you deserve to be treated

Have you ever felt that your struggles and sacrifices are not recognized by your organization as well as your family or they fail to appreciate and duly reward your efforts?
A word of appreciation, acknowledgement or gratitude is always the minimum expectation of every human being.
In the organization, after the successful completion of each assignment, you find yourself waiting in hope for a few words of encouragement from your boss but he looks at you with apathy and slowly walks away.
Back home, you find your dear ones awaiting your pay packet with their ever increasing needs and demands. You wonder finding them not much bothered about your hard toil to earn each penny and the little pleasures you opted not to satisfy keeping them in mind.
I grew up often hearing the complaint of my mother about her sufferings from the unending household chores which often went unnoticed by anyone in the family. I feel it is a universal problem that no one is acknowledged in commensurate with their efforts while everyone yearns for it.
Last month, during my annual holidays, I prepared a concept paper for one of the projects, which my organization was planning to undertake shortly, and forwarded it to my senior officer who was also holidaying. It was an immediate requirement as he was very much interested in that project. He was also doing some consultation with regard to it.
I started waiting for a call from him acknowledging and congratulating my work but it was in vain. I felt a bit frustrated. Later, when both of us were back to office, I came to know that he himself and the entire family was totally broken after his daughter performed very poorly in an important examination which would have given her bright future. He had arranged everything to make sure that she pursued the course of her interest in a reputed institute. So, ultimately one or the other circumstances hinder what is our due. Now the conclusion is that there is none other than you to recognize and encourage the performer or achiever in you.
Nowadays, after the successful completion of each assignment, I learned to tell myself, ‘well done’. It gives me the boost to forge ahead even in the so called apathy of the superiors.
Everyday, before leaving for the office, just look into the mirror and wish yourself a good day. It makes a substantial impact throughout the day.
And, occasionally take you out for a good dinner without anyone’s company. Get your favorite dishes and have it in a typical restaurant ambience. It is a treat you are giving to the person in you.
If you like to travel, arrange short trips to nearby locations. Let it be centers of spiritual importance, wild life sanctuaries or centers of eco-tourism. The time you spend in solitude and meditation will refresh and rejuvenate you to get back to your tasks with a renewed spirit.
Acknowledge, appreciate and encourage yourself in all the possible means otherwise you may wait endlessly for it to happen from those around you. You need the motivation and energy to further your horizons. Treat yourself in the best possible way, for, you deserve to be treated.
08-06-09

Good Friday at Chamundi Hills

This year’s Good Friday will be cherished for a long time since I could observe it in a very special way at Chamundi Hills, Mysore. I never imagined making a visit to the place on this day of great significance.
I was quite sure that the four days off from work starting with Maundy Thursday would help me to refresh and rejuvenate a while from the hectic schedule. I headed to Mysore on Thursday by the local train. The destination was, of course, the habitat, where my friend Vipin hibernates after resigning his job in Kolkata. At his apartment, I was quite sure of being fed four or five times a day. So, my only passion was to sleep, sleep and sleep. All his attempts to take me out during the day were in vain. In the afternoon, I found sometime to have a glance into the life of Julian-The monk who sold his Ferrari. What striked me in those first chapters was the philosophy that everything in life happens with a purpose.
On Friday morning, I woke up to the thought of making a ‘Way of the Cross’ as reparation for my sins, if I have committed any during the last year. My mother always insisted on her children to make it on this day. The thousand steps to Chamundi Hills suddenly flashed in my mind. Why can’t I make it a way of the Cross? After all, this place is known for the victory of justice over injustice and goodness over vice. In the life of Christ too the way of the cross leads to the triumph of truth and justice. My companion was more than happy to accompany me when the thought was shared with him.
In the afternoon, I found myself in a bigger group with Vini, my pal’s elder sister and a law graduate. Then, Vimcy, a Keralite and Teju, hailing from Manipur, also dropped in. These two are students of a leading law college in the town. They too were out for a walk as they were busy with various assignments in the morning.
I found Teju as the most enthusiastic and energetic member of our team. She climbed each step like a disciplined NCC cadet. Vimcy, being very much bothered about her ailing stomach, was always asking for a helping hand from Teju, which the latter offered willfully. Vini’s thoughts were, of course, centered around the new job she got on the same day in human resources management. Teju, in the meantime, shared with me the desirability of being a multi skilled employee during this time of slump. Her focus is now on doing the company secretary programme, which she thinks would give some extra boost to her prospects in the job market.
Reaching the top of the hill, we spent some time in the temple premises tasting tender coconuts to ease the little thirst and pains those thousand steps had given us. At twilight, the city, from the top, looked awesome with lights burning everywhere likes embers.
I found some Muslim women also there wearing burkhas. This place is one of tourist attraction in the city. Who knows if they were there with similar intentions like me? Anyway, in the presence of the Divine, there is no caste, colour, creed or religion. Everyone is like the sheep under the Great Shepherd.
I really felt grateful to my friends. We are one and together in the search of the ultimate good. We all cherish a collective dream for a better tomorrow. It would give us great satisfaction to know that our presence and efforts in this beautiful planet have contributed to make it a better place to dwell in.
We will flock to anywhere the moment we feel that it would give us a glimpse to the ultimate reality. We love these temples, churches, mosques, idols, monuments, traditions and rituals. And, our endeavour is always to find the divinity attached to them.
Do not come to us, you, forces of evil and malice. Do not ask our creed or breed. Our preference is not to be polarised and segregated. Let us continue to live as one body with one spirit and as we forge ahead thousands may be touched and transformed. And, we may grow to a world of all encompassing love that is beyond all the boundaries and limits set by our predecessors.

World Water Day

• Fresh water is the most important sustainer of human life after the atmospheric air we breathe.
• 71% percentage of the earth’s surface is covered with water. But of that only 3 percent is non saline.
• Lack of clean drinking water and sanitation is now the single largest cause of illness worldwide. In 2020 it will claim more lives than HIV.
• One human body needs between one to seven liters of water per day.
• The average urban home-4.6 people-uses 640 liters of water per day.
• A dripping tap can waste as much as 60 liters per day/1800 liters per month.
• A leaking toilet can waste up to 100,000 liters of water per year.
• A toilet is the biggest user of indoor water.
• On average, it uses 11 liters of water when flushed
• Water sources undergo biological contamination from sewage.
• Depleting ground water levels lead to higher concentration fluorides and arsenic, besides the recent phenomenon of nitrate pollution.
• Marginalized communities that rely on contaminated ground water are at a greater threat from diseases like fluorosis.
• Drawing more water out of the earth with the use of technology need to be controlled.

Let us sensitize those around us on this issue. Let there be water and let there be life on earth
Courtesy – The Times of India

thank you, brother!

“That delightful emotion of love to him who has conferred kindness on us, the very feeling of which is itself no small part of the benefit conferred”
Thomas Brown

Last Saturday my colleague dropped in to spend the week end with me. He is my senior officer staying alone as his family is in his home town. In the office, I always find him as an elder brother with so much concern for me. Besides, he always makes himself available to me.

I cooked something special for him and received his praises in abundance for the delicious stuff. At night, we spend many hours sharing each other’s experiences, both personal and professional.

On the following day morning, we also found some time to watch a highly acclaimed feature film. He left in the evening, saying ‘now you have become my confidante and our bond is strengthened’

At night I received an SMS from him, ‘Vipin, thank you very much for the sincere friendship and love. I really enjoyed staying with you’. I read it again and again because hardly my inbox gets the privilege of storing such messages.

We hear a lot of thank yous in our day to day life but very few strike us. Why? The reason is nothing but we can easily measure the amount of sincerity attached to it. Of course, a thank you makes a big difference when it is given sincerely and it becomes a lasting feeling when given through a message or a card.
My colleague does have a grateful heart and it is not because of my worth to be thanked. I still believe that the volume of what we have given is very less when compared to what we have received. But in how many instances we are grateful when we are at the receiving end?

Gratitude always emanates from one’s attitude. And, the attitude of gratitude has ever been a parameter that measures one’s altitude.

“In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich”
Dietrich Bonheoffer

Chalet of Love

Chalet symbolizes love……
All encompassing and all forgiving love
Chalet is a small wooden house found in mountainous areas, especially In Switzerland
For me, chalet is an abode of love made by two hearts
Of course in a mountainous area of Switzerland
This chalet is a special one to me
As a lot of good have come to me from there
Through Mr. Peter Raymond and Mrs. Anne Francoise

‘Chalet of love’ is my tribute to this wonderful couple who touched my life
Through their love, care and concern.
I would not have been able to be in the place where I am today
If I had not met them in 2004.
They extended and continue to extend their helping hand towards me and my family.
Before, I was afraid to dream beyond my village
But they took me out
And prepared me for life.

Nowadays, when I travel around, meeting people in need
I am reminded of the grace I received
I feel grateful to them
For their generosity, goodwill and sacrifices.
‘Chalet of love’ is my gift to them
On the occasion of their first wedding anniversary
Whatever strikes me as I progress in life
Will be brought to this beautiful chalet of love
For your kind reading, opinions and suggestions for improvement
Be in touch
Always…..

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I think my introduction to ‘Chalet of Love’ is incomplete without my message to them on the occasion of their wedding in February 2008. Please find it here;


On your wedding
Cheers to your integrity
Cheers to your togetherness
Cheers to your compatibility
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It has been a matter of joy
To know that you have been together
And it gets doubled at the thought that
You have decided to strengthen the bond
It is heard that
We are attracted to someone
Just because we find
Our personality in him/her
You two found yourselves
Totally and perfectly in each other
It is true every wedding occurs in heaven
And the heaven rejoices at this moment
Few things are required
To make our lives meaningful…….
A window that is kept open
A book to be meditated upon
Fresh flowers and leaves in the vase
And the caring hand of a loving person
You have found everything
And realized that it is time
To be in a mature relation
And to celebrate the pleasure
Of being together forever
You are invited
To the festival of this world
And your lives are blessed
Celebrate the happiness of being alive
Make everyday a holiday
And celebrate just living
The more you praise and celebrate your life
There is more in life to celebrate
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kindly accept the simple and humble
Wishes and prayers that come your way
Also those of my dear ones
Receive my greetings as it is from
A loving son to his caring parents

struggles for water

It was for an exposure visit that I was sent to the high range village of Kanakakkunnu, (which means ‘Golden Hill’) in the district of Idukki, kerala. It is around 30 km away from kattappana town, which is a main pocket in the district. My journey from kattappana to Kanakakkunnu was an exciting one in a small bus which was fully packed with students returning from schools. Kattappana has got good number of reputed English medium schools run by different religious orders of the Catholics. Of course, the other Christian denominations and religious organizations have also got their presence in the scenario. So, carrying the hopes and expectations of the poor villagers, students would travel up and down in search of knowledge.

The roads, of course, resembled life with ups and downs. At one moment, you will be finding your bus climbing the steep hill like a mountaineer and suddenly you may fly downwards the next moment. This process of going up and coming down continued till the end of the journey. The boy who stood near me was a talkative and he never allowed me enjoy my first trip through this area. He wanted to know everything about my job, the professional qualification that made me worthy to take up the job, its potential for the future and a number of other similar queries. At last, he got out after taking the link to my space in Orkut, a social website.

My mission was to visit some areas where my organization had taken up some projects to provide drinking water for the people with water scarcity and to collect their feedback. Due to the geographical and topographical specialties of the area all the water sources get dried up by the end of January every year. There begins the troubles and tribulations of the villagers, most of whom are daily wage earners. Many shared with me their experiences of sleepless nights near the streams to fetch water as it comes out. There were some others who started carrying water from certain far away sources at the tender age of ten.

This particular need of the villagers was identified by my agency in the year 2008. In collaboration with certain external agencies, they formulated a project to provide water tanks, with the capacity of 10000 liters, to the deserving families. The beneficiaries also agreed to contribute at least 10% of the total expense for the tank. Around fifty tanks were constructed at that time and the efforts of my agency were widely appreciated. It helped the people to collect rain water from their roof top into the tanks. The filtered water remains clean and hygienic throughout the year. A family with three or four members can make use of this water for their cooking needs during summer, four to five months.

Though there are a number of projects implemented by different agencies to make drinking water available to all like water shed management, rain water harvesting etc, the share that reaches the beneficiaries is very meager. I received a number of requests from people for assistance to construct more and more tanks. Every agency has got its own limitations. But we all can at least make people aware of the need to preserve water. It is good to have some first hand knowledge of the people’s struggle for water. It will make us more cautious while using any of the natural resources. Let there be water and let there be life for the generations to come.

(a rain water harvesting tank is seen in the photo)

Navajeevana Children

Navajeevana’, means ‘New Life’. Navajeevana, a home for street children at Chamarajpet, Bangalore, is an attempt from the part of a religious congregation to give the rays of a new life to hundreds of underprivileged children.

Last week I had a chance to spend some time with these children at Navajeevana, which is a home for around 150 girls of the age group 1-15. Many of them are orphans and a few are abandoned by their parents. The centre has got a number of social workers who go to the different corners of the city in search of the children who are roaming around in bus stations and railway stations begging. Such girls are taken to the centre where they are provided with food, shelter, security and the facilities to attend school. Besides, policemen from the nearby police station also bring children to this centre.

Bangalore, one among the big cities in India, has also become a home to thousands of street children. Urbanization has facilitated the flow of unskilled as well as skilled workers to the city in search of jobs to sustain them. The skilled workers never find it difficult to find a job and enjoy a contented living. On the other hand, the unskilled sectors like, construction workers, quarry workers, household workers etc find it very difficult to make the both ends meet. Since reproduction has got its normal course among them, the number of children keeps arising and the parents are already deprived of all the means to take care of their needs. As a result, they are abandoned or thrown to the streets for begging.

There is yet another group of children who are run-aways from interior villages. These children are often trapped by different gangs, who later send them to various parts of the city to beg. In the evening, they all come back and give the day’s collection to the leaders. Such children are also rescued by Navajeevana at times.

The children can spend their lives at Navajeevana till they manage to get a job after the completion of their education and the management makes sure that the girl is now in a position to support herself with the job she has. The centre has also arranged the marriage of many of these girls. The Directress of the centre shared an interesting story of a wedding they recently had at Navajeevana. The girl had been an inmate of the centre for more than eight years and she was working outside. A young and rich boy from Mangalore happened to meet this girl from the street. Later, he came to the centre and met the Directress to express his willingness to marry the girl. In order to know more in detail about him, she, along with the girl, went to the boy’s house and found everything satisfactory. Both the parties waved the green flag. Since the girl grew up in a Christian environment, before the wedding, the boy’s family conducted a ceremony, which lasted for three days, to convert the girl into Hinduism. It gave me immense joy to know that the centre gave more importance to her life than the faith she practiced. These kind of stories must be brought out to the public where there is no hesitation to kill one another to protect and sustain faith.

You will also see a photograph of some of the small children of Navajeevana with innocent smile on their lips. For most of them, the only concern is three times food a day. Will you and I be able to give a better future to these children with peace, hope, love and security?

Thou Art My Soulmate

In the days of the yore
Life was a mystery
That no one could unravel
And it was full of mirky misery
With no solace and serenity
Nevertheless, amidst sorrows numberless
I was in search of you
You were standing outside, knocking
But alas! I failed to open the door
You were in me but I was outside
Life was then a mystery profound
With tears and tribulations
Everything was astray indeed
With no peace, hope and comfort
Thrilled was I, when you called me
To live an unending life with you
You have woken me up
From the depth of all miseries
You have showed me a path to walk
A life to live fully and wings to soar high
To the infinite beauties of your soul
You have given me a resting place cozy
Now it is painful to be separated from you
For, you are my soul mate
I need you to commune with you
To love you and embrace you
Be always with me
To guide me safe and sound forever
Look upon me with love
Both in my gains and losses
Forever, you are my changeless friend
And the unconditional lover.
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Note: This poem was written during the year 2004 while I was a degree student at Govt. College, Mananthavady, Wayanad, Kerala. You will find this poem published in our college annual, which was published under my editorship, for the year2005.