Chennai - Sandesh

VEDA RECITED BANG ON THE LAL CHOWK, SRINAGAR

The Sankaracharya Hill and Lal Chowk (yes, Lal Chowk!) in Srinagar of Jammu and Kashmir reverberated with Vedic chants for six days ending on Sankara Jayanti (April 30), thanks to the daring act of the devotees of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Sankaracharya. More than a 100 devotees flew in to Srinagar just for vedic chants, all accompanied by their families. The holy vision of the Kanchi Sankaracharya in thus facilitating Kashmiri pundits to listen to Vedas is precisely to help Kashmir regain its lost glory as the seat of Vedic studies and Shaivism. Says Aadhi Balasubramaniam, a Chennai–based advocate back from Srinagar said: “sincere attempts are on to help Kashmiri Pundits regain their ancestral homes. Once that is done, they need to be assisted in reviving the age old Vedic tradition in the valley that had been initiated centuries back by Adhi Sankara. That is why our Kanchi Acharya directed us to go to Kashmir, and celebrate Sankara Jayanti accompanied by Bhajans, Pravachanams, Kanya pooja etc.” (Kashmiri locals were thrilled to see their beloved kids worshipped by Vedic scholars from far off Tamilnadu as part of Kanya Pooja). Balasubramaniam added that the Sankara Jayanti celebrated this year in Srinagar was for the seventh consecutive year. Meanwhile, several other organisations pitched in by organising a langar for feeding the yatries and those who participated in Sankara Jayanti utsav. Shri Suresh Soni, Sah Sarkaryavah of RSS, Shri Arun Kumar, Akhil Bharatiya Sah Sampark pramukh, guided the events. Swami Vishwatmananda Saraswati conducted a Sankara Jayanti Satsangh right in the middle of Lal Chowk. “Peace will return to Kashmir very soon”, he said.

MBA HOLDER? GRAZE A COW AND GET A JOB!

Here is an indication as to how the new generation views government job; how manual work involving skills is viewed by the youth has also come to light. Suresh, an MBA holder, was told to demonstrate ability to graze a cow, feed it and tie it to a pole. Ability to drive a bicycle was among the battery of tests he had to undergo. So was Kokilavani with a Master’s degree in Arts. They were among the13,000 candidates called for an interview for 70 posts of veterinary assistants in Salem district. “I thought questions related to the science of dairy farming and general knowledge questions would be posed. But we were asked to do these odd jobs as part of the practical tests,” said another candidate. Kokilavani and Suresh said, in the present times, getting a government job has become so rare and difficult that competing in as many selections irrespective of the cadre has become a necessity. Both said they would do the job of a veterinary assistant with enthusiasm if they do get selected. About 1,300 candidates per day are being called for the direct interview. As many as 17 panels have been formed to conduct various tests on the candidates.

GATED COMMUNITY: A BOON OR A BANE?

Residents of a Chennai gated community have a WhatsApp group that enables members to car-pool, without charging anything from the beneficiaries. The group is divided into two — takers and givers. At the end of the day, even the givers feel enriched by the friendships the initiative brings. Another gated community resident says, “The day when rupee notes of 500 and 1,000 denomination went out of currency, one of the supermarkets in the area accepted them to help residents tide over the sudden crisis. It was an act of goodwill, one that has been extremely responsive to the needs of the gated communities.” Okay, but what is the fate of kids in such security-rich ambience? A Chennai advocate was recently startled by what she found in a Hyderabad gated community: “Parents endlessly dump their children in some class or other. Big functions are celebrated in the central function hall. The children look forward to these mega celebrations as a fun fare. There they get to meet all their friends. The question is do the children learn to respect elders, learn the basic values of life, appreciate relationships more than the spirit of competition?”