LIVE  NATURAL  LIVE  HEALTHY

The Indian market for organic food is today FOUR times larger than it was just THREE years ago. Good news, indeed. We are growing more conscious of our health, and the harm that pesticides and fertilisers cause. It is today a 300-crore business. Not surprisingly, we export even more – 700 crore.

Organic products do not always look uniform in shape and colour, unlike the perfect plastic-like products that are so very attractive but have been grown in very artificial conditions. Organic food does cost more. But, we will probably save in medicines the extra we spend on healthy food. It tastes better, too. 

Live natural. Live long. Live healthy. And, if you happen to be a farmer or have space for a little kitchen garden, you earn or save some good money, too. Eat healthy. Live happy.

Don Bosco has THREE institutions in Nepal. We could extend help through them to those who have suffered in their neighbourhood (and even TO them, if needed - information of any loss to them is still awaited!). You may transfer your contributions to BOSCONET. We PROMISE not to make disaster relief into a BIG BUSIINESS ! BOSCONET, Acc. No. 32070038412, State Bank of India, Mahavir Enclave, New Delhi, IFS Code: SBIN0011564

BEST  OR  CHAMPION ?

Sports writer, Greg Baum of Australia, wrote his piece on the world cup under the title, “Coarse tongues leave stain on the cup”. He wrote, “In a corner of the glowing image of Australia's World Cup triumph is a blot that no amount of rubbing ever will remove. It is the disposition of the Australians at the dismissals of three New Zealanders during a largely one-sided final.”

Obviously, not every Australian, whether cricket fan or not, approves of the behaviour of their team on the field. 

It is shocking that the captain and his team made extra efforts to be rude and impolite because they were irritated by the extremely gentlemanly behaviour of the New Zealand team in the course of their previous match. "They were that nice to us in New Zealand and we were that uncomfortable," Haddin told Triple M in Sydney. "I said in the team meeting: 'I can't stand for this any more. We're going at them as hard as we can.'

Is winning everything?  Do ends justify the means? How about a little respect for others? Greg Baum concludes his write-up with the beautiful words, “There is a difference between best and champion.” No point in being the best unless I can also truly feel in my heart as a champion should.

By the way, we are proud that Greg Baum is an alumnus of Don Bosco. We are glad, Greg, that you are happy with the victory of your team but sad about their manners.

BE  DIFFERENT

Angelina Jolie gives a great message for children: “When I was little, I was told I was different. And I felt out of place – too loud, too full of fire, never good at sitting still, never good at fitting in.

“And then, one day, I realized something, something that I hope you all realize: Different is good.

“Don’t fit in. Don’t sit down. Don’t ever try to be less than what you are just because someone tells you that you are different. Smile. Hold your head high and be proud. And, as your villain, I would also say, cause a little trouble – it is good for you.”

Mark Twain said something similar a long time ago: “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”

Be different. Be YOU and be proud to be YOU.

BEGGARS’  BANK

In the holy town of Gaya a group of 40 beggars have got together to set up a ‘bank’. They do not have any documents to prove their identity, no proof of residence, no Aadhar card, and no property to pledge as security for a personal loan from banks. Hence they would be in deep trouble in emergencies. 

What they have organized is like a Self-Help Group. They contribute – ‘invest’ – Rs 20 a week, especially in the winter season when there is a large and steady flow of pilgrims to the city. In the lean season they borrow from the bank to make ends meet.

Beggars they may be, but they are intelligent. They understand their limitations. So, they have a manager, a treasurer and a secretary, who manage their affairs for them and keep everything transparent, accountable and in order.

It would certainly be desirable if they could push their self-help initiative a step further to finding a source of income other than begging; but, it does look like a good start !

SENIOR VOLUNTEERS

BOSCONET is starting an "organization" of SENIOR  VOLUNTEERS. The organization is yet to be baptized with an appropriate name. 

The members will be senior citizens, who have expertise and time in abundance and would like to put them at the services of Don Bosco on a regular basis or as and when the need arises. 

We have the first member already - Mrs. Chandrika Dand of Mumbai. She has been giving tuition to children all her life and she is willing to do it now free of charge for the needy children cared for by Don Bosco. 

HEARTY WELCOME, Madam. 

Everyone is invited to pas the information to anyone else who may be able to help is in one way or another - doctors, scientists, engineers, architects, teachers, lawyers, psychologists, sports-persons, writers, painters, artists, accountants, musicians, singers, choreographers, ............ The service of almost anyone under the sun could be useful for our work as they are so very varied and numerous!

Looking still also for an attractive name!

Pass the word !!!

THE  STRANGER

A gentleman in London was going for a job interview. In the crush of the metro (the tube), he was irritated by a fellow passenger. He told him to “f*** off!” You can imagine his shock and embarrassment when he went in for the interview and found that the man he had told cursed was the head of the recruiting team !

The man did not get the job. The recruiter insists that what happened in the metro played no role in his rejection. He was just not the right person for the post.

We never know who we are talking to. We would be safe if we could only remember that God dwells in the heart of every human being. It is this firm conviction that makes BOSCONET available to help anyone in need, and at the same time approach one and all to contribute their mite to help those needier than themselves.

WAY  BEHIND  800-YEAR-OLD  MAGNA  CARTA

The Magna Carta was agreed on on 15 June 1215 at Runnymede, UK. It is among the most important documents in history, one of the first steps towards parliamentary democracy. About 250 copies of it were made and sent to legal and religious officials all over the kingdom to make sure it was carried out.

The Magna Carta includes the principle that no one is above the law, not even the king. We do have parliamentary democracy today; but, how many people in our country think they are above the law for one reason or another !

IT  PAYS  TO  POO

There’s a revolutionary new treatment for the debilitating Clostridium Difficile Infection (CDI). It involves taking stool containing microbes from a healthy donor’s faeces and introducing it into the gut of the sick person. The treatment is so successful that an Amercian non-profit is paying healthy people US $ 40 for each sample of their poo (faeces) for microbiota transplants.

If only we could learn to find treasure in all that is "negative”  around us, in our failures, our mistakes, our losses, our frustrations and our disappointments!

ELECTRONIC  TIMES

Research at the University of Texas shows that the more lonely and depressed you are, the more likely you are to binge-watch television. People with less self-control were more likely to do so. They just cannot stop clicking “next” even when aware of their other tasks.

In the mean time, lawmakers in Taiwan have made it obligatory for parents to monitor how much time their children spend on ‘electronic devices’ like television, internet, phone, etc. The fine imposed on them could be as high as US $ 1,595.

Whether such laws are appropriate or not, it is clear that the concern is growing that addiction to time on such ‘devices’ does serious harm or, at least, is a symptom of other serious problems.

KNOWING  WHEN  TO  SHUT  UP

Salman Rushdie’s next book will  be released in September of this year, seven years after his previous one. He is known for the great length of his stories. The new book will be only about 250 pages. “I have finally learned how to shut up,” he says. That might be appropriate coming from a man who lived under a fatwa for having talked too much!

It is of, course, important to speak up when needed. But, probably, we bring more trouble on ourselves through too much talk than by any silence. Knowing when to shut up makes life happier!

BOLLYWOOD  TO  BLAME  ?!       

Sandesh Baliga (32) was arrested in Australia for stalking two women for up to 18 months! He rang them up, texted them and approached them frequently over this period.

In court his lawyer argued that Baliga had been “wrongly influenced by Bollywood movies”. He said “Hindi movies contributed to his belief that a woman would eventually fall in love with a man if he pursued her.” The lawyer added that it was “quite normal behaviour “ for Indian men to follow women.

What does this say of the image of Indian men? Worse, what does it say about the reality of the behaviour of Indian men?

Baliga was let off in consideration of his cultural background. Can I really wash my hands off a crime claiming that I have been “wrongly influenced” by a film, a book or an individual?

216 BONDED CHILD LABOURERS HANDED OVER TO DON BOSCO

24 January 2015, there was high drama at Don Bosco Navjeevan at Ramanthapur of Hyderabad. Here Don Bosco looks after destitute children picked up from the streets. All on a sudden, with no advance warning, the police turned up at our centre with 216 children who had been rescued from bonded labour. The children are mostly from a State in North India.

The Salesians, the staff of Navjeevan, and above all, the children residing with us have been going all out since then till today, to welcome the children, to feed them, to cheer them up, care for those with wounds, etc. The CWC, the labour department, the CID, the Revenue department, etc., are busy partly trying to take the credit or and partly to sort out the issues about returning the children to their families.

There is satisfaction at the recognition given to Don Bosco as the organization to turn to when there is need for service for children on a massive scale. There is acknowledgement that Don Bosco can handle a problem of any size and without any prior notice, if it is for the benefit of children in need. On the other hand, it is sad that this violation of laws enacted forty years ago is being discovered only now, and only as a result of a counter-terrorism combing operation!

SELF-DESTRUCTIVE  NARCISSISM

College students Yakub, Iqbal and Afzal were on their way to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal on Republic Day. When they reached the railway crossing at Mathura near Kosikala, they decided to take an “eye-catching” selfie on the railway tracks, as close as possible to a speeding train. They jumped off the tracks too late and were killed on the spot.

This is not the only way the craze for selfies is killing us. Some glory in posting a selfie several times a day! We may not be losing our physical life, but the narcissism it feeds destroys our personality, our attitudes and our relationships. We certainly need to love ourselves; but need to control an excessive focus on ourselves and our looks, and our efforts to constantly attract the attention of people to ourselves .

A  NEW  EDUCATION  POLICY  FOR  INDIA

It seems, on Republic Day, 26 January, the government is going to declare the start of a process to formulate a new education policy to replace the one shaped in 1986.

It is interesting that the process will last one full year and they will start consultations at the village level, going on to the Block level, District level, State level and the final at the national level. They will invite the participation of everyone.

With Don Bosco’s large network of academic schools, vocational schools, colleges and university, our thousands of Self-Help Groups and other community based organizations under our 11 Provincial Development Offices, and even our parishes, and our highly qualified educators, the Salesians could contribute a lot at all levels. Participation right at the grassroots village level is important as, probably for the next higher level they will be inviting the more vocal and capable ones to participate. 

Perhaps we need to do some strategic planning to see how we could get involved in this process that is so vital to the nation as well as the primary concern of the Salesian congregation!

GOOGLE IT !

GOOGLE  IT !

Shubham Banerjee was in class VIII last year when he asked his parents, “How do blind people read?” They told him, “Google it!” He did. He kept reading more and more on the topic and understood the problems faced by the blind, especially as it costs so much to print books in Braille. Shubham went on to search for a solution and developed a low-cost machine to print texts in Braille.

The normal response of a parent, teacher or adult to such questions used to be, and perhaps still is, to explain to the child the concept of Braille. We give information but do not arouse further curiosity in the child. Acquiring knowledge is, today, not as important as knowing HOW to acquire knowledge, where to look for it, how to get it verified, ……..

At age 13 Shubham has been funded by Intel to set up a company for the mass production of his machine. At 13, he is the CEO of a company with a great future, a company that will contribute greatly to enrich the lives of millions of people.

Rather than spoon speeding our children with information, we could feed their curiosity and push them to seek knowledge in all ways possible!

Help us feed our children – donate to BOSCONET !