Elders Book May“Every time you smile at someone,
it is an action of love, a gift to that person,
a beautiful thing” – Mother Teresa.
Vol.13 / Issue 8 - August - 2012 Published on the 15th of every Month - Rs.3/- per copy
HAZARDS TO LEARNERS The school year 2012-13 started with a bang in June
and serious debates and discussions on admissions as regulated by the Right to Education Act and rules made there under have been going on about the implementation of this law. The matter has also come under the scanner of courts of law. May be only during the next school year, the wider implications and complex issues in implementation will come to the fore.
Of some relevance to this fundamental right to education is the concept of neighbourhood schools and the right of child in the age group of six to fourteen seeking admissions in any school within a radius of one kilometre for classes up to the fifth standard and three kilometres for classes up to the eighth standard from its residence. Over the years, schools have been started in all cities, towns and villages to facilitate young learners reach the institution without hassles. In cities and towns, private initiative has been witnessed on an amazing scale to open fee levying schools catching the attention of parents through the offer of English medium, transport, bunch of co-curricular and extra- curricular activities. Wherever needed the fees charged is also regulated by a specially constituted authority to avoid exploitation and commercialization in the name of education.
In recent weeks particularly after the tragic death of a child after fall from van carrying school children and series of other incidents where due to the rash and negligent action of the drivers leading to fatal accidents involving school children, the public have been worried and upset. Blame game has begun and preventive action to avoid accidents and incidents has been set in motion.
What is even more important is the need to utilize the neighbourhood schools in a greater measure by the community rather than sending children to schools far away from their residence under the plea of providing quality education or unique facilities. No doubt there are factors differentiating one school from the other on a range of points of concern to the parents. It is time that they got out of the mindset that any sacrifice is worth it, if they can put the child in a school of their choice however far it may be particularly when the young one is to join primary classes. The amount of worry anxiety and tension that parents undergo on a daily basis to send the child to school and await its safe return appears to be increasing day by day.
In order to provide fairly good and uniform standard of education at the school level special efforts have been initiated in recent years ranging from a common curriculum to prescribing the minimum qualifications of teachers and providing the basic infrastructure. With a well thought out strategy it is possible to minimize the agony and anxiety of all concerned, by giving a fillip to the neighbourhood school concept avoiding children making long trips at a tender age to receive education expressing themselves to various hazards. Sooner or later, in order to survive all schools should maintain tolerably good standards and quality expected by the society. Let universal education become a reality free from hazards.
– K. ALUDIAPILLAI
SOLIDARITY DAY
The meeting was held as scheduled on the morning of 16th August 2012 at the Tower Park, Anna Nagar, Chennai. A good number of senior citizens went around in a procession inside the park carrying banners and placards highlighting their principal demands before gathering at the meeting.
A detailed report about this event will be given in the next issue of Elders.
SOUTH KARNATAKA TOUR
Thirty two of our members have enlisted themselves in the proposed tour to places of interest in Karnataka. The group will be leaving Chennai on 3rd September 2012 by the Shatabdi Express and returning on the 7th September. Detailed itinerary and information about the arrangements made for stay, local travel, food, and sight seeing are being sent individually to the participants.
In view of the persisting demand from other members who want to go on this tour, arrangements are being made to form a second group that will undertake an identical tour commencing on 1st October 2012.
Members interested in joining may please give their names to TANSECA office before 27th August 2012.
2ELDERS - August - 2012
AISCCON CONFERENCE CUM TOUR About 15 members have responded so far to the call
given for joining this trip. As the intention was to take at least 30 persons the booking list is being kept open so as to enable those who missed due date to give their name now. Please contact TANSECA Office on or before 31st
August 2012. As announced earlier, the AISCCON conference will
be for two days – 2nd and 3rd November 2012. Thereafter, the group will go on a sight seeing tour to Varkala beach, Thiruvattar, Thirparappu falls, Suchindram, and Kanyakumari.
LIST OF NEW MEMBERS TANSECA extends a hearty welcome to the following newly admitted members. L.M. No. Name and address and last post held if any
2149 Mr. P. Udaya Sankar Babu, Dy Genl Manager, Metro Rail, New 11/1, Old 42, T Block, 8th Street, Anna Nagar, Chennai – 600 040.
2150 Mr. S. Ravindran Advocate, 63, Asirvathapuram, Amman Koil street, Broadway, Chennai – 600108
2151 Mr. R. Murugesan Z-173, Block 63, V Avenue, Annanagar, Chennai – 600 040.
2152 Mr. M. G. Sankaranarayanan, Sr. Manager, Binny Ltd., Flat 304, 3rd Floor, Brinda SriMahalakshmi Malika Doshi Apts, 38/6, Justice Ratnavel Pandian Road, Golden George Nagar, Mogappair East, Chennai – 600 107
2153 Mr. K. Srinivasan, 201, Padma Block Mahalakshmi Malika, 38/6, Justice Ratnavel Pandian Road, Goden George Nagar, Mogappair east, Chennai – 600107
2154 Mr. R. Bhuvanendiran, D.E. Chennai Telephones Plot 77, South Jagannatha Nagar, 2nd Main road, Villiwakkam, Chennai – 600 049
2155 Mr. S. Rajendran Asst. Commissioner of Police, A1-4, A.C’s Quarters, III Avenue, Anna Nagar West, Chennai-40.
2156 Mr. Bhaskar Sethuram, Surveyor, 22/2, Bhagirathi Street, Srinivasa Avenue, R.A. Puram, Chennai – 600 028
2157 Mr. B. Padmanabhan, Sr. Auditor, A. G.’s Office Plot-28, 3rd Cross Street, 1/62, III Main Rd., A.G’s Colony, Phase II, Mugalivakkam, Porur, Chennai – 600 125.
2158 Mr. C.V. Seetharam, Business, 29/66, Gajapathy St., Shenoy Nagar, Chennai – 600 030.
2159 Mr. N. Narasimhan, Addl Supdt of Police, 2/24, Devakiammal Street, Shenoy Nagar, Chennai – 600 030
—oo0oo—
DONATIONS TO TANSECA
Rs. L.M. 936 Mrs. Rajeswari Annamalai 1000 L.M. 1809 Dr.(Ms) K. Lalitha 1000 L.M. 701 Mr. R. Shanmugham 1000 L.M. 770 Mr. V. Manikesi 1000 L.M. 704 Mr. K. Venkatachari 500 L.M. 852 P. Periasamy 500 L.M. 1778 K. Padmanabha Pillai 200 L.M. 1189 Mr. E.K.M.Kader Mohideen 50
OBITUARY
TANSECA regrets to record the demise of the following members of the Association and expresses its condolences and deep sympathy to the members of the bereaved families.
1. (L.M. 1212) Mr. A.R. Ramakrishnan, Retired Executive Engineer, Corporation of Chennai, 29, Aravamuthan Garden Street, Egmore, Chennai - 8 - Expired on 16-07-2012
2. (L.M. 275) Mrs. Leela Venkatraman, W/o Mr.T. Venkataraman, Y-24, Fifth Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai – 40 - Expired on 01-08-2012
MAY THE DEPARTED SOULS REST IN PEACE
Encourage your friendsEncourage your friendsEncourage your friendsEncourage your friendsEncourage your friends to join TANSECAto join TANSECAto join TANSECAto join TANSECAto join TANSECA
to become an empoweredto become an empoweredto become an empoweredto become an empoweredto become an empowered Senior Citizen.Senior Citizen.Senior Citizen.Senior Citizen.Senior Citizen.
3ELDERS - August - 2012
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Sir, Hazards of quoting PAN while booking Tatkal tickets
In respect of those to whom tatkal tickets are issued, Railways display the Permanent Account Number, name. sex and age of passengers on reservation charts pasted on train compartments.
Benami transactors misuse this information. It appears that it is mandatory for jewelers to collect tax (TCS) from customers on purchases exceeding Rs. 5 lakhs. In the E- TDS returns which they have to send following the tax collection they have to report the PAN of the customer. For certain customers it is not convenient to provide PAN. To accommodate them traders resort to the easy source of benami PAN and other particulars obtained from railway charts.
Some miscreants seen copying the PAN details when caught have confessed passing on the information to jewelers and other traders for a charge of Rs. 10 per number.
The traveler gets to know about the misuse of his PAN only some months later when a query comes from the IT Department for verification of transactions which he did not do. It would be quite a job for him to convince the Department that he was not the real purchaser.
The easy way to protect ourselves from such fraud is to avoid furnishing PAN as identity proof at the time of booking tatkal tickets. — Dr. P.P. Ramaswamy (L.M. No.1513) Good Wishes to Elders Dear Sir,
I am a regular reader of Elders and enjoy reading it. In the July issue, I particularly enjoyed reading the following:
1) The article on coconut water which Mother Nature provides to all of us.
2) The article by Chris Balthasar, “Sit Still and do Nothing” which was very interesting ond useful not only to 95 years old but also to other ageing members. In fact I have experience some of the total blessings at my age of 85 plus. It is very true to have the kind of experiences listed
in this wonderful article and I would definitely say “ Wow, what an amazing time that was”
3) The message given to elders by Sri C. Radhakrishnan as to what they should do to enjoy Life is very true, apt and worth following. Equally the “Vazhkai Kattidam” by Mrs. Mangalam Sundresan an interesting to read piece.
My good wishes to you to continue the good work. L. S. VAIDYANATHAN (L.M. No.1560)
—oo0oo—
Service to Generations Since 1905
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4ELDERS - August - 2012
News and Events PONDY SENIORS VISIT AUROVILLE
On 12.7.0l2, a group of senior citizens from Pondicherry senior citizens welfare association visited Auroville, the international city and the meditation center there known as “Matri Mandir”. They watched a video show and listened to a lecture by one of the senior inmates explaining the concept on which Auroville was founded. The 12 pillared Globe housing the mandir symbolizes universal peace and glory. Within the globe one can meditate in silence in the midst of a very pleasant ambience
The group had food in the meal section of the attached canteen where the cooking is done solely by drawing upon solar energy. It returned to Pondicherry in the evening feeling greatly rejuvenated by the experience and the blessings of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo.
The group was lead by Sri S.V.Iyer President. All the members of the executive committee accompanied him.
—oo0oo— TO REMEMBER ME
Give my sight to the man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby’s face or the love in the eyes of a woman.
Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain. Give my kidneys to one who depends on a machine to exist from week to week. Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk. If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses and all prejudice against my fellow man. Give my sins to the devil. Give my soul to God. If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you. If you do all I have asked I will live forever.
- Robert N. Test —oo0oo—
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5ELDERS - August - 2012
6ELDERS - August - 2012
Luxury versus Necessity Yesterday, I was driving, and the FM radio went off for a
few seconds. I thought, I should have an iPod. Then suddenly I realized that I have an iPod but not used it in the last 6 months. And then more things, Handy Cam in last 2 years, Digital Camera in last 2 months, DVD player in last 1 month and many more.
So, whats wrong and where? When I look at myself or my friends I can see it everywhere. We are not happy with what we have but are stressed and not happy for the things we don’t have. You have a Santro, but you want Honda City! You have a Honda City, but you want Skoda. Just after buying a new phone, we need another one, a better laptop, bigger TV, faster car, bigger house, etc.. etc. These examples are endless. The point is, is it actually worth? Do we ever think if we actually need those things before we want them?
When I see my father back at home, he has a simple BPL colour TV, he doesn’t need 32" Sony LCD wall mount. He has a cell phone worth Rs 2,500. Whenever I ask him to change the phone, he always says, “ Its a phone, I need this just for calls”. And believe me; he is much happier in life than me with those limited resources and simple gadgets. The very basic reason is that he doesn’t want things in life to make it luxurious, but he wants only those things which are making it easier. It’s a very fine line between these two but after looking at my father’s life style closely, I got the point. He needs a cell phone but not the iPhone. He needs a TV but not the 32" plasma. He needs a car but not an expensive one.
Initially I had lot of questions. I am earning good, still I am not happy....why ? I have all luxuries, still I am stressed.... ....... why ? I had a great weekend, still I am feeling tired...... why?
I realize that one thing which is keeping me stressed is the stay connected syndrome. May be, many people will call this approach not progressive attitude, but I want my life back. Ultimately it’s a single life, a day gone is a day gone. I believe if I am not happy tonight, I’ll never be happy tomorrow morning. I finally realized that meeting friends, spending quality time with your loved one’s; spending time with yourself is the most important thing. I think, a lot can be said and done but what we need the most is re- evaluation of the value of happiness and time we are giving to our life and people associated with it. - a young person’s post on the Senior Citizens Website
—oo0oo—
20th ANNIVERSARY OF THIRUKKURAL LIBRARY
The 20th Anniversary of Karunakaran Ninaivu Thirukural Noolagam, a library established by Prof. Thirukural Baskaran in memory of his son Karunakaran who met with an untimely death in February 1991, was observed on 11th July 2012 at the library premises.
Thiru Siva Rajarathinam IAS was the Chief Guest. As is the usual practice, all the invitees recited a couple of Thirukural each.
Lighting of the Kuthuvillaku was done by Tmt. Rani Rathinam, Tmt Padmavathu Subramanian (Mother of the Minister for Tourism), Thiru M.A. Selvaraj ( former Correspondent of Sir. M.Ct. M. Chettiar Higher Secondary Schools and Tmt. Rajeswari Baskar (mother of Karunakaran) Sets of school uniforms were presented to 16 poor students of the Chennai Corporation Higher Secondary School, Amainthakarai on behalf of the Noolagam.
Speaking on the occasion, Thiru Siva Rajarathinam exhorted the pupils to study well and rise to the level of Abdul Kalam former President of Republic India.
—oo0oo—
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TANSECA WEBSITE
TANSECA has a website www.tanseca.com kindly visit the website and give us a feedback about making it more informative/useful. Please send your suggestions to General Secretary, TANSECA
7ELDERS - August - 2012
8 Regd. with Registrar of Newspaper in India Regd. No. TNBIL2000/1842
Postal Regn. No.TN /CCN / 413 / 2012 -2014 & WPP No.TN / CCN / No. 58 / 2012-2014
Posted at Pathrika Channel, Egmore RMS/I.on 16-08-2012 REGISTERED NEWSPAPER Delivered By INDIA POST www.indiapost.gov.in
E L D E R S August - 2012
If undelivered please return to: TANSECA, V-95, Anna Nagar, Chennai - 600 040.
Edited and Published by D. Rajasekaran by/on behalf of Tamilnadu Senior Citizens’ Association, V-95, Anna Nagar, Chennai - 40. Ph: 2621 3908 and printed at Libra Print House, No.22, Sarangapani Street, Metha Nagar, Aminjikarai, Chennai - 29. Ph: 2374 0709
To
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LAUGH A WHILE If time doesn’t wait for you, don’t worry! Just remove the damn battery from the clock and Enjoy life!
*** So many options for suicide: Poison, sleeping pills, hanging,
jumping from a building, lying on train tracks, but we choose Marriage, slow but sure!
*** “Late again!”, the boss barked, as young Raju slipped into the
office and took his seat at his desk. “I am sorry sir,” the young man apologized, “but last night my
wife presented me with a boy.” “It would have been better if she had presented you with an
alarm clock!: the boss retorted. ***
Temperance lecturer before an audience: Npw, suppose I had a pail of water and a pail of beer on this platform, and then brought in a donkey. Which one of the two would he take?
Voice from the audience: He would take the water. Lecturer: And why would he take the water? Voice: Because he is an ass.
*** “Tell me, Daddy,” asked the small American boy, “ who was
braver than Robin Hood, wiser than Solomon, more honourable than Ceasar, wittier than Bob Hope and more handsome than Apollo?”
***
A husband and wife were both catching up with their letter writing, but suddenly the husband stopped writing and looked up with a frown.
“Why what is the matter, dear?”, asked the wife Oh! I had it right on the tip of my tongue and it is gone!, he
replied. Never mind, she said, “It is bound to come back to you” “Not this,” he said “ It was a five rupee postage stamp.
*** At a jewellery store, a young man bought an expensive locket
as a present for his girlfriend. “Do you want her name engraved upon it?” asked the jeweler.
The young man thought for a moment, and then, ever the pragmatist, steadfastly replied,
“No, just engrave it: To My One And Only Love. That way, if we break up and she throws it back in my face, I can use it again.”
*** Drinking is our biggest enemy- Jawaharlal Nehru We should learn to love our enemies - Mahatma Gandhi
Now, whom to follow and which one to choose? ***
Some daft definitions COMMITTEE:—A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours. SECRET:— Something you tell to one person at a time. CHICKEN:— The only animals you eat before they are born
and after they are dead. TOMORROW:— One of the greatest labour saving devices
of today. INFLATION:—Cutting money in half without damaging the
paper