"Sare Jahan Se Acha" : Rakesh's Message

Rakesh Sharma, then squadron leader and pilot with the Indian Air Force embarked on the historic mission in 1984 as part of a joint space program between the Indian Space Research Organisation and the Soviet Intercosmos space program and spent eight days in space aboard the Salyut 7space station. Launched along with two other Soviet cosmonauts aboard Soyuz T-11 on the 2 April 1984, was 35-year-old Rakesh Sharma. During the flight, Squadron Leader Sharma conducted multi-spectral photography of northern India in anticipation of the construction of hydroelectric power stations in the Himalayas.

The trip made Rakesh Sharma the first Indian in Space but the event is also remembered for a conversation from space that he had with then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She asked him, 'How does India look from Oopar?' He famous reply, borrowed from Allama Iqbal, was, ' Saare Jahan Se Achcha, (better than the whole world).'

Here's  the video of that famous conversation: 

Movie that Broke the Mould

“Nargis…recognised that in Mehboob’s Mother India she had an immortal farewell vehicle to her career – a film that her millions of fans would remember her by forever. Nothing in her future could be greater than Mother India…”

(Bunny Reuben in “Follywood Flashback: A Collection of Movie Memories”)

In light of the theme of 102 Years of Indian Cinema that defines this year, the above quote stands as significant testimony to the immense, overwhelming power the iconic image of Nargis in her role as the ‘Mother’ figure holds for audiences even today, and serves as almost a template for Indian constructions of female identity within a larger cultural and social framework.

 Mehboob Khan’s “Mother India” (1957) is a tremendously complex film; impossible to sum up in one reading. What has been spoken of at length is its thematic portrayal of the nation as ‘mother’, the issue of ‘honour’ in terms of female identity, the ‘mother-son’ relationship, and so on.

What these issues mean in feminist terms — within the larger iconic universe of Mother India — is a question that is central to an understanding of the film’s extraordinarily layered meaning and to Hindi films today. Film scholars have attributed its importance to its alignment with the ideology of India that Nargis portrays. As Javed Akhtar once remarked, “All Hindi films come from Mother India.”

Nehru's World through the lense of Vyarawala

HOMAI VYARAWALLA

Homai Vyarawalla (9 December 1913 – 15 January 2012), commonly known by her pseudonym "Dalda 13," was India's first woman photojournalist. First active in the late 1930s, she retired in the early 1970s. In 2011, she was awarded Padma Vibhushan.
She has closely captured the movements of Young Independent India with Nehru as an important man.

Nehru's body at Teen Murti House, with Indira Gandhi looking on, 1964. photo.

Nehru releasing a dove as a sign of peace at a public function at the National Stadium in new Delhi, mid 1950's

Ho Chi Minh, former President of North Vietnam being escorted by Pandit Nehru and Dr. Rajendra Prasad; 1958

Former Prime Minister Nehru waiting for a dignitary to arrive at the Red Fort; 1950’s 
Gelatin Silver Print

Dr. Helen Keller, who was calling on former President Dr. Rajendra Prasad at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, being greeted by, former Prime Minister Nehru who had come to see her; 1955

 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, with Prime Minister Nehru during their visit to India; 1959

Prime Minister Nehru with Mrs. Simon, the wife of the British Deputy High Commissioner, on board the first BOAC flight in India.

India's Defeat.... Nehru's address to nation

Fifty two years after the 1962 Sino-Indian war, former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's role in it is still debated in Assam. 

After Nehru's speech on All India Radio (AIR) following the fall of Bomdila to the Chinese, many in Assam's Tezpur felt he was not concerned about the Brahmaputra Valley. Some veteran Congressmen though believes the people of Assam misunderstood Nehru. 

In his address to the nation on AIR on November 20, 1962, Nehru said, "Huge Chinese army invaded our country in to the northern part of NEFA. They attacked our army fronts, there was a severe war. Large number of army was installed into the borders by Chinese as a result our smaller forces were defeated." 

People in the north eastern states of India were disturbed by this speech of Nehru as our army was defeated at NEFA (North Eastern Frontier Agency) and few notable reactions of common man and political figure’s were:

The speech changed Saikia's perception of New Delhi. "I strongly feel Assam would not have got that much of importance from the Centre had the India-China war not taken place," said Saikia. 

Veteran Congress leader Bedabrata Barua said Nehru was almost weeping when he spoke after the capture of Bomdila. "I remember Nehru speaking this and he has a choked voice. But I was very confident that the Chinese would not enter Assam. Had they attacked Assam, the course of the war would have taken a different turn. Possibly, other countries would have come to India's aid to stop the marauding Chinese soldiers," said Barua.
 
Nalini Deka, a retired school teacher in Tezpur, said, "I was very young then. Someone explained to me Nehru's speech. I realized if the prime minister of the country was so helpless, how could the common people withstand an attack by the Chinese? We were left in the lurch after the speech." 

Atul Saikia (77), a resident of Dekargaon in Tezpur, said, "Assam was almost given away to China when Jawarhar lal Nheru, in his speech after the capture of NEFA, announced on the radio." 

After Nehru's speech was broadcast, people in Tezpur became hysteric. "They began fleeing. There was chaos everywhere," said Pranab Sinha (71) of Tezpur.

Nehru's AIR Speech (audio) -> Link

ENERGY GENERATION……AT WHAT COST ????????

                     Upinnangadi, a small town in the district of Dakshina Kannada ,is around 70km away from Manipal. This place has a lush greenery all around and the most important environmental element is it’s river sangam of Nethravati and Kumaradhra which flows through the middle of the place the whole year long.

                      Five years back, a private firm by name Sahasthra Lingeshwar Pvt.Ldt came up with an idea of setting up a mini hydro-electric power plan. They had support from a German firm which was ready to fund the project with undisclosed norms.

                      

                       The taluk officer created an official statement that “Sahasthra Lingeshwr Mini Hydel Power Project is planned in a dry area with few acres of agricultural fields at the exterior which may be affected”. Later on during the inspection the officials were given money to report the site in the firm’s favour. The power project got its approval.

                       Now the firm went on to surrounding agricultural area and marked the fields which would submerge under the water during the construction and after the construction. They promised compensations to the farmers.

                              Ashok Kumar Rai, the Dist.general secretary of Karnataka Rajya Raitara Sanga, noted all of these proceedings and decided to fight against it.

 -> ASHOK KUMAR RAI

                    

He has 7 acres of land with arecnut, coconut, coco, banana and rice plantations. During normal rainy season few farms submerge into the water which is for a period of 4 months i.e from June to September.

                   Usually, during monsoon his half acre of land used to be in water where he never did any plantation but now due to the construction of power plant his 5 acres of land is in water. As the water would be stagnant, his plantations are getting various diseases as a result he is losing his plants and livelihood.

->DISEASED PLANTATION

                    According to him the promised compensation has not been allotted to any farmer and at present the project is on its progress as a results more than 600 families with 900 acres of land including agricultural and forest region would be in water.

                  Now, it’s our task to think about it and react about such a power generation at the cost of 600 families and 900 acres of productive land.

                   Usage of technology for betterment of human life is accepted but not at the rate of humans and nature.

A CUP OF COFFEE CAN HAPPEN OVER TECHNOLOGY !!!!!!!!!!!!

                           Café Coffee Day is an Indian café chain owned by Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company. It is the biggest chain with a humungous amount of revenue.

                            But nothing can be achieved with great dedication and external support. The same story is of Café Coffee Day.

                            Bipasha Chakraberty, founder and director of Amalgamated bean coffee trading company (ABCTC) was and is a Chikmagalur, Karnataka based company which grows coffee in its own estates of 12,000 acres (4249 hectares).

 è     BIPASHA CHAKRABERTY

                            He came across a very innovative coffee powder machine, which reduced the labour and production costs with high productivity and desired texture.

                            With the help of these machines ABCTC became the largest producer of Arabica beans in Asia exporting to various countries including USA, Europe and Japan.

                            Later on, he decided to open a coffee out-let with western and attractive line, called “Café Coffee Day”.

                             Café Coffee Day was started as a retail restaurant arm of ABCTC in 1996. The first CCD outlet was set up on July 11, 1996, at Brigade Road, Bangalore, Karnataka.

                             After the opening, CCD was unable to withstand the expectations of the company as it was not performing well with respect to crowd pull and revenue.

                             Then the company decided to survey this issue and came out with the result that CCD was not popular enough and the edibles provided are not different from the other food outlets.

                             CCD came with an idea of using the latest advertising technique and makes people aware of the place. Their task was to bring uniqueness in their food and beverages.

                             In-order to get that uniqueness, they invested on various machines which was designed in such a way that they would prepare coffee powders in the desire form and would make one of the best coffee’s which the consumers never tasted before or would taste better than their previous desired beverage.

 

                                 These technological innovations brought pulled in people and gave a hope of survival of CCD and provided a unique place for consumers to feast on. Later on CCD brought in preserving showcases which cater the fresh need of consumers.

                                 CCD has also launched a new technique of drawing people with a “free Wi-Fi” scheme. They have brought e-tables with the help of Microsoft platforms in order to provide a unique experience of hanging out.

                                 Today CCD has over 1534 store across the nation with yearly revenue of US$140 million and this all has happened with the innovation of high technique machines.

                                 Though technology has drawbacks but its gains and achievements have surpassed it. It’s within us that how judicially we use our technology.