Ruthless Carnage

Ruthless Carnage

 

The developed nation

Easy access to

Arms and ammunition

To common men

Also to hunters and

Target shooters....

 

Broken homes

Insecurity, anguish

Frustration, anger

Pent up emotions

Insanity,  hatred

 

High alert security

A known devil

Sneaks in but

The Satan is neither

Known nor unknown

Has neither face nor religion

 

He just appeared

With a venomous heart

Blasted his way into

The “sandy Hook”

Sprayed the innocent

Little Angels with

Bullets fired

 From his handguns

With far and close range

Leaving twenty kiddos

And six adults with

Devastating wounds

All over all over ..

 

The classroom

That imparted knowledge

Turned into a battlefield

With pool of blood and

Heart breaking wailing....

 

Beautiful Connecticut

Picturesque Newtown

Busy with holiday tree lighting

With apple cider, hot chocolate

Getting ready to greet

Their very own “Santa”

For their little ones

Planning Christmas gifts

 With all the gusto

Plunged into mourning

Shocked and horrified

Rushed to the school

Which they trusted

To be the safest

Place for their children

 Only to see them

Defaced, soaked in blood

 

The inconsolable

Grief stricken parents

Too shocked to

Believe what had

Happened to their

Own flesh and blood...

 

Whom do we blame ?

Whom do we hold

Responsible for,

this heinous crime?

‘Lanza’ –the Satan

Who lost his mental balance,

Or all those adults

Who never gave him,

that emotional security

Or the easy access

to those guns...

I am yet to find an answer...

Arundhati

23-57       16^th December 2012

 

 

 

As I watched CNN and read the report of N Y times about the ghastly killing of 20 innocent children aged between five and ten and 6 adults, I did not know how to react, my heart sank and the pain has occupied major part of my thought process, so much so that I am not able to come out of it or think anything else.

After 2 days I could express my feelings in the form of a poem.

We all need to seriously ponder, find out where we are going wrong. We have made a tremendous progress in almost every sphere of life but I think in a bid to chase success, money and comforts we have left our children starving emotionally, failed to give them that emotional  security or mental  stability.

After all Adam Lanza was not a born terrorist, if the reports are to be believed, he was a bright and ambitious student.    What then forced him to take such a drastic step? What prompted him to kill his own mother? Why did he target the innocent children? Is it that he was so frustrated with adults and thought of saving the young children from all that what he was going through in life? Or he did it just for the sadistic pleasure?

Many such questions are springing up in my head like the demons that sprang out of every drop of blood that fell on the ground, from the body of a  mythological demon “ Raktabeejasura” but I am not able to get any satisfactory answer.

Why do we then buy the toy guns, violent video games and introduce our children to speed and violence at their impressionable age of plasticity? In 1984 when my son Tapan was studying in Junior KG class, I had bought him a Leo toy gun which made rattling noise of multiple firing. I was a young mother in my mid twenties, for me buying the latest toy for my kid was just to make him feel good.

One day Rev. Fr. Herbert, Principal of Fatima High school where my son was studying, dropped in at our place. He started asking us how we were bringing up our kid. We showed all the books and toys that we had procured for our son. He picked up the Leo Gun and told on our face “ I didn’t expect the educated parents like you to buy a destructive toy for your little one who is so well behaved and bright” he then walked away with the toy gun. My son never asked for it again.

Today I am reminded of Fr Herbert, though I am clueless as to where is he at this moment. But I have not forgotten the great lesson he taught me.

What kind of previous Karma these twenty kids had in store that they just withered away before blossoming.....What sin the parents had committed to mourn the death of their  little children, while they had planned a great Christmas for them? Why were those adults-Principal, psychologist and teachers killed? Did they do something wrong by trying to protect those who were under their wings?

 I salute those two teachers who could save some children by hiding them in a class room and by helping them escape through the window. God bless them.

But what would be the mental state of those children who witnessed all this? Will they trust and go back to school? All we teachers need to think about it.

Everybody talks about globalisation, universal brotherhood at the drop of a hat but how many feel that compassion for all other human co habitants of this globe?

I sincerely appeal to the Lord to give courage to all those inconsolable parents and relatives, my deepest condolences.

Let us all pray unanimously for all those Souls who departed us and wish them a ‘Merry Christmas’ in His Kingdom with God Almighty Himself.

Amen.

"Hatchling Hairband"

Hatchling hairband

By Arundhati Hoskeri

Fascinating

Exciting baby

Crocodile with

Bulging eyes

Wide open mouth

Long jaws

Sharp denture

Protective armour

Glittering  skin

Cold blooded

Warm hearted

Creepy Hatchling

Adorned my head

I was of course

An instant celebrity

Light -Camera- Action

I enjoyed all that attention

Soon the baby

Picked up my heat

Grew active

Slid down my shoulder

Squirmed on my neck

Tickled with his claws

Then I panicked

Shunned him down

With frenzy shriek

16-10-2012

4:00 pm

On 10th October I was at Bentota -Srilanka. After enjoying the adventurous and  crazy water sports we were enjoying a boat ride, in the lap of nature, cutting through the mangroves. That is when one of the boat attendants quickly picked up a hatchling or a baby crocodile when our boat was moving along the shores, to get into the canopy of Mangroves and asked if any body wanted to touch. The baby looked so beautiful , so charming that I instantly fell in love with him and asked the boatman to put him on my head. For a few minutes he seemed to  enjoy the comfort / warmth of my hair, then slowly moved down my neck and shoulders, when his claws mildly scraped my skin, it was a weird tickling sensation and he started moving down, then quickly I shrieked and let him run down. I have just put this experience in the form of a poem. 

"Home Remedies for Common Ailments" Book release in Colombo

Folk medicine is one of my favourite interests and the subject is very close to my heart. I always wanted to write them down and it took almost two and a half years to complete the same, after managing a high pressure job of heading the ICSE High School working 8 hours a day. But I am satisfied that the book has come out really well; it has been a true labour of love.

 

 

I had travelled to Srilanaka to participate in an International Poetess Conference to receive an award " Sanghmitra of the Age" This was  organised by AIPC (All India Poetess Conference) conceived and headed by Dr Prof Lari Azad

My Book was released there on 9th October 2012. The chief guest Hon. Mr Ramachandran, Director, Indian Culture Centre, Colombo released my book.

This book was later presented to Assistant High Commission of India,Hon Mr Natarajan who instantly praised the book and said it is the need of the hour and this book is useful for every home and every family

 

. Seen in the above photograph are Prof. Lari Azad, Hon Mr Natarajan and Dr Arundhati Govind Hoskeri

Dr CJ Hemantkumar and Dr Indrani Hemant Kumar were happy to write the foreword for my book

FOREWORD

  It gives us great pleasure in writing the foreword of this book on “HOME REMEDIES FOR COMMON AILMENTS”.

        Home remedies for ailments came to evolve over centuries due to the absence of modern medicine and paucity of doctors. Their effectiveness led them to be spread by word of mouth through generations.  Made of routinely used and easily available materials, these remedies offer a cure for simple ailments and at times help to tide over critical periods.  These remedies are best used before rushing to a doctor for minor ailments as they are easy to prepare and have virtually no side effects besides the occasional allergy which is in contrast with modern medicine that has its own side effects and has to be taken for a specific period. One remarkable aspect about home remedies is that they offer immediate relief with a minimal dose. This book   eloquently reveals the inherent healing properties of common ingredients used in food in our day to day lives.

        Arundhati Hoskeri has written a practical handbook for the entire family. When you look up the illness in question you will find all the relevant herbal recipes and treatments, together with instructions for their preparation and use. After reading this book you feel amazed by the tremendous amount of natural healing power our own kitchen and pantry holds. She has presented the recipes for glowing health in a very lucid and clear manner.

Nearly one hundred seventy ailments are covered in this book, which are alphabetically arranged and easy to locate. Arundhati is a multi linguist who fluently speaks in eight Indian languages other than English. She has thus listed the ingredients in six Indian languages (Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil) other than English so that it is easy to refer for one and all.  A quick reference table showing the usefulness of common fruits and vegetables is very informative. Beauty and Skin Care section has some very interesting Beauty Masks and treatments.

Most of the ailments cover Cause, Symptom and Remedies in a very systematic way. Arundhati is a structured thinker and a passionate seeker of knowledge, who always goes beyond the books / course curriculum of whatever studies she undertakes.

She is a multifaceted personality with a keen interest and a penchant for learning newer things. Her diverse interests range from writing poignant and romantic poetry to studying Gemmology, Astrology and Naturopathy.  After publishing a collection of her poems, titled “MINDSCAPES” she has now added another feather to her hat by writing a book on home remedies.  We can expect many more such wonderful and helpful books from her.

We sincerely hope you enjoy reading this book, as much as we did.

Dr. C. J. Hemant Kumar                                             Dr. Indrani Hemant Kumar                                                       

MBBS, MS, M Ch, FIACS                                            MBBS, MD, DA,DNB

Cardio-Vascular and Thoracic Surgeon               Professor of Anaesthesiology, BYL   Nair Hospital

 Jaslok Hospital Mumbai                                         and Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai

 

Read my preface to know more:

PREFACE:

This modern scientific age with its innovations and research in the field of medicine  has no doubt  increased human longevity, made our life comfortable and everything available at our fingertips but at the same time, too much of dependency on machines without any physical strain has also created health hazards. The so called life style diseases like Hypertension (high blood pressure), Diabetes, Heart attacks have started targeting the younger generation.

Everybody is chasing something or the other in life!  Too much stress at work place, irregular eating habits, and erratic ways of combating problems, giving in to smoking, alcohol and drugs is taking a heavy toll on health.

Having studied Natural Health Sciences,  I realised popping Allopathic pills for every minor health problem is not a must. In fact our kitchen is an excellent store house of medicine. All the consumable food ingredients have a lot of curative property which when taken, help in curing ailments without any harmful effect on the human system. I will be giving some very effective remedies which are tested and have given best results. The common ailments selected here are useful for every age group.

My request to the readers is to apply and follow these remedies judiciously, especially those who are suffering from ailments like Hypertension, Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Heart ailment or any other such disease that has dependency on prescribed medication. You can definitely try these natural remedies that are effective and harmless, BUT DO NOT TRY TO STOP OR ALTER YOUR EXISTING MEDICATION WITHOUT CONSULTING YOUR REGULAR PHYSICIAN / DOCTOR FIRST.

Having been brought up in a highly educated South Indian family, which had a multi cultural embrace has been a great influence in my life. My grand mother, my mother and my father have had a home remedy for almost every minor ailment at the tip of their tongue and they have really worked on us beautifully. So right from my child hood I have been imbibing them naturally and my interest in folk medicine became a kind of fascination. I always keep my ears and eyes open and seek information.

  Whenever we took a break to escape from the cement jungle, whether it is forests of Bandipur  or Ranthambore or Nepal or Kerala or Thailand , after everybody else would be taking afternoon naps , I used to go and talk to the gardeners, hotel chefs, old caretakers and so on and gather information about folk medicine.

When I visited Nepal, a Leech got into my shoe and I was unaware of the oozing blood till I removed my shoe. When I tried to pull it off my ankle, I could not get rid of it. Then a hotel staff member rushed to me with a fistful of salt and Turmeric and a burning candle. He first held the flame of a candle very close to the Leech and removed it and immediately pressed salt and turmeric and tied a cloth around it and the bleeding stopped.

When we were holidaying at Ranthambore, a Bengali woman, a masseur,  told me about a root called Ishermul with which she had terminated the unwanted pregnancy of her daughter.

A nasty pimple on my chin would not go away for more than a month and was very painful, my gardener  one day saw it and brought a piece of Aloe Vera leaf and asked me to apply its gel. The very next day the pimple started shrinking.

My grandmother used to prepare a concoction with cotton seeds for Stomatitis (ulcers in mouth) which cured them in 2 to 3 days.

I have such many anecdotes to tell.

I would make note of all these things and would read about the active principle / medicinal value of that ingredient. When I studied Naturopathy, it was purely out of my passion for folk medicine.

Today people are fed up with modern medicines which give them quick relief but not without side effects and so slowly they are turning towards safer Alternative Medicines. There are so many books available in the market on the same subject, but whatever books I have come across are not user friendly. Some are written in anecdotal form, some mention a lot of rare roots and herbs which may not be accessible to a common person.  I really wanted to put these useful remedies in print in such a way that they are easy to follow, easy to refer and the ingredients are easy to access mainly from our own kitchen.

I have worked on this book for two years; I really hope and wish that this book will be useful for all. I have covered 166 ailments and 33 preparations (recipes). This wealth bank of Folk Medicine is so vast that I need to keep updating it all my life. I have suggested a list of remedies for every single ailment. The readers can pick up any one as per their choice.

I hope this book will be useful to all readers, and I am eager to get your feedback and suggestions.

My E-mail ID : aru.stresscare@gmail.com        

Dr. Arundhati Govind Hoskeri

Mumbai

Those who wish to buy a copy may contact me on : : aru.stresscare@gmail.com and

Mr. Das Gajula on 09820130718

Printed and Published  in September 2012

Number of pages: 240

Cost of the book : Rs 300 /- and Postal charges as applicable

 Free delivery in Mumbai and Navimumbai, Thane

An Adieu to Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh

Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, minister of Science and Technology and minister of earth sciences  and former chief minister of Maharashtra left for his heavenly abode on 14^th August 2012 due to multiple organ failure at Global Hospital Chennai. This surely was a shocking news and   I was really disturbed.

I am not a politician nor interested in politics, I have been an educationist for the last 28 years and I really do not understand much of politics. I am not at all here to write about Mr Deshmukh’s political career but I would like to write about his excellent quality-punctuality. I had the opportunity to interact with him on a couple of occasions when I worked for GFGS at  Kharghar

I joined Greenfingers Global School Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, as a Founder Principal and we had the school inauguration on 19^th June 2006. Mr Deshmukh  who was then the Chief minister of Maharashtra  was invited to inaugurate the school. The function was fixed at 3:30 pm and there were nearly ten thousand  people assembled for the same , it is not an exaggeration but a fact, the one acre play ground of this school was so packed that the late comers had to stand on the road to have a glimpse. This was the largest crowd I have faced and addressed! This school belongs to Mr Vijaysinh MohitePatil, another popular minister who has a huge fan following.

Mr Deshmukh had confirmed, to be on the premise by 3 pm sharp but that day he came in 20 minutes earlier and there were almost all the ministers from his cabinet who attended the function including Mr R R Patil the then Home Minister and all of them had arrived 10 minutes earlier before Mr Deshmukh arrived. I heard them talking among themselves “ Sahebancha sobat jayayacha manhje  tharavlele  vela  peksha ardhataas tari laukar pochla pahije”-meaning if we have to go to any function with Saheb it is better that we reach half an hour earlier than the scheduled time.

I was really surprised, I have seen politicians making the crowd wait for hours together and then walking in at leisure at their own whims and fancies and sometimes not turning up at all. Even the education inspectors or chief guests invited for small time functions, walk in late at their convinience and here was a chief ministers showing up 20 minutes earlier than his scheduled time! I could not help but admire and adore him for this disciplined trait.

When he addressed the crowd, his speech was crisp, relevant and charismatic. I must mention        Mr R R Patil also is a very good speaker who speaks intelligently.

 

 It was not just this occasion, an year later when his cabinet along with Mr Sharad Pawar came to lay a foundation stone for Grameen Bhavan at Kharaghar, they were served lunch at our school and again the same discipline was maintained.

Mr Deshmukh has surely left this world much before his scheduled departure; all of us know 67 years is not the age to exit. All I can do is to pray that his SOUL rests in peace.

Arundhati Hoskeri

BOOK REVIEW: GUIA’S WILL: the dying declaration of Mother Earth

GUIA’S WILL: the dying declaration of Mother Earth


  GUIA’S WILL: the dying declaration of Mother Earth, written by Dr Manu Kothari and Dr Lopa Mehta is an unusual work on the subject of Ecology and the Environment. I realized for the first time that a dry subject like Ecology could be so romantic and fascinating after I read this book.

“The Authors” in fact need no introduction; both are post graduate medical teachers, Ex-Heads of the Department of Anatomy, Seth G S Medical College and KEM Hospital who have published many thought provoking books in the Medical field. Their works are recognized internationally. I am privileged to know them and if I have to describe them in one sentence, both of them are “Excellent Human beings”- that says it all.

 There are many books on the subject of ecology which have loads of information supported with facts and figures that could make you yawn after going through a couple pages. But Guia’s will – is a different story all together.

 It begins as an autobiography of planet Earth, I mean Mother Earth. Humans on one hand give her the status of mother and exploit her in all possible ways on the other! What an irony! May be this is how a mother is being treated in KALIYUGA!

 The preface begins with Vasuda eva kutumbakam-meaning the Earth is just one family, the principle on which the authors have been living their life.

The beautiful language and the rich vocabulary is a treat to behold. Today when the standard of English language is declining and deteriorating, when even the so called journalists feel proud to use American slang or Hinglish lingo, Gia’s will is a must read.

 It has quotes from Sanskrit to Julian Huxley to William Blake to R Emerson to Chief Seattle’s plea….the list is endless.  The thoughts are well organized and the focus is not lost, there is a lot of information on the subject that unleashes slowly and beautifully like the break of a dawn.  It is handled with such sensitivity that every sentence, every word written makes you ponder and take you on the process of self realization, if you are a sensitive human child of the Mother Earth.
You can not read it at a stretch like you read a work of fiction. You need to go slow, try to ingest and digest each word to understand it completely, for instance: the authors say “ Life is originated only once, life has exhibited incredible consistency over the past 4 billion years….” You, my dear, are related to all the human beings, extinct, extant and destined to be- You are similarly related to all the beasts, birds, insects and bacteria. You are life; life is you- That art Thou- Tat twam asi.

 Later referring to the chemical building block of life itself ; DNA that oversees the Development, Nurture and Annihilation of life, thus embodying within itself the Holy Trinity of Brahma the Generator, Vishnu the Operator and Shiva the Dissolver, i. e. Srusti Sthiti Pralaya concept of Hindu Philosophy. ( Ch. 3. I am dying pg. 16) 

 It is really Mother Earth’s desperate attempt to awaken higher self of the Crown of Creation to their own betterment and to achieve her own salvation.

It is scientific, it is factual, it is informative, it is thought provoking and it is romantic.  I would strongly recommend this book to all students, teachers, and educationists and to all the ignorant children of Mother Earth.



---- Arundhati Govind Hoskeri

YOUNG INDIA ACTION FORUM (YIAF) FORTHCOMING EVENT

To each his suffering: all are men

Condemned alike to groan;

The tender for another’s pain,

The unfeeling for his own.

The above lines written by Thomas Gray have deeply touched my heart since childhood. My father often used to quote them, explain the meaning. Even today I try to analyse and try to understand these precious lines.

 Always we keep on blaming the circumstances, difficult  childhood, bad work place , the politicians, the society and so on. The list is endless.

But when we sit back and peep within ourselves we understand our own worth! We get so much from the world around but what have we given back?

It is high time that each individual sat back and reflected and got ready to contribute what ever he / she can. It need not always be money; you can offer your TIME, a more precious commodity these days.

I try my best to promote this idea to my young students, youth and the audience in general whenever I get an opportunity to address a large gathering. I am happy even if few from the hundreds of people I talk to get convinced and try to contribute their bit. But my target of course  is to convince  100% of them! I am a very positive person, a true Libran in spirit!

Well , a few of us really felt we must do something for the needy section of society, we came together and YIAF-Young India Action Forum was born! We take up an issue try to resolve it or at least help our best to whatever extent possible. We do not have any Government or Semi Government assistance, we coax our friends and relatives to lighten their wallets for a good cause and also we  lighten our wallets too!!

So our committee consists of young and not so young members who are committed and enthusiastic to contribute. Well YIAF itself is tree years old and all of us yet just toddlers in that sense!

So far YIAF has taken up the following projects:

1.     IMPROVEMENT OF TRAFFIC CONDITIONS :

This was the maiden project taken up by YIAF. Traffic conditions out side Matunga central railway station were horrible at any time of the day. To streamline this we introduced a barricade opposite the parking lot which got converted into a permanent divider, easing out the traffic conditions.

2.     DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD GRAINS

Staple food stuff like Pulses and Rice was distributed to 50 families in wadala slum.

3.     FREE COACHING TO NEEDY STUDENTS

Some of our members volunteered their time and expertise to help out the needy students of King George High School, Dadar to cope up with their curriculum. With the growing demands, children coming from lower strata neither get conducive home environment nor have the capacity to afford private tuitions. Again YIAF extended a helping hand

4.     A JOYOUS RIDE WITH SENIOR CITIZENS

Bandra – Worli sea link on Arabian Sea in Mumbai is one of its own kinds. When it was inaugurated all the Mumbaikars were thrilled so naturally they  rushed for repeated long drives on the sea link. When one of our members contacted  senior citizens of Manav Seva Sangh and offered them a day’s picnic or a movie of their interest, all of them unanimously said they wanted to travel  the new Bandra worli sea link! Well YIAF arranged a special  open bus for sixty of them, provided snacks and converted the bus into a joyous picnic spot ! All the senior citizens on board were so happy and felt the 3 hours that they spent on board went past so soon!

5.     FREE MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC CAMP

We pitched  in our doctor friends, who agreed readily to help us out. Auxilium Convent School, wadala was kind enough to give us space. Our members campaigned from door to door in the nearby slums and 350 poor families availed our services. A paediatrician, a Dentist, an Ophthalmologist and a General physician formed our medical team. 50 patients who had eye defects were provided with spectacles totally free of cost.

6.     SUPPLY OF NATURAL VITAMINS AND MINERALS TO DEAF AND DUMB CHILDREN

Since last year we are regularly distributing fresh fruits to Dumb and deaf children on every Tuesday and Thursday to rectify the nutritional disorders of the children studying at LT Deaf school wadala. If you wish to join this once a while, you are most welcome, you need not  necessarily be a member of YIAF.

7.     FREE DIAGNOSTIC CAMP ON WORLD KIDNENEY DAY 2010

500 and odd people were checked for Blood sugar, blood pressure and weight and were advised further action by our team of expert doctors.

8.     FREE EYE CHECK UP CAMP FOR BLIND SCHOOL

A free eye check up camp was held at Kamal Mehta Blind School at Dadar. The whole idea was to restore the vision and hope for partially blind girls, who could not afford the treatment.  The girls were helped with spectacles, medications and corrective surgery ( At Bachhoo Ali hospital Parel)

9.     MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA FOR BLIND GIRLS

A musical evening ( Orchestra) was organised for students of Kamal Mehta Blind school for girls on Women’s day. They not only  enjoyed the performance of Orchestra but some of them rendered old numbers of Lata Mangeshkar beautifully.

10.                        YOGA FOR THE STUDENTS OF LT DEAF SCHOOL WADALA

YIAF arranged for a Yoga teacher who teaches Yoga and Pranayam once a week and children are of course very happy about it! The cost is borne by  YIAF

We also provided a transport facility ( Bus) for their picnic.

11.                        MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC CAMP FOR KIDNEY DISORDER ON SUNDAY 18^TH MARCH 2012

Our forth coming event is scheduled on 18^th of March out side Matunga ( Central) railway station.  People will be screened for any possible diseased condition related to Urinary System by the team of expert doctors. Needless to say it is absolutely free. They will also be given some useful tips and home made remedies for initial / mild problems related to Diabetes and Urinary System.

This picture was taken at a Maedical Diagnostic  Camp conducted at Auxilium Convent High School Wadala, Mumbai