Nilambur­-famous for its forestry and its landscape, a small town situated forty kilometer from Malappuram town, North Kerala. The teak plantation covers the major land area in nilambur. The nature enthusiasts, who are in much need of information on teak, can find the Connolly’s plot and teak museum as the perfect place.
Nilambur is renowned for the oldest teak plantation in the world, Connolly’s plot, just two kilometer from the town. The teak plantation is named after H.V Connolly, the Malabar District Collector. During his period, he took initiative in planting teak in the entire nilambur area. Chathu Menon, the forest officer under Connolly, organized the task of planting the saplings. He was laid to rest in the teak garden in Connolly’s plot.
The oldest teak tree, Kannimari is a rare attraction at the Connolly’s plot. The plot extends over 2.31 hectares beside the Chaliyar River at Arecode. This is one of the most famous forestry plots of the world, attracting foresters from all over the world, interested in studies and researches in teak trees. This experimental plot is preserved since 1844.
Four kilometer away from the town, on Nilambur-Gudalur, stands the world’s first teak museum, and its only kind in India. The museum is a sub centre of Kerala Forest Research Institute. Arranged in the two-storied building are exhibits, articles and details of historic, aesthetic and scientific value, which give information on all aspects of teak to visitors.
The fascinating abundance of information on this wonder tree attracts an entire horde of tourists to visit this museum through out the year. The extensive root system of a fifty five year old teak tree exhibited for welcoming the tourists is itself a metaphor of the past, present and future of the museum.
The ground floor exhibits a translite of Kannimari teak- the oldest naturally growing teak tree, the life size replica of the trunk of the largest known teak tree and added attractions are traditional granary and miniature model of sailing vessel called ‘Uru’, made of teak wood.
The depiction of foliage, flowers, fruits and barks of the tree gives us deeper insight into the characteristics of the teak. The large stump of a 480-year-old teak tree is also exhibited in the museum. The various methods of seed-grading, pre-sowing treatment, preparation of teak stems, and vegetative propagation of teak and different stages in the complete rotation cycle of teak from seed to mature tree are also on display. In addition, a collection of over 300 butterflies, moths and insects that are found in teak plantations are exhibited in the museum.
Another exclusive section deals with the various physical disorders of teak, disease causing insects and pests, plantation and other nursery diseases. Some of the special attractions of the museum are a series of interesting paintings portraying tree-felling operations, a collection of photographs on the phonological of the events of the teak at different seasons, exhibits on traditional harvesting tools and wood, samples of different ages from various parts of the world.
The 800-meter long bio-resources natural trail on the museum campus is indeed, an interesting one. This natural trail passes through a heavy growth of shrubs, trees and bamboos. One can also find different species of birds and reptiles here. There are 50 naturally grown tree species and 136 endangered and near-extinct tree species of the Western Ghats planted in this natural trail.
Thus, the Conolly plot and the teak museum offer a strong perspective of a glorious era spanning a period of 150 years. It reveals the magical bounty of the natural beauty.

Circus - A declining art

Circus, an art that attracted the people world wide, is now in the wedge of decline. The existence of circus is challenged world wide especially in India. Circus, as a declining art form, is not preserved or encouraged well.
Often the circus people entertain us by making their life at risk. When they are walking on the narrow threads, when they play with man-eating carnivores, when they fly high to touch the sky, all they do is to make us laugh by endangering themselves. When they end up their performance and successfully leave a smile with audience, they are entering into another rebirth.
About twenty years before, circus was a good ‘entertaining business’ that had talented opportunities in our country. Now, the situation has changed and today this art is added in the declined arts. Within these twenty years, most of the circus artists have changed their profession.
The media revolution and the central government order to ban the use of animals in circus have changed the entire scenario of this art form. The public often misinterpret circus as an art of exploitation by assuming that the artist are forced to wear disgusting costumes by the circus owners for the financial profit. Now, circus is like any other art form with respectable salary and other allowances. However, though the situations have changed, no one is ready to survive in this profession.
The young generation artists started moving towards cinema, advertising and many other media profession. When the entertaining profession like magic shows, film, folklore etc are appreciated and recognized through various awards by government, circus still stands out. In addition, like other arts, circus does not have any organizations or unions in common. When the government show keen interest in providing place and space for cricket, football they should turn back to circus too. Also, the municipality should avoid imposing high taxation on their land for exhibiting the circus.
The technological improvisation and development of modern equipments have influenced the success of film industry. But the circus is existing only with the talents and risks taken by the artists. Circus also tells the story of the communal harmony and brotherliness. They work hand in hand. They are the co-travelers of danger and calamity. They appear in the ring every time as a test of luck to live.
When this art form makes the audience laugh, but with tears in the eyes of the artists, it is the duty of our government and public to nurture the art of circus. The ‘circus’ both as an entertainment and an art form, should be encouraged.

Harry Potter - A fiction stranger than Fact!

Harry Potter, a series of seven fantasy stories written by British author J.K Rowling, is in the height of its publicity. The books chronicle the adventures of an adolescent guy wizard ‘Harry Potter’, together with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, his best friends. The story is mostly set at Hogwarts School of Witchcrafts and Wizardry- an academy for young wizards and witches. The central story concerns Harry’s struggle against the wizard Lord Voldemort’s attempt to conquer death.
The success of the novel has made Rowling the highest earning novelist in the history. Rowling’s publishers were able to capitalize on this buzz by rapid and successive releases of her book. It is amazing fact that ‘Harry Potter’ is the most influencing character created by a novelist. With the release of the seventh book, Harry Potter series have become so crazy even for the adults.
A good readable novel will ultimately have the power of bringing in the moral values and basic humanity among readers. But Harry Potter under critic examination is not exhibiting such qualities of a good novel. This is clear from the fact that, her first book, ‘Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone’ was finally published after eight rejections from various major publishers.
The author herself has quoted the theme of the novel as ‘theme of death’. She quoted “My books are largely about death”. Especially, when the book is aimed at children below the age of fifteen, it should have the theme of hope. Instead the book is presenting an over view of death, witchcraft, nightmares and other troubles.
When other fictitious stories create a world apart from ours, Harry Potter creates a link between virtual world and other world. Thus it makes the witchcraft to happen within the existing world of ours itself. In addition, the ‘wizard guy’ is an ordinary boy who is realizing his wizard character very late. The children think themselves to be a part of the witchcraft and are even trying to gain knowledge in it. The book has become such a craze that children started dressing like Potter and are living in such a hallucination.
If ‘Harry Potter’ were an imaginary character, beyond human powers, children would have ignored this, just as a story. But when Harry potter is presented as one among the ordinary, it forms a greater tendency for the children to turn towards wizardry. Instead of making children to understand the real life and its problems, Rowling is making children to think of gaining extra ordinary powers to over come troubles. This will lead readers to run away from reality. It seems that Rowling’s mind is governed by clichés and death metaphors and she knows only that kind of writing- thinks the majority of the parents.
The American religious groups and recently Vatican have claimed that the magic in the books promotes witchcrafts among children and make them far away from religious beliefs. Vatican City refers Harry Potter as ‘the wrong kind of hero’ and he poses a danger to children across the world. In addition, Vatican quotes the book as unsuitable for children.
It is a notable fact that, the book is not creating simply mere fans, but the followers of the hero. This can create a more situation than the present. Under the critical examination, it is clear that Harry Potter should not be given this much importance, but only a position of mere fiction or fantasy story.

Cyber Crime - Hacking the youth

CYBER CRIME
The internet, which once opened its doors to a wide array of knowledge and education, is now paving way for misleading the youth. The upcoming number of net cafes and internet surfing that can be availed for the price of pizza are haunting our children’s precious time and brain.
In this era of increased crime and mischaps, internet forms vast sources of criminal opportunities. The internet space is called as cyber space. Simply, cyber crime is an evil having its origin in the growing dependence on computers is modern life. In a day and age when everything from microwave ovens and refrigerators to nuclear power plans is being run on computers, cyber crime has assumed rather problematic implications.
Every time you buy stuff online, do your banking or pay bills over the internet, check in with your office by e-mail or just surf the web for fun, it may be a gateway opening for a cyber crime.
The cyber crime mainly is misunderstood only by the term ‘web pornography’. But, the cyber crime is spreading over its hands more wide in different fields. ‘Hacking’, an illegal intrusion into a computer system or network is used for personal monetary gains such as stealing the credit card information etc.
Child pornography in internet is highly used by its abusers to reach and abuse children, sexually, worldwide. The very fast spread of internet as a household community has made the children a victim to the cyber crime. Another cyber crime is cyber stalking in which repeated harassment or threatening behavior of cyber criminals towards the victim by using internet service. Cyber stalking can include making harassing phone calls, killing the victim’s pet, leaving written messages or objects etc.
As the software companies are booming up, software piracy is also increasing. The software is stealed through the illegal copying of genuine programs. Chat rooms also make platform for the cyber crime to take place. IRCS (Internet Relay Chat) servers have chat rooms in which people from anywhere can come together and chat with each other. Many cheatings can happen in a chat room. In addition, credit card fraud, net extortion, copying a company’s confidential data for huge amount etc are serious cyber crimes that prevail in the present situation.
Cyber crime also shows its authencity over friendship communities. When the friendship communities like orkut, hi5, mingle box etc open the chances of unlimited friendship, it sometimes mould up cyber criminals. A cyber crime was registered in Mumbai, about the murder of a young software engineer by her ‘orkut lover’ in a hotel. This incident peels off the community crimes.
A computer user who is an internet addict can gradually change into a computer maniac. Later as internet crawls up like drugs, in the brain, the chances for the creation of cyber criminals increases. Thus when traveling through the virtual world of internet surfing, one must be sure of the hidden traps and the dangers that may come across. It should be the intelligence and knowledge that is to be used for not getting in cyber crime would and not to turn as a ‘cyber crime victim’.
E-Security tips for students:-
* As a global store house, use internet to increase your knowledge
* Respect the privacy on the net
* Be careful about talking to strangers on a chat room
* Never try to misuse other’s e-mail or pass word
* Be careful about the programs and information while downloading
* Don’t get trapped in on-line gambling and free prizes
* Do not give your password to anybody

SEZs - Grabbing away the lands

The retail sector in India is now in deep trouble and it will further deepen in the forthcoming five years. The development of ‘shopping mall culture’ in the country is the cause for this threat. In addition, the establishment of special economic zone is a parallel cause for the downfall threat of retail sector.
With the help of foreign investment, multinational companies and big industrial houses has started entering into these malls by investing huge capitals. Foreign companies are targeting 110 crore population of India and investing huge money , keeping in view of upcoming business profits and is trying to establish mega malls across the country.
The promise of these companies is that they provide all goods, from needle to sword, dust to silver, gold and diamond jewelers under one roof. Due to heavy investment, they are buying goods in bulk directly from factories or manufactures on cash with discounts. As a result, the trade of other Indian authorized dealers, retail and wholesale traders etc will see an end.
The giant industrial houses in major include Reliance, Tata, Adanis, Spencer, Mahindra, Hindustan Unilever, Unitech, Wall mart, E-Mart etc. Reliance is now trying to purchase crops directly from farmers, thus becoming a threat to the existence of intermediaries. Fresh vegetables are collected from states including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka at cheaper rates and are stored in large warehouses in mass volume. The vegetables reach the market only when demand and price rises in the nation.
The increased trend of ‘mega mall culture’ is overviewed with threat by retail sectors. The existence of common traders is on question. Though, the central government is welcoming it, some individual states as Uttar Pradesh has banned the establishment of multinational shopping malls. If the future trade falls off within the hands of these giant mega malls, India in no time, will become a puppet in the hands of foreign monopoly.
The approval of government to bring particular areas under Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is equally disturbing the existence of retail and wholesale traders. Here these areas are supposed to follow different economic laws that are more liberal than India’s typical economic laws. By promoting some areas as SEZ, government wishes to increase its foreign investment in India. But Indian government is itself turning into a scapegoat before foreigners.
Chennai in Tamil Nadu, Cochin in Kerala, and Noida in Uttar Pradesh are the major areas that are being converted into SEZ. It is said that SEZ gives an opportunity for the domestic enterprises and manufactures to compete globally.
P. Nazruddin, president of Merchant Association, Calicut stated that if SEZ is introduced in India widely, the scenario will take a terrific face. Commonly, in a state, government has introduced VAT (Value Added Tax). But for SEZ’s, VAT is not applicable. In Indian economy, if a profit is earned of two lacks is earned by Indian corporate sectors and other industries, 25 percent of that profit should be paid as income tax. But SEZ is avoided from income tax.
Even the electricity charges are reduced to 1/8th in SEZ. When a foreign entrepreneur maintains SEZ, it is not compulsory for him to hire Indian labor. Instead, he can hire labor for cheap rates from outside India, which brings out unemployment in India. Just 18 workers in a SEZ will replace the work of 400 workers in Indian industries. The situation stands similar to giving room for a stranger in our house, who later becomes our house-head.
The irony is that, our Indian government is strongly welcoming this attempt. The foreign money that may flow in through SEZ is their aim. The national economists should be concerned about the economic instabilities that may burst out in the forthcoming years. Economy may boom and development may be beyond imagination. The other world giants will come to invest. We may be able to economically stabilize and technologically revolutionalise. But, a people of high tradition and culture may be vanished and Indian agricultural lands may turn into a fiction.

Nano Food - Near your Fridge

‘Techno-fear’ has always pulled back the common people from accepting new inventions in the field of technology. The protest of this kind that existed against computers and mobile phones has now vanished. They have now become the part of human kind. So is the fear towards the use of nano-technology in food. Though use of nano-technology is widely accepted in other fields including computer chips and even cosmetics, nano-foods are not gaining wide acceptance.
Nano-technology – the new wave at the shore of technological boom is the applied science and technology, which control the matters smaller than one micrometer. The era of nano-technology is now finding its way out. The most enhanced development of nano-technology is in the field of food and agriculture in India.
Nano-foods, simply means the normally used food, but produced using nano-technology. Improved food processing, packaging and safety, enhanced flavor and nutrition are the promising fields of food technology where nano-technology can overrule.
The potential benefits of the nano-foods are now a subject of detailed study. Scientists and researchers are pulling up the rope of nano-foods. The food industry in many developed countries like America and Britain etc and developing countries like India is now investing many millions of dollars in nano-technology research and development. Many corporate sectors are progressing in the development of nano-foods.
Nevertheless, nano-foods do not get enough publicity and acceptance due to some misconceptions among common people. People often think that nano-foods are foods produced by some atomic modifications and can contain some chemical substances. They also think that these foods may bring about some health hazards. People find it more difficult to opt nano-foods because of these insecure doubts.
The fact is that, nano-foods have nothing to do with such atomic modifications in food. The food is said to be nano-food when nano-particles, nano-technology techniques or tools are used during cultivation, production, processing and packaging of food.
This misconception of the nano-foods is a hurdle for the development of nano-technology in food production. It can be overcome if the major resource people and the government come forward by promoting the knowledge of nano-technology. Studies in nano-foods and their benefits should be given more importance. In this scenario of increased population and rising unemployment in India, the mass production of any product using nano-technology can make a great difference.
Debates are going, on the safety and regulations of nano-foods. How far it can gain publicity and acceptance among the people is left to the future. Anyway, scientists and researchers are finding ways to bring the technology into our fridge door. In an agricultural country like India, the economic conditions can be developed by introducing nano-technology into the fields of cultivation and production. Time ask to wait and see whether this booming technology will bring the nano-foods on our dining table in the upcoming years.

Digital Divide creating Info rich and Info poor

In this present world of booming communication technology, there is a need to search about the reach of the communication media to the common people. All are screaming of the revolutionary development in the field of communication. However, a detailed study in this field reveals that, it is not a digital boom that is created, but a digital divide.
The digital revolution has not been able to act as a digital equalizer. Mainly in developing country like India, the digital boom have created two extremes of groups- info-rich and info-poor. When the 80 percent of the people living in developing countries earn only 20 percent of the global incomes, they are running far away from the doors of telecommunication infra structure. In a democratic country like India, where all are to be treated equal, digital divide is an upcoming national crisis that creates inequality.
To explain, digital divide is the gap between those who have access to the latest information and communication technologies and those who do not. It is not only the lack of physical access to technology that made the digital divide, but also the absence of access to other resources that leads them to know about these technologies. Many see this digital divide as the failure of the development initiatives as well as the failure of the government.
The major causes for the digital divide in India includes the technological factors, language and literacy factors, financial or economic factors, government and political will etc. in developing country like India, the poor state of telecommunication network especially in the villages is the major barrier for the internet usage. There is a wide telecommunication gap between rural and urban sectors within the country. While the total tele-density rose to 15.44 percent in 2006, the rural tele-density rose to 2 percent, the urban tele-density to 31 percent. This needs to be viewed in a position with the fact that 73.2 percent of the Indian population resides in villages while, 26.8 percent resides in urban areas. There will be an estimated 71.6 million internet users in India by 2011, representing 6.0 percent of the population.
Digital divide questions one’s right to communicate. It is the right of any individual, community and society to communicate more specifically through the media. But the digital divide becomes a hindrance for the ‘info-poor’ group in India. Both in the international and national scenario, digital divide are creating an imbalance in the information flow. If only a digital equalizer is formed between the info-poor and info-rich, we can attain a democratic communication system.
In India, though new technologies in information and communication have brought about major changes in the world, the disparities remain wide spread. In India, 26 percent of population still lives below the poverty line and 40 percent of the population is illiterate. Ours is a large semi-literate populated nation, in which hardly 0.5 percent of the population has a personal computer.
The sensationalism and commercialization of digital media technology aims at upper class urban rich families which again makes a hindrance for the technology and information to reach down to the common public. As far as new media is concerned, it has an immense potential in development. But the exclusion of common people of who are poor, illiterate and rural, from the world of digital improvisation holds back the balanced communication scenario in the country.
As far as market forces are concerned, the private sectors have slowly spread technology to middle-income groups. But, when it fails to see that it is the under developed group in the developed countries that is to be focused for a technological revolution, the divide is perhaps widened. In addition, government policies, instead of meeting short-term demands, should provide coherent long-term plan to narrow up this technological divide.
Now, it should be the time for the government and the technological giants to think in another way. By focusing on the rural, under-reserved people who forms the major part of population, the technological and political powers should be able to reach the destination of the real digital revolution. The techno-divide should be dealt with more consciousness and government should find a solution for the widened threat of this digital divide.

JUNK FOOD - Impact of Television and direct marketing

In the busy world of ‘no time’, the chance for the growth of junk food in families have raised up. The ability of even a three-year old child to identify and force his parents to buy a product should not surprise many. After all, marketing to children is an art that companies have mastered long ago- especially junk foods.
Television commercials and the direct marketing show the many ways by which companies get children hooked on to junk food even at an early age. High intake of calorie rich junk food combined with a sedentary lifestyle has led to increasing number of over weight and obese children and adults in many developed and even developing countries. Many individuals have been found to suffer from diabetes and cardio vascular diseases even at an early age.
Many companies that reaped great profit through direct marketing to children includes Mc Donald, Magi, Pepsi, Coca-Cola etc. even children at a very small age are now crying over for junk foods of colors, odor, and flavors. The homemade food providing nutrients and a correct diet are out of reach now days.
The various advertisements on foods and drinks imposed during children’s program and on children’s channels drag children to the nearest fast food centers. In addition, use of celebrities and cartoon characters for children’s product that can induce them to buy these products are now in mass demand.
The junk food producers are exploiting the celebrity of children through various commercials. Moreover, the amount of fat, sugar and salt in their products are in very high quantity, thus affecting the health of children. A foreign magazine has reported that American children spend nearly 130 billion of their money on buying junk food every year. In addition, the chance of a child to become obese is 1.6 times greater when he drinks one can of coca-cola daily.
Like these developed nation, India is also moving towards this ‘junk food culture’. This proves to be an easy way for ‘working mummies and timeless daddies’. Nevertheless, the result is the production of many ‘amul babies’ deprived of any physical resistance towards disease. The children become obese when they start eating unhealthy food at a very young age.
“Catch them young” is the successful slogan of junk food manufactures when TV commercials and marketing acts as a good media for spreading this slogan. Childhood obesity is more a marketing-induced phenomenon. The jump of children towards fried items and other junk food can make them obese. Weaning them away from these unhealthy foods and promoting natural foods that are good for health should be everybody’s responsibility.
A ‘good-bye’ to these junk foods can be a rescue from young age diabetics and other cardio vascular diseases. Developed countries including America and Britain have already banned and controlled such commercials on junk food. Therefore, junk food manufactures are turning their eye towards developing countries like India. We should keep our eyes wide open towards the hazards that may eat us in the near-by future in the form of junk food.

Energising Kovai homes with Feng Shui

What costs you to change the position of a statue in the corner of your house or to clean your wardrobe weekly? Especially if these silly changes can take you to some heights of prosperity and happiness in life.
"First avoid the negative… then enhance the positive," says a Chinese proverb. It is true with the principle of Feng Shui. Feng Shui, literally meaning 'the way of wind and water' (Feng-wind, Shui-water), is simply the art of placement of objects, which helps the flow of energy (chi) in the best way to help the prosperity to be in the way.
This Chinese science which contents symbolic 'cures' of correcting energies is gaining its stand in India, along with its counterpart, vaastu shastra. When vaastu shastra demands expensive makeovers like reconstructions, Feng Shui gains acceptance through its easy way of silly remedies.
"We take things lightly. We don’t believe in demolishing. But this is a science which depends on angles and hence the moving of some objects here to there can make up things better," says Mini Rajeev, master consultant in Feng Shui.
Feng Shui uses symbolic way of curing problems. A house will have problems when it either has a negative energy flow through it or if the positive energy flow is blocked. This can be solved just by removing a wall painting allowing the energy flow or by placing a statue blocking the negative energy, says Mini with confidence.
Mini Rajeev, a Malayalee settled in Coimbatore, who is a master practitioner-cum-consultant in Feng Shui, honoured her degree from Lillian Two’s Institute of Feng Shui, Malaysia, and is now practicing in India concentrating mainly in South India.
"Water and wind is that powerful that it can create marvelous results when arranged in the right position. The flow of water determines the flow of money. It can bring the vibrations of happiness," says Mini.
Speaking on Feng Shui, the most important thing we should take care of is ‘clutter clearance’. Anything in the dumps can be called a clutter. The wardrobe with clothes unused for long time, the collection of newspapers, a peak of books lying on the table and anything like that, which may obstruct the flow of ‘chi’, can turn into a clutter.
"We used to keep things for later use. But the fact is, that someday will never come and the things you kept for a purpose will be turned into clutter. So always concentrate on cutter clearing thereby allowing the positive ‘chi’ to flow in," she says.
Mini had no inclination that she would be taking up such a field. It was after graduating in Maths and getting into family life, that she happened to read an article on Feng Shui, published in this paper. She then started studying Indian vaastu shastra and then switched over to Feng Shui.
Mini is the first South Indian to bag an International second rank in Master Consultancy in Feng Shui. She also is a Master in Pathchee (Chinese Astrology) and Master in Water Feng Shui, all from Lillian Institute.
How Feng Shui works: "In Feng Shui everything represents something. I always try to fuse Indian tradition into this Chinese science. Allowing all Chinese objects inside may turn the house a Chinese emporium which Indians may not like. So I suggest things like a wall painting, a water feature or something else very simple but powerful to bring about good changes."
A house is arranged according to Feng Shui based on the date of birth of the head of the family.
According to Feng Shui, there are three major afflictions, which changes every year. Grand Duke Jupiter, which is in North in the year 2008, Five Yellows in the South and Three Killing, again in the South. "We should not oppose the GDJ by keeping anything against it. Also we should not activate Five Yellows, for example by lighting lamps in the South. Likewise Three Killing also should not be opposed," she advises.
"In Feng Shui, apart from four major directions, there are other 20 directions with four cardinal and four sub directions. Feng Shui largely works on magnetic energy. So if the front door of a house is facing a wrong direction, we can ease it by placing a metal near the door by changing the direction of the entire house. We use a special compass called ‘Lo Pan’ for the purpose, which indicates twenty-four directions and many other calculations," explains Mini showing the Lo Pan.
Mini has already published a book on Feng Shui, which got a good response. She is now working on another book, which details the particulars of human energies. She also takes classes and seminars on Feng Shui. She is now planning to start courses for Feng Shui, which could make the people in India more aware of Feng Shui.
"Looking around is the most important thing," she says about Feng Shui. On the expense of implementing Feng Shui, she says it’s easier to spend for changes than to spend on an entire demolition. For a house of 1000 sq.ft, it nearly costs Rs 25, 000 to 40,000 to change the entire house according to Feng Shui.
She didn’t forget to give some tips on Feng Shui for the readers of Expresso. “Always stick on to quality, because quality makes things work out. Also it is advisable to keep a laughing Buddha diagonally opposite to the entrance. It brings you prosperity if you have bamboo planks immersed in water in the Southeast side of your living room."
She believes nothing is that good or nothing is that bad. Life is in a phenomenon of changes. "Getting energy to accept changes in life can make your life beautiful. And Feng Shui will definitely help you bring out the positive energy in and around you which enable you to live a happy living,” says Mini.
Happy living!

Published on 20/06/2008 in Expresso, The New Indian Express

Kalki - for them she muses

Empowering the third gender is the dream that Kalki nurtures. And who better than the Shikhandi of Mahabaratha-fame to help her realise her quest?
This 'God’s special child', as Kalki calls herself, is now busy giving life to a play to be staged by 2009. The script she is penning for Shikhandi will find all the three sexes together on stage. And she believes that "you are not defeated until and unless you stop trying".
This is not the first time that Kalki is attempting a role in theatre. Her passion for theatre helped her grab a double role in William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, brought out by Auroville Theatre Group. She loves to work with theatre groups both in Tamil and English, but adds that 'Shikhandi' will be in English.
Now a woman, Kalki was born into a dominant political family in Pollachi as the only 'brother' to two sisters. From her childhood, 'he' always felt the 'she' in him. On reaching puberty, her mind could not accept the changes that were taking place in her body. "It was not an abrupt change that happened with me. Right from the childhood I felt like a woman. I refused to be a man because I was always a woman," says Kalki.
However, she also went through the usual nightmares and inner conflicts as faced by any other transgender. When she expressed her desire to live as a woman at 14, it created a buzz within the family. "No parents would wish to hear that their child is a transgender. As I was the only boy in my family, it created a lot of unpleasantness. I was taken to the Vellore Mental Health Center and was treated for my 'mental illness' for a month," Kalki said deplorably.
"For transwomen, to be honest and truthful to our parents and reveal the real 'we' to them is the most difficult thing in the world. We surely know they will be hurt... and we fear to tell them the truth. But I was bold enough to reveal myself," said Kalki, confidence personified.
Realising that education is the only way to wipe out ignorance, Kalki dedicated herself to it. Though she wished to study in a girl's college, she was enrolled into CBM College, a coed college in Coimbatore to pursue BA English Literature. "It was a woman who was inside me. However, I was forced to adorn the masculine role in my college, hostel... I was put into men's hostel there," Kalki chuckles.
Kalki cites herself "a typical case of a transgender, as per the observations of Benjamin Harry on transsexuals. "According to him, a transgender can identify a voice if heard once. They are good at languages and bad at maths. I possess all these traits," she says proudly.
After graduation, she took up a job with 365 Media in Coimbatore. She underwent her surgery to change her gender during this period. After the operation she started using ladies toilet, something that made her female co-workers feel uneasy. But they gradually accepted her as she was.
She then completed her postgraduation in Journalism and Mass Communication at Madurai Kamaraj University.
Having understood that media had a lot to do with shaping the attitudes of young people, she decided to bring out a magazine for transgenders called 'Sahodari' in 2001. It was solely distributed among her fellow sisters. But with none to finance it, it met with an untimely death.
She then established a foundation called Sahodari Foundation - for transgender males and females of the country. Through a website www.sahodari.org, she is spreading awareness among the youth on second type men and women of India. Sahodari Foundation is a one-woman mission of Kalki. "The foundation was born out of the desperate needs for a positive change in our society regarding transgender issues. It aims to voice political, social and legal rights of transgendered men and women of India," says Kalki.
Now, pursuing her second MA in International Relations, Kalki is aiming higher. She wishes to represent her community in UNESCO and in the UN. Through her mission, she wants the world to realize that transgenders are not just sex-crazy people and not the ones to be exploited always. "We Thirunangaigal (transgendered women - in Tamil) are gifted people. We have better understanding of both sexes and can deal with human problems and relationships more effectively," she says.
Auroville, the international township for peace, proved to be a perfect place for her to realize the artist in her. She enrolled herself in an international music research project called 'Svaram', exploring the ancient culture and music from different parts of the world. She helped people from the Western world have a glimpse of the beauty of Tamil language. She used monetary benefits from the programme to teach poor village girls and women English.
With her skills in filming, editing and acting, it is her dream to work with her favourite director, Maniratnam. But she hates the way Tamil film industry is making use of transgenders in their films. "Right from the Tamil classics to the recently released Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu and Sillunu oru Kadhal, transgendered women have been portrayed either as psychos or as a misfit. We are not clowns," rues she.
Along with her best friend Rose Venketesan, Ippadikku Rose fame, she is in the process of developing interesting media concepts regarding transgenders. "We are planning for an IT venture for transgenders. I believe it will come as a great breakthrough," she said. Recently, they bought the domain for their website thirunangai.com, which is likely to be launched in August. "It is an exciting venture with a lot of groundbreaking ideas," says Kalki.
Kalki wants to meet Kanimozhi, "who has been very supportive of the transgender community", one day..."just to say a big thanks".
She is only scared of one thing - marriage. "I don’t believe in that social system," she said. "...It won't work for us". But then "love is the most beautiful emotion", she says happily "...and a man who is loved by a transgender would be a lucky one". However, she wishes to be a strong independent woman always.
Kalki never blames the Almighty for her life on Earth. Instead, she lives on a mission here. She is happy the way she is and simply nods her head with a confident smile. Don't queer! Just cheer!
Published on 02/06/2008 in Expresso, The New Indian Express