Category: Inspirations

Ruby Bridges Walk

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Photo: https://theafricanhistory.com/2375

Last week my grandnephew went on a Ruby Bridges Walk with his schoolmates in California. The seven-year old also gave a stirring little speech about why Ruby Bridges was special. This was the first time that I was hearing about Ruby Bridges and I was immediately curious to know more. As I discovered, her story is indeed inspiring.

Ruby Bridges was only six years old when she made history as the first Black child to enter an all-white school in the southern state of New Orleans in America. This was not as far back as the 19th century but as recent as 1960. America was far from being an integrated society. There was blatant racism and discrimination based on the colour of the skin, and segregation, both by law and custom was the norm. Both socially and politically, African Americans were relegated to the status of second-class citizens. Restaurants, schools, businesses and other parts of the community especially in the Southern states were segregated at that time.

In 1954, as an outcome of the Brown vs. Board of Education case, the Supreme Court ruled that separating children in public schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional. This milestone decision signalled the end of legalized racial segregation in the schools of the United States. However, the implementation of this was not as smooth; states struggled to put integration into practice.

Ruby Bridges was born on September 8, 1954, the year of this landmark ruling. Her parents were at the time working as sharecroppers in Tylertown, Mississippi. Two years later her family moved to New Orleans in Louisiana for better prospects. When Ruby started kindergarten the state still had segregated schools; the school board and the state’s lawmakers defied the court order and resisted school desegregation, until a federal court ordered Louisiana to desegregate and ruled that schools were to allow both Black and white students to attend.

The city of New Orleans responded by creating entrance exams for African American students to see whether they could compete academically. Ruby was one of the only six students (all girls) who passed the test, and was eligible to attend the so-far all-white William Franz Elementary School. Of the other five eligible children two families opted to keep their children at their old school, and three were transferred to another school. Ruby was the only one to be joining William Frantz School. Her parents needed to take a big decision, knowing that it would be difficult in many ways. Ruby’s father was hesitant to send his daughter, but her mother believed that it was important for the family to take that step — not just for Ruby herself, but for the children who would come after her. Also she was keen that Ruby should get the educational opportunities that generations of her family had been denied.

A judicial order dictated that New Orleans schools be integrated by November 14, 1960, so that would be six-year-old Ruby’s first day at school. Many years later Ruby recalled how, on that day, her mother dressed her in a new outfit and told her to behave herself, and not to be afraid. She told her that there would be a lot of people outside, but that she would accompany her to school. As it turned out, the scene was a lot different. There were crowds of people all the way to school, shouting insults and throwing things, to protest against the integration. Young Ruby innocently thought that this was not unusual, as she was familiar with the crowds and noise that marked the Mardi Gras festival in New Orleans. But this was not a festive crowd. The threat was so acute that four federal marshals had to escort Ruby and her mother to school, not just on November 14, but every day of the school year. The atmosphere in the school remained largely hostile. Angry white parents protested and some even withdrew their children from the school. Several teachers also resigned as they refused to teach Black students. For a six-year old going to a strange school accompanied by officers of the law, Ruby showed remarkable courage, marching like a little soldier.

Ruby was the only student in her class for the whole school year, she ate lunch alone and had no friends. But she never gave up attending school, and never missed a day. She was lucky to have Barbara Henry, who had recently moved from Boston, to be her teacher. She took classes as if she were talking to a whole class, and remained Ruby’s friend, support and mentor all through this year. When Ruby returned the next year for second grade, more African-American students had joined the school. Ruby was the pioneer who single-handedly paved the way for this.

The family too had to bear the consequences. Her father lost his job as a gas station attendant, and her sharecropping grandparents were turned off their land. Even the grocery store where the family shopped turned them away. But inspired by their daughter’s courage and perseverance, the family retained its dignity even in the face of such blatant discrimination.

Ruby Bridges continued to study at the William Frantz School until she graduated. She was followed by more Black children whose path was clearer and less difficult than hers had been. After graduation Ruby became a travel agent and had the opportunity to travel widely. She also raised a family of four sons. She continues to support her old school, helping with creating new programmes and championing its causes in all ways. Following severe damage in the 2005 Hurricane Katrina she got the school placed on the National Register of Historic Places, which guaranteed its restoration and preservation.

Ruby had not realized, at the age of six years that she was a path-breaker who helped break many barriers; but she grew up to be a life-long activist for racial equality. Over time she became an icon for desegregation. In 1999 she established the Ruby Bridges Foundation which stands for the “values, tolerance, respect, and appreciation of all differences”. She wrote about her early experiences in a book Through My Eyes. She was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2001. Even today, Ruby Bridges continues to strive for an end to racism.

A few years ago students in California who heard her story felt that there needed to be a way to commemorate Ruby’s pioneering efforts. They proposed this to the State legislature which decided that the state of California would mark November 14 as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day every year. Thus this day is an annual day of dialogue where students discuss and take part in their own forms of activism to end racism and all forms of bullying. India celebrates Children’s Day on 14 November. Perhaps Ruby’s story is a reminder that many forms of discrimination and bullying affect our children even today. 20 November is also an important date as it is the date in 1959 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. It is also the date when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. A good week to remember Ruby Bridges’ assertion that “All of us are standing on someone else’s shoulders. Someone else that opened the door and paved the way. And so, we have to understand that we cannot give up the fight, whether we see the fruits of our labor or not. You have a responsibility to open the door to keep this moving forward”.

Thank you Manzil for introducing me to Ruby Bridges!

–Mamata

The Women Who Gave the World Windshield Wipers

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Imagine if you had to put your hand out and try to clean your windshield to get a clearer view. Or maybe even get out of the car to do it! Well, this was what was happening in the early part of the 20th century.

It was a woman’s eye which caught the problem, and after some thought and work, came out with a solution. And it was another woman who worked on it further.

It all started with a trolley-car ride in New York in 1902. Mary Anderson was visiting New York from Alabama on a frosty day in winter, and was in a trolley car when she noticed that the driver was struggling to see what was outside. He would frequently thrust his head out of the window, put his hand out and wipe the windshield, but it was not really effective. He sometimes even had to stop the vehicle, get down and clean.

To Mary, this seemed really a terrible way of doing things. She wanted a solution whereby the driver could clean the windshield form inside. Her brain got working on the problem. When she was back in Alabama, she worked on various possibilities, and finally came out with a design consisting of a lever inside the vehicle that controlled a spring-loaded arm with a rubber blade. The lever had a counterweight so that the wiper would remain in contact with the window, and would move the blade across the windshield, removing rain or snow. The device could be easily removed if desired after the winter was over.

She wrote up a detailed description, and hired a designer to create a prototype. She even got a local company produce a working model! She applied for a patent, and on November 10, 1903 was granted her first patent for an automatic car window cleaning device controlled from inside the car, called the windshield wiper. The patent for the Window Cleaning Device was granted for 17 years.

In the meantime, another woman came along to develop on this idea. This was In 1917, when Charlotte Bridgewood patented the “electric storm windshield cleaner,” the first automatic wiper system that used rollers instead of blades. She was an automobile enthusiast who wanted to improve Mary Anderson’s manual windshield wipers. She went on to develop the automatic windshield wipers that she called “Electric Storm Windshield Cleaner”. She patented these first electrically powered windshield wiper in 1917, improving previous manually-operated wipers.

Sadly, neither woman profited from their ingenuity. Mary could not find anyone who would manufacture it for her. Moreover, when she patented in 1903, there was no very large demand yet, as personal automobiles were yet to take off. Her patent expired in 1920, just as cars were getting popular. Her invention had obviously been before its time.

In Charlotte’s case, the wipers used rollers rather than blades and therefore did not catch on.

In both cases, their being women was probably a huge reason!

This was not an isolated achievement in case of either woman. Mary was a well-regarded real-estate developer. She successfully ran a cattle ranch and vineyard in Fresno, California. 

Charlotte was a Canadian vaudeville performer and inventor of the turn signal, traffic light, and brake light. She was president of the Bridgwood Manufacturing Company

In 1922, Cadillac became the first car company to include windshield wipers as standard equipment. Today, almost all motor vehicles, including cars, trucks, buses, train locomotives, and watercraft with a cabin—and even some aircraft—are equipped with one or more such wipers, as a legal requirement.

On the 121st anniversery of Mary’s patent, we thank you Mary Anderson and Charlotte Bridgewood for your path-breaking work. You may not have profited, but you continue to inspire all inventors, and especially women!

–Meena

Check and Mate and Gold!

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A few months ago, we had the opportunity to meet two greats of the chess world: Vishwanathan Anand and Gukesh. And today to see Gukesh and the rest of India’s young chess players as world champs is such an occasion of joy and pride.

Anand and Gukesh both spoke at an informal soiree.  Anand, older, a world citizen, soft, sophisticated, with wide interests and knowledge, and comfortable in his achievements. Someone you could picture in a corporate boardroom. Gukesh, young (he was short of his 18th birthday by a week at that time), still not quite able to believe where he had reached in such a short time. But several things bound them. Their humility, decency, utter dedication to their game. And the fact that they were Chennai lads!

Chess

Tamil Nadu, not without reason, is called India’s Grandmaster Factory. Manuel Aaron of Chennai became the country’s first International Master in 1961 and was a major force in domestic and international chess from the ‘60s to the ‘80s. He played a key role in popularization of chess in India and in bringing in international protocols and practices.

And then of course came Vishwanathan Anand, first grandmaster from India in the year 1988, five-time winner of the World Championship, and eight-time winner of the World Rapid championship. He has been Deputy President of the International Chess Federation which oversees all the chess federations in the world. India had seen cricketing heroes till then, and a few tennis and badminton champions. But Vishy was the first chessmaster who captured the imagination of the general public and the youth. Since then, chess has acquired a glamour.

Also from Chennai are Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi the first Indian woman to become International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM), and Koneru Humpy who became the youngest woman ever to achieve the title of Grandmaster (GM) at the age of 15 years, 1 month, 27 days—a record that stayed unbeaten for five years.

And the list goes on! About 35% of Indian Grandmasters among men are from Tamil Nadu, and 39% of women Grandmasters.

There have been quite a few game-watchers who have analysed why the state produces such a disproportionate number of champs. As always, it is not a simple answer, and there is really no hard proof. But some factors mentioned are:

  • Early start: The Tamil Nadu State Chess Asssociation, earlier known as Madras Chess Club was formed as early 26 April 1947 at Chennapuri Andhra Maha Sabha, Chennai with the intention to identify the upcoming chess players and make them into world-class professionals.
  • Early Role Models: With Manuel Aaron in the sixties making it to the world stage, followed by Vishy in the eighties, chess was already in the limelight in Tamil Nadu, much before it captured the imagination in other parts of the country.
  • Bringing world chess to the State: The State Govt hosted the World Chess Championship in 2013, which saw a thrilling match between Anand and Carlsen—boosting public visibility of the game.
  • Making it a part of the education system: Like Orissa is doing for hockey today, Tamil Nadu has been supporting chess in many ways for many decades. The government and the educational system have understood the role that the game can play in child-development and have always made space for it in the school system. In 2011, it was made an extra-curricula activity in schools. In 2013, a ‘Seven to Seventeen program’ was put in place under which each school coaches students from 7 to 17 age group to play chess.
  • Making coaching accessible: The Tamil Nadu government offers online and offline chess coaching by best coaches and grandmasters for students everywhere in the state, especially those in government schools.
  • Schools which go the extra mile: There are also schools in the state, like Velammal Vidyalaya,  where there are over a thousand students who take up chess coaching. Apart from high-level coaching, the school adjusts curricular schedules and reduces academic burden for students who show promise, and also provides financial help to those who need it.

Of course, more than anything, sportspeople at any level need the support of their families. In the case of Vishy, it was his mother who initiated him into the sport and supported his endeavours. In later years, his wife became his manager, travelled with him on punishing schedules, and was his pillar.

Gukesh’s doctor-father and microbiologist-mother gave up their careers to nurture his. It was not easy—both of them giving up their jobs put enormous financial pressure on the family. Gukesh was really young when he hit the international scene (he is barely past 18 now!), which meant one of them always had to travel with him. While contestants from richer countries with financial support and sponsorships would stay in fancy hotels near competition venues, Gukesh and his parents would stay in less-expensive accommodation far away. And hire cycles to make it there.

The story of most of the other players is not too different either. And it is against such odds that these young people fight and come out winners. Gukesh dropped out of formal schooling at Std. 4 and is essentially home-schooled, so that he can devote all his time to chess. When we asked him if he did not miss hanging out with friends and doing things that teenagers do, he gently replied that there is nothing he wants to do at this stage other than chess; that he does yoga to de-stress; and yes, he does party with the other players after the tournaments!

Thank you, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Tania Sachdev, for your dedication and for doing us all proud!

–Meena

Thank you: https://www.chess.com/blog/JARVIS_SL/tamil-nadus-chess-legacy-the-grandmaster-factory-of-india

An Olympic Feat: The Boys in the Boat

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The Paris Summer Olympics 2024 have recently concluded. The spectacular performances, the breaking of records, the exultation of the winners and the heartbreak of the losers, all these are just the more visible symbols of the gigantic efforts that culminated here. The 2024 Para Olympics are currently underway, also in France. These demonstrate the incredible grit and perseverance of another set of sportspeople who have conquered their own physical challenges as they aim to conquer new heights. And behind every winner, individual or team, there is an incredible tale.

While the more prominent sports made the headlines during the recent Olympics, there are several sports that were perhaps not as widely covered. Among these were the rowing events. Rowing became a part of the Summer Olympics in 1900, but it was a men-only event. It was only in the 1976 Montreal Olympics that women’s events became a part of the Games. The Paris Olympics had 14 different rowing events (equal number for men and women), all of which involved racing over a 2000- metre river course. 

This time, I was curious about these rowing events, and interested to know which team won the Men’s Eight gold (it was Great Britain or Team GB). This was because I had recently read a fascinating account of a team that had won the gold at the 1936 Munich Olympics. A tale of literally fighting all odds.

The Boys in the Boat is the true story of the team the represented the United States for the event. How they got there is a moving, inspiring, and often a ‘hold your breath’ account of how a group of young men from working class backgrounds reached, and won, the Olympics. 

These student athletes represented the University of Washington, in Seattle. The story traces how from among the aspiring candidates, eight young men, many of them growing up in the Depression era in poor towns, made it to the team after showing their mettle through some of the most challenging situations including the foulest of weather, almost inhuman demands on the bodies, and the toughest mental trials and tribulations. Following their selection, the story follows how these were shaped into a rowing team (varsity eight) by the coach Ulbrickson, and rowing boat- shell builder and rowing sage George Pocock.

Under the unrelenting regimen set by these men, the motley crew of rookie rowers began their journey to the top. They had to start closer to home, first by defeating the reigning champions on the west coast, the University of California, then competing against the Ivy League teams from the East coast of the United States which had always dominated the sport. These triumphs came after periods of mind-numbing exhaustion, copious sweat and tears. Thus these ‘dark horses’ as they were then, made their way to Princeton for the crucial trials that would qualify them as the official USA team for the Munich Olympics. The destination was in sight, the departure a week away, but not yet a reality.

The next challenge came in the form of the news from the American Olympic Committee that the team had to pay their own expenses for the trip. In the days before “sponsorships” that funded everything from training to outfits, this was a harsh blow for the always cash-strapped University of Washington team. The news spread through the local Seattle newspapers and the community stepped in with donations ranging from 5 cents to several hundred dollars, rapidly collecting enough to give the ‘local heroes’ and their boat The Husky Clipper a rousing send off. An early instance of “crowd-sourcing”!

The team arrived in Germany and even as they acclimatized to the new conditions, climate, and food, they immediately started practising rigorously. They won the qualifying heat, setting world records. But in the final race on the Langer See they had a choppy start.

On that freezing, blustery evening, the men from Washington found themselves in last place. It wasn’t just that they got off to a slow start. Though they’d won their qualifying heat two days earlier–setting world and Olympic records in the process–they had been placed in the last lane, exposed to the brunt of the biting wind much of the course, while Germany and Italy had been awarded the two most protected lanes. The team were trailing badly, until by superhuman will and effort they painfully gained ground, still trailing behind the Germans and Italians, and finally, surging forward to win the race, by just about 10 feet. The boys in the boat had won the Olympic Gold!

The story of how this little known and unlikely team reached to this legendary finish is brought alive in the book by Daniel James Brown. It is told through the memories of Joe Ranz, one of the boys in the boat. The author met Joe Ranz when he was at the end of his life in a hospice. When he started recalling his life, Brown felt that his story needed to be shared widely. Joe agreed, with the caveat that the story should be not just about him but about all the boys and the boat.

The book sensitively captures not just individual histories but also deftly places these within a wider canvas of what was happening simultaneously in Hitler’s Germany. This was the beginning of what was to grow into the devastating persecution of Jews, even as grand stadia were being erected to present a façade to the world.

Above all the book is about the human spirit, its endeavour for excellence, and the innate strength that emerges when least expected. It is about each member having a specific assigned role but which needed to be melded into a seamless team effort. As the wise Pocock put it It isn’t enough for the muscles of a crew to work in unison; their hearts and minds must also work as one.  The story is about the ruthless spirit of competition but equally about team work and cooperation. It is about the vital role of trust even when there may not be complete harmony among the team mates. As coach tells Joe: When you really start trusting these other boys, you will feel a power at work within you that is far beyond anything you’ve ever imagined.

The Boys in the Boat has also been made into a movie. But this does not capture the nuances in the book that make each of the boys in the boat come alive as unique individuals who gelled into an unbeatable team.

In this season of the Olympics, as new stories emerge, these are still stories to remember and celebrate.

–Mamata

A Woman’s Voice: Saeeda Bano

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Last week I wrote about All India Radio, the voice of the nation after India gained Independence.  I also wrote about some of the newsreaders who literally gave voice to the news. The early decades were remembered by names that became synonymous with different programmes broadcast by AIR, including some well-loved women voices. Before them all, was Saeeda Bano, who was the first woman to read the news on AIR. A woman ahead of her times in more ways than one.

Photo source:https://www.knocksense.com/hindi/

Saeeda Bano was born in Bhopal in 1913. It was the period of British rule in India but local rulers still held sway in the numerous feudal kingdoms that made up India. Bhopal was unique in that it was a city that had been ruled by women (Nawab Begums) for four generations as there had been no male heirs to the throne. It was an unusually liberal environment where women’s education was encouraged and the hold of patriarchy was not as strong. When Saeeda was born, the last of the four Nawab Begums, Begum Sultan Jahan, a great reformer, was ruling Bhopal. She was very keen that women be educated and thereby be able to come out of the darkness of ignorance.

Saeeda’s father was supportive of the idea that girls should get as best a formal education as was possible at that time. Saeeda was sent to boarding school in Lucknow in 1925, and went on to do her graduation from Isabella Thoburn College in Lucknow. But that was as far as her family would allow. In spite of her fervent pleas, she was married off, still in her teens, to a highly-respected judge in Lucknow who was many years older. The plunge into a highly-confining world, shackled by social expectations and dos and don’ts was stifling to the lively young girl who was at all times expected to play the role of a dutiful wife, and adhere to repressive norms. However she stuck it out for almost 20 years, playing the role of wife and then mother to two sons, even as the stirrings of rebellion built up. In 1938 when a radio station was set up in Lucknow, Saeeda started participating in shows for women and children. As her domestic life became more turbulent, Saeeda began looking for a way out. She sent her application to what was then still BBC in Delhi for the post of newsreader. The application was accepted. This was the impetus that propelled her to leave her husband’s house and her husband, and move to Delhi. She put her older son in boarding school and arrived in Delhi with her younger son. She was alone, in a new city, about to make a new life for herself.

Saeeda and her son arrived in Delhi on 10 August 1947, and stayed with some family friends. She reported to All India Radio the next day, met the Director of news, and spent the entire day getting familiar with the premises and the world of broadcasting. The following day when she reported for work at the radio station, a weekly roster of her duties and timings had been prepared and was handed over to her. She was to reach AIR on the 13th of August 1947 by 6 am and read the news bulletin in Urdu at 8 o’clock thereby becoming the ‘first female voice, news anchor of All India Radio’s Urdu news bulletins’.

As she recalled in her memoir: I was the first woman AIR considered good enough to read radio news. Prior to this, no woman had been employed by either the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) or AIR Delhi to work as a news broadcaster. Of course they had to train me and I was taught how to first introduce myself on air with my name and then start reading the bulletin.

Thus Saeeda Bano became the first woman newsreader on All India Radio, two days before India gained Independence. She was proud to be a member of the AIR team that broadcast, live, to the nation, the momentous transition of power.

While she broke barriers in broadcasting, Saeeda continued to face challenges as a single woman in a big city. She looked for accommodation, and moved to YMCA, after a struggle to obtain special permission to keep her son with her.  Saeeda Bano grew with her job and went on to research and anchor other programmes also. But it was not all smooth sailing.

The dawn of Independence also unleashed the fury of violence in the aftermath of Partition. As a Muslim woman whose voice was becoming heard and known, she was the target of hate mail and threats. She was forced into taking refuge with other Muslim personalities of the time, and was witness to many distressing situations. 

Perhaps the most distressing event that left a deep impression on her was the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Saeeda Bano had in fact been to Birla House to listen to Gandhiji in person, on the very day that he was killed. She later wrote how she had felt a note of despair in his voice. The shock of his death was so great that she was unable to read the news that day, and the news director had to hurriedly change the shifts.

Saeeda Bano’s in-built reliance and ability to face challenges remained with her through her life. She retired as news reader from AIR in 1965, and was appointed as producer for AIR’s Urdu Service and continued till the 1970s. She passed away in 2001. 

Saeeda Bano’s achievements are much greater than her ‘first’ as a newsreader. In 1994 she wrote her memoir Dagar Se Hat Kar in Urdu where she described the ups and downs of her life, candidly and without bitterness nor self-praise. She simply described herself as one of those people who “chose a road less travelled“. The  book was translated into English by her granddaughter Shahana Raza and published in 2020 as Off the Beaten Track: The Story of my Unconventional Life.

Remembering her grandmother, Shahana described how Saeeda Bano or Bibi as she was affectionately called, was a woman who lived life on her own terms. She lived independently, and didn’t seek support from anyone, even in the lowest phases of her life. Her sheer determination always stood out, as she never looked back and regretted any of her decisions.

Today as so many women confidently anchor news and other shows, especially on the numerous television channels, they face their own challenges and new glass ceilings to break. But it is always humbling to remember and celebrate those who took the first steps in clearing untrodden paths.

–Mamata

A Library Crying for a Librarian

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So many of India’s treasures are hidden, waiting to be discovered. No, it’s not just old monuments or beautiful sights.

It includes—wait for it—libraries too!

The Bhadariya Library is a prime example. Bhadariya is a tiny village, near Pokhran, with a population of less than 2000. Situated about 76 kilometres from Jaisalmer, off the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur highway—it remains a hidden gem, with only a fleeting mention on travel sites.

Once off the highway, there is quiet road flanked on both sides by vast cow shelters, leading to the serene Shri Bhadariya Mata Ji temple. Originally erected in 1831 by Maharawal Gaj Singh of Jaisalmer, it commemorates his victory in a bloody battle against Bikaner.

And underneath the temple lies a humungous 50,000 square feet underground library—probably Asia’s largest. It houses the personal collection of one man–Harbansh Singh Maharaj, a social reformer from Punjab who moved to Rajasthan in the 1960s. Built in 1998. It houses around 200,000 different titles and a total of 900,000 volumes, with seating for 4,000 individuals.

As one climbs down a flight of steps to the library, there is an unusually long corridor, probably some 150 metres in length. Closed glass shelves line either side. As one continues onwards, each corridor leads to the next and then to the next identical corridor. The illusion of immensity is compounded by the mirrored walls at each end of every corridor. There are eight such corridors with 562 spotlessly clean glass shelves.

These shelves are filled with a rich and varied but largely random collection. It is obviously the work of a person passionate about books and education, but untrained as a librarian. The books range from British-era gazetteers and law books, to a vast collection of mythological works, books in English, Urdu, Sanskrit, Tamil, and various other languages. It contains some rare manuscripts which may be over a thousand years old.

Harbansh Singh Maharaj or Sri Bhadariyaji Maharaj as he was called, built the library to encourage reading and education in a place where there was little interest in either. He wanted readers to have a cool, sheltered place to sit and study, and so choose to have an underground facility. The local communities contributed shramdaan to do the excavations. His ambition was to start a University, but alas, this could not happen.

Today, the library has neither a librarian nor any staff to manage it. The sole caretaker of the library is an attendant from the Jagdamba Seva Committee Trust’s office. The immaculate condition of the interiors and the shelves speak volumes about the love the staff of the Trust have for the library.  It is no mean feat to maintain such a large facility of this nature, in such a location absolutely dust-free.

But they can do only what they can do. Professionals and resources are needed–the books are not even catalogued and carry no library classification numbers, hindering their integration into any library network.

And even more sadly, there are no readers either. Apart from locals, no one really knows about the facility or the treasures it offers. The attendant told us that the library was hardly ever used by anyone. It is in a remote location, and there is no really convenient accommodation for scholars who may come from far away. Moreover the library lacks a system to assist visiting scholars.

But yes, the potential for scholars to come from far and wide exists. As a visitor to the library has mentioned ‘Bhadariyaji Maharaj has left a vision. If someone could resurrect it, it would uplift the field of education,’

This was Bhadaria Maharaj’s life’s work, which he carried out with the vision to spread education. It is now our responsibility to build on this invaluable legacy.

–Meena

Here Come the Clean-Green Olympics!

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This Friday, 26 July, will see the start of the 33rd Summer Olympics. Over the next few weeks, till 11th August, Paris—the main host city, and 16 other cities around France as well as Tahiti, a French overseas island, will see 800 sporting events. With this, Paris becomes only the second city in the world (apart from London) to host the Olympics for the third time. But it is a good long time since the last time it held the Games—a century to be exact!

 The arrangements for the games are aimed at setting new benchmarks for quality, convenience, security and aesthetics. The 4-hour opening event will set the tone. The Paris 2024 opening ceremony will be unique in that it will not take place in a stadium. Instead, nearly a hundred boats will be deployed, which will carry thousands of competitors and other guests on a 6 km scenic route on the River Seine. The boats will be organized by country. Along the way, they will sail by the newly-repaired Notre-Dame Church, several bridges and other Paris landmarks, and will arrive at the Eiffel Tower. The banks of the river will be alive with music, dances and performances woven together into a 12-part show. The speeches and other formalities will all be a part of the overall presentation-experience, as the Games are declared open by French President Emmanuel Macron.  The show will end around 9.30 pm when the sun sets.

Paris Olympics

About 10,500 athletes will participate in the ceremony, which will be attended by about 100 heads of state. There will be over 3 lakh spectators on the banks. 80 giant screens will be put up along the way.

Other unique aspects of the 2024 Olympics:

  • This will be the first Olympics in history to achieve numerical gender parity, with an equal number of female and male athletes– 5250 men and 5250 women.
  • Break-dancing: For the first time break-dancing will be introduced as a competitive event. There will be two events, one for men and the other for women.
  • For the first time in history, the public will be part of Olympic experience! They will be allowed to run the same course of the Olympic marathon on the same day as the Olympians.
  • The marathon swimming event and the swimming leg of the triathlon will be held in the River Seine, as they were in 1900. From 1923 until recently, swimming had been banned in the Seine due to water-quality issues, but the authorities have put in their utmost to clean up the river, and have assured that it is safe.

Most significantly, the organizers have vowed to make these the ‘greenest Olympics’, with efforts to make to make it carbon-neutral, and to cut the carbon footprint of the Olympics in half compared to previous editions. They will try to offset more emissions than the Games create. Some of the steps the organizers are taking include:

  • The Olympics will run on 100% green energy generated from new sources of wind and solar energy, like windmills on the Normandy coast as well as solar panels on the roofs of venues in Paris.
  • The Games will mainly use only existing venues and temporary structures, thereby avoiding the carbon footprint of building new ones. Only two new venues will be built–for aquatics and basketball.
  • There will be no air conditioning in the athletes’ rooms. Instead, buildings in the athletes’ village have been designed with a cooling system drawing water from underground. Moreover, facades have been designed so they get little direct sun.
  • The Village will use 94 per cent recycled materials and a special construction process that emits half as much carbon.
  • After the games are over, the Athletes’ Village will allocate the houses for permanent residences.
  • Athletes’ mattresses will be made from recycled fishing nets, and the base of the beds will be made from reinforced cardboard.
  • Local farms will provide 80 per cent of the 13 million meals served during the Games, thereby lowering emissions.
  • Most Olympic venues will be accessible by public transport, and 1000 km of new cycling lanes have been created. 3000 pay-and-use bikes will be deployed.
  • About 2 lakh new trees have been planted.

Sounds like these Olympics are going to set new benchmarks! Appropriately so, for the motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter” or “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together” is not just about the sports events themselves, but every aspect of the Games!

Here is to the spirit of the Games!

–Meena

Father of the Library Movement: PN Panicker

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The last few days, newspapers have been carrying a number of pieces promoting the joy of reading physical books, in an age when the printed word is rapidly being buried under the digital avalanche. As a person who has never abandoned the physical avatars, these reminders of the very different experience of physically turning the pages of a ‘real’ book make me smile! All this hype culminated with the announcement of National Reading Day on 19 June.

I have written frequently about books, and was aware of a couple of international days of books, and reading. However this was the first time that National Reading Day was taking up so much column space. I was naturally curious to know more about this day. And I discovered that there is much more behind this day than reading. It is the story of a man with a mission, who laid the foundation of the library movement in India.

Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker was born on 1 March 1909 to Govinda Pillai and Janaki Amma at Neelamperoor in Kerala. As a youth he used to read the daily newspapers to groups of illiterate people of different ages. He began his career as a teacher, but moved beyond his designated duties to set up the Sanadanadhramam Library in 1926, in a small room provided by the local cooperative society in his village. This was the first step in what was to become beginning of a life-long passion and mission with a simple but powerful message: Vayichu Valaruku meaning Read and Grow.

Panicker held Mahatma Gandhi in very high esteem; and like him, felt that illiteracy was a curse and a shame. He believed in a holistic approach to human resources development, the foundation of which was literacy. Towards this, Panicker initiated a literacy movement across the state. He also believed that libraries could provide a stable scaffolding for encouraging and sustaining the literacy movement. He made the literacy movement into a cultural movement where people could feel the emotional connect with the library in their village or town, just as they connected with their place or worship or school or college. Libraries created by this movement later became the nerve centres of local social and cultural activities; children would come and read, older people would gather to meet and discuss issues relevant to them. When he visited a leprosy sanatorium at Nooranad, the inmates requested him to set up a library there. The library was established as LS Library on 1 July 1949. It was one of the first libraries in the district and housed a unique collection including over 25000 books and rare palm-leaf manuscripts. It was extensively used by the sanatorium residents as well as visiting researchers and scholars.

Panicker led the formation of Thiruvithaamkoor Granthsala Sangham (Travancore Library Association) in 1945 with 47 rural libraries. The slogan of the organization was Read and Grow. He travelled to Kerala villages proclaiming the value of reading and succeeded in bringing some 6000 libraries in his network. The Travancore Library Association expanded to become Kerala Granthasala Sangham (KGS) in 1956.  KGS was awarded the UNESCO Nadezha K. Krupskaya Literacy Prize in 1975.

Panicker was the General Secretary of Sangham for 32 years, until 1977, when it was taken over by the State Government and it became the Kerala State Library Council.

In 1977 Panicker founded the Kerala Association for Non-formal Education and Development (KANFED) with the objective to help universalize education by stepping up propaganda for it, and by the institution of non-formal education activities supplementary to the formal education system. This led to the establishment of institutes for research and training in all aspects of non-formal education, publishing houses for the production of literacy materials, and centres for the eradication of illiteracy.

These were operationalized through Committees which were set up in all districts of the state at Block and Panchayat levels to organize, conduct and supervise literacy centres; Regional Resource Centres were set up to store books, teaching aids and other materials necessary for adult education and make them available at all literacy centres.  

Primers for beginners, and books and periodicals and other useful material such a maps and wall charts for neo-literates were prepared through workshops for young writers, and published. The Primers included Alphabet Primer, Science Primer, Health Primer, as well as Primer for Women, Prier for Agriculturists, and Primer for Tribals. There were books on agriculture and animal husbandry; books on health and hygiene, and books for neo-literates. There were also biographies of inspiring national and international personalities, as well as books describing civic institutions, rights and duties, and promoting scientific temperament.

Resource material for adult literacy workers, instructors, project officers and organizers was supported and supplemented with seminars, workshops and training.  Plans for monitoring and evaluation of the literacy centres were also included.

Panicker’s vision and the state-wide mission of KANFED played a significant role in Kerala’s successful literacy movement–the Sakshara Keralam Movement. The first 100 percent literate city in India, and first 100 percent literate district have been from Kerala. Kerala was also the first state to attain 100 percent primary education. Some of the oldest colleges, schools and libraries of the country are also situated in Kerala.

In addition to literacy centres, Panicker also took keen interest in promoting Agricultural Books Corners, The Friendship Village Movement (Sauhrdagramam), and Reading Programmes for Families.

The life-long crusader for literacy and libraries passed away on 19 June 1995. Since 1996, this day is marked as Vayanadinam (Reading Day) in Kerala. It is a reminder to encourage the movement to promote a culture of reading, to inculcate the habit of reading and promote book-mindedness among school children, youth as well as the underprivileged population of the country. The Department of Education, Kerala also observes Vayana Varam Week (Reading Week) from June 19 to June 25 in schools across the state.

The Department of Posts honoured PN Panicker by issuing a commemorative postage stamp on 21 June 2004.

In 2017 PM Narendra Modi declared June 19, Kerala’s Reading Day as National Reading Day in India. The following month is also observed as National Reading Month.

The PN Panicker Foundation continues the mission to enhance lives and livelihoods through various targeted initiatives ranging from education, skill development, health, and need based programmes with the efficient use of technology. In keeping with the need of the hour, it is supporting digital learning in rural areas and has established thousands of home digital libraries across the state. PN Panicker’s vision continues to guide and inspire the new generations.   

–Mamata

Juneteenth

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That is not a word that we in India are very familiar with. Not surprising. Though the ‘Day’ is about a historical event that took place over 150 years back, it officially became a federal holiday in the US only in 2021.

It goes back to the American Civil War. After the Union won, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which declared the over three million enslaved people living in the Confederate states to be free. However, those were not the days of instant communication. It took over two years before the news reached the people of Texas! It was when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, that the state’s residents finally learned that slavery had been abolished. The formerly enslaved African-American community immediately started celebrations with prayer, feasting song, and dance. Over time, the name ‘Juneteenth’ a portmanteau of the words “June” and “nineteenth” started being used for this day.

Since then, the day has been celebrated in Texas, with the first official Juneteenth celebrations held on June 19, 1866, marked by prayer meetings and the singing of spirituals. People wore new clothes as a way of marking their newfound freedom. Over the next few years, African-Americans in other states started celebrating the day as well, making it an annual tradition. Celebrations continued to spread across the United States and typically include prayer and religious services, speeches, educational events, family gatherings and picnics, and festivals with music, food, and dancing. Juneteenth became a state holiday in Texas in 1980, and a number of other states subsequently followed suit.

It still took a long time for it to be recognized at the national level. It was only in 2021 that Juneteenth was made a federal holiday. Activist Opal Lee played a huge part in making this happen. Born in 1926 in Texas, Opal Lee was a teacher. One of the formative events of her life was when her house was burnt down in 1939. The house was in a predominantly white area, and obviously, the fact that a black family had bought a house there was uncomfortable for some people. On June 19, 1939, 500 white rioters vandalized and burned down the home. Opal realized that 19 June had been chosen for a reason and was very symbolic.

Opal was always at the forefront of organizing the community, and played a lead role in Juneteenth celebrations. This gathered momentum when she retired, and she became a relentless campaigner for having Juneteenth declared a federal holiday. For many years, she organized a march of 2.5 miles, to represent the 2.5 years it took for the news of their emancipation to reach the African-Americans in Texas. She promoted a petition for a Juneteenth federal holiday at Change.org, and the petition received 1.6 million signatures. In 2021, when Opal was 94, her dream came true and President Biden finally signed the Bill. Opal was an honoured guest at the function. Slowly, over time, the day started being celebrated outside the United States too, to recognize the end of slavery and to honor the culture and achievements of African Americans.

Here is something that Lincoln wrote about slavery, which is worth pondering:

‘If A. can prove, however conclusively, that he may, of right, enslave B. — why may not B. snatch the same argument, and prove equally, that he may enslave A?–

You say A. is white, and B. is black. It is color, then; the lighter, having the right to enslave the darker? Take care. By this rule, you are to be slave to the first man you meet, with a fairer skin than your own.

You do not mean color exactly?–You mean the whites are intellectually the superiors of the blacks, and, therefore have the right to enslave them? Take care again. By this rule, you are to be slave to the first man you meet, with an intellect superior to your own.

But, say you, it is a question of interest; and, if you can make it your interest, you have the right to enslave another. Very well. And if he can make it his interest, he has the right to enslave you.’

And to see how he relates it to democracy:

‘As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.’

Wise men know how to capture universal truth in a few words!

–Meena

AJT Johnsingh: The Highest Standards of Wildlife Research

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A few days ago came the sad news of Dr. AJT Johnsingh’s passing. And for once, mainstream media covered this event—from AIR to Times of India to Hindu to several other national and regional papers. 

For media to so widely cover the passing of a wildlife researcher is sure indication that there was something special about him. And indeed there was.  He was one of India’s best and most respected field researchers. And even more, he put all that knowledge into practice in conservation.  He strongly believed that knowledge should not lie in books, but be used to develop better policies and practices to support conservation on the ground.

Born to teachers who were both nature-lovers and outdoor people, he grew up in a small town called Nanguneri in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. His parents encouraged him to be outdoors, and family outings generally meant picnics in the wilderness areas of the Western Ghats. They were early and important influences in his love for nature. Another source of inspiration was Jim Corbett, whom he read avidly when young, and whose approach to conservation he admired—it was an approach that was unsentimental, and doing what needed to be done, extending to killing maneaters when there was no other way out.

JC Daniel of BNHS whom he first met when trekking up in the Kalakad hills in 1971, and who mentored him at various stages in his career, was a great influence.  George Schaller,  American mammalogist, biologist, conservationist and author recognized by many as the world’s preeminent field biologist, studying wildlife throughout Africa, Asia and South America, was a role model for Johnsingh.

AJT went to St. Xavier’s College, Palayankottai, and then Madras Christian College, Tambaram. He started his career as a professor at Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal College, Sivakasi, He worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. He returned to India in 1981 to work with the Bombay Natural History Society. In 1985, he joined the faculty of newly-established Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, and helped shape this premier institute which has developed the cadre of India’s current wildlife professionals. He retired as the Dean WII in 2005. In this period WII trained over 300 managers and several M.Sc Wildlife and PHD students.

He was the first Indian to carry out field research on free-ranging large wild mammals. He focussed particularly on the dhole (wild dog) in Indian forests. His research in the early years focused on the ecology and prey-predator relationships of dhole, other carnivores and ungulates in Bandipur National Park. His interest and research covered several large mammals, and his knowledge of many species saw him on the IUCN Asian Elephant Specialist Group, as well as the Cat, Canid, Bear, and Caprinae Specialist Groups. He also researched the Mahseer fish.

Tigers also fascinated him. He is credited with having taken the first good photo of a tiger in Bandipur. Talking about this photo in an interview to Sanctuary, he said: ‘ For years, no one had been able to take a clear picture of a tiger in Bandipur. Because my dhole study area was littered with tiger spoor, I always carried a camera around ‘just in case’. On May 23, 1978, around 7 a.m., I was sitting eight metres up on a mango tree in the Ministerguthi nullah, which was frequented by tigers whose pugmarks could easily be seen and whose spray markings, I could smell. I sat for around 45 minutes, barely breathing when a movement in the tall grass caught my eye. The tiger walked towards a clearing right in front of me and when it reached a patch of sunlight, I whistled and with a perplexed look on its face, it froze staring straight at me. But the moment it heard my camera shutter, it vanished. Interestingly, I cannot stop smiling whenever I see this picture.’

He authored several research papers, but what got him know widely across the general public where his three popular books: ‘Field Days: A Naturalist’s Journey through South and Southeast Asia’ (2005), ‘Walking the Western Ghats’ (2015) and ‘On Jim Corbett’s Trail and Other Tales From the Jungle’ (2018). He also edited two volumes of The Mammals of South Asia which in total has 69 chapters.

AJT was decorated with many honours including the Distinguished Service Award by the Society for Conservation Biology, the Carl Zeiss Wildlife Conservation Award, the ABN AMRO Sanctuary Lifetime Wildlife Service Award, ‘Kirloskar Vasundhara Sanman’ and Salim Ali Conservation Award.

The government also respected and valued his expertise. He was on the Standing Committee on the National Board for Wildlife, Government of India, and served for three years as a member of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. He was also a Padma Shri awardee. His voice, opinion and work contributed to the creation of wildlife areas including the Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.

We at CEE had the opportunity to interact with Dr. Johnsingh on different occasions when we sought his expertise on various projects. Two in which I was personally involved where he was on the Advisory Committee were the Snow Leopard Education project, and the ‘School Education to Support Asian Elephant Conservation’ project. In the days prior to Zoom and video calls, we could not get into discussions with him, but sent him drafts on which he gave his insightful comments.

The conservation world and India have lost a unique researcher and spokesperson who had the knowledge and courage to speak out, and the stature to be listened to. As a message from his family puts it: ‘The Green Warrior has landed safely in his Valhalla, after a war well fought, to save mother nature, for all mankind.’

And to end with a quote from him which underlines the spirit behind his research: “I used to ask questions about wildlife that no one could answer. So I began to search for answers myself by observing animals. Curiosity is the greatest trigger for good science.“

RIP, Dr. AJT Johnsingh.  Your passing is personal loss to your family and friends, and as great a loss to the wildlife and environment you worked so hard to protect.

–Meena

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