You know what!!!!!! Baskin Robbin's Large Heath Bar Shake will take about 240 minutes of running on a treadmill to burn.
Found an interesting article today, that is worth to be shared. Here it is:
It's time to get back to masala chai and ragi malt… Indian traditional drinks that cleverly balance and blend a variety of flavours.
Caramel tequila milkshake anyone? A blend of vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, milk and a couple of shots of tequila it's seems perfect for our iron-pumping, vitamin-popping, club-hopping generation.
After all, grabbing a chilled glass of milkshake chunky with ice-cream seems so much more hip that sipping archaic ragi malt from a gaudy steel tumbler. You might as well trade your slick Schwarzkopf gels for sachets of herbal hair powder. Your assiduously-gelled Mohawk for jasmine-scented plaits. Your Swiss skiing holiday for a weekend in Pichavaram. Right?
Actually, they're all pretty good ideas. Now that we finally have the benefit of hindsight, we're realising that our grandparents — none of whom needed to spend every morning sweating over elliptical machines — had many of the answers to today's lifestyle dilemmas. Natural products for their hair and skin. Local holidays, easy on both the pocket and the environment (currently reeling under the soaring air miles of the migrating masses.) And far fewer dangerously empty calories.
Unlike today's kids, reeling under too much sugar, chocolate and additives, most of us were brought up on glasses of warm milk intelligently flavoured with healing ingredients. Calming turmeric sweetened with caramelly jaggery and stirred into your bedtime cuppa, perfect for the tense and sleep-deprived. Almond-honey milk, spiked with cardamom, which — amongst its other virtues — soothes the digestive system, strengthens the immune system and counters depression. Then there's that powerhouse of nutrients, good old ragi malt, — unapologetically bright, stubbornly dowdy and deliciously comforting.
People say food is one of the most powerful triggers for nostalgia. However, there's nothing quite as effective as a childhood drink to make you feel about 10 years old again. I was recently with a bunch of tough and appropriately cynical journalists at an old-fashioned Irani café, when one of them discovered rose milk on the menu. Despite mocking laughter and much bullying, he ordered it, stating that he, like many Malayali children grew up on tall glasses of after-school rose milk. The transformation was astounding: One minute he was belligerently arguing foreign policy, the next he was blissfully sipping his embarrassingly pink drink with a big, goofy smile.
Still not convinced? Fine, I'm bringing out the big guns. An average milkshake (or frappe/ cold coffee/ smoothie — call it what you want, it's still going to eventually give you the behind of a bus) contains anything from 300 to 1,000 calories, most of them empty. According to Yahoo Health, America's unhealthiest drink is a Baskin Robbin's Large Heath Bar Shake. It has 2,310 calories. That's will take about 240 minutes of running on a treadmill to burn.
Luxuriously creamy masala milk, on the other hand, is not just far less dangerous but also has benefits thanks to its Ayuvedically-approved ingredients: honey, saffron, cardamom and almonds. It might not be a dietician's dream beverage, but it certainly beats fattening yourself with the empty calories, additives and (quite often) corn syrup of conventional milkshakes. Even overly-indulgent thandaai includes healthy natural ingredients such as fennel, cloves, pistachio and melon seeds.
Indian traditional drinks are actually extremely sophisticated, cleverly balancing and blending a variety of flavours. They are also intelligently created, with each ingredient serving a purpose. Even the temperature's deliberate. Ever wondered why so many of our milk drinks are warm, while the western world celebrates chilled milk? Ayurveda states that cold, unspiced milk eaten with unsuitable food can be bad for health. Boiling milk makes it more easily digestible. The spices — cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and black pepper — also work better.
Naturopathy also promotes milk with ingredients such as grated nutmeg, coriander, fresh ginger and cardamom — depending on what your ailment is. They even suggest adding a couple of teaspoons of ghee to warm milk to aid sleep.
Yes, I know what you're thinking. Tequila will probably work as well. But no, that's the one thing I couldn't find in desi retro milk records. Sorry. Perhaps you can drown your sorrow in saffron-tinted masala chai instead?
...
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
India Drained - Act Now
Fast food, tobacco and alcohol are pouring into India, promoting a consumer culture. India should beware. It must not repeat the mistakes of the West.
India is so lively and refreshing. From here, the West looks somewhat old, gray and struggling. Indeed, India looks all set to regain the centrestage it occupied a few centuries ago. But while it is developing very fast and its elite is striving to match up with the West, is it not, at the same time, putting at stake much of its precious environment, culture, traditions and values? Of course, the great country has absorbed influences of many previous invaders and colonizers without losing its identity. But presently, its “westernization” seems to be taking place at a frightening speed.
Foreign trade delegations are rushing into the country even during the hottest months of the year. Starry-eyed businessmen, dressed in crisp black suits are hopping from one five-star hotel to another, cracking mega deals. Market scales and huge figures make them drool. They all want their chunk of the great Indian curry. However, the West is not always exporting its very best to India. Because it’s not just higher standards of safety or environmental friendliness, or valuable technologies and know-how that are flowing from the western world.
Fast food, tobacco, alcohol and toxic skin-whitening creams are pouring into India. This wave is promoting a western lifestyle based on consumerism, individualism and meaninglessness. And the pace of consumption is indeed picking up in India. Manufacturers of goods as different as cars, clothes or cellphones have noticed that in recent years the life cycle of products has shortened.
While the older generation of Indians would buy a new product only when the previous one’s useful life had ended, the young generation tends to fall for novelty. People want the latest generation of gadgets because they have more money and more access to such goods. But mostly, they are made to believe, by ever increasing and omnipresent publicity, that they will feel happier with the new product. To encourage this shopping frenzy, a quiet revolution is taking place in the form of rapidly increasing credit penetration.
For historical and cultural reasons, well-to-do Indians traditionally avoided indebting themselves. This may be one less talked about reasons why the country’s economy avoided major trouble during the recent crisis. Only 20 million Indians possess a credit card and personal loans represent about 10% of GDP. Whilst in most western economies, the latter account for approximately 100% of it. But all this is about to change with a booming credit industry.
These trends may be healthy ingredients for thriving capitalism. But they may not prove soothing for the soul. Even if they all possess their own television, car, washing machine and fridge, Westerners are not necessarily a happier lot. Surveys show that their happiness has declined in correlation with the development of consumerism since World War II. Moreover, most people in the so-called developed nations suffer from obesity, loneliness depression and addiction to prescribed drugs. Maybe once upon a time they danced, sang songs and told stories, but now, free time often means watching TV or shopping.
To meet the growing demand, natural resources are now being exploited in India, displacing millions of tribal people towards urban slums, fuelling growing pockets of civil war-like conflicts across the country. Efforts may be made to fight the old caste system, but a social stratification based on consumption power is emerging. Along with this, India’s comparatively good criminality track record is bound to go on the rise in the coming years.
From an environmental perspective, the current scenario is downright terrifying. Mountains are being blown up, forests are being shaved, soil and sacred rivers are being polluted to cater to the endless production of goods that are meant to be replaced as fast as possible. And whilst the West exports its toxic junk to places like India, where it is “recycled” in dangerous conditions by the informal sector for peanuts, where will the Indians’ rapidly growing waste be dumped?
Maybe 50 years ago, the effects of massive consumption were largely ignored. But today, most people acknowledge many planets would be required if everyone picked up American consumer habits.
Even the western toilets have become a status symbol in Indian middle-class homes. Millions of fancy flush toilets are added every year to new trendy restaurants, malls, condominiums and five-star hotels in Indian cities. Instead of adopting unsustainable imports from the West, there are areas wherein India should inspire the latter. With its traditional squatting toilet for instance. Not just because it is cheaper, more hygienic and better adapted to the human anatomy, but mostly, in a context where clean water is increasingly rare and pricy, because it requires much less of it. Countless other sustainable concepts, values and products from India could benefit Westerners. Strong extended family ties, respect for elders, kriya yoga and tongue-scrapers are just a few of them.
Indian needs to avoid repeating the West’s mistakes. Only enlightened citizens can show the way towards a more viable economy by putting pressure on government, stressing India’s success should not be measured by GDP growth rates and spending habits alone. Nor should it aspire to become like the US or China.
Concerned and responsible Indian citizens can encourage sensible consumption behaviour — by shopping less and wasting even lesser. By buying local products to keep the cottage industries, bazaar culture, traditional crafts and wisdom alive. In essence, by valuing their rich heritage and living simple and meaningful lives, Indians can set an example, and show the West that Mother India is much more than a well of business opportunities. It’s not just a matter of common sense; it’s about our survival.
ref: link
India is so lively and refreshing. From here, the West looks somewhat old, gray and struggling. Indeed, India looks all set to regain the centrestage it occupied a few centuries ago. But while it is developing very fast and its elite is striving to match up with the West, is it not, at the same time, putting at stake much of its precious environment, culture, traditions and values? Of course, the great country has absorbed influences of many previous invaders and colonizers without losing its identity. But presently, its “westernization” seems to be taking place at a frightening speed.
Foreign trade delegations are rushing into the country even during the hottest months of the year. Starry-eyed businessmen, dressed in crisp black suits are hopping from one five-star hotel to another, cracking mega deals. Market scales and huge figures make them drool. They all want their chunk of the great Indian curry. However, the West is not always exporting its very best to India. Because it’s not just higher standards of safety or environmental friendliness, or valuable technologies and know-how that are flowing from the western world.
Fast food, tobacco, alcohol and toxic skin-whitening creams are pouring into India. This wave is promoting a western lifestyle based on consumerism, individualism and meaninglessness. And the pace of consumption is indeed picking up in India. Manufacturers of goods as different as cars, clothes or cellphones have noticed that in recent years the life cycle of products has shortened.
While the older generation of Indians would buy a new product only when the previous one’s useful life had ended, the young generation tends to fall for novelty. People want the latest generation of gadgets because they have more money and more access to such goods. But mostly, they are made to believe, by ever increasing and omnipresent publicity, that they will feel happier with the new product. To encourage this shopping frenzy, a quiet revolution is taking place in the form of rapidly increasing credit penetration.
For historical and cultural reasons, well-to-do Indians traditionally avoided indebting themselves. This may be one less talked about reasons why the country’s economy avoided major trouble during the recent crisis. Only 20 million Indians possess a credit card and personal loans represent about 10% of GDP. Whilst in most western economies, the latter account for approximately 100% of it. But all this is about to change with a booming credit industry.
These trends may be healthy ingredients for thriving capitalism. But they may not prove soothing for the soul. Even if they all possess their own television, car, washing machine and fridge, Westerners are not necessarily a happier lot. Surveys show that their happiness has declined in correlation with the development of consumerism since World War II. Moreover, most people in the so-called developed nations suffer from obesity, loneliness depression and addiction to prescribed drugs. Maybe once upon a time they danced, sang songs and told stories, but now, free time often means watching TV or shopping.
To meet the growing demand, natural resources are now being exploited in India, displacing millions of tribal people towards urban slums, fuelling growing pockets of civil war-like conflicts across the country. Efforts may be made to fight the old caste system, but a social stratification based on consumption power is emerging. Along with this, India’s comparatively good criminality track record is bound to go on the rise in the coming years.
From an environmental perspective, the current scenario is downright terrifying. Mountains are being blown up, forests are being shaved, soil and sacred rivers are being polluted to cater to the endless production of goods that are meant to be replaced as fast as possible. And whilst the West exports its toxic junk to places like India, where it is “recycled” in dangerous conditions by the informal sector for peanuts, where will the Indians’ rapidly growing waste be dumped?
Maybe 50 years ago, the effects of massive consumption were largely ignored. But today, most people acknowledge many planets would be required if everyone picked up American consumer habits. Even the western toilets have become a status symbol in Indian middle-class homes. Millions of fancy flush toilets are added every year to new trendy restaurants, malls, condominiums and five-star hotels in Indian cities. Instead of adopting unsustainable imports from the West, there are areas wherein India should inspire the latter. With its traditional squatting toilet for instance. Not just because it is cheaper, more hygienic and better adapted to the human anatomy, but mostly, in a context where clean water is increasingly rare and pricy, because it requires much less of it. Countless other sustainable concepts, values and products from India could benefit Westerners. Strong extended family ties, respect for elders, kriya yoga and tongue-scrapers are just a few of them.
Indian needs to avoid repeating the West’s mistakes. Only enlightened citizens can show the way towards a more viable economy by putting pressure on government, stressing India’s success should not be measured by GDP growth rates and spending habits alone. Nor should it aspire to become like the US or China.
Concerned and responsible Indian citizens can encourage sensible consumption behaviour — by shopping less and wasting even lesser. By buying local products to keep the cottage industries, bazaar culture, traditional crafts and wisdom alive. In essence, by valuing their rich heritage and living simple and meaningful lives, Indians can set an example, and show the West that Mother India is much more than a well of business opportunities. It’s not just a matter of common sense; it’s about our survival.
ref: link
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Athithidevo Bhava - Dont kill your guests with softdrinks
Growing up as Indians, we have been hearing "Atithi Devo Bhave" throughout. Almost everyone knows its meaning if i am not wrong. But do we actually follow what we know? Visualize a scene, where there are guests in your house, what would you first offer them?
The first thing which comes to our mind is TEA/COFFEE or SOFT DRINKS.
These etiquettes are deep rooted in each of us, you, me and the Indian masses (I dont know about Foreigners), No matter what Region,Religion,Custom,Culture and financial status you belong to.
There are lot of ill effects to our health with these drinks, especially soft drinks which are being sold in our country largely. Many villages dont even have sufficient drinking water, but there you will find these soft drinks available.
The consumption of these drinks will have ill effects such as:
1) Tooth decay
2) Nutritional depletion
3) Obesity
4) Type-2 (formerly known as "adult-onset") diabetes
5) Heart disease
and the list is end less.
Here are few drinks which you can opt over these Soft Drinks
Buttermilk (chaach/lassi): Buttermilk is lower in fat than regular milk, because the fat has been removed to make butter. It is also high in potassium, vitamin B12, calcium, and riboflavin as well as a good source of phosphorus.
Those with digestive problems are often advised to drink buttermilk rather than milk, as it is more quickly digested. Buttermilk has more lactic acid than skim milk.
One cup of buttermilk has 99 calories and 2.2 gm of fat, whereas whole milk has 157 calories and 8.9 gm of fat. It is also an excellent source of protein and calcium.
Fresh lime (nimbu paani): Low on calories and high on health count, nimbu paani is the healthiest way to quench your thirst and refresh your body. Lemon is high on vitamin C and ‘nimbu paani’ acts as a natural hydrant in these harsh weather conditions.
But make it fresh each time and avoid buying from street vendors since that can cause stomach infections.
Aam Panna: A traditional preparation of roasted or boiled raw mangoes, aam panna’ is a great digestive aid and an instant energy infuser. It also helps prevent heat strokes, dehydration and dryness of mouth and tongue in acute summer conditions. If your schedule prevents you from making aam panna at home, then try the packaged variety.
Fruit and Vegetable juices: Rich in minerals and essential micro-elements, these juices contain substantial amounts of carbohydrates, which supply energy to human body. Fruits and vegetables contain generous amounts of vitamins that regulate metabolism and help in the conversion of the fats and carbohydrates into energy. Fruit and vegetable juices are also known for their therapeutic benefits.
For more such drinks check this.
Conclusion:
Tea/Coffee also have their own ill effects. Use your brain and learn what is good and what is bad for you and your family. Take out your subconcious mind from the slavery of these advertisements shown on television, etc.
Protect yourself because your family needs you, and also INDIA NEEDS YOU.
Few links for your reference:
Soft Drinks - Health Effects
Liquid Candy
The first thing which comes to our mind is TEA/COFFEE or SOFT DRINKS.
These etiquettes are deep rooted in each of us, you, me and the Indian masses (I dont know about Foreigners), No matter what Region,Religion,Custom,Culture and financial status you belong to.
There are lot of ill effects to our health with these drinks, especially soft drinks which are being sold in our country largely. Many villages dont even have sufficient drinking water, but there you will find these soft drinks available.
The consumption of these drinks will have ill effects such as:
1) Tooth decay
2) Nutritional depletion
3) Obesity
4) Type-2 (formerly known as "adult-onset") diabetes
5) Heart disease
and the list is end less.
Here are few drinks which you can opt over these Soft Drinks
Buttermilk (chaach/lassi): Buttermilk is lower in fat than regular milk, because the fat has been removed to make butter. It is also high in potassium, vitamin B12, calcium, and riboflavin as well as a good source of phosphorus.
Those with digestive problems are often advised to drink buttermilk rather than milk, as it is more quickly digested. Buttermilk has more lactic acid than skim milk.
One cup of buttermilk has 99 calories and 2.2 gm of fat, whereas whole milk has 157 calories and 8.9 gm of fat. It is also an excellent source of protein and calcium.
Fresh lime (nimbu paani): Low on calories and high on health count, nimbu paani is the healthiest way to quench your thirst and refresh your body. Lemon is high on vitamin C and ‘nimbu paani’ acts as a natural hydrant in these harsh weather conditions.
But make it fresh each time and avoid buying from street vendors since that can cause stomach infections.
Aam Panna: A traditional preparation of roasted or boiled raw mangoes, aam panna’ is a great digestive aid and an instant energy infuser. It also helps prevent heat strokes, dehydration and dryness of mouth and tongue in acute summer conditions. If your schedule prevents you from making aam panna at home, then try the packaged variety.
Fruit and Vegetable juices: Rich in minerals and essential micro-elements, these juices contain substantial amounts of carbohydrates, which supply energy to human body. Fruits and vegetables contain generous amounts of vitamins that regulate metabolism and help in the conversion of the fats and carbohydrates into energy. Fruit and vegetable juices are also known for their therapeutic benefits.
For more such drinks check this.
Conclusion:
Tea/Coffee also have their own ill effects. Use your brain and learn what is good and what is bad for you and your family. Take out your subconcious mind from the slavery of these advertisements shown on television, etc.
Protect yourself because your family needs you, and also INDIA NEEDS YOU.
Few links for your reference:
Soft Drinks - Health Effects
Liquid Candy
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Towards a more egalitarian educational system
Making available quality primary education at affordable cost
Reams and reams have been written on what ails our educational system. But, one aspect that does not seem to get due attention is the role of our educational system in perpetuating the class divide. Today, primary education in India is imparted by a variety of schools.
At one end of the spectrum, we have schools which impart quality education, boast excellent facilities and use English as the medium of instruction. These are the schools which charge hefty fees and donations and, hence, are out of reach for children from the less privileged families.
At the other end are the typical government schools, where teachers hardly have the skills or motivation to do justice to their jobs. Such schools normally use the vernacular as the medium of instruction. These are the schools which cater for the educational needs of the less privileged. With exceptions, students from these schools generally carry with them an inferiority complex engendered by the kind of schooling they receive and this is all the more pronounced as a result of their lack of ability to handle the English language well. In a country like India, all this has serious and far-reaching implications. In our social set-up, English is not just a language, it is also a statement of one’s breeding, abilities and smartness. You may have scored excellent marks at the graduation examination. You may know your subjects very well. But if you are not able to speak fluently in English, make no mistake, this deficiency is going to eclipse whatever qualifications you have.
Far-reaching effects
No wonder when it comes to the job market, knowledge of English is often the key to bagging a good job in our country. Other things being equal, a graduate or post-graduate with good oral communication skills in English has more chances of landing a good job than someone who cannot articulate in that language.
The first step in ensuring equality of opportunity to all is to have an educational system which imparts quality education of uniform quality to all without distinguishing between the rich and the poor or the rural student and the urban student. In the Indian context, equally importantly, it would also mean that every student gets equal opportunity at school to learn English the way it should be learnt. Let us not forget that if the growth in the services sector has not really touched the lives of ordinary people in our country, part of the reason lies in the English/vernacular medium divide in our educational system.
It is heartening to note that companies like Infosys and Wipro have started recruiting candidates from rural areas in a big way, training them after recruitment in not just job-related skills but also soft skills, including the ability to handle communications in English. While such laudable initiatives need to be emulated by other companies, these alone cannot provide a long-term solution.
The government schools in pre-Independent India were as good, if not better than many of the expensive English medium schools we have today. After all, many of the ‘greats’ this country produced before and after impendence were from government schools. The government and society then treated the teaching profession as one of the noblest professions. The pay and service conditions were good enough to attract talented and dedicated people. Those who end up in the teaching profession now are mostly those who could not make it to more lucrative careers.
As a democratic nation, we should strive to neutralise the disadvantages on account of economic background, caste, creed, religion, etc., faced by the underprivileged sections by supporting them to raise themselves to a position where they can compete on equal terms with others. While providing reservation to these sections in educational institutions may be one way of achieving the objective, making available quality primary education to them at affordable cost cannot be lost sight of.
© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu
Reams and reams have been written on what ails our educational system. But, one aspect that does not seem to get due attention is the role of our educational system in perpetuating the class divide. Today, primary education in India is imparted by a variety of schools.
At one end of the spectrum, we have schools which impart quality education, boast excellent facilities and use English as the medium of instruction. These are the schools which charge hefty fees and donations and, hence, are out of reach for children from the less privileged families.
At the other end are the typical government schools, where teachers hardly have the skills or motivation to do justice to their jobs. Such schools normally use the vernacular as the medium of instruction. These are the schools which cater for the educational needs of the less privileged. With exceptions, students from these schools generally carry with them an inferiority complex engendered by the kind of schooling they receive and this is all the more pronounced as a result of their lack of ability to handle the English language well. In a country like India, all this has serious and far-reaching implications. In our social set-up, English is not just a language, it is also a statement of one’s breeding, abilities and smartness. You may have scored excellent marks at the graduation examination. You may know your subjects very well. But if you are not able to speak fluently in English, make no mistake, this deficiency is going to eclipse whatever qualifications you have.
Far-reaching effects
No wonder when it comes to the job market, knowledge of English is often the key to bagging a good job in our country. Other things being equal, a graduate or post-graduate with good oral communication skills in English has more chances of landing a good job than someone who cannot articulate in that language.
The first step in ensuring equality of opportunity to all is to have an educational system which imparts quality education of uniform quality to all without distinguishing between the rich and the poor or the rural student and the urban student. In the Indian context, equally importantly, it would also mean that every student gets equal opportunity at school to learn English the way it should be learnt. Let us not forget that if the growth in the services sector has not really touched the lives of ordinary people in our country, part of the reason lies in the English/vernacular medium divide in our educational system.
It is heartening to note that companies like Infosys and Wipro have started recruiting candidates from rural areas in a big way, training them after recruitment in not just job-related skills but also soft skills, including the ability to handle communications in English. While such laudable initiatives need to be emulated by other companies, these alone cannot provide a long-term solution.
The government schools in pre-Independent India were as good, if not better than many of the expensive English medium schools we have today. After all, many of the ‘greats’ this country produced before and after impendence were from government schools. The government and society then treated the teaching profession as one of the noblest professions. The pay and service conditions were good enough to attract talented and dedicated people. Those who end up in the teaching profession now are mostly those who could not make it to more lucrative careers.
As a democratic nation, we should strive to neutralise the disadvantages on account of economic background, caste, creed, religion, etc., faced by the underprivileged sections by supporting them to raise themselves to a position where they can compete on equal terms with others. While providing reservation to these sections in educational institutions may be one way of achieving the objective, making available quality primary education to them at affordable cost cannot be lost sight of.
© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu
Monday, August 24, 2009
Mother-tongue in danger
The basic purpose of any language is to communicate. It is the responsibility of the people concerned to preserve/enrich their respective native languages and pass on to the generations next to keep their cultural ethos and civilisation alive. Therefore, using a language regularly and spreading the same is the key to its sustainability and eternity. However, of late, I have seen, in fact closely observed, a tendency on the part of the people to use the English language ext ensively while disregarding their mother-tongue.
Fascination for English
It must be pointed out here that we inherited the English language due to British colonialism. It has enabled us to construct bridges and establish contacts with the outside world, which is necessary for progress and prosperity more especially in these days of globalisation, where the world is being referred as a global village. One of the important reasons for its phenomenal growth is its remarkable flexibility. It is also a fact that proficiency in English is considered a cornerstone to success and a passport to prosperity. As against this backdrop, it is quite natural that people are very fond of English. With globalisation, its importance has grown much more, as being inevitable for mere survival.
Recently, when I visited a hospital, right from entering to leaving, I had to speak to them in English. Even when I tried to speak to them in Telugu, they were not willing to speak to me in Telugu as if it is not their mother-tongue. Speaking in English in a foreign country is an absolute necessity, but speaking in that language in India by people belonging to the same culture and same language is strange. I have seen some parents speaking only in English to their tiny tots in the expectation that they would learn English effortlessly while disregarding the importance of their mother- tongue. While there may be many reasons for this fascination, it does not augur well in the interest of our native languages. This may, slowly and surely, lead to the extinction of our languages over a period of time.
Save our languages
It may be worthwhile to mention here that according to a news report published in The Hindu, dated February 21, 2009, of the 196 languages listed as endangered by the UNESCO, India tops the list of countries having the maximum number of dialects on the verge of extinction. These facts were revealed in the latest Atlas of World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing unveiled by the UNESCO.
It must also be worthwhile to mention that countries like Japan, China, etc., have made tremendous progress and prosperity and stood as role models even though their English language skills are very poor. As rightly said by Tagore, mastery of one’s own mother-tongue will lead to the easy learning of a foreign language.
Regular usage/spread is the key to the thriving of any language.
If we do not regard our own language and always try to speak a foreign language, even while staying in our mother land with people of same language and culture in an effort to achieve proficiency in the English language, we are doing a great disservice to our own mother-tongue and helping others to keep up their cultural ethos and civilisations while allowing our languages to languish and perish.
reference: thehindudot com
Fascination for English
It must be pointed out here that we inherited the English language due to British colonialism. It has enabled us to construct bridges and establish contacts with the outside world, which is necessary for progress and prosperity more especially in these days of globalisation, where the world is being referred as a global village. One of the important reasons for its phenomenal growth is its remarkable flexibility. It is also a fact that proficiency in English is considered a cornerstone to success and a passport to prosperity. As against this backdrop, it is quite natural that people are very fond of English. With globalisation, its importance has grown much more, as being inevitable for mere survival.
Recently, when I visited a hospital, right from entering to leaving, I had to speak to them in English. Even when I tried to speak to them in Telugu, they were not willing to speak to me in Telugu as if it is not their mother-tongue. Speaking in English in a foreign country is an absolute necessity, but speaking in that language in India by people belonging to the same culture and same language is strange. I have seen some parents speaking only in English to their tiny tots in the expectation that they would learn English effortlessly while disregarding the importance of their mother- tongue. While there may be many reasons for this fascination, it does not augur well in the interest of our native languages. This may, slowly and surely, lead to the extinction of our languages over a period of time.
Save our languages
It may be worthwhile to mention here that according to a news report published in The Hindu, dated February 21, 2009, of the 196 languages listed as endangered by the UNESCO, India tops the list of countries having the maximum number of dialects on the verge of extinction. These facts were revealed in the latest Atlas of World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing unveiled by the UNESCO.
It must also be worthwhile to mention that countries like Japan, China, etc., have made tremendous progress and prosperity and stood as role models even though their English language skills are very poor. As rightly said by Tagore, mastery of one’s own mother-tongue will lead to the easy learning of a foreign language.
Regular usage/spread is the key to the thriving of any language.
If we do not regard our own language and always try to speak a foreign language, even while staying in our mother land with people of same language and culture in an effort to achieve proficiency in the English language, we are doing a great disservice to our own mother-tongue and helping others to keep up their cultural ethos and civilisations while allowing our languages to languish and perish.
reference: thehindudot com
Sunday, August 23, 2009
RAJIV DIXIT lectures on national and political issues - mp3 files
Foreign DEPENDENT country - India
Even after 60 years of Independence, INDIA is still dependent on other countries. I guess Indian dont know the meaning of INDEPENDENCE.
Please listen to this video. Just 10min of your precious time, cant u spend??
For further videos please visit this.
JAI HIND.
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