Wednesday, March 19, 2008

My Battle

My heart flutters,
An army of foes march upon me.
I grip my sword, hold my breath ... I'm to free my doom.
I lift my head & hold it high for if I must die,
Then I shall with dignity.

I meet my foes strong and mighty
Built of my imaginations and aspirations.
I fend off blows, I hold my ground ...
I try to stand tall & strong
To win and win over them
And to dispel the gloom.

What's this ?
My strength is loosened
My hopes are fading
But my foes march on.
My life stands on the edge of the sword.

But wait !
The demons – I'll turn you away
And let my dreams blossom.

Behold !
I will win the battles
With my pen and books.

*****************************************
Vakul Mohanty
2nd Year,
FIIT JEE Junior College
Hyderabad
19th Mrach 2008

Vakul is my son. He is currently(2008) a 1st year student
at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Time

Why does the time pass ?
Why doesn't the time stop?

Why does this time make a person happy ?
And then why does it make a person sad?

Why does the time make the end of a life?
Why does this time doesn't stop when we want?

Why doesn't this time wait for a while?
Why does this time run?

I don't have any answer for all these.
If any has
Please make it for me easy.




Anwesha Mohanty
Viii, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Public School
BHEL Ramchandrapuram
Hyderabad, India.

Note:Anwesha is my daughter.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Ananya Jamaja

Note: An Oriya poem written in English script

Mo saahita
Sedina tu bi janmaneithilu.
Muun thili aloka pate,
Aau tu
Thiaa hoithilu mo chhai andharare
Mote daraibaku
Kandaibaku.

Tela jarajara kari
Moa mathare, galare kalatipa dei
Chhanchuni khande chhindai
Moa seja pakhare rakhi
Baau jetebele
Gadhiaku chaula dhoibaku jauthila
Aau pitagama saga lobhare padi
Pheribaku deri karuthila
Tu pada chipi chipi aasi
Mo seja pakhare basi
To damara damara akhi pataku leutai
Bada bada dantaku nikuti
Mote hantasanta karuthilu.
Kanda suni
Mo saanta daudi asile
Tu chhu maruthilu.

Mo sangare janma hoi
Tora kipari ete bada bada danta hela ?
Se rahasya
Ebe bi muun bhedi parini.
Pacharilaru
Tu danta kadamada kari
Kichhi kahunathilu.

Saanta ta puruna loka
Tanku achhapa jainathila to bheka.
Tote bhagaibaku
Se Satyanarayana brata mo pain kale
Tu tikie hatijai andhara pinda re basuthilu.
Muun pujapare, ratire
Chemini barika, Budhiaa maa o Bainshi pieesha ghare
Bhoga dei pherila belaku
Tu mo bata oogali
Garudu garudu kana sabu kahuthilu.




Muun patikari chilamari assilabelaku
Mo saanta lathan dhariPahanchi jauthile.
Tu tanku dekhi dari
Lasara pasara hoi ubhan hoijauthilu.

Tu ete kana sabu janithilu je
Mote bahe kahi bhulau thilu ?
Kana karithanthu mora se andharare ?
Mo hata goda bhangi pakaithantu na
Mo jibha kati neithantu -
Pacharithili tote
Kintu mo saanta dari
Tu kichhi kahinathilu .

Saanta chaligala ra alpa kichhi dina pare
Bapa kemiti akala re achala hoigale, Oo
Tu tara sujoga nelu
Agare basi
kala pataria mahabala bhagha helu
Haai mari to bada bada muniaan danta gudaku
Ajathare barambara mote ganibaku kahithilu.
Mote daraiba paaeein
Mo hata re kendara dei
Kiri kiri hasiba paaeein.

Moa sanga re janma nei
Tora moa upara
Ete ahaanta kahinki ?
Pachhari thili ketethara tote.
Sabuthara boau deithiba
Kala sutare bandha deunria
Mo gala re jhulu thibara dekhi
Dum dum hoi chalithilu
Puni pheri asibaku
Sujoga undi
Darandi darandi.

Ebe
Muun mo kama re loka gahale thilabele
Tu mote apekshya karithau ghare
Sopha upare,
Ketebele
Saffola o sorisha tela sisi duiti majhire
Dali chhaula daba sandhire ki
Moo puruna maruthi kara ra diki bhitare.

Gharaku pheri nirola re basithila bele
Tu luchithiba jagaru bahari
TV ra parada upare
Asarira rupa sabu nei nachu.
Chhi ! Tu emiti rupa badalei
Sarama hina hoi kahinki nachhu ?
Kemiti nachhu
Langala pada nei
Chhanda hina hoi
Aakhire asuyaa ra surama lagai ?

Kete bele tikie thaka re
Nida lagi asuthila bele
Tu gote udbhata joka hoi
Mo dhamani ku ajathaa gudai rakta pampa kari deu je
Muun ananishwashi hoi uthipade
Tu khaata aarakadare thiaa hoi
Khapara dhari rakta sabu pieebaku maagu.

Ki asambhaba tora se jukti
Dei ouni nebaku dabi karibara,
Phula dei
Luchhai kanta phodibara,
Jibana dei
Mrutyu magibara.

Mrutyu mora
Chhaka panjha ra nahin prayojana
Tu ta satya chirantana.
Barang, saathi de
Kama sari chhalijiba
Hata dhara dhari hoi
Gai gai
A janmar achhanda bhara madhura ragini.
Gapi gapi
A janmara abhual kahani
Soie jiba bahala nida re sei amba gachha tale
Dui samadhi majhi re
Chakhande jamire.

Hrushikesha Mohanty
16th March 2008

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Temples of Higher Learning & Social Responsibility

Contrast

There is a say in Oriya “Pokhari re pani thile aaadi ki sitala”i.e. ponds keep its surroundings cool. But, there could be counter examples too e.g. a slum adjacent to plush colony, crazy things around a temple and a huge illiterate mass around temples of higher learning. I could realize it distinctly while I was at IIT Kharagpur in early part of 80s. Many years have passed but the contrast persists. Now even one can see the same. Look at around Universities/Institutes you find a huge mass of illiterate children in near by slums. Indifference is plenty at all levels. The people blessed to enter these temples are usually cut to look up and up so that people around them don't come in their line of sight. The most blessed one are of-course export items!

Justified?

In a sense these institutes are right in their way – that is concentrating on higher education -as that is the reason for funding. Thus, the purists justify the indifference. They are true in that sense. But is it fulfilling?
The sights: children engaged in construction sites in education campus, little kids passing through university main gate carrying a load of dry twigs on their heads with soiled matted hairs, mothers putting kids on swings tied to tree branches and engaged in laying cables for cellular telephone companies and many such, don't sink hearts of high priests then certainly there is something wrong and the trait is not justified.

Sensibility

Particularly, it is essential to sensitize our young graduates for making them socially responsible . Probably, for the purpose the programmes like NSS and NCC are designed. I'm not sure how much impact these have made on student community- certainly not up to desired level; may be due to the way these programs are being conducted.

However, the process of sensitizing students need not hinge on these two programs only. Teachers as well as other functionaries of a University must explore every possible method for the purpose as, I believe it's vital not only to build future but also to realize the self. In academic activities teachers can try in utmost way to bring the students on the top of the temple and ask them sometime to look down to find the unfortunates around the temple looking at the temple with dazed eyes and wandering around the temple and wandering on wishful prophetic words by our seers: “Sa Vidya ya Muktaya”. Where are these words of Gurudev Tagore – where the knowledge is free ........

Not a difficult task for any of us to find out what can we do within our purview just by stretching our bit towards our surroundings. For example, persuading as well as encouraging students to take up social relevant projects as their study projects. This small step by a University will certainly make big impacts by not only providing solutions to social problems thus making students socially responsible, but also assuring a dream to these dazed eyes and then making higher education socially relevant.
In order to be specific, I'm presenting an example for computer science graduates. None or very few take up projects that are relevant to society. Projects like developing information systems for managing a municipality/panchayat activities, habitats, optimal utilization of natural sources, counsellings and several such projects are not only socially relevant but also academically (both in theory and technology point of view) rigorous. Universities to encourage students for looking up social issues into their curriculum should award them with extra credits and provide necessary interfaces. I'm sure one can find such examples for any other subjects. This kind of excuses will bring the younger generation to their roots and also help them to blossom as entrepreneurs born with social responsibility. A telescopic view on development and management of panchayat information systems by its local youth, shows a tremendous employment opportunity - an egalitarian approach for building digital society.

Sparks

Sporadic examples on institutes' interventions on society are of-course available. I'll quote a few I know. Dr.Kota Harinarayana – the hero of LCA project was once the vice-chancellor of University of Hyderabad. He is an amazing personally with varied interests and enormous zeal. Among many good things he did, literacy programme for slum dwellers and villagers is the best one. Students volunteered and teachers guided to slums and villagers thrice in a week to spread literacy. Another programme called 'Community College' he initiated to train dropouts for employability.
Another example, I'll quote from Orissa. Private engineering colleges are usually run like corporates and general belief is that these are in business. Instead of delving into this debatable issue, I'd like to quote a praiseworthy positive example set by Dr.Achyuta Samant the founder of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneshwar. Dr.Samant has established an exclusive institute KISS (Kalinga Institute of Social Science) for tribal students. It's a unbelievable experience to see five thousand tribal students engaged in excelling themselves. There could be some more like these due to few more Samaritans. But, certainly the number is not enough for a country of more than a billion population. In order to sensitize a large number of people, educational institutes should play a vital role. And the most effective method is to integrate social work into curriculum. That integration will lead towards completeness in life as Isha Upanishad tells:

Aandhang tamah prabishanti yehbidyamupasate
Tato bhuya eeba te tamo ya wu bidyaya nha ratahaaa.

“Into a blind darkness they enter who follow after the ignorance, they as if into a greater darkness who devote themselves to the knowledge alone”.{The Upanishad Part-1, Sri Aurobindo, Page21].

Hrushikesha Mohanty
March 2008

Note
This is my personal opinion only.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

After giving F-grade*

Lilly shot down moon
Tortoise whisper spreads
Sun hid all flowers
Morning broke the news.
With your higgledy-piggledy rides
On sierra of whispers, I got my last hiccups.


With drooping eyelids you passed-by
At criss-cross points,
To make me feel you never knew me.
Indifference bolted my coffin
I passed away inside to see you laughing.


Indignant piercing eyes, raised eyebrows
Built cold-fire bridge, swamped suspicious scorpions
Fabricated,animated and eulogized.
To dance in dark ecstatic crates tiptoed.

Catalepsy sieged you within
I'm sliced for offerings at your figurine.

Measuring blessed unending saris for Kauravas
Grading for globe-spread with my non-existing third-leg, I'm asked.
You never understood
With languid milk I'm paralyzed.

Rupturing crippling pythons
Blossom, off languishing lattices.
I wait with my flash gun
To makeweigh your imagination.

I'll wait again at criss-crosses
For your hazel nut smiles.

Seething on grade-arrow-bed
I'm waiting you to tick,
Though time stretches limitless at both ends
But Today you must be quick.

____________________________________________________
This poem does not have any direct/indirect reference to
anybody or institution including my employer.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Stars Grounded

A Big gate stared at me today
With its protruding long tongue
Guarded by branching out trees.
Awkward at stares and giggles of waiving branch
Found few stars hanging.

1,2,3 ...
Kept counting
They appeared and disappeared.
Disappointing to judge how many were there
for sure.

Whatever could be, true
I found them there.
Hope you can see those
On every possible corners
Even daring out in Mid-May Sun.

Take a pause to count
And if you can pocket those
Like Cricket heroes
To cheer on billboards.

Scramble for stars here on grounds today
You need not look high for
Unlike Dhruva's meditation of yesterday
Bend to knees to take those away.

Stars now graze on ground
Where flowers have disappeared.
Dhruva has shied away at falling stars
Seeing those stuck to everybody collars
Who cares for Dhruva of yesterdays
When today itself is anonymous.

Narendra Prasad Talent Award

Bangalpur, Simulia, Orissa 756 126


Date: 18th Februray 2008

Narendra Prasad Talent Search wishes to encourage talents in our area. This programme in future will be run by a Trust called Narendra Prasad (NP) Foundation. For a quick start from this year, I wish to initiate this talent search scheme by instituting an award of One Thousand Rupees to the school topper in Xth Board Examination. It's also decided to award One Thousand Rupees to the students who have secured the highest marks in Mathematics and Oriya in Maitapur Panchayat.

On publication of Xth Board examination result, the school topper and the students who have scored the highest marks in Mathematics and Oriya (at-least with average 60% marks) may write to me in the following format with recommendations from their respective school Headmasters. The School Headmaster is requested to send these applications to my address at Hyderabad. The applications are required to reach me within 30days of the announcement of Xth board result. On the envelope, please superscribe “Narendra Prasad Talent Award”.

Fill up the application properly and send it to me to the following address to receive the award money in form of bank draft.

My address
Professor Hrushikesha Mohanty
41, Doyens Township
Seri Lingampally
Hyderabad 500 019
email: hmcs_hcu@yahoo.com,
040-23011073 /20134009, 09441279339


Hrushikesha Mohanty
Founder, NP Foundation

The Head Master Request to put it on Notice Board & forward
the applications.



Application
for
Narendra Prasad Talent Award


1.Name of the student.

2.Date of Birth.

3.Parent's name:

4.Village Address:

5.School Name & Address
(Attach a bona fide certificate from the school)

6.Address for Communication:

7.Xth Board Examination Percentage of Marks Obtained:
(Enclose a photocopy of the mark sheet
attested by the School Headmaster)

8.Are you the over all school topper ?

9.Are you the school topper in Mathematics ?

10.Are you the school topper in Oriya ?

11.Telephone Number (if any) with STD code:



Student's Signature



Headmaster's Recommendation & Parent's Signature
Signature