Dr. Abdul Kalam's Letter to Every Indian

Dr. Abdul Kalam's Letter to

Every Indian

 Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements?
We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit.. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T.Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.
Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is.. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation. < /o:p>
..
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke. The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say.. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - 'YOURS'. Give him a face - 'YOURS'. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are.. You pay $5 (approx. Rs.. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity… In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai .. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.
YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs..650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand ..
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India ?
In Ameprica every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan ..
Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public.
When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?
What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too….. I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians…..
'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'
Lets do what India needs from us.
Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending Jokes or junk mails.
Thank you,
Dr.. Abdul Kalam

A rare picture of Mahatma Gandhi facing his assassin with gun.

A rare picture of Mahatma Gandhi facing his assassin with gun.

It was hanging in a Bombay tailor shop for over 60 years and came to light now.

 

 

 

 

The words are in Marathi, translated below:

(Heading)
Last moments of the Father of the Nations
Memories preserved for 37 years by a tailor
---------
(Narration)
This is a rare picture of the moment when 37 years ago Nathuram Godse shot and assasinated the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi. This picture was then published in an English newspaper. Mr.Jabbar Khan, owner of Noble Tailors, Dadiseth Road, Girgaum Chowpati, Mumbai had framed and kept the picture in his shop to preserve memories of that historic moment. Our correspondent Ghanshyam Bhadekar made Herculean efforts to obtain a copy of the picture. 70 year old Jabbar Khan is a famous tailor of the olden days. He has been awarded Certificates of Commendation by former Governors Shriprakash, Sadiq Khan, Abdul Latif, Konda Madhav Reddy as well as former CM Antuley.

question answers upse

DIFFICULT QUESTIONS AND
> INTELLIGENT ANSWERS!
> 
> 
> Questions and the Answers
> given by Candidates (oh sorry, most of them are IAS Officers
> now) -
> 
> Q. How can you drop a raw egg onto
> a concrete floor without cracking it?
> 
> A.Concrete floors are very hard
> to crack! (UPSC Topper)
> 
> 
> Q. If it took eight men ten hours
> to build a wall, how long would it take
> four men to build it?
> 
> A. No time at all it is already
> built. (UPSC 23 Rank Opted for IFS)
> 
> 
> Q.. If you had three apples and
> four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges
> in the other hand, what would you have?
> 
> A. Very large hands.(Good one) (UPSC 11 Rank
> Opted for IPS)
> 
> Q. How can you lift an elephant
> with one hand?
> 
> A. It is not a problem, since you
> will never find an elephant with one
> hand. (UPSC Rank 14 Opted for IES)
> 
> 
> Q. How can a man go eight days
> without sleep?
> 
> A. No Problem, He sleeps at
> night. (UPSC IAS Rank 98)
> 
> 
> Q. If you throw a red stone into
> the blue sea what it will become?
> 
> A. It will get Wet or Sink; as
> simple as that. (UPSC IAS Rank 2)
> 
> 
> Q. What looks like a half apple?
> 
> A: The other half. (UPSC - IAS
> Topper)
> 
> 
> Q. What can you never eat for
> breakfast?
> 
> A: Dinner...
> 
> 
> Q. What happened when wheel was
> invented?
> 
> A : It caused a
> revolution.
> 
> 
> Q. Bay of Bengal is in which
> state?
> 
> A : Liquid (UPSC 33Rank )
> 
> 
> Q. How many buckets of water does
> Pacific Ocean contains?
> 
> A: It depends on the size of the
> bucket. (CA Institute Campus Interview
> Placement)
> 
> 
> Interviewer said 'I shall
> either ask you ten easy questions or one really
> difficult question.. Think well before you make up your
> mind!'
> The boy thought for a while and said, 'My choice is one
> really difficult
> question.'
> 
> 'Well, good luck to you, you have made your own choice!
> Now tell me
> this...
> 'What comes
>  first, Day or Night?'
> 
> The boy was jolted into reality
> as his admission depended on his answer,
> but he thought for a while and said, 'It's the DAY
> sir!'
> 
> 'How?' the interviewer
> asked.
> 
> 'Sorry sir, you promised me
> that you will not ask me a SECOND difficult
> question!'
> 
> He was selected for
> IIM!
  

they are special and important

Heart of a Teacher
by Paula Fox*

He was in the first third grade class I taught at Saint Mary's School in
Morris, Minnesota. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but Mark Eklund
was one in a million. Very neat in appearance, he had that happy-to-be-alive
attitude that made even his occasional mischievousness delightful.

Mark talked incessantly. I had to remind him again and again that talking
without permission was not acceptable. What impressed me so much, though,
was his sincere response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving.
"Thank you for correcting me, Sister!" I didn't know what to make of it at
first, but before long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day.

One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too often,
and then I made a novice teacher's mistake. I looked at Mark and said, "If
you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut!" It wasn't ten
seconds later when Chuck blurted out, "Mark is talking again." I hadn't
asked any of the students to help me watch Mark, but since I had stated the
punishment in front of the class, I had to act on it. I remember the scene
as if it had occurred this morning. I walked to my desk, very deliberately
opened my drawer and took out a roll of masking tape. Without saying a word,
I proceeded to Mark's desk, tore off two pieces of tape and made a big X
with them over his mouth. I then returned to the front of the room. As I
glanced at Mark to see how he was doing, he winked at me. That did it! I
started laughing. The class cheered as I walked back to Mark's desk, removed
the tape, and shrugged my shoulders. His first words were, "Thank you for
correcting me, Sister."

At the end of the year, I was asked to teach junior-high math. The years
flew by, and before I knew it Mark was in my classroom again. He was more
handsome than ever and just as polite. Since he had to listen carefully to
my instruction in the "new math," he did not talk as much in ninth grade as
he had in third. One Friday, things just didn't feel right. We had worked
hard on a new concept all week, and I sensed that the students were
frowning, frustrated with themselves and edgy with one another. I had to
stop this crankiness before it got out of hand. So I asked them to list the
names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a
space between each name. Then I told them to think of the nicest thing they
could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the
remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the
students left the room, each one handed me the papers. Charlie smiled. Mark
said, "Thank you for teaching me, Sister. Have a good weekend." That
Saturday, I wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of
paper, and I listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday I gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class
was smiling. "Really?" I heard whispered. "I never knew that meant anything
to anyone! I didn't know others liked me so much." No one ever mentioned
those papers in class again. I never knew if they discussed them after class
or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished
its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another again.

That group of students moved on. Several years later, after I returned from
vacation, my parents met me at the airport. As we were driving home, Mother
asked me the usual questions about the trip, the weather, my experiences in
general. There was a lull in the conversation. Mother gave Dad a sideways
glance and simply said, "Dad?" My father cleared his throat as he usually
did before something important. "The Eklunds called last night," he began.
"Really?" I said. "I haven't heard from them in years. I wonder how Mark
is." Dad responded quietly. "Mark was killed in Vietnam," he said. "The
funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could attend." To
this day I can still point to the exact spot on I-494 where Dad told me
about Mark.

I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. Mark looked so
handsome, so mature. All I could think at that moment was, "Mark, I would
give all the masking tape in the world if only you would talk to me." The
church was packed with Mark's friends. Chuck's sister sang "The Battle Hymn
of the Republic." Why did it have to rain on the day of the funeral? It was
difficult enough at the graveside. The pastor said the usual prayers, and
the bugler played taps. One by one those who loved Mark took a last walk by
the coffin and sprinkled it with holy water. I was the last one to bless the
coffin. As I stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came
up to me. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. I nodded as I continued
to stare at the coffin. "Mark talked about you a lot," he said.

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates headed to Chuck's
farmhouse for lunch. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting
for me. "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet
out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought
you might recognize it." Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn
pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded
many times. I knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which I
had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.
"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see,
Mark treasured it." Mark's classmates started to gather around us. Charlie
smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. I keep it in the
top drawer of my desk at home." Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put
his in our wedding album." "I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my
diary." Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out
her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this
with me at all times," Vicki said without batting an eyelash. "I think we
all saved our lists." That's when I finally sat down and cried. I cried for
Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will
end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be. So please, tell
the people you love and care for that they are special and important. Tell
them, before it is too late.

Sending something Interesting

The Statue of Liberty's index finger is eight feet long



Rain has never been recorded in some parts of the Atacama Desert in Chile


A 75 year old person will have slept about 23 years.


A Boeing 747's wing span is longer than the Wright brother's first flight. the Wright brother's invented the airplane)


There are as many chickens on earth as there are humans.


One type of hummingbird weighs less than a penny


The word "set " has the most number of definitions in the English language;192


Slugs have four noses


Sharks can live up to 100 years


Mosquitoes are more attracted to the color blue than any other color.


Kangaroos can't walk backwards


About 75 acres of pizza are eaten in in the U.S. Everyday


The largest recorded snowflake was 15in wide and 8in thick. It fell in Montana in 1887


The tip of a bullwhip moves so fast that the sound it makes is actually a tiny sonic boom.


Former president Bill Clinton only sent 2 emails in his entire 8 year presidency


Koalas and humans are the only animals that have finger prints


There are 200,000,000 insects for every one human


It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery had in it to begin with.


The world's largest Montessori school is in India, with 26,312 students in 2002


Octopus have three hearts


If you ate too many carrots, you'd turn orange


The average person spends two weeks waiting for a traffic light to change.


1 in 2,000,000,000 people will live to be 116 or old


The body has 2-3 million sweat glands


Sperm whales have the biggest brains; 20 lbs


Tiger shark embryos fight each other in their mother's womb. The survivor is born.


Most cats are left pawed


250 people have fallen off the Leaning Tower of Pisa


A Blue whale's tongue weighs more than an elephant


You use 14 muscles to smile and 43 to frown. Keep Smiling!


Bamboo can grow up to 3 ft in 24 hours


An eyeball weighs about 1 ounce


Bone is five times stronger than steel.

History Mystery

History Mystery 

Have a history teacher explain this----- if they can. 



Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday .
Both Presidents were shot in the head

Now it gets really weird.

Lincoln 's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln .

Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.

Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln , was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908. 



John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln , was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939. 



Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.

Now hang on to your seat.

Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford.'
Kennedy was shot in a car called ' Lincoln ' made by 'Ford.'

Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theater.

Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

And here's the kicker...

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe , Maryland
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe. 

painting contest

RI DIST 3201 RC Muvattupuzha in Association with Kerala Cancer Society and Samirthy (Muvattupuzha Diocesan Social Service Society)conduct All Kerala(Coimbatore also included) Painting Competition for promoting Cancer Awareness on the occasion of the World Cancer day ,February 4th for School, College students and for public .The Entries should reach on or before 28.01.2011@5.p.m .The Subject for painting will be CANCER. The material for painting will be Water color for Students ,Mixed Color for Public .Students are requested to send the entries with the attestation of the Head of the Institutions.
Cash Award of Rs 10001/-,5001/-3001/-and Shield will be given to the 1st ,2nd ,3rd prize winners on 4th February @MELA AUDITORIUM @2 P.M in the presence of eminent personalities like OUR DG G Viswanathan , Rtn Dr Thomas Varghese Chairman Cancer care Didt 3201,Rtn P.Venugopalanmenon Dist Dir Community service ,Rtn R Raju President RC Muvattupuzha ,Sri Babu paul MLA , Honorable FISHERIES MINISTER S.Sarma ,Most Rev Dr Thomas Mar Kuriliose methrapolitha ,Dr D.BABU PAUL IAS (Former CHIEF secretary Kerala GOVT)Press club Secretary Sri N Srinath- Cochin ,Dist Collector Dr M .Beena IAS EKM Dist ,Sri P T Thomas MP ,Sri U R Babu Chairman Muvattupuzha Municipality ,Cine Actor Siddique ,Catholic Syrian Bank Chairman Sri Eswardas,Sri Venumenon,AGM NABARD,VICAR GENERAL VERY REV MON ISSAC Kochery and Rev Fr Varghese pantheerayithadathil .
The Entries to be addressed to
Samrithy ,Muvattupuzha Diocesan Social Service Soceity ,Keezhillam P.O,Pin 683541
email:samridhymvpa@yahoo.co.in ,Samridhy@sify.com
contact no 9605049984,9846996516,9847033186,9446961646