Listen vs Hear , React vs Respond

How well do your discussions go ? Do they very often end up in a disagreement or in refined terms "agree to disagree" mode ?

Listening is a skill. We usually don't listen, we hear. And that makes a lot of difference.

Next time when you are discussing something with a friend of yours, observe it.

Are you reacting or are you responding ?

Reacting: You just hear what the other has to say, don't think about it from his perspective. All you want is to prove that your point is correct. Not just that, your point is the Only Correct one.

It is not out of intention to hurt the other, it is just in a rush of the situation that this happens, influenced by the group/situation.

Responding: You feel the responsibility towards other. You feel that you are related to the other. If there is something that you do not know, you learn, if you have something to tell, you convey it with utmost responsibility. One does not need any so called special communication skills/spoken English techniques, your sense of responsibility reflects in each and every word you speak and the other can perceive it. And hence, the discussions usually lead to mutual learning/happiness/satisfaction to both the persons involved. Here we listen, not just hear.

Jeena kya hai? (From lage raho munna bhai)

"Shaher ki es daud me daud ke karna kya hai?
Jab yehi jeena hai dosto to phir marna kya hai?

Pahli barish me train late hone ki fikr hai
Bhul gaye bhigte hue tahelna kya hai?

Serails ke kirdaaro ka saara haal hai malum
par maa ka haal puchhne ki fursat kise hai?

Ab ret pe nange pao tahelte kyu nahi?
108 hai chanel phir dil bahelte kyu nahi?

Internet ki duniya ke to touch me hai,
lekin pados me kon raheta hai jaante tak nahi.

Mobile, Landline sab ki bharmaar hai,
Lekin jigri dost tak pahuche aise taar kaha hai?

Kab dubte hue suraj ko dekha tha yaad hai?
Kab jaana tha shaam ka woh banana kya hai?

To Dosto Shaher ki es daud me daud ke karna kya hai
Jab yahi jeena hai to phir Marna kya hai?"

Day 3 (I made this poster :D) .. the idea to use abhishek was bharath's .. thanks bharath :)

Day 2

Day 1

Is there no end to this :-( ?!

Lashkar-e-Toiba:

In a pamphlet entitled Why Are We Waging Jihad, the group defines its agenda as the restoration of Islamic rule over all parts of India.

Naxalites :

Advocate that Indian peasants and lower classes must overthrow the government and upper classes whom they held responsible for their plight.

Terrorism in India

There are 28 pages in this section of this category.

1 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings 1993 Mumbai bombings 1998 Coimbatore bombings 2 2006 Varanasi bombings A Air India Flight 182 Akshardham Temple attack B 2005 Indian Institute of Science shooting H Harkat-ul-Mujahideen Hizbul Mujahideen

I Indian Airlines Flight 814 J Jaish-e-Mohammed 2005 Jaunpur train bombing Jaunpur train crash K Kurnool train crash L Lashkar-e-Omar Lashkar-e-Toiba List of hijacking of Indian aeroplanes N 29 October 2005 Delhi bombings O Operation Ashwamedh

P Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act R Rafiganj train disaster 2005 Ram Janmabhoomi attack in Ayodhya Ranvir Sena T Terrorism in India Terrorism in Kashmir Terrorist attack on American cultural centre in Kolkata (2002) Terrorist attack on Indian Parliament (2001) W Wandhama massacre

Tamil nationalism

Tamil nationalism is a strong aspiration by some Tamils to establish traditional Tamil home lands in India and Sri Lanka as separate nations.

Insurgent groups in Northeast India

Some groups call for a separate state, others for autonomy while some extreme groups demand nothing but complete independence. Many groups are alleged to be surreptitiously funded by Pakistan's state intelligence organization — the Inter-Services Intelligence and the Chinese. The chief sources of income for these groups include the narcotics trade originating from Myanmar and extortion.

Khalistan

Khālistān (Punjabi: ਖਾਲਿਸਤਾਨ) (lit. "The Land of the Pure") was the name given to the proposed nation-state, encompassing the present Indian state of Punjab and all Punjabi-speaking areas contiguous to its borders, the creation of which has been violently agitated for by separatist organisations.

Vishva Hindu Parishad

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (Sanskrit for "World Hindu Council"), widely recognized by its initials 'VHP', is a Hindu organization in India, an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. It was founded in 1964. Its slogan is "Dharmo rakshiti rakshitah", or "By defending what is righteous, you will be protected." Its symbol is a banyan tree.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What is Right ?!

When we need to take a decision, most of the times we take it based on what we "feel" is Right. How do we verify if this decision is The Right decision ?

It is not very difficult to see whats Right and whats Wrong. Anything which is Right would be UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED ! It might not be Understood initially. At the face of it, if might look like deniying someone. But whatever is Right would be understood and accepted over a period of time. The decision would be true across time, location and person. It should not deny any person at any place at any point of time. That any person includes ourselves too. It should not make me unhappy. There is more to it that it should not effect/disturb anything in existence. (Includes Nature, Society, family and you). Such decisions are Right decisions.

To make sure that one takes Right decision, one needs to have a proper understanding of the functioning of everything. Like what does Nature expect from us. What does society expect from us. What does family expect from us and what do you want for urself!! . It is only then that you can make sure you are not messing up with any of them.

The moment we start looking at ourselves, seeing what is going on because of our decisions. Are they Right i.e. are they accepted by everyone. Am I happy taking such a decision. Once we start contemplating on such issues, we start correcting our decisions. To correct our decisions, we seek more knowledge, correct knowledge and hence our KB gets purified. Outcome : Decisons would be Right.

Note: Decision here does not only mean a major step/advancement (like chosing a career) . It can be as small as uttering a word(what word .. we are responsible for the consequences of our words), taking a step(walk), deciding what to eat and wear ....

Disclaimer : This is just a proposal. I am not advocating it !

The grouping phenomenon

Hello all ... wanted to tell a few words .. applicable all thourgh our lives ..

Every human being in this world wants to be happy. He wants to live a meaningful life.

To be happy an individual needs

1) Trust : One can be happy only when he is confident that the people around him wants him to be happy ...

2) Respect .. for what he is ..

3) Affection .. that friendliness .. the comfort ..

4) Care ..

5) Guidance to do good things

6) Appreciation for being good .. and doing good things ..

7) Gratitute .. thanking him when he helps you ...

8) Love ..

It is natural that one tries to find a company of friend(s) which provides him with the above things he expects ...

Actually noone wants to deliberately make someone unhappy .. the situations turn out to be so ... ( situations are the tests .. which test the strenght of the bonds)

So when someone notices that as time passes by ..due to unavoidable circumstances .. a company of friend(s) which used to provide the above things is no longer in a situation to do so.. he/she has two options ...

1) Look for another such company of human being(s)

2) Try to make the friend(s) realise that what they are doing is a mistake .. which can be costly .. and that it is not the right way ...

If he has time and resources and the oppurtunity .. he can pursue the second options ... but in most cases they leave it for them to realise it for themselves that .. what they have done is a mistake .. and go ahead and live his life ... this time making sure such situations do not arise ...

and this is a contunuous process .. all throught the life ...

You can observe that .. when we meet a big set of people ... initially this shifting happens very rapidly (1st sem) (they find the company that suits u) .. (option 1) .. over sometime ... once the grps are formed (sem2 to sem8) option 2 (trying to help others realise ) happens ... then .. when there is complete change in locations (join companies) .. again new people .. again shuffling .. again grouping :)) ... (until u shift to another company :)))) ) ...

ha haaaaaaa .. so that is life .. :)

but remember one thing .. one grp of friends from whom you cant escape is FAMILY ... some people still do that .. by seperating .. divorcing etc .. but most cases you cant escape .. option 2 is the only option :DDD ..

enjoi .. have fun ..

Suman.

Noone is bad. Some are good !

Evvaru cheddavallu kadu ane na statement miku correct ani anipinchakapovacchu. Let me try and explain why I made such a statement. You might empathise with me towards the end of this reading.

Prati manishiki knowlege anedi untundi. For any decision he has to take, he refers to his knowledge and based on the answer he gets, he takes the decison. Tanaki telisi evaru tappu cheyaru. Tappu ani atani knowledge cheppina sare aa pani cheyyadam is also possible but it is very less.

Andari knowledge base (lets put it as KB in short) okate na ? Kadu. Evaru experiences batti vallu, valla rules, principles, habits, in short KB ni developchesukuntaru. So, naku telisinantha varaku nenu tappu cheyyanu, kani edutuvaadiki nenu chesina oka pani tappu ga anipistundi, enduku ante vaadi "KB" ala undi.

Oka manishi entha manchivaadu annadi ee conscience batti aadharapadi untundi. His personality is defined by this. Inkola cheppali ante vaadi KB entha varaku Correct anedanibatti aadhara padi untundi. The whole purpose of our life is actually to Correct, Purify, Recitify this KB. The purest form of this KB being God (What we/scriptures/elders have been calling as reaching God/Moksha). Such a person would be in perfect harmony with everyone. With himself, with his friends and family, with all the people around him, with nature, with everything that exists.

How do I know whether my conscience is correct ? We need to observe, we need to verify , we need to think , and we need to realise. In other words, don't accept things blindly. We have been accumulating this KB since our childhood from what our parents have been telling, or what the "idiot box" has been showing or what we read from the books. Now it is time, it is time to verify each rule in the KB, each principle, check if it is correct or wrong, rectify. It glorifies our personality.

How to verify whether something is Correct or Not? I will try to put that part in my next post, meanwhile think if the whole concept is correct or not ! :) . Dont accept things just like that. If it is correct, start seeing at your decisions, every move is based on a core value, see what that value is, start observing things :).

One Happy Moment

A role play was going on in a HR Management session that I was attending. If you are the HR manager how would u recruit was the task given. We were given the choice to decide the Organisation, the post u want to recruit was also left to us.

Our team decided we should prepare an Advertisement. we zeroed on the post as a teacher and first we thought we will go for any NGO. we prepared a rough draft. It was nothing very attractive just a plain advertisement we generally see. I was thinking and thinking, trying to make it better. Suddenly an idea sparked off.

Last week we visited a workshop called "Play For Peace" .. and suddenly this was what I wrote there on the board.

=================================================================

Were you a child ? o
^
Did you play games ? ooo
^^^
Invented some of them ? >->O O<-<

Then probably you have it in you !

Can you engage a group of young childred, have fun, laugh your stomach out ?
"Play for Peace" an organisation world renowned for its innovative ways of teaching
is here with an opportunity for you.
Call : 987654321.

============================================================


Everyone in the class , the people attending, organising, and the ones who were taking the class were so happy with this that someone went to get a cam to take a picture !.
I was very happy that it came out well :D ... it is indeed a memorable moment.

Bangaaram !

Indaka when i was on my way to office .. I saw something interesting ..

Oka band vinipinchindi ... enti abba ani kitiki lonchi tongi chusanu .... fist oka pedda grp of guys were dancing ... nothing unexpected till there ...

Then I was looking out for the Car ... I mean the pelli koduku car ... what I found was a truck !! .. shock tinoddu .. pellikoduku truck lo ledu :) .... in the truck is a biiiiiig pawan kalyan cutout ....

There are some people doing puja ... and again behind the truck are some guys ... !!!!!!!!!!

koncham sepu padi padi navvukunnamu :))))) .... I heard a lot of such things .. kani first time ivvala na kallaaara chusi tarinchipoyanu !!! :)

PS: Disclaimer :p : .. Nenu fan ani... leka fan kadu .. ani nenu emi cheppateldu .. just oka incident matrame .. :p ... any resemblance with any person/event is purly coincidental :)) ...

Visit to Mr ACP Ashok Reddy

As a part of the initiative from wellness committee, we had to arrange a talk by Mr ACP Ashok Reddy and so we(2 of us) went to the Police Control Room to meet him. First impression about the building was that over time it has been modified and now it looks modern. We reached the entrance and there was a plolice man standing behind a huge pile of sand bags. I think for facing an emergency situation such an arrangement was made. Then there was a metal-detector.

And then came the most unexpected scene. I was expecting some modern infrastrucure inside, but my surprise what I find is a scene very similar to one in a government general hospital !!. There were some bags and some clothes put up for drying !! . I was wondering what those bags were, when I relaised that those were the bags of some policemen put of deputation. They dont have a proper place to stay. They put their bags there and go on duty. As we went on, things were even worse. Very dirty surroundings!

We reached the room of the ACP, huge bundles of files. Files files files everywhere. Someone comes and asks for so and so file and an assistant starts searching for the file in the unending collection. After searching for half an hour the file is still untraced ! Leaking walls, broken windows but latest computer equipment and printers !. Felt so sorry about the plight of such government buildings and processes.

Then came the best part. We knocked the door and asked for permission. "Please
come in" was the answer. A very pleasant person probably in his mid fifties. We told the purpose of our visit. He explained how to go about doing it. He explained about the "Toffee" program and the process involed in it. He took us to his computer and showed us some material and presentations he has and enquired if it was relevant to us. All through the conversation he was very soft spoken and was speaking with utmost respect. Even the slightest form of rudeness that is portrayed in films could not be found. It was very good speaking to him. Towards the end he has asked us to get in touch with Mr AK Khan (The commisioner of police) and on his order he would come to our office and give the presentation.


We came back with joy of satisfaction. We need to discuss with the other members and go ahead with the formalities.

Sunrise ?

Looks like a very pleasant sunrise right ? But unfortunately no, it might be the process which generates the energy in sun but .. The 15-megaton hydrogen bomb Castle Bravo was detonated on Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, resulting in one of the worst radioactive contamination ever caused by nuclear testing.

Maha Shivaratri

I was feeling very uncomfortable when I was praying yesterday .. I really din't know what the significance of shivaratri was .. all I knew was ppl fast and do jagaram .. but the question WHY always haunted me .. and this is what I found today ..

Maha Shivaratri

Maha Shivratri or Shivaratri (Night of Shiva) is an Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 14th day in the Krishna Paksha of the month Phalguna in the Hindu Calendar. The most significant practices on this day are offerings of Bheel (Bilva) leaves to the Lord Shiva, fasting and all night long vigil.

The legend associated with it ::

Samudra manthan

During the samudra manthan by the gods and demons, haalaa-hala, a poison came out of the ocean. It was so toxic, that it effects would have wiped out the entire creation. At this juncture, as per the advice of Vishnu, gods approached Mahadev and prayed him to protect life by consuming this poison. Pleased with their prayers, out of compassion for living beings, Lord Shiva drank this poison and held it in his throat by binding it with a snake. The throat became blue due to the poison (Thus Lord Shiva is also know as Neelakantha) and Shiva remained unharmed. The doctors advised gods to keep Lord Shiva awake during the night as part of the therapy. To amuse Shiva and to keep him awake, the gods took turn performing various dances and playing music. A vigil was thus kept by the gods in contemplation of Shiva. As the day broke out, Shiva, pleased with their devotion blessed them all. Since then, on this day and night - devotees fast, keep vigil, sing glories of Lord and meditate.

The Hunter

Once upon a time, a hunter worshipped Lord Shiva unknowingly on Shivaratri. He did this by dropping bheel leaves on a shiva linga at the base of a bheel tree from its branches where he was hiding and fasting all night. For this he was forgiven of all his sins. This forms the basis behind the offerings of bheel to the Lord on Shivaratri.

Sri anjaneyam

Everyday I go home and watch the movie that is telecast in SitiCable. Yesterday it was Sri Anjaneyam. The story of an innocent and pure at heart person Anji. Some things I wanted to make a note of were :

=> Ramayana is not just a story, it sets an example for how a person should live a life of Dharma. Doing the Right thing ALWAYS. It might be at the cost of some short term dissatisfaction but remember always Righteousness is what remains.

=> Sankalpa balam. It is the commitment to do something and that what one is doing is for the good of everyone, that brings so much of energy to a person. It might sometimes even cross the limits of physical constraints.

=> Purpose of life: There is happiness in living a life which serves some purpose of existence. Each individual should look for such purpose and fulfill it. It leads to happiness of the individual as well and good to everyone in this world.

The graphics were little unrealistic otherwise it is a decent film with a message to convey.

Uttama mitrudu

I was browsing some article on eenadu.net and found an article called "uttama mitrudu". I liked it. The author quotes Bahuvrihi's words , "One who comes just for getting his work done and leaves after his work is done is not a friend" instead " One who warns you from doing wrong things, who encourages you to do good things, who doesnot disclose the secrets you share, he doesn't speak about your good qualities in front of you but does tell them to everyone around you, when in financial crisis comes to your rescue" is your friend.

And attached is a story of a tree and a bird. The bird has its nest on a tree and the tree gets some wierd disease. Loses it leaves and liveliness. When asked why the bird is not leaving the tree and instead go and live its life on another tree, the bird replies "I was born on this tree, was brought up on this tree, I played on this tree, learnt a lot from it. This tree has protected me all these days. That is why I love this tree. Now, when it is in some problems, How can I leave it ?" straight from its heart, very softly. It was none other than Indra, and he was moved by the birds goodness, grants it a wish. The bird instead of wishing something for itself, asks him to bring the tree back to life.

This story conveys the fact that a friend is not someone who is with us in goodtimes having fun and enjoing life, but also in tough times also.

:D thought this is a children story, felt good reading it :) ... and wanted you all to read it :p

http://eenadu.net/sahithyam/display.asp?url=panchatantram18.htm

India Honours System

India : Honours and decorations

Gallantry
========

Param Vir Chakra:
The Param Vir Chakra is an Indian military decoration given for valour in combat operations. It is India's highest military honor. The name is sometimes abbreviated as PVC. It literally means 'Wheel (or Cross) of the Ultimate Brave' (Sanskrit: Param, Ultimate; Vir (Pronounced veer), Brave; Chakra, Wheel, or its western equivalent, Cross). Equivalent awards in the United States are the Medal of Honor and the Victoria Cross in the United Kingdom.

The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is the highest gallantry award for officers and other enlisted personnel of all military branches of India for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. It may be awarded posthumously and, indeed, most of the awards have been posthumous.

The PVC was established on 26 January 1950, by the President of India, with effect from 15 August 1947, and presently it is the second highest award of the government of India after Bharat Ratna (amendment in the statute on 26 January 1980 resulted in this order of wearing).

Ashoka Chakra:
Ashoka Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self sacrifice away from the battle field. It maybe awarded to civilians as well as well as military personnel. It may be awarded posthumously. It is the peace time equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra.

Maha Vir Chakra:
The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) is the second highest military decoration in India and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It may be awarded posthumously.

Kirti Chakra:
Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Maha Vir Chakra. It is second in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards; it comes after Ashoka Chakra and before Shaurya Chakra.

Vir Chakra:
Vir Chakra is an Indian gallantry award presented for acts of bravery in the battle field. To denote this award, the awardees can append the letters Vr.C. to their name. It is third in precedence in the war time gallantry awards and comes after the Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra.

Shaurya Chakra:
Shaurya Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, sometimes posthumously. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Vir Chakra. It is third in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards and comes after Ashoka Chakra and Kirti Chakra.

Civilian
======

National Service:
--------------------

Bharat Ratna:
Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service. This service includes artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as "recognition of public service of the highest order." Unlike knights, holders of the Bharat Ratna carry no special title nor any other honorifics, but they do have a place in the order of precedence. Bharat Ratna roughly translates as 'Gem of India'.

While there was no formal provision that recipients of the Bharat Ratna should be Indian citizens, this seems to have been the general assumption. There has been one award to a naturalized Indian citizen — Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, better known as Mother Teresa (1980); and two to non-Indians — Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987) and Nelson Mandela (1990). The awarding of this honour though, has frequently been the subject of litigation questioning the constitutional basis of such state awards.

Padma Vibhushan:
The Padma Vibhushan is India's second highest civilian honour. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India.

It was established on January 2, 1954. It follows the Bharat Ratna and precedes the Padma Bhushan. It is awarded to recognize exceptional and distinguished service to the nation in any field, including government service. The award was briefly suspended from July 13, 1977 to January 26, 1980.

Padma Bhushan:
The Padma Bhushan is an Indian civilian decoration established on January 2, 1954 by the President of India. It stands third in the hierarchy of civilian awards, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Sri. It is awarded to recognize distinguished service of a high order to the nation, in any field.

Padma Shri:
Padma Shri (also spelled Padma Shree, Padma Sree and Padma Sri) is an award given by the Government of India generally to Indian citizens to recognize their distinguished contribution in any sphere of activity including Arts, Education, Industry, Literature, Science, Games, Sports etc. (The word "Padma" (Hindi) means "Lotus".) It stands fourth in the hierarchy of civilian awards after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. On its obverse, the words "Padma" and "Shri", in Devanagari, appear above and below the lotus flower.

Literary:
-----------

Jnanpith Award:
The Jnanpith Award is the highest literary honour conferred in the Republic of India. It is presented by the Jnanpith Trust, which is largely owned by the Jain family, publishers of The Times of India. The award carries a cheque for Rs. 500,000, a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Vagdevi. The award was instituted in 1961. Its first recipient was Malayalam writer G Shankara Kurup in 1965. An Indian citizen who writes in any of the official languages of India is eligible for the honour.
Its name is taken from Sanskrit jnāna-pīṭha = "knowledge-seat".

Sports:
-------

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna:
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award is India’s highest sporting honour. It was instituted from the year 1991-92 in the memory of Late Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India. The award carries a medal and a scroll of honour apart from a cash component.

The award honours either an individual sportsperson or a sports team for outstanding performance in the sports disciplines included in any of Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as Billiards & Snooker, Cricket and Chess in a year.

Typically, performances from 1 April of a year to 31 March of the next year are taken into consideration for the award. A selection committee of people affiliated to sports is constituted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports for selecting the awardee every year.

A key difference from the Arjuna award is that the Arjuna award is given to the best sportsperson in each sport every year, where as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is given to the best sportsperson across all the sports disciplines in that year. Khel Ratna literally means "Sporting Gem" in Hindi.

Arjuna Award:
The Arjuna awards were instituted in 1961 by the government of India to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 300,000, a bronze statuette of Arjuna and a scroll.

Over the years the scope of the award has been expanded and a large number of sportspersons who belonged to the pre-Arjuna Award era, were also included in the list. Not only that the number of disciplines for which the award was to be given was also increased to include indigenous games and also in the physically handicapped category.

Dronacharya Award:
Dronacharya Award is an award presented by the government of India for excellence in sports coaching. The award comprises of a bronze statuette of Dronacharya, a scroll of honour and a cash component. The award was instituted in 1985. As the best sportsperson award is named Arjuna Award, it is appropriate that the coaching award is named after Dronacharya, as he was the Guru of Arjuna.

The winners of this award in 2005 were Mr. Arvind Savur for Billiards & Snooker, Ms. Sunita Sharma for Cricket (incidentally the first woman cricket coach to get the award) and Mr. Cyrus Poncha for Squash.

Movies:
---------

Dadasaheb Phalke Award:
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is an annual award given by the Indian government for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. It was instituted in 1969, the birth centenary year of Dadasaheb Phalke, considered the father of Indian cinema.

The award for a particular year is given during the end of the following year along with the National Film Awards.Some well known ones are :

# 1989 - Lata Mangeshkar, singer
# 1990 - A. Nageswara Rao, actor
# 1994 - Dilip Kumar, actor
# 1995 - Rajkumar, actor
# 1996 - Sivaji Ganesan, actor
# 1998 - B.R. Chopra, director, producer
# 2000 - Asha Bhosle, singer
# 2001 - Yash Chopra, director, producer
# 2002 - Dev Anand, actor, director, producer
# 2003 - Mrinal Sen, director
# 2004 - Adoor Gopalakrishnan, director

Others:
---------

Gandhi Peace Prize:
The International Gandhi Peace Prize, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is awarded annually by the government of India for outstanding work and contribution to social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.

Recipients have included Nelson Mandela, John Hume, Baba Amte, Vaclav Havel, Sir Shridath Ramphal, Shri Ramakrishna Mission (in 1999, received by its president Swami Ranganathananda) and the International Red Cross.

For more info : India Honours System

A good article on "Living".

-> In this life we don't have winners and losers. We have winners and learners!

-> When the rocket went to the moon, how often was it on course?

ONLY 2.5 % of the time!!!

What was it doing the rest of the time?

Correcting!

-> Don't focus on working for money. Instead, focus on adding value.

-> Doing more with less.

-> What were Japanese products known for before WW2? Being shoddy, cheap and copy cats.

What are Japanese products known for today? Being good quality, still cheap and innovators.

What changed Japan? A man called Dr W. Edwards Deming.

-> You CAN'T change people! You CAN change the environment. You CAN change systems!


Extracts from:: http://www.relfe.com/life_purpose.html

Related Links :
http://www.relfe.com/plus_5_.html (<--- I Want The Earth Plus 5% This is one of the best articles I have read till date !!!! .. Amaaazing)

http://www.wateraid.org/international/default.asp

Feminity, an Opportunity ?

ABCDEFG - A Boy Can Do Everything For a Girl

Girls are very powerful. I am sure many would not agree to this statement but I will try to justify why I put it that way by the end of this post.

Women can stir the passions within men.(Not necessarily beautiful women).If a guy can make a girl smile, he is on the top of the world. He does anything to see her happy.

Some attempts can be like this (orkut):
- "hi..preeti.. can i b ur frnd"
- "hiii rekha...................yaar muthse dosti karogi?
i know purana hai
but kaam karta hai.........."
- "Hi you are so cute, can we be friends. BTW .. I am frm hyd .. working with Microsoft"
- Some try to impress by constantly romanticizing, craking jokes, winning something, working hard, coming out of their bad habits, taking the girl to places, etc etc. I am sure the number of ways in which the attempts were made is countless.

How should the girl react to such a situation? How many of you have handled such a situation properly? Very few are sucessful in handling it the right way.

How many of us have such an opportunity to bring about a positive change in a person ?.
If the person is a stranger, there is nothing wrong in ignoring him. If a friend of a girl is ready to do anything for her, just to make her happy and all he is willing is a heart to express himself , instead of running away from him, the girl if she has the time, can bring about a tremondous change in his life.

Many girls would argue saying that initially he would start off saying its friendship and one fine day he will come with a red rose and say he can't live without her ! :-) . No offence intended but I can say with confidence that if the girl is very clear about herself, it would reflect vividly in her behaviour. She can respect their admiration and help them improve. A very good example of such a girl is the character played by Bhoomika in the telugu movie "Na Autograph .. sweet memories".

I would like to make it clear that it is not their duty or responsibility to do so. I think it is a opportunity they have. The choice is left to them, it is upto them to tap the potential in their friends, get them on to right track. It depends on the time and resources available and above all, the clarity of thought, maturity of understanding levels.

In short, girls can do a lot ! ;)

Precious

One of the toughest things to find in this world is a "soulmate".A person whom you can speak with anything and everything comfortably.

We come across hundreds of people in our life. Some are just aquaintances with whom we exchange a smile. Some are friends with whom we speak often, crack jokes, discuss things. Some are good friends. When you need something or you are in trouble these are the people whom you approach. One has very good memories with them and they are an important part of your life. AND some are "SOULMATES", person(s) who UNDERSTAND you, there will be many things that one cannot share with parents or even good friends, but it is this best friend(s) whom you express your heart to WITHOUT ANNYY HESITATION. Such people are Precious.

It is inherent property of humans to search for such people. SUCH people are rare, and it is at this level of understanding that a human relation reaches the stage called Love, one of the highly misinterpreted words in the english dictionary!. You trust, you respect, you care, you appreciate, you admire, you guide.Its then that you Love!

Do not take such people for granted, most people in this world die without having even one such person in their life!. If you have one such person in your life, you are fortunate. You can see that the day gets brighter. Times of loneliness are gone. The confidence is higher. They become the elixir of life. They are PRECIOUS!.

Fortune

Yesterday I went to the Railway Station to send off my brother to chennai and on my way out of station, I checked my weight.

Lets forget about the weight ;).Its 82.5 :o, need to start some fitness schedule :D.

This is what the fortune at the back of the card says.

"Dabbu chesukovadaniki premamayamaina sahrudatvaniki anukulamaina samvatsaram"

"A Favourable year for money-making and for all matters of affection and friendship"

and Orkut says ..
Today's fortune:
You will be unusually successful in business

Lets see what this year turns out to be in Dec-06 ;).