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15. Live and Let Live

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Live and let live is a golden principle. It tells us about the importance of the spirit of cooperation and brotherhood. We should practise tolerance in our domestic, social, national and international life. Only then can most of our problems and disputes be solved. Most of the people are selfish and narrow-minded. They want to live comfortably. They do not bother about the comforts of others. They do not know that all of us are one. God is our father and all men and women are brothers and sisters. Guru Nanak, Mahatma Gandhi and later on our beloved leader Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru also stressed the need for fellow-feeling. Live and let live is one of the principles of Panch Sheel. If the big nations of the world become tolerant towards each other, the clouds of war can disappear in no time. But the tragedy is that the big powers want to exploit others. They want to enjoy at the cost of others. The need of the hour is that we should rise above petty jealousies. By serving others we serve our ownselves. In the welfare of others lies our own welfare. All our holy books, prophets and well-wishers of mankind have been preaching to us to practise this ideal. The world can be worth living only if we act upon this principle.

14. Health is Wealth

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Good health is a valuable treasure that a man can possess. It is only sound health that enables us to enjoy all the pleasures of life. We cannot enjoy prosperity brought by wealth if we do not enjoy good health. A rich man on a sick bed envies the lot of a healthy man eating a coarse diet and sleeping on the hard floor. Health cannot be purchased with money whereas wealth once lost can be re-earned. Life has provided us several comforts and amenities. A well-furnished house, tasty dishes and the servants ready to carry out the orders have little charm for the landlord who has been ailing (sick) for a long time. He is a burden to those around him. After sometime he becomes an object of pity. A sound mind dwells in a sound body. Physical health is necessary for good mental health. A healthy man is calm and peaceful at all times. He can enjoy intellectual pursuits. He can read religious books or life stories of great souls and enrich his own mind. An unhealthy man has a sick mind. He feels irritated over trifles. It is therefore essential that we should take great care of our health. We must realise that health is real wealth. It has been rightly said that if wealth is lost nothing is lost. Wealth can be re-earned. But it is not easy to regain lost health.

13. Rome was not Built in a Day

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This quotation means that it requires very many efforts and hard labour spread over several years to achieve something big. Miracles do not happen overnight. The Roman empire was very powerful. It spread to three continents, Europe, Africa and Asia. It took several years for the Roman empire to become strong. What is true of the Roman empire is also true in the case of individuals. Industry is the key to success and greatness in life. A man should start working with perseverance and diligence. Patience is also necessary. Of course, a long period of time is needed before the result of the untiring efforts is seen. In the end he will become great. Success does not come to man in a miraculous way. It does not fall from heaven in the shape of a gold biscuit. For a long time one has to fight against the trials and tribulations of life. If a man faces the difficulties of life cheerfully, success is bound to come to him; success never comes through magic. One has to work hard to achieve success. There is no substitute for hard work. The wind and the weather are always on the sides of the ablest navigators. The Bhakra Dam, the Damodar Valley Project, the Pokharn Nuclear Explosion, the launching of the Aryabhatt and Bhaskar, the building of the City Beautiful, that is Chandigarh, are not overnight achievements. Hence there is every truth in the saying that Rome was not built in a single day.

12. A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing

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It is true that an ignorant man is worse than a beast. But to say that a man with a little knowledge is dangerous seems to be ridiculous. Man has always tried to pursue knowledge. In the early days of civilisation, man had a very little knowledge. It was much less than knowledge possessed by man today. Still he was better than the man who lived in ignorance like a beast. But imperfect knowledge can also prove harmful. In some cases it may lead to disaster. A mechanic who is not well-versed with the functioning of the machine he handles, may soon put it out of order. Similarly, a doctor whose acquaintance with the human anatomy is imperfect may diagnose a disease incorrectly and prescribe a medicine which may harm the patient. We have heard of several patients dying at the hands of quacks. In all such cases mere elementary knowledge of the subject may result in doing greater harm than good. It is wiser to seek the help and guidance of a specialist on the subject. There are persons who have a little knowledge. But they seldom think that their knowledge is limited. They think that they know much. Due to their narrow outlook they fail to recognise their limitation. Such a person is always dangerous. An ill-informed teacher is bound to misguide his students. An ill-trained soldier will bring a bad name to his country by his misdeeds. A lawyer with a superficial knowledge can bring about destruction of an innocent man. In fact in every walk of life a little knowledge proves to be dangerous. A man of true knowledge is always humble and regards himself as a mere child gathering pebbles on the shores of the ocean of knowledge.

11. Change is the Law of Nature

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This line means that change is the law of life. There is nothing fixed in this ever-changing world. Change is the order of the world. The essence of life is motion and change. The old order of things and life must change and its place must be taken by the new. Absence of change means decay, death and absence of progress. In fact our very progress and development depend on change or motion. For example, a child grows up into a boy, a boy into a youth and a youth develops into an old man. The moon waxes and wanes ; buds bloom and wither; empires prosper and decay, day succeeds night. Nature around us is in a constant flux. Stagnation is a hateful thing to her. What was good in one age might be bad in the next; circumstances need changing customs. Even a good custom does a lot of harm if it is maintained for a long time. Human society undergoes a constant change. Nobody can put a stop to it. Change is necessary for the progress of human race. Human progress and civilisation are but the products of change. It is through change that man has got his present position. It is not easy to have an idea of the condition of the world without change. From age to age, change has ever been a matter of sheer necessity. It is for this reason that variety has been spoken of as the spice of life. In every department of human life, the old order changeth. Every age in history has its own standards which are changed by the succeeding age. Life without change will be dull. If things were to remain the same, destruction would follow. In our daily life we see how old customs are replaced by the new ones. Our modes of life too are undergoing change. We should adjust ourselves to the changing circumstances, changing manners and customs. We must not cling to the old times.

10. Handsome is that Handsome Does

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Physical beauty is not the true test of handsomeness. Sometimes bright eyes, a sharp nose, red cheeks and curly hair are considered to be signs of beauty. But this conception of beauty is not without certain defects. Physical beauty is a short-lived thing. It is a nine days wonder. It falls within the compass of time which destroys everything. Real beauty and true handsomeness lie in our deeds and actions. A man who performs noble and heroic deeds is handsome in the true sense of the word. Our success or failure in life is not measured by the physical beauty but by the beauty of character. Socrates was very ugly to look at. But his noble deeds have made him immortal. Abraham Lincoln was also very ugly and awkward looking. His work for the removal of slavery has made him immortal in the history Of the U.S.A. All the great men have found a permanent place in the temple of fame and beauty because of their noble deeds. Men like Gandhiji, Nehru and Shastri have left permanent footprints on the sands of time. So a man is handsome not because of physical charms but because of his noble actions. It is true that handsome is he who does noble and virtuous deeds.

9. Necessity is the Mother of Invention

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Civilisation is the product of man’s wants. The intensity of want leads to a thing of civilisation. It is this necessity which awakens our hidden power and makes the mind inventive to think of the ways and means to meet the necessity. The primitive man learnt the use of fire and the art of building on account of sheer necessity. Then there came up courts to put an end to the law of the jungle. Man learnt the art of agriculture to satisfy his needs. Man’s life is full of struggle and activities. Behind all the striving is the motive force provided by the circumstances and wants of man. As the wants increase, man invents more and more ways to meet them. We think of providing ourselves with clothes when we feel cold. There are so many things in our daily life. They are man attempts to provide his wants. In fact all the inventions in the-history of man are a result of his necessities. In a word, progress of mankind is not possible without wants and dire necessities. So it is correct to say that necessity is the mother of invention.

8. Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

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This proverb means to be careful about small matters and to ignore bigger issues. It is said of a person who is very careful about a penny. Such a person would try to show his wisdom in saving small sums of money. If he falls ill, he would like cheap tablets suggested by neighbours. It is good to save money. But it is foolish not to spend money when great risks are involved. It is really like saving a penny at the cost of a pound. A man who does not call in a doctor has to realise his folly when the disease is past remedy. Then he has to send for a specialist in the disease. In that case he has to spend more. He also runs the risk of losing his life. Such a foolish person may spend large sums of money in drinking or gambling. Thus he is foolish in spending pounds. Wisdom lies in saving money on unnecessary things and spending it on important things.

7. “God is in His Heaven and All is Right with the World”

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These well-known lines have been spoken by Browning. They express extreme optimism. They tell us that a divine power rules this world and right and justice prevail here. But this belief turns out to be false when we actually examine the human conditions and circumstances. God may be in His Heaven but the truth is that all is not well with the world which is a place of sorrow and suffering. Some poets have said that this world is a dim vale of tears. Hardy feels that happiness is but an occasional episode in the general drama of pain. In his famous poem ‘Ode to A Nightingale’ Keats says how young men die an untimely death, the suffering and the sick groan and get no relief, beauty is short-lived. Evil, wickedness, misery and injustice prevail in the world. It seems that God does not appear to care much for human welfare. It also appears that the world has been given over to the Devil himself. This is specially true of the modern age. Development of science has reached a stage at which even a very slight carelessness on the part of man can bring disaster to the world. Things are growing from bad to worse. Everywhere there are signs of danger ahead. Not only in the political field, but in other spheres of activity also, there are discontent, nervousness, fear, suspicion and mistrust. It is not possible to agree with Browning that ours is a world in which right and justice are more powerful than evil and wickedness.
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6. A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

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It is well known that no moss can gather on a piece of stone which constantly rolls from place to place. What is true of a stone is true of human beings also. Those persons who have no fixed principles cannot succeed in life. If they cannot stick to any purpose for long and allow their resolution to change constantly, they can do nothing worthwhile. In life they change constantly and like a weather-cock with every gust of wind, they fly from resolution to resolution. The result is that they meet with failure and face disappointment. Constant change stands in the way of their progress and ruins their career. Every change of place and work involves total or partial loss of time, energy and money spent. It needs fresh preparation, inventions fresh investment of money and energy and fresh efforts to overcome difficulties. So whether a person is a doctor, a lawyer, a tutor or a businessman, he should learn to labour. Success in life smiles upon those persons who have a firm will and a fixed purpose. If they do not stick to one profession but go on adopting new professions, their labour will be lost. Every time they will have to prepare a new ground, create a new market, select new friends and find new methods. Only those persons who stick to one place and work honestly with a firm will can rise to the top of the ladder. Fame, fortune and wealth surely favour them.

5. Cowards Die Many Times Before Their Death

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Death comes to every man. It is something unavoidable. Therefore we should not be afraid of it. The path of life is paved with difficulties. A man has to face several misfortunes in the course of his life. A coward becomes nervous in the face of every danger. He is overawed by the imaginary fear of death. A little trouble in life throws his mind off its
hinges. He lives in constant fear of death. His life is a constant punishment to him as he dies every minute. Thus he dies thousands of times before his death. As against this, there is the brave man. He keeps smiling under all circumstances. He knows that the moment of death is fixed. It must come. There is no running away from death. Browning in his poem ‘Prospice’ expressed his wish to die fighting with death. He was a brave man. He was not at all afraid life. A brave man delights in facing dangers boldly. Thus he saves himself from the agony of the fear of death. He rather challenges death. He knows that if the worse comes to
the worst, he may die. His spirit will always remain unconquerable. It is this conviction that makes his life worth emulating.

4. Failures Are the Pillars of Success

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It is human nature to feel depressed at failures and to feel very glad over success. The above quotation says that we should not feel disappointed over a failure. Our attitude should be to learn the causes that have led to our failure. It is at this time that we need to have a calm mind to study the reasons of our failure. In future we should avoid these pitfalls. Lessons
learnt from our failure can thus prepare the way for success. In fact only that person fails who gives up the effort after some setback. We should regard our failure as lesson-giving. We should not become slack in our efforts. Failures, as a matter of fact, should make our resolve stronger to achieve success. Failures are actually a touch-stone of our courage and
efforts. Actually a man should be like his tea ; his real strength being known when put into hot water. We must discipline ourselves to learn some lesson from our failure.

3. The Child is Father of the Man

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This line has been taken from Wordsworth who was a great poet of Nature. Wordsworth loved nature in his childhood. He continued to love nature even in his old age. By this quotation Wordsworth means to say that childhood is the nursery of the future man. Impressions received in early life have a lasting influence on the future life of man. Just as the morning shows the Jay, in the same way childhood shows the type of man one would be. The grown up personality of man is found in the seed form in his childhood. If we have good habits in childhood, we shall grow up to be noble men. A child given to lying or gambling or pickpocketing will become a big liar or a thief when he becomes a man. Thus childhood is the formative period of the life of man. Therefore the instincts and impulses of childhood must be areat and noble if one is to be great and noble in manhood. It is in this sense that the child is rather of the man.

2.Charity Begins at Home

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This proverb contains a good deal of truth. A man’s first duty is to help the members of his own family. Our near and dear ones share our sorrows and take delight in our joys. The parents spare no effort in providing comforts of life to their children. A mother’s sacrifice for her children is proverbial. She keeps the child warm even when it is very cold. Our near and dear ones stand by us when we are in trouble. Blood is always thicker than water. It is common knowledge that we often help our friends and relatives. Such an outlook is however based on selfishness. It tends to make us narrow-minded. If we believe too much in the principle “Charity begins at home” we are likely to ignore another man’s merit. Merit is the first casualty when a person is governed by this principle. We should think that all men are children of the same father, God. As such we should be generous to others. We must lend help to the deserving cases and not only to those who are our kith and kin. But it is a hard fact that we are willing to do something for our kith and kin but we are indifferent to the interests of those around us.

1. Make Hay while the Sun Shines

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This quotation means that we should not let an opportunity slip through our fingers. In the understanding of this principle lies the secret of success in life. The ant is a hardworking insect. It collects corn for the rainy days. The cricket makes merry when it should work. So, it suffers. In cold countries like England farmers try to take the fullest advantage of the sunshine. The sun shines rarely there. When the sun shines they dry the grass in it. Then they keep it to be used as fodder for their cattle. Thus they do not have to face trouble in feeding their cattle. We must know that future is uncertain. We should not have rosy dreams of the future if we are not capable of taking advantage of the available opportunities. We must realise that time once lost cannot be recalled. We must not waste the present time. Youth is a period when we have energy in our body. We should not waste this golden period of our life in staying idle. We should spend this time in earning and learning.

ANY and EVERY

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Any and every can both be used to talk in general about all the members of a class or group.
Any/Every child can learn to swim.
But the meaning is not quite the same.
Any looks at things one at a time : it means ‘ whichever one you choose’,’this is or that or the other’.
Every looks at things together: its meaning is closer to ‘all’, ‘this and that and the other’.
Compare :
‘Which newspaper would you like?’ ‘It doesn’t matter. Any one.’
(= ‘one or another or another’) (Not……Everyone)
On the stand there were newspapers and magazines of every kind.
(= ‘one and another and another’) ( Not…..magazines of any kind.)

6. LAXMI BAI - THE BRAVE RANI OF JHANSI

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The brave Rani of Jhansi, Laxrni Bai was the heroine of Indian history who died fighting for the freedom of her country against the British in 1857. She has been regarded as the precursor of the freedom movement that ended only after the achievement of independence in I 47. Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, a poetess of Hindi has eulogised her in a touching poem: ‘Khub lari Mardani voh to Jhansi Wali Rani Thi, Bundele Harbolon ke Munh Hamne Suni Kahani Thi.’ (The brave Rani of Jhansi fought very heroically, we heard it from the mouths of Bundelas and Harbolas).

Laxmi bai was born on November 1, 1835 in a respectable Maharashtrian family at Benaras (now Varanasi). Her childhood name was Manu and she was the daughter of Moro Pant. She played with Nana Phadanvees in her childhood who treated her like his younger sister and called her ‘Chhabiii’ out of affection. Along with some formal education, she learnt horse-riding, sword-fight and other such manly games and exercises.

Laxmi Bai was married at an early age of perhaps 15 to Gangadhar Rao, the ruler of Jhansi. She made herself lovable and useful to her husband and popular with the people of Jhansi. She favoured giving military training to women and thus raised a brigade of women who were expert in horse-riding and sword-fight. Her husband also approved of her activities. Unfortunately Gangadhar Rao died suddenly without having any issue. The Rani adopted a small boy as her son. The British Governor General, Lord Dalhausi did not recognise and approve of this and annexed Jhansi.

The annexation of Jhansi made Laxmi Bai furious and she declared that she would not allow the annexation of Jhansi. She decided to oppose the British and started making preparations accordingly. She was brave and courageous. She was also a very good organiser. With her will and skill she repulsed many attacks of the British soldiers and defeated them many times. But she had to leave Jhansi in the end. Then she captured the fort of Gwalior. There she was surrounded by Sir Hue Rose, the Commander of the British army. She left the fort and escaped. Her bravery and lighting skill surprised the English commander. Her son tied on her hack, swords in both hands and reins of the horse in her mouth, she appeared to be Durga, the goddess of war. But unfortunately the horse could not jump over a nullah near Kalpi and fell. Five English soldiers attacked her. She was mortally wounded and one of her eyes came out of its socket. Even then she killed three soldiers and the remaining two fled away. She died fighting bravely in 1857 at the age of twenty two years.
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5 SHIVAJI - THE BRAVE MARATHA

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Poets and writers have eulogised Shivaj as a great general and true patriot of India who belongs to all ages. He was a devout Hindu but he was secular In his outlook as he respected all religions. He was impartial and liberal in his treatment towards Muslims and Christians who held positions of trust in his kingdom. Similarly, he was charitable not only to temples but also to mosques and churches. He was a man of strong character and considered all women like his mother. Once his soldiers captured the most beautiful daughter-in-law of Mulla Ahmed in an attack. When she was presented before Shivaji, he said that if his mother had been so beautiful he would have been a handsome man. He sent the woman back to Mulla Ahmed expressing regrets at the misbehavior of his soldiers.

Shivaji was born in Maharashtra in the year 1627. His father Shalji was a jagirdar in the state of Bijapur which was a subsidiary of the Moghul Empire then ruled over by Aurangzeb. Jija Bai was his mother who was a pious lady of a very strong character and influenced him most. She taught him lessons of bravery, truthfulness, patriotism and deep religious feelings. Shivaji learnt many things about the art of warfare under the able guidance of Dadaji Konadev. He became an adept in horse-riding, sword-fight and the use of lance. His family guru was Ramdas who was a source of inspiration to him at every step. He had no formal liberal education but he was a trained soldier and warrior who was liberal in his views.

Shivaji organised a band of young and brave warrior followers at the age of 20 years. They attacked and conquered fort after fort and soon a large number of forts came under his control. Shivaji knew he could not face enemy numbers and so he adopted the gorilla warfare, hit and run policy, utilising the element of surprise. The rising power of Shivaji made the Sultan of Bijapur afraid of him and he sent Afzal Khan to catch or kill him. Afzal Khan was a crafty person who wanted to kill him by a stratagem but was outwitted by Shivaji and killed. Then Aurangzeb sent a large army under his maternal uncle Shaista Khan to crush him but Shivaji surprised him and he had to run away to save his life.

Aurangzeb then sent Jai Singh with a large army and he persuaded Shivaj ito go to Delhi and meet Aurangzeb. But Aurangzeb insulted him and imprisoned him. Shivaji proved too clever for Aurangzeb and escaped in a big basket of sweets with the help of his men. On reaching his kingdom, Shivaji was crowned king. In 1680, at the age of 52 he breathed his last peacefully.

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4. MAHARANA PRATAP SINGH - THE LION OF MEWAR

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Indian history boasts of many heroes who fought and even laid down their lives for the sake of their motherland. Maharana Pratap Singh of Chittore in Mewar holds a unique place among such heroes. He was a descendant of Maharana Sanga who, it is said, had eighty-two sword wounds on his body received in battles. It was a time when Akbar had established Moghul supremacy in India and no one dared waging war against this great king. The brave Rajput kings and chiefs of Rajasthan states had surrendered before Akbar and even had given their sisters and daughters in marriage. At such a time, Maharana Pratap Singh stood alone defying the Moghul empire and even ridiculing their overtures for friendship because friendship with Moghuls meant to him accepting their over lordship.

Maharana Pratap Singh was the king of Mewar, a small hilly kingdom of Rajputana (Rajasthan). His capital was Chittore which was a small but strong fort situated on a hill. Here Pratap Singh lived with his family peacefully and ruled Bhils and other hilly tribes. He did not covet for furthering the frontiers of his kingdom. He did not want to attack other kingdoms and principalities to extend his own kingdom. He only wanted peace and prosperity for his subjects. But he was not allowed to rest in peace by the Moghuls.

A large army under very capable army chiefs was sent by Akbar to subdue the lion of Mewar. Pratap Singh’s own younger brother, Shakti Singh had also got angry with him and had gone over to the side of the enemy. Pratap Singh collected his army of handful soldiers and came out of Chittore to face the enemy in the battlefield of 1-laldighati. A fierce battle ensued and the Rajputs and Bhils fought with unparalleled bravery. The Moghul soldiers and generals were taken aback at their unmatched fighting skill. The battle went on till each and every soldier of the Chittore army was killed. Chetak, the horse of Rana Pratap wanted to take away his master to safety but it was also killed. The sun was going to set and in the twilight Shakti Singh saw two Moghul soldiers following Rana Pratap to kill him. Shakti galloped his horse, killed the two Moghul soldiers and saved his elder brother and returned to the Moghul camp.

Evil days fell on Rana Pratap and his family. They wandered hiding themselves in the hills and forests and had to eat chapatis made from grass. One day some citizens from Chittore came to see him and among them was Bhama Shah. He laid all his money, ornaments and jewels at Rana Pratap’s feet and requested him to organise a fresh army. Very reluctantly, the Rana accepted the offer and with the help of freshly organised army recaptured his kingdom.
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3.Mrs. INDIRA GANDHI -THE FIRST LADY PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA

2011-04-25T06:10:00.000-07:00

A great daughter of a still great father, Mrs. Indira Gandhi took over the reins of the government as Prime Minister of India in 1966 after the death of Mr. Lal Bahadur Shastri. She started asserting authority within a short period of time. She emerged as the strongest Prime Minister and President of the Congress Party. This created a great furore in the Party and it was divided. But she soon overcame all the difficulties and firmly established that her party, Congress Indira was the real and powerful party.

Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 at Anand Bhawan in Allahabad. Her parents called her ‘Priyadarshini’, her grand-parents called her ‘Indira’ and Gandhiji called her ‘Indu’. Since her father Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was often in prison, she received her education at several places. She started her education at Allahabad and then she was sent to Poona. For sometime she was at Oxford and then in Switzerland. Finally she completed her education at Shanti Niketan where she was fortunate to have Rabindranath Tagore as her teacher.

At the age of 12, Indira Gandhi formed ‘ Vanar Sena’ (Monkey Brigade) at Allahabad and enrolled 6,000 members. As a student she took keen interest in student movement and joined the Congress at the age of twenty one. During the 1937 movement, .she worked enthusiastically and made contacts with women in villages. For taking part in the freedom struggle, she was sent to prison along with thousands of others. After partition of the country, she worked with Mahatma Gandhi in the riot affected areas. In 1959 her election to the high post of the Congress President was a tribute to her abilities. In 1964 she became the Minister for Information and Broadcasting in Lal Bahadur Shastri cabinet. During the 1965 war with Pakistan she was the first union minister to visit the front and other trouble spots in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mrs. Indira Gandhi became the first woman Prime Minister of India in 1966 after the death of Mr. Lal Bahadur Shastri. The group of politicians who supported her as against Morarji Desai to be Prime Minister, thought that she was a mere doll and they would lead her by the nose. But within short period she asserted her authority and emerged as the toughest lady to deal with. She showed them their place. As a result the party was divided but soon she proved that her party, Congress I was the real and effective party. During her tenure of Prime Ministership, she had to face many storms in the country and in the party but ultimately she emerged victor. She dealt with the problems of food grain scarcity, price- hike, unemployment and population control with ability and wisdom. She nationalised the 14 major banks in the country. She adhered to and continued Nehru’s policies of socialism, secularism and non-alignment. She took bold steps to end terrorism in the Punjab. Imposing Emergency on the country proved her ruin and she was defeated in the elections of 1977. She bore this blow with boldness and again became the Prime Minister in 1980. On October31, 1984, she was shot dead by her own security guards.
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SATYA SAI BABA

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Satya Sai Baba is no more. After fighting hard for a long time with death, he finally surrendered. Born as Satyanarayna Raju ,on 23 November,1926 at Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh, he was a miraculous man. As a child he was described as ‘unusually intelligent’ and charitable. He was exceptionally talented in drama, music, dance and writing and was an avid composer of poems and plays.

On 23 May 1940, Sathya called household members and materialized sugar candy and other items from thin air. His father became furious and thinking his son was bewitched, took a stick and asked him who he was.To this Satya announced calmly and firmly” I am Sai Baba- a saint who became famous in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in Maharashtra, and who had died eight years before Satya was born.

Later this year Satya Sai Baba declared that he had no worldly relationship with anyone around this time devotees began to gather to him. In 1944, a temple for the devotees was built near the village . The construction of Prashanthi Nilayam, the current ashram, began in 1948 and after two years, was completed in 1950.

In 1963, Satya Sai Baba suffered four severe heart attacks.In 1968 , he made his first and only trip overseas , to Uganda.

Satya Sai Baba devoted his life for the good of the poor people. In March 1995, he started the water project to provide drinking water to 1.2 million people in the drought prone Rayalaseema region in Anantpur. In 2001 he established another free Super Speciality Hospital in Bangalore to benefit the poor.

May his soul rest in peace!

2 MR.LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI - A NATIONAL HERO

2011-04-23T21:03:00.001-07:00

Mr. Lal Bahadur Shastri was chosen to become the second Prime Minister of India after the death of Pandit Nehru. The whole world wondered whether this small-sized simple man would prove worthy of stepping into the shoes of such a great man as Nehru.But soon all doubts were set at rest when Shastri discharged his duties and responsibilities with great ability and took hard decisions with ease. He really proved himself to be the brave son, the literal meaning of his name LaI Bahadur, of his motherland, India. The pocket-sized Prime Minister, as the people lovingly used to call him,came out to be of the Himalayan heights by his deeds and achievements.

Mr. Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on October 2, 1904 in a poor Kayastha family in Uttar Pradesh. It was a family of school teachers in which he was brought up under circumstances which gave him nothing to boast of. His father had died when he was only a small child and his uncle brought him up. After finishing his primary education in the village, he was sent for further education at Harish Chandra High School at Varanasi (then Benaras). He used to go to the school on foot from his village after crossing a river on the way in a boat. But often he had no money to pay to the boatman and he crossed the river by swimming. He was a very brilliant student and made his mark in his studies. But at the call of Gandhi, along with other youths of the country he also gave up his studies and joined the political movement against the British. It was only later that he took his degree of Shastri from the Kashi Vidyapeeth at Varanasi.

Mr. Shastri joined politics as very humble and modest soldier of his country. He was a patriot and so could check himself from plunging himself into the struggle for freedom. He worked honestly and sincerely without ever desiring to come into the lime light. He had great organising capacity and a wonderful gift of bringing about compromises among the people as well as the workers of the party. He was associated with great leaders of the freedom struggle like Gandhi, Nehru, Pant, etc., and left his mark on them. He contributed with his best capacity to the gaining of independence of India on August 15, 1947.

Mr. Lal Bahadur started his political career with his membership of the Allahabad local body. Then he was made a minister in the U.P. cabinet under the Chief Ministership of Mr.Govind Ballabh Pant. Later on, Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru invited him to join his cabinet as Minister of Railways. After sometime he was given the important position of Home Minister in the Nehru cabinet. After the sad demise of Pandit Nehru, Mr. Shastri was chosen to be the Prime Minister.

As Prime Minister, Shàstri had to take some very hard decisions. The country was facing serious food problem. He guided the country out of this difficulty with courage and determination. Pakistan attacked India and Shastri gave the marvellous lead to the country to defeat the enemy and keep the morale high. He gave the country the slogan of ‘Jai Jawan, Jal Kisan’.

To keep peace between the two countries, U.S.S.R. Prime Minister invited Shastri and his counterpart in Pakistan for talks. He signed Tashkent Declaration. It was there that the cruel hands of death, snatched him from us on January 11, 1966. He is no more but his memory will always remain in every Indian heart.
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1.DR. SARVAPALLI RADHAKRISHNAN - A GREAT INDIAN SCHOLAR

2011-04-21T04:18:00.000-07:00

It was a fitting and rather a glowing tribute to an outstanding educationist and a profound scholar of philosophy, Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan when he was unanimously elected as the second President of the Indian Republic on the expiry of the second term of Dr. Rajendra Prasad as President. He had established himself as a popular and worthy teacher of Indian Philosophy at several universities. He won international recognition for his profound scholarship. And to top it all, he was one of the most illustrious sons of the country and contributed a lot for her welfare in his own specific way.
Dr. Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888 in a village in Andhra Pradesh. He received his education at Velore and Madras. He finished university education in 1909 and joined the Provincial Educational Service (P.E.S.) He started as a lecturer and within a short span of seven years he was promoted to the post of a professor. His popularity as a teacher among his students is clearly borne out by an incident. He was leaving Madras University to join Calcutta University as a professor. A horse-driven carriage was ready to take him to the station to catch a train. A number of his students were there to see him off. They disengaged the horses from the carriage, pulled his carriage and took him all the way to the station. Under the ‘Extension Lecture Series’ programme , he went to deliver lectures in leading foreign universities like Oxford, Chicago, etc. After coming back from the foreign lecture-tour, he served as Vice-Chancellor of the Andhra University and then of Benaras Hindu University. Then he represented India at the UNISCO,

Dr. Radhakrishnan was a man of academic pursuit it but, after independence, he was given political assignments. In I 949, he was sent to the U .S.S.R. as ambassador of India. He discharged his ambassadorial functions so creditably that he became the first foreign diplomat in that communist country to have been called twice by Marshal Stalin for interview.

Dr. Radhakrishnan was one of the greatest exponents of Indian Philosophy and his masterful views are worth reading in the two volumes of his published work ‘Indian Philosophy’. He was also a great scholar of Western Philosophy. In fact, today he is ranked among the great philosophers of the world. He was also a good orator and could influence the educated audiences. He was a thinker, a writer, and a teacher who believed in simple living and high thinking. He always wore his typical turban which became the embodiment of wisdom for his countrymen.

Dr. Radhakrishnan’s unanimous election to the highest office of the country was really a recognition of his scholarship, his ability, his services to the country and admirable qualities of his head and heart.
He also proved to be a forging link between the South and the North. But unfortunately he did not agree to continue as the President of the country for a second term of five years. Thus, he established the healthy tradition that nobody should hold this office for more than one term. His eye-sight also became weak and he had to undergo an eye- operation. His failing health did not allow him to survive very long. His death created a void which can never be filled.
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4. DR. AMARTYA KUMAR SEN - THE FIRST INDIAN NOBEL LAUREATE IN ECONOMICS

2011-04-14T00:55:00.002-07:00

Dr. Amartya Kumar Sen is the first Indian as well as the first Asian to have won the Nobel Prize for Economics for the year 1998. Professor Sen is not only the first Indian to win a Nobel honour in Economics but has also succeeded in bringing “the poverty — stricken developing countries to the centre -stage of the world’s attention and brought to the fore the importance of normative economics by establishing a direct correlation between the welfare economics and economic development”. The work of Dr. Sen in the field of welfare economics has helped in understanding the economic dynamism underlying famines and poverty in the developing countries. In the citation for the prestigious award, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences took into consideration Dr. Sen’s contribution on famines and concluded that he has improved significantly the theoretical foundation for carrying out a comparison of different distributions to the welfare of the society.

Prof. A.K. Sen was born in 1933 in India. After finishing his brilliant educational career, he took to teaching of economics. He served as Professor of Economics in the Delhi School of Economics of Delhi University for quite some time. He is the first Indian to be the President of American Economics Association (A.E.A.) in 1994. He has the rare distinction of being the only person to have been President of A.E.A. , International Economic Association and Indian Economic Association. He was made Master at Trinity College,

Cambridge and was the first Indian to be appointed head of a college at Oxford or Cambridge Universities. He is the first Indian and Asian to win the Nobel Prize for Economics for 1998. He is Indian economist Member of World Bank Advisory Board . He has researched into the behavioural foundations of economic theory and developmental economics. He has been awarded India’s highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna in January, 1999.

Award of Nobel Prize to Professor Sen is very significant as it has also resulted in a shift in obsession from financial sector issues to the real sector issues. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has also departed from the usual trend where the awards in economics were given to the works with a strong right-winged ideological bias and emphasis on neo-classical methodology. It is very gratifying that Dr. Sen’s work on poverty alleviation has been given recognition, which is very relevant in the present-day Context.

Dr. Sen’s off beat work shows great concern for poverty alleviation. Its choice of techniques represents the dilemma faced by many developing countries. The dilemma is to go in for capital intensive techniques of production or for labour-intensive techniques of production. In the Indian context, Dr. Sen believes that India’s basic problem lies in the deep-rooted poverty and wide-spread inequalities, and that removal of these two economic evils calls for a more participatory growth on a wider basis. But wider participatory growth is difficult to achieve due to severe inequalities in social and economic opportunities. Therefore, “solution to India’s economic problems lies in preservation and better practice of democracy, rapid social development through public and private efforts, introducing pragmatic economic changes in the economy and removal of institutional, legal and other barriers in mobility and socio-economic equity.”
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3. MOTHER TERESA -THE EMBODIMENT OF COMPASSION

2011-04-14T00:55:00.001-07:00

Mother Teresa made India proud when she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1997 for her services to the down-trodden and the destitute in India. She has been variously described as apostle of love and peace, an angel of mercy, an embodiment of compassion, and a woman devoted to the service of the poorest of poor. She has been appreciated and admired not only in India but throughout the world as a Living Saint’ who devoted herself to the welfare of unwanted and crippled children, lepers, and ailing humanity.

The real name of Mother Teresa was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhin and was the daughter of Albanian parents living in Yugoslavia. She was born on August 27, 1910. She went to Ireland at the age of eighteen and entered the congregation (A group of people gathered for religious service) of Loretto at the Institute of Blessed Virgin Mary. After living and learning there for six weeks and after being baptised in 1929, she sailed for India where she began teaching in the congregation’s schools and convents. She continued teaching for twenty years. Then she was given the responsibility of being the Principal of St. Augustin’s Day School for Bengali girls near Calcutta. Calcutta became her home and it was here that she set up Missionaries of Charity in 1949 and started serving the poor, the sick, the downtrodden and the destitute living in the slums of Calcutta. She started a leper colony named Shanti Nager in West Bengal. She also opened schools, charitable dispensaries, a T.B. clinic, and homes for unwanted and crippled children and Nirmal Hridaya. Thus she devoted herself whole-heartedly to the service of the poor and the weak and the helpless.

Mother Teresa translated her beliefs and principles into practice. She belonged to the category of those who practice what they believe and preach. It was her firm belief that the greatest problem for the weak and the destitute was not an ailment but the want of love, sympathy and charity. She believed that the feeling of neglect and unwantedness was the biggest affliction or disease for humanity. She worked day and night ceaselessly to provide sympathy and help to the suffering humanity. She proved by her deeds that she was really a symbol of peace and piety. She was a devout Christian and a living testimony of the teachings of Jesus Christ. For all this she was awarded the Nobel Prize for peace.

Mother Teresa was now 87 and was ailing for some time. So she stepped down as head of the Order on March 13, 1997 and. Sister Nirmala was elected as the new head. Mother Teresa did not survive long. She breathed her last on September 5, 1997 at 9.30 p.m. at the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity. India and the whole world plunged into grief. Her funeral took place on September 13, 1997 with full state honours. All national flags on state buildings flew at half-mast. In order to pay homage to her memory, the Union Cabinet adopted a two-page resolution. The Government of India issued an extraordinary gazette to mourn the Mother’s death.
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