PANCHAAMRITAM 159

Pancha is five in Samskritam, Amritam is nectar

Poornima, Kali Yugaabda 5110, Sarvadhari Panguni 27 (April 9, 2009)

ONE

Dashrath Manjhi (born in 1934) of village Gehlour is a daily wage labourer. The nearest hospital was 80 kilometers away. In other words, a child in that village had hard time surviving. People with health problems found it nearly impossible to walk on a muddy road for 80 kms to get a pill or the doctor's advice. Some people even died on the way. One day Dashrath's wife fell down on that very path when she was on the way to meet Dashrath with his midday meal. It was at this point that Dashrath decided to build a tunnel through the Gehlour hills to make life easier for his village folk. Obviously the whole village thought Dashrath had gone insane. He earned his daily wages as a coolie, and then devoted a few hours everyday to this new challenge. He constructed a 360 feet long, 30 feet high and 25 feet wide passage through Gehlour hills with a hammer, chisel and nails working day and night for 22 years from 1960 to 1982. His feat reduced the distance between Atri and Wazirganj blocks of Gaya district (Bihar, Bharat) from 75 km to just one km. The village was blessed with a new lifeline. People from his village could reach the nearest hospital in 10 minutes. He felt peace in his heart as he knew an entire village benefited. The then President Abdul Kalam honoured him with the Padmashree Award for this selfless act. The government offered to give him a piece of land and a house in Karjani village. He requested the government to build a hospital in the land. He was hit by cancer and died in August 2007 at the age of 78.

Based on a write up by Shri Sandip Pradhan, Chennai. Also www.patnadaily.com.

Idea: Shri Vasuvaj of Samskrit Bharati, Bengaluru

TWO

Of all the institutions that The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) runs, `Sravanam' is unique. Sravanam is an institute specially started for the children who are hearing impaired. This is very special because it takes children up to 5 years of age and trains them to speak, unlike most institutes that train them in sign language. Along with the child, the mother is provided free board and lodging until the completion of the training. The institute was started with the first batch of 6 children. Today it benefits 120 children. What is amazing is that the student to teacher ratio. It has one teacher for two students. When the first batch of 'graduating' children spoke from the dais during a function, every eye in the audience was moist with tears. I write this to specially ask the readers to refer children with hearing impairment (Age up to 5 years) to the Sravanam, TTD, Tirupati. They will be pleased to take as many, so the future generations can hear and chant the Divya Nama of Govinda.The first batch of these 6 children are fit for admission into the regular schools of the TTD. From a note by Shri S V Badri, Chennai

THREE

We have seen the shortcomings of capitalism, communism and socialism. Now is the time for humanism and spiritualism. Politics without humanism and spiritualism is bound to be dirty. Many people believe that spiritualism is not for this world, that it is not a practical tool to bring about societal transformation. But that's a misconception. Mahatma Gandhi was spiritual. He conducted satsangs every day and played an important role in bringing freedom for our country. That is why today we need leaders who have a spirit of sacrifice, and who are spiritual in their outlook, to enter politics. (Sri Sri Ravishankar, renowned spiritual exponent in his post on March 30, 2009 at IBN Politics.com)

FOUR

While some tourist destinations lure people with pubs and free flowing drinks, a small village of East Khasi Hills district (Meghalaya, Bharat) already a popular tourist hub, has decided to go alcohol free. The picturesque Laitkynsew village has been declared a no alcohol zone by the Dorbar Shnong (village council), with village authorities also announcing a penalty for violation. Village sordar (chief) Modi Basaiawmoit said, the decision to ban drinking and manufacturing alcohol was taken by the Dorbar after noticing many social evils because of the menace of liquor consumption. The Dorbar Shnong also prohibited carrying of alcoholic drinks into the village from outside and asked volunteers to keep a close vigil in this regard, a villager said. Women of the village have lent their support to the campaign by volunteering to check any attempt to sell or produce alcohol in the village, which has about 150 households with the majority of the villagers being farmers. Dorbar Shnong, in collaboration with various NGOs, has organized a campaign against alcoholic drinks in the village. (Shri.Prashant Mahamuni, Seva Bharati (an NGO), in an email on March 8, 2009).

FIVE

Shri Navinbhai M. Shah of Narayanpura, Ahmedabad (Gujarat, Bharat), carried a packet containing 50 tolas (580 grams) of gold ornaments to the locker section of the Ahmedabad Mercantile Cooperatve Bank. He took out all the contents of the locker and checked them. He placed all of them back into the locker, but in a hurry, left the packet that he had brought for keeping in the locker on the table there, locked his locker and went home. An hour later Smt Namrata Behn Patel of Asarwa came to the bank to operate her locker. She was taken aback on seeing a packet filled with jewellery lying on the table. After finishing her work, she contacted the locker manager Shri Dilipbhai Patel and handed over the packet. He at once called all the customers who came that day to the locker section and after inquiries, handed over the packet to Navinbhai in the presnce of Namrata Behn. On getting back his jewel packet worth Rs 7.5 lakhs, Navibhai heartily thanked the manager and Namrata Behn. (From a March 20, 2009 report by Shri.Prakash / Shri.Vinod of HINDUSTHAN SAMACHAR, New Delhi, the multi-lingual, co-operative news agency - www.hindusthansamachar.com).

OOOOOOOOOOOO