V.Jawahar Arumugam honoured for his scholarly works in literature

The extreme right V.Jawahar Arumugam

Noted Writer V.Jawahar Arumugam was recently honoured with Tamilmamani Award by Muthamil Kalai Panpattu Maiyam in Trichy. On this occasion, noted Tamil scholar Prof.So.Sathiyaseelan, Dr.K.Govindaraju, Chairman of South Zone Board of Continuing Education and popular movie actor/writer Rajesh appreciated the great works in the books authored by V.Jawahar Arumugam. Rajesh mentioned that Tamil would live only by protecting and honouring the Tamil writers and thinkers like V.Jawahar Arumugam who is in Journalism field around half a decade. Prof.So.Sathiyaseelan mentioned that Tamil Culture is a” way of life”, as sweetness and light”, as “activity of thought and receptiveness to beauty and humane feeling.” Tamil Culture is nothing else but the Tamil way of life, a pattern gracious living that has been formed during the centuries of Tamil of history. It has been conditioned by the land, the climate, the language, the literature, the religions, the customs, the laws, the food, the games and toys of the Tamil people associated with them and Tamil Culture is a most elusive and at the same time an all embracing term. He appreciated V.Jawahar Arumugam for publishing admirable books during the recent past. The chairman of South Zone Board of Continuing Education, Dr.K.Govindaraju mentioned that Jawahar Arumugam is a grass root level thinker and writer of common person’s practical values and difficulties.V.Jawahar Arumugam thanked Muthamil Kalai Panpattu Maiyam for honouring him with Tamilmamani award. He said that his journalism school was the village library of his native village, Nachalur.He had spent his early age most of his time to go through the books made available in his village library. Govin

Looking for alternatives in Banana cultivation and use of its Fibre

Fiber extraction in drought affected banana field

Crisis creates for alternatives for livelihood promotion. The recent dry heavy wind played havoc for Banana cultivators in Sirugamani area. The farmers already suffer due to the drought for lack of water for irrigation and lack adequate electricity for agriculture operations for pumping water. A few farmers took loans and cultivated banana using diesel lift pumps for cultivation Bananas in this region. A sudden whirlwind   devastated the banana plantations and most of the banana trees before four weeks harvest had fallen creating a major loss to the banana farmers. This is a great shock for the farming community to have drought coupled with whirlwind devastation. The farmers could use the dried fallen banana trees and started extraction of fiber of a banana plant as this has use. The fibres from the plant are used to tie garlands and string flowers; the innermost part of the stem is edible and has rich medicinal properties. K.Devendran, the banana farmer said, “Crisis creates for alternatives for livelihood promotion. The stem of the banana plant has 15 layers, with the outermost used for tying garlands.  By-products of the fibre are : fabrics, bags, various types of mats, interior decoration items, window blinds, cushion covers, bolster covers, table lamps and folders, etc.The products are completely eco-friendly and bio-degradable. There is no consumption of electricity while making the products as it is made on the hands. Also, no chemicals are used in the manufacture. It is an excellent substitute for plastic and paper. This fibre of banana plant can be useful to support the livelihood of many poor families in the villages and also help to preserve resources. The process of extraction is done by hand by experienced women artisans. They collect the banana bark of the well-matured banana trees. Then the bark is split into strips and it is treated with water to make it smooth and supple. Then the pith is separated from the fiber. This fiber is hooked to the spinning wheel to make the yarn. The yarn thus made is used to make banana fiber products. Some are made in the handloom, while others are hand-woven using the banana fibre yarn”.Govin

Scholarly debate on “Bridging generation gap of youth and elderly will always maintain happy living”.

Scholars,R.Maathu,Prof.Arivoli,Prof.S.Sathiyaseelan,Shanmuga vadivel

SEVAI Shanthi Matriculation Higher Secondary School Pettavaithalai and Moon TV jointly sponsored a debate in Pettavaithalai near Trichirappalli on Scholarly debate on “Bridging generation gap of youth and elderly will always maintain happy living” has been arranged in a Social function held in Pettavaithalai near Trichirappalli. Noted Tamil scholar Prof.So.Sathiyaseelan introduced the topic for debate on ‘Bridging generation gap of youth and elderly will always maintain happy living’. Popular Scholar Prof.A.Arivoli moderated the debate. Tamil orators R.Maathu and Thiruvarur Shanmugavadivel partook in this debate giving key points for the care of youth and also elderly. Prof.A.Arivoli mentioned that the place Pettavaithalai has been mentioned in Silapathikaram and enlightened that Kovalan and Kannagi crossed the River Cauvery from Valhalla to Pettavaithalai in the 1800 years back. He expressed his happiness to speak among the residence of Pettavaithalai where Kovalan and Kannagi left their foot prints as they were traveling from Poompuhar to Madurai. The key message of the moderator and the debaters were to bridge the generation gap between the youth and elderly. The debate brief was, “Generation gaps that exist are to be narrow down and it important to create awareness on generational differences and do our part to leave a legacy for future generations. Over the years the gap between the elderly and the youth has been growing wider due to Disconnection through lack of values, principles, tolerance and respect. In today’s society youths are hardly encouraged to embrace value and appreciate that the elderly are still human beings. Elderly people usually rely on their children as their main source of support at their old age. Some, often stricken with illness or medical problems, are forced to live under inhumane conditions when they have no help. The elderly is the fastest growing population, as we are all aging. The youths are depositing good karma into their life’s accounts. They are making a difference, where others talk and write and postulate about how bad things getting in the country. They are making a positive difference one elderly at a time. It is the need of the hour to recognize the need to stay connected to the elderly as traditions, values and morals, more importantly, the opportunity to just assure the elderly that they are loved and taken care is the main focus.  It brings pleasure to witness the life and joy on the faces of elders especially parents, when they are shown affection by the youth.  We need to start inculcating in our youth the importance of respecting our elderly. Each generation has different likes and dislikes, and different attributes. We may not always agree with each other, but understanding generation gaps helps us work better together, making improvements in our communities that will affect future generations. Understanding the generation gap may best be explained to youth and elderly who needs to have an in-depth conversation to relate to one another as the young people of today need to group up with better technology, televisions, cell phones and the Internet, nuclear energy, electric and electronic processing etc.The elders should also understand the global development at this point of time. The most important point is that Bridging generation gap will always maintain happy living of the population”. Moon TV Managing Director, L.Shanawas Khan was honoured by the public. Earlier A.Pichaimani welcomed the gathering and Gopala Krishnan proposed vote of thanks. Govin

Making running water Walk is the right approach for Rain water harvesting

Check dam constructed by SEVAI

Making running water Walk is the right way of approach in rain water and soil conservation.Water conservation is an important area to be given thrust by the entire community in Tamilnadu. Severe drought, No water in River Cauvery, less rains create the situation worse and the people are suffering for want of drinking water and also for water for food production. It is the priority to save water and Rain Water Harvesting plays vital role in solving the problem of getting water. Rain Water Harvesting is possible in saving water in open wells, development of small water harvesting structures as low – cost farm ponds, check dams, percolation tanks. The impact of such activities is a reduction in runoff rain water in open fields, increase in water level, and increase in area under cultivation and curbing of top soil erosion, Renovation and de-silting of tanks / ponds, augmentation of water sources. SEVAI a local NGO has promoted such initiative in Kulitalai dry area namely Dasilnaickanoor and this has resulted in filling irrigation gap, increase in water storage capacity, dry land cultivation being brought under wet land cultivation, conversion from single crop area to double crop area, increase in water in nearby wells and in tank itself (2-3 times) Social forestry and orchard plantations. While afforestration has lead to increase in green cover and improvement in the ecosystem, the planting of orchards has brought more wastelands under plantation with an increase in intercrop area. Land development and reclamation includes in-situ soil and moisture conservation measures. Principally activities undertaken include reclamation of degraded and undulated wastelands to level land through land leveling thereby brought under cultivation with earthen bunding on sides. This has controlled soil erosion, lead to increase in moisture retention capacity, increased wasteland brought under cultivation, conversion of dry land to wet land, increase in production and subsequent increase in land value indicating increase in income. Minor / Major / diversion check dams and stone bunding structures. These minor civil structures mode of locally available materials helps in arresting top soil erosion as they are laid in slopes with over 10 percent gradient. As a result of such measures, there is increase in moisture retention in catchments areas, increase in production, conversion of wasteland into cultivable land and additional vegetative cover. It is important to take up watershed approach in water and soil conservation measures. Watershed is defined as a geohydrological unit draining to a common point by a system of drains. All lands on earth are part of one watershed or other. Watershed is thus the land and water area, which contributes runoff to a common point. Water is essential for all life and is used in many different ways - for food production, drinking and domestic uses. It is also part of the larger ecosystem on which bio diversity depends. Precipitation converted to soil and groundwater and thus accessible to vegetation and people, is the dominant pre-condition for biomass production and social development in dry lands. The amount of available water is equivalent to the water moving through the landscape. It also fluctuates between the wet and dry periods. Irrigation potential which exists in Tamilnadu is much more than the presently irrigated area for food security. A variety of essential soil moisture and water conservation technologies adopted to reduce the cost of irrigation, extend it throughout and promote sustainable small-scale irrigation on a watershed basis in the PVF supported watersheds will be documented. Watershed technologies are essential especially in drought-prone areas. Even though drought is a purely natural calamity caused by the failure of (monsoon) rain, it can be minimized by careful planning and operation. During good rainy years, excess rainwater should be stored in the soil and also underground using suitable soil moisture conservation measures and water harvesting structures on a watershed basis. This stored water can subsequently be used for irrigation. -Govin