like me it’s a constant source of nourishment and creativity to be in contact with young people. It’s hugely enjoyable.

A historian who thrives on and embraces archives of information on politics, what are your views on the WikiLeaks saga?
I have not thought it through seriously. Obviously at one level there are some shocking revelations that were uncovered. Yet on another level, diplomacy can only succeed if it’s done in private. I don’t think diplomacy can be conducted against the full glare of public opinion. You’ve had a tradition in most governments where only after 30 years are the documents of the period made open to the public and to scholars.

I don’t think you should be leaking all this and damaging relationships between countries. These are private communications. At a suitable time, say after 30 years, when the present controversies have died out, historians should have access to them so that they can assess why the issues arose in the first place. On balance I don’t think it’s a good idea to encourage this kind of rampant leaking of diplomatic information. At the same time I think the persecution of the WikiLeaks founder is unfortunate.

Advice to young writers who would like to start pursuing it as a career?
It’s very hard work. The first piece of advice is, reject the idea that you have to be inspired to write - that today I’m not in a mood to write but then tomorrow suddenly the creative juices flow! That’s rubbish. Writing is hard work. It’s like a factory worker at his lathe from 10-6. You have to go to your desk and write. If you are a historian or biographer, you have to go to the archives and look at dozens of files a day to find new or relevant material. If you’re a traveler or someone who bases his writing on real life experience - then go out into the countryside, go to different parts of India, talk to people from different backgrounds, if need be live in difficult circumstances. Consistency and hard work are most important. Creativity and imagination are secondary. That’s the first thing.

The second this is you must read very widely. Don’t get stereotyped, don’t just read one kind of writer. Don’t read only one political tendency. If you’re a left-wing kind of person, read as much right-wing literature as possible. You must know what the other side thinks. In fact read more right-wing literature than left-wing literature, because then you can hone and refine your arguments and ideas.

Don’t be dogmatic in your approach, travel widely and work very hard. For the writer, there are no weekdays or weekends. Sachin Tendulkar is so good not just because of his natural gifts. At 37 he practices as hard in the nets as when he was 18. Hard work, discipline and rigour are the most important qualities.

Unless you are willing to be in it for the long haul and be patient, you can never really be a good writer.

Is there a particular reason you avoid writing fiction?
I have so much diversity in what I do; I write history, biographies, political commentary, cricket, different kinds of books, that confront different kinds of challenges. I’ve never had the desire to write fiction. Fiction has to come from within you.

Recently, at my book release in Bangalore, someone asked me, “You’ve written this big tome on history, but why don’t you now give us some saucy fiction?” I answered, with completely sincerity, “One of the reasons I don’t write fiction, is that there are various writers I’ve admired in the past, the British historian EP Thompson, the American cultural critic Lewis Mumford who wrote on ecology and town planning, the Caribbean writer CLR James who wrote the finest book on cricket, “Beyond a Boundary”, the Indian naturalist M. Krishnan, and I think, and what is common to these people? If I look at these people whom I admire, what’s common to them is that each of them wrote one novel and it was a bad novel.” So it’s a caution to me to never write a novel. I’m a historian, biographer and political commentator, that’s my calling.

Books that have changed your life?
That’s a complex question, but there are a few. Not changed my life, but the way I look at the world, there were books that changed my worldview. One book is George Orwell’s “Homage to Catalonia”, which I had bought in a pavement in Dehradun. I was in my early 20s and very attracted by Marxism. While reading this book, which is a wonderful and moving account of how the communist party destroyed the Spanish democratic movement in the 1930s, I realized how callous, instrumental and brutal the communist ideology would be in practice. In theory it was all about equality and liberty for all, but in reality it was totalitarian, anti-human and barbaric.

Another book that changed the way I looked at the world was a wonderful book published by a Gandhian publisher in Ahmedabad. It was called “Truth Called Them Differently”. It’s a reproduction of the letters between Tagore and Gandhi over a period of time. It’s about many things: India’s place in the world, the role of the English language, whether Indians should live simply or live as they choose – the debate is very rich and very productive. It also shows you the quality of the men as they argue with each other and are willing to change their position. You learn a lot about the Indian national movement, Indian culture and political traditions, but you also learn about the ability to adapt and change, when circumstances compel you to change.

There were other books too for example, a work by the great French historian Marc Bloch entitled “French Rural History”. This is a combination of environmental, social, economic and political history – a total history as the French call it. I read this book when I was starting my career as a historian and it impressed me greatly.

What are you currently reading?
It’s normally a mix. I might have a novel, a book on Indian history, a book about some other part of the world.

I just finished Ian McEwan’s “Solar”, which is a novel about a once brilliant scientist gone to seed. It’s not McEwan’s best work, still, it’s an acute psychological portrait of intellectual and moral corruption.

I’m now reading a wonderful book on the history of Paris called “Parisians” by Graham Robb, who is a very distinguished British writer on French affairs. It’s slices of the history of Paris through individuals. He starts with Napoleon’s first visit to Paris as a 19-year-old lieutenant. It goes on to follow various people who lived in Paris, the great novelist Zola’s wife for example. Then Robb writes of Hitler’s only visit to Paris during the war. It’s a marvelous book.

I’m also reading a memoir of a Sindhi woman writer, who grew up in Karachi and Hyderabad before partition and then had to flee into India. The book is very revealing about the impact of Partition on Sindhi Hindus.

What’s next for Ramachandra Guha?
For the long term, I have been working on (for several years) a multi-volume project on Gandhi. Each book will be self contained; a book on Gandhi’s years in South Africa, a book on Gandhi’s years in India, a book on the global impact of Gandhi - there will be at least three volumes and possibly a fourth, a kind of multi-volume series on Gandhi, with standalone books that are part of a larger series. Before that, I might come out with a collection of my political essays.