Public Library goes hi-tech

By Faris Arakkal AMIDST hue and cry, Thrissur Public Library is getting a facelift. The new fully integrated Enterprise Resource Planning Solution is being upgraded. It's the first library solution in the state. So, the readers at Thrissur Public Library can now experience the advanced digital system. Leedhal Technologies Private Limited, which implements the system, is working on the first phase of the project. "We have to complete the project in three phases," said the firm's chief technology officer Murugan Andezuthu. "We will start the second phase only after evaluating the first phase,'' he said. The system with which the library has been functioning so far dates back to 15 years. The new system can manage the entire functioning of the library. More than the library, it manages all the systems connected to the desktop web content, payroll and purchase management. Hence, the system is characterised by high efficiency and multi tasking. The main task will be to collect every detail of each member. Members have to contribute to complete the task. Once programmed, the system will enable them to check the availability of a book through online, and also, with SMS integration, can update you with the current status of the book. The fully integrated solution can be applied in other fields too. It can well deal with all the activities of a hospital or an educational institution. "Touch screen system in the third phase will be a novel idea at the library," said one of the executive committee members of the library. However, everybody felt that raising funds would be a Herculean task, he added. He is optimistic as things happen out of the blue. For, initiating the library into the high-tech mode, PC Chacko provided Rs 4,10000 from the MP's fund.

KING COBRA ARRIVES

SSSS SPINE CHILLING!!! The King Cobra that was brought to Thrissur zoo yesterday. The 12ft snake weighs around 9kg. Picture by K Anup A NEW guest arrived at the zoo yesterday, causing some frightening moments for the visitors. A 25-year-old King Cobra, caught from the Nerimangalam- Neendapara region of the Idukki district, is now in a glass cage at the zoo. The 12ft snake weighs around 9kg. The temperature inside the cage has been brought down as it is highly essential for its survival. King Cobras are usually found in tropical forests. They come out of forests in search of prey. "Rat snakes are their favourite food," says Joseph, the snake keeper at the zoo, who caught the snake. The snake suffered bruises while taken into 'custody'. Treatment has already been given by the zoo authorities. "If provoked, the highly venomous snake will rise more than 8ft," Joseph said. Its poison can kill a man within seven seconds of the bite. At the zoo, the king is cool as visitors gather before the cage.

Canvas of collective efforts

Kalady Sree Sankara Sanskrit University Fine Arts students with their paintings at Lalita Kala Academy yesterday. KALADI Sree Sankara Sanskrit University Fine Arts students are in the city now to put their paintings on show in the weeklong exhibition started at the Kerala Lalita Kala Academy yesterday. A total of 37works by 13 students are exhibited in the show. The students are quite happy as they are given a warm welcome in the cultural capital. Works in the show are part of projects included in their course of study. The show is a mixture of murals and paintings. Traditional myth and different frames from religious scripts find place in their works. Students are free to select their topic of interest for the project. One artist Saranjith leaves more white space in his works and gives less importance to figures. His largest painting sized 12feet breadth and 8 feet length exploits the possibilities of installation in paintings. "Experiments in paintings are necessary and more are to come" Said renowned art historian Vijayakumar Menon who visited the gallery.

Octogenarian Rahamathullah still going strong

By Faris Arakkal

AGE has not dulled his wits or sapped his energy.  At 80, award-winning teacher ES Rahmathullah is as enthusiastic and active as ever.

In fact, he says, old-age diseases have helped him settle down and fight back his loneliness. He keeps himself busy by getting more involved in his hobbies – of collecting coins and currencies and of keeping scrap books.

The scrap books have indeed grown and now count 25. They are full of news articles he has cut out from newspapers. He cuts out “interesting” news articles and human interest stories and sorts them under such topics as disaster, human interest stories, school youth festivals, Thrissur Pooram and so on.

As a teacher, Rahmathullah had a distinguished career. In 1982, he was one of six teachers to have received the national award from the then President Giani Zail Singh.  He got the state award a year earlier.

His teaching career began in 1964 at the Government Model LP School in Mala and continued until 1988 when he retired as a head master from the same institution.  

Not only as a teacher, but he also excelled as an exhibitor at the school.  Every show there sported a good collection of coins and currencies from his private pool and this made the institution stand out.

He started compiling news articles in 2008. Despite his advancing age, he still religiously cuts scraps of news and pastes them in different shapes and sizes. He has dedicated an entire room for the purpose.

He has named one file as Malayude Muthu to keep every detail K Karunakaran, who represented Mala in the state assembly for several years. Rahmathullah holds him in special esteem not least because he received the teachers’ state award from the leader.

Rahmathullah is delighted that Kanurakaran’s son, Muraleedharan has requested for the scrap book.

His other hobby of coins and bank notes collection began in his childhood. Now his collection includes coins and currencies from more than 150 countries. They include coins of Thiruvithancore era and the Pallavara period.

Surprisingly, not one of them was purchased. He gathered the treasure from friends and through exchanges.

“Study aids help students learn better”, remarks the veteran teacher. Even now, students from various schools seek him out to borrow exhibits. He doesn’t disappoint them but makes them promise to return the items after use.

Besides teaching, Rahmathullah was good at singing as well. He puts this skill to good use to attract students to the usually boring Sahitya Samajam functions.

Rahamathullah now lives at his home at Mala. He is trying to compile a scrap book on state youth festivals and wants to hand it over to public instruction director APM Mohammed Hanish during the next event, due to be held in Thrissur.

Siddiq's 'mobile venture' moves towards history

Siddiq By Faris Arakkal It was sheer determination that helped him tread through the road less travelled. Even in the midst of acute poverty, he nursed an ambition to become a film maker. Thus through the eyes of a small mobile phone, he became the first mobile documentary film maker from Kerala. Thora, a documentary on the reminiscence of Jewish existence at his native place Mala, was widely accepted and appreciated and thus Siddiq PI, became famous in no time. Siddiq is a third year degree student of St Theresa's College, Kottakkal, Mala. His craze for films was inborn. In childhood, he used to act out the roles played by the established actors in the films he watched. His ambition to become an actor made him a keen viewer of films. Thora, his documentary was also an eye opener as it portrayed a diminishing culture that existed years back in the district. He filmed the synagogue and the other remainings of the Jewish life from the place. Siddiq's happiness knew no bounds when he got a phone call from 'The week' magazine asking the details of his work. It doubled as he knew that a jewish journalist was coming from Mumbai to meet him. His other works include a documentary on Tsunami which was adjudged the best in a contest organised by a Mumbai-based film society. Another short fim 'A farmers sorrow', which brought him the'best director award' once, had screened at festivals. 'Who loves you', a short film on a lost love, had also been widenly acclaimed. He could not send his films to several award fests due to financial constraints. So he thought of 'mobile filming' as it was less expensive and more creative. "Thank god, I was blessed with lovely parents", says Siddiq. While directing 'A farmer's sorrow', Siddiq wanted to get an actor to play the title. As he had no money to give, no one accepted the role. Then his father came forward and made a superb performance as the farmer. Siddiq made several futile attempts to get an entry to the film world. When called, some film personalities discouraged him while some others termed his requests as 'gibberishes'. Even then Siddiq decided to go ahead with his dreams. Meanwhile he successfully initiated an audio magazine for his college. Siddiq' s dreams of doing a regular course in any of the established film institutes. But it is not so easy for him. Because his mother, who is working as a charwoman for a meagre salary in Goverment Hospital, Mala, is the only earning member of the family. His friends Ansar Majeed, Alsham, AkkbarAli, and Renjith gives his courage and confidence. They christened this circle as "creative boys. "We know nothing about the various types of shots, but we call them by different names such as 'Shaji shot', 'Sathyan Anthikad shot', and 'Adoorian shot'.

A home for hapless

Rukhiya with a child inmate., Rukhiya, who runs Thanal, with inmates of the home. Faris Arakkal THANAL meaning shade in Malayalam is the name they aptly gave to their shelter home of hundreds of hapless people. In every sense, it's a huge tree where around 218 lives are given shelter. They include orphans, aged, and physically and mentally challenged. The institution near Kalathode is run by VMV Orphanage and Welfare Trust. "The institution started in 1997," says Rukhiya, the manager and in charge of the institution. The institution was once the home of a childless couple Veeravoo and Aisha. They wrote in their will that the house and 27 cents of land adjacent to it should be gifted for the orphans after their death. Their dream came true when another couple, Raheem and Rukhiya, took initiative. Since its inception, the couple has been living for the inmates of the house. Thanal has helped 57 inmates to find their soul mates. Vilasini, an inmate of the home, tied the knot with Kanakaraj at a temple in the city. It was a talk of the town. A lady from Andhra Pradesh found in the goods compartment at the Thrissur railway station was brought here and later she was sent back home. More than 80 students of the institution are being sent to different educational institutions in the city. Also some learn basic lessons in tailoring and computer. Many of them are physically and mentally challenged and so they need extra facilities and care. It has also provided a vehicle for their travel to and from schools. "Employees are here to serve them and not to earn,'' says Rukhiya. Some inmates are also suffering from diseases like fits which require immediate attention. She says it has become difficult to find a right employee for the institution. "I am happy and content here," opines Kalpana, 65, who was brought here as she had nobody to look after. VMV Orphanage and Welfare Trust has no sufficient funds and it needs assistance for growth. Rukhiya was an assistant executive engineer at Indian Telephone Industries. She took voluntary retirement in order to look after the underprivileged children. Her husband PK Raheem is the director of the institution. Inmates call them moothapa and moothumma in respect. "More than food, clothes and shelter, they need love and compassion. We are trying to ensure all these for them,'' Rukhiya adds.

Gurkhas lost dentity

Ram Singh Gurkha on duty. By Faris Arakkal RAM SINGH is no more a Gurkha sporting a long moustache and wielding rod, whistle and knife. He is now a security guard at an ATM counter in the city. Ram Singh from Nepal has been living in Kerala for 65 years. He has a family in Thrissur and owns a voters identity card now. Gurkhas were known for their bravery. Their attire and moustache command respect from people. It was a saying that if a Gurkha took his knife out of its sheath, he never kept it back without blood stains on it. But this is now a folklore that only a granny can tell her kid. Now, the city is not Gurkha friendly for different reasons. The alarming rise in thefts in the city led to the emergence of security guards everywhere. Many private security companies came into existence in the changed scenario, providing security guards to public and private institutions. But Gurkhas are not preferred for the job as they have no address. "Nobody without an identity is allowed in our group," says the man in charge of Gentleman Securities Thrissur. Moreover, Gurkhas are looked down as they turn up to each house asking for money. But Rajesh, who has been a Gurkha in Nadathara since 1998, is the only security guard of the area. He lives here with his Nepali family. He said that he inherited the job from his father. He is happy with whatever the households give in return for his service. Mannuthy is considered the hub of Gurkhas in the city. MB Selvaraj, who works as security guard in the city, said, "Families prefer us to Gurkhas." He criticises Gurkhas saying that they never caught any thief in the city

Herbal Star plants on show at Oushadhi By Faris Arakkal

LEAFY GUARDIANS: The model of 27 star plants exhibited at Oushadhi, Thrissur. If you are an aswathi- born, plant a Kajra tree or if your star is bharani , you have to look after an Amla. According to the principles of Astrology, all the 27 stars have particular trees. Planting and taking care of these tree can bring good to the person concerned. Even sometimes these plants can help the healing of diseases as well. "Even though it is essentially a matter of belief, people just pick and plant the sapling of their star in these days", says Oushadhi Panchakarma Hospital Superintendent Dr KS Rajithan. Citing the example of actor Kavya Madhavan, who received her own star plant in a function held at the hospital, Dr Rajithan said that Oushadhi was on a mission to propagate the idea of preserving trees. "The star plant reflects your character", says Payas O.L, who is an organiser of various researches conducted in the field of medicinal plants. "Your star plant has the features of you", adds Payas. Oushadi has been taking efforts for the last some years to bring back the culture of planting trees especially medicinal plants. Around hundred schools in the district have now planted medicinal plants. All students including beginners take keen interest in collecting and planting star plants. KS Rajithan who has been in this field for 8 years says that the 'roots' of the star plants can be seen in the centuries-old culture and tradition of India. He adds that collection of star plants like vanni, vetti, karimaram are not so easy, as they are mostly found in dense forests.

Seven-year-old drumming into history

Sreedhev during a solo performance. By Faris Arakkal Drumming on a flat surface, his nimble fingers produced soft sound rhythmically like that of a young percussionist. It was an obvious sign that the boy was born to be a percussionist. So, he was sent to learn music and its nuances. Seven-year-old Sreedhev Sreenivasan is now drumming into history with mridangam. He is the youngest pakkamelam player in the world. Sreedhev achieved this under the guidance of his guru Sri Vikraman Namboothiri, chief instructor of Korambu Mridanga Kalari. "His is gifted with magic fingers," says Sri Vikraman Namboodiri. His performance has the glitter of blending 12 keerthanas of adhithalam, roopathalam, mishrachap, ghandachap and 10 minute-long thaniyavarthanam, which needs enormous efforts. He used to attend online classes besides his daily lessons from Kalari. It has helped him reach this level of performance. His debut performance was at Thiruvambadi Temple Thrissur. Since then, it has been a long journey for him. He performed at various temples in Madurai, Thanjavur, Chidambaram and Mookambika. He participated in Chembai Sangeetholsavam 2010 at Guruvayur. Sreedhev has also performed in Mumbai and Chennai. Recently, a CD of his solo performance has been released by playback singer P Jayachandran in the city. Sreedhev is a 3rd standard student of Don Bosco School Irinjalakkuda. He longs to become a mridangam maestro. His father Sreenivasan is a happy man and satisfied with the performance of the young percussion artiste.

Dr P Bhanumathi BHANUMATHI AMHA By Faris Arakkal DILEEP calls her Bhanu as she is not particular about her children calling her amma. But she wants her school to be christened AMHA. Bhanumathi is the mother of 52 children of Association for Mentally Handicapped Adults (AMHA). She has been running the school since 1996 at Karyatukara. She stays at this school and the school is her home. Dr P Bhanumathi, associate professor at Sree Kerala Varma College Thrissur, had a troubled life. She had three siblings who were mentally disabled. She grew up in a village near Pattambi, hearing people calling them "Menon's mad children''. Thus, the urge to build a home for the mentally disabled took root in her from childhood. Now, people in the age group of 14 -58 learn and live here under her wings. "I took the oath to be their mother," says Bhanumathi Teacher when asked about her family. Her husband M Saleesh helped materialise her dream. They mutually agreed for not having children. "My two brothers also live with them and there is no discrimination among my children," she said. The school has both day-schoolers and residents. She has to raise funds to run the school since there is no clear fee structure. Now, a hostel has been built with the help of her students. "They are not mentally ill. They are mentally disabled. They can be classified under autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. Hence, they need urgent care and a little training. Crime rates are high and that most parents dare not leave their children alone. So they turn to this school,'' she said. Bhanumathi Teacher is now content and not craving for any honours. She was selected as Vanitha Best Woman of the Year 2000 and also Ramankutty Achan Smaraka Award. Teacher over the years lost the love of her kith and kin. But she has the help of her trained staff. Celebrations are never far from the children. National Day for Mentally Retarded was observed on December 8 at the school. On the occasion, the students were trained to stage a play under Rangachethana Ganesh. They staged the play at Regional Theatre. Bhanumathi Teacher's only hobby now is reading. Her advice for the mankind is "unconditional love" for all

AFGHANIS BY HEART, THRISSURITES BY SOUL

The Afghan students at St Thomas College. By Faris Arakkal "WE HAVE to roll our tongue twice, even thrice, to articulate a Malayalam word, but we love the language, says Zakir Ahamad, one of the Afghan students of St. Thomas College Thrissur. There are seven students from Afghanistan who are pursuing their education in the city. Now they dwell here in the city weaving dreams like any other Indian student. Around 400 Afghan students passed the test to study in India. The Indian embassy in Kabul chose them under an educational exchange programme. They were allotted to different universities in the country. Of them seven students were sent to Calicut University and they opted to study Bsc computer science at St Thomas College. "We are sometimes celebrities at the college", says Ahmad Mustafa who hopes to be a computer software engineer. When they walk into a class they are surrounded by pals. Never were they treated as strangers because of their culture. When asked about the death of Osama, they said, with a smile on their face, "we just don't care for him". When Afghanistan is portrayed by the media as the saddest and gravest place on earth, they frown at the media. According to them, they live in a peaceful country. They love Indian food and fellow students like Afghan cuisine as well. Dishes like Kabuli pulav and Manto won the hearts of students when a food festival was conducted at the college last year. They remember the long queue in front of their stall. One thing they never will forget, no surprises here, is the Thrissur pooram they saw this year. They were delighted to touch elephants which they don't often come across in their mountainous nation. The fireworks of the pooram reminded of them of the Eid they celebrated in Afghan. They have week-long fireworks and kite flying during the Eid festivals. They have a finite love towards Bollywood. They barge into theatres of Afghanistan to see their favourite Khans. In Thrissur, they often enjoy Hollywood and Hindi films but haven't given a try for the local fare. They love the AR Rahman music. With the living expenses going up, they are struggling to limit their expenses within the monthly scholarship of Rs 7500. Still, they enjoy the luxury of a car and a bike which they managed to own within a year. They wear jeans and shirts to college but their preferred clothing is 'Perhan Thunbaan', the traditional Afghan a kurtha-pajama. They once rocked the campus with their Attan dance performance. It's a year since they - Zakir Ahmad, Abdul Malik, Ahamad Musthafa, Faizan Quraishi, Ahmad Shikeb, Waheedullah and Ghulam Qadar - , reached the city. They love the city, the culture, the people, the traffic but yet they suffer from homesickness. "Entha vishesham", they ask you as a parting shot.

Flex banners fill ground HEAPS OF FLEXES: Seized flexes being piled up at the back of Vaidyudhi Bhavan in the city. By Faris Arakkal WHAT an irony__a seminar purportedly held to protect soil and land was displaying a huge banner on the dais made of plastic, an enemy of the environment. Flex is a kind of plastic which can have a disastrous effect on the earth. Flex banners are getting more and more popular because of the material's durability, quality of the print and the low cost of production. With the result, the city being virtually swamped by flex boards and banners. Most restaurants and shops use flex posters to advertise themselves. The State Pollution Control Board had recommended a ban on use of flex boards and banners during the last local body elections. Based on that, the Election Commission had banned the use of the material during electioneering. But the Kerala high court quashed the order subsequently. The city's Swaraj Round has been made free of flex hoardings following an outcry from environmentalists. The Corporation Council has banned the use of flex material on the Round. However, it was not done for environmental reasons but because the hoardings were impeding the vision of motorists. The then existing flex hoardings were promptly pulled down and placed at the dump near Vaidyuthi Bhavan, where all the old banners too had been chucked. The security guard at the ground prevents anyone from removing them from there. Accumulation of this non-degradable waste there has dangerous consequences. Splitting of the chemical components pollutes the air and inhaling of the gas is hazardous to health. The Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 talk of strict rules "to ensure safe collection, storage, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal of plastic waste". It also stresses on recycling. Apparently, these rules do not apply to our corporation. The authorities simply shrug off any responsibility saying the product has not been banned. Fan clubs of film stars too use flex extensively. Whenever a new film is released in the city, hundreds of flex boards portraying the star are mounted. After a few days of celebration, the flex boards are left to their fate. According to a flex producer in the city, Gujarat is the only place where flex is recycled. But he expects more plants to come up at different parts of the country. Another flex maker of the city maintains a claim that the material gets decayed in a couple of days and is harmless. But Dr CM Joy, president of Association for Environment Protection, Aluva, rubbished the idea. "It could degrade in front of our eyes but never in reality". The polyvinylchloride (PVC) used for flex was not biodegradable, he insisted. At the same time, a total elimination of plastic is not a good idea. The material has many positive uses, such as in surgeries, Joy said.