Sunday, November 29, 2009

Re: Fw: There live a genius called Satyajit Ray

Thanks, Bhaiya, but the bloomer in grammar in the Subject itself makes me cringe.I don't understand why I have to be in such a tearing hurry.
                                          In Agantuk, the director seems to say that the so called"civilized society" is, more appropriately, trapped into a "koopmanduk".I t doesn't have much respect for peoples and cultures other than it's own. And so beguiled is it my modern science and technology, that it makes fun of the tribal ways of life, as if no science and technology exists in their life.For eg, two kinds of snow,one opaque and the other transparent,go to make an igloo.That's technology enough.The main protoganist is an anthropologist with extensive field studies throughout the world and is extremely broad and cosmopolitan. Hallmarks,I suppose, of a "civilized" person  rather than a one point focus on materialism and status quo alone.
            Check out my blog too,I think it's a wholesome food for thought and, I hope,action.Once awakened all of us,individually and collectively, will move mountains. There's too much at stake here to lose out because of our smugness and laziness.
 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/



From: Ranjan Sinha <purnimaranjan@googlemail.com>
To: avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>
Sent: Sun, November 29, 2009 1:34:24 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: There live a genius called Satyajit Ray

Very good .
Rnjn Snh

On Sat, Nov 28, 2009 at 12:41 PM, avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com> wrote:

 


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>
To: IT BHU <it-bhu-batchof1982@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sat, November 28, 2009 12:39:20 PM
Subject: There live a genius called Satyajit Ray

This is the tragedy of modern living.Geniuses are terrible marketeers.Therefore I've known Ray only through Shantranj Ke Khiladi. But today I watched Agantuk, and  am now better exposed to Ray's genius, and the Apur Trilogy now I'll surely buy to absorb more of Life.Yes, that's true. The more we live in love, the more LIFE comes to us unannounced, the richer our life becomes.
                                            Aganuk is about the return of a prodigal, a genius who has topped in Matric, Intermediate and BA. Then his grandmother gives himRs 3,000(around 1950) saying he's brought glory to the family. With this fortune he gets a chance to do his own things, becoming a kind of "oddball" for the supposedly "civilized" society that we claim proud inheritance of.
                                               My sense is that we should not be smug about our civilization. The world will change beyoud your comprehension in the next 50 years. Just be full of love and open yourself, and you'll be absolutely safe and secure in these most challenging and dynamic times.But those who are "koopmanduk" and cocooned in their own small spheres, will find the going tough. 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/




Saturday, November 28, 2009

Being Proactive and Engaging Reality

The President of the International Fund for Rural Development says that almost a billion of the world's poor suffer from chronic hunger. This is a severe blot on our supposedly "civilized" society. Moreover food riots have erupted in 40 countries and there are dangers that more people would suffer if corrective actions are not taken immediately.
For too long we have blamed everyone but ourselves for the sorry governance. It's a trite to say that we get what we deserve.Governance can only be effective when the citizens are engaged and bring pressure on their govts to perform. And when concerned citizens come together to SUPPLEMENT the govt's work, that's the icing on the cake.
According to the IFAD President,small landholders and rural development hold the key to an integrated development. Therefore massive investments are needed in the countryside. Govts have limited resources, therefore these have to be supplemented by the citizens at large. Concerned people are doing brilliant work, but more needs to be done.
I have no doubt in my mind that unless we throw out our middle class "blinkers", Reality will come as a rude shock to us.Make yourselves splendid warriors of the Spirit, nurse your body,mind and soul with great care. Love and accept yourself TOTALLY. You ARE the EPIC of creation. Nothing is beyond your reach.Seize the moment and gain an eternity.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Fw: There live a genius called Satyajit Ray


 


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>
To: IT BHU <it-bhu-batchof1982@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sat, November 28, 2009 12:39:20 PM
Subject: There live a genius called Satyajit Ray

This is the tragedy of modern living.Geniuses are terrible marketeers.Therefore I've known Ray only through Shantranj Ke Khiladi. But today I watched Agantuk, and  am now better exposed to Ray's genius, and the Apur Trilogy now I'll surely buy to absorb more of Life.Yes, that's true. The more we live in love, the more LIFE comes to us unannounced, the richer our life becomes.
                                            Aganuk is about the return of a prodigal, a genius who has topped in Matric, Intermediate and BA. Then his grandmother gives himRs 3,000(around 1950) saying he's brought glory to the family. With this fortune he gets a chance to do his own things, becoming a kind of "oddball" for the supposedly "civilized" society that we claim proud inheritance of.
                                               My sense is that we should not be smug about our civilization. The world will change beyoud your comprehension in the next 50 years. Just be full of love and open yourself, and you'll be absolutely safe and secure in these most challenging and dynamic times.But those who are "koopmanduk" and cocooned in their own small spheres, will find the going tough. 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/


Monday, November 23, 2009

Fw: Better Leaders?Yes,still better Citizens

I have no doubt in my mind that any society which ruthlessly suppresses dissent can be anything but suboptimal in the utilisation of its resources. An empowered populace is the best resource, a society where opportunities exist for the human spirit to bloom is sure to rise to the top.
                         In this regard no society is perfect, but we should not be taken in by cold GDP figures. China is touted, in the establishment media,to be God's own child and ready to push the  US out from it's superpower status in the 21st century. Like the author of this article I have grave doubts on this point.
              Ultimately, to my mind, the ruthless suppression of dissent in China will have to give way to a much more freer society if it has to emerge as a great power.Even the US, unless it takes corrective measures to have good governance and democracy  is evident not only in the political, but also in the economic sphere,I'm afraid,it  will inexorably slip from the preeminent position it occupies at present.
                          These are  challenging and very, very dynamic times.
 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>
To: IT BHU <it-bhu-batchof1982@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: An Equal Life <avinashk.sahay.blog@blogger.com>
Sent: Mon, November 23, 2009 1:39:42 PM
Subject: Better Leaders?Yes,still better Citizens

You will kindly recall my recent exhortation to you, "Arise, Awake, Intervene."I'm now joined in this by Thomas L Friedman in an article in the NYT.
                        I'm hopeful that we'll all rise to the occasion and synergize our talents for the common good.The period of the lone wolf is over. In the Wellness of all, rather than superprofits  for a few, lies the survival of our planet.Decency, democracy, indeed, capitalism, is in danger of being gobbled up by people with a very narrow tunnel vision.
                                   Ofcourse, we can.

 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Webmaster <avinashk.sahay@gmail.com>
To: asahays@yahoo.com
Sent: Mon, November 23, 2009 1:24:21 PM
Subject: avinash sahay has forwarded a page to you from Deccan Chronicle

Message from Sender:

Brilliant article.Democracy is in peril, not only in theUS, but the world over. Unless we citizens wake up and take an active role in governance, the militarists, and the many lobbies whose only agenda is "profit" for a few, rather than Wellness for all,are already hijacking capitalism, democracy and our way of life which allows such a fantastic flowering of the human spirit.

President Barack Obama's visit to China this week inevitably invites comparisons between the world's two leading powers. You know what they say: Britain owned the 19th century, America owned the 20th century, and, it's all but certain that China will own the 21st century. Maybe, but I'm not ready to cede the 21st century to China just yet.

Why not? It has to do with the fact that we are


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited



The opinions of this author do not reflect that of the company.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

** Message has been scanned by Emergic MailServ **


Better Leaders?Yes,still better Citizens

You will kindly recall my recent exhortation to you, "Arise, Awake, Intervene."I'm now joined in this by Thomas L Friedman in an article in the NYT.
                        I'm hopeful that we'll all rise to the occasion and synergize our talents for the common good.The period of the lone wolf is over. In the Wellness of all, rather than superprofits  for a few, lies the survival of our planet.Decency, democracy, indeed, capitalism, is in danger of being gobbled up by people with a very narrow tunnel vision.
                                   Ofcourse, we can.

 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Webmaster <avinashk.sahay@gmail.com>
To: asahays@yahoo.com
Sent: Mon, November 23, 2009 1:24:21 PM
Subject: avinash sahay has forwarded a page to you from Deccan Chronicle

Message from Sender:

Brilliant article.Democracy is in peril, not only in theUS, but the world over. Unless we citizens wake up and take an active role in governance, the militarists, and the many lobbies whose only agenda is "profit" for a few, rather than Wellness for all,are already hijacking capitalism, democracy and our way of life which allows such a fantastic flowering of the human spirit.

President Barack Obama's visit to China this week inevitably invites comparisons between the world's two leading powers. You know what they say: Britain owned the 19th century, America owned the 20th century, and, it's all but certain that China will own the 21st century. Maybe, but I'm not ready to cede the 21st century to China just yet.

Why not? It has to do with the fact that we are


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited



The opinions of this author do not reflect that of the company.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

** Message has been scanned by Emergic MailServ **

Saturday, November 21, 2009

We are the World

Dear Radhakrishnan ji,
                                 We, each and every one of us, is a stakeholder in our govts.Because govt policies affects all of us.    Therefore we have to create pressure groups to educate the people about govt policies and follow these policies, and track these as these are implemented. The Internet is a great enabler as it allows us to be in touch with each other,and with the govt, instantly. The bureaucrats will immediately fall in line when they understand that every action is under intense public scrutiny.
                           Such watchdogs, Oversights and pressure groups are the urgent need of the hour.Governance is too important a business to be left to the bureaucreats and the politicians alone.Therefore all of us need to understand that all of us, individually, matter.Too often we are wont to look at the wide world and, mistakenly, conclude, that how can one person make a difference.Change begins with each and every one of us.As we draw upon, we also send out our thoughts and feelings to this Ocean of Consciousness. This is OUR  COMMON  ocean and we need to nurture our ocean with all the force and passion at our command.As we go inwards, we start knowing ourselves, and then we, inevitably , become a force of good for our communities, and for our common ocean which is our common heritage.
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/



From: RADHAKRISHNAN PARAMESWARAN <radhakrishnan25@hotmail.com>
To: asahays@yahoo.com
Sent: Sat, November 21, 2009 2:18:59 PM
Subject: RE: Arise, Awake, Intervene


Dear Mr. Avinash,

I thank you very much for your kind hospitality in your office amidst your busy schedules.

I also thank you for promptly sending me the nice article in The TIME. Your comment has rightly pointed out the dismal fact that only 15% of Govt. spending reaches the beneficiaries. Hopefully, with the stern actions now being taken by Anti-Corruption and Vigilance Depts., this gets increased to around 30% before the end of this 5-year budget-plan term. But such actions should also take place at higher levels to achieve this.

As suggested and  advised by our Ex-President Dr. ABDUL kALAM, if our Youth who enter / have recently entered the Govt. services in various depts. including the 3 armed services, sincerely follow his directions and refuse to demand bribes and also do not pay bribes to get anything done, a new generation of " CLEAN" Public servants will emerge so that by the year 2020 the beneficiaries will start receiving at least 60 to 70% of  Govt. spending. May be with this in mind, our ex President predicted that India will become a Super Power by 2020.

But, as you have rightly pointed out, people like us who have a slightly better knowledge of the power of human beings should do something concrete and fruitful towards this public cause. 

Best regards
P. Radhakrishnan


Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:35:38 -0800
From: asahays@yahoo.com
Subject: Fw: Arise, Awake, Intervene
To: radhakrishnan25@hotmail.com

Dear Mr Radhakrishnan,
                                       I'm indeed glad to meet you today.As discussed,we have to be impeccable in our body, mind and Spirit so that we can help facilitate a new life for all of humanity.
                                       Much work lies ahead, and here's wishing each of us well in this grand endeavour.
                                                                                                                                                              & ;nbs p;  Avinash Sahay
 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>
To: yrsaini@yahoo.com; ravindra_kumar_jain@yahoo.com
Sent: Thu, November 19, 2009 3:52:48 PM
Subject: Fw: Arise, Awake, Intervene

 Sirs,
           Pl read the attached article in the TIME magazine entitled The India Model and my comments thereon. Much work lies ahead, but for that we have to be splendid warriors of  body, mind and soul.
                                  To your glorious path ahead. Cheers.
                                                                                             Avinash
 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>
To: An Equal Life <avinashk.sahay.blog@blogger.com>
Cc: Avinash K. Sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>; Atul Pranay <atulpranay63@yahoo.com>; Devashish Roy Choudhury <cricdevanu@gmail.com>; Anuradha Mukherjee <directorezcc@yahoo.co.in>; Durga Charan Dash <durga_dash2005@yahoo.com>; Mahendra Singh <itisemri@yahoo.com>; Jagtar Singh <jagtar.irs@gmail.com>; Sridhar Karavadi <k.sridhar@yahoo.com>; K. Nageshwar Rao <knageshwarrao@gmail.com>; Sailendra Mamidi <mamidi_sailendra@yahoo.com>; Mohammad Wasimul Haque <mwhaqueirs@hotmail.com>; Nitin Gupta <nitinguptairs@yahoo.co.in>; Rakesh Bhaskar <parkar33@yahoo.com>; Pramod Kumar <pkdasmaithil2004@yahoo.co.in>; P.K. Shrivastava <pramo_98@yahoo.com>; Bommareddy Gangadhara reddy <reddy_b_g@yahoo.co.in>; R. Bhama <rk_bhama@yahoo.com>; Ruby Srivastava <rubysrivastav@hotmail.com>; Ramesh Kumar <saumya_arpit@yahoo.co.in>; Susie S. Varghese <sbv26@yahoo.co.in>; Shyam Kumar <shyamkumar86@yahoo.com>; Smita Jhingran <smitajhingran@yahoo.com>; S. Venkateswarlu <sv_irs86@yahoo.co.in>
Sent: Tue, November 17, 2009 1:32:14 PM
Subject: Fw: Arise, Awake, Intervene


 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>
To: IT BHU <it-bhu-batchof1982@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tue, November 17, 2009 1:31:35 PM
Subject: Arise, Awake, Intervene

This fine article gives us a sense of what we have in store here in India.
              Rajiv Gandhi,our ex PM, had famously bemoaned the fact that only 15% of govt spending goes to the real beneficiaries.The problems India faces is too immense for the bureaucracy. Therefore it has to be supplemented by efforts from the social sector and massive intervention by the community at large.The seeming problems are, truly, immense opportunities for each and every one of us.
             Unless we intervene there is a very real danger that India will go either the American or the Chinese path.Both the paths are dangerous for humanity in the 21st century. One because of its ruthless suppression of dissent, the other because  democracy has been hijacked by the military industrial complex.
              Therefore one has to be very alert.If India falls into the trap of a civil war, as Operation Green Hunt  threatens to be, we as a country are collectively ruined.That is the curse of war, right from the Mahabharata war. Therefore peace and dialogue and wider participation is the only solution at hand.
                  The situation is grim, but filled  also with hope and immense opportunities. Don't let anybody tell you that you don't  matter.Be the change you want to see.

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: "avinashk.sahay@gmail.com" <avinashk.sahay@gmail.com>
To: asahays@yahoo.com
Sent: Tue, November 17, 2009 1:27:04 PM
Subject: A friend thought you might be interested in this article



Hello,

avinashk.sahay@gmail.com thought you would be interested in this article from TIME.com:

The India Model - TIME
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1938510,00.html?artId=1938510?contType=article?chn=world

Please note that sender's email address has not been verified. This message was sent as an FYI by a user of TIME.com.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
For more stories, visit TIME.com: http://www.time.com

Get TIME Magazine -- Try 4 Issues Free!

Search all back-issues of TIME since 1923 for TIME's unique perspective on history, people, and the most important events of the day. GO TO THE ARCHIVE

---------------------------------------------------------------------








New Windows 7: Simplify what you do everyday. Find the right PC for you.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Roots of Fanaticism

Thanks, Debrata, for liking the mail.We like to blame everyone, but each one of us are to blame for the violence and fanaticism in this world. We don't know who we are, that's why we slot people in "us" versus "them".The militarists are only fanning our fears, ignorance and insecurity. Had we known who we are, we would never be fearful or insecure.We would have instictively known that the entire Existence is our natural inheritance and is ever ready to give us everything. The only problem is that we aren't ready to receive because we are too confused and fickle.
                                    Peace is our only hope.Peace is non negotiable.The ordinary, common people(99.99%) of all religions, including Islam, want to just get on with their lives,and their children to return home at night, safe and secure.
                                                       
 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/



From: DEBABRATA KUNDU <d_kundu2006_8@yahoo.co.in>
To: IT-BHU-BatchOf1982@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thu, November 19, 2009 12:32:20 PM
Subject: Re: [IT-BHU-BatchOf1982] Fwd: German's view of Islam?Militarist

 

Dear Avinash,
 Your writings are really very much true and practical. Many a time I thought in the same line. But in this mundane world again work under the direction of the same people of ruler.I want to add a small view of mone i.e. for any artilcle in this world people or the seller give live demonastration and adopt many other form of promtion but gun selling has  got no conventional way of promotion therefore only way to show the efficacy and power of Gun is by giving life demonstration of killing people and this is very much applicable for replacing the obsolate type of gun also.
Thanks Again for your valueable information.
Kundu

--- On Wed, 18/11/09, avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo. com> wrote:

From: avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo. com>
Subject: Re: [IT-BHU-BatchOf1982 ] Fwd: German's view of Islam
To: IT-BHU-BatchOf1982@ yahoogroups. com
Cc: "An Equal Life" <avinashk.sahay. blog@blogger. com>
Date: Wednesday, 18 November, 2009, 4:53 PM

 
Dear Jayant,
                   The issue of fanaticism is more nuanced and complex.We must examine how the fanatics come to exercise so much power that the "silent majority" is stunned to silence.
                                   Take the case of MNS, for instance.The largest political formation in the country has directly benefited from the rise of MNS in this first-past-the- post electoral politics that we have. So it blinks at Raj Thackeray who runs amok.Almost all cases of fanaticism begin like this.
                                    Which is the most powerful force in the world today? The armament industry, as almost 20% of the world's GDP of $40 trillion is spent on armaments.So this industry employs lobbyists to MANUFACTURE hatred throughout the world.Any issue is good enough for this.
                                     Osama bin Laden started his career as a CIA operative, and there are reports that CIA money is still going into the hands of the terrorists through the ISI.Can we not say that both the secret agencies are systematically fomenting hatred and violence, so that the sale of armaments goes on unimpeded.All wars in history have actually been "manufactured" by militarists for obvious reasons.
                                             Therefore it is imperative that ordinary people like us not fall prey to such disinformation. I would say our ONLY enenmies are illiteracy, disease and malnutrition. There are more issues that unite us than divide.Let us come together on these issues and not be misled by the propoganda of the Militarists. War is the greatest curse for us, but this cannot be got rid of by falling into the "us" versus "them" dichotomy.
                                     I have a feeling that this Forward is yet another disinformation spread by the militarists.
                                                                                                                                                              &a mp;a mp;n bsp;          Avinash
                                   
 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning. blogspot. com/



From: Jayant Bhattacharjee <jayant.bhattacharje e@gmail.com>
To: IT-BHU-BatchOf1982@ yahoogroups. com
Sent: Tue, November 17, 2009 2:43:46 PM
Subject: [IT-BHU-BatchOf1982 ] Fwd: German's view of Islam

 
German's view of Islam
  
 
This is one of the best explanation of the Muslim terrorist situation I have ever read. His references to past history are accurate and clear. Not long, easy to understand, and well worth the read. The author of this email is Dr. Emanuel Tanay, a well-known and well-respected psychiatrist.

 
 A German's View on Islam
 A man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, owned a number of large industries and estates. When asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism. 'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'
 We are told again and again by 'experts' and 'talking heads' that Islam is the religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the spectre of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.
 The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa  and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honour-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.
 The hard, quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous.
 Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. China's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.
 The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japanmurdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and                 bayonet.
 And who can forget Rwanda, which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were 'peace loving'?
 History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points:
Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence.
Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend fromGermany, they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.
Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late. As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts  --  the fanatics who threaten our way of life.
 Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious and just deletes this email without sending it on, is contributing to the passiveness that allows the problems to expand. So, extend yourself a bit and send this on and on and on! Let us hope that thousands, world-wide, read this and think about it, and send it on - before it's too late. 

 
 Emanuel Tanay, M.D. 2980 Provincial St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104  
--
Jayant Bhattacharjee
+91-98917 81001



The INTERNET now has a personality. YOURS! See your Yahoo! Homepage.

__._,_.___
.

__,_._,___

Fw: Article from The Hindu: Sent to you by avinashk.sahay



This remarkable lady is indeed the epitome of the Soul of India.Thanks to Hindu for bringing to us such inspiring stories.Indeed, with messiahs and splendid warriors such as Krishnaammal, there seems to be light for all of us at the end of a long, dark tunnel.
=============================================================
This article has been sent to you by avinashk.sahay ( avinashk.sahay@gmail.com )
=============================================================
Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/fr/2009/11/20/stories/2009112050880100.htm)
Friday




Nobel thoughts




PUSHPA CHARI




Krishnammal Jagannathan, the driving force behind LAFTI, and winner of the Alternative Nobel Prize 2008.










Freedom March: (Clockwise from left) Krishnammal Jagannathan receiving the Alternative Nobel Prize from Jakob von Uexkull, chairman, The Right Livelihood Award; making a point and supervising paddy cultivation by Dalits in Nagapattinam district.


She walks alone from village to village in Thanjavur to the beat of Gandhiji's favourite song 'Ekla cholo re,' the very embodiment of the Gandhian philosophy of Satyagraha and non-violence. In Chennai earlier this month at the inaugural function of the Micro and Small Enterprises Support Workshop, organised by Fair Trade Forum India, SIPA and IFFAD, among the luminaries present none stood taller than Krishnammal Jagannathan, winner of the Alternate Nobel Prize 2008.
A Dalit whom the citation hailed as the 'soul of India' and a lifelong Satyagrahi working for social justice and sustainable human development, Krishnammal has achieved what has been called a non- violent social transformation of the lives of the landless poor, particularly Dalit women.
Achievements lauded
This frail and beautiful lady of 85 who walked shoulder to shoulder with Vinoba Bhave in his Bhoodan Movement, ushered in a silent revolution of land distribution to Dalit women in remote parts of Tamil Nadu. She is the winner of Swami Pranavananda Peace Award given by the Gandhi Peace Foundation, the Jamnalal Bajaj Award (1988), the Padma Sri (1989), the Women's World Summit Award, Switzerland (1989), the Opus Award, The Right Livelihood Award also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize (2008) and a host of other prestigious awards. She wears them all lightly.
Krishnammal came to the inauguration, where she was chief guest, clutching a fly ash brick in her hand. Manufactured by the Dalits of Kuthur village, she wants this eco-friendly hollow brick to be used by them to build their homes on the land which is now theirs, thanks to her relentless efforts. The fly ash hollow brick is a symbol of a collective dream which she hopes will translate into reality with the 5,000 homes for Dalits of the village. In this interview, she talks about her cause, her philosophy and the award…
What was the defining moment when you embarked on your mission of land distribution to the landless, particularly women?
Gandhiji dreamt of 'gram swaraj.' I strongly feel that as long as land is held by landlords, there can be no freedom for those tilling the land. By tradition, Dalits are tillers of the land and are attached to it. Every day, women leave their houses early in the morning and plant paddy till late evening, yet they have no right over the land in the existing system. I was part of Vinoba Bhave's padayatra and was walking with him pleading for land when news came on December 25, 1968, of the mass killing of 44 Harijan women and children at Kilavenmani in Thanjavur district, following a wage dispute between landlord and tiller. This horrific incident changed my life's direction and I decided to go to Kizhavenmani and not leave till Dalits got their land. And I am still there! My husband and I began our movement by getting the temple land owned by a benami landlord distributed among the women with much struggle. About 12,000 acres of land were distributed among the Dalit wom!
en. This was my first fight against the system. I walked from village to village in the region to meet the women and slowly they became the wind under my wings. Although I was harassed, arrested and even jailed, I never lost faith. I used to gather children who worked in the fields and give them basic education.
The NGO Land for Tiller Freedom or LAFTI has become the cornerstone of your movement. How did it come about?
In 1981, my husband and I started LAFTI, an NGO working for the socio-economic development of the marginalised classes. I decided to form village-based co-operatives for Dalit women to save money and collectively purchase the land which they tilled, from the landlords. I heard that the Government was helping Dalits buy land by giving them loans. I began to avail of these loans. Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi came to my office. Rajiv Gandhi created a separate wing for Dalit uplift called the National Scheduled Caste Development Corporation. Now that the Government gives us loans, I approach landlords, bureaucrats and other functionaries to purchase land and redistribute it among the women. They often pay back the loans in one installment. It is heart-warming to watch them cultivate their own land, and drink in the sight of green paddy fields and children playing there. Some 13,000 acres have been redistributed to women, and 11,000 will be distributed shortly. It has been a people-bas!
ed action, a non-violent transfer of land through LAFTI. We use Satyagraha as a tool of liberation. We sing bhajans in front of the landlord's houses in the mornings. We have been brutalised, attacked and once they even tried to pour petrol over me. But I just meditated and carried on.
What are LAFTI's other activities?
LAFTI also runs village industries. We teach women mat weaving, tailoring, carpentry, masonry and run computer classes. We have built three hostels in Vallivalan for girls and boys. The students are doing well, with 20 studying to be doctors, engineers etc. We have also set up a brick kiln, which has helped in building 'people participatory' eco-friendly houses for 2000 families so far. My next goal is to build 5,000 more houses, to make the dwellings of Dalit families decent.
So that is your next goal…
When I first came to Kizhavenmani, it was an act of desperation to give Dalits their land, to provide them livelihood and restore their dignity. Now my dream is to give every woman a house on her land with some modern facilities.
Is this fly ash brick which you have brought with you a first step in your commitment?
Yes. The brick is made out of fly ash which we get free. I approached ONGC and they donated the eco-friendly brick making machinery. The electricity took six months to come and our first fly ash bricks were made on 30 October. I brought this brick, freshly made straight from the village of Kuthur.
Tell us more about your proposed LAFTI house…
My aim is to build 5,000 such homes measuring 200 sq.ft. each. The villagers themselves will make the hollow bricks and provide labour for construction. The house 'patta' will be given to the women. We are looking at sponsors for each house which will be named after them.
What do the Awards, specially the Alternative Nobel Prize mean to you?
What can they mean to me? I really don't want these awards. Without my work, my life is a waste. I want to give dwellings to the homeless and the award money helps. I want every woman to have a dignified life and a home. All this will surely abolish caste and give them hope. I listen to (Vinobha) Bhave's Thiruarutpa song every morning at 2.30 a.m. and shed tears. When I am blessed to listen to his voice, what are these awards?
Your message to the people of the country which you so diligently serve…
Please help me financially to realise my dream of giving Dalit women homes. I appeal to every genuine heart to join me in this yagna.













Copyright: 1995 - 2006 The Hindu

Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly
prohibited without the consent of  The Hindu

Thursday, November 19, 2009

The GDP means Nothing

Despite impressive GDP growth rates in our country for the last decade, the Human Development Report still ranks us among the bottom most countries in vital areas such as education, nutrition and health.Impressive statistics have only gone to make the rich richer and the poor poorer in large swathes of urban and rural India.This kind of growth is also dangerous for the environment and clearly unsustainable in the coming years.
                                              If this planet is to survive we have to go for an integrated development where the Wellness of the least of us is placed in the forefront of the scheme of things.Sixty years back smart people sniggered at the Gandhian model.Clearly there is scope for improvement in the model,and I'm happy that concerned people like the author of this article is showing the way forward out of the mess we have landed ourselves in.
                                             I must warn you that you will never hear bad news in the establishment newspapers and magazines because its bad for their business. Therefore don't be taken in by the euphoria, and stick your neck out to protect yourself, your family and the community in the coming days.And all the money in the bank, or your stocks and bonds will not save you. Only your intervention in an organized manner so that sensible policies are followed by the govt will.
 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: "thehindu@web1.hinduonnet.com" <thehindu@web1.hinduonnet.com>
Sent: Thu, November 19, 2009 4:39:22 PM
Subject: Article from The Hindu: Sent to you by avinashk.sahay

This is the India Model of Gandhi's dream. I agree with the author that this is the way ahead for an all around prosperity.
                Kudos to the Hindu for carrying the fantastic piece.
=============================================================
This article has been sent to you by avinashk.sahay ( avinashk.sahay@gmail.com )
=============================================================
Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2009/11/19/stories/2009111952590900.htm)
Opinion
-
News Analysis
&nbsp;&nbsp;

An action plan for the future




Mohan Dharia




Only a process of reverse migration based on the Gandhian model can save India's cities, and also rural India.





A report prepared by the United Nations Development Programme reveals that in India's big cities more than 40 per cent of the people live in slums. Some of them have reasonable levels of income, but cannot afford other housing. For many reasons including the population load, slums are unhygienic. It is high time the root causes of unplanned and ugly urbanisation, and the destruction of rural life, are identified.
More than 40 per cent of Indians live in the urban areas and less than 60 per cent in the villages — and this dichotomy is growing. Even basic amenities such as water, streets, drainage, electricity, educational or medical facilities, and playgrounds are often not available.
On the eve of Independence, Kolkata and Mumbai were the only Indian cities with a population of more than a million. In 1980, the number of such cities was hardly 10. At that time, as the Union Minister for Planning this writer had insisted that without provision of adequate water, sufficient area for the construction of houses and infrastructure facilities, no city should be allowed to have a population of more than a million. But this was ridiculed. During the last 30 years, the craze for urbanisation under the garb of "growth" has spawned unplanned, ugly and congested cities in India. The only solution is to de-congest the cities, for instance Mumbai, moving out mills that make cotton, edible oil, vanaspati and so on that are dependent on raw materials coming from the rural areas, and stop any further influx into the cities. Simultaneously, population growth should be checked.
Satellite cities and towns where the raw materials are available should be created. These should be planned with facilities for housing, education and health. Commercial, industrial, educational and entertainment complexes should be built, surrounded by a green belt that is up to 2 km in breadth.
London witnessed such an experiment after the Second World War. The London Municipal Corporation succeeded in voluntarily moving out 15 lakh people to new modern satellite cities.
It is necessary to explore the basic cause of the influx from the rural areas. For want of employment opportunities, medical and educational facilities and infrastructure such as roads and communication in the rural areas, people prefer to come to the cities, particularly in search of employment.
Along with unplanned urbanisation, rural life is being destroyed. To prevent migration, the villages should be enriched. The 6,00,000 villages in the country should become self-reliant and have adequate employment opportunities, educational facilities, medical services, communication facilities and roads. They should become green and clean.
This may appear to be a dream. The organisation named Vanarai has sought successfully to prevent the influx into the cities. In fact, several families have returned from city slums to their own villages as these had become self-reliant. Only such a process of reverse migration based on the Gandhian model can save our cities, and also rural India.
Our land, water, cattle wealth, forests, the 7,000-km coastline, vast biomass resources, the bright sun, and species including medicinal plants are India's real strength. Ever since Independence, these natural resources have remained under-developed. By effectively developing them, it has become possible for Vanarai to achieve reverse migration.
Water is the key issue for any sort of development process. India gets a significant quantity of water from rain or the melting of Himalayan ice. Despite investing thousands of crores of rupees on major, medium or minor dams, India has not been able to harvest even 10 per cent of the water that is available. It is possible to conserve every drop of rainwater that falls, take adequate care of drinking water and still make water available for protective or seasonal irrigation through a scientific watershed management programme.

Wasted lands not wastelands



Nearly half of India's geographical area of 32.8 million square km is degraded land or wasteland. These are not wastelands but wasted lands. It is possible to make them productive with modern technology and scientific micro-watershed management. It is also possible to increase productivity. Compared to India's rate of about 2,000 kg a hectare, countries such as China have a productivity of the order of 4,000 kg a ha. In some other countries this varies from 5,000 kg to 6,000 kg a ha. India has huge cattle wealth: there is one animal for every two persons. Here again productivity is low with respect to milk, wool, mutton, eggs and so on. There is tremendous scope to increase yields. Fisheries in inland water reservoirs and along the 7,000-km seashore holds significant potential. Efforts are needed to boost fisheries on a much wider, scientific scale.
Though 22 per cent of the land in India belongs to the Forest Department, nearly half of the forest land has no green cover. Similar is the case with natural resources including biomass and solar, wind and wave power. By developing natural resources, villages could be made self-reliant. And better basic education with contemporary computer literacy and medical facilities could be provided.
In villages like Gawadewadi near Pune, Varandh in the Konkan and Zari in Marathwada, Vanarai has achieved reverse migration. Many families have returned to their villages. They now earn better incomes and have a better quality of life in an environment-friendly atmosphere.
With due respect, this author disagrees with the opinion of many eminent scientists that India will suffer scarcity of water and food as a result of global warming. All natural resources including manpower in India can be fully developed. There is adequate drinking water and food in India. There cannot be any scarcity. On the contrary, India has the potential to feed other countries also to some extent.
The decongestion of cities by the creation of environment-friendly satellite cities, enrichment of villages and reverse migration are the means to save the urban areas and rebuild a clean and green rural India. This calls for vision, determination, unity and resolve on the part of all people.









(Mohan Dharia is a former Union Minister and a former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. He is the founder-chairman of the Confederation of NGOs in Rural India, and president of the Vanarai Foundation. E-mail: vanaraitrust@rediffmail.com)



Copyright: 1995 - 2006 The Hindu

Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly
prohibited without the consent of  The Hindu

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Re: Arise, Awake, Intervene

Absolutely, Manoj. The way ahead is to organize ourselves into communities and make our presence felt for the good of all.Unless we apply pressure govt work will go on in it's slothful way.
 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/



From: George Abraham <george@pieneconsulting.com>
To: avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thu, November 19, 2009 8:15:02 AM
Subject: RE: Arise, Awake, Intervene

Very good thought. The responsibility of bringing up downtrodden communities and poor people should be viewed as a responsibility of the people and not the government. Every human mind is good in essence, and this goodness can play a bigger role in helping people, rather than entrusting the work to the government, where the majority of the resources are consumed by the very distributing machinery, and very little ends up in the hands of the needy. Let's start practising this ourselves.

 

From: avinash sahay [mailto:asahays@yahoo.com]
Sent: 17 November 2009 13:34
To: cit akjain; Amitabh Satyam; anandmayee@gmail.com; ananya.sahay811@gmail.com; anjani.sahay@tatasteel.com; apoorva.sahay@gmail.com; ashesh.prasann@gmail.com; atripti@yahoo.com; Brian Fernandez; rajmani sahay; cankriss@yahoo.com; chandrajeet kumar; Chandrahas Mathur; chhavi78s@hotmail.com; lagna das; Mamta Das; drjamuar@rediffmail.com; drsoniya_rathi@yahoo.com; enw1@rediffmail.com; sudip ghosh; hemantsarangi@gmail.com; iranisarosh@hotmail.com; kapil arya; kimico mehta; kaustub kumar; kumud prasad; navneet; najmieqbal@hotmail.com; nalini mangat; neenasingh10@hotmail.com; neetu ghosh; nupur_sinh@hotmail.com; parijatsaurabh@hotmail.com; pranay2000@gmail.com; pranjan@aol.in; prasad_sanjeeta@yahoo.com; premkumar.sinha@gmail.com; pritp59@yahoo.com; psinha1@gmail.com; purnimaranjan@googlemail.com; pushpendranpandey@rediffmail.com; rajen_g_2000@yahoo.com; ranjanavipin@hotmail.com; reemaprakash@gmail.com; rim@propertyterminus.com; ruchiv2@gmail.com; vijay ravinath; sania.najam@gmail.com; sanjay@oriental-india.net; sankalp.pratap@tatasteel.com; saurabh_priyadarshi@rediffmail.com; Seema Prasad; shalini priyadarshini; sharatsarangi@yahoo.co.in; sonali snigdha; stseshadri@rediffmail.com; sujith kumar; sulaysinha@hotmail.com; sushil@bbkonline.com; tanmaya.rashi@gmail.com; urvi10nov@gmail.com; vchilana@hotmail.com; vijoyk@tatasteel.com
Cc: navin sinha; sankat; anand shankar choudhary; govind venkatesh; rana0601@hotmail.com; prakash manvi; Priya (CDC/CCID/NCIRD) Ranjan; karthik chennai; george,manoj,chinki abraham; tilakchand ccit
Subject: Fw: Arise, Awake, Intervene

 

 

 

Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/

 

 

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>
To: An Equal Life <avinashk.sahay.blog@blogger.com>
Cc: Avinash K. Sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>; Atul Pranay <atulpranay63@yahoo.com>; Devashish Roy Choudhury <cricdevanu@gmail.com>; Anuradha Mukherjee <directorezcc@yahoo.co.in>; Durga Charan Dash <durga_dash2005@yahoo.com>; Mahendra Singh <itisemri@yahoo.com>; Jagtar Singh <jagtar.irs@gmail.com>; Sridhar Karavadi <k.sridhar@yahoo.com>; K. Nageshwar Rao <knageshwarrao@gmail.com>; Sailendra Mamidi <mamidi_sailendra@yahoo.com>; Mohammad Wasimul Haque <mwhaqueirs@hotmail.com>; Nitin Gupta <nitinguptairs@yahoo.co.in>; Rakesh Bhaskar <parkar33@yahoo.com>; Pramod Kumar <pkdasmaithil2004@yahoo.co.in>; P.K. Shrivastava <pramo_98@yahoo.com>; Bommareddy Gangadhara reddy <reddy_b_g@yahoo.co.in>; R. Bhama <rk_bhama@yahoo.com>; Ruby Srivastava <rubysrivastav@hotmail.com>; Ramesh Kumar <saumya_arpit@yahoo.co.in>; Susie S. Varghese <sbv26@yahoo.co.in>; Shyam Kumar <shyamkumar86@yahoo.com>; Smita Jhingran <smitajhingran@yahoo.com>; S. Venkateswarlu <sv_irs86@yahoo.co.in>
Sent: Tue, November 17, 2009 1:32:14 PM
Subject: Fw: Arise, Awake, Intervene

 

 

Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/

 

 

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>
To: IT BHU <it-bhu-batchof1982@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tue, November 17, 2009 1:31:35 PM
Subject: Arise, Awake, Intervene

This fine article gives us a sense of what we have in store here in India.
              Rajiv Gandhi,our ex PM, had famously bemoaned the fact that only 15% of govt spending goes to the real beneficiaries.The problems India faces is too immense for the bureaucracy. Therefore it has to be supplemented by efforts from the social sector and massive intervention by the community at large.The seeming problems are, truly, immense opportunities for each and every one of us.
             Unless we intervene there is a very real danger that India will go either the American or the Chinese path.Both the paths are dangerous for humanity in the 21st century. One because of its ruthless suppression of dissent, the other because  democracy has been hijacked by the military industrial complex.
              Therefore one has to be very alert.If India falls into the trap of a civil war, as Operation Green Hunt  threatens to be, we as a country are collectively ruined.That is the curse of war, right from the Mahabharata war. Therefore peace and dialogue and wider participation is the only solution at hand.
                  The situation is grim, but filled  also with hope and immense opportunities. Don't let anybody tell you that you don't  matter.Be the change you want to see.

 

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: "avinashk.sahay@gmail.com" <avinashk.sahay@gmail.com>
To: asahays@yahoo.com
Sent: Tue, November 17, 2009 1:27:04 PM
Subject: A friend thought you might be interested in this article

Image removed by sender.

Image removed by sender.

Image removed by sender.



Hello,

avinashk.sahay@gmail.com thought you would be interested in this article from TIME.com:

The India Model - TIME
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1938510,00.html?artId=1938510?contType=article?chn=world

Please note that sender's email address has not been verified. This message was sent as an FYI by a user of TIME.com.



---------------------------------------------------------------------
For more stories, visit TIME.com: http://www.time.com

Get TIME Magazine -- Try 4 Issues Free!

Search all back-issues of TIME since 1923 for TIME's unique perspective on history, people, and the most important events of the day. GO TO THE ARCHIVE

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

Re: Fw: Arise, Awake, Intervene

Thanks, Bhaiya. We have to prepare ourselves for the new millenia, so to speak, by being a splendid warrior in our body, mind and spirit.
 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/



From: Ranjan Sinha <purnimaranjan@googlemail.com>
To: avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wed, November 18, 2009 9:07:04 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Arise, Awake, Intervene

Good and accurate .
Ranjan bhaiya

On Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 1:34 PM, avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com> wrote:

 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>
To: An Equal Life <avinashk.sahay.blog@blogger.com>
Cc: Avinash K. Sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>; Atul Pranay <atulpranay63@yahoo.com>; Devashish Roy Choudhury <cricdevanu@gmail.com>; Anuradha Mukherjee <directorezcc@yahoo.co.in>; Durga Charan Dash <durga_dash2005@yahoo.com>; Mahendra Singh <itisemri@yahoo.com>; Jagtar Singh <jagtar.irs@gmail.com>; Sridhar Karavadi <k.sridhar@yahoo.com>; K. Nageshwar Rao <knageshwarrao@gmail.com>; Sailendra Mamidi <mamidi_sailendra@yahoo.com>; Mohammad Wasimul Haque <mwhaqueirs@hotmail.com>; Nitin Gupta <nitinguptairs@yahoo.co.in>; Rakesh Bhaskar <parkar33@yahoo.com>; Pramod Kumar <pkdasmaithil2004@yahoo.co.in>; P.K. Shrivastava <pramo_98@yahoo.com>; Bommareddy Gangadhara reddy <reddy_b_g@yahoo.co.in>; R. Bhama <rk_bhama@yahoo.com>; Ruby Srivastava <rubysrivastav@hotmail.com>; Ramesh Kumar <saumya_arpit@yahoo.co.in>; Susie S. Varghese <sbv26@yahoo.co.in>; Shyam Kumar <shyamkumar86@yahoo.com>; Smita Jhingran <smitajhingran@yahoo.com>; S. Venkateswarlu <sv_irs86@yahoo.co.in>
Sent: Tue, November 17, 2009 1:32:14 PM
Subject: Fw: Arise, Awake, Intervene


 
Best regards,
Avinash
http://poshaning.blogspot.com/


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: avinash sahay <asahays@yahoo.com>
To: IT BHU <it-bhu-batchof1982@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tue, November 17, 2009 1:31:35 PM
Subject: Arise, Awake, Intervene

This fine article gives us a sense of what we have in store here in India.
              Rajiv Gandhi,our ex PM, had famously bemoaned the fact that only 15% of govt spending goes to the real beneficiaries.The problems India faces is too immense for the bureaucracy. Therefore it has to be supplemented by efforts from the social sector and massive intervention by the community at large.The seeming problems are, truly, immense opportunities for each and every one of us.
             Unless we intervene there is a very real danger that India will go either the American or the Chinese path.Both the paths are dangerous for humanity in the 21st century. One because of its ruthless suppression of dissent, the other because  democracy has been hijacked by the military industrial complex.
              Therefore one has to be very alert.If India falls into the trap of a civil war, as Operation Green Hunt  threatens to be, we as a country are collectively ruined.That is the curse of war, right from the Mahabharata war. Therefore peace and dialogue and wider participation is the only solution at hand.
                  The situation is grim, but filled  also with hope and immense opportunities. Don't let anybody tell you that you don't  matter.Be the change you want to see.

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: "avinashk.sahay@gmail.com" <avinashk.sahay@gmail.com>
To: asahays@yahoo.com
Sent: Tue, November 17, 2009 1:27:04 PM
Subject: A friend thought you might be interested in this article



Hello,

avinashk.sahay@gmail.com thought you would be interested in this article from TIME.com:

The India Model - TIME
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1938510,00.html?artId=1938510?contType=article?chn=world

Please note that sender's email address has not been verified. This message was sent as an FYI by a user of TIME.com.



---------------------------------------------------------------------
For more stories, visit TIME.com: http://www.time.com/

Get TIME Magazine -- Try 4 Issues Free!

Search all back-issues of TIME since 1923 for TIME's unique perspective on history, people, and the most important events of the day. GO TO THE ARCHIVE

---------------------------------------------------------------------