A letter to Dr. Shashi Tharoor

Greetings from CUSAT IIEST Forum

We would like to bring to your kind attention to an urgent matter which we were eagerly looking for the last 5 years - the promise of IIEST status for CUSAT. Although you have promised us the IIEST status many times, even during the inauguration of CUSAT Student Amenity Centre done last week, we are now apprehensive about CUSAT's being out from the race of IIEST.

Albeit, the plan of elevating CUSAT in to IIEST status has desperately failed to enter in to the 12^th FYP, elevation of an able and well-known figure from Kerala as the Minister of State for HRD, raised our hopes to the acme.With IIT being whisked away from Kerala, this was our last resort and a ray of hope. With the winter session just days away, we are disheartened about our dreams never being materialized. 

Being a passionate writer and diplomat, your sublime thoughts and ideas are the life blood for our students. With the entire morale of the academic community relying on your actions, we still have great hopes that you will shoulder the great responsibility of taking our higher education to new heights.With the ambitious Food Security Act  bringing accolades to Prof. K.V. Thomas, we hope nothing less from you.

Hence, we still hold the glimmer of hope that you will comfort the student community by make the IIEST dream a reality.

The Landmark Speech

"It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. l thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions; and I thank you in the name of the millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects. My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration.I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to the southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings:

As the different streams having there sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to thee.

The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world, of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita:

Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me.

Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal". 

Courtesy: Chicago, 1893

Don't kill the goose that lays Golden Egg

I want Cochin Corporation to roll out the plan of spraying weedicides to control undergrowth in vacant plots.

This was in the wake of a recent decision of Cochin Corporation to control undergrowth in vacant plots and road side shrubs by using a toxic weedicide. It came to our notice through councillor – he stated that Cochin Corporation is now with active arms to curb the breeding of mosquitoes. He opined that vacant plots tempt people to dumb wastes and that becomes the breeding centre mosquitoes. He also stated that Cochin corporation decided to buy 250 litres of weedicide to be used in the vacant place to checking mosquito breeding.  This is totally unscientific and has the possibility to seriously affect the local plant and bio diversity of the region. 

Desire of Cochin Corporation to check the breeding of mosquitoes is welcoming but the method they are going to adopt is going to create serious repercussions in the bio diversity chain. Bio diversity is reducing in an alarming rate and many traditional and indigenous species are not in the verge of extinction. Majority of plants found on the roadside and vacant plots in and around the city have high medicinal values. The plants that are often considered as weeds play a significant role in supporting the plant and animal bio diversity of this area. Any step to remove this plant and animal diversity will affect the traditional varieties and especially a large number dragon butterflies. The loss of dragon butterflies, which are insectivores, will result in an increase in mosquito population. In result, application of weedicide to curb mosquitoes only helps increase the pest population. Butterflies and other insects, which play an important role in pollination, would also be affected by weedicide. The thick bushes found in the city house a good number of small animals and birds too. Birds such as red spur fowl and animals sucha palm civet, Malabar civet, mongoose and black napped here may be found in these bushes. Many resident and migratory bird species used the areas as breeding grounds, which would be lost if weedicide was applied. Possibility of harm to domestic animals especially cows and goats graze in these areas cannot be ignored. Hence we vehemently request corporation to take a decision after required debates and deliberations with experts.

Cochin Natural Histroy Society (CNHS) is one of the prominent environmental activist group in this area. Dr. B . Sreekumar from Nature Society is an authority in this subject. After a preliminary discussion we will bring this issue in to attention of Corporation. In between we plan to give a press release on the issue to seek public attention on this matter. Additionally, GLIIN is on the way to hold a green activist forum to discuss on the issue. Also we will approach the Kerala State Bio Diversity Board against the move of the Cochin Corporation. If they plan to proceed with the same, we firmly request them to take series of safety measures also need to be taken.

Am I an Artist?

If my definition of art is right – I am an artist. While I was in hostel I used to display many themes in our mess, reading room, open place that received overwhelming response. Those posters are still in our hostel. The Teachers Day Cards I designed was a ‘point of talk for teachers’. Normally I find suitable captions and themes for the design rather than artworks, and I believe this will bring attention of others.