SHORT TERM MEMORY - DID YOU REMEMBER 13TH DECEMBER

Dear (s)


Another important day went almost unnoticed. Can you identify this place of great importance to the Nation.

Have a glimpse of this majestic building.

It is not simply a building.The Parliament of India (or Sansad) is the federal and supreme legislative body of India. It consists of two houses – the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. It is located in New Delhi at Sansad Marg. Any bill can become an act only after it is passed by both the houses of the Parliament and assented by the President. The Central Hall of the Parliament is used for combined sittings of the lower and upper houses and is of historical significance.


Many of us have only short memories. Eight years back, the whole nation trembled. The attack on India's Parliament stunned a nation that watched what was happening live on television.


Jus to recall the news, Terrorists on December 13, 2001 attacked the Parliament of India resulting in a 45-minute gun battle in which 9 policemen and a parliament staffer were killed. All the five terrorists were also killed by the security forces and were identified as Pakistani nationals. The attack took place around 11:40 am (IST), minutes after both Houses of Parliament had adjourned for the day. The suspected terrorists dressed in commando fatigues entered Parliament in a car through the VIP gate of the building. Displaying Parliament and Home Ministry security stickers, the vehicle entered the Parliament premises. The terrorists set off massive blasts and have used AK-47 rifles, explosives and grenades for the attack. Senior Ministers and over 200 Members of Parliament were inside the Central Hall of Parliament when the attack took place. Security personnel sealed the entire premises which saved many lives.

This is what the Prime Minister said : “The Parliament is the highest representative of democracy and they chose Parliament deliberately as their target. The attack was not on the Parliament but on the entire nation. We will see that the terrorists are unsuccessful in their attempts. We are fighting terrorism for the last two decades and the entire country is together in this crisis. We are with the families of the people who laid down their lives fighting against the terrorist attack on the Parliament.


Within days, India declared it had evidence linking the Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Tayiba to the attack. Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, who was then Pakistan's high commissioner to India, was summoned by the foreign secretary seeking 1) a ban on the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed; 2) to take their leadership, 'which is known to Pakistan' into custody; 3) to curb the financial assets of these groups and their access to these assets. The Govt. was serious and meant business. Pakistan declined, saying it had to have proof
Now , after eight years – how much the Nation remembers and what has been done ???


1) The Joint Parliamentary Committee took stock of the security arrangement and suggested - Unobtrusive body scanner, latest surveillance system and luggage scanners et al. to be imported from the West to upgrade the security system in Parliament.
2) Dozens of people and politicians yesterday paid homage to the martyrs of the December 13, 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament
3) In 2002 the Delhi High Court convicted seven people and among those convicted were the Delhi University lecturer SAR Geelani, were Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar, his henchmen Gazi Baba and Imran, Mohammed Afzal, Shaukat Guru and his wife Navjot Sandhu alias Afsan Guru.
4) There have been no. of appeals / arguments in various forums since then
5) The Supreme Court had awarded capital punishment to Mohammad Afzal Guru for his involvement in the Parliament attack case. Afzal was sentenced to death on December 18, 2002 by a trial court. This was confirmed by the Delhi High Court and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2004.
6) This hanging was confirmed to on Oct 19 but was put off following a mercy petition filed by his wife.


Subsequently, our Former President A P J Abdul Kalam has answered critics over the delay in deciding on the mercy plea of Mohammed Afzal Guru, facing a death sentence for his role in the terror attack on Parliament, contending that he had not received any papers from the government.           This is a land of democracy and there are some who feel that hanging would have negative effects on the peace process in Kashmir. An eye for eye is a cruel barbarism though the Nation knows well that well the consequences of pardon. By letting go, the state often allows the criminal to linger in the popular imagination of a people as a hero to inspire far more dangerous acts of terror in future.

 For the Q as to what happened : Well, a few hundreds (!) paid homages and few more read some news items without much passion or interest. Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition LK Advani, Speaker Meira Kumar and others paid floral tributes to the matyrs at a solemn ceremony held at the Parliament House premises. For others they had more interesting things as the news headlines of a popular newspaper today read :


""Rift in Rosaiah Cabinet widens as Ministers stand firm
Stray violence in Anantapur
India will not compromise on key principles: Jairam
Mayawati bats for Poorvanchal
Karunanidhi rejects suggestion for bifurcation of Tamil Nadu
12 killed in Howrah road accident
Dhanush missile test fired successfully
Indian doctors did their best: Akram""
----------- and the headlines of yesterday’s paper were :
##Violence rocks Andhra, Rayalaseema
20 A.P. Ministers plan to quit
‘We are not for peaking year concept’ says Jairam
Protests expose double standards: TRS chief
Rosaiah: nothing has been finalised on Telangana
EC transfers South Zone IG
Birthday-boy Yuvraj’s heroics light up Mohali##

With regards - S Sampathkumar.


பார்லிமென்ட் வளாகத்தில் நடந்த தாக்குதலை மறந்து விட்டோம் என்ற எனது பதிப்பு மேலே. நல்ல பத்திரிகையாக தினமலர் மதுரை பதிப்பில் மட்டும் முதல் பக்கத்திலேயே படத்துடன் செய்தி வந்துள்ளது.

ஆனால் சென்னை பதிப்பில் அந்த இடத்தை சென்ட்ரல் பற்றிய செய்தி பிடித்துள்ளது !!

திருப்பாணாழ்வர் வைபவம் - Thiruvallikkeni Perumal Purappadu

திருமால் அடியார்களுக்கு : 

Yesterday – 2nd Dec was the Birth Thirunakshathiram of Thiruppaan Azhwar. An Ayonijar (one not born to mortal human beings), his period is given as 750 – 780 AD.  Considered to be an amsam - Sri Vatsa of Sriman Narayana, he was born at Kozhiyur or Nisulapuri (present day Uriayur) close on the banks of sacred Cauvery. PANars were known for their sweet voice and singing in praise of Bhagawan Sriman Narayanan. He used to come to the banks of Cauvery and close his eyes and sing with deep anubhavam about the kalyana gunams of the Lord every morning.

In the divine Naalayira Divya prabandham, his contribution is Amalanadhipiraan – ten in number. His prabhandham is different from the rest in a way that it does not contain any upadesams or anything else but only hymns in praise of Lord Ranganatha alone. Those well versed in sampradhaya state that these are aanandha-lahari (limitless outpourings of the bliss of aanandham) at the anubhavam of the Soundharyam of Arangar. Thirupaan azhwar. Here is his immortal verse:

His thirunakshathiram is Rohini in Karthigai month and is the next day after Karthigaiyil karthigai that of Thirumangai Azhwar. In thondai mandalam, the moolavar will be anointed with ennai kappu from the thiru karthigai day and there will not be purappadu after. Hence generally, there will not be sathrumurai purappadu for Thiru Paan azhwar. This year, Karthikai was celebrated yesterday and there was Purappadu of the Azhwar with Sri Parthasarathi perumal.

Here are some photos

  

Sri Parthar above and Chokkapanai below

thiruppanar abvoe

Let us sing in praise of the holy feet of Sri ThiruppaanaAzhwar, who entered (the holy shrine of Lord Ranganatha) riding on the shoulders of the sage (Lokasaranga-Mahamuni) saw(the Lord in full) and sung (in praise) HIM

Adiyen – Sampathkumar.

கைசிக த்வாதசி - திருக்குறுங்குடி நம்பி - நம்பாடுவான் - புராணம் படித்தல் [Kaisika Dwadasi - Thirukurungudi Nambi perumai]

அன்பான ஸ்ரீ வைஷ்ணவர்களுக்கு

For Srivaishnavaites – Ekadadi worship is of utmost importance. Saturday (28/11/09) was a day of significance as it was the day of Kaisika Ekadasi. On the next day, in temples ‘kaisika puranam’ is recited and purappadu of Utsavar takes place.

For those of us, who do not know out sampradayam much, legend has it that on every Kaisika Ekadasi day, Nampaduvan, an ardent devotee of the Lord used to do Namasankeerthanam for Emperuman at Thirukurungudi. This Nampaduvan Charithram was narrated by Sri Varaha Perumal to Bhoomi Pirarttiyar in Varaha puranam. Nampaduvan, a great bhagavatha at Thirukurungudi used to observe ‘jakratha vratham’ without sleeping full night singing the glory of the Lord and thinking only about Him.

One year while on the way to Thirukurungudi, Nampaduvan was confronted by a Brahma Rakshas. This Rakshas told Nampaaduvaan that he would eat him. Nampaduvan humbly requested that he had the duty of nama sankeerthanam. Nampaduvan agreed with the rakshas that he would return back after his vratham and darshan of Kurungudi Nambi. The rakshas was not prepared to believe stating that none in this material would would come back as food and asked : is there any possibility that a deer could escape after it was caught up by a lion ?

Nampaduvan promised that he would indeed return and convinced the rakshas to release him for a while, went to Thirukurungudi temple rendered pasurams on Sri Vadivazhagiya Nambi; kaisikam is a kind of music composition (called pan in tamil); the last pasuram rendered was kaisika pan.

While returning Nampaduvan was interrupted by Sri Kurungudi Nambi Himself in the disguise of an old man advising him to take alternate route escaping the rakshas. Nampaduvan firmly kept his promise standing by his dharma of fulfilling and presented before the Brahma rakshas.

Awe struck the rakshas asked for the palan(fruit) of the pasurams Nampaduvan had rendered and in the series of discussions that went on rakshas wanted atleast the palan of the last kaisika pan. It was revealed that the Brahmarakshas was a vidwan by name Soma Sharma who was cursed by Devas arising out of his ahankaram. The palan of pan relieved him of the curse.

After hundreds of years on Kaisika Dwadasi day, Sri Parasara Bhattar chanted kaisika puranam before Lord Ranganatha and today the descendants of Bhattar chant the puranam on kaisika dwadasi day at Srirangam.

The purana is rendered in all Sri Vaishnavaite temples on Dwadasi day and in Triplicane, Sriman U Ve MA Venkatakrishnan Swami rendered the same in front of Lord Parthasarathi and Thirumangai Azhwar. Kaisika puranam is in manipravalam, a dialect which is mixture of Sanskrit and Tamil. In the evening there was periya mada veedhi purappadu with sthothra padam ghoshtiHere are some photos of the purappadu

Adiyen - S Sampathkumar

100 TEST WINS - WHEN DID THIS START AND SOME STATISTICS

From Chennapattinam to Kanpur the journey has been long. But before we go the connection, here is some insurance associated with Cricket.

The Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) has insured the one-day international cricket match, which will be played between India and Sri Lanka at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack December 21 for Rs 14 crore, learnt to be covered by Oriental Insurance Company. The insurance cover includes public liability insurance in case of a terrorist attack or a bomb blast. The primary cover is against natural disasters such as rain and storm and disability or loss of life caused to any spectator during the match. The premium is reported to be around 5 lakh.
Recently, the last ODI between India & Aussie to be played at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) had insured the game for Rs. 6 crore against natural perils such as cyclone, lightning as also against perils such as abandonment following death of political leader, riots, civil commotion etc., it is reported that this was also done by Oriental who had to pay the claim. Cricket match policies are called “one ball bowled” policies and lapse after even one ball is bowled in a match.

The city of Kanpur in the Uttar Pradesh, located on the bank of river Ganges has been happy hunting ground for the Indians. The Green Park stadium has hosted a number of test matches and one day internationals.

This is India’s sixth at Green park making it a very successful venue. This stadium hosted its first test in the January of 1952 and the first win came in Dec 1959 against the visiting Aussies. Offie Jasubhai Patel took 14 wickets in that match. In this ground Subhash Gupte once took nine WI wickets in an innings conceding 102 and could have had the remnant Lance Gibbs but for a dropped chance by WK Naren Tamhane. The dream spell could not ensure victory as it was overshadowed by fiery Wes Hall and later in 1983 Malcolm and Co. hurled everything short at Indians after the WC loss.

Sangakkara probably misread the pitch and went in with 3 spinners.

India compiled 642 with the top 3 notching centuries. On the opening day, India amassed runs at a frentic pace mainly due to swashbuckling Sehwag and Gaurav who has made it a habit to score back to back centuries.

Lankans were bowled out for 229 mainly by a spell by Sreesanth ending 19 month isolation with 5/75.

After that it was a matter of when and not whether. Lankans improved marginally in their second scoring 269 – the result was a win by an innings and 144 runs.
This clinching win in 4th day is our 100th win in Tests. To those not updated with statistics, our first Test victory had come in 1952 at Chennai. In total, we have played 432 matches till date.

There are six teams which have 100 test wins and amongst them India does not compare favourably finishing last. Our team has gained winning momentum of late and in the current decade have won 39 out of 102.


If you are still interested in some more statistics, our first win had come against England – Test no. 348 played in Feb 1952, captained by Vijay Hazare and played at Chepauk, our own Chennai. The visitors playing first made 266 with Vinoo Mankad finishing with 8 for 55. Aided by a brilliant century by Pankaj Roy and 50 by Phadkar, Indians declared at 457. in the second essay, visitors could muster only 183 with Ghulam Ahmed and Vinoo sharing the spills with 4 wickets each.


One more occasion to rejoice for the cricket fans


With regards
S Sampathkumar.