Fund 2009: Hand over to RKM Narendrapur

With global recessions and its various side-effects very much ON with almost everyone, the 2009 fund D'day arrives with a somwehat shrienked purse. Well, blame on US, for not being able to reach out to every corner and wake up the sleeping children. However, as we set up our objective of supporting the Beloved Inst no matter what the figure reads, the group agreed to hand-over the amount to NDP on 12th July, 2009. Subhashis posts the full story...

ghotonar suru sokal 9:00 ta theke. Keshta jete chaay..kintu as usual kichu purono bahana dhop diye choleche..meeting ache, masir bari ityadi..aste parbo na..elei ek ghontar madhye jete habe. to keshta amake sokale phone koray ami direct kore dilam dhyams er kache..kotokhhon laagbe puro process ta te seta keshtar janar prayojon.
dhyams er kache 3 hrs sune ektu dome gelo.

jai hok..ami saat sokale beriye 10:40 er madhye main gate er samne pouche gechi. kintu edik odik , mane debu rudra eder phone kore jaanlaam ekhhuni karur asar chance nei..debu beriye poreche..kintu maity r barir theke check tulte hobe. To ami abar back kore fire elam kamalgaji r mor e. Debu ekta auto bhara kore niye esechilo..seta te kore gelam maity r bari. ami auto tei roilam..debu check niye fire elo. tarpor sei auto te korei elam Narendrapur.

Phone tone kore jana gelo dhyams er aste khanikta deri..je auto ta te asche sei auto-driver rasta theke deke deke lok tulte tulte asche..!! jai hok..ami ar debu senior er math er samne kichu chhobi tullam, school er samne kichu chobi tola holo..bhetore ektu unki jhuki maarlam..dekhlam ekta class room e kichu chele bose ache..ke ekta porachhe...robibar class hochhe dekhe aschorjo holam.

Kichhukhhan badei ronjit da chokka r sange dekha holo..tar kach theke jana gelo ekhan baire theke IIT JEE esaber coaching dite teacher expert era ese robibar class ney. 11-12 ta to ekhan school e. Amra school theke beriye bhaban gulor dike haatchilam, alpo brishti porchilo..tai shibanando te dhuklam. sekhane tapan agassi ekhan bhaban moharaj jaante parlam ekti chhele ke jigyes kore(Haay re muni'r legacy). Baranday dekhlam kichu chelsea r jersey jhulche..kichu chele snan korte corridor diye jachhe..common room e gurdian asbe bole chador pata. ..amader dike chhele gulo "anya groher prani amra" ei bhabe takachhe.

tarpor beriye turiya te gechilam..sekhan theke beronor pothe i chokka r sange dekha, alpo katha holo. jeta sab theke beshi anubhab korlam..narendrapur er sei pran ar nei..amader samay robibar lunch er age eto chupchap bhabai jeto na. kono choti cricket nei, block e jol gaaye douradouri nei, hoi hoi nei, maramari nei...prayer hall er saamne cleaning er naame hujjuti nei...chupchap sob bhaban gulo..kichhu chele boi haate ghurche...baki ra ghorer bhetor. dekhe chot kore monei hay na je session cholche...chhuti noy.

jaak..amra fire elam main gate er pashe office er baranday..mridul dar sange dekha korlam..bollam amader rothi-moharothi ra aaschhen. hotath dekha gelo ekta gari gate diye dhokar chesta korche..ar ekta taak matha lok bhetore bose royeche. ektu thotomoto khaoar por bujhlam ota keshta...office er gari niye eseche..bhagyis arun da chilen na..tahole hayto lathi diye garir kaanch tai bhenge diten..khete khaoa teacher eki burjoya chhatro.

jaak..keshta hanto danto haye dhukei bollo.." ki korte hobe..kothay jete hobe" (read kota chakor achhe..amar gaa haat pa tepar janye kota lok)..
jai hok..mridul da ke giye pronam tonam korlo..purono smriti gulo ektu jhaliye nilo.itimodhye amader main man kaushik das o bag laptop sob data check ityadi niye dhuke porlen. to ar deri na kore lok-shikhha porishod e jaoa holo..kintu sekhane giyei suru holo asol natok...total kichhutei mele na...bhutta ke ekbar phone kore sobar naam ar amt pore pore melano holo..keshta r amt jog holo..next samasya daralo ghota r amt ta..

Niloy and mama sokal bela city center e kinchit jolojog saarte gechilen...(jadio e bolche o khachhilo..o bolche niloy ar kanji barota obdhi bhatachhilo)..jai hok..to ora ghotar bari theke check collect kore finally 1:20-25 nagad pouchhalo..to finally total 2,08,371 hiseb miliye soisabud kore Lok shikhha porishod e hand over kore potapot chhobi tule amra mridul dar mukhe haasi fotalam. Mridul da majhe majhei chaap dichhilen je abar next week e aaste..amra se prostab e khub ekta kaan diy ni..dhyams kayda kore mridul da ke bujhiye diyeche je next robbar eleo ek i goppo hobe..sutarang aj i sere fela bhalo.

Ebar destination srimat swami asaktananda maharaj a.k.a Bishnu da, a.k.a Tin peye prani(eta bishnu dar nijer mukher katha). amra ghore dhuke pronam kore kemon achhen jigyes korate bollen je ami ekhan tin peye jib haye gechi, bole haater lathi ta ke mati te thuklen). Tarpor usual asirbaad, tomra baro hao, aro somridhho hao, bhalo rojgar koro, ityadi bollen. Taka r amnt ta last year er theke ektu kom eta amra bolar sange sange mridul da jog korlen je taka'r amount jai hok, oder hridoy ta din din bere choleche..

Bishnu dar kaachh theke beriye ebar alochona hochhe je age school e asoke da ke deoa habe na age khaoa hobe. jara 12 tar samay breakfast koreche tara mot dilo je age jhamela chukiye fela hok...ami kormor kore takalam..pete chucho dourochhe...er madhye keshtar constant ghyan ghyan.."ebar jete hobe...deri haye jabe..." ei sab. kintu ultimately etai better holo..sob chukiye ekbare khete bosa tai bhalo. to jana gelo asoke da junior e gechen..amra junior e giye sunlam je asoke da naki ei matro senior section e gechen. okhane sarat da chilen...assembly hall er samne. alpo katha holo..amra beriye elam..kintu totokhhone guardian chhere diyeche...byas ar jaay kotha..oi soru senior -junior er maajhher rastar madhye diye du dik theke gari, lok auto, cycle, motorcycle..ekebare ja ta abastha. nilo ar keshta r office er driver..oti koshte kayda kore senior e niye elo..sekhane auditorium er saamne motamuti garia morh er cheahar niyeche...taxi, private car, lok, ..sei ek abastha..mridul ta uthe kake ekta dhomok dilen..amader gari 2 to beriye elo security guard er sahajye.

Dhoka holo asoke daar ghore. guardian ra totokhhone chador er opor chhana pona der niye bose poreche. besh mejaji chhaal ei amra hente gelam...bhetore dhuke asoke da ke pronaam kora holo..thoter kone treadmark muchki haasi ta dilen. mama handover korlo..chhobi tola holo...kichu subarna-jayantir boi kake deoa hobe sei niye keshta sekhaneo ekta karakari suru kore dilo..:)

jaak ultimately sob handover mitlo..ebar amra khete gelam monks quarter e..Krishnendu kumar namok sorbobhuk prani ti, jeta etokkhon chole jabo chole jabo kore chechachhilo..khabarer gandho naake jetei mind change korlen. maa ke phone kore janalen tini ekhanei khaaben. mama ar niloy o "breakfast" e pet bhorar ojuhaat e sudhu misti khelo prathame(je mistir koyek fota keshta r take niloy feleche..ref. Pics uploaded by debu). ..but pore niloy ar mama o khete bose gelo.

Khaoa daoa elahi byapar..tetor ekta torkari..daal, sange badhakopi(?) r torkari, alu bhaja, maachher jhol(ei tar taste ekam same achhe), tomator chaatni, doi, rosogolla..last e ekta asto aam. khaoar maajhkhane jathariti keshta ekta maach niye er pate deoa..or paat theke tule neoa esab suru korechilo. Khaoar maajhkhane tushar da duto lok niye elen.."oi dekho ekhane ex student der reunion hochhe" bole ekta hehe type er hasi dilen..tarpor baki samay oi lok gulo ke kichhu bojhate byasto chilen. amader sange bises katha hoyni:)

Tarpor ar ki..je jar bari. Keshta finally kete porlo..ami dhyams ar debu Niloy ar mama r sange elam. Dhyams rubi r kache neme gelo, amra science city naamlam. Niloy mama chole gelo saltlake. ami ar debu tarpor tyangra r kache ektu restaurant e giye "Gorbatschow" vodka diye amader successful handover udjapon korlam...

ebhabei hoye gelo arekta handover. Kintu handover ebang poroborti kaale amader bhumika, trust, ebang kichu long term plan niye alochona hayeche amader. Eta light mood e lekha mail tai ekhane seta likhlam na. er por ektu samay kore guchiye sei niye alochona kora jaabe.

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From Lords to IPL 2: Dada's wagon wheel

Dada--the mere mention of the name kicks hot debates in the group, splitting into two camps baying blood for each other :) Sandipan Bhattacharyjee, aka Dadu, tries to capture the sheer madness and why! A must read for every cricket lover! [written in Bong]

1991 e turiyanande prothom pithe naam lekha player dekhi. amader chena surname BANERJEE (subroto) dekhe besh pulikoto hoyechhilam. mone hoyechhilo je eden biswamaner stadium r bangali khelapagol loke bhorti sekhane bhartiyo team e Bengali thakbe na kano for a long time. er por 1 ta match e GANGULY (kichhu agei bangla 2nd time ranji jitechhe, tai cricket er craze ta aschhe dhire dhire. but we still did not forgot the ‘classy’ sourav, snehasis those days) naam dekhe aro pulok jaglo. ranji te 2nd season r daleep e 125 run er innings impressed the selectors east zone takhon chhilo elebele west zone ke hariye debe ke bhebechhilo.

Ta ganguly fire also from his first tour of down under ese rosalo galpo berolo media te. drink boite na chaoa niye takhon sportstar e srikkant er pashe saurav er hasimukhe ride e chora chhobi dekhechhilam eder relation kintu bhalo

Ganguly team theke baad porlo.firlo 1996 e. sidhu bhai revolt kore deshe fire na asle ba manjrekar er chot na lagle or lords e khelar kathai nay. India team e lefty der bhalo record chhilo na. Ganguly-r record amader or immediate aager lefty hero cricket er rajputro (media r deoa naam chhilo, boycott prince of calcutta debar por amra ganguly kei jani, ken a jane bidesher stamp na lagle sab jate othe na) vinod kambli ke bhuliye dite samay laglo na. athe debut korlo rahul for the same reason. rahul retire korle ei dujon destiny’s child ke niye 1 ta lekhar ichhe ache.

erpor sab itihas. Ganguly hoye galo star. sahara cup, best records as captain, aggressiveness, bileiving in juniors, creating new records, world cup 2003 sab golden itihas.


Ganguly as national hero:
Ganguly is very popular among gujaratis, UP basi, rajasthanis and tamils; ami jatodur dekhechhi. khub popular in bangladesh also. kintu 1997 (?) er Dhaka te MOM habar por seikh hasinar theke prize r banglay bolar request pabar por o ganguly kintu banglay boleni. er age Karachi te MOM hobar por prize team mate der sathe share korar katha bole je emotion toiri korechhilo seta Dhaka basi ra miss korechhilo

Bengali psyche and saurav ganguly
Bengali romanticism e amon 1 jon hero bose thake jake mone mone worship kore thaki amra. sei manushta anektai perfect.tai amader subconscious mind e special jayga kore nay.ganguly porasunay, khelay, leadership, arthik, prem, aggression. sab dik diyei bhalo.tai idol hoye uthte deri hayni.anekdin national level e bolar moto Bengali hero aseni..bengali are well known for their freedom struggle..swadhin bharote syamaprasad, JN chaudhury, subroto mukherjee er por serakam hero aschhilo na. pronob mukherjee kebal 2 nd man hoye thakay aneke birokto.jyoti basu hathat korei national media te jayga peleo thik Bengali hero hanni.football e baro besi hero r they are not popular with ladies.hockey was dying, swimmer der o mone rakhena besidin. bollywood eo mithun buriye jachhe.Bengali takhono everest eo otheni.sei samay ganguly filled the slot.
Leadership (read Dadagiri korar) er ekta supto basona sabar subconscious e thake.1 jon Bengali India captain dekhe amader moner sei supto ichhe ta reflected hoto. ganguly easily became an idol

Amader subconscious mind e 1 ta helpless victimized lok er photo thake jar proti sabar sympathy hok erokom chai. hero not victimized jano thik hero na. tai a sense of victimization around ganguly khub help korlo to grow our hero.ar hero cannot survive without villains.tai sei villains ero kami holo na.jar fole ganguly real filmy heror theke kom nay.[rakesh roshan uses this strong, yet vulnerable victimized character in kaho na pyaar hai, krish, koi mil gaya etcand see the results !! ] seshe amon abostha daralo dada bhaktoder kachhe je hero jano na hare. team here jak kichhu jay ase na

Ganguly and media
Samajer darpon holo media. media gauges and reflect people mind and media makes people’s mind at the same time.onnoder katha janina, akhono newspaper hate pelei ami pechhoner pata age pori. To survive in media business (sport here) u have to make balance between these two. media bahudin dhorei Bengali hero khujchhilo. cricket er mathe katodin pankaj, ambar roy ke diye chalano jabe. football e romroma komchhilo. subroto buro hochhe.rajiv mishra (hockey) untimely khela chharlo.sense of victimization e kendrer banchona diye cholchhilo media.

Bengal theke cricketer select holei tai apamor Bengali buk bendhe thakto. kintu saradindu, utpal, laxmi jayga peleo dhore rakhte parchhilona.media try korchhilo utpal ke hero bananor, sense of victimization o kaj korchhilo sei samay kar board er selection er against e, public utpal ke bad deoa niye captain azhar ke juto dekhiyechhilo. ABP selector ramakant (tiny) parkar er pechhone porlo.parkar asustho holen, ABP bollo natok.kintu parkar hospital theke ar firlo na.unfortunately ABP behaved insensibly.parkar er name obituary to durer katha, news tao bhalo bhabe dilo na.

Er modhye Australia theke bad pora ganguly news e chhilo na.jodio aajkaal er debasish dutta ganguly ke track r follow up korchhilo. seta snehasis r saourav 2 jon kei.public takhon ganguly r jol boite na chaoar galpo besh kheyechhilo. 1 ta story dichhi.
1 din kolkatar khola mathe (may be bhabanipur math, akhon sure noi) ami r bhai khela dekhchhiganguly sei yr ei mohan bagan e esechhe. takhon mohan bagan bhalo result korchhilo na. kalighat, east Bengal, sporting union er romroam takhon.ta mohan bagan field korchhe.saurav kebal ball korchhe r fielding na kore ese boschhe captain arun lal er bou rinar pashe.arun lal captain, tai field e acheloker saurav ke khistir bonya boiye dilo.patakhor, baroloker matha ghure jaoa adure chheler special asrabbo gali.

Jai hok, er pore elo 1996 er lords.
Saourav hoye galo super star. same in line with sachin. bangali hero peye galo. Aajkal er debasish dutta darun likhte laglo. rival ABP ke mathe namte holo. gautam bhattacharya, rupayan (anek senior), sabyasachi sarkar. sabai ganguly ke cash in korte neme porlo. Kintu ganguly nijer heart er chhe heroics bechte parlo na besidin. aajkaal dona r sathe biye r news chharlo. aajkaal went one up in rivalry. ganguly biye ta pore korle or fan aro barto bole amar dharona. ABP er reporter der promotion jano depend korte laglo on ganguly’s performance ba proximity er opore. 2003 er Australia series e popular but irresponsible quote bosalo ganguly r mukhe. ki kore match jitbo? Ponting er hate brett lee ar amader agarkar (incidentally agarkar was one of the successful bowlers there). ganguly r aggression (termed as dadagiri), backing of juniors, identifying players like zaheer, irfaan (pore chappel er close haoay ganguly r anti shibir e pathiye day media) shewag, parthiv (ranji na khelei sujog paoay anekei bolen je dhoni debuted late. sei jonno naki dhoni is anti ganguly) making players committee (players union jeta kapil, sunny bhebechhilo kintu korte pareni), payment gradation depending on performance (and endorsement may be ??). media te ganguly cheye galo. ganguly became the national hero.

Villain na thakle hero is not complete. media was searching villains. prothome vishwanath, pore srikkant, shastry, azhar, brinda. kintu serokom strong villain kothay??? Enter selectors more and pronob roy (team e chace peye kichhudin inio headlines e esechhilen). abhijit kale r paysa diye team e chance debar avijog e ganguly and players union backed kale.more r roy er raag kintu jayni.era samay er apekhkhay roilo.

John wright jabar pore ganguly niye elo ‘great’ tactician r coach chapel ke. media chapel ke niye uchchosito. www.chapelway.com. khule dekhun. cricket ke kon level e niye giye bhaben bhadrolok.kintu super rich and professionally managed BCCI er 1 ta e-mail media te berolo. Kathay bole nothing succeeds like success.performance I sesh katha. as a captain and player ganguly r record chhilo darun.kintu success ganguly r matha y chore boslo. nagpur er pitch e ghas dekhe chhatte bolay r seta shashank manohar na manay the most successful India captain para cricket er moto erokom korle khelbo na kore bose galo. naghmar sathe mandir e (reporters did not follow them to bedroom at least) jaoar khabar e kechha (hero r life e etao khub jaroori) r masalao pelam amra.

But nothing succeeds like success. kintu dada r bat e run komte laglo. komlo na arrogance. team member der sathe distance barte thaklo.domestic e akebarei na khela (eta sachin o kore) , match er age practice e na asa.onno hotel e thaka.kiran more knew his time of revenge has come. sathe pelo chapel ke. ganguly ke chhente felte era samay nilo na. Hero fell from grace. sabai manosik bhabe ahoto holo.media peye galo strongest villain r ahoto, vulnerable hero. sathe ektu regional sentiment o jure deoa holo.

Team member sathe barte thaka distance aro bere galo. media taderkeo villain banalo. ganguly ke loke bhulte laglo. alternate hero hisabe manoj tiwary ke media project korte laglo. kintu 1 ta aro psycho ache. A hero shall inspire a little ‘awe’. loke bhabbe amaderi lok kintu thik jano amader nay.a little arrogance, indifference esab khub jaroori hero r modhye. sei jonnoi uttamkumar hero, not soumitro.subahsh bose, rashbehari hero, not Gandhi. amitabh hero, not mithun. personality (ki rashbhari lok dekhechhis?), complexion (ki toktoke rong dekhli?), monetory possession (ki rakam romroma byapar dekhechhis?). esab er equation jante hay to be a hero.

Unfortunately local train chora utpal, howrah-r jute mill er karmacharir chhele laxmi ba bike niye ghora manoj lacked that X factor.
Tai media ke abar ganguly tei firte holo. they focused on ganguly’s comeback. now thats a real hero. je kina struggle korchhe. life is a hard game. when complacency comes (ami nijei dekhechhi amar profession e) u are gone. u evolve as a better human being.ganguly r manosik strength is much more than average Bengali. (6 ta match er pori dakh akhon kkR er mritughonta bajiye diyechhe janota) tai or struggle result anlono doubt that ganguly r footwork or career e best er thekeo bhalo holo. bat e run also. r team e wapsi.setao dileep vengsarkar er jamanay. je kina australiay or against e baje report diyechhilo bole kothito.

Er por abar natun itihaas. hero’s comeback. kintu gorbor holei abar natun villain r khoj. achhe MS dhoni.

Suru holo IPL. ICL er popularity (ICL ke bhulle cholbe na, subhas chandra khela gulo rekhechhe small town e. aar er vir na dekhle bojha jabe na katota successful) ke counter kortei suru holo IPL. Kolkata pelo nijosso team. SRK natun career e namlo. selection holo jakhon takhon saorav australiay. Coach elo ganguly nominated john bukanan. team e elo ishant, ponting, gayle, mccullam.first season e team reasonably safal.local player rao bhalo khello.wridhiman, dinda, laxmi, sourav nije.

Now IPL2. Expectation grew.
Buchanan janalo multiple captain theory. je kina cricket e anek udbhot jinish korechhe (jamon 1 batsman ke lefty right 2 bhabei practice korano and buchakan advocated that this should be legal that a batsman can choose which hand he can bat to different bowlers. ekjon off spinner ke right e khello, abar offie ke left e.seeing KP switch hit etao aste pare pore).Icon, captain, Hero r abasarer poreo samrajye hat? Bengali khepe galo. media was ready. karon jana galo na.ranji te laxmi captain, kintu ta bole akash chopra ? jodio seshe mccullam captain holo. single captain-ii thaklo, kintu hero kebal player hisabe thakbe mene enoa galo na.

IPL2 te kolkata result bhalo korte parlo na. r again old cliché. nothing succeeds like success. KKR tolani te. ABP er official media partner.abar ABP neme porlo mathe.banano holo new villain. team er energy, x factor, glamour SRK hoye galo new villain.buchkanan, mccullam holo villain, je mcccullam gatobar century kore sabar nayoner moni hoye gechhilo. Bangladesh e IPL e sabai KKR supporter. ICL e alada team o korechhe ebare.opar banglar chhele narail express mashraffi selected haoay KKR er goodwill aro barlo. kintu poribortito porishthite akhon street talk holo.SRK ekjon swadhormiyo ke paysa paoanor jonnoi oke select korechhe. akhon umar gul ke anar chesta korchhe team take Pakistani kore tolar jonno.sab holo chokranto. sei victimization.

Amader hero akhon nirobe haschhe. media (ABP ?) r bhasay , khamota chole jaoay samrajyer bhangon dekhe chokher udasin dristi. bhanga team dekhe aloofness. what’s next? abar 1 ta comeback? Abar 1 ta struggle? Abar villain (Buchanan, SRK) bodh? Abar samalochokder mukhe jhama ghoshe deoa?

Quoted from ABP: picture abhi baki hain mere dost naki picture khatam ho gaya mere dost (incidentally SRK dialogue).

Lets keep our finger crossed. SRK nachhe na. Korbo lorbo jitbo re. prothom 2 to holei kebal hobe na. karon kathay bole na. NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE SUCCESS !!!

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Dr Kalam addresses students at Narendrapur

An excited gathering of students assembled to listen to former President A P J Abdul Kalam when he took the stage at the Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur on Saturday.

Replying to a question on which role of life he has enjoyed the most, Kalam said being a teacher had been his dream and he became President to market his dream of developing India by 2020.

Given the occasion was the golden jubilee of the school and the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the former President quoted Vivekananda several times during the interaction.


Kalam asked the students to acquire knowledge, inculcate creativity, be righteous and courageous and have an indomitable spirit.

Kalam also faced difficult questions from the students, whom he described as responsive and intelligent. “What does ‘Buddha smiles’ mean and how can nuclear arms bring peace?” asked a student. Kalam replied: “Peace smiles and when all countries around us have nuclear weapons it is better to acquire them, as strength respects strength.”

The former President smiled when none of the students present raised their hands when asked how many of them wanted to be a politician. Later, replying to a question on why Presidents and Prime Ministers are old, Kalam said if the youth is not involved in developmental politics, how could they expect young people to lead the country? Kalam had answers for every question — from campus violence to his happiest and saddest moments in life. The former President asked the students to “navigate their time properly”. He chanted the four-fold mantra of success, saying it involved goal setting, acquiring knowledge, hard work and perseverance.

He also felicitated the heads of 10 schools, which are celebrating their centenaries, and released a special cover to mark the golden jubilee celebrations.

[Source: Express India]

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Kick-starting the Golden Jubilee celebration

A procession would start from Ramakrishna Mission Institute Of Culture, Golpark on Saturday, 12-Jan-08 at 6:30 am, To mark the beginning of The Golden Jubilee of Our School. The procession will reach Narendrapur via Southern Avenue, Lake Gardens over-bridge, Prince Anwar Shah Rd, and Jadavpur. It's like reliving our Ramakrishna Janmo Jayanti Prabhat Feri days...

Those who are in Kolkata are urged to join the procession and spread the word to his ndp network.

The schedule of events




Contact info for the upcoming events:

Sw. Yugeswarananda
[Convenor of the Golden Jubilee Commitee]
+919433332005

Sri Tapan Mukherjee (1972)
[Secretary, Vidyalaya Praktani]
+913324552210

Sri Sarad KR. Mirani (1968)
[Co-ordinator, Vidyalaya Praktani]
+913324772206


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Welfare works by RK Mission: A report

The annual general meeting of the Ramakrishna Mission was held recently. During the year under review the mission started a new centre in the State capital Bhopal as also a new sub-centre in Belgaum in Karnataka.

In medical field, the Itanagar centre launched a mobile eye care facility; a medical centre commenced at the Jammu ashram. Likewise the Karmarpukur centre in West Bengal is carrying out a national HIV/AIDS control programme in collaboration with German Leprosy Relief Association.

In the educational field, the following new projects deserve special mention- starting of post-graduate courses and programmes by Vivekananda University at its faculty centres at Narendrapur Swami Vivekananda's ancestral house and Ranchi (Morabad), post-graduate courses in mathematics and Sanskrit at Vidyamandira college of Saradapitha centre in Belur, a number of educational programmes by the Coimbatore centre viz IT academy, online education programme etc and 11-pre primary education centres by Lokasiksha Parishad of Narendrapur centre.


During the year, the Math and Mission undertook extensive relief and rehabilitation programmes in several parts of the country involving an expenditure of Rs 3.87 crore, benefiting 5.67 lakh people belonging to 1.30 lakh families of 2027 villages.

Welfare work was done by way of providing scholarships to poor students, pecuniary help to old, sick and destitute people, etc; the expenditure incurred was Rs 6.25 crore.

Medical service was rendered to more than 85.32 lakh people through 15 hospitals and 173 dispensaries including mobile medical units, the expenditure incurred was Rs 61.55 crore.

Nearly 3.39 lakh students were studying in the Mission's educational institutions from kindergarten to post-graduate level. A sum of Rs 111.60 crore was spent on educational works.

A number of rural and tribal development projects were undertaken with a total expenditure of Rs 18.62 crore.

In rural development field, the following new projects deserve special mention; starting of a rural sanitation project by Itanagar centre, Jammu & Kashmir Earthquake Rehabilitation Programme by starting tailoring centres near LoC area by the Jammu centre, a number of projects related to fruits plantation, spices cultivation, seed production, harnessing spring water for irrigation, residential bridge courses for drop-out village girls etc by Ranchi (Morabadi) centre and a number of socio-economic rehabilitation projects related to vocational training programme for skill development, lac cultivation, dissemination of renewable energy, artificial insemination and animal health care etc by Lokasiksha Parishad of Narendrapur ashram in Kolkata, according to the press release issued by Mission Gen Secy, Swami Prabhananda.

[News Source: Central Chronicle]

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Herbal juices: keeps diseases at bay

A recent study revealed that popularity of herbal juices is currently on the rise for their ability to provide natural immunity against common and some critical ailments.

Nothing new, I assume. It’s our centuries old Ayurveda which we completely ignored so far for the sake of instant-relief packages of cosmetic medicines. How ironical that could be – re-imposing faith on our home-grown assets only after they find credibility on foreign soils. Nevertheless, the Vedic rishis got their dues finally; albeit very late. Below is a chart that shows how some of the herbal juices can keep you out of heavy medical expenses with minimum investments. Health is wealth after-all.

Neem juice: A liver stimulant that also purifies blood. Good for Diabetes, Chronic fever, cough, Dysentery and Skin diseases.

Karela juice: A natural Pancreas stimulant: good for Diabetes, Indigestions, and Chronic fever.

Tulasi & Pudina juice:Good for heart, cold, cough, Asthma, and controls Cholesterol; purifies blood.

Ginger & Lime juice: Good for digestion, Gas troubles, cold, cough, and throat infections.

Amla juice: Rich in vitamin C; useful for eye, Hair & Heart, good appetite, acidity, and Petic Osteo Arthritic Gynaecological problem. Helps in stopping white hair growth and rejuvenation therapy.

Kokam juice (Garcinia indica): Good for skin diseases, reduces acidity and useful in absorbing summer heat.

Jamun juice (Black berry): Good digestive drink: specially good for diabetics; controls burning sensations, boils, and skin problems.

Carrot juice: Rich with vitamin A and nutrition for health and eyesight.

Belpatra juice (Aegle Marmelos): Good for Diabetes, stone problem, and Joint pains.

Beet Root juice: Helps increasing Hemoglobin and purifies blood. Good for weakness and eyesight.

Wheat Grass juice: Good for Blood Pressure (High & Low), acidity, Asthma, Piles, and Anemia etc.

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Festivals: Or sheer Disposals?

For various reasons, festivals fail to bring any special flavors to me anymore. They all look the same; the perpetual waste of resources galore. What makes me sad is the sheer amount of waste--money, effort, natural resources, and what not! imagine a little of these going to the needy. The consumptions and their subsequent disposals in the name of God/Goddess are extra ordinary. Cant we prune them a little and give it away some where else? may be the poor kid you see everyday on your way, the old sick lady on the foot path... only a little off your spending budget can enlighten their life, albeit for a brief moment.

Wish you all a very happy Durga Puja / Dusshera / Eid / Navratri...
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Save A Child: An Appeal from Loksiksha Parishad

Loksiksha Parishad, the development unit of RKM Narendrapur, has been engaged to carry welfare and development work following the ideas of Swami Vivekananda from its very inception.

It has embarked upon a task of integrated rural development in about 4,000 remote villages of 12 districts of west Bengal, especially the child development because it believes in holistic approach of development in which child plays the central role.

Child development activities consist of education for the pre-school children through 600 early childhood education centres, non-formal education for the children in the age group of 6-14 years and 350 mobile physical fitness units covering about 50,000 children within its area of operation.

The Details of the Appeal is here
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Subho Pujo

Aar daWsh din por-e pujo.

Tar mane, paanch din pore mahalaya, shokal chArte-te ghum theke uthe akashbani-r shei haunting tune ta. Aar aro haunting oi "matlo re bhuban, bajlo tomar alor benu". bochorer ai ekta din coffee allowed chilo..i wish, i really wish.

joy goswami ekbar likhechilo:

shorir anonde pure khak,
kal bhore ponchishe bosihakh"...

Economy of words, so powerful. Ei raate anonde pure khak howa, kal bhore mohaloya; eta ekta habit chilo, ekta obhyash. I wish again.


Narendrapur-e shokal charte-te uthe radio shonar dour kokhono hoyeni (block-er kone maharaj-er ghorer shamne, dining hall e worker ra, onek jayegate kintu sujog chhilo )...kintu shedin shokale prayer hall-e ekta lomba "oi giri nandini, nandito medini, bishwa birupini, nandanu te" hoto. Abaar shei shorir anonde pure khak. Dilipda, jituda-r ekta pet gaan chilo -- "dosh haate oi, dosh dike ma, choriye elo anondo, ghore ferar bajlo banshi, boichhe batash shumndo..anondo re, anondo" -- i could literally hear the banshi. Shedin amader usually monthly test-er last exam thakto. Seshob mathaye uthechhe...bari kokhon jabo....ar shai bari ferar pothe raater kolkata...raastar mor-e mor-e pandel bandha hoye gechhe...jeno ek ekta jomat bandha anondo.

deshantori chele meye,
mayer kole elo dheye,
shishir nir-e elo neye,
snigdho okal boshonto,
anondo re, anondo"

.... deshantori chhele, huhh...i wish, i sincerely wish.

Shebar, 1997 er pujo. Shei usual madox square-e shobai meet korechhi. Atri (chasha), arunabha onek deri kore elo. Partha (traang) sharadin-er jonno esechilo, raate bari firbe bolchhe. Anindya (Gupi) aar aami chesta chalachhi oke kono bhabe atke rakhar. Shara raat theke kalke shokal shokal kete porlai to holo. Naa, Jagulia naki onek beshi cool. Chasha-o bolchhe thakte parbe na--borojor raat barota. Beriye pora jak tahole. Ekta anonde shorir ta purchhe...this collective happiness...pujor lighting e notun jama gulo kemon adbhut onnorokom dekhaye. Moloy bolchhe bari firbe. trang-ke kichhutei raji korano jachhe na. Gupi ekhon phik phik kore haschhe. Thik achhe, porer bochor ar jholash na. Porer bochor hobe; aschhe bochor abar hobe....

I wish i knew that was going to be my last pujo till date, ten years...i wish, i wish from the depth of my soul.

Aamar mayer mukher haashi,
sharat aalor kiron raashi
komol bone uthchhe bhashi,
mayer gayer shugondho,
anondo re, anondo

"shubho pujo" to all of you...

Author: Saikat (Ghota) Ghosh is a 1993 madhyamik alumnus, presently doing his Post Doctorate in MIT, USA.

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US Officials visit Narendrapur

U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab accompanied by senior U.S. Government officials, meets with Swami Viswamayananda (Tushar da) of the Ramakrishna Mission during her brief visit to the mission’s production centre at Arapanch near Narendrapur, April 14, 2007. Ambassador Schwab was on a daylong visit to Kolkata...

[Photo source: US embassy site (New Delhi) ]



U.S. Consul General Henry V. Jardine interacts with farmes whose paddy harvests have increased with more efficient use of natural resources. The program is under the U.S. Government-funded grant project to the NGO Ramakrishna Mission. U.S. fund grantee Narendrapur Ramakrishna Mission Lok Siksha Parishad Director Swami Asaktananda (Bishnu da) is seen escorting him.

[Photo source: US Consulate site (Kolkata) ]

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Swamiji in Kashmir: A rare photo

Here is a rare photograph of Swamiji in Kashmir. According to the website of Vivekananda Vedanta Network, Josephine MacLeod, Swami Vivekananda, Mrs. Ole Bull, Sister Nivedita are on the houseboat.


[Source:Vivekananda.org]




From the site:
--------------
Swamiji received the terrible news of Goodwin's death while he was staying at Almora. Apparently he had become impatient and restless to leave the place where he had received this sad news. According to the Life, "It was decided to spend some time in Kashmir. On June l1, 1898, therefore, with the women disciples who had come with him from Calcutta, he left Almora for Kashmir."

Although not shown in the photograph, Mrs. Patterson, wife of the American consul general in Kolkata and friend and admirer of Swamiji, was also in the party. In the four dungas (houseboats) their memorable travel began. Josephine MacLeod "was fascinated by the practicality of the dungas. She described them:

These boats called dungas are about seventy feet long [perhaps thirty feet] and broad enough to have two single beds in them and a corridor between, covered with a matting house; so wherever we wanted a window we only had to roll up the matting. The whole roof could be lifted in the daytime and thus we lived in the open, yet knew there was always a roof over our heads. We had four of these dungas, one for Mrs. Ole Bull and me, one for Mrs. Patterson [who accompanied them only to Anantnag and then left them to join her husband] and Sister Nivedita and one for swami and one of his monks. [Until the end of their stay in Kashmir Vivekananda was alone in the boat. It was only just before they left the valley that Swami Saradananda was sent for to join them.] We stayed in Kashmir four months, said Joe, the first three in these simple little boats until after September, when it got so cold, we took an ordinary houseboat with fireplaces and there enjoyed the warmth of a real house. "

The Western pilgrims were in raptures. In the words of Sister Nivedita, "The whole was a symphony in blue and green and white, so exquisitely pure and vivid that for a while the response of the soul to its beauty was almost pain!" They were all enchanted by the company of Swamiji who charmed them with his knowledge of the countryside and its history. He was often so deeply absorbed in his own thoughts and various exalted moods that he completely forgot all thought of food or drink.
--------------

Swamiji wrote the poem Kali the Mother when he was on a houseboat on Dal Lake. It may be this boat. Here is the poem.

The stars are blotted out,
The clouds are covering clouds.
It is darkness vibrant, sonant.
In the roaring, whirling wind
Are the souls of a million lunatics
Just loosed from the prison-house,
Wrenching trees by the roots,
Sweeping all from the path.
The sea has joined the fray,
And swirled up mountain-waves,
To reach the pitchy sky.
The flash of lurid light
Reveals on every side
A thousand, thousand shades
Of Death begrimed and black-
Scattering plagues and sorrows,
Dancing mad with joy,
Come, Mother, come!
For terror is Thy name,
Death is in thy breath,
And every shaking step
Destoys a world for e'er.
Thou Time, the All-destroyer!
Come, O Mother, come!
Who dares misery love,
And hug the form of Death,
Dance in destruction's dance
To him the Mother comes.

[originally posted by Arijit Chatterjee in Rkmvidyalaya-narendrapur yahoogroups]

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The sacrilege...

It seems the management of Vidyalaya is awash with funds these days. So much so that they had to return the development fund to the central authority for being unable to spend it!!! that strikes me hard. no expenditure on development? There's also report of full-blown mismanagement regarding the upcoming Golden Jubilee celebration. It may do a little good to the cause by toning down the discorded symphony—that is, how it's at the moment—lest the overdose spoils everything. A faction of the management (specific names withheld) is firing all the salvo, albeit at wrong targets; and hitherto showing zero accountability over their agenda.

Dear authority (if you're listening), WE, the alumni, are always strongly attached to our belief in serving the institution at its behest, but let's not forget that the money comes a hard way for everyone; and it's not too much to ask for a transparency in the system. The last thing we expect from YOU is this autocratic attitude.
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Blind Boys academy: a success story

At Sealdah, keeping track of train movements, separated travellers or even sounding simple alerts are six visually-challenged persons who come to the aid of the commuters, making nearly a thousand announcements a day on an average.

Trained at Narendrapur Blind Boys academy and Calcutta Blind school - Arup Chakraborty, Ranjit Choudhury, Dilip Bala, Pradip Dey, Polly Bhattacharya and Manju Basak are the members of this announcement team at Sealdah, which functions from the control room of the divisional railway manager. Middle-aged, some married and with grown up children, these Eastern Railway employees work together with their colleagues, doing the same hours, and refuse special treatment.



Here is the full article on Kolkata newsline.

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A little moment of fame??

In a classic (scary too) example of how web power can put you into the public limelight, five classmates (L-R: Aapel, KaLee, Dadoo, Kutsab and GooLee) of 1993 madhyamik batch were featured on ‘The Statesman’ last weekend; completely unaware of the event. Pritam’s (aapel) relative spotted him on the article and sent a congratulatory note!!! Whoo whoo. A little more digging found out the real story. It was our puja get-together of 2004; after a hectic long day filled with fun (laced with khisti, old school events and many other things which cant be explicitly told but should be understood by all the readers :D ), we decided to unwind a bit at the peaceful ambiance of Dhakuria lake in Southern Calcutta, before we headed for a short puja vromon. Later, we put up the photos at our site narendrapur.com like we always do for any trip, get-together or similar events. Little did we know that a naive photo from that travel journal will pop out on a print media after three years, that too on the page of a popular newspaper?


A simple image-search for the term 'adda' on Google, and this photo comes right at the 2nd page, front row. They (the author and the content developers?) picked it up without bothering to obtain permission or informing to the owner, and went on to use it for the article “The Adda Funda”! Do we sue?? 

This makes me wonder how vulnerable we are at this internet-age to the extent that anything and everything you put up on this public domain might be used/abused/misused somewhere else w/o you even being aware! Scary, naa?

Note: i couldn't find the web version of this article from the newspaper's online archive. if anyone can find it (titled "The Adda Funda"), please forward the link. you candownload the scanned copies of the article here. Finally, thanks to the Google God for attributing this momentary lapse of printed fame!!!

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Narendrapur on radar of high investments

According to recent reports, Kolkata has left behind other metros in terms of real estate investments. cheap living costs despite high growth is what attracting the real estate developers to the city, who have identified Garia-Narendrapur, Behala-Joka and Howrah as three major locations where development growth will see high escalations in the coming days.

Here is the report published in The Statesman.
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