fractally speaking

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T04:46:00.001+05:30

Harlur Lake Diaries: Part III

2010-08-08T21:33:00.001+05:30

Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II

2010-08-08T21:32:00.002+05:30

Madivala Lake Diaries: Part 1

2010-08-07T16:21:00.003+05:30

Date: 19th of June, 2010
Place: Madivala Lake, Bangalore
No. of species of birds sighted: 10

Avi/Jitesh and Vijay's full moon planting party at Shaala, Kodaikanal

2010-05-31T11:54:00.001+05:30

Bangalore Nature Trails

2010-05-23T12:07:00.002+05:30

At a lake off Bannerghatta Road...

Give Earth a Hand - GreenPeace

2010-05-13T00:00:00.000+05:30

Natural Build, Aman Setu, 2010, Pune

2010-05-07T09:24:00.001+05:30

Unbuilding Blocks, unbloking Buildings 2010 at Aman Setu, Pune

2010-05-06T10:56:00.002+05:30

http://whatsortofbehaviouristhis.blogspot.com/

and http://picasaweb.google.co.in/ridhidcruz4/AmanSetuCharcoal#

Candle-light vigil tomorrow in Bangalore for Bhopal Gas Tragedy

2009-12-01T14:16:00.001+05:30

Remember Bhopal:

25 years of suffering, 25 years of courage!

In solidarity with Bhopal’s campaign for justice, join the citizens of Bangalore for

Candle Light Vigil,

A poetic tribute to the struggle, Photo-exhibition, Demands for Justice

On December 2^nd, 2009

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

At Gandhi Statue, M.G. Road, Bangalore

About Bhopal: A few minutes past midnight on Dec 3, 1984, the world’s worst industrial disaster started to unfold. 27 tons of highly toxic gas (MIC) leaked out of a storage tank from Union Carbide’s pesticide factory in Bhopal leaving thousands of people dead and several thousand more maimed for life and generations to come.

For the survivors, it has been a battle for justice against huge Corporations who are escaping the liabilities through devious means and against Governments who are clearly out to protect the Corporations. An out of court settlement for a paltry compensation, severe ground water contamination, hiding of critical information needed to treat victims properly, bribery, stoppage of a scientific investigation, etc are just some of the series of misdeeds of the companies, Governments and their officials that have been unearthed during the 25 year old struggle.

As the fight for justice continues, supporters around the world remember Bhopal, its victims and its heroes on the anniversary of the tragedy – drawing strength from its struggle, renewing the inspiration to continue fighting for justice – for Bhopal and for many other Bhopals.

In solidarity with the campaign, citizens in Bangalore are gathering for a Candle-Light vigil and protest to pay a tribute to the victims and the heroes of the struggle, and also to highlight that the demands of the campaign be expeditiously met. It is also a reminder to Dow Chemical, Union Carbide, Govt. of India and all agencies and officials involved in denying & delaying justice, that as long as the suffering continues, the fight continues.

About ICJB: The International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB) is a coalition of people's organizations, non-profit groups, and individuals who have joined forces to campaign for justice for the survivors of the Union Carbide Disaster in Bhopal. ICJB is led by three survivor organizations and includes thousands of supporters worldwide.

More info: www.bhopal.net, www.studentsforbhopal.org, www.thetruthaboutdow.org

Contact: Rohit (9731866211 / rohitism@gmail.com)

A friend's children's book launch

2009-12-01T13:50:00.002+05:30

Dear All,

Apologies for the mass email. :)

A book I just finished on the river in Hampi is being launched this weekend at the Ambara in Jayanagar.

it's been written by Arshia Sattar and Illustrated by me :)

5th of November 4:30 pm.

Please bring as many kids as you know. Kidnap them if need be (I'm kidding obviously)

Its going to be a fun bookrelease. Hanuman dancers from hampi, Toymaking by Nilofer Suleman, A play by Kirtana Kumar's theatre group, a reading and tshirts and badges and more : )

Do come by. :) and if you can't make it (or can't find any children) then please do getyourself a copy. :)

Take care!

Lots of Love Always

Shilo

ps- To see more from the book log onto www.bonifisheii.blogspot.com

and spread the word! :)

Anti-POSCO rally needs contributions

2009-12-01T13:40:00.003+05:30

Dear All,

4000 acres of fertile land under threat from South Korean steel giant, POSCO. The South Korean President is visiting India for Republic Day Parade, but finalizing the POSCO deal is definitely on the agenda. On the other hand, the people of Orissa, including fisherfolk, farmers, women, children are all coming out in protest, in a desperate bid to save their land, culture and livelihood.

In a last ditch effort of resistance, a mass rally is underway from 29th of November to 5th of December, where over 2000 people will march through 120 villages, holding public meetings at various strategic points. See http://orissaconcerns.net/ for more details.

They have hired 5 vehicles to host speakers, mobilize communities around the rally. Each vehicle charges a rental of Rs. 25,000 for a period of seven days. The organizers are falling short of this amount, as they have been taken up to meet expenses related to food, water and other basics of participants.

We request the people of Bangalore city to show solidarity and donate as much as possible to this cause.

Please send in your donations to Mr. Prasanta Kumar Paikray. Bank of India, Bhubaneswar Branch, Account number: 555010100005548. Address: Plot No. AY56, Unit 3, Sria Talkies Road, Bhubaneswar-1

Mr. Prasanta is the official spokesperson of POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samithi (PPSS) and has been nominated as the person to collect donations towards the campaign.

Please let us know the amount you have donated, so we can let the organizers know of it. We hope B'lore community rallies around quickly in this time of crisis and shows solidarity towards our brothers and sisters in Orissa who are flighting it out.

Apologies for short notice,

in solidarity
ekta
--
-this too shall pass-

From maraa.in

Protest at Cubbon Park, 30th Nov, 2009

2009-11-28T20:21:00.002+05:30

From the Hasiru Usiru group

---

Hi all,

We all come together to protest in good faith, and secure in the hope that the State will not violate our Fundamental Rights. By and large this is the case.

Sometimes, however, certain vested interests collude with corrupt elements in the State and attack those who uphold the wider public interest.

It is important for us to be vigilant against such abuse of power.

Dinesh (HU moderator) and Vidhi were two peaceful protestors who were beaten up by pujaris of the Shankar Mutt in Bangalore as they were protesting the illegal felling of a tree in a park facing the Mutt.... along with many others. This incident happenned over five years ago, in broad daylight and in a very public way. I was elsewhere, was called, and rushed to the spot. By which time Dinesh and Vidhi had been rounded up by the Shankarpuram Police and taken to the police station.

Clearly they were victims of a terrible attack on their person and their human rights. The Sub Inspector then was more than keen to accuse them of all sorts of criminal actions, because of acute pressure from Mutt authorities. But decided not to proceed on filing this case because I argued that we would take this up in a very public way and to any forum to protect human rights of peaceful protestors against a wrongful act. Because the complaints were withdrawn, we left.

Couple of years later, Dinesh and Vidhi were rounded up by the police on the charge of attacking about ten pujaris of Shankar Mutt. Besides the fact this was impossible (unless they were some sort of Ninja warriors), it was clear that they were victims of gross abuse of power, corruption and collusion between Mutt authorities and the police. This case drags on... several years later.

Dinesh and Vidhi must have gone to the Criminal Court over five dozen times for hearings.... Now this has come for evidence. They are in Court today for the umpteenth time as I write this note.

Two requests:

1) Anyone who was present that day and witness to Dinesh and Vidhi being attacked by the pujaris could help them by stating so in Court.
2) And if you were not there, do send an email in support to Dinesh (dinesh@servelots.com) and Vidhi (vidhipartha@gmail.com).... just to let them know we have not forgotten them in their brave fight.
and, if at all you are very motivated...
3) Do go and be with them when the case comes up in the criminal court... It helps to know you are not alone when dealing with the debris of protests.

All this I share so we get more energised in our public actions to protect our rights, as Ananth Kumar, Rajeev Chandrashekar, et al continue in their efforts to make Bangalore a gated, security zone and police district.

I am also hoping that many many of you will join the protest on Monday at 4 pm at Queens Statue, Cubbon Park against ongoing efforts to fence public spaces from the public (of course barring the elite who will be given ID cards).

In solidarity...

Leo Saldanha

Bangalore Wonderwalls at IYCN organised actions for tomorrow's International day for Climate ACTION

2009-10-23T15:38:00.004+05:30

Click to be redirected

Another new project kicks off :)

2009-10-07T15:26:00.002+05:30

Hints: Walls, paint, art, street, community, space, public, COLOUR

link: http://bangalorewonderwall.blogspot.com/

Very interesting Wall Animation by Blu

2009-08-20T21:30:00.000+05:30

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Documentaries available Online

2009-07-06T11:51:00.002+05:30

The nuances of human trafficking By Rina Mukherji
Understanding Trafficking stresses the difference between women who
migrate and join the sex trade and women who are trafficked into the
sex trade More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200906247799/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-nuances-of-human-trafficking.html

Dangerous tastes By Pradeep Baisakh
With the first genetically modified food poised to enter the Indian
market, a timely documentary entitled Poison on the Platter shows how
little the Indian public knows about what it is consuming More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200906237800/Film-Forum/Documentary/Dangerous-tastes.html

How a mouse can change your life By Huned Contractor
The documentary film Chhoti Si Asha shows how teaching school dropouts
computer skills can help them find new livelihood opportunities
More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200905277764/Film-Forum/Documentary/How-a-mouse-can-change-your-life.html

The travails of Bagh Bahadur By Manjira Majumdar
Kaler Rakhal explores the cultural displacement and loss of livelihood
of West Bengal’s bahurupis (performing artists) in the time of
‘development’ More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200905127748/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-travails-of-Bagh-Bahadur.html

The politics of popular culture By Deepti Priya Mehrotra
By reconstructing the life of Rasoolan Bai, well-known tawaif and
thumri singer from Varanasi, The Other Song illustrates how romance
and physicality were obliterated from culture More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200904177694/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-politics-of-popular-culture.html

The mean seas By Rina Mukherji
The Centre for Science and Environment’s documentary, Mean Sea Level,
looks at the human tragedy behind the statistics of internal
displacement due to rising sea levels and erosion in the Sunderbans.
But, says the reviewer, for such an important and topical subject, the
film could have explored other angles and presented a more holistic
picture More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200903237665/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-mean-seas.html

Life is beautiful By Huned Contractor
C Vanaja’s award-winning film documents the grit and gumption of four
HIV-positive widows in Andhra Pradesh More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200902147611/Film-Forum/Documentary/Life-is-beautiful.html

Killing us slowly… By Huned Contractor
Sumit Khanna’s documentary Mere Desh Ki Dharti investigates pesticide
overuse in Punjab, and its deadly impact More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200901167568/Film-Forum/Documentary/Killing-us-slowly%E2%80%A6.html

Divisive colours of caste By Deepti Priya Mehrotra
A report on the discussion surrounding a recent screening of Umesh
Agarwal’s ‘Divided Colours of a Nation’ More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200810077421/Film-Forum/Documentary/Divisive-colours-of-caste.html

Dead end on the road to development By Deepti Priya Mehrotra
Three films screened at the PSBT Open Frame International Film
Festival in September critique the dominant development model by
examining the lives of three communities -- subsistence farmers in
Uttaranchal, the fisherfolk of Chilika, and Delhi’s ragpickers More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200810077420/Film-Forum/Documentary/Dead-end-on-the-road-to-development.html

Anjam By C K Meena
A discussion following a screening of Ajay TG’s film on Dr Binayak Sen
explored both, the increasing threat to human rights defenders, and
the increasing extremism amongst India’s economically and politically
disadvantaged adivasis More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200808187283/Film-Forum/Documentary/Anjam.html

More than a maid By Huned Contractor
Nishtha Jain’s documentary Lakshmi And Me explores the relationship
between two women -- mistress and maidservant More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200803066967/Film-Forum/Documentary/More-than-a-maid.html

When water kills By Huned Contractor
Two documentaries focus on pollution in UP’s Hindon river, and the
consequent health problems of the residents of the area More..
http://infochangeindia.org/200801306885/Film-Forum/Documentary/When-water-kills.html
.
Case of the mysterious flamingos By Huned Contractor
Ashima Narain's film on the flamingos of Sewri Bay, in Mumbai, is
unique in its attempts to explain why and how scores of these
magnificent birds flock to one of Mumbai's most polluted areas More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200801216836/Film-Forum/Documentary/Case-of-the-mysterious-flamingos.html

Worth more than a pinch of salt By Aparna Pallavi
Two films about the life and work of salt workers highlight the
problems of this sadly neglected sector More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200801146804/Film-Forum/Documentary/Worth-more-than-a-pinch-of-salt.html

Cinematic views on conflict By C K Meena
A recent film festival in Bangalore featured 14 films dealing with a
range of disputes and differences among family members, between
workers and management, across races, communities and countries. The
films revealed the similarities in the dynamics of conflicts ranging
from a local water dispute to a war between nations More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200711206689/Film-Forum/Documentary/Cinematic-views-on-conflict.html

Tracking the tiger By Huned Contractor
Krishnendu Bose’s Tiger -- The Death Chronicles -- examines the
failure of India’s efforts to protect the tiger. It also highlights
solutions More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200710166688/Film-Forum/Documentary/Tracking-the-tiger.html

Lightning rarely leaves a trace By Aseem Shrivastava
Amar Kanwar’s The Lightning Testimonies addresses the theme of public
rape in the South Asian sub-continent, how it is recorded and how it
is remembered, in an understated yet strongly haunting manner More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200709266687/Film-Forum/Documentary/Lightning-rarely-leaves-a-trace.html

Cleaners of the waste By Huned Contractor
The documentary Kachra Kondi, produced by Pune's municipal workers'
union, provides a shocking insight into the lives and work of
sanitation workers More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200707126288/Film-Forum/Documentary/Cleaners-of-the-waste.html

Flush and forget By Huned Contractor
Pradip Saha's Faecal Attraction follows water from the toilet to the
Ganga-Yamuna, throwing up several disturbing thoughts about the
disposal of human waste along the way More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200707126287/Film-Forum/Documentary/Flush-and-forget.html

Invasion and dissent By Max Martin
The Vibgyor film festival in Thrissur this May focused on invasions of
land, air, water and human rights, and on the dissenters whose voices
are seldom heard More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200705126285/Film-Forum/Documentary/Invasion-and-dissent.html

The grim legacy of war By Huned Contractor
Bangladeshi filmmaker Yasmine Kabir's A Certain Liberation simply
follows Durubhashi, a Bangladeshi woman who lost her family in the
1971 war. Along the way, the film makes a powerful statement on the
futility of war More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200705126284/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-grim-legacy-of-war.html

Save the Onges By Huned Contractor
A new documentary on the Onge tribals of the Andaman Islands explores
the death touch of civilisation More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200705126283/Film-Forum/Documentary/Save-the-Onges.html

The gods must be angry By Huned Contractor
Sanjay Barnela's Devta Activists explores the traditions of
conservation promoted by the deities of the Kulu valley and how these
traditions are losing ground to state-sponsored 'development' More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200703126282/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-gods-must-be-angry.html

BYOFF: Sun, sand and a bunch of interesting films By Huned Contractor
'Bring Your Own Film Festival', scheduled to kick off on February 21,
at Puri, in Orissa, has no room for hierarchy, bureaucracy or awards.
It's all about film appreciation with no boring add-ons More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200702126281/Film-Forum/Documentary/BYOFF-Sun-sand-and-a-bunch-of-interesting-films.html

The ends justify the means? By Amrita Shah
In the space of a year we have had two films --Rang De Basanti and
Guru -- which tread dangerously close to preaching anarchy More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200702126280/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-ends-justify-the-means.html

'A film about people, not religion' By Huned Contractor
Rahul Dholakia discusses his film Parzania, the true story of a boy
who goes missing in the midst of the Gujarat riots More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200701126279/Film-Forum/Documentary/-A-film-about-people-not-religion.html

The Yamuna gently weeps By Huned Contractor
Ruzbeh Bharucha's book and documentary film, Yamuna Gently Weeps, on
Delhi's Yamuna Pushta slum demolition, is the story of faulty urban
planning More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200611126278/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-Yamuna-gently-weeps.html

Celebrating the midwife By Huned Contractor
Delhi-based filmmaker Sameera Jain's documentary Born At Home focuses
on the skills and relevance of almost 1 million traditional midwives
or dais in India More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200609126277/Film-Forum/Documentary/Celebrating-the-midwife.html

After the flood By Huned Contractor
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit's documentary on the July 2005 deluge in
Mumbai attempts to jolt Mumbai's civic administration out of its
slumber More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200607126276/Film-Forum/Documentary/After-the-flood.html

Thirst :: Struggles against the privatisation of water in Bolivia,
India and the US More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200603126275/Film-Forum/Documentary/Thirst.html

MANY PEOPLE, MANY DESIRES
Two films that explore the prejudices against sexual minorities and
commercial sex workers More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200602126274/Film-Forum/Documentary/MANY-PEOPLE-MANY-DESIRES.html

Youth for Bhopal
A student group from Delhi have made a film and published a report on
the continuing tragedy of the gas-affected in Bhopal More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200512126273/Film-Forum/Documentary/Youth-for-Bhopal.html

SheWrite
Four women poets in Tamil Nadu claim the inner and outer spaces of
their bodies for themselves. The self-celebrating author of The Vagina
Monologues would find her material completely up-staged here More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200512116272/Film-Forum/Documentary/SheWrite.html

On My Own By Arshia Sattar
India's metropolitan cities allow single women economic and
professional freedom. But the five single women from New Delhi
featured in this documentary find their personal freedom compromised
More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200512106271/Film-Forum/Documentary/On-My-Own.html

The Land of the Diggers By Arshia Sattar
In this film from Jharkhand, India, indigenous people talk about
themselves and their ancestors, their migrations and exiles, their
continued exploitation and marginalisation More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200512096270/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-Land-of-the-Diggers.html

The Indian Witch Hunt
Filmmaker Rakhi Varma's documentary on witch hunting was declared Best
Film at the ShowReal Asia 2 Awards, and has premiered on the National
Geographic channel. A report on the film, and an interview with the
filmmaker More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200512076269/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-Indian-Witch-Hunt.html

Work in Progress By Arshia Sattar
This film on the World Social Forum in Mumbai in 2004 is a neat and
comprehensive vehicle for disseminating the big ideas of the WSF
movement More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200512066268/Film-Forum/Documentary/Work-in-Progress.html

Warriors on Wheels & Manavya By Arshia Sattar
Two short films that show how alternative communities can be formed
and sustained
http://infochangeindia.org/200506116267/Film-Forum/Documentary/Warriors-on-Wheels-Manavya.html

Dwitiya Paksha
This feature film by Ananya Chatterjee Chakraborti charts the
evolution of an illiterate woman from a dummy panchayat president
elected under the 73rd amendment to a committed, responsible and
empowered leader
http://infochangeindia.org/200506116266/Film-Forum/Documentary/Dwitiya-Paksha.html

Where the twain shall meet By Arshia Sattar
This is a film about the dalits of Punjab and their embrace of Sufi
traditions More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200506116265/Film-Forum/Documentary/Where-the-twain-shall-meet.html

A middle-class dream of development By Sharmila Joshi
There are problems with the vision of development that the Hindi
feature film Swades promotes and its portrayal of the upper-caste
educated NRI as the harbinger of social change through quick-fix
solutions More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200504116264/Film-Forum/Documentary/A-middle-class-dream-of-development.html

My Migrant Soul By Arshia Sattar
Yasmine Kabir's film is a chilling reminder that under the glitz and
neon of the global economy lie buried the hopes and dreams (and
sometimes the bodies) of poor and desperate migrant workers More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200504116263/Film-Forum/Documentary/My-Migrant-Soul.html

The Great Indian School Show
185 TV cameras keep close watch on every movement of the students at a
Nagpur school. Filmmaker Avinash Deshpande's documentary questions the
impact such surveillance can have on students More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200504116262/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-Great-Indian-School-Show.html

Close encounters in the fast food nation
Morgan Spurlock's Academy Award-nominated Supersize Me! demonstrates
that junk food of the McDonald's kind will cost us our health and
sanity. But the film would have done well to go further and question
consumerist economies, the manufacture of consent and the power of
advertising More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200504116261/Film-Forum/Documentary/Close-encounters-in-the-fast-food-nation.html

The Rock Star and The Mullahs
As the religious right all over the world impinges upon cultural
freedom, a BBC documentary follows rock star Salman Ahmed of the
Pakistani band Junoon into northwest Pakistan, where the mullahs have
banned and silenced all music as un-Islamic More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200504116260/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-Rock-Star-and-The-Mullahs.html

Page 3 People
Madhur Bhandarkar's film reveals what goes on behind the gloss and
glamour with such gloss and glamour that it inadvertently ends up
glorifying the very ethos it sets out to critique More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200503116259/Film-Forum/Documentary/Page-3-People.html

Some Roots Grow Upwards: The Theatre of Ratan Thiyam
A timely film on the theatre of Ratan Thiyam explores the feeling of
oppression and injustice that pervades the psyche of the Manipuri
people More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200412116258/Film-Forum/Documentary/Some-Roots-Grow-Upwards-The-Theatre-of-Ratan-Thiyam.html

The Source of Life for Sale
Across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi,
local people speak out against commercial interests soaking up their
water resources More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200410116257/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-Source-of-Life-for-Sale.html

The City Beautiful (Sundar Nagari)
A fly-on-the-wall account of two families in a low-income
neighbourhood of New Delhi, living on the edge of globalisation, on
the edge of 'India shining'
http://infochangeindia.org/200409116256/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-City-Beautiful-Sundar-Nagari.html

Tales of the Night Fairies
A film about the confidence and vitality of Sonagachi's sex workers, a
charmed circle where women have control over their bodies, where they
choose their clients, and insist on the use of condoms
http://infochangeindia.org/200409116255/Film-Forum/Documentary/Tales-of-the-Night-Fairies.html

Miles To Go
A 6000-km bus journey documents several industrial and environmental
disaster zones in India
http://infochangeindia.org/200409116254/Film-Forum/Documentary/Miles-To-Go.html

Manjuben, Truck Driver
India's only female truck driver wants to travel and be free. And she
has found a way to live the life she wants
http://infochangeindia.org/200408116253/Film-Forum/Documentary/Manjuben-Truck-Driver.html

A Night of Prophecy
Amar Kanwar's film takes the viewer from Kashmir to Andhra Pradesh,
recording songs of oppression, pain, exclusion and marginalisation
More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200408116252/Film-Forum/Documentary/A-Night-of-Prophecy.html

Ladies Special/ A Pyramid of Women
Two recent films explore the supportive and assertive spaces that
women carve out for themselves in the metropolis of Mumbai More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200408116251/Film-Forum/Documentary/Ladies-Special/-A-Pyramid-of-Women.html

Naata /Ektaa Sandesh
Monteiro and Jayasankar’s Naata is about Bombay, and about Dharavi,
the city’s most economically efficient neighbourhood, but the heart of
the story lies with two extraordinary citizens, Waqar Khan and Bhau
Korde and the making of their film, Ekta Sandesh. More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200408106250/Film-Forum/Documentary/Naata-/Ektaa-Sandesh.html

Matrubhoomi - A Nation Without Women By Huned Contractor
Manish Jha's Matrubhoomi - A Nation Without Women, a futuristic story
about a village with no women, has created a storm with its
no-holds-barred presentation of female infanticide More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200408096249/Film-Forum/Documentary/Matrubhoomi-A-Nation-Without-Women.html

Unlimited Girls
A film that centres around a chat room filled with the voices of older
Indian feminists and younger urban women searching the ideologies of
feminism to find a room of their own More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200408086248/Film-Forum/Documentary/Unlimited-Girls.html

Development Flows From the Barrel of a Gun
This film presents and examines orchestrated state violence against
indigenous and local peoples when they protest against development
projects on their lands More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200408076247/Film-Forum/Documentary/Development-Flows-From-the-Barrel-of-a-Gun.html

In Dark Times
How fascism grows and takes over unsuspecting societies More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200408066246/Film-Forum/Documentary/In-Dark-Times.html

The Bee, the Bear and the Kuruba
A document of the displacement of indigenous lives, not by
‘development’ but by ‘eco’-development More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200408056245/Film-Forum/Documentary/The-Bee-the-Bear-and-the-Kuruba.html

Kol Tales
The Kols, a tribe that inhabits the badlands of Bundelkhand, struggle
with bonded labour, the fraudulent seizure of their lands and a
national democracy that does not seem to include them in any way at
all More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200408046244/Film-Forum/Documentary/Kol-Tales.html

Sita's Family
A portrait not simply of family dynamics, but of the spaces that women
must continually negotiate between the home and the world More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200408036243/Film-Forum/Documentary/Sita-s-Family.html

Words On Water
A film that explores the struggle of the people of the Narmada Valley
against the big dams that threaten to submerge their lands and
displace them from their homes, traditions and cultures More...
http://infochangeindia.org/200408026242/Film-Forum/Documentary/Words-On-Water.html

Source: Frederick Noronha (FN) on the bytesforall reader group

Permaculture Design Principles

2009-07-05T12:33:00.005+05:30

Bengaluru Gay Pride Parade 28th June, 2009

2009-06-29T21:03:00.003+05:30

The three of us friends gathered at National College at 2.15 in the afternoon. It was sunny and the pockets of people already gathered there didn't portend the coming festivities.

As people strolled in, a few began to pull out colourful umbrellas, wigs, hats, flags and masks and within a few minutes I found myself surrounded by rainbows. Slowly, the media began to jostle and shove its way through for sound bytes and photographs.

The MOST vibrant lot were the transgenders. They displayed their sexuality with such flamboyance I was transfixed for many a moment.

The drummers arrived shortly after ward and then there was mild mayhem as people gyrated their hips and raised their hands towards the skies in utter enjoyment.

I felt my pulse begin to race and a smile creep up from the corner of my lips. It was so infectious that I had found it difficult to walk while tapping my feet to the rhythm of the drummers.

Three djembe players then performed intricately weaved beats in perfect synchrony as the two dogs in the car behind them looked on in mild confusion. :)

The march began and so did the sloganeering. At some points, people didn't even know what to say into the microphone. They were too busy enjoying themselves.

After much dancing, shouting, waving and photographing, we reached our destination - Town Hall and the gathering turned to listen to a few words from various members of the LGBT community.

In the middle of this, I noticed some magicians gathered at the Town Hall as well. A substantial number of activists and LGBTs went across to see what they were upto while a throng of avid magic lovers came over to see what these people in strrraange get ups were doing. Quite fascinating to watch such different sets of people mingle. Magicians and LGBTs :)

A small disagreement broke out and was quickly drowned by the voices of people, the cheering of the crowd and the drummers' intoxicating beat.

Then one final dance and almost as suddenly as it had erupted, it was all over. Brightly coloured feathers rode the gentle breezes to reach the other side of the road and silence embraced me once again as I tried to collect my thoughts on the event I had just been a part of.

We jumped into an auto and headed back home, completely exhausted and happy that we had participated in something as vibrant as this.

Man in the Mirror - RIP MJ

2009-06-27T15:17:00.001+05:30

Gaon chodab nahi

2009-06-27T13:14:00.000+05:30

The song describes the present day exploitation of tribal land and forests in the name of development.

How to make a RED swing

2009-06-25T12:12:00.000+05:30

How to: Make a Red Swing Project from Red Swing on Vimeo.

Concrete Steps

2009-06-20T13:22:00.002+05:30

100 Awesome Open Courses for Those Who Want to Change the World

2009-06-20T11:20:00.001+05:30

100 Awesome Open Courses for Those Who Want to Change the World

Shared via AddThis

Future-Proofing Urban Energy: Germany

2009-06-20T11:17:00.002+05:30

In an interesting bit of synchronisity today, both the Victoria Times Colonist in Canada and the Times of India run stories today about local energy generation in Germany towns and cities. The centre of the two stories couldn't be much more different: Freiburg is a city of 200,000 that has been winning prizes and attracting attention since the early 1990s for its environmental efforts, Freimat on the other hand is a lesser known cluster of agricultural villages of 4,300 people in the Black Forest. Both generate an impressive amount of power from solar or wind power, often generating a surplus that they can sell back to the grid. The result is both the self-sufficiency and low-transmission losses of locally produced power, a decreased reliance on imported carbon-heavy energy, and a financial profit for those involved.

The Freiamt difference, and what has got it into the papers, is that the region has not only achieved total energy self-sufficiency, but has a net energy surplus. By pooling their money local residents purchased first a series of wind turbines, a array of solar panels which is distributed across rooves in the area and now a series of biogas digesters that both process agricultural waste and generate energy.

Support from local citizens is part of the equation that has made these successes possible. In Frieburg it began with opposition to a proposed nuclear power plant close to the city. In Freimat it was local farmers looking for another way to make ends meet. But the other crucial component is the support these local groups got from Germany's federal energy laws. The national "feed-in tariff" not only make it possible for small renewable energy producers to feed energy into the grid, but also guarantees them a premium price for their juice. The tariff went in in 2004 and since then enough solar has gone up on houses and business to replace 6 conventional power plants ( 3,000Mw).

Newsweek quips that: "Freiamt is no hippie commune trying to shut itself off from the world." Maybe that still needs to be said, but the idea of towns and cities that produce as well as consume is loosing some of its old cultural associations. In both the developed and developing world local energy generation can do a lot to tie the crucial knot between more livable and more sustainable cities.

Source: http://openalex.blogspot.com/2008/07/future-proofing-urban-energy-germany.html

Creative Imagery by Eric M Gustafson

2009-06-17T21:00:00.003+05:30

Clickit

TED talk - The amazing Gecko

2009-06-17T19:39:00.002+05:30

Biologist Robert Full studies the amazing gecko, with its supersticky feet and tenacious climbing skill. But high-speed footage reveals that the gecko's tail harbors perhaps the most surprising talents of all.

UC Berkeley biologist Robert Full is fascinated with cockroach legs that allow them to scuttle at full speed across loose mesh and gecko feet that have billions of nano-bristles to run straight up walls. He's using his research to design the perfect robotic "distributed foot," adding spines, hairs and other parts to metal legs and creating versatile scampering machines.

He's helped create robots, such as Spinybot, which can walk up sheer glass like a gecko -- and he even helped Pixar create more realistic insect animations in the film A Bug's Life.

Jane Poynter on Biosphere 2

2009-06-17T18:54:00.001+05:30

Jane Poynter tells her story of living two years and 20 minutes in Biosphere 2 -- an experience that provoked her to explore how we might sustain life in the harshest of environments. This is the first TED talk drawn from an independently organized TEDx event, held at the University of Southern California.

The Selfish Green - David Attenborough, Jane Goodall, Richard Dawkings and Richard Leakey!

2009-06-17T16:31:00.001+05:30

Zoology - Elephants

2009-06-17T10:48:00.000+05:30

WWF's Ecozones

2009-06-17T09:14:00.002+05:30

The ecozones are based largely on the biogeographic realms of Pielou (1979) and Udvardy (1975). A team of biologists convened by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) developed a system of eight biogeographic realms (ecozones) as part of their delineation of the world's over 800 terrestrial ecoregions.

* Nearctic 54.1 mil. km² (including most of North America)
* Palearctic 87.7 mil. km² (including the bulk of Eurasia and North Africa)
* Afrotropic 22.1 mil. km² (including Sub-Saharan Africa)
* Indo-Malaya 7.5 mil. km² (including Afghanistan and Pakistan, the South Asian subcontinent and Southeast Asia)
* Australasia 7.6 mil. km² (including Australia, New Guinea, and neighbouring islands). The northern boundary of this zone is known as the Wallace line.
* Neotropic 19.0 mil. km² (including South America and the Caribbean)
* Oceania 1.0 mil. km² (including Polynesia, Fiji and Micronesia)
* Antarctic 0.3 mil. km² (including Antarctica).

The WWF scheme is broadly similar to Udvardy's system, the chief difference being the delineation of the Australasian ecozone relative to the Antarctic, Oceanic, and Indomalayan ecozones. In the WWF system, The Australasia ecozone includes Australia, Tasmania, the islands of Wallacea, New Guinea, the East Melanesian islands, New Caledonia, and New Zealand. Udvardy's Australian realm includes only Australia and Tasmania; he places Wallacea in the Indomalayan Realm, New Guinea, New Caledonia, and East Melanesia in the Oceanian Realm, and New Zealand in the Antarctic Realm.

Source: Wiki

The Natural Wonders of the World - David Attenborough

2009-06-17T07:55:00.000+05:30

Dan Dennet - 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea'

2009-06-16T21:22:00.002+05:30

The lost temples of India

2009-06-16T20:18:00.001+05:30

The secret of El Dorado

2009-06-16T17:44:00.001+05:30

In danger of Falling Food - Bill Mollison Permaculture

2009-06-16T17:42:00.000+05:30

The Black Pixel Project - Greenpeace Brazil

2009-06-15T14:48:00.000+05:30

The Meatrix Trilogy

2009-06-12T10:33:00.001+05:30

Symbolic Interactionism

2009-06-09T14:56:00.002+05:30

A Social Network Analysis Diagram

Herbert Blumer (1969), who coined the term "symbolic interactionism," set out three basic premises of the perspective:

1. "Human beings act toward things on the basis of the meanings they ascribe to those things."
2. "The meaning of such things is derived from, or arises out of, the social interaction that one has with others and the society."
3. "These meanings are handled in, and modified through, an interpretative process used by the person in dealing with the things he/she encounters."

Blumer, following Mead, claimed that people interact with each and other by interpret[ing] or 'defin[ing]' each other's actions instead of merely reacting to each other's actions. Their 'response' is not made directly to the actions of one another but instead is based on the meaning which they attach to such actions. Thus, human interaction is mediated by the use of symbols and signification, by interpretation, or by ascertaining the meaning of one another's actions (Blumer 1962). Blumer contrasted this process, which he called "symbolic interaction," with behaviorist explanations of human behavior, which don't allow for interpretation between stimulus and response.

Symbolic interactionist researchers investigate how people create meaning during social interaction, how they present and construct the self (or "identity"), and how they define situations of co-presence with others. One of the perspective's central ideas is that people act as they do because of how they define situations.

Although symbolic interactionist concepts have gained widespread use among sociologists, the perspective has been criticized, particularly during the 1970s when quantitative approaches to sociology were dominant.

In addition to methodological criticisms, critics of the symbolic interactionism have charged that it is unable to deal with social structure (a fundamental sociological concern) and macrosociological issues. A number of symbolic interactionists have addressed these topics but their work has not gained as much recognition or influence as the work of those focusing on the interactional level.

Source: Wiki

Mario Benedetti

2009-06-09T13:39:00.005+05:30

Mario Orlando Hamlet Hardy Brenno Benedetti Farugia (September 14, 1920 – May 17, 2009) was a Uruguayan journalist, novelist, and poet. He was not well known in the English-speaking world, but in the Spanish-speaking world he was considered one of Latin America's most important 20th-century writers.

On January 26, 2006, Mario Benedetti joined other internationally renowned figures such as Gabriel García Márquez, Ernesto Sábato, Thiago de Mello, Eduardo Galeano, Carlos Monsiváis, Pablo Armando Fernández, Jorge Enrique Adoum, Pablo Milanés, Luis Rafael Sánchez, Mayra Montero and Ana Lydia Vega, in demanding sovereignty for Puerto Rico.

Before dying, he dictated to his personal secretary, Ariel Silva what would become his last poem

-
Mi vida ha sido como una farsa
Mi arte ha consistido
En que esta no se notara demasiado
He sido como un levitador en la vejez
El brillo marrón de los azulejos
Jamás se separó de mi piel

(Fragment)

(translation with Google Translate)

My life has been like a farce
My art has been
That this notice is not too
I've been like a ghost in old age
The brightness of the brown tiles
Never left my skin

Sources:
Text: Wikipedia
Image: Los Sabandeños

Ken Wiwa speaks

2009-06-09T13:01:00.002+05:30

Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr. , son of slain author and television producer Ken Saro-Wiwa, poses in New York May 4, 2009. The civil trial that judged the involvement of oil giant Royal Dutch Shell in the executions of protesters in Nigeria started in May in New York City, more than 13 years after their deaths. Shell was accused of human rights abuses, including in connection with the 1995 hangings of prominent activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other protesters by Nigeria's then-military government. Picture taken May 4, 2009.

Some release from the torments of the past

Murdered activist's son on his reaction to Shell's $15.5m settlement

There was no hat-in-the-air moment, no popping of champagne corks. Instead it was a steady accumulation of conviction conveyed by email to my BlackBerry over the course of a long transatlantic day that included the red eye from JFK in New York to London. Each email was a little less tentative than the previous one until the final confirmation arrived with the curiously tentative subject line: "its done???"

Anti-climax doesn't quite describe this moment because you know, deep down, that the settlement is only the beginning of a process that you hope will lead to a better outcome for all the stakeholders in this issue but it is the end, for sure, of a 13-year-long court case.

It actually feels like those years all happened in the last month or even over this weekend but the reality is that the case moved along in fits and spurts. Looking back now I would have started out with far less optimism had I known how many hours I would spend in airless rooms, how many animated discussions, how many sleepless nights mulling over the pros and cons of settling the case.

Nothing. Nothing about this has come or will ever come easy. Every word, every phrase and every comma has been weighed, scrutinised and debated. These are life and death matters. Head versus heart. The case has been freighted with all kinds of agendas that it cannot possibly satisfy. In the end a settlement is a compromise; both parties agree to settle their differences by meeting in a so-called middle. That middle is a matter of perspective of course. To some this must be bewildering. To others it was too long in coming. In the end it is only those who are intimately involved, who have everything to lose and everything to gain that have to make a decision that will not satisfy everyone.

History will show that this was a landmark case. Multinationals now know that a precedent has been set, that it is possible to be sued for human rights violations in foreign jurisdictions.

In the end we collectively agreed to settle because the terms and conditions of the offer from Shell enabled us to gain some measure of psychological or financial relief, provided for a contribution towards the future development of our community.

But it also enabled us to advertise the settlement as a living, breathing example of how and why the commitment to peace, non-violence and dialogue is the best way to resolve the challenges in the Niger Delta.

How the Ogoni community and the rest of the actors in the Niger Delta respond is the next, critical, step. There are other cases outstanding against Shell. Feelings still run high. Many people suffered and many more are still suffering unnecessarily.

This settlement will not in itself immediately provide them with any restitution other than the consolation that with enough perseverance and commitment to justice, a better, safer, more humane and more prosperous world is possible.

For the plaintiffs and more specifically for me, it is time to pause for breath, a time to contemplate that this settlement can finally release us from the torments of the past so that we can face the future with a tangible measure of hope.

Or just maybe it is time to stop being the son of my father and be the father to my sons.

-Ken Wiwa Jr., writing in the Guardian

Good news about Shell vs the Ken Wiwas

2009-06-09T11:14:00.003+05:30

Kenule "Ken" Beeson Saro-Wiwa (October 10, 1941 – November 10, 1995) was a Nigerian author, television producer, environmental activist, and winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize. Saro-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people, an ethnic Nigerian minority whose hometown, Ogoniland, in the Niger Delta has been targeted for crude oil extraction since the 1950s and which has suffered extreme and unremediated environmental damage from decades of indiscriminate oil waste dumping. Initially as spokesperson, and then as President, of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Saro-Wiwa led a nonviolent campaign against environmental degradation of the land and natural waters of Ogoniland by the operations of multinational oil companies, especially Shell. He was also an outspoken critic of the Nigerian government, which he viewed as reluctant to enforce proper environmental regulations on the foreign oil companies operating in the area.

At the peak of his non-violent campaign, Saro-Wiwa was arrested, hastily tried by a special military tribunal, and hanged in 1995 by the Nigerian military government of General Sani Abacha, all on charges widely viewed as entirely politically motivated and completely unfounded. His execution provoked international outrage and resulted in Nigeria's suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations.

Beginning in 1996, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), EarthRights International (ERI), Paul Hoffman of Schonbrun, DeSimone, Seplow, Harris & Hoffman and other human rights attorneys have brought a series of cases to hold Shell accountable for human rights violations in Nigeria, including summary execution, crimes against humanity, torture, inhuman treatment and arbitrary arrest and detention. The lawsuits are brought against Royal Dutch Shell and Brian Anderson, the head of its Nigerian operation.

The cases were brought under the Alien Tort Statute, a 1789 statute giving non-U.S. citizens the right to file suits in U.S. courts for international human rights violations, and the Torture Victim Protection Act, which allows individuals to seek damages in the U.S. for torture or extrajudicial killing, regardless of where the violations take place.

Shell has made many attempts to have these cases thrown out of court, which the plaintiffs have defeated. The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has set a trial date of June, 2009. The plaintiffs eagerly await their day in court to hold the defendants alleged to be accountable for their injuries and the deaths of their loved ones.

On 9 June 2009 Shell agreed to an out of court settlement of 15.5 million USD to victims' families. However, the company denied any liability for the deaths, stating that the payment was part of a reconciliation process. In a statement given after the settlement, Shell suggested that the money was being provided to the relatives of Saro-Wiwa and the eight other victims, in order to cover the legal costs of the case and also in recognition of the events that took place in the region. Some of the funding is also expected to be used to set up a development trust for the Ogoni people, who inhabit the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The settlement was made just days before the trial, which had been brought by Ken Saro-Wiwa's son, was due to begin in New York.

Sources for Above History

Text: Wiki
Picture: The Poor Mouth

.....................................................................................

Shell pays out $15.5m over Saro-Wiwa killing

Source: The Guardian

* Ed Pilkington in New York
* guardian.co.uk, Monday 8 June 2009 22.22 BST
* Article history: The article was published and last edited on the Guardian website at 22.22 BST on Monday, 8th June, 2009.

The oil giant Shell has agreed to pay $15.5m (£9.7m) in settlement of a legal action in which it was accused of having collaborated in the execution of the writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other leaders of the Ogoni tribe of southern Nigeria.

The settlement is one of the largest payouts agreed by a multinational corporation charged with human rights violations. Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC have not conceded to or admitted any of the allegations, pleading innocent to all the civil charges.

But the scale of the payment is being seen by experts in human rights law as a step towards international businesses being made accountable for their environmental and social actions.

In the past, it has been notoriously difficult to bring and sustain legal actions involving powerful corporations.

The settlement follows three weeks of intensive negotiation between the plaintiffs, who largely consisted of relatives of the executed Ogoni nine, and Shell. "We spent a lot of time trying to put together something that would be acceptable to both sides, and our people are very pleased with the result," said Anthony DiCaprio, the lead lawyer for the Ogoni side working with the New York-based Centre for Constitutional Rights.

The deal marks the end of a 14-year personal journey for Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr, son of the executed leader. Among the other plaintiffs was Karalolo Kogbara who lost an arm after she was shot by Nigerian troops when she protested against the bulldozing of her village in 1993 to make way for a Shell oil pipeline.

Though the settlement cannot compensate for individual losses of loved ones or livelihoods, the plaintiffs will now be able to pay all legal fees and costs. A sum of $5m will be used to set up a trust called Kiisi - meaning "progress" in the Ogoni Gokana language - to support educational, community and other initiatives in the Niger delta.

Shell has consistently denied any involvement in the decision of the Nigerian regime to execute the Ogoni nine. It argues it tried to plead with the government to grant clemency to the prisoners but to its great sadness the appeal went unheard.

Supporters of the legal action said the fact that Shell had walked away from the trial suggested the company had been anxious about the evidence that would have been presented to the jury had it gone ahead.

Stephen Kretzmann, director of Oil Change International, said Shell "knew the case was overwhelming against them, so they bought their way out of a trial".

Among the documents that were lodged with the New York court was a 1994 letter from Shell in which it agreed to pay a unit of the Nigerian army for services rendered. The unit had retrieved one of the company's fire trucks from the village of Korokoro - an action that according to reports at the time left one Ogoni man dead and two wounded. Shell wrote that it was making the payment "as a show of gratitude and motivation for a sustained favourable disposition in future assignments".

Shell's involvement in the oil-rich Niger delta extends back to 1958. It remains the largest oil business in Nigeria, owning some 90 oil fields across the country.

The Ogoni people began non-violent agitation against Shell from the early 1990s, under the leadership of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his organisation Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People. Mosop has long complained that the oil giant was responsible for devastating the ecosystem of the delta upon which Ogoni farmers and fishermen depend, through a combination of oil spills, forest clearance for pipelines and the burning of gas from oil-wells known as gas flares.

Human rights experts believe the settlement will have a substantial impact on other multinational corporations. DiCaprio predicted it would "encourage companies to seriously consider the social and environmental impact their operations may have on a community or face the possibility of a suit".

Things we can learn from the Mother

2009-06-04T11:06:00.000+05:30

TRANSPORTATION
Learning Efficiency from Kingfishers
The Shinkansen Bullet Train of the West Japan Railway Company is the fastest train in the world, traveling 200 miles per hour. The problem? Noise. Air pressure changes produced large thunder claps every time the train emerged from a tunnel, causing residents one-quarter a mile away to complain. Eiji Nakatsu, the train's chief engineer and an avid bird-watcher, asked himself, "Is there something in Nature that travels quickly and smoothly between two very different mediums?" Modeling the front-end of the train after the beak of kingfishers, which dive from the air into bodies of water with very little splash to catch fish, resulted not only in a quieter train, but 15% less electricity use even while the train travels 10% faster.

TOXICS
Learning from Lotus Plants How to Clean without Cleaners
Ask any school child or adult how leaves keep water from sticking to them, and they'll almost certainly say, "Because they are so smooth." Yet one of the most water repellent leaves in the world, that of the Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), isn't smooth at all. The myriad crevices of its microscopically rough leaf surface trap a maze of air upon which water droplets float, so that the slightest breeze or tilt in the leaf causes balls of water to roll cleanly off, taking attached dirt particles with them. Now, microscopically rough surface additives have been introduced into a new generation of paint, glass, and fabric finishes, greatly reducing the need for chemical or laborious cleaning. For example, GreenShield, a fabric finish made by G3i based on the "lotus effect", achieves the same water and stain repellency as conventional fabric finishes while using 8 times less harmful fluorinated chemicals

ARCHITECTURE
Learning from Termites How to Create Sustainable Buildings
We generally think of termites as destroying buildings, not helping design them. But the Eastgate Building, an office complex in Harare, Zimbabwe, has an air conditioning system modeled on the self-cooling mounds of Macrotermes michaelseni, termites that maintain the temperature inside their nest to within one degree, day and night (while the temperatures outside swing from 42 °C to 3 °C). The operation of buildings represents 40% of all the energy used by humanity, so learning how to design them to be more sustainable is vitally important. Architect Mick Pearce collaborated with engineers at Arup Associates to design Eastgate, which uses 90% percent less energy for ventilation than conventional buildings its size, and has already saved the building owners over $3.5 million dollars in air conditioning costs.

MEDICINE
Learning From Chimpanzees How to Heal Ourselves
One-quarter of all modern medicines are derived directly from plants, and there are hundreds of thousands of other plant species yet to examine, each with dozens of unique chemical compounds that could prove of medicinal value. If one wanted to discover more valuable medicines, where would one start looking? It could take millions of years, literally, to sort through this enormous variety of plants and plant compounds to find ones with medicinal value. Fortunately, this is exactly what researchers have discovered that chimpanzees (Pan spp.) have already done, over millions of years of evolutionary time. By observing how chimps and other species cope with illness, researchers have acquired leads on plants with promising medical applications to human health. Trees from the Vernonia genus, for example, which chimpanzees regularly seek out when ill, have been found to contain chemical compounds that show promise in treating parasites such as pinworm, hookworm, and giardia in humans.

HUMAN SAFETY
Learning from Dolphins How to Warn People about Tsunamis
Tsunami waves dozens of feet high when they reach shore may only be tens of centimeters high as they travel through the deep ocean. In order to reliably detect them and warn people before they reach land, sensitive pressure sensors must be located underneath passing waves in waters as deep as 6000 meters. The data must then be transmitted up to a buoy at the ocean's surface, where it is relayed to a satellite for distribution to an early warning center. Transmitting data through miles of water has proven difficult, however: sound waves, while unique in being able to travel long distances through water, reverberate and destructively interfere with one another as they travel, compromising the accuracy of information. Unless, that is, you are a dolphin. Dolphins are able to recognize the calls of specific individuals ("signature whistles") up to 25 kilometers away, demonstrating their ability to communicate and process sound information accurately despite the challenging medium of water. By employing several frequencies in each transmission, dolphins have found a way to cope with the sound scattering behavior of their high frequency, rapid transmissions, and still get their message reliably heard. Emulating dolphins' unique frequency-modulating acoustics, a company called EvoLogics has developed a high-performance underwater modem for data transmission, which is currently employed in the tsunami early warning system throughout the Indian Ocean.

Human Lung
CLIMATE CHANGE
Learning from Human Lungs How to Sequester Carbon
Studying the way human lungs work is inspiring new technologies that remove carbon dioxide from sources like flue stacks, preventing this greenhouse gas from reaching our atmosphere and warming the planet. Our lungs have 3 major adaptations which give them their carbon dioxide (CO2) removal effectiveness: a super thin membrane, allowing CO2 to travel across and out quickly (how thin? About one thousandth of the period at the end of this sentence), an enormous surface area (if you laid flat your lungs' gas exchange surface, it would be 70 times your body surface area – about the size of a volley ball court), and specialized chemical translators, namely carbonic anhydrase, which allows CO2 to be removed from our bloodstream thousands of times faster than possible without it. In tests by a company called Carbozyme Inc., human-made filters inspired by the way our lungs work removed over 90% of the CO2 travelling through flue stacks. Meanwhile, other technologies based on the carbonic anhydrase enzyme found in animals such as mollusks have successfully transformed CO2 into limestone, which can be stored or used as a building supply.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Learning from Nature How to Create Flow Without Friction
Stand quietly just about anywhere and you are likely to hear a fan running – in the computer you are using, in the air conditioning unit of the building you are in, and throughout the water, air, and electrical systems upon which the city around you depends. Fans and other rotational devices are a major part of the human built environment, and a major component of our total energy usage. Although we've been building such devices in one form or another since at least 100 B.C., we've never built them like Nature does until now. Naturally flowing fluids, gases, and heat follow a common geometric pattern that differs in shape from conventional human-made rotors. Nature moves water and air using a logarithmic or exponentially growing spiral, as commonly seen in seashells. This pattern shows up everywhere in Nature: in the curled up trunks of elephants and tails of chameleons, in the pattern of swirling galaxies in outer space and kelp in ocean surf, and in the shape of the cochlea of our inner ears and our own skin pores. Inspired by the way Nature moves water and air, PAX Scientific Inc. applied this fundamental geometry to the shape of human-made rotary devices for the first time, in fans, mixers, propellers, turbines and pumps. Depending on application, the resulting designs reduce energy usage by a staggering 10-85% over conventional rotors, and noise by up to 75%.

Whale
ENERGY
Learning from Humpback Whales How to Create Efficient Wind Power
Like a school bus pirouetting under water, a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) – 40-50 feet long and weighing nearly 80,000 pounds – swims in circles tight enough to produce nets of bubbles only 5 feet across while corralling and catching krill, its shrimp-like prey. It turns out that the whale's surprising dexterity is due mainly to its flippers, which have large, irregular looking bumps called tubercules across their leading edges. Whereas sheets of water flowing over smooth flippers break up into myriad turbulent vortices as they cross the flipper, sheets of water passing through a humpback's tubercules maintain even channels of fast-moving water, allowing humpbacks to keep their "grip" on the water at sharper angles and turn tighter corners, even at low speeds. Wind tunnel tests of model humpback fins with and without tubercules have demonstrated the aerodynamic improvements tubercules make, such as an 8% improvement in lift and 32% reduction in drag, as well as allowing for a 40% increase in angle of attack over smooth flippers before stalling. A company called WhalePower is applying the lessons learned from humpback whales to the design of wind turbines to increase their efficiency, while this natural technology also has enormous potential to improve the safety and performance of airplanes, fans, and more.

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Learning from Trees and Bones How to Optimize Strength and Materials
The next time you drive through a forest, go ahead and thank the trees out your window for helping on your car's crash safety and gas mileage. Trees engineer themselves in a number of ways to maximize their strength, such as arranging their fibers to minimize stress and adding material where strength is needed (take a look at the extra material beneath a heavy branch, for instance). Bones – unlike trees in that they must carry moving loads – go a step further by removing material where it's not needed, optimizing their structure for their dynamic workloads. Engineers have incorporated these and other lessons learned from how trees and bones optimize their strength and minimize their use of materials into software design programs, such as Claus Matteck's “Soft Kill Option” software, which are revolutionizing industrial design. Using these programs to design cars, for example, has resulted in new vehicle designs that are as crash-safe as conventional cars, yet up to 30% lighter.

TreePrairie Landscape
AGRICULTURE
Learning from Prairies How to Grow Food Sustainably
Take a look at any natural ecosystem, such as a prairie, and you will see a remarkable system of food production: productive, resilient, self-enriching, and ultimately sustainable. The modern agricultural practices of humankind are also enormously productive, but only in the short term: the irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticide inputs upon which modern food crops depend both deplete and pollute increasingly rare water and soil resources. The Land Institute has been working successfully to revolutionize the conceptual foundations of modern agriculture by using natural prairies as a model: they have been demonstrating that using deep-rooted plants which survive year-to-year (perennials) in agricultural systems which mimic stable natural ecosystems – rather than the weedy crops common to many modern agricultural systems – can produce equivalent yields of grain and maintain and even improve the water and soil resources upon which all future agriculture depends

Shell is Guilty

2009-06-04T10:37:00.003+05:30

The video Shell doesn't want you to see

Posted using ShareThis

The video below was originally displayed on wiwavshell.org - the website for the plaintiffs filing a law suit against the oil giant Royal Dutch Shell - but was removed by court order after legal motions were filed by the multinational. Thanks to YouTube, however, the video has a new lease of life and has at time of typing been viewed over 65,000 times since being uploaded two weeks ago. It’s a decent introduction to the atrocities committed by the corporation in collusion with the Nigerian government and its military, spotlighting their determined efforts to put down a peaceful and popular movement by the citizens of Nigeria against the violent, corporate control and destruction of their lives, land and resources.

Among the plaintiffs are family of Ken Saro-Wiwa, an author and environmental activist who lead The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP). Mr. Saro-Wiwa, with eight other martyrs to the cause, was executed in 1995 to the horror of the local Ogoni people and the international community - after a tribunal, with a Shell lawyer in attendance, that appears to have been nothing more than a hollow formality; a farce. Ken Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues were tortured in the lead-up to the trial, were denied access to legal counsel and were given no right of appeal. It appears their only real crime was making life difficult for a company that wanted unrestrained access to land and oil, and the freedom to profligately pollute the Niger Delta.

For more than a decade since, a team of human rights attorneys have endeavoured to have Royal Dutch Shell and the head of their Nigerian operations brought to trial and held accountable for repeated and serious human rights and environmental abuses. Attempts by Shell to have the case thrown out have been overturned. Due to wrangling over the release of the video below, Shell’s lawyers managed to delay a May 27 start date for the trial. The latest news is that a pre-trial Conference for the Wiwa v. Shell case is now set for Wednesday June 3rd.

Shell is the largest oil producer in Nigeria, and their destructive activities continue to this day. You can read about their environmental disasters, such as gas flaring and oil spills, here.

An estimated 1.5 million tons of oil has spilled in the Niger Delta ecosystem over the past 50 years. This amount is equivalent to about one “Exxon Valdez” spill in the Niger Delta each year. - wiwavshell.org

Wikipedia has this to say about gas flaring in the country:

Much of the natural gas extracted in oil wells in the Delta is immediately burned, or flared, into the air at a rate of approximately 70 million m³ per day. This is equivalent to 41% of African natural gas consumption, and forms the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet…. The biggest gas-flaring company is the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd. - Wikipedia

Around 27 million people are dependent on the health of the Niger Delta environs to meet their base needs - but the survival of subsistence fishing and farming activities has taken a back seat to corporate profit.

With around 85% of Nigeria’s oil revenues getting funneled to a mere 1% of the population, and the vast majority of the nation living in abject poverty, this is one case that will be closely watched by those whose lives have been turned upside down by the so-called ‘black gold’. And for us in the North - may we realise the gross ugliness of our fossil fuel dependence. When we complain about the price we pay at the pump, consider that no matter how high it may get, it will never be enough to pay its true cost.

If you want to stay up to date on this topic, and help out in some way, join the ShellGuilty Email Action List here.

Oil in Darfur

2009-06-04T10:24:00.002+05:30

clickit

It's been a long long long time

2009-05-17T16:13:00.002+05:30

Since i just wrote something on my blog and didn't have to research it, or upload pictures to go with it, or .... for no reason at all.

so, i'm almost done with my stint at Jungle Retreat. Sigh. If there's one thing I've learnt from that experience is that I now know for sure I want to live near a forest :)

after what was a crazy exploratory expedition i set upon 26 years ago, i now find myself in a place where i can say with some certainty that i am having a lot of fun.

i owe much of this happiness to IT as in this last year alone, i have spotted numerous bird groups, animals and insects and learnt a bit about what is with each day making more sense to me. finally, i realise, i've hit upon something that leads back into my veins, my life force. thank you :)

i'm 3 years into my 7 year growing hair saga and in the middle of may, every year i summon tremendous will power to prevent myself from walking down to the barber shop and shaving my head. just 4 more years to gooooooOooo. good luck to me. it has reached my waist (if i stretch the curls out when it's wet heh)

Green/white Tara (thanks chaddi & pom), utopia and intentional communities (Such), Natural Building (thanks phil), Sylvapolitanism, Itinerancy, Machu Pichu (Peru)and Iguaza falls (Parana), Angola (Capoeira), dan moi (Vietnamese harp), singing bowl (Tibetan), stream walking (on Gerry's camps), shrikes and tickle's blue flycatchers at Retreat, the life magazine series (Blossom Book Store), that lonar crater in Maharashtra (namaste jords), white self-existing wizard (thanks smiff), are some of the things that have been on my mind for the past couple of ..... months, weeks, days, hours. wow... n much more as well.

i feel blessed, i am blessed, and i am grateful that i am blessed AND that i know it :)

Point taken

2009-01-29T21:20:00.003+05:30

Source: http://www.indiatogether.org/2008/dec/env-poaching.htm

A notorious coexistence gone wrong
The tribal is invariably the crucial link in the poacher’s grisly chain in Indian forests. Their alienation has directly placed India’s precious wildlife and biodiversity under threat. Malini Shankar has more.

9 December 2008 - Durra, a Katni tribal from Madhya Pradesh, would take a puppy, as bait, with him to the forests of Dandeli in Karnataka, tie it up and slit its ears. Durra would then place a foot trap close by and hide himself. The bleeding puppy would howl in pain till a leopard smelt it and tried killing it. But before the leopard could kill its favourite delicacy, it would have been caught in the foot trap. Durra would then close in, and beat the leopard with a wooden baton till it died. He would not use a bullet to kill the long suffering creature because he needed an undamaged pelt to trade.

A tribal in Nagarhole beckoned a wild bird by just waving his hand. Their traditional skills could be better utilised. Pic: Malini Shankar

After trapping scores of such hapless leopards, by maiming innocent puppies, Durra would skin the leopards and sell all their parts – skin, penis, bones, fat, claws, and paws. Durra is wanted by the Karnataka, Maharastra and Gujarat Police departments. But he could not be apprehended because a source in the MP police cadre allegedly tipped him off prior to the Karnataka cops’ visit to his village and he escaped to Rajasthan.

A year ago, in December 2007, the CID Forest Cell in Karnataka finally arrested Prakash Gajakosh, Durra’s employer, in Uttar Kannada district. Police seized 20 leopard skins, 3 tiger skins etc. from him.

This situation isn’t unique to one state. Throughout India’s national forests, the tribal is invariably the crucial link in the poacher’s grisly chain. Police interrogation transcripts often reveal the connivance of indigenous people in the wildlife trade.

Criminal connections - communities and poaching

Wildlife is being decimated everywhere: Rhinos from Kaziranga, birds across the country, tortoises from the south, snakes from the north east, corals from the Andaman Sea,” says Pablo Tachil, an independent wildlife crime detective based in Bangalore. Tigers are preferred from the south because of the brighter coat but gets neutralised and just as faded as the coats of the poached north-Indian tigers because of the distance it needs to travel after tanning. Elephants are poached in good numbers from the south, even causing an imbalance in their population, he adds.

“The Pardi tribes are involved in trading parts of tigers, leopards; the Ghiharas (the notorious Sansar Chand is a Ghihara) trade in tiger, leopard, turtle, small mammals, deer, wild boar etc., as well hunt them for their own consumption,” says Jose Louies, a member of the wildlife crime control unit of Wildlife Trust of India.

Sansar Chand who exploited the impoverished landless tribals on Sariska’s fringes accounts for atleast 10 of the 22 tigers poached in Sariska in 2004. His network of poachers in Rajasthan comprises a band of unemployed youth from the following castes, as compiled from police interrogation transcripts: Bawarias, Bahelias, Moghiyas, Baagdis, Dalits, and Harijans. Sansar Chand’s network accounts for the killing of the following creatures, and these statistics are whetted by the Delhi Police:

Tiger skin - 1, Leopard skins - 17, Otter skins - 74, Tiger bones - 30 kg, Jackal (cured) - 1025, Jungle Cat (cured) - 228, Common Fox (cured) - 30, Red Fox (cured) - 50, Toddy Cat (cured) - 45, Snake skins (cured) - 25800, Jackal (uncured) - 973, Jungle Cat (uncured) - 976, Common Fox (uncured) - 4, Red Fox (uncured) - 5, Desert Cat (uncured) - 19, Tiger (uncured) - 1, Leopard (uncured) - 5, Wolf (uncured) - 1, Wet Jackal (uncured) - 180, Common Fox (uncured) – 27.

Police interrogation transcripts often reveal the connivance of indigenous people in the wildlife trade.

Louies has a long list of tribes involved: The Masaeds are involved in snake charming and hawking small mammals. Bawarias are trappers, traders and trackers and are local contacts of wildlife traders. They kill big cats and small mammals. The Kanar, Nut and Moghiyas are traders and middle men and hunt small mammals and turtles for their own consumption in North India. In South India, Irulas are known to hunt rats and snakes. The Baddiyes are known to trade in big cats and also serve as middle men and Gulgulias indulge in hunting small animals and are bird specialists.

It is not merely the lower castes. Criminal elements from the higher castes also indulge in wildlife crime. Like Ratiram Sharma, his son and Mayavati there are seasoned poachers from the upper castes. (See box). “Bijoy Thapa (A Nepalese Gurkha who lives in Dimapur and Diphu) and his group are active now in and around Kaziranga National Park in the Karbi Anglong tribal district of Assam.

Gallery

A generous sprinkling of criminal elements are contributed by the higher castes. Unemployment is the most fundamental cause for poaching. Source: Police records.

• Bharat Bhandari of Chamoli in Uttarakhand
• Gopi Bawaria of Haryana
• Balwan, s/o Jotram of Baagdi caste of Haansi in Hissar district of Haryana
• Raja and Lalji Bawaria, were all the agents for Sansar Chand
• Mohammed Maqbool, Abdul Rashid and Mohammed Siddique of Delhi were caught with wares they claimed to be supplying to Sansar Chand
• Nawa, s/o Heera
• Kheema, Bura, Khetaram, Chuna, Ma hon- are all indigenous folk from Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh are linked with Sansar Chand and his wife Rani Sansar Chand
• Ishwar S/o Gurudas, resident of Padisal
• Balya (Balu) s/o Nahra Bawariya
• Lala s/o Nahra Bawaria
• Jeetram s/o Bhagwan Sahay Harijan
• Raju s/o Bhagwan Sahay Harijan Dhalawas
• Kumbha, P.S- Sadar, Hansi, Hissar Dist (Haryana)
• Bhoora s/o Soma, Gameti,age: 45yrs, R/o Malwa Ka Chauraha, P.S-Bekariya Dist. Udaipur Nava S/o Heera
• Garatiya, age-35, R/o Silarvas, P.S- Bekariya, Dist Udaipur
• Kheta ram s/o Mana, Garatiya, age- 35,R/o Silarvas, P.S- Bekariya, Dist Udaipur
• Mohan s/o Bhava, Gameti, age-30 yrs,R/o Siwaria, Hanuman Ji P.S- Gogunda, Dist Udaipur
• Chuna s/o Jogira, Gameti, age-30 R/o Siwaria, Khed, P.S- Gogunda Dist. Udaipur
• Alam Ram s/o. Asadu Ram r/o. village Pran Mati, Tehsil Ghat, Chamoli in Uttarakhand
• Shyam Singh s/o. Balwant Singh R/o. Sutol, Tehsil Ghat, Chamoli
• Shyam Singh is a repeat offender; he had been booked twice earlier, one in 2006 and on another occasion early this year in wildlife cases
• Surender Singh s/o. Lal Singh & Bal Singh s/o. Dharam Singh both R/o. Chamoli district, Uttarakhand
• Kuwar Singh Bisht s/o. Pushkar Singh r/o. Ranihat village, Chamoli
• Mohan Ram s/o Gulla, Gameti, Age-25 yrs, R/o Siwaria, Khed P.S-Gogunda, Dist. Udaipur are under the employ of Sansar Chand and his family.

In all the poaching cases in Kaziranga, Naga tribals are the poachers as they are sharp shooters and have guns, says Uttam Saikia, Honorary Wildlife Warden of the Kaziranga National Park. According to Bishan Singh Bonal, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) of the Assam Forest Department, the other tribal poachers include Biren Signer, Guf Paite, Ganesh Gurung, and Gakula Bin.

Coming back to Karnataka, there’s more. Hakki Pikkis in Karnataka are notorious for hawking snakes, boiling salamanders to create sexual tonics, enhancing alcohol with cobra urine in highway Kiosks and selling highly endangered birds on the streets of Bangalore.

Tribal alienation - costliest nemesis for precious wildlife

India – where action and discourse is driven by the bureaucracy, research institutions, civil society and NGOs, Media and think tanks – has failed to integrate the indigenous folk and their traditional skills. Their alienation is a two fold problem. On the one hand, there is a claim that we have a democratic ethos, but we still justify inequal treatment to sections of society.

On the other hand, tribal alienation from the mainstream is proving to be the costliest nemesis for the legacy that we have borrowed from the future generations: India’s precious wildlife and biodiversity.

It is not a case of all gone wrong. In many cases tribals are an asset to forest officers. “Indigenous people living in the fringe of Kaziranga National Park are supportive in general to the park management in our conservation effort. The park management also has been adopting effective strategy to involve the indigenous people as force multiplier. However, very few individuals are known to act with poachers/smugglers,” says Bonal.

Still, the reality is staring at everyone in the face. “Poaching by certain members of indigenous communities is both a political and a livelihood strategy. The increasingly draconian forest laws leave communities with little other avenues than to illegally use forest products be they meat, fruits or wood. Poaching might also be a result of a lack of a holistic approach to ensuring incomes and livelihoods.” says Dr Nitin Rai; senior Fellow at the Bangalore based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment a renowned non government research centre.

“These people have historically coexisted with wildlife. Today, a small section of their population has linkages with outside criminal elements,” says Dr Ullas Karanth of Wildlife Conservation Society. “Their livelihood options have to be planned much better before relocation itself,” says Dr Syed Ajmal Pasha, Environmental Economist of Institute for Socio Economic Change/Administrative Training Institute in Mysore.

In the absence of effective mainstreaming and socio-political, economic and psychological integration, tribals remain isolated with traditional skills unfit for a transitionary democracy. Relocating indigenous people with planning and empathy will restore ecological balance. It is time to gainfully employ them by utilising their traditional skills.

This is the 5th article in the series Tiger – the Lost Emperor being penned by Malini Shankar - a Bangalore based wildlife photojournalist and filmmaker. The other articles of the series can be found on these links

Narikuravars on Youtube

2008-12-15T19:21:00.001+05:30

Narikuravars: An ongoing Obsession

2008-11-06T00:45:00.002+05:30

Two years ago, I first came across this group as part of a College Project. Ever since, I have been interested in working with them. I know soon, I would have gathered the necessary skills, ideas and funds to work with them again. Below are 7 chapters of the dissertation I compiled on them. I haven't returned to Chennai after that, and so it might be quite outdated.

I do keep in touch with what is reported to be happening with the community. I've read some stories about land 'pattas' being issued to them, and more recently, that they are being incorporated into the pilot site of the Madras High Court's recently launched Zero Waste Management Programme.[http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Zero+waste+management+gets+rooted&artid=vGMY|KaCnGU=&SectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&MainSectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&SEO=&SectionName=rSY|6QYp3kQ=]

A researcher called Siva Chithirai had a Photo Exhibit recently at the Alliance Francaise, Chennai, with them as the subject. Here's his interview in the Deccan Herald.
http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Sep282008/finearts2008092792392.asp

Enjoy the read. If you want to collaborate, share, discuss, do write in.

Love and peace.

Narikuravars: Chapter 1

2008-11-06T00:44:00.001+05:30

CHAPTER 1 – An introduction

Five settlements visited and it was obvious. Here is a tribal group, scattered over a ‘progressive’ state. But progress has left them in the lurch, struggling to find a strong foothold.

But first, a tint of their enchanting history.

They are part of the well-known ‘Romas’ or Gypsies of the world and are referred to as the Gypsies of south India. “Their origin seems to be from Rajasthan. The movement into southern India seems to be based largely on their need for food.

Many many years ago, recount the elders, ...our grandfathers spoke of living in caves and in leaf huts and wandered right upto the seven hills of Tirupati in search of game. There were deer and boar and many of our people.

Ancient hunters far away, down in the foothills, where the river Kortallayar, flows towards the Bay of Bengal, the land was occupied for thousands and thousands of years by stone tool making prehistoric tribes which are now called kuravas. Tools of these long-dead hunter-gatherers, lie buried deep within ancient red soils and scattered on the river bed and hilly mounds.” (http://www.zen-forum.com/a13/b2001/c11/d4/e690/z7)

Now push the fast forward button, to come back to their harsh present.

It’s an old story - a tribal group, whose nomadic nature makes it easier for the government to ignore its fundamental rights. Years after they gave up their ‘problematic’ (for the government) traditional lifestyle of hunting foxes and traveling around, basic amenities like housing, water and power supply are still a rarity in most settlements.

In some cases, ‘pattas’ have been granted. But these are temporary land leases and the government can kick them out whenever and however… no questions asked. It has happened. In the case of the 1991 Gypsy school which was to be shut down to accommodate Anna University’s expansion of its premises.

And so they continue to ‘salvage’ a living by rag picking and bead making and subsist in an urban jungle they are still trying to understand and break into.

Oddly enough, only in Tamil Nadu they are not recognized as a tribe…. Their counterparts in Karnataka, the ‘Hakki Pikkis’, enjoy Schedule Tribe (ST) status.

Welcome to the world of the Narekoravas in Chennai.

While doing the Key Issues project, Group D stumbled upon the range of problems facing this group and their daily battles to feed themselves. Struck by the dispassion with which we pass these people by, everyday, without a second glance, we spent our July and September weekends visiting three Narikurava settlements in Thiruvanmiyur, Kottur and Avadi.

After our presentation was dismissed, due to what I argue, was a tangential remark; I promised myself I wouldn’t let this key issue die that easily. It was not just another project and with another deadline.

I bumped into them occasionally in Mamallapuram and suffered a barrage of pleas to buy their beads. These brief meetings never let them out of my wandering mind.

Tight schedules and a massive effort on the Investigative project diverted my attention from their needs for almost five months. The scattered settlements in distant areas of Chennai furthered the distance. With the deadline for this dissertation looming, I pondered the folly of taking up such a huge issue, with the limited time and expertise I had to offer.

But something an environmental expert, Dr. Swaminathan said, revived my drive. He said that it didn’t matter, however inadequate or inconclusive a research is. Not only will it act as a starting point for further investigation, but it also helps communicate the issue to different people. Who knows? Maybe, hopefully, someone will read this project and develop an interest in the gypsies.

So I finalized the topic for my dissertation – Education as a means of empowerment among the Narikuravas/ gypsies in Chennai. Finding little solace in the fact that I had kept my promise to myself and to the gypsies, I revived my fieldwork. Months after my first visits to the settlements, I found two others in Injambakkam and Poonjeri, in far worse shape. Growing despair…

My initial surprise at finding mention of the Narikuravas was replaced with anger, when the articles repeatedly covered the arrests of various gypsies who were caught poaching. After speaking to just a few gypsies I realized that these communications were yielding few new leads. The issue was obvious after the first presentation we had made. Their situation hadn’t changed… much… Frustration.

The Thiruvanmiyur leader and missionary, B.M Rajkumar hired web developer who was very quick to come and collect copies of all my gypsy photographs. More than three months later, the website is nowhere to be found on the information highway.

Even my attempts to communicate with the authorities failed. All dead ends and no responses. There’s no turning back.

This project is an attempt to help the reader understand the Narikuravas, with perhaps a bit more sensitivity. Their inherently ostentatious nature intimidates the unwarned visitor. Still, their spirit is admirable and in my eye, I can’t help but behold these people as beautiful and a little special, especially after they captured my imagination, five months ago.

Here is a brief synopsis of my dissertation on these deserted people.

The first chapter talks about their status, both legal and social. The discrimination they face and why they continue to struggle to achieve Schedule Tribe (ST) status.

The second is on the gypsy occupations, ranging from the traditional, to the transitional. It aims to suggest that the gypsies have yet to be reconciled into our society.

The third is an insight into their lifestyle, the problems it poses and their living conditions.

The fourth chapter seeks to find possible solutions to their problems. It also brings into question, the old contention of whether or not to mainstream tribal education.

The fifth chapter contains newspaper clippings that covered various Narikurava interactions with the government and other organizations that were fruitful and benefited them.

The epilogue is to ground the information in the previous chapters in the context of what’s been happening more recently and in other parts in Tamil Nadu.

Happy reading.

Narikuravars: Chapter 2

2008-11-06T00:43:00.000+05:30

CHAPTER TWO - Social and Legal status
Social

One evening at his house on Besant Nagar beach road, former Arts Editor, Economic Times and writer on critical issues of politics and culture said, “Even the stray dogs don’t like them, they bark at an approaching Narikurava”.

A Google search procures two main categories of information on the ‘Narikuravas’. The first kind is the research papers by Madras Christian College’s, Gift Siromoney. Due to the lack of research and written material gathered about the gypsies, these 1970’s papers on topics like their music, ceremonies and trapping techniques are valuable peepholes. (http://www.cmi.ac.in/gift/narikorava.htm) Now a little out-dated, after the doctor passed away, I am yet to find scholarly interest in these gypsies.

The second refers to news articles with various instances of Narikuravas being arrested under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, because they were caught poaching. An article ‘Suspects forever’ in Frontline by S. Viswanathan brings out the inhumane treatment that plague tribes, years after “The Criminal Tribes Act, 1871,” has been repealed.

From the article - “Under the Act 150 notified castes of "hereditary criminals" within the Hindu system were to be kept under police surveillance. More castes were added to the list. The branding of these communities, as "criminal" was not based on the notion of heredity but rather as a community profession passed on from one generation to the next. The Act, therefore, provided for establishing reformatory schools and settlements for the reclamation of these people. Their movements were restricted to specific areas and the Act provided for their arrest without warrant if there was any violation.”

Imagine. Forced to give up their traditional occupation, because the ‘modern’ world brands these activities as ‘criminal’. The Act even provides for the setting up of ‘reformatory schools.’ At least these would help train the Narikuravas in other trades, which the world still values and considers legal.

But because of discrimination, they are not allowed into the corporation schools. Besides, buying textbooks and stitching uniforms is expensive and more than most gypsies can afford, Vadivel, the Injambakkam leader lamented.

Few are like the ‘thalever’ or village head of the Poonjeri settlement, Kaniappan, who can afford to send two of his four children to the nearest school, three kilometers away at Mamallapuram. He said that putting one kid through school costs him Rs 800 and added that the Saidapet School for gypsies was good, but too far away.

Legal

Founder of Narikurava Educational and Welfare Society, C.Mahendran told reporters from the ‘Hindu’ that there were about three lakh Narikuravas in Tamil Nadu.

The State government, the Tribal Research Institute and the Department of Anthropology of the University of Madras have even recommended that the Narikuravas be classified as Schedule Tribes (ST). But the Center asked for validation and the matter has been left at that, the article revealed.

It then goes on to explain how the Union Government objected to and later stopped the State Department of Adi Dravida Welfare from extending concessions given to ST, to Narikuravas.

The center also asked for further information to establish the ‘tribal traits of the Narikurava community.’

On the State Government’s request, the Institute of Tribal Research then conducted a study and made a favourable recommendation, which was then seconded by the Department of Anthropology of the University of Madras.

Mahendran was quoted saying that even though the Narikuravas should have been included in the list right from 1964, red tape has prevented the matter from being resolved all these years. The meager support from a few Voluntary organizations has not translated into results as yet.

Granted Backward Class (BC) status in 1975 and then Most Backward Class (MBC)

1989, the gypsies continue their struggle to attain ST status.

Narikuravars: Chapter 3

2008-11-06T00:42:00.001+05:30

CHAPTER 3 – Occupation/ Livelihood

Traditionally hunters and gatherers from the mountains, the trapping methods used by the Narikuravas have been documented by Madras Christian College’s Gift Siromeney. He wrote, “Adept in the art of catching animals and birds, Narikoravas can even trap a jackal, considered to be the most cunning of all animals. It is this ability, which gives them their name NarikoravaYour browser may not support display of this image.the jackal people. In order to catch a jackal, the man builds an enclosure made of net, sits inside and mimics the howl of a jackal. When the hapless animal approaches the net to investigate, he clubs it. To trap partridges, which are much sought after for the pot, the Narikoravas use domesticated birds, which act as decoys to catch the wild ones. This is the reason why they are also called Kuruvikaran, or the birdmen. In fact, supplying game birds to town dwellers has been one of their traditional occupations. With the implementation of the Wild Life Protection Act, the Narikoravas had to change their livelihood and they have consequently switched over to making beads and selling knick-knacks.”

Former Arts Editor, Economic Times and writer on critical issues of politics and culture recounted the incident when a stray fox had gotten into his compound. The thick underbrush surrounding the house complicated the process of its extrication and expulsion. The expert animal catchers couldn’t do it. So finally, two Narikuravas came to the rescue, when they snagged the creature in two hours, explained an amused Menon.

Last October, while on a field visit to the Thiruvanmiyur settlement, some of the young men sported catapults, ‘undikavv’, which they said they targeted squirrels and birds with. Soon, they revealed that the non-vegetarian elements in their diet were varied and ranged from cats to crows. A brave lad, Shiva even displayed a fox skin that he said he had killed only a week earlier.

As Dr. Gift mentioned, the enforcement of the Wildlife Protection Act left the Narikuravas ‘hunting’ for work. They found an alternative in bead making. But Lalitha, the wife of Injambakkam ‘thalever’, Vadivel, explained that ‘beads need capital.’ She explained that if you have some money to invest in buying beads, then bead making is an option. ‘When you are a rag picker and earn Rs 100 per bag, it is very hard to save money. So, you can’t think of investing in anything.’ It is a hand to mouth existence when you are a rag picker, she added.

But even bead making has caused its own problems. Business is irregular, and some families dominate the market. There is an obvious difference in quality, since better raw materials like beads and wires can be purchased with more capital. And money has altered the traditional distribution of power. The leader at Thiruvanmiyur, Kumar, was found drunk and asleep one afternoon in September, in his little hovel with a colour TV. Further probing explained the curious contrast between his modest but ‘pucca’ abode and the bigger ‘pucca’ house opposite. The family living in the ‘pucca’ house was one of the most economically successful families there. Rakamma, the ‘thalever’s’ wife, said that they even governed more respect. She lamented that as a result her husband had taken hard and fast to the bottle.

On another visit to the Thiruvanmiyur settlement on Diwali, 2005, the holiday spirit was broken by the emanating murmur of work. From grandparents to grandchildren, many gypsies were seen hard at work, breaking bulbs, collecting metal bottle caps and stripping plastic insulation off wires. All this to earn a few rupees from the scrap metal, one of the older busy bodies explained.

Exnora, an NGO, guided by the watchwords "EXcellent, NOvel, and RAdical," claim to have improved to economic and social standard of the Narikuravas by training and hiring them as ‘street beautifiers’ in Civic Exnoras. The website now boasts “They, therefore, on their own started segregating the wastes into a number of categories, consolidated the recoverables and sold them to the waste recyclers. This helped every street beautifier earn a profit of about Rs. 500-600 per month, which augmented their monthly salary of Rs.900 per month...”

But Lalitha from Injambakkam explained that the Panchayat Board has hired staff to clean the streets. “So now we find it is very hard to find litter on the streets. Before we could earn about Rs 150 a day. Now it has become very hard,” she stressed. Even in the private sector, giants like Onyx have drastically reduced the areas where the gypsies can salvage a living through rag picking.

Situated in a school compound, all the Injambakkam settlement residents are rag pickers. They shifted residence due to overcrowding in the Thiruvanmiyur settlement. 19 children, who used to go to school at Thiruvanmiyur, have now stopped their education. Now, none of the children go to school. Lalitha said that she would like any job… other than picking papers. “You need to be able to pay for school uniforms,” she added.

Most times, the children are rag pickers themselves because they need to supplement their parents’ income. Besides, there are health hazards to rag picking like TB, Asthma and cancer.

At the Avadi settlement, the dominant occupation is the making and selling of plastic flowers and soft toys. In the Kotturpuram settlement, there are a few gypsies who train animal and birds for the movies. The white doves used in the movie ‘Chandramukhi’ are also here, along with their trainer.

From the accounts above, it seems obvious that they have yet to carve out a niche in the modern world. The transitional occupations of rag picking, bead making, soft toy making and training animals have not enhanced their socio-economical condition. Rather, these have just allowed them to subsist.

Narikuravars: Chapter 4

2008-11-06T00:41:00.001+05:30

CHAPTER 4 – Lifestyle

Daniel Meshack and Chris Griffin in the introduction to their book ‘Conservation & Mobile Indigenous Peoples: Displacement, Forced Settlement and Sustainable Development’ sum up how they feel the Narikuravas have been displaced and forced to settle, even though they are nomadic in nature.

It reads “This chapter examines the displacement in Tamil Nadu of former Outcaste forest-dwellers known as Narikuravas, Vagri or Kurrivikaran, and the problems they face. Since they are neither agriculturalists nor a 'service caste' (see Mines 1984), or for that matter classified 'tribal' or 'indigenous' with an historical claim to stewardship of, or access to, particular country, they fall outside the social space usually examined by anthropologists. Rather, they are commercial nomads, peripatetics or Gypsies 2 who (like Gypsies else-where) have traditionally lived physically apart from surrounding populations and with little sense of identity or attachment to one particular locality (Werth 1993).

This raises the conceptual issue of whether 'displacement' and 'forced settlement' are appropriate terms to apply to such inveterate wanderers? And we will say they are. We will argue that 'displacement' here refers not to induced dislocation from time-honoured places per se but instead to displacement from a specific ecological niche without geographic boundary - namely, 'the forest'. Furthermore, we maintain that because such dislocation has compelled many Narikuravas to opt for more permanent settlement than previously, the term 'enforcement' is also appropriate.”

Even after being forced to settle, the hardship is far from over. The five settlements visited displayed varying degrees of pathos - the worst at Injambakkam. On entering the field, a school stands in the center. The ground was scattered with gypsies huddled outside their plastic sheeted tents. Our requests to talk to the leader alone were met with silent nods, but a group of 20 curious gypsies never left his side. The clannish sentiment of a tribe is hard to change even after years of urbanization.

While they hung on to every word and movement made, their leader, Vadivel, said that there were about 60 people (10 – 15 families) living in the compound of a school. He continued, “We came here six months ago. Before this we were living in Thiruvanmiyur. We came here to work because it was too crowded there. We have no ration cards because we have no door numbers. He then added, “It is the Republic of India, but we don’t have a place to stay. The government doesn’t care about us.”

The settlement at Poonjeri, three kilometers away from Mamallapuram, is slightly better off. The leader there is Kaniappan, a self-proclaimed martial arts expert. He told a circle of ten listeners how his clan had moved to Poonjeri ten years ago. Before that, he said, we were in Mamallapuram, opposite the Sea Shore Temple, for 25 years. The government promised us houses if we relocated to Poonjeri, he continued. After we did, in three years, a private contractor managed to half construct 100 houses. But before he completed the houses, he ran away, Kaniappan explained. In the summer, it gets very hot here. And we have no roof to protect us because all our houses are only half complete, he said.

In Mamallapuram, there were too many mosquitoes and our houses were too small, so Poonjeri is better, he continued. But there are no facilities here. There is only one hand pump here with irregular water supply. There is no market here to sell our beads, no hospital, or school either, his wife, Meghala interjected. All those were available in Mamallapuram, she said.

There are about 300 of us here and all of us have ration cards, he went on and the ration shop is in Mamallapuram. From April to June, we stay in Injambakkam or Thiruvanmiyur, Kaniappan continued. After that we all come here to find a market for our wares. There are 15 children here, out of which six go to the school in Mamallapuram.

The Thiruvanmiyur settlement has about 47 families who reside in the three rows of mainly brick houses. A few ‘pucca’ houses sprinkle the garbage-strewn lanes. Some houses here have electricity. The presence of trees around the settlement makes the weather bearable, some residents explained. They also told us how the lower caste hutments were towards the far end of the entrance, while the higher caste houses are towards the front.

From the beaded finery that some women displayed, another hierarchy was made obvious. The gypsies who earned more by selling their beads were the owners of the ‘pucca’ houses. Even the leader, Kumar, lives in a smaller house than them. There was a marked difference in the quality of the jewellery as well. The paint on one necklace purchased did not stand the test of water, whereas the necklaces purchased from the house opposite the leaders’ has lasted more than six months.

The 150 shelters here have only seven toilets. Cats, chickens and four feet tall bags of garbage add to the chaotic disarray on the lanes between the tidy rows. When you approach the end of the rows, where the lower caste people live, an old dilapidated board on the only two-storey building there, displays a faded sign – ‘Exnora.’ Here, the sanitation is at its worst.

In the Kottur settlement, most houses sport a colour TV. B.M. Rajkumar, a Christian missionary who moved here with his two kids eight years ago, is the leader here. Part of the Gypsy Christian Welfare Society (GCWS), he explained how the gypsies needed education and not economic benefits like television sets. The houses here were mainly made of brick with thatched roofs and had electricity connections.

The lack of tree cover here, however, makes the heat unbearable, complained some of the residents. Earlier this was a forest area, they explained. But they cleared up many forest areas in the process of urbanization.

The Avadi settlement lies just behind the bus depot. There are 25 hutments here. A pastor from the GCWS resides here as well. His house has electricity. He said that the government had originally given the land that they were living on now, to the police force. After they vacated the area in 1979, the Narikuravas came and set up camp there. There are also some other marginalized groups from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka here. But he said that there was no interaction between the gypsies and these groups because they frowned upon the Narikuravas.

Narikuravars: Chapter 5

2008-11-06T00:40:00.000+05:30

CHAPTER 5 - SOLUTIONS?

Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations once said, "Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development."

EDUCATION

The Gypsy English School was started in 1991 using funds from various organizations and Mr. Rajkumar’s own contributions. But it had to be closed in 1993, when Anna University wanted to expand its premises and the Government seized the ‘patta’ a temporary land lease. In the Kottur settlement, a gypsy school is currently under construction.

At present, there is a tuition center in Thiruvanmiyur, where the enrollment is poor. Some of the children from the Avadi settlement go to the nearby corporation school. The Injambakkam children have no such luck. Because of discrimination, they are not allowed to enroll in the corporation school. Prince, the son of pastor James Pandian had worked with these gypsies two years ago. He explained that the main problem was that the gypsies don’t maintain their cleanliness and appearance. Even his father, Pandian, a pastor in the Church of south India said, that he had to bribe the children with food, to get them to cut their hair. Tradition, he added, prevented them from doing so.

But Vadivel, the Injambakkam leader said that even after they decided to change their ways and cut the children’s hair, the schools didn’t allow them to join. “We live on the streets after all,” he said. The lack of water and housing facilities further hampers these attempts, he added.

But Christian influence has been more successful in other places. In Avadi, the resident pastor has set up an evening school for children of all ages. One teacher takes classes in Math and Tamil in the one roomed, concrete chapel with an asbestos roof. The children know the English alphabet. But the high drop out rates are prevalent here as well.

Considering the number of Narikuravas in Chennai, the number of children enrolled in corporation schools is poor. The girls are the major contributors to the high drop out rates observed at the various educational centers.

Most can’t afford the expenses of buying textbooks and uniforms. As Kaniappan, the Poonjeri settlement leader said, putting one child through school costs Rs 800. The nomadic nature of the tribe complicates the matter further. While it is true that the gypsies have settled down, they frequently transit to Gujarat and Delhi to buy beads. Also, like in the case of the Injambakkam and Poonjeri settlers, some are forced to move out of the bigger settlements at Thiruvanmiyur and Kotturpuram because of overcrowding and also to search for a market. This causes a high drop out rate, because the children move with their parents and do not stay back to finish their education.

Most children come from families who are too impoverished to put them in schools. So, they usually help their parents put enough food on the table for the family. From bead making to breaking bulbs, they do it all.

B.M Rajkumar, the resident representative of the Gypsy Christian Welfare Society (GCWS), has become the leader of the Thiruvanmiyur settlement. During the September visits, he stressed the necessity of these tribes acquiring ST status. He said that it was the only way that the people could move up the social ladder. The link between educational benefits and ST status is important, he explained. Only when the gypsies are recognized as tribals can they avail the educational reservations in institutions. As MBCs they are entitled to only economic benefits. But in the long run, only education can guarantee them a better life, he said.

Social worker and freelance journalist D. Manikandan disagrees. Resolving the problem of their categorization will take too long. By the time the gypsies get to reap the benefits, far too much time will have passed. He said that that the only way that the gypsies can move up in society is with the help of NGOs.

He recounted how, along with an NGO – ‘Contact’, much was achieved for the social upliftment of another marginalized group, the street performers – ‘Kazhaikoothadigal’. He said, “We provided water facility with the help of the local panchayat at Madurantagam. We also got them pipelines. This was the first time they got water supply through the Panchayat because even though the Panchayat was ready to give them the connection, they had no funds for pipes.”

He continued, “About 180 people were provided with one meal a day, at night for about two years. This we did to stop these people from going to sleep with empty stomachs every night. Altogether, we sent 72 children from Medavakkam, Madurantagam and Thiruvanmiyur to corporation schools. We bought them uniforms; got them admissions; spoke to the local school authorities. At first they refused because they thought that the parents would not be able to pay the fees and buy the necessary materials. We paid their fees and bought the materials.”

Manikandan, who obtained an award, from the Lions Club in 2004, for his social work, has reported about and also helped a lot of fishing communities along the East Coast Road to set up SHGs. But he said that he had never come across any Narikurava SHGs right from Thiruvanmiyur till Mamallapuram, a 40 km stretch.

The problem with the aid that has been reaching the gypsies is that it has come in spurts. Church of south India’s James Pandian along with his son, Prince, were unable to continue distributing biscuits and food packets to the Injambakkam settlers because of lack of funds. The sponsors had withdrawn, largely due to the fact that they were foreigners and had simply left the country.

Even the Poonjeri settlers recounted instances of European tourists helping them by sponsoring their food for a few months. But this kind of aid is limited and regulated according to the tourist season, which lasts for just a few months, from November to February.

State intervention has failed in some instances. For example, the Center for Development Studies – CIEDS Collective, formed in 1976, recounts how when state intervention failed with the ‘Hakki Pikkis’, the Karnataka counterparts of the Narikuravas, turned the tables by building on their traditional knowledge.

With the support of CIEDS – Deepa and Vimochana, women’s organisation that involves women from within and outside the Collective, the ‘Hakki Pikki and Iruliga Adivasi Sangha’ was formed in 2002.

“The Hakki Pikkis have worked with different kinds of natural fibres for weaving very fine bird trapping nets and sleeping mats… As part of its attempts to regenerate traditional craft and skills and make them more viable both in the local rural and larger urban markets, the Sangha has begun to explore the possibility of using banana and other natural fibres like corn and Kathale to weave bags and other utilitarian and aesthetic products like mobile covers, table mats, coasters etc.”

The gypsy school in Saidapet is no corporation school. It seeks to build on the existing knowledge of the gypsies. But the geographical location of the school prevents most gypsies from availing the facilities there. It is far away from most settlements and as Kaniappan from Poonjeri explained, the bus fares are too exorbitant for the gypsies.

After filling Manikandan in on the problems faced with educating the gypsies, he replied, “The state government should build night schools at each center, so that during the day, they (the children), can go to work. Also, water facilities should be provided so that they can improve their hygiene. Like in the street performers’ upliftment programme, there is a need for an NGO to act like a buffer between the state and the Narikuravas, for their situation to improve.”

But, without a constant NGO presence, in the crucial initial stages especially, he warned, things might revert. Even though the NGO, Contact withdrew after two years, he said, on follow up visits, he had found that the children had stayed in school, even though their parents were away in search of work. He said that even the water facilities were still functioning well.

Narikuravars: Chapter 6

2008-11-06T00:38:00.001+05:30

EPILOGUE

So that is the story of the Narikuravas as far as I have witnessed. But to not inform you of the most recent and exciting development in Chennai and around other parts of Tamil Nadu would be unprofessional, to say the least.

Besides, it suggests a blossoming collectivization necessary for the social empowerment of this group.

They finally did it. Just last week, the Narikuravas launched a protest and demanded two acres of land to be given to every gypsy family. They also demanded for ST status.

I would like to conclude this project with a poem by Tchalai from his ‘Preface to TZIGANE TAROT ‘ (Tarot of the Roms). It beautifully captures the inherent global spirit of the gypsies, and thus the Narikuravas.

My Brothers
They had eyes dark as night, my brothers,
As if cut in black diamond

They had moon-woven hair, my brothers,
Glistening blue in endless mist

And teeth like wolves' teeth, my brothers,
Joyous teeth clenched tight on their hungers

The voice they had, borne it was from the stars,
Fascinating and misunderstood

the hands they had, fearsome hands, my brothers,
And the world was drunk at their fingertips

Gone are they on all the paths, my brothers,
They were warm like fire, and fresh like the wind

Let me touch your hair your brow your lips,
Scrutinize the palms of your hands

I'm only searching for my brothers everywhere around,
To live is to know how to love

Gone they are on all the paths, my brothers,
But in every mirror, I find them again!

Acknowledgements

To all the Narikuravas, who hounded me to buy their beads, hounded me even more to click their pictures and opened their hearts and communicated their hardships to a complete stranger – THANK YOU.

Special thanks to William, a fisherman from Mamallapuram, for accompanying me and acting as my translator.

To Raj Kumar, one of the few honest priests that I have met.

To Manikandan, for his constant support and suggestions.

To Mahalakshmi Jayaram, for arranging my haphazard barrage of information into neat compartments. I still have a lot to learn from you Ma’am.

Lastly, and most specially, to my compatriots – group D1 DA! Thank you for introducing me to these wonderful people and for all your help and guidance while we explored this issue together, five months ago.

The end is the beginning is the end is the beginning…

Narikuravars: Chapter 7

2008-11-06T00:36:00.002+05:30

CHAPTER 6 - Fruitful interactions and support

“The village (Keerapalayam) panchayat has also got about 20 families of Narikuravas who are erstwhile Nomadic people and who now do the business of selling ornamental beads, etc. The village panchayat president and members took efforts to ensure that all the 16 children of Narikuravas families were enrolled in the local Elementary School.” (http://rural.tn.nic.in/Education.htm)

Another organization, Exnora, boasts of improving conditions at the Indranagar Narikurava settlement on their website. “Slide and video shows were organised on health and personal hygiene. The residents first took up the task of clearing the solid waste from the colony and the wild plant growth from the project site. A storm water channel leading from the locality to a nearby canal was desilted so that rainwater would not stagnate in the colony…

Exnora designed the plan for the construction… A night school for adult literacy has also been planned …A bio gas plant has been constructed in the area so that the sewage from the toilets could be treated onsite…

…Initially Exnora helped the community for securing bank loans with personal guarantees from Exnora office bearers like Mr. S. Sathyanarayanan, General Secretary of Exnora International. Exnora monitored the loan repayment, which ensured 100% repayment. This encouraged the bank to renew their loans and increase the loan amount from the initial Rs. 1000/- to Rs.3000/- per family.”
(Exnora website: http://www.exnora.org/narikkurava.html)

One Hindu article mentions Narikuravas donating seven bags of rice to tsunami victims.

The organization ‘Social Change and development, Gramodhaya Rural Intstitute’ at Cheranmahadevi, Tamil Nadu, claims to have set up a formal school, health centre and a co-operative society for marketing bead chains benefiting 180 families of gypsies (Narikuravas). (http://www.cleovoulou.com/scad.htm)

Self Development of People (SDOP) claims to have helped repair damages to a Narikurava Community Hall at Thiruthuraipoondi. The US based organization Presbyterian Committee along with SDOP, has contributed $1,744 (about Rs 75, 000) to the Welfare Association of Narikuravas. (http://www.pcusa.org/sdop/stories/tsunami.htm)

Last year, the Narikuravas of Pudukudi village, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu got a loan with fifty per cent subsidy for preparing beads, `rudraksha' malas and `spatikas’ from Indian Overseas Bank, the leading bank in the district.

The Collector, M. Veera Shanmugha Moni, handed over cheques worth Rs.two lakhs as loan to two Narikuravas women's self-help groups (SHGs), comprising 24 members.

In Devarayaneri, Tiruchi, early last year, a handicraft development training programme exclusively for `narikuravas', was organised jointly by the Commissionerate of Handicrafts Development of the Union Textiles Ministry and the Narikuravar Education and Welfare Society (NEWS), a voluntary organization. 230 members of 10 women's and two men's self-help groups belonging to the `narikurava' community were involved in the programme.

(http://www.hinduonnet.com/2005/01/04/stories/2005010411920300.htm)

There are about 20 to 50 Narikurava families in Panahalli, Anandampalayam and surrounding places, Erode. A few villagers trained 12 women to make flowers, bouquets and garlands from plastic. These women then formed the Chamundeeswari SHG, which is registered with the Panahalli Primary Agricultural Cooperative Bank (PACB).

Between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. every day, they work in a hired shed.

”Two or three members of the group make a trip to Sathyamangalam, Gobichettipalayam, Samrajnagar, Bangalore and Mysore twice a week selling the flowers door-to-door.

One of the members of the group, Chandramma of Anandapuram tribal settlement says that before the venture, the condition of their life was pathetic and they had food just once every day.

Manija, coordinator-cum-motivator of the group, says that the Panahalli PACB granted a loan of Rs. 1.60 lakhs, of which Rs. 80,000 is subsidy. They are also able to repay their loan to Panahalli PACB regularly.

Each member earns a profit of about Rs. 1,500 per month. With the income, there is a shift in their focus on personal hygiene too”, the article said.

(http://www.hinduonnet.com/2004/07/10/stories/2004071001580300.htm)

In Nagapattinam, 11 Narikurava children were admitted in a bridge center, functioning at the Natarajan Damayanthi Higher Secondary School. The collector Mr. Radhakrishnan, distributed notebooks and other stationery items to the children who had joined the centre under the Sarva Siksha Abhyan (SSA) scheme for getting regular education in primary schools.

He also announced that free house site pattas would be given to Narikuravas who send their children to bridge centres and provide them primary education continuously for more than a month.
(http://www.hinduonnet.com/2005/08/26/stories/2005082603630300.htm)

Officials of the District Rural Development Agency and elected representatives were reported to have held a discussion on the spot and prepared an `estimate' for laying the two-km-long road for Ayyalur, a village 15 km from Perambalur. They even finalised the means for funds.

The decision was taken after a number of narikuravas not only submitted a petition but also politely `forced' the officials and politicians to trek for some distance to have a glimpse of the precarious condition of the road.
(http://www.hinduonnet.com/2004/07/13/stories/2004071306350300.htm)

Biomimicry

2008-11-02T15:48:00.000+05:30

Hunsurnalli Hucchu maja!

2008-10-06T15:58:00.002+05:30

4 days on Gerry's farm in Hunsur, with 22 kids from various schools had me very shutter-happy.

Day 1, we set up tents for some, while the others had to shack out in... shacks. heh. After fashioning fishing poles out of slender bamboos, the afternoon was spent in coracles in the lake, a serene assortment of lotus plants and floating weeds that squeezed through our toes and danced wildly around our legs. Back to camp-site at night, we spent the night telling ghost stories, jokes, and singing songs.

Day 2 we spent building bamboo rafts in the morning, tying them up with wet coir rope in mangled knot-like forms. The afternoon we took em out into the lake and spent some time madly splashing about, weaving through the weed -ridden obstacle course for a while before reaching clear water and sunlight outlined clouds across the universe.

Day 3 we woke up before the cocorocco could doodle di doo, and we were off to Nagarhole for a 3km trek to the birth place of the Lakshmanathirtha River.

Day 4... loads of games, some coconut tree climbing, some chicken slaying, and then some more games before we headed back to Bangalore. Contentment.

Wild Life

Night Life

Camp in Coorg

2008-10-01T15:27:00.004+05:30

Five days spent in the sprawling hills... stream running through, insect life glimpses. The sun awoke each morning, gently kissing away the moon's magical mist and blessed us with days of laughter.

से Coorg Carnival

Valiathura Pier

2008-08-20T12:59:00.005+05:30

History: The 51 year old, 703 foot pier and the godowns behind it are a far cry from the past when up to 50 cargo ships used to call here at a time. Opened in 1956 by the advisor to the Rajapramukh Dr. P.S. Rau, it was the only port along the South Kerala coast.

Supported by 127 concrete piles, the pier had four 3-tonne cranes and one 10-tonner to unload cargo from the ships. Since the pier was located in shallow waters, heavy ships had to anchor in the deep sea and transport their ware in smaller boats. With the development of the Kochi port with facilities for berthing of huge cargo ships, Valiathura lost its significance. It was declared a ‘dead port’ in the early eighties.

All five cranes were dismantled and sold as scrap as disuse and constant exposure to salty winds eroded their structure. The four godowns were rented out to industrial units on the Veli belt. The rails used by trolleys to transport cargo to the godowns have rusted away.

The pier which consumed 571 tonnes of cement and 250 tonnes of steel, cost about Rs.10 lakhs to build. Till today, the fishermen along the coast use the weakened structure to launch their catamarans during the rough monsoon months, when the rough sea makes the beaches inaccessible. They then jump into the sea and swim to the catamarans.

Waves here, very rarely fall below 1 m, and often exceed 4 m during the monsoon period of May to October.

There are many anglers, who occupy strategic points on the pier, holding on to their line, patiently waiting to hook a fish. Avoiding sophisticated angling gear, these people use their hands to hold the line instead of the angling rod.

The anglers here are mostly labourers and daily-wage workers.

The hooks range from 18 to 24 on a single line. There are also hooks that do not need any bait on them. But these should be regularly pulled and loosened in the water in order to attract prey. As the water current is towards the shore, the anglers need something to take the line down to the waters. For this, they use iron weights attached to the line, which provides the thrust while the line is thrown into the sea.

`Malavu', a fish that visits the coastline occasionally from inland waters, is another temptation for the anglers. `Para', `Kanava' and `Kozhiyala' are among the other visitors that swim into the trap.

A few years ago, one of the weakened piles on the right head of the 51-year-old pier developed a crack leading to the collapse of a platform measuring about 20 square feet. And in July 08, a portion of the sidewall gave in to the powerful waves lashing the structure and plunged into the sea.

In 2007, the Harbour Engineering Department announced a project for its reconstruction.

Sources
[http://www.hinduonnet.com/2007/09/05/stories/2007090553410400.htm]
[http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/03/stories/2008070361260300.htm]
[http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119492061/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0]

Here's a slideshow of pictures captured during my visit there in June 07. For a closer look, clickit

Postcard Project in AAWC

2008-08-08T15:29:00.002+05:30

A Postcard workshop that Antoinette Maclachlan held with AAWC children, on December 28, 2007 as part of her Indian Kids Postcard Project culminated one month later, on January 29, 2008. The result - 27 hand drawn postcards of Indian Gods, Goddesses, actors and actresses.

2008-08-07T13:14:00.003+05:30

Buxa Duar, (a.k.a Baksa Duar), is one of the oldest towns in Jalpaiguri District of West Bengal. It lies close to India's border with Bhutan.

Buxa Duar Fort is in the eastern Dooars at a height of 867 m (2600 ft), on the Sinchula Range. It guards the Buxa Duar route, the most important of the eleven routes into Bhutan. It is believed that the Buxa Fort was constructed by the king of Bhutan during the 18th century with an intention to protect their country.

The fort was positioned so as to help guard the road connecting Tibet with India via Bhutan, which was famous known as the 'Silk Route'. The British captured this fort at the end of the 18th century and used it a watchtower.

In the 1930's as well as between 1942 to 1946, the fort was used as prison for the freedom fighters of India who was fighting against the British Empire. During this period martyrs like Jiten Gupta, Krishnapada Chakraborty, Major Satya Gupta, Trailokya Maharaj, and Hem Ghosh were kept there.

It has also served as a refugee camp for Tibetans and Bangladeshis.

Because of its historical significance the fort is considered as a place of special importance by the old timers who often visit Buxa fort to recapitulate their memories and to pay their tribute to the martyrs' column. Subash Candra Bose was kept captive at this Fort for sometime. After an exceptionally intense rain, when a landslide occurred taking most of this Fort down with it.

The deciduous forest around the fort now forms part of the Buxa National Park.

Excerpts taken from one article on East-Himalaya dot com and another from India9 dot com

Walking to the Buxa Duar Fort

Pride and Prejudice bangalore

2008-08-04T20:52:00.000+05:30

Courtesy maraa.in

Clickit

मय लोवे अफ्फैर विथ थे क्लौड्स हद तो तके न्यू हेइघ्ट्स व्हें....

2007-07-03T01:45:00.000+05:30

ई हद थिस त्र्य्स्त विथ थेम

http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/u53/Ridhi_photos/

Available free/ओपन textbooks

2007-07-02T10:37:00.000+05:30

BookPower.org
opensourcetext.org
commontext.org
nongnu.org/fhsst/
otp.inlimine.org
la-press.com/texts.htm
medrounds.org
futureofthebook.org/next/text/
potto.org
textbookrevolution.org
en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikibooks_पोर्टल

रेसिवेद विथ थैंक्स फ्रॉम फ्रेडरिक नोरोंहा विया ब्य्तेस्फोराल्ल.org

मजोर पिताम्ब्रे ऎंड - उन्सुंग हीरो

2007-06-30T13:38:00.001+05:30

हेरे'एस अ पोस्टिंग ठाट'एस बीन गोइंग अरौंद फ़ॉर सोम टिम नोव। ई चेच्केद विथ रीडिफ़ न्यूज़ ऎंड इत सीम्स तो बे गेनुइने। नो पेपर हस पुब्लिशेद अन्य्थिंग अबाउट थिस अस येत अस फार अस ई क्नोव... ष्हीईस्ष्ह्ह्। अन्य्वाय, सलुते मजोर पिताम्ब्रे। मई योर सोल रेस्ट इन पास। ऎंड होपेफुल्ल्य, वी'ल सी पास सून। चीर्स!

Shame on Indian Media??? Really what a shame...

By the time u guys read this news, the body of Major Manish Pitambare, who
was shot dead at Anantnag, would have been cremated with full military
honors.

On Tuesday, this news swept across all the news channels 'Sanjay Dutt
relieved by court'. 'Sirf Munna not a bhai' '13 saal ka vanvaas khatam'
'although found guilty for possession of armory, Sanjay can breath sigh of
relief as all the TADA charges against him are withdrawn' Then many
personalities like Salman Khan said 'He is a good person. We knew he will
come out clean'. Mr Big B said "Dutt's family and our family have relations
for years he's a good kid. He is like elder brother to Abhishek". His
sister Priya Dutt said "we can sleep well tonight. It's a great relief"

In other news, Parliament was mad at Indian team for performing bad; Greg
Chappell said something; Shah Rukh Khan replaces Amitabh in KBC and other
such stuff. But most of the emphasis was given on Sanjay Dutt's "phoenix
like" comeback from the ashes of terrorist charges. Surfing through the
channels, one news on BBC startled me. It read "Hisbul Mujahidin's most
wanted terrorist 'Sohel Faisal' killed in Anantnag , India . Indian Major
leading the operation lost his life in the process. Four others are
injured.

It was past midnight , I started visiting the stupid Indian channels, but
Sanjay Dutt was still ruling. They were telling how Sanjay pleaded to the
court saying 'I'm the sole bread earner for my family', 'I have a daughter
who is studying in US' and so on. Then they showed how Sanjay was not
wearing his lucky blue shirt while he was hearing the verdict and also how
he went to every temple and prayed for the last few months. A suspect in
Mumbai bomb blasts, convicted under armory act...was being transformed into
a hero.

Sure Sanjay Dutt has a daughter; Sure he did not do any terrorist activity.
Possessing an AK47 is considered too elementary in terrorist community and
also one who possesses an AK47 has a right to possess a pistol so that
again is not such a big crime; Sure Sanjay Dutt went to all the temples;
Sure he did a lot of Gandhigiri but then........ ...

Major Manish H Pitambare got the information from his sources about the
terrorists' whereabouts. Wasting no time he attacked the camp, killed
Hisbul Mujahidin's supremo and in the process lost his life to the bullets
fired from an AK47. He is survived by a wife and daughter (just like Sanjay
Dutt) who's only 18 months old.

Major Manish never said 'I have a daughter' before he took the decision to
attack the terrorists in the darkest of nights. He never thought about
having a family and he being the bread earner. No news channel covered this
since they were too busy hyping a former drug addict, a suspect who's
linked to bomb blasts which killed hundreds. Their aim was to show how he
defied the TADA charges and they were so successful that his conviction in
possession of armory had no meaning. They also concluded that his parents
in heaven must be happy and proud of him.

Parents of Major Manish are still living and they have to live rest of
their lives without their beloved son. His daughter won't ever see her
daddy again.
(Embedded image moved to file: pic04084.jpg) Major Manish Pitambare

So guys, please forward this message around so that the media knows which
news to give importance, as it is a shame for us since this Army Major's
death news was given by a foreign TV channel!!!

Useful numbers in Bangalore

2007-06-23T23:44:00.000+05:30

Airlines

Domestic Airlines

Air Deccan: 98457-77008
Air Sahara: 25584417
Indian Airlines: 140 / 142 / 25226233
Jet Airways: 25226576 / 25226577 / 25220688 / 25229873
Kingfisher Airlines: 4197 9797
SpiceJet: 1800 180 3333 (BSNL)
GoAir: 1800 222 111 (BSNL)

International Airlines

Air India: 22277747
Air France: 2558 9397
Air New Zealand: 2224 4625
British Airways: 2227 1205
Cathay Pacific: 2226 9745
Delta Airlines: 2227 3439
Gulf Air: 2559 4242
KLM Northwest Airlines: 2226 9854
Kuwait Airways: 2558 6533
Malaysian Airlines: 2212 2991
Quantas Airlines: 2225 8594
Saudi Arabian Airlines: 2227 6614
Singapore Airlines: 2286 7868
South African Airways: 2224 4623
Srilankan Airlines: 2207 5020
Swiss Air: 2286 7873
Thai Airways: 4112 4333
United Airlines: 2224 4620

Ambulance

Accident Relief Care: 2220777
Ambicare: 23323560
Ambu Care: 26342063
Ambulance Services: 23367548
Bangalore Hospital: 26562753
Bowring Lady Curzon Hospital: 25591362
City Corp-Contonmant: 25571488
City Corp-City Area: 22277789
ESI Hospital: 23324112
Gayathri Hospital: 23352085
HOSMAT: 25593797
Indian Red Cross Society: 22264205
Jayadeva Hospital: 1051
KC General Hospital: 23341771
Mallige Medical Center: 22261135
Mallya Hospital: 22242325
Manipal Hospital: 25211200
Ramakrishna Nursing Home: 26633148
Rotary Life Saving Brigade: 1050
Sagar Apollo Hospital: 26536700
Santosh Diagnostic & Scan Center: 25542425
Sree Chowdeshwari: 23367925
Shushrutha Ambulance Service: 23447666
St. Jonhs Ambulance Association: 22295631
St. Martha's Hospital: 22275084
St. Philomena's Hospital: 25577046
Vanivilas Hospital: 26701150
Victoria Hospital: 26703294
Yallamma Dasappa Hospital: 22225663

Customer Care Numbers

Hutch Customer Care

Dial 111 from your Hutch phone or 98860 98860

BSNL Mobile Customer Care

94480 24365

Airtel Customer Care

Dail 121 from your Airtel mobile
98450 98450 (Prepaid), 98450 12345 (Postpaid)

Citibank Customer Care Number

All Citibank customers - 2227 2484.
Citibank Suvidha account holders - 2227 2265.
CitiBusiness Customers - 2229 4653.
Citibank Credit Card - 2227 2484
Priority service to CitiGold Customers, Diners Club Members & Citibank Gold Card members – 2229 4653.

ICICI Bank Customer Care Number

Bangalore - 4113 1877
Karnataka - 98455 78000

HSBC Customer Care Number

Banking related - 2558 9595
Credit card related - 2558 9696

HDFC Customer Care Number

Debit card related - 9945863333
Banking related - 5500 3333
Credit card related - 6622 4332

ABN AMRO Customer Care number

4124 5555

SBI Credit Card Customer Care Number

Toll Free - 1600 180 1290 (BSNL and MTNL)

UTI Bank Customer Care Numbers

2537 0615, 2531 7830

IDBI Bank Customer Care Number (Phone Banking)

22297000

Manhattan Credit Card Customer Care Number

3030 1969

Standard Chartered Credit Card Customer Care Number

2558 8888

Bangalore City Corporation

Complaint Room: 22237455/22221286, Fax: 22223194
Control Room: 22221188
Commissioner: 22260707 /22942215 / 98440-99707

Cinema Theatre

PVR [Forum Mall]: 2206 7511, 787 [Mobile booking], 5110 0787 [Home delivery]
Inox [Garuda Mall]: SMS Booking 303030, Phone Booking: 5112 8888
Innovative Multiplex: 2522 5944
Vaibhav: 23514515 / 23514554
Cauvery: 23361528
Rex: 25587350
Urvashi: 22245551/ 52/ 53
Symphony: 25585988
Abhinay: 22872029
Ajanta: 25514590
Lavanya: 25362134
Pallavi: 22223191
Sagar Talkies: 22263180
Sangeet: 22865098
Tribhuvan & Kailash: 22261101
Lakshmi: 25512716 / 25538179

Electric Supply

BESCOM (CRCO): 22208938
24 hours Service (Centralised Complaints): 22267119

Heartline

Jayadeva Heart Brigade: 1051
KIMS Hospital: 26624870
Manipal Heart Foundation: 25266646
Narayana Hrudayalaya: 2783500
Rotary Life Saving Brigade: 1050
Sagar Apollo Hospital: 26552653
The Bangalore Hospital: 26565494
Trinity Heart Foundation: 26563996
Wockhardt Hospital: 22268888

Helplines

Accident: 103
Emergency Help for entire Karnataka [Operation Sanjeevini]: 1062
Senior Citizens: 1090
Women: 1099

Postal Service

Postal Enquiry GPO: 22866772
Postal Enquiry City: 22874410
Speed Post Enquiry: 22867302

Police

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic)

East: 25588566, West: 23592771

Police Commissioner: 98440-99707, 22260707 / 22256242

Private Hospitals

Abhaya Hospital: 26564586
Acura Specialty Hospital: 41105252
Agadi Hospital: 22222921
Al-Ameen Hospital: 22912723
Alfa: 26540041
Amar Nursing Home: 26602171
Ananya Hospital: 26607422
Bangalore Children's Hospital & Research Centre: 28600552
Bangalore Hospital: 26565494
Bangalore Institute Of Oncology: 22225644
Bangalore Kidney Foundation: 26392695
Baptist Mission Hospital: 23330323
Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital: 22207649
C M Hospital: 25280461
C S I Hospital: 22861104
Chaitanya Nursing Home: 23432633
Charakas Ayurvedic Clinic & Health Centre: 25211801
Chhaya Nursing Home: 23342339
Chord Road Hospital: 23225858
D V G Hospital: 26913925
Diacon Hospital: 23329909
Dr B R Ambedkar Medical College & Hospital: 25465860
Dr Agarwal Hospital: 22223100
Dr Sita Bhateja's Nursing Home: 22210701
Eshwar Hospital: 23495080
Ganesh Nursing Home: 23610331
Garden City Hospital: 26346555
Hitech Kidney Stone Hospital: 22207114
Hope Infertility Clinic: 25583836
HOSMAT: 25593792
Institute of Naturopathy & Yogic Sciences: 23717778
Jayashree Nursing Home: 23440981
KIMS Hospital: 26527739
Kshema Hospital & Trauma Centre: 25424751
Lake Side Hospital: 25360823
M S Ramaiah: 23606545
Malik Dispensary: 22385769
Mallige Medical Centre: 22203333
Mallya Hospital: 22277991
Narayana Hrudayalaya: 7835001
Northside Hospital & Diagnostic Centre: 23620844
Novanordisk (24 Hours Diabetic Helpline): 1901338014
Panacea Hospital: 23228649
Raj Mahal Vilas Hospital: 23417077
Ramakrishna Hospital: 26656800
Ramakrishna Nursing Home: 26633148
Ravi Kirloskar Memorial Hospital & Research Centre: 28394899
Republic Hospital: 22211762
Sagar Apollo Hospital: 26536701
Santosh Hospital: 25367706
Sevakshetra Hospital: 26714194
Shekhar Hospital: 23345901
Sindhi Charitable Trust Hospital: 22231711
Sri Satya Sai Hospital: 28411500
St. John's Medical College & Hospital: 22065000
St. Philomena's Hospital: 25577047
St. Theresa's Hospital: 23375332
Tibetan Medical Center: 23496190
Trinity Hospital & Heart Foundation: 26563993
Vijayanagaram Ayurved Bhandar: 23198718
Vittala International Institute of Ophthalmology: 26722214
Wockhardt Hospital: 22281146
Yellamma Dasappa Hospital: 22225643

Railways

City Railway Station: 22874544
* Enquiries: 131
* Reservation Enquiries: 132 / 1361

Taxis

Unicorn : 9844024365
Air Link Taxi: 25362222
KIMS Hospital: 26624870
Chamundi City Taxi: 25200333 25293222
City Taxis: 23237191/2
City Safari: 25539999
Garden City Taxis: 23437646, 23434274
Maruthi City Taxi: 23368888, 23369000, 57613332
Radio Taxis: 23320152
Raj City Taxis: 23337777, 23634444, 23335666
Roman Taxis: 25486606, 25486616
Shree Maruthi City Taxi: 51900000
Spot Taxis: 25510000
Taxi Control Room: 23523636

Tourist Information

KSTDC: 22352902
For Conducted Tours-KSTDC: 22275883
ITDC: 22254396
Government of India Tourism Office: 25585417

Enough is enough

2007-05-15T14:55:00.000+05:30

OK fine the media really overdid the Aish Abhishek wedding, and a host of other 'stories' that most of us agree would not affect our lives that much. But blaming the media completely for doling out this crap everyday round the clock 24/7 is equally crap. When will one stop and think that it's as much our (the public)'s fault as it is theirs? Don't we read this crap? DOn't we even WANT to know? The media is not brainwashing us into thinking we should read it. It's fulfilling a need that WE as irresposible readers have.

So enough media battering. Time to take responsibility as well. It IS as much our faults. Where are the forums for debating issues that affect us? Where's the interest even to know? Who cares about what Army personnel stationed in the forests of Bandipur did to the villagers? No one...no that's not fair either. But only a few do... and THAT's what we gotta change first. Blame the media for taking sides...that's not journalism...also blame the media for complacently report... but don't blame them for the rubbish that is printed becuase we all know deep down that we want to read that rubbish...and that's why those who print THAT rubbish...make all the money.

INdiA's BiGgeSt FiLm cOmPeTiTIoN!

2006-12-21T15:40:00.000+05:30

The Genesis Film Project Press Release – Date: December 21, 2007

Child Relief and You (CRY), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), SMILE, Make A Wish Foundation, Sadak Chaap, Helen Keller Institute, Spastic Society, Akanksha, Aids Alternativa and Women's India Trust (WIT) are among the 101 charities that have come together to be a part of The Genesis Film Project (GFP), films for a difference.

In what is snowballing into the biggest short filmmaking competition India has ever seen, the Peacock Project and MAM Movies join hands with partners, Cinemax and Timeout Mumbai by inviting film enthusiasts to help uncover Mumbai's charity organizations. 101 charities will enjoy 5 minutes of limelight after 101 film makers shoot, edit and present their final pieces, all in 101 hours, starting Jan 2nd, 2007.

25 of the best films, arranged categorically, will then be selected to be screened on January 9th, 2007, at one of Mumbai's premier theaters, Cinemax Theaters. A panel of celebrity judges including Nagesh Kukunoor, Anupam Kher, Khalid Mohammed and others, who have excelled in their respective fields while making a remarkable impact on the lives of others through their social work, will choose the best films and award prizes to the winners.

GFP aims to use the medium of stories to strike a cord - a harmony within filmmakers to inspire to make films that matter. The filmmakers will denote the organization's mission, achievements and difficulties they face. Attempting to unveil and capture the spirit that drives these people to change our world, this is a valuable opportunity to connect with unsung heroes, who dedicate their lives to the betterment of society.

Owing to international collaborations including with the California based organization formed to create support for NGOs – Charity Focus, and world-wide film screenings including at film festivals in United States, Canada, Europe, South Africa and Australia, the project looks poised to break barriers and cross boundaries across the globe.

Contact:
Ajesh Shah
USA contact number: 1-510-257-4210
India Contact number: 91-98207 81666

Joining hands
Genesis Film Project
The Peacock project
Mam Movies
TimeOut
Cinemax

Professional links
Charity Focus
Karma Tube
Cape Town Bollywood Film Festival
University of Mumbai

Press
TOI

GFP on Social Networks
My Space
Orkut
GFP blog

Pinky I'm Going to take over the world of course??

2006-12-21T15:10:00.002+05:30

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1064751

Mapped and loaded
Saturday, November 18, 2006 18:17 IST

City surfers are having fun with Wikimapia,a software that combines
Wikipedia and Google Earth. Ridhi D'Cruz reports.

Let's define the whole Earth' is the catch phrase for a project
launched in May 2006 by Russians Alexandre Koriakine and Evgeniy
Saveliev. Inspired by two technological leaps — Wikis, a software that
allows easy, open collaboration, whereby anyone can edit and make
changes, and Google maps, which has massive amounts of satellite
imagery available online — the duo came up with Wikimapia.

Barely six months down the line, Wikimapia is driving the global
online community crazy with excitement. And the biggest buzz is not in
America or Europe, but in South Asia. What's more, Mumbai is the most
described city in the world, with almost 70,000 places mapped in the
city. Kolkata is next.

Thanks to Wikimapia, travellers around the world are sighing with
relief; they can now locate different places on their mobile phones,
by using Wikimapia in combination with geo-positioning systems.

Japanese visitor Naoki Tejima, who calls himself an 'Indophile and
idli lover', can now find postings that even the Lonely Planet misses.
And Tejima's friends in India know exactly where to find his house in
Tokyo.

Blogger Prakash Swaminathan is excited because his obscure village in
Tamil Nadu has been mapped.

College student Rehana, who moved from Chennai to Mumbai, pined for
her daily cup of filter coffee, until recently. "Thanks to a posting
on Wikimapia, I have finally found a good place for real coffee, South
Indian style," she says.

Apart from being able to add your own titbit about a place, avoid
getting lost or sight-see without leaving your chair, Wikimapia's
charm lies in its spirit of democracy. The technology door is left
open for people to customise, create, collaborate and share.

According to Pallavi Latkar of the Centre for Urban Studies, Mumbai,
"Wikimapia has the potential to be a good tool to gather data at the
NGO and ward level. It can generate greater interest and participation
amongst citizens."

Accessing and using Wikimapia is simple and how-to-use directions are
easily available. On his site, http://wikimapia.mattjonesblog.com
American blogger Matt Jones has written step-by-step instructions on a
number of topics including adding a place on Wikimapia.

It's this simplicity and sheer fun that's drawn in loads of people.
One Mumbai posting reads: "Pintoo stays here, along with Monu, and
Popu the cat." A posting in Shimla: "Tatti khaana. People defecate
here."
Co-founder Koriakine is unconvinced about this kind of information
being put up. In one of his posts, he writes: "In a great country like
India, people use Wikimapia to mark their homes. I cannot say if it is
good or not. They just do it. So we have to handle this somehow, we
need to find a solution."

— Additional reporting by Sanjay Bhangar

rainbow tech - WOW

2006-11-28T20:35:00.000+05:30

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=88962&d=18&m=11&y=2006

Data Can Now Be Stored on Paper
M. A. Siraj, Arab News

Sainul Abideen explains the features of his Rainbow Technology. (AN photo)

BANGALORE, 18 November 2006 — Is it time to say goodbye to CDs, DVDs, Zip drives?

A Kerala student has developed a technique for portable data whereby the data can now be stored on ordinary paper. And to boot, larger amounts of data can be had on lesser space.

The immediate question that pops into the mind is how to retrieve the data. Will it be as easy as feeding a floppy disc or CD into the drive and having it on the monitor? Perhaps it will be much easier than that. The piece of paper or even plastic sheet storing the data has only to be scanned in the scanner and read over the monitor. So wait, scan drive would be part of your computer.

Named “Rainbow Technology”, the new technique is the brainchild of Sainul Abideen, who has just finished his MCA at Muslim Educational Society Engineering College in Kuttipuram in Kerala’s Malappuram district.

The extremely low-cost technology will drastically reduce the cost of storage and provide for high-speed storage as well. Files in any format such as movie files, songs, images and text can be stored using this technology.

Currently, of the several options available for data storage, DVDs are the best mode. But a high quality DVD, which is very expensive can store only about 4.7 gigabyte (GB) of data. In contrast, the Rainbow Versatile Disc (RVD) can store 90 to 450 GB. And Sainul has simultaneously developed a scanning drive based on his Rainbow software which will come in smaller sizes to be initially carried with the laptops and later to fit into their bodies.

Sainul says a CD or DVD consumes 16 grams of polycarbonate, a petroleum by-product. While a CD costs Rs.15 (SR1.25), his paper or plastic-made RVD will cost just about Rs.1.50 and has 131 times more storage capacity.

Sainul, who has just turned 24, says that instead of using zeroes and ones for computing, he used geometric shapes such as circles, squares and triangles for computing which combine with various colors and preserve the data in images. An RVD therefore looks like a printout of modern art.

He says all kinds of data has to be first converted into a common format called “Rainbow Format.”

In a demo at his college laboratory, this writer could see text typed on 432 pages of foolscap paper being stored in a four square inch paper. The writer was even shown a 45-second video clip of a Malayalam film stored on an ordinary paper. Sainul was guided by Prof. Hyderali, head of the MCA Department at the College in all these projects.

Sainul says the biggest advantage of the new technology will be the biodegradable nature of his storage devices which will do away with e-waste pollution.

He says with the popularity of his Rainbow Technology, computer or fashion magazines in future need not carry CDs in a pack.

The computable data printed on a paper can be attached in a tearable sheet and will be capable of carrying even software programs, or movies, MP3 data or text. Sainul is promoting the theme of disposable storage and says newspapers, magazines and video albums could benefit from the idea and also distribute their material in this form in order to curtail use of paper and facilitate the disposal of the waste.

Sainul is simultaneously molding the technology into “Rainbow Cards” which will be of SIM card size and store 5 GB of data equivalent to three films of DVD quality. Sainul says as “Rainbow Cards” will become popular, Rainbow Card Readers will replace CD drives of mobile phone and computer notebooks and will enable more data in portable forms for mini digital readers.

Large-scale manufacture of the Rainbow card will bring down its cost to only 50 paise (half a rupee). He is currently in consultation with a UK-based company for manufacture of the Rainbow Cards.

Sainul has also put forward the idea of databank with Rainbow Technology, which will enable huge servers with a high storage capacity.

Quoting a research study carried out in the US in 2003, he says the entire static data in the US would require $5 billion (Indian Rupees 230 billion) for storage with the current storage devices. But Rainbow based databank could reduce the cost to Rs.3.5 million. He says he could construct databank with almost 123.60 Peta Byte (PB) capacity.

Sainul is also working on project Xpressa, a software package for regional languages. This will enable the Internet browser to access the newspapers available on Internet through mobile phone in audible form.

Sainul Abideen can be contacted at: 0091-98950-81493, Res: 0091-494-2495493, email: mysainul@yahoo.com

Me dad's factory - Intra vidyut Ltd

2006-11-25T22:20:00.001+05:30

fractally speaking: hope it works

2006-11-20T15:15:00.000+05:30

fractally speaking: hope it works

visit VK2TIP's Crystal Radio Set Page

hope it works

2006-11-18T16:40:00.000+05:30

This seemed interesting...please bear with this here until i f=divert work traffic into a different blog...

but i still think this is really interesting

Posts that contain Hard-drive Cameras per day for the last 30 days.

Get your own chart!

UnderTheMuttukaduBridge: Interview with environmental expert, Dr Swaminathan

2006-11-16T15:25:00.000+05:30

science ki jai

2006-10-17T14:06:00.000+05:30

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_singularity....hmmmm check out this link....

haha...talk about the customisation rvln...here is another customisation....microcosm????

People are so fussy. We complain about everything. The water's either too hot…or too cold… your legs are either too fat or too thin, you are either too young or too old to be doing that…We are just so hard to satisfy. We spend lifetimes trying to figure ourselves out. But the stuff that we are made of…actually made of – our cells that is, they are quite different.

For one thing, they don't fuss half as much! If they did, we'd end up as biological disasters! You're probably wondering who, what, why when how?…Well, just read on…

Take Ribonucleic Acid – nickname – RNA for example. She's not fussy at all. In fact, RNA is just like one of those crucial people like say...a farmers' wife - someone you almost overlook. But without them, the whole show would flop!

How? For that, we need to dive, just a little bit, into where all the actionis - a bustling city called the human body! Just to understand how the city people the don't starve to death.

Before that, an introduction to some big-shot city folks in this thriller. A group called antibodies - the soldiers who fight diseases (the police maybe), another called hormones – who regulate growth (the city's development authorities?!) and enzymes - our body's biochemical catalysts. These groups of people keep our body clocks (the city remember?) ticking on time. All these key characters are made of protein – our cells' bread and butter. And guess who helps produce their daily bread? Well the farmer's wife RNA of course!

Consider one cell to be a small housing colony. It has the necessary furniture like mitochondria – the cell's powerhouse (a generator) and ribosomes – the workrooms (or bakery) where protein is built from a set of genetic instructions. The nucleus is the fancy town area, where the bakery (ribosomes) are. This is where Deoxyribonucleic Acid – nickname DNA, plays the lead role of concocting our individuality through genes. He is the smooth talking politician.

Although our fussy leading actor (DNA) promises that no one in the city will go hungry...the fact is he's too much of a coward to brave the real perils of the suburban and rural areas. Of course he gets someone to do his dirty work... Poor old RNA!

So RNArestructures herself to become an exact stunt double of DNA. She won't gain access into the modernised world outside the nucleus town if she doesn't look the part right? Besides, how else will the secret recipe of genetic inforamation that DNA has first go to the bakery, get made into bread and then be distributed to the folks in the suburbs as well?

RNA can move past the security-checks of the membranous walls of the living room (nucleus) and into the rest of the house to the bakery ('work rooms,'). The multi-talented RNA transforms into DNA's double through a process called transcription.

How does she do this? She wears a 'nucleotide' cap. She also carries a special enzyme to prolong her life enough to complete her mission, especially with all the hazards of the hostile environment outside the well developed town area. Some of the roads to the bakeries are still under construction for God;s sake! She also sheds her extra baggage – 'non-coding sequences', through a process called 'splicing'. Now she has matured, transformed even, into messenger RNA (mRNA).

The nucleus town has a double wall. The only door to the surrounding wild world of cytoplasm the under-developed suburbs, is through a heavily guarded security gate called the nuclear pore complex (NPC). So, mRNA gets a protein nametag, her gate pass to the suburban cytoplasm.

This is the final step to the final goal – proteins. A specialized protein molecule called transfer RNA (tRNA) plays the role of translator. RNA might be able to disguise herslef like the pretty-talking politician to become the messenger witht he secret codes (mRNA), but she can't match his gaft for the gab. She doesn't even know the language actually! So, she takes the help of the translator -tRNA, who matches or guides mRNA to the right corresponding protein which needs to be manufactured. The cell's protein-making factory - the ribosomes bakery now take this delicious mission to a grand finale. Mr tRNA then decodes mRNA and translates her secret town code into an understandable code - a protein code. Proteins are now built based upon this secret coded recipe that RNA hand-delivered (with a little translator guidance) to the manufacturers of the city's bakers. No one will go hungry!

Now that the show is over, the growling tummies have been filled to satsifaction... and the applause has finally died down. Poltician DNA takes her final bow and waves to the crowd. So much like real life. The farmer put his blood and sweat into itand the poltician got all the roses.

more stuff

2006-08-11T00:23:00.000+05:30

Mumbai meri jaan

back to abstract

2006-08-11T00:11:00.000+05:30

Ooooooooohhhh…this is one of my favourites..not JUST becos its illegal to take snaps from a plane…but…..cos…u figure it out&*()&*$#

One of the first thigns in bbay that absolutely took my breath away…hajji ali…when u go from pedder rd towards worli…wow!!!!

pic pic pic pic

2006-08-10T23:11:00.000+05:30

Sachin, sanj and two of sanj’s pahadi friends…full shanti ppl in bbay!!

My godparents: R-L: Vilma aunty who’s taken me so willingly into her home…washed ALL my dirty dirty stinking clothes and jsu been the perfect host to a struggling displaced dimwit, Sabu Uncle, born on the same day as he is, I can c y v get along!! Haha I hope I at least get his good sense of humour…he reminds me so much of my dad…that I don’t miss home as much

Belle a bellaaaa hehe

ACJ-05-06…n then b’lore! L-R: Vikhar (Mr.JNU / gnu haha and soon to be Oxfordian???) our homer simpson!!! Vikram…gr8 guitarist & gr8er guy, CHé ri-brain brain brain…n sweetheart to the core!!…hehehe…sayantoni…JHOOM! bong, so needless to say she packs a punch (really n metaphorically) BY!!! Pinky…kundeeeeeeeee, Nivi-the tech genius, Nina: KO DAYS ki JAI!

VANI…heart of gold n JNC ki JAI!!!!

L-R RTJ, YO!, PREETHAAAAAAAAAA, JUN (guitarist x trod in air) & RUTH (munky with big heart , small nose,): what was left of our gang…when I left….MEMORIESSSSSSSSSSSSSs

RTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT namma svantha docteruuuu

Ooohhh boy…this is gonna be a long caption…that;s (L-R) Bakshi, YO, Nitu, Collin …whatever u can c of him, n some weird babe…dunno what her name is only …she was there @ nia’s place also…following me around I think…syco!!

My niece…yes that’s rite…sunaina (NIAAAAAAaa on her 23rd birdday) that’s a crack of yo there too…

treeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

2006-08-10T22:28:00.000+05:30

Ulta pulta on yo’s terrace

1) Oooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… opposite cricket stadium, CUBBON PARK!!!

iyooooooooo!!!! cutey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-08-10T22:14:00.000+05:30

The second mad doggie of the DeNazareth family

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

...................................................................................................Yo’s canine accomplice in crime!!!

18 times...hummpphhhf$WIOPIY &$)_&^

2006-08-10T21:42:00.000+05:30

The next two are after the first fwew rains in blore (somewhere in May)

Again same syco n me...hahahaha this time with niet mode on!
Syco soowar! Hahaha preethaaa n me

Lemme b a little honest…this was a foto that was actually a mistake…thot I’d clicked but I ahdn’t…then it turned out kinda nice…so didn’t delete it. syco sircle sessions!!!!

Still more cunnigham rd side fotography…I’m experimenting with what I call ‘traffic photojournalism’…i.e. u take snaps…WHILE driving…n more conveniently @ red traffic light stops…awesome fun…when u’re dying for some cheap thrills….

been toooo lonnggg

2006-08-08T20:05:00.000+05:30

1) YO n YESHU!!! YO - my sweetie brother, the guy who’s right now in the Americas somewhere, having a blast of a time telling young clay like Americans what India’s like,:-). To his left, is Yeshwanti (Yeshu) who is another sweetheart! Love ya both…this was taken outside opus that fateful nite when I took the croakers’ nite tooooo literally!! Haha

2) This is somewhere near the Vidhana Soudha B’lore…WOW…me n my tendency to fell I’m ‘taking root’ everywhere..hahah…long live the ENTS!

having a 'whale of a time' by just speaking fractally!!

2006-08-05T12:49:00.000+05:30

totally cool shit that this guy Mark Fischer is doing!*()@$&@!_ takes my blog name to a different literal level...haha look up this article on nytimes.com... http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/science/01aqua.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

n here are the cool cool pics

Mark Fischer found a mathematical tool to translate the subtlety and nuance of whale and dolphin sounds into these mandala-like images. (NYT)

WOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

LOVE IS JUST A GAME

2006-06-22T18:03:00.000+05:30

Broken all the same...
N I will get OvEr you...
Love is just a lie
Happens ALL the time
Swear to you this much is true

--- Magic Numbers.

So here I go round again again again again a...think that I may never come out again again again a
--- Chemical brothers

SCAR TISSUE that i wish U saw,
sarcastic mr. 'said it all'
close ur eyes as i burn u off cos
with the birds i'll share...

--- RHCP

haha...
wat can i say...life is beautful, live n let die, its all been said and done better than i can ever hope to express...soo
i melt into my watery world
and drown in the relief
friends, foes, FUCK!!! they are all the same,
things, people, dont change
or do they?
or could they?
or would they?
NAHHHHH humbug...

IF i cud...change the world...
hahaha...
cos its a bittersweet...symphony
REALLLLLLYYY it is

IYO IYO!!!

2006-05-30T15:30:00.000+05:30

sorry people...havent put up any of my newer snaps...will soon...rite now...a bit existential about stuff...just my buffering self defense mechanism on hyper drive...hehe...i wish i wish i wish....

hehehehe not yet done

2006-05-17T01:48:00.000+05:30

Your Famous Last Words Will Be:

"So, you're a cannibal."

What Will Your Famous Last Words Be?

hyuk hyuk...

2006-05-17T01:17:00.000+05:30

Your Superhero Profile

Your Superhero Name is The Silent Widow
Your Superpower is Chemical
Your Weakness is Cold Weather
Your Weapon is Your Grenade Tentacles
Your Mode of Transportation is Rocket

What's your Superhero Name?

HEE HEHEHE one more cool one

2006-05-17T01:13:00.000+05:30

Your Monster Profile

Omega Warrior

You Feast On: Pickles

You Lurk Around In: The Hearts of Men

You Especially Like to Torment: Hairdressers

What's Your Monster Name?

think u shud know this about me!!!

2006-05-17T00:58:00.000+05:30

You Are Barney

You could have been an intellectual leader...

Instead, your whole life is an homage to beer

You will be remembered for: your beautiful singing voice and your burps

Your life philosophy: "There's nothing like beer to give you that inflated sense of self-esteem."

The Simpsons Personality Test

2006-05-17T00:49:00.000+05:30

Your Mood Ring is Purple

Sensual
Clear mind
Purpose is known

Mood Ring Generator

fractally speaking: some effects

2006-05-15T18:52:00.000+05:30

fractally speaking: some effects
http://warfornews.blogspot.com/

some effects

2006-05-15T03:16:00.000+05:30

Some weird crap i was trying with my new camera...

I meet my old friend adobe fotoshop.

IF you haven't figured by now...i think he's gorgeous...was supposed to be share this spoil, but the sharing got spoilt...

fractally speaking

2006-04-24T20:18:00.000+05:30

been dazed and confused for so long it's not true...
Wanted a woo man...never bargained for you...
Lots of people talking few of them know
Soul of a woo man is created BELOW!!

zwynnkathakabow!

2006-03-25T17:30:00.000+05:30

b'lore rock fest at ramaiah
the monkey baby outside ACJ
torch + marb les....lost it?
my musiq system!@!!!!

on the train to the my b'lore

atleast if i were to lose my memory..these wud bring back some special moments and ppl back in a hurry.

mo foto

2006-03-25T17:21:00.000+05:30

my pretty sweetie from Kottorpuram...gypsy girl.
from my first tryst with digi cams
beadies beadies... narekoravasssss
FRom down ellis road.

FOTOFOTO

2006-03-25T17:11:00.000+05:30

like last time i'm just gonna paste some of my pics tgethr randomly!!!!
1) The arrangement of liquers that preetha got from goa...mmmmm.....
2) The monkeys in Kotturpuram's narekorava settlement.
3) tht tree outside du n k's house!!!!!
4) my mommy's yummy fish curryyyyy!!!

speedy gonzales

2006-03-22T18:23:00.000+05:30

When the dimensions we see thru don't apply to the machines we make to capture it.... huh? i only got confused.
it's a MAD MAD world...n life is screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaming past u.

GODDAMNSHIT

2006-03-21T21:18:00.000+05:30

can't show u my recent pics cos of some glitch with the comp! DAMN U MONGOLIANS!!! anyways... getting fukked up with investigative project work... n hmmm.... from the top of my head... i'm going deeper undaaground ...there's too much panic in this town... feel the call of the hills... so FREAKING hot here rite now... i'm drying up into a prune... fingers crossed... hope it amounts to something... life is crazy... already feeling that funny feeling about leaving this place n these people behind... hmmmm.... into the great wide open mite just be into another tubelit ( YUCK I HATE WHITE LITE ) office where i have some strange person telling me y i can't badmouth some freaking loser who needs to be told off badly... ON RECORD!!!! who's to say what's to come... just gonna wait ...for it all to come... wow! still have the lit streak in me... hehehe random ramblings of a reasonably ridiculous ridhi.
LATERS...

RNA assignment again it's science but i like it :-)

2006-03-14T21:12:00.001+05:30

People are so fussy. We complain about everything. We are so hard to satisfy. We spend lifetimes trying to figure ourselves out. But what makes up the physical us – our cells – they are quite different. They don’t fuss half as much. If they did, we’d end up as biological disasters!

One such unfussy character in our body is Ribonucleic Acid – nickname – RNA. RNA is one of those crucial but sometimes overlooked stunt doubles. Without them, the whole show would flop.

Antibodies - the soldiers who fight diseases, hormones – the growth regulators and enzymes - our body’s biochemical catalysts. These are all needed to keep our body clocks ticking on time. They are all made of protein – our cells’ bread and butter. RNA helps produce our daily bread. This is the aim of the show.

Consider one cell to be a house. It has the necessary furniture like mitochondria – the cell’s power house and ribosomes – the work rooms where protein is built from a set of genetic instructions. The nucleus is the living room and our centre stage. This is where Deoxyribonucleic Acid – nickname DNA, plays her lead role of concocting our individuality through genes.

But our fussy protagonist cannot brave the perils of the rest of the house and is confined to the living room (with attached bathroom of course). So RNA restructures herself to become an exact stunt double of DNA. This way the precious, unique… (Well almost) genetic information that DNA contains can reach the outside world. Now RNA can move past the membranous walls of the living room (nucleus) and into the rest of the house with its ‘work rooms,’ especially the ribosomes. RNA transforms into DNA’s double through a process called transcription.

How does she do this? She wears a ‘nucleotide’ cap. She also carries a special enzyme to prolong her life enough to complete her mission. She also sheds her extra baggage – ‘non-coding sequences’, through a process called ‘splicing’ and matures into messenger RNA (mRNA).

The nucleus has a double wall. The only door to the surrounding wild world of cytoplasm (the rest of the house) is through the nuclear pore complex (NPC). So, mRNA gets a protein name tag which is her gate pass out of the nucleus.

This is the final step to the final goal – proteins. A specialized protein molecule called transfer RNA (tRNA) plays the role of translator. He matches mRNA to the right corresponding protein. The cell's protein-making factory - ribosomes take the play to a grand finale. He decodes mRNA and translates her disguise into protein. Proteins are now built based upon the code in the RNA.

The show is now over and the applause has finally died down. DNA takes her final bow and waves to the crowd. She got bored sitting pretty on the couch in the living room. So much like real life. The stunt double did all the action packed stuff and the star got all the roses.