January 2022

Dear Friends,

Namaskaram!

This year we celebrated 125th birth anniversary of Subhash Chandra Bose on 23rd January 2022 in a big way. The government also announced that in future republic day celebrations will start from January 23 instead of January 24 to include the birth anniversary of Bose.

Subhas Chandra Bose is considered the most influential freedom fighter with extraordinary leadership skills and a charismatic orator. He was called Netaji. He raised the first Indian National Army (INA), Azad Hind Fauj in 1943 and started an armed coup and inspired thousands of Indian youths to join the struggle for independence from the British colonial rule. His famous slogans are 'tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe aazadi dunga', 'Jai Hind', and 'Delhi Chalo'. He is known for his militant approach that he used to gain independence. Netaji is considered by many as one of the greatest leaders ever born. Subhas Chandra Bose continues to be a symbol of assertive nationalism. In this issue, we have given some of his quotable quotes.

This month, our front page covers a story of a farmer Amai Mahalinga Naik from Karnataka receiving this year’s Padmashree award.

December 2021

Dear Friends,

Namaskaram!

Laurie Baker (2 March 1917 – 1 April 2007) was a British-born Indian architect, renowned for his initiatives in cost-effective energy-efficient architecture and designs that maximized space, ventilation and light and maintained an uncluttered yet striking aesthetic sensibility. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and his own experiences in the remote Himalayas, he promoted the revival of regional building practices and use of local materials; and combined this with a design philosophy that emphasized a responsible and prudent use of resources and energy. He was a pioneer of sustainable architecture as well as organic architecture, incorporating in his designs even in the late 1960s, concepts such as rainwater harvesting, minimising usage of energy-inefficient building materials, minimizing damage to the building site and seamlessly merging with the surroundings.

Lauire Baker received numerous awards in his life time, including Padmashri  in the year 1990. In 1992, he was awarded the Roll of Honour by the United Nations. In 1988, he was granted Indian citizenship, the only honour he actively pursued in his life. In this issue, we have given some of his quotable quotes.

November 2021

Dear Friends,

Namaskaram!

J.P. Vaswani (2 August 1918 – 12 July 2018), better known as Dada Vaswani, was   the spiritual head of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission founded by his Guru, Sadhu Vaswani. The Mission, a voluntary organization having its headquarter in Pune, has centers around the world. He promoted vegetarianism and animal rights. Dada Vaswani authored about 150 self-help books in Sindhi and English.

Vaswani spoke at numerous venues including the British House of Commons,  London, the Global Forum of Spiritual Leaders in Oxford, the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, and the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders at the United Nations in New York. In this issue, we have given some of his quotable quotes.

This month, our front page covers an interesting famous poem Desiderata – Desired Things - by Max Ehrmann. You can also enjoy the story on YouTube https://youtu.be/l4Wnq_r67eo

October 2021

Dear Friends,

Namaskaram and Happy Deepawali !

Vallabhbhai Patel (31 October 1875 – 15 December 1950) endeared as Sardar was a statesman and served as the first Deputy Prime Minister of India from 1947 to 1950. He was a barrister and a senior leader of the Indian National Congress who played a leading role in the country's struggle for independence.

He led the task of forging a united India, successfully integrating 565 self-governing princely states. Patel persuaded almost every princely state to accede to India. His commitment to national integration earned him the sobriquet "Iron Man of India". He is also remembered as the "patron saint of India's civil servants" for having established the modern All India Services systems. The Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue (182 meters), was dedicated to him on 31 October 2018. In this issue, we have given some of his quotable quotes.

September 2021

Dear Friends,

Namaskaram!

Lal Bahadur Shastri (2 October 1904 – 11 January 1966) served as the second Prime Minister of India. He promoted the White Revolution – a national campaign to increase the production and supply of milk – by supporting the Amul milk co-operative of Anand, Gujarat and creating the National Dairy Development Board. Underlining the need to boost India's food production, Shastriji also promoted the Green Revolution in India in 1965. This led to an increase in food grain production, especially in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

He led the country during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965. His slogan "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" ("Hail to the soldier; Hail to the farmer") became very popular during the war. The war formally ended with the Tashkent Agreement on 10 January 1966; he died the following day, still in Tashkent, with the cause of his death in dispute; it was reported to be a cardiac arrest, but his family was not satisfied with the proffered reason. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna. In this issue, we have given some of his quotable quotes.

August 2021

Dear Friends,

Namaskaram!

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (10 December 1878 – 25 December 1972), popularly known as Rajaji was a statesman, writer, lawyer, and independence activist.  Rajagopalachari was the last  Governor-General of India.  He also served as leader of the Indian National Congress, Governor of West Bengal, Minister for Home Affairs of the Indian Union and Chief Minister of Madras state. Rajagopalachari founded the Swatantra Party and was one of the first recipients of India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.

Rajagopalachari was an accomplished writer who made lasting contributions to English literature. He pioneered temperance and temple entry movements in India and advocated Dalit upliftment. Rajagopalachari was described by Gandhi as the "keeper of my conscience". In this issue, we have given some of his quotable quotes.

July 2021

Dear Friends,

Namaskaram!

Verghese Kurien (26 November 1921 – 9 September 2012), known as the "Father of the White Revolution" in India, was a social entrepreneur whose "billion-liter idea", Operation Flood, made dairy farming India's largest self-sustaining industry and the largest rural employment sector providing a third of all rural income. It made India, the world's largest milk producer, doubled the milk available for each person, and increased milk output fourfold in 30 years.

He pioneered the Anand model of dairy cooperatives and replicated it nationwide, based on various "top-down" and "bottom-up" approaches, where no milk from a farmer was refused. Farmers controlled the marketing, procurement, and processing of milk and milk products as the dairy's owners.  He also made India self-sufficient in edible oils and fought against the "oil kings", who used underhanded and violent methods to enforce their dominance over the oilseed industry. In this issue, we have given some of his quotable quotes.

June 2021

Dear Friends,

Namaskaram!

Mark Twain (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was lauded as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," and William Faulkner called him "the father of American literature". . His wit and satire, in prose and in speech, earned praise from critics and peers, and he was a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and European royalty.

Twain earned a great deal of money from his writings and lectures, but he invested in ventures that lost most of it. Twain was born shortly after an appearance of Halley's Comet, and he predicted that he would "go out with it" as well; he died the day after the comet made its closest approach to the Earth. In this issue, we have given some of his quotable quotes.

This month, our front page covers the anecdote for introspection – “The Truth Shop” by the famous story teller Antony de Mello.