State Level Eligibility Test @ MS University ❤️

 

Study Abroad Seminar @ MCC ❤️

 

When I was elected President of the USA in January 1993, there were only 50 websites on the world wide web! ❤️

India vs South Africa

Final One-Dayer @ Nagpur

Shocking betting racket unearthed! 😢

When India’s decision to field (after winning the toss) raised eyebrows!

First Official Visit by US President to India in 22 years

Bill Clinton Visits India on a five-day state visit!

19th March 2000

#memoriesfromdiaries

Little did we realise on this particular day, that this particular match [and this series as well] will go down in history for all the wrong reasons!

Only on 7th April 2000, things began to unwind, when Delhi Police Crime Branch revealed match-fixing allegations involving S. African Cricket Captain Hanse Cronje and Sanjay Chawla, a kingpin in the betting racket in India!

Before the one-day series began, Hanse Cronje had been receiving continuous calls from Sanjay Chawla, requesting him to fix matches in lieu of a huge sum of money.  

It seems Cronje was offered $140,000 (approximately Rs. 63 lakhs, 24 years ago!!!), when one dollar was Rs. 45/- approx.. for this fifth ODI if Gibbs scored less than 50, Williams went for more than 50 and South Africa scored around 270!

It was later revealed that, Hanse Cronje, South African Cricket Team’s Captain had more than 70 bank accounts across the world! ☹

India were staging a lovely comeback, with such fighting spirit, when to everyone’s surprise, they lost all wickets, with ten runs to get in ten balls!

Over to the main news of the day - 

US President Bill Clinton was on his first official visit to India, when Shri Vajpayee was our Prime Minister. 

US President Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea with our President and our Prime Minister

Bill had visited the Taj Mahal along with his daughter, and then he also paid a visit to a village named Nayala near Jaipur in Rajasthan to know more about our Panchayati Raj system and its administration.

It was indeed a historic visit, since the last time an American President visited India, was in the year 1978 under Jimmy Carter.

After visiting various cities in India, including New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bill went to Bangladesh and to Pakistan as well.

You may want to listen to his address to the business community in Hyderabad, on YouTube HERE.

Some of the thoughts that he shared in this Address are really prophetic!

Sample this –

When I was elected President of the USA in January 1993, there were only 50 websites on the world wide web!

Today [as of March 2000!] there are over 50 million! And it is the fastest growing communications medium in history.

In India the number of Internet users is bound to grow more than ten times in the next four years.

10 years ago, India’s hi-tech software industry generated software and computer related services worth more than 150 million dollars. Last year that number was four billion dollars.

Today this industry employs more than 280 thousand Indians. In jobs that pay almost double the national average!!!

Little wonder then, as the Minister said, Hyderabad is now being known as Cyberabad!... 

Bill continued! 

Vidyasagar cheerfully replied, ‘My dear son, there is no harm in doing one’s own job, I only wanted to show you that’. ❤️

Today in our Literature Class!

17th March 1998

#memoriesfromdiaries

#inspirational ❤️

Dr. P. Natarajan, our beloved Head of the Department, was known for his lively anecdotes. In fact, he always began his classes with an interesting anecdote.

[An anecdote - by the way - is a short, interesting, or amusing story about a real person or event, said to create an impact on the audience].

Well on this particular day, 26 years ago, Prof. Natarajan narrated an anecdote from Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s life – an incident on his train journey - which taught us all, the value of being humble all the time.

He narrated the story thus -

A young officer, probably in his late twenties, was on a train, travelling to a town in Bengal, to listen to a lecture.

When the train reached its destination, the young officer looked around, and shouted for a coolie to carry his luggage – to carry the little suitcase in his hand which was not at all heavy!

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar who was watching this young officer, shouting out for a porter, politely came forward to help him.

He bent down and joyfully carried the officer’s suitcase for him.

‘How much do you want?’ asked the young officer, mistaking Vidyasagar for a porter.

‘I don’t need any money. I’m so glad to be of help’, replied Vidyasagar, refusing to accept the money offered to him.

The young officer then proceeded to the venue of the lecture, and there he was stunned by what he saw in front of him.

The man whom he had mistaken for a ‘porter’, and who had carried his luggage in the railway station, was none other than the person whose lecture he had come to attend on that day!

The young officer felt very ashamed of himself, and with a deep sense of remorse, he fell at the feet of the ‘porter’, asking him for his forgiveness.

Vidyasagar cheerfully replied, ‘My dear son, there is no harm in doing one’s own job, I only wanted to show you that’.

Well, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, is one of the pillars and pioneers of the Bengali renaissance. A much venerated and celebrated author, thinker, activist, social reformer and a humanist, he was known for reaching out to the oppressed and downtrodden, standing up boldly for the rights of the women, conducting widow remarriages and espousing the cause of women’s education.

‘Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues’, said Confucius.

When we become aware of the importance of humility in our lives, we can say with Tagore –

‘This frail vessel thou emptiest again and again, and fillest it ever with fresh life’.

‘This little flute of a reed thou hast carried over hills and dales, and hast breathed through it melodies eternally new’.

Yes, the moment we realise that we are ‘frail’ and ‘little’, that’s when we are ‘filled’ to the fullest!

Valuable lessons for life, from our blessed teachers on the lives of such great legends!

Pic: ThePrintDotCom | ObserverVoiceDotCom

'You created me with your love!' ❤️

Book Review | Inaippin Pinaippu by Dr. Phebe Angus

Four Book Releases in the Department of English

Mnemosyne 2024 | @ DoE

14th March 2024 was a red-letter day for the vibrant Department of English (Aided), MCC. Four books were released on the occasion.

Dr. Mekala Rajan, our Head of the Department, led by example. Two of her books were released on 14th March by the legendary Dr. Nirmal Selvamony.

The first book authored by Dr. Mekala is titled, Cultural Integration Through Images in Biblical Wisdom Literature.

Our beautiful earth, with the involvement in wars, fights in all fields, battles over materialistic assets and positions, is getting crushed and the real essence of existence is therefore squashed. We are losing our capacity to exist in harmony. Human beings are not only indifferent but diffident too. Jealousy, hatred and envy in multiple ways have  disrupted peaceful coexistence.

A self- centered life is rejected and an inclusive approach is advocated. The oneness in thought and action among fellow human beings is appreciated and the logical presentation as in the Book of Job facilitates value clarification. Thus, real knowledge is knowing God, 

says the book.

The second book is titled, Green Strokes in Biblical Wisdom Literature.

Wisdom Literature is seen riding majestically on Nature images. Life is lived purposefully when we are sensitive to Nature's beauty, rhythm  and  sensibility evoked by the colours that captivate. Nature reminds us of the creation and our creator. The world today is self - confident not God - confident. Therefore, there is perplexity, uncertainty and complexity. The spiritual growth is ignored. Human beings are beholden to their maker. This recognition and focus is sinking and has turned insignificant. The effort to haul us out of the mire that we are paddling in has to be executed cautiously and with love, 

says the book.

Yet another book titled, Loud Inner Voice written by Abraham was also released today. You may want to order copies of the book on e-marts HERE.

But the greatest of these, is LOVE!

Or to put it in another way - the book by Dr. Phebe Angus on LOVE!

It’s titled, Inaippin Pinaippu: A Celebration of Love, published by Notion Press.

The Dedication is so delightfully penned, and says it all –

In a cold dark forest

Damp, moist, slipping

Knees weakened by the searching

Finally, a glimpse of a faint glimmer

I spotted my spotted deer

Skipping

Dear to the eyes

Calm to the soul

Safe to the heart

Soft to the spirit

It’s a remedy and a balm

But he raced away

Taking with him

My smile…

The foreword by Dr. Ilango, Associate Professor, Dept of Tamil, MCC, beautifully foregrounds the spirit of the poems in this collection in all their aura and charm!

In the introduction, the poet in Dr. Phebe so majestically outlines the intention of this passionate book as an ‘indulgence in the finesse of love’s play, layering one’s imagination and fantasy with the thoughts about the beloved, writing each other’s love story, the power of loving in silence, reading the eyes and smile to communicate feelings of love…’

It aims to perceive human love as the shadow of Divine Love and shows how one cannot survive without the other, even while Divine Love is eternal.

Dr. Phebe then takes us - her readers - on a lovely journey through the history of love down the ages, right from the Bhakti tradition, where poets equated Divine Love with human expressions of love, The Song of Solomon, Tamil literature of the Sangam era from 1 BC to 3 BC, the Tholkappiyam, etc., up until to the present.

The poet also gives us possible reasons on why disappointments in love surface, and how, when one is filled with Divine Love, one is always sure to find their way!

A Hundred Poems follow!

The first poem titled, ‘Why did you enter my heart?’

which also becomes a refrain in the poem, with 25 lines, shows a gradational progression of sorts!

The next poem comprises of 20 lines.

The fourth poem comes to 10 lines!

There is an internal order and cohesion to the structuring of the poems as well!

Some of the poetic lines are so mesmerizing and awe-inspiring!

Sample these –

From a line that borders on metaphysical heights –

In your eyes glittering in the light of the moon. I saw my world.

To the metaphoric charms –

Oh my spotted deer that slips about and runs.

To a myriad literary devices that heighten the aesthetic pleasure while reading through each of the lines!

Embracing me with your smile and creating love with your words.

Bravery that walks in the light of the moon.

Seeking the waves the river flows towards it.

Your instructions bear the sweetness of mountain honey.

Let us find sweetness in your shadow and lose ourselves in this bliss.

Sweet relaxing in the shadow of your embrace.

His eyes speaking to her in silence.

In the sparkle from our eyes, let’s write our stories.

Did you embrace me without embracing me?

I will show you the sweet music of love!

Voice that makes me forget myself!

You created me with your love!

You make my dreams and my reality!

Your eyelids are the shield of my heart!

And many more such priceless poetic pearls!

Well, it was a pleasant surprise that Dr. Phebe had chosen to write all the hundred poems in Tamil, with apt pictorial illustrations for each of the poems.

Nothing like writing the spontaneous overflow of the heart in one’s own mother tongue, as the legendary Ngugi wa Thiong’o rightly says – one’s vernacular 'bears the burden' of one's own cultural experience!

How true!

Human beings are superior beings says Fredrich Nietzsche.

They are sexual beings says Freud.

They are textual beings, says Derrida.

They are storied beings, says Ben Okri.

But forget them all, 

human beings are basically love beings says Dr. Phebe!

In a world where love becomes a fleeting passion of little value, where people shift their object of affection as quickly as a racing cheetah, this encyclopedia on Love is sure to become the Bible for true blue Love Beings across the world!

Love becomes the golden thread that binds the book into a blessed weave!

The book says it all!

It’s an amalgam of the Sufi and the Rumi, the Kabir and the Tagore, the Osho and the Augustine!

Well, I’ve just given y’all snippets from the book.

A Special Copy for this Blogger

To grab a copy for yourself, please order HERE on Amazon.

Special appreciation to Ms. Swetha, III BA English for helping with the animes.

I’ve read and also reviewed love in lowercase by francesc miralles in our blog. 

However,

Inaippin Pinaippu is a true blue testament to Love in Uppercase for the readers!

Before signing off - 

Well, the author Dr. Phebe strongly suggests that, the reader have a cuppa coffee while reading through the poems. So here’s giving you a tempt to go for the book and for the cuppa as well, dear reader! 😊

International Conference on 'Nature, Culture, Literature' at MTN College, Madurai - A Report ❤️

International Conference @ MTN College, Madurai | A Report

Creating Records by the Dozen!

Any Conference hosted by the Department of English, Mannar Thirumalai Naicker College, Madurai, assumes significance for a variety of reasons.

The distinguished luminaries on the dais

First, for a record number of paper presentations - 232 papers offline & 100 papers online, and an equally enthusiastic throng of participants drawn from across the country.

Students from Pondicherry University, Bharathiar University, MS University, Periyar University, Thiruvalluvar University, Bharathidasan University, University of Madras, and from a lot of colleges in an around South India, including Madras Christian College, participated in the Conference.

Dr. Joseph Albert, releasing the Conference Volume

In addition, one of the major highlights of the inaugural was the grand welcome accorded to dignitaries – a first of its kind – a typical Madurai-style welcome, with a variety of percussion instruments played skillfully by students of Mannar College!

Moreover, this is the first Conference organized after Dr. Rama Subbiah after he had taken over the mantle – as Principal, MTN College, Madurai. Indeed, Dr. Subbu was visibly moved and became a bit emotional while addressing the audience as well.

Dr. Rama Subbiah, Principal, MTN College welcoming the gathering

Yet another significant and pioneering practice that was initiated by the organisers, was the serving of refreshments which included multi-grain sprouts and buttermilk, which were a kinda ‘bioregional nourishments’ that were well-received by the participants and dignitaries alike. 

A section of the enthusiastic participants and delegates

The wholesome lunch along with ice cream and buttermilk was also one-of-its-kind.

The auditorium was literally overflowing with delegates and participants in large numbers all over the venue. The awesome MC done by Prof. Anthea Isaac and team was also an aural delight to everyone gathered.

The Vibrant MC Team

The College had also partnered with TJELLS, - The Journal for English Language and Literary Studies, to bring out the papers in a Conference Volume. A Conference proceedings containing the abstracts was also released on the occasion.

It indeed looked like a festival of sorts.

As an added bonus, the event was also live-streamed across Google Meet for the participants who had opted for online participation and presentations.

From Prof. Sundhar, online Participant in the Conference

Full credits and congratulations to Dr. Rama Subbiah Annan, Principal, MTN College, for shouldering the responsibility of hosting a Conference of this stature in such an excellent manner.

This Blogger's Talk

The International Conference had representations from many countries, 17 states from India and two union territories as well.

Such is the commitment and the resolve displayed by the organisers in making the Conference a memorable one for all of us!

The Vibrant Organising Team with the Principal

Personally, it was so nice to catch up with a host of lovely friends right from Dr. Marx Annan, HoD, English, Pondicherry University, to Dr. Jeyapriya Akka, HoD, English, Mother Teresa Women’s University, Kodaikanal.

With Dr. Jeyapriya, HoD, English, Mother Teresa Women's University, Kodaikanal

We also had a lovely time of interaction with a bevy of participants.

With Dr. Beulah and friends, Professor of English, Meenakshi College for Women, Madurai

On the whole, it was a rewarding day with wholesome nourishment for body, mind and soul!

Jaison yelled out a shriek... 😊

Zoology Practical Exam | Cockroach Dissection

MCC School Days

#HSC Days #hostelyears

10th March 1995

Today, we had cockroach dissection as part of our final Zoology Practical Exam, for the year.

We were supposed to have with us, our dissection box set that contained a whole lot of dissection instruments like scissors, magnifying glass, knife, tweezers, gloves, and the like.

Previously, we had some little experience in the lab, practising how to dissect a frog, as well. 

And I remember this interesting incident that connects to our frog dissection! 

When we had our frog dissection, usually the frogs were given chloroform, and we had to pin its legs to the dissection board.

All was well, for my friend Jaison, who was busy taking out the dissection board to pin the frog to the board, when, suddenly, to everyone’s shock, the frog suddenly having come out of its stupor, pounced out of the dissection board, and into the huge sink, kept in the table.

Jaison yelled out a shriek in his distinct nasal voice, which caught the attention of our Zoology master in no time! He came straight up to Jaison’s table, and gave him minus marks for shouting! Albeit for no fault of Jaison, the poor boy was awarded a punishment!

Coming back - 

In like fashion, the cockroach was usually given chloroform. Then it became a ‘specimen’ on the dissection tray.

We were also supposed to bring our Zoology records along with us to the Practical Exam. There, it was pierced in the middle, by driving a sharp nail through the records, which for us, signalled the end of our Zoology practicals for the entire year! 😊

After all our Zoology records were pierced in the middle, the ‘record books’ were handed over to us.

Lovely drawings that took nights and nights of penciling, were here right in front of us, pierced unceremoniously, leaving the pencil sketches horrid and harrowed by all means. However, they had their own logic for that, I suppose. 😊

For more on our Zoology Master Mr. Soundarraj, and on Jaison’s shrieks on a previous occasion as well, you may want to read our past post HERE.

Saurav's First Match as Captain of 'Team India' ❤️

Saurav Ganguly’s First ODI as Captain Today!

Ind vs S. Africa @ Kochi

9th March 2000

[This Day - 24 years ago]

The first sensational feature about this match was that –

Saurav Ganguly – considered the 'God of off-side' of Indian cricket, was chosen to lead Team India, at a time when Indian cricket was going through a very bad phase, or rather one of the toughest phases ever, with a lot of match fixing allegations against a few top notch players!

In fact, the mantle fell on Saurav, also because Sachin had resigned as Captain of the Indian side quite recently, after a dismal show in the World Cup, - as the little master wasn’t comfortable playing his inimitable mesmerising shots, under the weight of captaincy on his shoulders.

As the Bridge Chronicle rightly observes,

‘The turn of the century saw tumultuous times in Indian cricket. The match-fixing saga made the fans move away from the sport that they considered their life’.

Yes! And I’m one among them. Up until the year 2000, my diary entries were always a kinda cricketing almanac of sorts! 😊

However, after this year, for the past 24 years, I have never watched a single cricket match anywhere anytime on TV or otherwise! 😊

Such was the huge letdown that some of us die-hard fans of the game felt, when we saw some of our favourite cricketers like Ajay Jadeja (one of the finest fielders we’ve ever had), Azharuddin (one of our finest batsmen), Hansie Cronje (one of the most successful allrounders and captains as well), were accused of having been involved in the match fixing scandal.

Coming back –

On this particular day, we had the first ODI between India and South Africa, at the Nehru Stadium, Kochi.

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat. They amassed a pretty score of 301 – 3!

This was a sensational match of sorts!

The second sensational feature about this particular match was –

Faced with a huge burden up his sleeves, the Bengal tiger, [who is known for displaying his prowess under pressure], elegantly lifted the Indian side to its winning knock of 302 – 7 in 49.4 overs. Ajay Jadeja top scored for India with 92 runs.

[And interestingly, India had won this five-match series 3-2, and Sachin Tendulkar was adjudged the Player of the Series].

The third sensational feature of this particular match was that, Rahul Dravid, considered ‘The Wall’ of Indian Cricket, bowled in this match at Kochi. He bowled some magnificent spells with 2 – 43 in nine overs! This disciplined spell by ‘The Wall’ was instrumental in ‘curtailing’ the South African juggernaut!

The fourth sensational feature about this particular match was that, India had celebrated the same victory twice for this particular match! 😊

Well, the match was heading towards a nail-biting finish!

And with four runs needed off four balls, Robin Singh and Kumble were busy spear-heading the Indian defence!

It was at this time, that, Kumble top-edged Shaun Pollock over the keeper’s head towards the boundary. Kallis, a very good fielder himself, dived to get at the ball! And it so appeared that, the ball had hit the boundary rope!

Courtesy: AFP

Eventually, this led to impulsive celebrations on the Indian front, and all the batsmen rushed merrily to join their team mates, for their customary celebratory hugs!

After they had almost left the field, the umpires discovered that the ball had been stopped and the batsmen had run three. So one more run was needed from three balls. 😊

This move by the umpires shocked the entire cricketing world! However, Robin Singh gave that elegant winning knock, and India really won!

So it was a double win for India for this match! And how! 😊