The Taare Zameen Par Effect

The SSLC Board in Karnataka has made concessions for students with learning disabilities or dyslexia by allowing them to use simple calculators and the assistance of a scribe while writing the 10th Standard Board examinations. Is this the Taare Zameen Par Effect? I did not know what dyslexia was, though had read a little about it and knew the spelling of the word till the movie came and shook me to the reality of dyslexia. Hope we wake up and realize that it is not just the dyslexics who need understanding but also others equally if not more challenged.

Recalling E-Mail the Google Way

Google Mail has come out with yet another interesting feature that allows the sender to recall an email.

This feature aims at giving the sender an opportunity to rethink if he wants to send that email and if he feels like it, recall it by clicking on the Undo Button as G-mail holds the message in its draft form for five seconds before sending it. This does not recall a mail which is already sent. This could be a revolution in so far as sending emails is concerned. However, nothing would be achieved in holding the mail for 5 seconds more, when the sender had all the time in the universe while drafting that email to contemplate whether to send or not. Maybe, a mistake in address etc. could be rectified, but would this 5 seconds be enough? So, if a person has second thoughts about a mail, he better think fast.

Well, for all we know, google might have more in store for us in ensuring human relations are kept intact after their experiment in preventing users from sending emails when in a drunken state or reminding a person about a forgotten attachment if the attachment is mentioned in the mail.

Personally, using Gmail has spoiled me for any other email!!

Super Brain Yoga

This ancient Indian practice of worship to Lord Ganesha, they have found has many beneficial effects. Only hope, they do not patent this and start slapping us with royalty for worshipping Ganesha in any temple..

I believe I can Fly

I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly




I love this song by Kelly (1996)

Sarada Devi, the divine Mother

She is considered the epitome of a "mother" who was selfless and always giving.

A few of her quotes -

"I am the mother of the righteous, I am the mother of the wicked as well. Never fear. Whenever you are in distress, just say to yourself 'I have a mother.'"

"If you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger, my child; the whole world is your own."

From Sri Sarada Devi's last words, spoken before passing away on July 20, 1920

There Was a Queen

This is a film of conflict and peace in Kashmir. This is about Kasmiri women.Atlast, we hear the voice of Kashmiri women on terrorism, militarism, peace and their daily life. It is a record of political voices of women from many sides in Kashmir.

The film was in the competition section of MIFF-2008 and was screened in VIBGYOR-2008. It was screened in the First International Video Festival of Kerala in May 2008.

“Give us guns and we’ll play our role!” - These are not the words of a hardened criminal,these are the words of a teenaged girl in Kashmir less than a week after her sister was buried.

This film is being telecast by NDTV in two parts on 17th and 18th December at 9.30 PM IST and also the full film is telecast on 21st at 1 PM.

The documentary "*Yi As Akh Padshah Bai*" or *There was a Queen* was made by an all women crew! It was a conscious and a deliberate decision as it was our belief as producers that since the film was about women in conflict situation, it would be appropriate to have a team of women who would be more sensitive and understanding in dealing with the subject and that the Kashmiri women would find it easy to articulate their views. Our objective initially was to make one film, on women in conflict situation, which includes the North East of India too. But in the process of making the film, we decided to work on Kashmir first as it was distinct from the North East though there are commonalities of situation, issues and concerns.

Pic- Other Communications Media

Remembering Rajaji

Today is the 131st birth anniversary of Rajaji ( Chakravarthy Rajagopalachari). He not only played a very important role in the freedom movement but also was a collosal giant who strode the firmament of Indian politics post independence too with great foresight. He was essentially a statesman.

I had read his Ramayana and Mahabharata when I was in Class 7, and was deeply impressed by the way he has in a simple, plain and lucid language dealt with complex situations and made it very easy to comprehend.

It is sad that we do not remember him even once a year, and which will relegate him to the obscure corners of the History Books for a while before that too being considered not so important and the future generations not knowing anything at all about him

M. S. Subbulakshmi has immortalised a beautiful composition of Rajaji which stands testimony for the genius that he was.