july

They work hard around the clock all

the year to earn their livelihood as

well as for their relatives back home.

Even working in Middle East, Europe

or in the richest country in the world,

America, the heart of a Malayalee lies

in his home land, the memories, and

nostalgia and always dreams him to

be back at his place.

For bachelors or singles, have the

liberty of coming home as and when

City Gears up toWelcome NRKs

No one can deny the fact that economy of our state is depending on

lakhs of Malayalees working abroad. Dubai, one of the prominent trade

hubs in the world, looks like a mini Kerala with Malayalees around the

corner.

FEA

TURE

D S

TORY

8TH I RUVANANTHAPURAM mart July 2012

they get leave from the employers.

But for the families, it is during June

to August when they can plan coming

back to their home town, as per the

schedule of school holidays. During

this time, the markets as well as the

government gears up to welcome the

NRKs with special offers and the rela-

tives try to make them feel comfort-

able at home.

It feels good to be back and going

back to the roots - being a part of our

own culture, our own society. In the

month of June-July NRIs flee to their

homeland to spend some quality time

with their dear ones. This is the time

when the NRIs return to home for

summer breaks largely for holiday-

ing and to organize family celebra-

tions like wedding. They go on for a

shopping spree before they leave. To

welcome them, shops in the city gear

up for ‘NRI Fests’.

Textiles and jewellery put up exclu-

sive collection to satiate their needs.

Kerala is well known for its crave for

gold; therefore jewellers in Kerala

are keeping up their hopes on NRIs

to boost up sales in June-July month.

NRIs come down with the intention of

buying a whole new wardrobe every

time they visit. When they go back

they take with them Indian jewellery

and textiles which are bound to their

hearts.

Czarina, city’s leading boutique has

set up ‘NRI Fest’ to bring NRIs with

its exquisite fabrics. From office wear

to party and wedding garments you

TH I RUVANANTHAPURAM mart July 2012 9

have everything at Czarina. Czarina

has pointed out a trend among NRIs in

picking up party wears. There are saris

in silks, chiffons, georgettes, jutes and

cottons, in various palettes. They have

also arranged ‘magic jewels’ to blend

with the attires. The fest will continue

till end of July.

India’s No.1 jewellery Group, Josco

jewelers is celebrating “Josco NRI-

MONSOON FEST 2012’’ to welcome

the NRIs. Josco has arranged ex-

clusive diamond jewellery to meet

the needs and taste of their special

guests. Customers will be given a spe-

cial discount offer of Rs 3000 per ct on

all diamond ornaments. Gift hampers,

lucky draws etc has been arranged.

This shopping festival displays unique

heritage and unparallel service along

with proud jewel diversity ranging

from Pure 916 BIS Hall marked gold

ornaments, collections of Diamonds,

platinum and precious stones. Exclu-

sive range of antique styled jewellery

and designer pieces are also set up in

this fiesta.

Vasan Eye care is offering special

offers for NRIs as well as for their

dependents. First consultation will be

free, which includes refraction test,

Doctor Consultation and counseling.

They also offer discounts on upto

10% on Zyoptix/Cataract surgery (Not

applicable for patients under insur-

ance Scheme) and upto 10% on Optical

Purchase. This offer is valid from 1st of

July to 15th of September.

NRK welfare is the prime concern of

the Government and it plan and ex-

ecutes various schemes and projects

for the purpose. Government being

committed to the problems of Non-

Resident Keralites has launched vari-

ous schemes in collaboration with oth-

er agencies in order to provide social

security cover to millions of NRKs who

toil away from the land of their birth.

NORKA ROOTS is the government

agency, implements and runs several

schemes for Non Resident Keralites as

well as NRK returnees.

Last week Chief Minister Oommen

Chandy have inaugurated The NRK In-

surance cards, introduced for the peo-

ple who are either residing or working

in the other states in India for at least

2 years and have completed the age of

eighteen years. The eligible NRKs can

submit their duly filled in application

along with the relevant documents

with a fees of `300/- per person. The

fees can be submitted in the Norka-

Roots offices or as DD in the name of

Chief Executive Officer, Norka-Roots

payable at Thiruvananthapuram. For

more details of Norka schemes please

visit http://www.norka.gov.in/



An event that has become a landmark

in the city’s fashion scene, Czarina’s

NRI Fest has a collection of sarees se-

lected carefully to meet the taste and

sensibilities of NRIs visiting the state.

The collection is eclectic and has

designs and weaves from practically

every part of the country.

The eye-catching variety of sarees

includes tussars, georgettes, Crepes,

Chiffons, Kancheepurams and rare

verities of other silks. There are

The Czarina NRI Fest set to create magic once again!The annual saree extravaganza is back again. Czarina, Trivandrum’s

leading boutique that specializes in exclusive and designer sarees, has

inaugurated its much awaited NRI Fest.


sarees to suit every occasion, be it a

party, wedding or a festive season.

The weaves, stylish block prints and

embellishments make even the casual

sarees look truly special. The collec-

tion also has traditional sarees in chan-

deris, maheshwaris and super nets.

Shopping at Czarina has now become

an even more pleasant experience as

you can simultaneously pick up trendy

salwar kameez for your wardrobe

from the recently opened Czarina

Designer wear Boutique. Ready made

kurtas and Leggings are available

in small, medium, large and extra

large sizes for your convenience. This

means that you can get perfectly fit-

ting trendy outfits without the trouble

of finding a suitable tailor!

But for those who prefer tailor made

fits, Czarina stocks a huge range of un-

stitched ensembles that you can mix

and match to make fabulous designer

outfits.Lehengas in brocade and geor-

gette are also available. You can also

pick up embroidered semi-stitched

blouses to enhance your sarees.

The Fest will continue till the end of

July.

CzarinaCatholic Centre, Near General Hospital

Mob: 93877 21322


Whatever may be your fancy, you’ll

be sure to find something delectable

to tempt your taste buds here. So

whether you’re looking for a light bite

or a lip smacking item to take home,

just stop by Mermaid bakes and take

your pick of a great range of fresh and

healthy foods.

Mermaid bakes was started by a food

buff Arielle Varghese last October.

The magic spell produced by the food

here has made it well-known in a

They’re Magically Delicious!

HA

NG

OU

T

When you pass by Vettikonam, near Vazhayila you might have a break

down, an olfactory break down. Your olfactory senses would be attacked

by aromas from Mermaid bakes such that you would automatically

move towards it.


short span of time. Arielle began with

just muffins but later on she started

experimenting with new items which

makes the mermaid bakes which

we see today. Arielle completed her

Bachelor’s in Hotel Management from

Christ College in Bangalore, following

which, she tried with teaching. Her

love for food made her quit the teach-

ing job and she started the bakeshop

where she found the real pleasure of

working. Arielle is planning to start an-

other bakery in Trivandrum city soon.

Conventionally, bakery food is associ-

ated with the younger generation.

As there are not many colleges and

schools nearby, adults constitute

the major customers. Even though

located away from the city Mermaid

bakes have food lovers from urban

areas. Orders are taken one day in

advance.

Famous for its products freshly baked

on the premises, Mermaid’s most

popular item is Red Velvet Cupcake.

The price of items is reasonable here.

As it is mango season now variety

of items are made with the fruit like

mango muffins, mango tarts, mango

cakes etc.

If you haven’t tired the mermaid’s

magic yet, walk into this shop and give

your tongue a chance to transport you

to a gastronomical delight.

Mermaid BakesSRA C 24A, Kuzhivila Rd.

Vettikonam0471-2374163


Sadya is considered to be one of

Kerala’s signature contributions to

the world of vegetarian cuisine.The all

day dining restaurant in Mothers Veg

Plaza offering a unique dining experi-

ence with traditional kerala sadya.

Mothers Veg plaza, Located at Bakery

Junction at Thiruvananthapuram of-

fers 365 days Sadya in the city.

Rice is the essential ingredient of this

nine course Strictly vegetarian meals

Same as traditional sadya,It is served

It’s time to tingle and tantalize your taste buds at Mothers Veg Plaza with a lip smacking treat

Mothers Veg Plaza bringsSadya 365 Days to the City

DIN

ING


in Banana leafs. Following the way of

placing the leaf and an order of serv-

ing the dishes.Rice is the main course.

With rice, various kinds of dishes are

served... different curries, ‘upper-

ies’ (things fried in oil), ‘pappadams’

(round crisp flour paste cakes of pecu-

liar make), ‘achars’ (pickles of various

kinds),and ‘prathamans’ (Desserts)

All together there are 11 essential dish-

es which have to prepared for Sadya.

Kerala traditional Sadya is considered

to be the most elaborate and grand

meal prepared by any civilisation or

cultures in the world. It’s a feast which

if enjoyed once is relished for years.

Mothers Veg Plaza is having facility to

deliver the traditional Onasadya right

to your doorstep every day as per

order in advance.

‘It is the first restaurant in India serves Kerala traditional Sadya.’

K S Sanal

Director, Mothers Veg Plaza

Mothers Veg PlazaBakery Jn.301 301 3


The policy seeks to generate volumes

of 30 lakh foreign and 1.8 crore do-

mestic tourist arrivals by the year 2021.

According to the official document,

the foreign tourist arrival in Kerala has

registered 12 percent annual growth

rate in the last decade.

During 2010, the state received 6.5

lakhs foreign tourists. The average an-

Kerala Tourism at DelightTourism Policy announced after 17 years

Hiya Chakrabarti

Kerala Government seems embellishing Brand Kerala! Chief Minister

Oommen Chandy’s announcement of Kerala Tourism Policy 2012, the

new one since 1995, is, indeed, a strive towards tourism industry worthy

to be mentioned . While the states like Gujarat and West Bengal promot-

ing their tourism with Bollywood Superstars, this de-glamorized but

much promising effort of Kerala is surely going to rock the ground.

TOU

RISM



nual growth rate of domestic tourist

arrivals during the last decade was 4.5

percent.

But all statistics become dull when it

comes to Kerala politics. How to deal

with the regular hartals and other

strikes which is one of the major rea-

sons for affecting the state tourism?

Well, the policy is advanced with the

idea to exempt the tourism sector

from hartals after consultation with

political parties and trade unions.

Some of main attractions of the new

policy are:

Fast track clearance-in order to facili-

tate speedy clearances of the tourism

projects for investment above Rs 10

crores. Ten thematic museums will

be set up in 10 years to showcase cul-

tural heritage of the state. But these

investments will be allowed only after

evaluating and ensuring adherence

to principles and practices of sustain-

ability.

A Task Force against Trafficking and

Abuse will be formed with officials

from the departments of Social Wel-

fare, Education, Law, Home, Health

and Tourism to develop mechanisms

and action plans to implement and

monitor zero tolerance on trafficking,

substance and child abuse in tourism.


The tourism policy of Kerala an-

nounced recently covers important

strategies like enhancing visitor

experience through providing proper

infrastructure and developing facilities

at destinations. It also spells out initia-

tives to keep the community in the

forefront as a beneficiary of tourism.

Involvement of Local Self Govern-

ment, channelizing economic benefits

to the society, giving importance to

socio-cultural aspects and strengthen-

ing responsible-tourism activities are

some of the measures for community

announced in the policy.

It also pronounces steps for market-

ing Kerala as a ‘Visible Global Brand’

focusing on domestic and internation-

al markets. Apart from strengthening

marketing internationally and in the

domestic markets, it also envisages

effective market researches and inter-

net enabled marketing strategies.

The policy spells out its intend to

make Kerala an ‘All Season Destina-

tion’ and to increase average length

of stay of tourists.

There are clear initiatives to strength-

en the Human Resources develop-

ment in tourism through KITTS,

making it an apex institute for HR

development and promoting, and

supporting tourism training through

ITI’s Vocational Higher Secondary

Schools and private institutes etc.

There is a provision in the policy for

setting up a Task Force on tourism

marketing. To advice government

on destination development, tour-

ism product development, tourism

marketing strategies, HR and tourism

research to enhance the state’s image

as a premier tourism destination.

The committee is envisaged to have

nominated members from the tourism

industry and members of various Task

Forces in tourism.

The policy as a whole sounds positive

and qualitatively future looking. But,

“the proof of the pudding will be in

the eating”. Unless the implementa-

tion of the provisions are carried out

effectively, the policy will not have its

expected results.

“Positive & Qualitatively Future Looking” E M Najeeb, Chairman - ATE


Another task force has been proposed

on infrastructure development. The

minister for tourism will be the chair-

man, with representatives from the

trade and government being mem-

bers.

Much attention has been given to

the intra-state destinations such as

Kovalam, Kumarakom, Thekkady and

Wayanad. Experiences of all these

places are sought to be replicated

elsewhere.

Initiatives have been taken to set up a

Kerala convention promotion bureau

to market the state in the MICE

(meetings incentives conferences and

exhibitions) segment. Private-public

partnerships would be promoted on

the marketing front. A task force will

take care of promoting new-found

sites of Bekal and Wayanad in north

Kerala.

Hop-on, hop-off services will be pro-

vided in Thiruvananthapuram, Alap-

puzha, Fort Kochi, Kochi backwaters

and the hilly destination of Munnar.

Indeed, if properly executed, the

policy will ensure quality visitor

experience; focus on benefits for the

tourists, making Kerala a visible global

brand in domestic and international

markets, and to develop quality hu-

man resources in tourism and hospi-

tality sector.

However, the time has the last say

how many visitors will come ‘to taste

and to touch/And to feel as much’ the

Destination Kerala!



“Remembering P N Panicker”17th Reading Week Celebrated

COVE

R ST

ORY


The state level inauguration of the 17th Reading Week was conducted by Chief

Minister Oommen Chandy at Kanakakunnu Palace on 19th of last month. The

programme was celebrated in memory of library activist P N Panicker, organ-

ized by Education Department, Information and Public Relations Department,

Panchayat Department and P N Panicker Foundation. The week long celebra-

tions concluded on 25th June.


Reading exposes us to the world

around us and develops an under-

standing and concern for the people

around us. I feel that reading is an

activity which can be divided into

four stages-information, knowledge,

wisdom and culture. Reading gives

information which in turn develops

our knowledge and wisdom and

later on gets infused in our culture.

Reading can make one learn not only

languages but cultures of civilizations

by making an individual live the past,

present or future of places he or she

has never been to.

During earlier days if a trend comes in

writing style, it would stay for a long

time. But now the duration for which

such trends last is negligible. Nowa-

days styles change all of a sudden.

Therefore the masterpiece of today

may not be remembered tomorrow.

In earlier days books had strength

to keep hold of society intact and

even played as an effective tool in

portraying evils in the society. I’m of

the opinion that today books are just

meant for individualistic deeds, its

power on society is diminishing with

the onslaught of new technologies.

Nowadays majority of youth read

just to satisfy their career objectives.

Earlier days reading was a sort of en-

tertainment, but now with the advent

of technology things have changed a

lot and the means of entertainment

has taken a different turn in television

sets, ipods, video games, social net-

working sites etc. It is high time that

the younger generation understand

the importance of reading!!!

Reading opens up our world and enriches our lives.

George Onakkoor


Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker is

known as the Father of the Library

Movement in Kerala. The activities

of the Kerala Grandhasala Sanghom

which was initiated by P. N. Panicker,

ignited a popular cultural movement

in Kerala at the end of which the state

acquired total literacy in the 1990s.

Every year on World Reader Day, a

weeklong celebration is organized

in his memory by Government of

Kerala in association with P N Panicker

Foundation.

This year Reading Week was inau-

gurated by Chief Minister Oommen

Chandy on June 19th at Kanakakunnu

Palace. On his inaugural address,

Chief Minister mentioned the

initiatives taken by P N Panicker in

27July 2012martTH I RUVANANTHAPURAM

encouraging reading in rural areas. He

released the book ‘Swathi Thirunal:

Jeevithavum Krithikalum’, written by

Dr V S Sharma, handing over a copy

to Carnatic musician Parassala B Pon-

nammal.

BSNL Penta TPADs tabled computers

were released by Education Minister

Abdu Rabb, which will be distributed

to the students in the rural areas

with subsidized pricing to promote

e-reading. Cultural Affairs Minister K

C Joseph, Litterateur O N V Kurup,

George Onakkoor, M R Thampan, Di-

rector of State Institute of Languages,

Palode Ravi MLA and several dignitar-

ies were present.

Ministers including P. J. Joseph, K.B.

Ganesh Kumar and P.K. Kunhalikutty

inaugurated various sessions, includ-

ing seminars on environmental issues,

skill development for employee en-

hancement, literacy and development,

women’s empowerment through

information technology, distribution

of drinking water with the coopera-

tion of societies.

An exhibition on latest educational

technology was organized by the

Foundation along with Le Brown

Events. Thousands of students from

the city attended the seminar and

exhibition. Cultural programmes by

students of various schools in the

city were also performed during the

event.

Minister of Health H.E. Mr. Sadiq Al She-

habi inaugurated the Royal Bahrain Hos-

pital located in Salmaniya. The hospital’s

infrastructure consists of state-of-the-art

equipment’s, with integrated software

and run on the latest technologies pro-

cured from all over the world. It has the

only operational sleep lab in the kingdom,

advanced laser technology for cosmetic

surgery, 16-slice CT Scan, 4-D Ultrasound

machine and also offers fetal medicine

treatment.

KIMS Royal Bahrain Hospital Inaugurated

His Excellency – Minister of Health – Mr. Sadiq Al Shehabi inaugurating the hospital.

Front Row (L- R Mr Jacob Thomas, Dr M A Mohammed, Dr MohdSahadulla, HE, Minister of Health, Mr Ahmed Jawahery&Mr Mohan Kumar (Indian Ambassador)


martTH I RUVANANTHAPURAMJuly 2012 29

“Reading has not decreased, but the ways of reading has changed.”

ON

FA

CE


Are you of the opinion that read-

ing habit is dying out in the modern

world?

Reading habit is not dying out. It is

clear from the increase of number

of books and periodicals published.

Every year the number shows incre-

ment. New magazines and weeklies

also are coming out in most of the

languages. Despite the onslaught of

electronic media people still prefer

reading newspapers, that’s why

newspaper industry has a strong

foothold in India. News papers go for

new editions from all possible centres.

The reading of newspapers has been

limited to that of headlines and few

introductory paragraph but people

do read. In this modern world people

cannot stay aloof from reading as it’s

important to know what’s happening

around him and this can be attained

through reading.

Books were a source of entertainment

in earlier days, but now youth has vari-

ous means of entertainment like ipods,

mobiles, social networking sites etc.

Has it affected their reading habits?

Youth get to read a newspapers and

books outside their homes, with

shops, cafes, restaurants and railway

stations, airports as chief access

points. The number of websites and

blogs has grown exponentially in past

decade and youth prefer online ways

to stay updated and get information.

Reading has not decreased drastically

but the ways of reading has changed.

Can books bring about a revolution?

During yesteryears there were several

Following the footsteps of his father P.N. Panicker, father of library move-

ment in Kerala N Balagopal strive to inculcate reading habit among people.

Balagopal is totally committed to the upliftment of the downtrodden and

weaker section of the people.

His soul mission in life is to provide a life of dignity and honour to the common

man through economic and social emancipation. He is the present Secretary

of Kerala Educational Development and Employment Society (KEDES). He has

been engaged in the Institution’s activities for the past 20 years as a voluntary

worker. Shri Balagopal opens up his mind on account of the reading week

celebrations organized by P N Panicker foundation. Excerpts from the interview

MMT Desk had with N Balagopal.


books that had long lasting influence

on the society but now such power-

ful books are not coming up. This is

because the situation has changed

nowadays; electronic media is more

powerful now. Books cannot bring

about a revolution now, but electronic

media can.

Can you share something about ‘Read-

ing week celebrations’?

Government of Kerala observes 19th

June annually as ‘Vayana Dinam’ to

commemorate the contributions of P

N Panicker. ‘Reading week’ celebra-

tions are organized from June 19th-

25th to spread the message of read

and grow. Through our foundation

we aim to promote serious reading

through continuous mission.

Our path is beset with obstacles, but

the support given by people carries

our mission forward. We also have

‘aychakoottam’, a weekly discussion

forum to inculcate knowledge to peo-

ple on various topics. In a tie-up with

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL),

the foundation will facilitate the

distribution of up to one lakh ‘penta’

tablet PCs in the rural areas as a part

of reading week celebrations.

Your comment on Social services done

to the society?

Our sole mission is to empower the

rural population with the tool of infor-

mation and provide them livelihood

on a sustainable basis. We aim to

uplift the underprivileged class, pro-

vide them formal education and give

knowledge based training. We have al-

ready initiated this process by setting

up 1000 Grameen Gyan Kendras (or

Village Knowledge Centres) in rural

India. We have conducted Jan Vigyan

Vikas Yathra as a part of awareness

programs. Our future plans include

formation of IT Clubs, community

ham radio station , e-banking centres

,national open school centres etc.

Your advice for future generations?

The future generation must be more

focused. They should understand that

every job has its own importance,

doctors and engineers cannot solely

build up a society. For a society to

sustain we need all kinds of people

-social servants, doctors, politicians,

entrepreneurs etc.

We should be beneficial for the

society and the country. This can be

attained through reading, as it is the

platform through which a person

acquires knowledge, moral values etc.

So read and grow.


The Trivandrum Chamber of Com-

merce and Industry has declared the

business excellence and business pro-

motion for the year 2011. The Trivan-

drum Chamber of Commerce and

Industry is a voluntary organization

that promotes and develops trade

and industry in Kerala and functions

as a central forum for businessmen.

Business excellence and business pro-

motion awards 2011 for Trivandrum

region are as follows.

R Regunath bagged the award for

business excellence in Advertising,

whereas G Viswanath topped the

architectural arena. Roy peter was

declared the builder of year 2011 and

S Vijayakumar was given award in the

building material category.

Zulfiquar Marikar pocketed the auto-

mobile excellence award, K Thomas

Jacob was declared the best charted

accountant. Suresh Mathew Nilamel

for exports, George Jacob Muthoot

for financial services, S Bahuleyan for

General merchant, R Murugan for

Health care, Suresh Pillai for hospital-

ity, Kalesan Natesan for handicrafts, P

Vijayakumar for IT, M Sangeeth Kumar

for LPG/petroleum and Rajenesh

Clement for Interior decoration

bagged the awards for their excel-

lence in business.

C Balagopal was presented award for

manufacturing section, V Suresh for

Photograph, A Bansi for paper and

boards, Sanjiv I. Sunu for wood and

timber Pradeep Jyothy for ayurveda ,

K M Mathew for pharmaceuticals and

S Gautaman for textiles.

Business promotion awards for 2011

was given for S Ananthaswamy , P

Chithambaram , K Kesabasamy and S

Pottivelu.

Business excellence and business promotion awards 2011


Mr C Chandra Mohanan has been elected the president of Chamber of Commerce, Thiruvananthapuram. The other office-bearers are S N Reghuchandran Nair(Secretary) and Suresh Mathew Nilamel(Treasurer)

Newly elected executive committee members of The Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Initially Kesava Pillai setup a library in

his house with the collection of a few

books which later blossomed into the

library which we see today. Now the

library is at Vanchiyoor on a piece of

land given by the royal family.

The library was started in the name of

Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Var-

ma, the last ruler of Travancore, when

he was just two years old, as a token

of respect to the royal family. Many

eminent personalities of the time such

The Voyage of Sree Chithira Thirunal Library

Pooja Jayan

MET

RO F

ACT

Sree chithira Thirunal library, an integral part of Trivandrum’s cultural heritage is nearing its Centenary. The man behind this venture was Sree Kesava Pillai. His passion for knowledge and the commitment he showed in setting up the library earned him the title “Vayanashala Kesava Pillai”.



as C.V. Raman Pillai, Dr.Kunjan Pillai

(chief secretary), M.Rajarajavarma

(Devaswom Commissioner) and R.

Krishnapillai (Head Translator) were

instrumental in developing it into a

full fledged library. At that time there

were only a few libraries in Kerala.

Those libraries were named after Lala-

lajpath Rai, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan

Das , Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna

Pillai, A. R. Rajaraja Varma, Kerala

Varma Valia Koyi Thampuran and so

on. Today SCT library is being looked

after by a nineteen member commit-

tee including a member from the royal

family. Former chief secretary

R. Ramachandran Nair is the

present president and Kesava

Pillai’s son Bhanuvikraman Nair

is the secretary.

With the proud collection of

over one lakh books, in the

library now, this library is a

boon to research scholars,

academicians and students

across the country. One can

delve into this vast ocean of

knowledge and pick up pearls

of information, education and

entertainment.

The library is a repository

of palm leaf scriptures and

old publications. The well

preserved old publications include

journals like Sudhrama, Lekshmibhai,

Sarada and Vidya Vinodini. It has also

publications in Hindi, English and

Sanskrit. The library has a huge collec-

tion of ‘panchagams” which makes

it distinct from other libraries. The

library enables the present to com-

municate with the past and imparts

the profound ideas of the doyens of

the past.

Another noteworthy factor of this

library is its contributions to the

Malayalam theatre. The tradition of

writing a new drama every year and


staging it on stage on the occasion of

its anniversary celebrations continues

to this day.

Sree Chithira Thirunaal Library played

a pivotal role in bringing women to

limelight through its plays. Educated

women were persuaded to perform

on stage thereby creating a notable

revolution in our cultural fabric. As

elsewhere till then, male actors used

to do the roles in Malayalam theatre.

High court judge Anna Chandy, Col-

lector Omana Kunjamma, Parvathy

Mills owner B.Radhadevi, Government

Secretary Aananthavalli Amma were

some of the prominent women who

used to act in those anniversary plays.

The library is now passing through dif-

ficult days. Need for more space for

accommodating books and inade-

quate funds are two problems that re-

quire urgent remedy. With the advent

of the much hyped internet boom

there is a perception that the future

of libraries is bleak. Several academi-

cians and industry pundits contribute

to this perception. Will Sree Chithira

Thirunal Library be able to withstand

the onslaught of the internet revolu-

tion and its byproduct the e-book?


Mr Yoshihiro Kimura joined Terumo

Corporation in 1978. With more than

32 years in Terumo; he has extensive

experience in Production, Logistics,

Finance & Accounting and Corporate

Planning. He has been working in

Kerala for over one year. Kimura, an

Industrial Engineering graduate from

Japan talks about the company and

shares his notions about the Indian

market.

Yoshihiro KimuraThe man with a vision

Yoshihiro Kimura, Chairman of the Board in Terumo Penpol headquartered

at Trivandrum is all set to take his company forward to the pinnacle of suc-

cess amid the sturdy competition in the market. His extensive international

exposure will undeniably facilitate towards expanding the company’s busi-

ness in export markets.

FEA

TURE

ART

ICLE


About the company

Terumo Penpol has been serving

Blood Centers across the globe for

more than 25 years. We have export

to 6o countries around the world,

thanks to the associates who helped

in improving our service and maintain

quality. TPL is today the world’s third

largest producer of blood bags and

we have around 40% market share in

India.

The company employs over 800

skilled personnel at its Thiruvanan-

thapuram plant and in its sale offices

in various parts of the country. The

company also lends a helping hand by

improving the quality of life of the less

privileged section of society. Our com-

pany helps in supporting education

for children, medical treatment, con-

ducts blood donation camp, upgrades

local School libraries and science labs

and provides support to needy in local

Community.

Indian market

With a population of over 1 billion,

India is an enormous potential market

for Japanese firms. The number of

Japanese companies operating in

India increased drastically over the

years and more are yet to come up.

Availability of skilled manpower is a

major advantage enjoyed by India in

attracting foreign investment into

India.

Indian middle class segment plays an

important factor in the Indian market.

Tata Nano is the best example which

fully taps the latent potential of the

middle class segment. Unnecessary

accessories are shelved off and are

made available to people at reason-

able amount. Thereby the product got

localized and the market increased

gradually.

The Indian blood banking market is

experiencing consistent growth each

year. The blood bags are widely used

in the hospitals and blood banks for

the safe storage of blood. As India

population is high consequently the

demand for products will be also high.

We are trying our best to expand our

services to cope up with it.

Blood donation in Kerala

The blood donation rates are still low

in Kerala. There is very low aware-

ness about blood donation in Kerala.

People still believe that they become

weak and anaemic if they donate

blood. The fear of blood-borne patho-

gens has also adversely affected the


blood bank market. There should be

a proper system to register the blood

donors and promote voluntary blood

donation among all sections of society

by the Kerala Government.

Expensive life saving medicines and

deprived people

The health of the people is the respon-

sibility of the Government. Affordable

access to lifesaving medicines remains

an issue in India. Medical Insurances

must be set up by government to

help the needy. In India only less than

twenty percent is covered by medical

insurances. The Government should

put their best foot forward in the

health sector, improve the standards

of hospitals, increase the beds, and

make medicines available at afford-

able rates.

Santhigiri, the abode of white

lotus located in a small hummock at

Pothencode, Thiruvananthapuram has

been given permission by the Union

Tourism Ministry to use its “Incredible

India” tag. This was to acknowledge

the services of the Santhigiri ashram

of late Karunakara Guru to promote

spiritual tourism and well-being of

humans. Santhigiri from a small place

in Trivandrum has grown beyond the

geographic frontiers and religious

boundaries and acquired a position in

the International arena. People from

different walks of life are flooding to

the ashram for spiritual assistance and

to ease out dilemmas in their lives.

Swami Gururatnam Jnana Tapaswi,

organising secretary of the ashram

stated that they would use ‘Incredible

India’ tag in their brochures and web-

site to improve the services provided

by the Ashram.

Incredible Santhigiri


martTH I RUVANANTHAPURAMJuly 2012 41

The education of women is the most

powerful tool of change of position in

society. Women education in Kerala

has also been a major preoccupation

of both the government and civil

society as educated women can play

a very important role in the develop-

ment of the state.

Education is milestone of women

empowerment because it enables

them to responds to the challenges,

to confront their traditional role and

change their life. So that we can’t

neglect the importance of education

in reference to women empowerment

India is poised to becoming super-

REACH is aimed at fine-tuning the skills of professionally qualified women

“If you educate a man you edu-

cate an individual, however, if you

educate a woman you educate a

whole family. Women empowered

means mother India

empowered”

- PT. Jawaharlal Nehru

“Empowering Women”

FEA

TURE

D A

RTIC

LE


power, a developed country by 2020.

The growth of women’s education in

rural areas is very slow. This obviously

means that still large womenfolk of

our country are illiterate, the weak,

backward and exploited. Education

of women is the most powerful tool

of change of position in society.

Education also brings a reduction in

inequalities and functions as a means

of improving their status within the

family. Empowerment of women

needs to begin with her participation

in different spheres of life. Education

is a great determinant in this regard.

To achieve empowerment women

have to be educated to be aware of

their rights and privileges in a modern

society. It is education which can bring

about awareness in them related

to their social status, injustice and

differentiation meted out to them.

Besides, economic independence is a

major factor which can contribute in

empowering women. KSWDC realized

this need and ventured out to launch a

Finishing School for women, a flagship

program of the state government.

REACH plays it’s vital role to fill the

gap between the education and em-

ployment. Resources Enhancement

Academy for Career Heights (REACH),

a finishing school established by the

Kerala State Women’s Development

Corporation (KSWDC) was launched

SreevidhyaState Head & Trainer, REACH


under the Flagship Programme on

Finishing School announced by the

State government under the 11th Plan.

Since its inception, REACH has been

successfully imparting employability

training in various sector for women

in Kerala and providing organizations

across the state with skilled personnel

at absolutely no extra charge.

REACH is a resource centre for

women, where qualified women are

equipped to achieve their career

aspirations. This innovative and revo-

lutionary step has brought about a

sea change in the lives of the women

population in Kerala

Sreevidhya K State Head and Trainer

of REACH said that Reach program

offers specialized courses that cover

everything, from personality devel-

opment, personal grooming, social

etiquette, financial management to

understanding relationships.

“In short, we are a leading finishing

school that focuses on empowering

girls to become a woman of tomor-

row. Unlike traditional finishing

schools, REACH goes far beyond.

Our goal is to teach girls and women

how to move from informal to formal

situations by evaluating the situa-

tion they are faced with and knowing

what is appropriate for them. Unlike

a modeling school, REACH focuses

on healthy living, modesty, and using

image as an effective communication

tool” Sreevidhya said.

“Educated women support women

education and give better education

to their children. Educated women

help in reducing the mortality rate of

infant in India. Educated women han-

dle their family in a better way than

illiterate women. So, we shouldn’t

forget the importance of women edu-

cation in Kerala” Sreevidhya shared

her vision.

Reach is expanding it’s horizon and

planning to set-up a powerful, interac-

tive virtual class room to facilitate

e-learning. It offers the combined

advantages of face-to-face interac-

tion and distance learning. Enables

working women professionals who

would like to acquire new skills and/or

enhance their knowledge in their

respective functions to do so without

taking a career break.

A new job portal also to be launched

soon to help job seekers to find the

right job matching their aspirations.

It is to guide women to explore the

possibilities and find the opportunities

that are right for them.

For more information visit:www.

reach.org.in (Tel 0471 2494445/

09496015051)

44 mart July 2012TH I RUVANANTHAPURAM

REACHKaimanam P.O.0471-2494445

• Exclusive workshops and sessions

on Interview Preparation, Confidence

Enhancement, Skill Development, etc.

• 100% placement guaranteed on

successful completion of the training

program for eligible candidates.

• BPL students are given free training,

and a nominal fee is charged for stu-

dents of the APL category, ensuring

that REACH seeps into all levels of the

society

• Currently operating at Trivandrum &

Kannur, we have plans to expand this

insightful & noble enterprise across

Kerala

REACH - Resource Enhance-

ment Academy for Career Heights

Slogan - She Transcends

Vision - To bridge the gap be-

tween acquired skills and required

skills

Motto - Sans limites

• First of its kind on a Govern-

ment Platform. ISO certified with-

in three months of its inception,

for its professional and meticulous

operations matching international

standards.

• REACH Certification Programme - 60

days duration; Minimum Qualification-

12th Standard pass.

• Students are given intensive train-

ing in life skills, body language, image

development, communication skills,

attitude, self-esteem, etc.

• IELTS coaching also offered, ensur-

ing that proactive career-driven

women are not shackled by geograph-

ic boundaries

• Endowed with a highly resourceful

and dynamic faculty, student friendly

classrooms, highly sophisticated ambi-

ence and uncompromising standards

of training

REACH @ a Glance


Therefore Stress Management

consists in techniques of relaxing and

strengthening the body as well as

techniques of relaxing and quieting

the mind.

2. The first step is therefore to be able

to strengthen the body. The following

schedule is recommended:-

(a) Thirty minute daily walk

(b) 6 rounds of Surya Namaskar.

(c) Stretching exercises

Management of Executive Stress - 4

In part 3 of this article, last month, we looked at how stress arises. We

saw how stress affects the physical body as well as the mind. The effect

of stress on a person varies in intensity, depending on his physical and

mental resilience.

HEA

LTH

Sri Ravi Easwaran



(i) Lie down on your back. Inhale-lift

up the right leg into a 90 degree an-

gle. Hold for 15 seconds. Bring it down

while exhaling. Repeat with left leg.

Do six rounds of this.

(ii) Lift both legs while inhaling. Hold

for 15 seconds. Slowly lower it while

exhaling. Repeat 4 to six times.

(d) Join a Yoga Class. Even if you are

able to go thrice a week it is good

enough.*

(e) Learn how to relax. Try this very

simple method. Lie down on your

back.

Legs apart, hands spread out, palms

facing the ceiling. The hands should

be about six inches away from your

body. Take a few deep breaths and let

the body relax. Now consciously focus

your mind on your right big toe, visual-

ize it in your mind and tell yourself to

relax that toe. (Auto Suggestion.. Yes

it works wonders with some practice).

After that the 2nd toe and so on till

the 5th toe, then the sole of the foot,

then calf muscles, shin, thigh muscles,

hips and so on. Work your way up the

right side of the body, consciously

relaxing each part of the body as you

move up. Move up to the shoulders,

then work your way down to your

hands and fingers. Now repeat the

process with the left toe and the left

side of the body. Now go down to

the lower back and work your way

upwards, to the back of the neck, then

top of the head, and down the front

relaxing the forehead, the eyes, the

nostrils, cheeks, ears, lips, chin, throat,

chest, & abdomen. Time yourself so

that this entire process takes about

ten minutes. Then lie quietly being

aware of the relaxed body and mind

for about ten minutes. Remember

true relaxation can come only when

the mind has slowed, so focus your

mind on your breathing and keep the

attention focused on the flow of the

inhaled and exhaled breath. If you

find the mind wandering, bring it back

to focus on the breath. A relaxation

session lasting twenty minutes should

bring you out feeling relaxed and

pepped up!. One caveat- Be aware at

all times. If you fall asleep the purpose

of relaxation with awareness will not

be achieved.

(f) Lastly, learn to meditate and do so

regularly-Start with 15 minutes and

take it up to half an hour daily.

3. You will need to find the willpower

and the time to adhere to this sched-

ule.

But six months of this and the differ-

ence you see in yourself physically and

48 July 2012martTH I RUVANANTHAPURAM

mentally will make you an addict to

this routine. Having taken some posi-

tive steps to make your mind body

complex capable of handling stress,

think about the following and imple-

ment them in your life.

(i) Take your work seriously and do it

to the best of your ability. But develop

a degree of detachment. This does

not mean that you do not give your

best. It actually means the opposite.

Being detached, you will take better

decisions and be able to give more

attention to your work since you are

free of unnecessary worry.

(ii) Avoid Unnecessary stress. If you

find that a person or a situation is

causing you to be stressed out, limit

your contact with that person and try

to avoid the situation. Running away?

No- Just being wise. For example do

you get into discussions about religion

/politics and end up getting angry or

upset? Avoid such discussions- firmly

say “No. I don’t want to discuss this”.

There is no dishonor in such an action.

You will be surprised at the marked

improvement in your composure.

(iii) Learn to say “No” to additional

tasks when you are overburdened.

(iv) Make a priority list of tasks to be

done on a daily/weekly basis. Make

sure the number of tasks is that which

can be done comfortably without

strain.

(v) Instead of resenting a situation

and fretting about it, look for an op-

portunity in it. Are you in an intermina-

ble traffic jam? There is an opportunity

to listen to your favorite music, read

that book which you have always

wanted to, talk to that old buddy you

have been meaning to call for the last

few months..


(vi) Let go of anger and resentment.

Forgive those you think have wronged

you.

Forgiveness is a wonderful gift…. to

yourself.

(vii) Change a situation if you can. If

you can’t, accept it. Acceptance and

forgiveness are two powerful arrows

in your quiver. The supply is unending.

Use them liberally. Remember the

prayer of St.Francis of Assisi:-

“Lord, grant me the strength to ac-

cept the things I cannot change, the

courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the differ-

ence.”

(viii) Take a vacation with your loved

ones regularly, if possible, twice a

year.

(ix) Children grow up very fast and

they are adults and gone before you

notice it.

Parents grow older even faster. Spend

Sundays with your family and you will

not have to live with regret when you

are older.

4. Let me conclude with a famous

story:-

Once a king called upon all of his wise

men and asked them, “I want you to

find me a mantra which works in very

situation in life whether it be joyous

or full of grief, whether it be victory or

defeat, whether it be pleasure or pain.

Go forth and find such a mantra and

let me know.”

After a long discussion lasting many

weeks, the King’s Chief Advisor came

and gave him a diamond ring saying

“Sire, under the diamond is a small

piece of paper and on this the mantra

is written. The Wise men have, how-

ever prescribed a condition, your maj-

esty. You shall only look at the paper

when you are in extreme danger, all

alone and all roads seem closed.” The

King agreed and put on the ring.

Some time later, his Kingdom was

attacked by enemies. The King and his

army fought bravely, but the battle

was lost. The King had to flee. The

enemies were following him hotly

on his trail. Suddenly the King found

himself standing at the end of the

road - that road had a dead end. He

was surrounded by lofty cliffs which

he could not scale. ……The sound of

the enemy horses was approaching

fast. He was trapped….

As if on cue, his diamond ring flashed

in the sun. He remembered the words


of his Advisor and took out the paper.

The paper had only four words:

This, too, shall pass.

As the King read it and read it again,

he thought to himself “A few days

ago I was King and master of all that

I surveyed. I had every luxury. Those

days have passed. Now here I am

without a Kingdom or an army and

hunted by the enemy. But yes, this

too shall pass”.

When he came out of his reverie he

realized that the enemy seemed to

have disappeared. Taking this as an

opportunity, the King reorganized his

army and mounted an attack on the

enemy, defeating them and regaining

his empire. As he sat in his throne in

victorious celebration, the diamond

ring flashed again conveying its time-

less message “O King, this too shall

pass!”.

5. This is a good time to think over

your life and its events. How many

times have you been overcome with

pain and sorrow? How many times

have you been delirious with pleasure

and joy? Have they lasted? Have they

been permanent?

No… All these are ephemeral. Life

changes constantly bringing you new

experiences all the time. Why, your

body cells itself undergo change- the

body you have today does not have

the same cells it had a decade ago.

The only constant is Change. So

when you are stressed the next time,

remember the mantra:-

This, too, shall pass.

Sri Easwaran can be contacted

at [email protected] or on

80860-70630.


enterprises, mind blowing offers and

exciting prizes - both for shops and

shoppers - make GKSF the biggest

shopping extravaganza in the country.

U V Jose has been appointed as the

Director of Grand Kerala Shopping

Festival authority. He is also holding

the additional charge of Additional

Director (Planning) of Kerala Tourism

Department

Inaugurating the activities forming

part of the sixth season of the GKSF,

theTourism Minister A.P. Anil Kumar

said the government would consider

either reducing the registration fee

in the general category or make it en-

tirely free so that small traders could

also benefit from it. Efforts would

also be made to ensure that the GKSF

benefited the tourism sector as well.

Grand Kerala Shopping Festival’s first

general convener T. Balakrishnan,

Tourism Secretary Suman Billa, KTDC

chairman Vijayan Thomas, Tourism

Director Rani George, GKSF director

U.V. Jose, South Indian Bank execu-

tive director Abraham Tharian, brand

consultant Kiran Khalap, and repre-

sentatives of various brands attended

the GKSF Sponsors meet.

The Grand Kerala Shopping Festival

(GKSF) is a unique shopping fiesta

that redefines the very essence and

enjoyment of shopping. Kerala the

southernmost State in India, popularly

known as ‘Gods Own Country’ has

always been a favourite for travelers

and tourists from around the globe

across the ages. The Grand Kerala

Shopping Festival, the signature shop-

ping festival of Kerala, is yet another

fascinating event that stands testi-

mony to this fact.

The festival, managed by Government

of Kerala, is on its sixth edition, which

starts from December 1, 2012 and

concludes by January 15, 2013. Fresh

GKSF to start from December 1


If you want others to be impressed

when they look at you, you’d better

make sure your shoes match the rest

of your outfit, and that they are of

the latest style. Fashion is incomplete

without attractive pair of footwear.

They have to be comfortable and

beautiful; they also add charisma to an

ensemble. To deliver fantastic choice

and the best brands in the world Reli-

ance foot print has opened its new

showroom at Pattom, Trivandrum.

Reliance foot print started its venture

in Trivandrum this May. It is one

among the 72 footprint stores across

the country and the third in Kerala.

The first Reliance footprint showroom

in Kerala was opened at Ernakulam,

followed by the Kollam showroom.

Reliance footprint has decided to start

a new showroom at Kannur too.

Kowdiyar is a posh shopping destina-

tion in Trivandrum, apart from that

Pattom is a shopping hub too. Target-

ing the middle class customers and

posh customers Reliance footprint

have set up its store at Pattom You

can make your style statement by

wearing fashionable foot wears from

Reliance footprint to stand out from

the crowd..

Reliance foot print aims to make

it a lifestyle destination, designed

exclusively to bring to customers an

extensive collection of footwear and

accessories and luggage to suit their

every need. Reliance Footprint offers

the entire family with over 50 leading

International, Domestic and Reliance

brands in all the categories like Men’s,

Ladies, Kids etc.

Reliance footprint: The new style quotient


Documents

july