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Rajinder Soni created new article Safe upper body exercises for back strengthening.
Below you can find a few upper body exercises to not only strengthen the back but also prevent back pain:Before getting to know about these exercises, you must be aware that you need to work out alternate days for example Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with rest on Sundays. Now the exercises you will do on these days are:Seated dumbbell curls: (2 sets of 10 reps each): Sit on a chair and lean back against a wall. Take dumbbells in both your hands and curl them upward, both at the same time WITHOUT MOVING YOUR UPPER ARMS, ONLY YOUR FOREARMS SHOULD BE MOVING. At the top of the movement, stop for 2 seconds and contract both biceps as if you are posing in front of the mirror. Release SLOWLY. Feel the pain and keep on doing that. This exercise helps strengthen the back.Flat Dumbbell press: (2 sets of 10 reps each): Lie down on a flat bench, taking 2 light weight, 5-kg dumbbells, in each arm. Keep your legs bent so that the thighs make a 90-degree angle with your abdomen (this is to take the stress off the back and direct more concentration on the chest). Lower both arms on either side until they are at the same level as your chest (if your back pain is cured, you can lower them even further). Now let both your arms come back up slowly and let the dumbbells touch each other at the top. Make sure you contract your chest muscle when the dumbbells touch.Cable triceps extensions: (2 sets of 10 reps each): Catch hold of the bar with both arms in an overhand grip making sure they are equally spaced out on both sides. Keep the weight around 10 to 20 kg. Stand erect (bending will exert your back so don’t do it). You’re your forearms down, while keeping your upper arms stationary. You will feel your triceps contract. Hold for 2 seconds. Release SLOWLY until your forearms make a 90 degree angle with your biceps/upper arms. Then repeat. Do these exercises on alternate days. Don’t do them daily until you are accustomed to the strain of workouts. Don’t workout in between. Drink lots of water and eat proteins.Another effective exercise for back strengthening is to lie down flat with your face facing the bed and your arms locked behind you. Now lift your upper torso alone upward without lifting your legs. Maintain for 3 seconds. Release slowly. Repeat. You have to do at least 15 reps of this after your workouts everyday to prevent back pain in the future.
9 years ago
ABSIVAKUMAR created new article What we owe to the Indian society and why.
We are a nation at cross roads. The more we imagine ourselves to be very progressive, the more we are back to square one. Yet, in spite of all political games, in spite of all nonsense of our politicians and atrocious businessmen like Vijay Mallya, we are duty bound to salute our nation on so many counts, and feel proud that this society is something that we should be proud about.
Here is why, and only some aspects are sought to be discussed in this article.
The first and foremost aspect that we are a big democracy and the most important democracy in the world, as we are always pitched against China, the competitor on the global arena, which is a typical Communist country and does not qualify on even the basic human rights. In spite of the power of the State to act against dissent, the Courts have mostly upheld the values of democracy and human rights in particular.
So, we need to thank the great people who wrote our Constitution. They had ensured that our democracy will survive against heavy odds, even if we pay a huge price.
The second aspect of our Indian society is our tolerance, and this can be attributed to the huge reliance and belief in God, and our cultural practices. For instance, the concept of Karma is sought to be the foundation of most of our religious practices and there are millions who swear by this concept.
For instance, the TVS group of companies believe in this concept and follow the concept of trusteeship propounded by Mahatma Gandhi, to a large extent. The organization's group company called Sundaram Finance, holds a record of two thousand rupees in fixed deposits. The interest money is paid right on the first day of the month, and if the day is a holiday, on the previous working day, and is directly credited to the savings accounts of the fixed deposit holders. The faith and trust reposed by the depositors, is always symbolic of Trust, the T in the symbol of TVS.
This tolerance finds a huge reflection in the way we react to even the most horrible violence. Life goes on, and people come together to do all that they could to save lives, to help those who are affected. In Mumbai or Chennai, the situation is the same. Riots in Mumbai and floods in Chennai, are two outstanding events where humanity was seen in abundance. The caring and sharing is what keeps our country going on.
The third aspect is the kind of spiritual values that we hold at any point in time. There are countless number of Gods and Godmen, and spirituality is there for all to see. This helps everyone to be grounded in reality, and this contributes to the relative peace that obtains in our Indian society.
The fourth aspect is the way we, the middle class Indians in particular, give huge importance to the education of our children. Countless stories have been recorded of mothers who starve to save that little bit of money to feed and educate their children, even in municipality schools. In fact, the rags to riches stories are very well recorded and stories of Indians doing so well abroad abound. All this is possible, only because our educational system still contributes something to our quality of higher education, irrespective of whatever hurdles we may face. If we do not have some basic merit in it, how is that we have had world-class economists, lawyers, scientists, information technology professionals, and so on?
The fifth aspect of our society is the concept of unity in diversity. We may make any number of regional noises. Karnataka may not give water to Tamil Nadu, but thousands of people from Tamil Nadu are employed in so many IT companies in Bangalore. The South of India is now home to hundreds of thousands of uneducated but skilled or trainable people from the North of India, who are employed in the thousands of hotels, in the construction projects, in the various metro projects in Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad and so on. We learn to appreciate the finer aspects of different cultures, and we somehow manage to tolerate a huge amount of cultural differences, accepting people and their cultural aspects for whatever they are.
We, as a Nation, owe it to our forefathers who made the villages the nurseries of growth. For such a huge country, neglecting agriculture is just not too good. Even today, the importance that we give to agriculture has to be seen to be believed, which is our sixth aspect, and the most important one.
So, we have countless stories of Information Technology professionals quitting their regular high paying jobs, buying up a few acres in villages near small towns, and going in for organic farming practices. This is all for good and will help the cause of food security, in both the short and the long term.
One really hopes that we have a huge number of professionals showing interest in agriculture. This will help us to maintain a balance and will go a long way in our going back to nature.
The list goes on. But what is important is that there is a great inherent strength in our democracy which helps us going from strength to strength, even if there are problems. For instance, witness the huge self-employment opportunities that have come to even villages, thanks to the cell phone revolution.
We owe it to our own society, the way we have organized ourselves, the way our forefathers have taught us some values. This hope, which is a very big hope, will simply keep growing stronger and stronger.
What we need to do is to believe in ourselves, believe in the power of our democracy. This is the basic belief that will keep us going.
And of course, each of us have to do our bit to keep the spirit going, in our small little ways. Once we start doing this, we will have done something more important -- we would have grown much larger than caring only for ourselves.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The Sword in Indian History.
The sword is part of Hindu psyche and its origin can be traced to 5000 BC. The first mention of a sword is in the Mahabharata. The epic mentions the sword as a personal weapon and it was carried by all warriors. The credit for developing this must go to the genius of Hindus who developed such a fine personal weapon for defence and offence. The Indian sword is also referred to as Tulwar or Talwar and was generally about 36 inches in length with a curved blade, that had a cutting edge only on one side.
The sword is the great gift of Hindus to man and history. It is difficult to understand how the ancient craftsmen who manufactured swords got the concept of the curved sword. Now after scientific tests, we know that a curved sword compared to other swords like the English broad sword was more aerodynamic and also had a low drag coefficient. One has to marvel at the ingenuity and knowledge of Hindu craftsmen who invented the curved sword, as at that time they had no knowledge of the principles of statics and dynamics. Yet, they produced a superb weapon which was ultimately copied by the entire world. This needs to be trumpeted to the entire world as many people often refer to the Hindu as " meek and mild".
The Greeks had their first brush with the curved sword or Tulwar when Alexander invaded India. After making peace with his opponent the Hindu king, Porus Alexander reportedly took many samples of curved swords to Baghdad.The Arabs later also liked the curved sword and adopted it as their main personal weapon. Arab warriors like Saladin carried the curved sword in battle. it was extensively used against the Christians during the Crusades.
In India, the sword was developed further and modern testing of the metallurgy of the Tulwar has confirmed that it had about 1% of carbon and overall the steel used was a high quality. This clearly brings out the fact that the science of metallurgy of the Hindus was of a high order.
The Muslims who came and settled in India also adopted the curved sword as their main personal weapon. The British soldiers of the East India Company had their first brush with the curved sword in battles with Indian kings. The curved sword was examined by them and they found that it was a weapon that must be adopted by them. They incorporated the weapon ( tulwar) as part of their cavalry and gave it the name sabre. British Indian army cavalry regiments like the Skinners horse and Poona Horse were all equipped with curved swords. They also used the curved sword in their battles in Crimea against the Russians.
The curved sword with minor modifications was used all over India. from the deep South to the North. It was the main weapon of offence and defence for a soldier. Hindu armies carried the sword with a small shield tied to the left forearm and went into battle in a massed charge. This massed charge resulted in many victories and even Mohammed of Ghor was defeated by the Rajputs in the First battle of Tarain( now Thanesar).
The curved sword is one of the most important contributions of the Hindus to weaponry of the world. Only the Japanese swords developed independently. In all other places, the curved sword held sway and was the forerunner of the bayonet charge.
In India itself, many derivates of the curved sword appeared. Notable being the Khukuri and the Katar( small curved dagger).Another weapon that held sway for some time was the Khanda. It was a weapon to be used with two hands and sometimes weighed 40 kg. It was used by Baba Deep Singh in his assault on the Muslims to free the Golden temple from the forces of Ahmed Shah Abdali. This Khanda which weighs 40 kg is kept at the gurdwara at Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra.
Many Indian kings loved swords and used jewels and gems to embellish their handles. This gave the sword a distinctive look. Many Indian swords are on display at the Imperial Museum in London. There is also an excellent display of Indian swords at the Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum at Jodhpur. I have visited this museum and the Maharajah has an awesome collection.
The sword was used in battle for the last time during World war I. It was used as a weapon for beheading enemy and captured soldiers by the Japanese during World War II. Now it is used for executions by beheading in Saudi Arabia.
The curved sword has lived its life and historically it is the greatest invention before the invention of gunpowder. All credit to the Hindus who thought and conceived of this weapon. I have never handled swords except the one that I carried when I got married the first time. In India, the trade of sword making thrives, particularly in Jammu and Western UP. Many foreigners come to India to buy the Tulwar as a memento. It's a lovely weapon to own and I have one with me.
9 years ago
ABSIVAKUMAR created new article Why the likes of Kaakaa Muttai should be the norm in Tamil Cinema.
A few years ago, Tamil Cinema was dishing out the worst movies in India. There was absolutely no attempt made to show reality in any way, and it was quite common for the hero to be glorified as the man for all times. Each and every hero would bash up more than eighty bad boys at any point in time, and he would go around dancing with heroines who would be fit enough to be his daughters. Rajnikant was and still is, the worst guilty hero in this respect. He had very successfully followed the MGR formula, and the leading lady of any movie would fall head in heals in love with him, the moment they saw him. He would never chase any heroine, and would never show any emotion till the girl showed her love for him.
Even in movies like "Sivaji", which had several comic scenes where he would try to woo the leading lady, he was shown as the hero who would do no harm, and in one particular scene, would bash up more than one hundred bad boys, single-handed. The much larger than life personality of his, is there for all to see, and it is a big mystery as to how he has survived for such a long time, when age was easily seen on his face, in spite of all the make up.
This particular image trap of Rajnikant has inspired other heroes like Vijay and Ajith, both of whom, are also shown as larger-than-life heroes. So, Tamil Cinema is caught in a big spiral of masala movies and the all too familiar story lines.
However, some changes are now coming and, in a big way.
Just over fifteen months ago, there was this movie called "Kaaka Muttai", which was a very realistic account of how two small slum kids from a North Chennai slum, long to eat a plate of pizza, just once in their lives. Unfortunately, even when they earn the money to have the pizza, they are beaten by the security man, and an employee of the pizza outlet. The scene goes viral, and becomes a big issue.
The mother of the two children cries out for help, and when the two children really get to eat the pizza, in the full glare of the media, they do not find it fascinating, and go back to their own ways of picking up small pieces of coal that get dropped from railway wagons and selling them for a small amount.
The stark realities of life, in a North Chennai slum, was brilliantly depicted. The film went on to win international acclaim, and also won the National Award.
The film woke up the entire Tamil movie goers to realities of life. It brought to the center of all discussion, how Tamil films should be made. There has since been a huge discussion in the print media about the need for Tamil cinema to be focused more on movies like Kaaka Muttai, and move away from the masala movies and the traditional stories.
The likes of Rajnikant, Vijay and Ajith, suffer from an image trap of gigantic proportions.
There are quite a large number of movies where the stories have been different, and have been based on realism, and have avoided the masala trap, and this includes those of the aforesaid heroes as well.
For example, several years ago, that is, almost thirty years ago, Rajnikant acted in one of his best movies called "Mullum Malaram", which showed the real affection of the hero for his sister. The sister was played by one Shoba, who was such a superbly talented actress. She committed suicide for some unknown reason. The movie brought out the different talent of Rajnikant.
However, since then he has acted in movies that simply took his image to a huge larger-than-life myth of all sorts. This continues till today. Ditto for the other two heroes.
However, there are several reasons why Tamil cinema should move out of this trap.
Firstly, the fact is that movies like Kaaka Muttai, simply stir up the conscience of an entire State population. It does make people think and makes them have some empathy for others.
Secondly, when such movies reach the foreign shores, it is just as well that those abroad understand what life in Indian slums really is. With all sound and fury about the emerging India, it will make such people look at India as a highly tolerant nation, and look at several aspects of life in India. In fact, spirituality of the kind that is practiced in India, is now appreciated the world over.
Thirdly, realistic movies also bring out the creativity in a huge number of directors and even producers. Such movies get produced at a huge fraction of the cost of masala movies. So, it does make economic sense too.
Fourthly, Tamil movies are now the second largest or the third largest number of movies produced in Indian languages, with Hindi leading the way. So, producing creative movies will enhance the popularity and reach of Tamil cinema.
Fifthly, the huge number of movies that are different will certainly bring some new thinking among the Tamil population, more so, when it is at cross-roads, what with a huge melting point of political parties systematically robbing them of all wealth, and creating a record number of drunkards in society, who are only interested in the crumbs thrown around by the parties as freebies. The creative movies will certainly make the Tamils think about the virtues of hard work, sincerity and honesty, as these values come out loud and clear through and in such movies.
So, the message is loud and clear. We certainly need a push towards the best of creative movies like Kaaka Muttai in Tamil. The number of such movies should not only increase substantially but increase at a good frequency as well. Yes, the Government had announced tax breaks for Kaaka Muttai and one is sure will do so, for other similar movies. This should motive our creative directors and producers even more.
9 years ago
Gulshan Kumar Ajmani replied to the topic Can there be another division of India on religious lines?.
Here Nehru and congress are blamed for not bringing so called uniform civil code. In fact, there appears some sort of consensus. The current political outfit also has no intention to bring the so called common civil code. The fact remains that even Sikhs want separate code. India is a multi religious multi culture and multi linguists country. So there cannot be common personal law for all throughout the country. There is already common law on business, crime, civil law. However even here, states have also concurrent power and so many provisions of even criminal law procedure are not same everywhere. For example, in some states you don't have provision for anticipatory bail unlike others. Then you have separate law- namely Armed forces special Powers act in J & K and some other states. So there is not common law even in criminal and defence matters. In order to bring common civil law, will there be support for removing armed Forces special powers from J & K and some other states in North East. Even in budgetary matters, there is no common law. The sale tax/ vat rates differ among states.
In all fairness, we should understand that we are a federal or quasi federal state and so cannot have common legal provisions in all matters- particularly those relating to marriage, divorce, succession.
9 years ago
Gulshan Kumar Ajmani liked a reply to the topic Can there be another division of India on religious lines?.
9 years ago
Gulshan Kumar Ajmani replied to the topic Nehru and Modi. On One point Nehru appears better than Modi.
usha manohar wrote:
One cannot give any importance to horoscope because it is an unproven field. I guess by now we all know that both China and Pakistan are our enemies and would do everything in their might to create unrest and if possible take over the nation bit by bit. But that does not mean that we have to give into every provocation that comes our way. We have to try peaceful methods first and then go on to others and I would think that is what Modi is doing. Had he done otherwise , I am sure there would have been criticism for that action too by another section of people. So, we need to let him decide what is the best course of action esp since we are not aware of the many intricacies that are there between these nations' foreign policies towards one another . By constantly criticising every single act of his we are not achieving anything.
I agree. Most issues relating to defence and foreign affairs are secret. The authorities connected with such affairs are best judge. We cannot comment on every act of Defence and Foreign affairs ministries. It is the ultimate result that counts. Also in such matters, party politics should not be involved.
9 years ago
Gulshan Kumar Ajmani liked a reply to the topic Nehru and Modi. On One point Nehru appears better than Modi.
9 years ago
Gulshan Kumar Ajmani replied to the topic Astrology and its Forecast concerning Modi.
Astrology is baseless. There are different versions of astrology in India and america. true Science does not have regional versions. Then there are different other methods of foretelling- palmistry, numerology etc. These are not likely to give same results. astrology is nothing but a pseudo science that supposes irrational and fake relation between stars and individual fate.
9 years ago
Gulshan Kumar Ajmani liked a reply to the topic Astrology and its Forecast concerning Modi.
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic Astrology and its Forecast concerning Modi.
I don't believe in Astrology and take the example of Narendra Modi, there are different predictions by different astrologers about his future. I looked for my on astrology and found the same thing, different predictions by different people, so how can we believe that ?
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic What causes compulsive behavior.
We seem to be having selfie deaths almost every day from some part of the country or other. The other day in my town there was an accident when a pillion rider busy on his mobile phone clutched the driver, who lost his balance and the bike toppled over and run over by a truck which was behind them. Both are seriously injured and in hospital now.
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic Nehru and Modi. On One point Nehru appears better than Modi.
Congress has always been known as a corrupt party that institutionalised corruption and goondaism in India. It is but natural that they will deny, point fingers at others and also try to brazen it out by organising marches and what not just to keep their supporters happy and questioning the NDA. This is on expected line because Congress is all about political drama and mere noise, with no substance. Neither did they perform, nor do they let others do so...
9 years ago
usha manohar liked a reply to the topic Nehru and Modi. On One point Nehru appears better than Modi.
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic Now It is UPA Chopper scam ( Augustawestland deal).
CBI will be quizzing Tyagi after getting more evidence against him and the Augusta deal. Tyagi was used as the front man to deal with the middle man by the UPA and its leaders..Congress as expected has resorted to attack policy which they have become experts at after having been part of ever so many scams during their misrule..
9 years ago
MG Singh created new topic Astrology and its Forecast concerning Modi.
I do feel that astrology has some truth. It may not be 100% accurate, but generally, it cannot be faulted for forecasting trends. Modi's horoscope has 4 major plants in 10th house with Sun and Saturn conjoining each other. This shows the sheer rise in a short time and precipitous fall to depths of nowhere. How many believe in it??
9 years ago
MG Singh replied to the topic Can there be another division of India on religious lines?.
The past is passed and the present is present. In my view, Modi is missing a great chance to have a date with history, by idling away on Kashmir and Article 370.He suffers from election syndrome and like Congress is cultivating vote banks. What interpretation one can give to his action of buckling to Jat and Patel agitation?. I am afraid this will be bad for history. Secondly, I feel Muslims will at some stage press for another division ( maybe 50-60 years) hence. They have no say in governance.Despite a population percentage of 15, they have just 5-6 MPs.
9 years ago
MG Singh replied to the topic Nehru and Modi. On One point Nehru appears better than Modi.
vijay wrote:
I will accept truth with proof not judgements by die hard haters .
There is enough proof about activities of Congress led by Sonia and her stooge ManMohan Singh. Obviously all the proof cannot be presented in a small discussion , but the legal papers catalogue the proof and culpability of the Congress and Sonia in particular along with Rahul. Come to think of it even Rajiv had siphoned crores in the Bofors deal. All proof is there and it was weakness of Vajpayee that he did not proceed against Sonia. For all his faults Modi is better than Congress. At least nobody can say he is corrupt.
9 years ago
Bajirao answered the question What makes a woman successful?.
I think a balanced life would make a women successful. Balanced life means a life where she has got good enough education, earning good amount of money, serving her parents, married to a loving husband, have 1 or 2 kids, loving daughter in law, and one who keeps her family happy will make her a successful woman.
9 years ago
Bajirao replied to the topic What causes compulsive behavior.
Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:
usha manohar wrote:
Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:
vijay wrote:
Many of us in the forum reply to every comment irrespective of the topic. It could also be a form of OCD.
Electronic media addiction has been formally recognised as an aberration of psychological behavior so compulsive answering each adn every post can also be now called as OCD
True, I have seen some people unable to keep of their cell phones or get away from the computer to the extent that they put off important jobs indefinitely. I have seen some students sit outside the school with their mobiles or ipads either playing games or browsing . I blame the parents who don't even check on this even after being repeatedly warned about the child's absence.
True....trust Indians to abuse even the most beneficial thing in such a way it that it turns it into an almost criminal thing! Of course, not just Indians, it is everywhere in the world, latest fad being too much obsession with self that causes people to take their selfies in the most dangerous and treacherous places killing them instantly!
Rightly said.. Taking selfies is one of the obsession in today's generation. It all started as the technology developed, especially after the invention of Iphone. People are so much involved into taking selfies that they are never aware about the surrounding.
9 years ago
Rajinder Soni created new article Safe upper body exercises for back strengthening.
Below you can find a few upper body exercises to not only strengthen the back but also prevent back pain:Before getting to know about these exercises, you must be aware that you need to work out alternate days for example Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with rest on Sundays. Now the exercises you will do on these days are:Seated dumbbell curls: (2 sets of 10 reps each): Sit on a chair and lean back against a wall. Take dumbbells in both your hands and curl them upward, both at the same time WITHOUT MOVING YOUR UPPER ARMS, ONLY YOUR FOREARMS SHOULD BE MOVING. At the top of the movement, stop for 2 seconds and contract both biceps as if you are posing in front of the mirror. Release SLOWLY. Feel the pain and keep on doing that. This exercise helps strengthen the back.Flat Dumbbell press: (2 sets of 10 reps each): Lie down on a flat bench, taking 2 light weight, 5-kg dumbbells, in each arm. Keep your legs bent so that the thighs make a 90-degree angle with your abdomen (this is to take the stress off the back and direct more concentration on the chest). Lower both arms on either side until they are at the same level as your chest (if your back pain is cured, you can lower them even further). Now let both your arms come back up slowly and let the dumbbells touch each other at the top. Make sure you contract your chest muscle when the dumbbells touch.Cable triceps extensions: (2 sets of 10 reps each): Catch hold of the bar with both arms in an overhand grip making sure they are equally spaced out on both sides. Keep the weight around 10 to 20 kg. Stand erect (bending will exert your back so don’t do it). You’re your forearms down, while keeping your upper arms stationary. You will feel your triceps contract. Hold for 2 seconds. Release SLOWLY until your forearms make a 90 degree angle with your biceps/upper arms. Then repeat. Do these exercises on alternate days. Don’t do them daily until you are accustomed to the strain of workouts. Don’t workout in between. Drink lots of water and eat proteins.Another effective exercise for back strengthening is to lie down flat with your face facing the bed and your arms locked behind you. Now lift your upper torso alone upward without lifting your legs. Maintain for 3 seconds. Release slowly. Repeat. You have to do at least 15 reps of this after your workouts everyday to prevent back pain in the future.
9 years ago
ABSIVAKUMAR created new article What we owe to the Indian society and why.
We are a nation at cross roads. The more we imagine ourselves to be very progressive, the more we are back to square one. Yet, in spite of all political games, in spite of all nonsense of our politicians and atrocious businessmen like Vijay Mallya, we are duty bound to salute our nation on so many counts, and feel proud that this society is something that we should be proud about.
Here is why, and only some aspects are sought to be discussed in this article.
The first and foremost aspect that we are a big democracy and the most important democracy in the world, as we are always pitched against China, the competitor on the global arena, which is a typical Communist country and does not qualify on even the basic human rights. In spite of the power of the State to act against dissent, the Courts have mostly upheld the values of democracy and human rights in particular.
So, we need to thank the great people who wrote our Constitution. They had ensured that our democracy will survive against heavy odds, even if we pay a huge price.
The second aspect of our Indian society is our tolerance, and this can be attributed to the huge reliance and belief in God, and our cultural practices. For instance, the concept of Karma is sought to be the foundation of most of our religious practices and there are millions who swear by this concept.
For instance, the TVS group of companies believe in this concept and follow the concept of trusteeship propounded by Mahatma Gandhi, to a large extent. The organization's group company called Sundaram Finance, holds a record of two thousand rupees in fixed deposits. The interest money is paid right on the first day of the month, and if the day is a holiday, on the previous working day, and is directly credited to the savings accounts of the fixed deposit holders. The faith and trust reposed by the depositors, is always symbolic of Trust, the T in the symbol of TVS.
This tolerance finds a huge reflection in the way we react to even the most horrible violence. Life goes on, and people come together to do all that they could to save lives, to help those who are affected. In Mumbai or Chennai, the situation is the same. Riots in Mumbai and floods in Chennai, are two outstanding events where humanity was seen in abundance. The caring and sharing is what keeps our country going on.
The third aspect is the kind of spiritual values that we hold at any point in time. There are countless number of Gods and Godmen, and spirituality is there for all to see. This helps everyone to be grounded in reality, and this contributes to the relative peace that obtains in our Indian society.
The fourth aspect is the way we, the middle class Indians in particular, give huge importance to the education of our children. Countless stories have been recorded of mothers who starve to save that little bit of money to feed and educate their children, even in municipality schools. In fact, the rags to riches stories are very well recorded and stories of Indians doing so well abroad abound. All this is possible, only because our educational system still contributes something to our quality of higher education, irrespective of whatever hurdles we may face. If we do not have some basic merit in it, how is that we have had world-class economists, lawyers, scientists, information technology professionals, and so on?
The fifth aspect of our society is the concept of unity in diversity. We may make any number of regional noises. Karnataka may not give water to Tamil Nadu, but thousands of people from Tamil Nadu are employed in so many IT companies in Bangalore. The South of India is now home to hundreds of thousands of uneducated but skilled or trainable people from the North of India, who are employed in the thousands of hotels, in the construction projects, in the various metro projects in Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad and so on. We learn to appreciate the finer aspects of different cultures, and we somehow manage to tolerate a huge amount of cultural differences, accepting people and their cultural aspects for whatever they are.
We, as a Nation, owe it to our forefathers who made the villages the nurseries of growth. For such a huge country, neglecting agriculture is just not too good. Even today, the importance that we give to agriculture has to be seen to be believed, which is our sixth aspect, and the most important one.
So, we have countless stories of Information Technology professionals quitting their regular high paying jobs, buying up a few acres in villages near small towns, and going in for organic farming practices. This is all for good and will help the cause of food security, in both the short and the long term.
One really hopes that we have a huge number of professionals showing interest in agriculture. This will help us to maintain a balance and will go a long way in our going back to nature.
The list goes on. But what is important is that there is a great inherent strength in our democracy which helps us going from strength to strength, even if there are problems. For instance, witness the huge self-employment opportunities that have come to even villages, thanks to the cell phone revolution.
We owe it to our own society, the way we have organized ourselves, the way our forefathers have taught us some values. This hope, which is a very big hope, will simply keep growing stronger and stronger.
What we need to do is to believe in ourselves, believe in the power of our democracy. This is the basic belief that will keep us going.
And of course, each of us have to do our bit to keep the spirit going, in our small little ways. Once we start doing this, we will have done something more important -- we would have grown much larger than caring only for ourselves.
9 years ago
MG Singh created new article The Sword in Indian History.
The sword is part of Hindu psyche and its origin can be traced to 5000 BC. The first mention of a sword is in the Mahabharata. The epic mentions the sword as a personal weapon and it was carried by all warriors. The credit for developing this must go to the genius of Hindus who developed such a fine personal weapon for defence and offence. The Indian sword is also referred to as Tulwar or Talwar and was generally about 36 inches in length with a curved blade, that had a cutting edge only on one side.
The sword is the great gift of Hindus to man and history. It is difficult to understand how the ancient craftsmen who manufactured swords got the concept of the curved sword. Now after scientific tests, we know that a curved sword compared to other swords like the English broad sword was more aerodynamic and also had a low drag coefficient. One has to marvel at the ingenuity and knowledge of Hindu craftsmen who invented the curved sword, as at that time they had no knowledge of the principles of statics and dynamics. Yet, they produced a superb weapon which was ultimately copied by the entire world. This needs to be trumpeted to the entire world as many people often refer to the Hindu as " meek and mild".
The Greeks had their first brush with the curved sword or Tulwar when Alexander invaded India. After making peace with his opponent the Hindu king, Porus Alexander reportedly took many samples of curved swords to Baghdad.The Arabs later also liked the curved sword and adopted it as their main personal weapon. Arab warriors like Saladin carried the curved sword in battle. it was extensively used against the Christians during the Crusades.
In India, the sword was developed further and modern testing of the metallurgy of the Tulwar has confirmed that it had about 1% of carbon and overall the steel used was a high quality. This clearly brings out the fact that the science of metallurgy of the Hindus was of a high order.
The Muslims who came and settled in India also adopted the curved sword as their main personal weapon. The British soldiers of the East India Company had their first brush with the curved sword in battles with Indian kings. The curved sword was examined by them and they found that it was a weapon that must be adopted by them. They incorporated the weapon ( tulwar) as part of their cavalry and gave it the name sabre. British Indian army cavalry regiments like the Skinners horse and Poona Horse were all equipped with curved swords. They also used the curved sword in their battles in Crimea against the Russians.
The curved sword with minor modifications was used all over India. from the deep South to the North. It was the main weapon of offence and defence for a soldier. Hindu armies carried the sword with a small shield tied to the left forearm and went into battle in a massed charge. This massed charge resulted in many victories and even Mohammed of Ghor was defeated by the Rajputs in the First battle of Tarain( now Thanesar).
The curved sword is one of the most important contributions of the Hindus to weaponry of the world. Only the Japanese swords developed independently. In all other places, the curved sword held sway and was the forerunner of the bayonet charge.
In India itself, many derivates of the curved sword appeared. Notable being the Khukuri and the Katar( small curved dagger).Another weapon that held sway for some time was the Khanda. It was a weapon to be used with two hands and sometimes weighed 40 kg. It was used by Baba Deep Singh in his assault on the Muslims to free the Golden temple from the forces of Ahmed Shah Abdali. This Khanda which weighs 40 kg is kept at the gurdwara at Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra.
Many Indian kings loved swords and used jewels and gems to embellish their handles. This gave the sword a distinctive look. Many Indian swords are on display at the Imperial Museum in London. There is also an excellent display of Indian swords at the Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum at Jodhpur. I have visited this museum and the Maharajah has an awesome collection.
The sword was used in battle for the last time during World war I. It was used as a weapon for beheading enemy and captured soldiers by the Japanese during World War II. Now it is used for executions by beheading in Saudi Arabia.
The curved sword has lived its life and historically it is the greatest invention before the invention of gunpowder. All credit to the Hindus who thought and conceived of this weapon. I have never handled swords except the one that I carried when I got married the first time. In India, the trade of sword making thrives, particularly in Jammu and Western UP. Many foreigners come to India to buy the Tulwar as a memento. It's a lovely weapon to own and I have one with me.
9 years ago
ABSIVAKUMAR created new article Why the likes of Kaakaa Muttai should be the norm in Tamil Cinema.
A few years ago, Tamil Cinema was dishing out the worst movies in India. There was absolutely no attempt made to show reality in any way, and it was quite common for the hero to be glorified as the man for all times. Each and every hero would bash up more than eighty bad boys at any point in time, and he would go around dancing with heroines who would be fit enough to be his daughters. Rajnikant was and still is, the worst guilty hero in this respect. He had very successfully followed the MGR formula, and the leading lady of any movie would fall head in heals in love with him, the moment they saw him. He would never chase any heroine, and would never show any emotion till the girl showed her love for him.
Even in movies like "Sivaji", which had several comic scenes where he would try to woo the leading lady, he was shown as the hero who would do no harm, and in one particular scene, would bash up more than one hundred bad boys, single-handed. The much larger than life personality of his, is there for all to see, and it is a big mystery as to how he has survived for such a long time, when age was easily seen on his face, in spite of all the make up.
This particular image trap of Rajnikant has inspired other heroes like Vijay and Ajith, both of whom, are also shown as larger-than-life heroes. So, Tamil Cinema is caught in a big spiral of masala movies and the all too familiar story lines.
However, some changes are now coming and, in a big way.
Just over fifteen months ago, there was this movie called "Kaaka Muttai", which was a very realistic account of how two small slum kids from a North Chennai slum, long to eat a plate of pizza, just once in their lives. Unfortunately, even when they earn the money to have the pizza, they are beaten by the security man, and an employee of the pizza outlet. The scene goes viral, and becomes a big issue.
The mother of the two children cries out for help, and when the two children really get to eat the pizza, in the full glare of the media, they do not find it fascinating, and go back to their own ways of picking up small pieces of coal that get dropped from railway wagons and selling them for a small amount.
The stark realities of life, in a North Chennai slum, was brilliantly depicted. The film went on to win international acclaim, and also won the National Award.
The film woke up the entire Tamil movie goers to realities of life. It brought to the center of all discussion, how Tamil films should be made. There has since been a huge discussion in the print media about the need for Tamil cinema to be focused more on movies like Kaaka Muttai, and move away from the masala movies and the traditional stories.
The likes of Rajnikant, Vijay and Ajith, suffer from an image trap of gigantic proportions.
There are quite a large number of movies where the stories have been different, and have been based on realism, and have avoided the masala trap, and this includes those of the aforesaid heroes as well.
For example, several years ago, that is, almost thirty years ago, Rajnikant acted in one of his best movies called "Mullum Malaram", which showed the real affection of the hero for his sister. The sister was played by one Shoba, who was such a superbly talented actress. She committed suicide for some unknown reason. The movie brought out the different talent of Rajnikant.
However, since then he has acted in movies that simply took his image to a huge larger-than-life myth of all sorts. This continues till today. Ditto for the other two heroes.
However, there are several reasons why Tamil cinema should move out of this trap.
Firstly, the fact is that movies like Kaaka Muttai, simply stir up the conscience of an entire State population. It does make people think and makes them have some empathy for others.
Secondly, when such movies reach the foreign shores, it is just as well that those abroad understand what life in Indian slums really is. With all sound and fury about the emerging India, it will make such people look at India as a highly tolerant nation, and look at several aspects of life in India. In fact, spirituality of the kind that is practiced in India, is now appreciated the world over.
Thirdly, realistic movies also bring out the creativity in a huge number of directors and even producers. Such movies get produced at a huge fraction of the cost of masala movies. So, it does make economic sense too.
Fourthly, Tamil movies are now the second largest or the third largest number of movies produced in Indian languages, with Hindi leading the way. So, producing creative movies will enhance the popularity and reach of Tamil cinema.
Fifthly, the huge number of movies that are different will certainly bring some new thinking among the Tamil population, more so, when it is at cross-roads, what with a huge melting point of political parties systematically robbing them of all wealth, and creating a record number of drunkards in society, who are only interested in the crumbs thrown around by the parties as freebies. The creative movies will certainly make the Tamils think about the virtues of hard work, sincerity and honesty, as these values come out loud and clear through and in such movies.
So, the message is loud and clear. We certainly need a push towards the best of creative movies like Kaaka Muttai in Tamil. The number of such movies should not only increase substantially but increase at a good frequency as well. Yes, the Government had announced tax breaks for Kaaka Muttai and one is sure will do so, for other similar movies. This should motive our creative directors and producers even more.
9 years ago
Gulshan Kumar Ajmani replied to the topic Can there be another division of India on religious lines?.
Here Nehru and congress are blamed for not bringing so called uniform civil code. In fact, there appears some sort of consensus. The current political outfit also has no intention to bring the so called common civil code. The fact remains that even Sikhs want separate code. India is a multi religious multi culture and multi linguists country. So there cannot be common personal law for all throughout the country. There is already common law on business, crime, civil law. However even here, states have also concurrent power and so many provisions of even criminal law procedure are not same everywhere. For example, in some states you don't have provision for anticipatory bail unlike others. Then you have separate law- namely Armed forces special Powers act in J & K and some other states. So there is not common law even in criminal and defence matters. In order to bring common civil law, will there be support for removing armed Forces special powers from J & K and some other states in North East. Even in budgetary matters, there is no common law. The sale tax/ vat rates differ among states.
In all fairness, we should understand that we are a federal or quasi federal state and so cannot have common legal provisions in all matters- particularly those relating to marriage, divorce, succession.
9 years ago
Gulshan Kumar Ajmani liked a reply to the topic Can there be another division of India on religious lines?.
9 years ago
Gulshan Kumar Ajmani replied to the topic Nehru and Modi. On One point Nehru appears better than Modi.
usha manohar wrote:
One cannot give any importance to horoscope because it is an unproven field. I guess by now we all know that both China and Pakistan are our enemies and would do everything in their might to create unrest and if possible take over the nation bit by bit. But that does not mean that we have to give into every provocation that comes our way. We have to try peaceful methods first and then go on to others and I would think that is what Modi is doing. Had he done otherwise , I am sure there would have been criticism for that action too by another section of people. So, we need to let him decide what is the best course of action esp since we are not aware of the many intricacies that are there between these nations' foreign policies towards one another . By constantly criticising every single act of his we are not achieving anything.
I agree. Most issues relating to defence and foreign affairs are secret. The authorities connected with such affairs are best judge. We cannot comment on every act of Defence and Foreign affairs ministries. It is the ultimate result that counts. Also in such matters, party politics should not be involved.
9 years ago
Gulshan Kumar Ajmani liked a reply to the topic Nehru and Modi. On One point Nehru appears better than Modi.
9 years ago
Gulshan Kumar Ajmani replied to the topic Astrology and its Forecast concerning Modi.
Astrology is baseless. There are different versions of astrology in India and america. true Science does not have regional versions. Then there are different other methods of foretelling- palmistry, numerology etc. These are not likely to give same results. astrology is nothing but a pseudo science that supposes irrational and fake relation between stars and individual fate.
9 years ago
Gulshan Kumar Ajmani liked a reply to the topic Astrology and its Forecast concerning Modi.
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic Astrology and its Forecast concerning Modi.
I don't believe in Astrology and take the example of Narendra Modi, there are different predictions by different astrologers about his future. I looked for my on astrology and found the same thing, different predictions by different people, so how can we believe that ?
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic What causes compulsive behavior.
We seem to be having selfie deaths almost every day from some part of the country or other. The other day in my town there was an accident when a pillion rider busy on his mobile phone clutched the driver, who lost his balance and the bike toppled over and run over by a truck which was behind them. Both are seriously injured and in hospital now.
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic Nehru and Modi. On One point Nehru appears better than Modi.
Congress has always been known as a corrupt party that institutionalised corruption and goondaism in India. It is but natural that they will deny, point fingers at others and also try to brazen it out by organising marches and what not just to keep their supporters happy and questioning the NDA. This is on expected line because Congress is all about political drama and mere noise, with no substance. Neither did they perform, nor do they let others do so...
9 years ago
usha manohar liked a reply to the topic Nehru and Modi. On One point Nehru appears better than Modi.
9 years ago
usha manohar replied to the topic Now It is UPA Chopper scam ( Augustawestland deal).
CBI will be quizzing Tyagi after getting more evidence against him and the Augusta deal. Tyagi was used as the front man to deal with the middle man by the UPA and its leaders..Congress as expected has resorted to attack policy which they have become experts at after having been part of ever so many scams during their misrule..
9 years ago
MG Singh created new topic Astrology and its Forecast concerning Modi.
I do feel that astrology has some truth. It may not be 100% accurate, but generally, it cannot be faulted for forecasting trends. Modi's horoscope has 4 major plants in 10th house with Sun and Saturn conjoining each other. This shows the sheer rise in a short time and precipitous fall to depths of nowhere. How many believe in it??
9 years ago
MG Singh replied to the topic Can there be another division of India on religious lines?.
The past is passed and the present is present. In my view, Modi is missing a great chance to have a date with history, by idling away on Kashmir and Article 370.He suffers from election syndrome and like Congress is cultivating vote banks. What interpretation one can give to his action of buckling to Jat and Patel agitation?. I am afraid this will be bad for history. Secondly, I feel Muslims will at some stage press for another division ( maybe 50-60 years) hence. They have no say in governance.Despite a population percentage of 15, they have just 5-6 MPs.
9 years ago
MG Singh replied to the topic Nehru and Modi. On One point Nehru appears better than Modi.
vijay wrote:
I will accept truth with proof not judgements by die hard haters .
There is enough proof about activities of Congress led by Sonia and her stooge ManMohan Singh. Obviously all the proof cannot be presented in a small discussion , but the legal papers catalogue the proof and culpability of the Congress and Sonia in particular along with Rahul. Come to think of it even Rajiv had siphoned crores in the Bofors deal. All proof is there and it was weakness of Vajpayee that he did not proceed against Sonia. For all his faults Modi is better than Congress. At least nobody can say he is corrupt.
9 years ago
Bajirao answered the question What makes a woman successful?.
I think a balanced life would make a women successful. Balanced life means a life where she has got good enough education, earning good amount of money, serving her parents, married to a loving husband, have 1 or 2 kids, loving daughter in law, and one who keeps her family happy will make her a successful woman.
9 years ago
Bajirao replied to the topic What causes compulsive behavior.
Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:
usha manohar wrote:
Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:
vijay wrote:
Many of us in the forum reply to every comment irrespective of the topic. It could also be a form of OCD.
Electronic media addiction has been formally recognised as an aberration of psychological behavior so compulsive answering each adn every post can also be now called as OCD
True, I have seen some people unable to keep of their cell phones or get away from the computer to the extent that they put off important jobs indefinitely. I have seen some students sit outside the school with their mobiles or ipads either playing games or browsing . I blame the parents who don't even check on this even after being repeatedly warned about the child's absence.
True....trust Indians to abuse even the most beneficial thing in such a way it that it turns it into an almost criminal thing! Of course, not just Indians, it is everywhere in the world, latest fad being too much obsession with self that causes people to take their selfies in the most dangerous and treacherous places killing them instantly!
Rightly said.. Taking selfies is one of the obsession in today's generation. It all started as the technology developed, especially after the invention of Iphone. People are so much involved into taking selfies that they are never aware about the surrounding.
9 years ago