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The play allows you to visualize and almost you are a party there but it is different in the case of a novel.. In the play you are not told certain things but you are an unconscious acto

Keeping fit

A sick man is a nuisance for himself and a nuisance for others about him A sick person cannot go about his duties efficiently He will not be able to work hard and he may not bementally alert also If he is regularly sick others will suffer in many ways Indirectly it is

a strain on the government because it will have to run more hospitals for the sick

Economically a nation whose people are often sick cannot be strong because the hours of work will suffer Look at the Europeans and the Japanese They are hardy and are

capable of longer hours of work, which means more wealth to the nation That is why even after being beaten in a devastating war Germany and Japan have become rich nations once again within a period of thirty years

Of course climate may be one reason why certain people are not keeping fit It may be due to hot moist climate, or mosquitoes and other pests But where man cannot improve upon natural causes he can try to keep himself fit by trying overcome them For instance

by eradicating malaria, one can be healthy in such areas where malaria was once

prevalent

Let us now look into the ways of keeping fit First and foremost is the diet Unless one takes a proper, balanced and nutritious diet one cannot be healthy It is said that a large part of the population in the third world suffers from malnutrition which means wrong diet as well as insufficient diet While this may sound a social problem, it is also an individual problem One must take care what he eats and how he eats One must plan to diet in such a way that it is well balanced, meaning it should contain the necessary quantity of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins and so on He must keep his surroundings clean and neat, which is called environmental sanitation He must be regular in his personal habits like answering calls of nature, bathing and so on Even one's clothing contributes to keeping fit

Keep fit also means how a man lives, his hours of work, his sleep, rest and relaxation While everyone has to work to deserve his food, it should not be all work There must be hours of relaxation It may be some reading, playing with children, taking a stroll or taking up a healthy hobby Hobbies play a major role in keeping one fit

The mental attitude also is greatly responsible for keeping fit One must take to work like

a fish to the water One must be swinging like a wheel in his work Work can be play andplay can be work So if one were to take to his work cheerfully then no worry about his keeping fit Laziness, envy and jealously are some of the reasons which make one hate his work, and in the long run he becomes unfit

To keep fit some physical exercise is necessary This may be according to the age of the person Some out-door exercises like running, jumping, swimming or climbing are for the hardy youth Walking and jogging are good for the old Some fruitful occupation like gardening may give the required physical exercise but also contributes to the mental satisfaction

Above all, to keep fit depends on one's attitude towards life If one can accept success and defeat equally then one is said to be a fit person Even choosing company may contribute to keeping fit

Finally it means to avoid bad habits like smoking, drinking, doping and so on One must

be warned against these as they make holes in one's pocket as well ruin one's health

Accidents at home

Let us cite some examples of accidents at home Cutting, burning, scalding, hurting to cause fractured, bones and getting electric shock are some of them These may happen anywhere, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, or on the staircase

These accidents may lead to temporary disablement or permanent ones Sometimes they may prove fatal So as in many cases in life it is always better to prevent them; hence the proverb 'prevention is better than cure', but one must be aware of the cure also

Let us consider the preventive aspect first One must be careful in using cutting

instruments in the kitchen One must learn from those who have experience how to use the knives, manglers and so on Care must be taken in handling hot things Use good tongs to remove hot vessels from the oven Hot things must not be placed anywhere, otherwise one would get scalded Steam causes a greater injury than hot water so one must be careful where steam is involved Since pressure cookers work on steam one should be careful when removing the lid of the cooker So too with hot oils Here care must be taken not to add water to hot oil when it is on open fire because it will catch fire

Falling down by false step is another accident Bathrooms, poorly lit landing places, ill fixed mattresses on the staircase are worst offenders Oil drops or soap bits must not be dropped down in the bathroom as these may help slipping down The staircase must be well lit so that no false step is possible The mattresses must be well fixed Fall from ladder and stools are common Unless there is somebody to hold or unless the ladder is well fixed, one must be very careful in using ladders Trying to reach a higher point from

a ladder always results in slipping down So too with stools; broad based three legged stools are to be preferred to four legged ones because of the stability of the former Electrical wiring must be periodically checked Frayed wires must be removed When handling electrical equipment it is always advisable to have the mains off Too many leads may not be taken from a single pin point as it results in heating and hence some accidents Electrical appliances must have insulated or protective handles When using the electric iron it is better to stand on a rubber sheet or dry wood plank No wet cloth must be hung on any electrical wire for, in case of any leakage, it would prove fatal

Medicines must be kept away from the views of children and kept under lock and key Otherwise they may be tempted to swallow or drink the wrong medicine and may prove dangerous Youngsters must be taught how to use knives and other sharp instruments Nowadays gas is being used for cooking It must be seen that there is no leakage of gas lest there would be some explosive accident Children must not be allowed to play with

the valves for even breathing of the gas is dangerous Beware of leakage of gas

In all these cases by being a bit careful, many an accident can be avoided

Precious water

Water is one of the things we need most besides air, and thank god water is plenty generally speaking, because three fourths or so of earth's surface is covered with water This is only a general fact and not all places on earth are having enough water and healthy potable water is a rare commodity Rivers may bring water and lakes may be having it From the health point, they may not be fit for drinking Most of these waters are contaminated and may contain mineral as well as organic impurities, and sometimes epidemic spreading bacteria like those causing cholera and typhoid Nowadays the chances of contamination of water sources are quite common with industries coming up and sending out their effluents indiscriminately So to make these waters potable they must be treated before being supplied to a population

Treating water and supplying it to a town or city means cost The water has to be filtered for suspended impurities and then chlorinated and then pumped to a storage tank from where the water is distributed through pipes So one must remember that when one drawswater from the tap, one is actually buying or paying for water This has become

inevitable with the growth of cities and towns

Once we bear in mind we will be careful in using water There are many ways in which water is wasted The tap may be leaky whereby water may be spilled That means some periodic attention must be paid to the plumbing and leaky taps The tap may be open and the water running out and nobody would care to stop it Unless there is need, the tap must

be kept closed This must be particularly remembered when one leaves home on holiday, otherwise throughout their absence water may be flowing out Just as we see if the electric mains are off when we are away for some time so too is the water tap

Major part of the water is used for bathing, washing, and cleaning In all these needs water must be prudently used, Take bathing for instance; when one is scrubbing or applying soap to one's body the shower need not be running Water economy must be remembered in the use of bath tubs One need not be a Rhino to be in one's bath for hours

on end This prudence in the use of water may be practised in washing and cleaning Since these consume a lot of water, the municipal corporation, if it is affluent and water

is in plenty, can have a separate system supplying water for washing and cleaning alone.The industrial houses must not be allowed to draw from public water system for their industrial use except perhaps for drinking water

One must bear in mind when one wastes water one is depriving another of his share of water

Good water may get scarcer in days to come With the advent of rapid industrialization

contamination of water sources poses a threat So the industrial people must feel it their duty not to add to water pollution In areas of acute water scarcity steps may be taken for recycling water

Remember one of the casualties of the so called modernization is that we have to pay for nature's goods of which water is one

How to make your life successful

What we call life is a very complex affair It is not simply eating, reproducing and finallydying Every creature does these But in the case of man he has to lead a highly

complicated life It is like going through a maze and coming out He is an economic being and a social animal He has to earn, make a home, look after his people, attend to his obligations to the society and the Government So in order to be successful, in all these, he has to develop certain qualities

What do we mean by saying a man is successful? If in his occupation he can do

satisfactorily both for himself and others then he is successful He must be able to look after his people and bring up good children If he becomes a professional man like an engineer, doctor or lawyer, making money should not be the only criterion; he must also

be able to satisfy his clients and be honest at it

In order to be successful one should develop certain qualities At first he must realize his purpose; in other words what he would like to be This is the crux of the problem, for the choice does not come to him Parents decide it very often for them Let us suppose he decides to be somebody in his life Once having decided he must work for attaining certain standard in that line Only hard work would make him fit for the job It is rightly said that it is 5% inspiration and 95% perspiration One must deserve before desiring One must remember one's education does not stop with the school or college it is a life long process Professional people must keep themselves up to date

Then one must get on with others In the chess board of life one may find himself in any position; it may be the all powerful queen or simply a pawn It must be remembered that given the chance, even a pawn can destroy a queen This means in a complex society, everyone finds oneself in a particular position; there may be some above and some below One need not be favoring and flattering those above and be arrogant with those below "What can I do for you' is the correct attitude and having done it go about your duty In getting on with others sweet temperament is really an asset; then only others willlike to transact with one One must not be easily irritable nor give irritants to others Thenone must be reliable One may be clever but if he is not reliable, he cannot achieve success in a great measure because others will have very little to do with him

Another important quality that would make up for success is doing things then and there Procrastination is the thief of time Postponement of doing things means swelling of work for the next day A small chink may be easily closed today but tomorrow it may be late If we analyze the life of successful people we could easily see they have been

through and never postponed doing things

Still another quality is not to argue The other may be really wrong By pointing out that

he has been wrong you are not going to improve matters, on the other hand you can help him correct Arguing not only takes away precious time but also causes irritations Especially one's superior may not like situation something like this 'You may be right, sir', or 'This is all right', but 'what about our alternative' and so on

One must be capable of learning from experience One must be able to learn from the mistakes of others Only when nations and individuals fail to learn from the past

mistakes, they are ruined History is replete with examples

Life in a high-rise flat

Man is the only home making animal He alone can enjoy the warmth of his hearth and family circle Man has evolved from tree dwelling to the modern flat Primitive man was the master of his hut and it was his castle Till recently the house had been a complex affair There were the gardens, barn, poultry, cattle shed and so on The house itself was having different portions spacious enough for all the family members to move about These villas till recently were popular Even today we may come across these villas in thecountryside

There was good neighborliness In sorrow and joy the neighbor shared They were helping each other in many of life's needs and operations They had enough leisure They had time to sit over a pipe or glass of drink and gossip In short everybody was known to everybody and the society was in one sense self contained

But those days are gone though there may be vestiges in remote places The onslaught of Industrial Revolution and the growth of industries as a result have caused the birth and growth of towns and cities Though even in ancient days there were cities, they were the capitals of kings and emperors, otherwise there were not many cities Any student of history could appreciate this point So the growth of cities is a modern phenomenon, concomitant to the growth and concentration of industries

In an industrial area space becomes scarce and as more and more families pour in they cannot find space for houses Not only the space but also the cost becomes prohibitive

So an average office goer or a worker cannot have the luxury of owning a house Still they want some shelter to lay their heads down when they have returned from their office

or factory The answer has been the high rise flats of several floors They are either built

by building societies or by the Housing Boards of government

These flats are provided with all facilities like water, electricity, good drainage, airy rooms and so on In every high rise flat there may be even lifts to take people up and down In the flats the tenants may be independent

But there are more disadvantages in living in a high flat The movement will be restrictedand conditioned according to the circumstances One may have to live with all sorts of

people, the homogeneity which was the rule rather than the exception will be wanting One does not know who his neighbor is, so though living in the midst of many one may feel lonely Since all facilities are artificially controlled any breakdown in them would paralyze life For instance, if there is any defect in the water system, life will be upset For want of space, one must plan carefully what one must own Whereas in olden days people had enough space to entertain guests and relatives It is the children who would suffer most for there won't be enough space for them to run and play about Unless one has the facility to take them out, they will develop complexes of closed space Since the cannot easily mingle with other children, there may be blind spots in their character Living such artificial surroundings may even tell on their health and growth In short theywill feel like caged birds This may be true of even grown ups

Further if there were to be accidents like fire or the breakout of epidemics, the high rise flats will suffer most From aesthetic point of view also the flats do not add to the beauty

of the city

In short one may conclude that life in a high rise flat is necessary evil in a big city

My favorite outdoor game

Soccer is my favorite game Ever since I joined the school, I have been playing soccer The luscious grass field is very much suited to run, to roll over and kick

The game is played between two teams of eleven players each though sometimes lesser number like six or seven may be there in a team Among the players of a team, some may

be forwards, others mid-fielders and defenders, and one goal keeper Unlike the other players the goal keeper can handle the ball as the situation calls for

As it is a team game, all must cooperate The forwards must be fast, able to take the ball through the legs of the opponent The midfielders help not only in defense but also help the forwards in clearing and supplying the ball Defenders must offer strong defense Thegoal keeper must be agile, quick to see, correct in anticipation and should kick the ball high and far

There are well established rules and foul play will be penalized The referee's job is toughand there have been instances when the poor referee has been man handled by the

onlookers It is the bane of the game that the audience turn partisan

Among the great soccer nations Argentina, Brazil, England, Russia and Germany are a few The name of Pelee, the great footballer of all times has become a household word among the soccer fans

Football is a manly game so I like it Whenever I find time in the evening, I never fail to play for an hour or so I take the forward position because I feel there is more fun in pursuing and heading the ball

Those who do not know much about the game say it is a rough game Of course there are

cases of broken heads, muscle twisting and sometimes even fractures But these are caused when one does not play according to the rules Of course they are inevitable in a game like soccer Nowadays people protect themselves with guards But for the risks the game is all right If it is all soft then there won't be any game at all.

Obedience to parents and elders

To be obedient is to obey the orders of one's elders and superiors There cannot be order unless there is obedience One has to obey the laws of the country, otherwise the society cannot exist The laws may be irksome, but, for the overall good of the law one must obey them For instance, the laws to be obeyed on the road ensures road safety The laws pertaining to property help society continue without hitches and hindrances Even in our body our limbs obey the commands of the brains unless they are diseased Obedience is essential for the enforcement of order

Obedience includes obedience to one's parents and elders Parents are the best well wishers of their children From their experience, they know what is good for their

children They would never mean ill for them For the sake of the well being of the children, parents insist on obedience Obedient children grow into fine children They arenot only loved by their parents but also by others connected with the household and by the neighbours When children obey parents they are happy

Circumstances as they may be, parents may set certain norms Children may not

understand their implications, but if they obey, very often they will steer of dangers For instance, the parent may warn his son of bad company If the son obeys, he will grow unscathed The parents may insist on personal cleanliness, keeping things neat and tidy, being regular in studies and so on and so forth If the boy or girl obeys the parents in suchand other things, he or she will surely grow into a finer one

Of course the parents' example may be forceful enough If the parent shows how he is obedient, the son will naturally be obedient

There cannot be a better story than Casabianca on the deck The father had asked the boy not to leave the deck until the parent returned The ship was on fire, the father was dead and other sailors asked Casabianca to leave the deck and escape for life But the boy would not leave, for father had asked him not to The fate of the boy could be conceived but Casabianca has become immortal because he obeyed his father

Being obedient to parents and elders will have to be followed in life An obedient servant

is always liked and respected But for the unquestioning obedience of servants big establishments cannot be run Unless one knows the value of obedience and has been practising it, suddenly he cannot become obedient Servants who are obedient are

preferred to clever ones

One may argue that blind obedience won't do good Where one can prove the other is wrong, strict obedience can be waived This happened sometimes; a junior may have a brilliant idea and without infraction of obedience he may put up his idea in the

appropriate manner

Obedience, just like charity must begin at home Parents have a duty in bringing up children to be obedient and loving

The pleasures of reading

Animals may have moments of pleasure but only man has got a lot to do with it It is through our sense organs that we enjoy pleasure The sense of smell, sight, hearing, touchand taste each brings pleasure Even the baby as soon as it is born feels the pleasure of sucking and the comfort of being cuddled in the wads of cloth in the mother's lap But forthe pleasing smell we will not be able to enjoy our food We are thrilled by the sight of ice capped mountains or the roaring water falls of the Niagara So they are the senses thathelp us to get pleasure

There is no end to the sources of pleasure But reading for pleasure belongs to a higher order and stands as a category by itself While external things bring pleasure to the sense organs, reading brings pleasure to the mind Greater the mind is cultured, greater will be the derived from reading for reading makes a full man

Reading is the end product of writing Unless there is something written one cannot read

So good writing is a concomitant of reading Man alone can write, in other words put his ideas in black and white In fact even before printing came into being man was writing and it is as old as modern civilization Man can preserve his thoughts and ideas through writing Thus the whole world of literature is there far one to read

Now reading material is available for all tastes A scholar may go through serious writingfor the sake of enriching his knowledge Another may read a magazine or a picture book for whiling away the

time One chooses the reading material according to his moods, his literary background, the time at his disposal and the purpose if any A teenager may like stories of romance and an old man may prefer books on philosophy and religion Some gifted with

imagination and the faculty to reflect may read poetry

One who takes pleasure in reading always tries to build his library Very often a good library may serve the purpose

The greatest advantage in reading is when one comes across great minds Whether you agree with what is there to read or do not agree there will not be any quarrel You may pronounce your judgement on the writer There will be no harm if your judgment is silentand not published

Given the proper atmosphere like a good silent place, soft light and comfortable seat, onecan read and read and enjoy it

There are great masters of writing in all great languages of the world English Language

abounds in such great authors Again it may be poetry, novel, fiction, drama, travelogue, and letters Biographies and autobiographies, form a sizable part In these days of rush good magazines supply the material for reading For example, one may cite the Reader's Digest

In order to enjoy reading, one must cultivate that habit Reading is not the 'be all' and

`end all' of life Yet, it can be ennobling There is dignity in reading habit

Computer and their uses

Perhaps the single greatest invention of the century is the computer The computer is essentially a machine that enables humans to complete tasks that may be time consuming

or very repetitive in nature This it achieves by imitating human thought processes In much the same way that humans think using pathways in their brains that conduct minuteelectrical currents, computers too use tiny electrical circuits which tell it what to do The difference being that computers do this at incredible speeds

In this modern age man has grown to be heavily dependent on computers to carry out all kinds of jobs that were done manually before In banking for example computers allow for millions of transactions to be carried out involving large sums of money which wouldotherwise require thousands of bank tellers Computers do the job in a much shorter time and practically free of any errors Computers are responsible for air traffic control and therunning of trains to ensure that travel is made as smooth as possible In factories

nowadays computers operate mechanical devices that produce goods we require for everyday living, in such quantities that would be otherwise impossible to achieve if these factories were run by humans alone

Perhaps the greatest advancements have been made in the field of communications All

of us are by now familiar with the 'Internet' The internet is a collection of computer systems and individual terminals linked up worldwide through telephone lines and other channels It offers a cheaper alternative to communicating with people within a country and internationally through computers It has also been described as an immense pool of knowledge just waiting for applications it has given rise to a new means for countries to carry on trade with each other through 'E-Commerce'

It must however be kept in mind that as useful as computers are They are not capable of independent thought and still require human input In recent times scientists have

developed' Artificial Intelligence' in computers that may enable them to function

independently of man in the future

island; he has to live with his neighbors To make life tolerable and bearable one must cooperate with one's neighbor

One's neighbor may be temporary as in the case of traveling by bus or train Here the neighbor is with one for a few minutes or few hours Even here if there is understanding between the neighbors the travel will be pleasant Good neigborliness generates good company and especially during travel it helps to take away the boredom There are cases when such travel has culminated in longstanding friendship

Whether one likes it or not, one cannot do without neighbors Even where houses are isolated as in the case of bungalows there is inevitably the neighbor Normally one may think one can do without neighbors because one can command all comforts and services,

so the services or the need for a friend may not arise However serviceable the radio or the TV may be in providing the recreation, they cannot supply the human elements The sympathy, the admiration and the appreciation which a neighbor may offer will have a great humanizing influence To share one's view and sometimes even one's sorrows one needs some neighbors Because man is gregarious he cannot live in isolation

But all neighbors are not always keeping the cordial relationship Stresses and strains develop because of misunderstandings The cause may be very trivial or flimsy, still tension develops ending in animosity and feud Jealousy may be another cause for such a tension The neighbor may be doing fine, has earned a lot of money, his children are doing well, he gets quick promotions, these and such others may create jealousy Once this is generated, this leads to non cooperation and petty quarrels Very often children may be the cause for strained feelings

Children may quarrel drawing the elders into the fray The neighbor's son may pick a flower or a fruit from your garden and an argument may erupt Again he may throw his ball at your window pane damaging it These are not unnatural so far as the younger one

is concerned but it is for the elders to view at them with equanimity and make up for it This may read easy on paper but not so in practical life But with some broad outlook onemust be able to tolerate

Another reason for tension may be the animals Your neighbor's dog may be a real nuisance or his poultry which would come into your garden and eat away the young saplings

In all these cases to keep up good neighborliness some understanding between the

neighbors is important Small differences can be easily patched up or ironed out Care can at times play the good samaritan and helps the neighbors in a small or big way Nobody is perfect and it is better not to speak disparagingly of your neighbor

A cheerful word or a nod or a casual enquiry will strengthen the feeling of good

neighborliness Negatively, one must not pry into what the neighbor is or what he does.Tolstoy speaks in one of his stories how neighbors should behave A child was wearing a

new shirt and the neighbor's child threw mud on it and thus spoiled it Women folk started the quarrel and men folk entered into the fray ending in a few heads broken and so

on By then the children forgot all their quarrel and were playing Tolstoy draws a moral from the story namely neighbors must be quick to forget small wrongs done

Neighborliness is not only for individuals but it is important also in a great measure between neighboring countries History has got a lot to teach in this respect Unless countries learn to live as good neighbors, there cannot be peace on earth So children must be taught at home and in the school to cooperate with the neighbors and be friendly with them The basic principle is to give and take and to develop a sense that the other man has as much right as you have and some degree of tolerance is very necessary

Road Safety

Why think of road safety at all? It is because of the accidents that occur everyday on the road, in which all sorts of vehicles and human beings and even animal are involved These accidents mean loss of life and loss of property and more often than not

obstruction to traffic In this age of speed and fast moving vehicles and with the

congestion on roads, these accidents have became almost an everyday affair So unless everybody is educated on the importance of road safety, the loss and the sorry spectacles cannot be avoided

Prevention is better than cure This holds good even in the matter of road accidents Accidents are due to many causes and may occur under different circumstances The simplest but at the same time dangerous perhaps is people slipping down on the road caused by an orange or a banana peel Without meaning any harm, quite innocently a person may throw away the orange peel or the banana skin on the road or the sidewalk When a person, walking briskly, steps on, it he or she will slip down ending in fracture ofbones and sometimes even more dangerous than that So people must take care they do not throw the pealings on the road but should deposit them in a dust-bin In some

countries the offenders are severely punished The second cause of accident is due to careless crossing in busy roads While crossing one must look to the right and left for moving vehicles and then cross

Where there are Zebra crossings on the road for the pedestrians to cross, one should crossalong them One should keep to the margin of the road while walking and the vehicles must keep to their lanes in busy streets

In the case of accidents involving vehicles there are many causes One is trying to

overtake and very often taking risk Another is wrong judgment in crossing Sometimes itmay be not caring for the signals In crowded streets accidents may take place in a snap second because one does not care for the signal "Stop, look and go' is the best precept; it will save vehicles from accidents But where one takes a foolish step, the result is the inevitable accident Jay riding may be another cause Riding two or three abreast is always dangerous Especially one must be aware of this Scooter riders become victims

of road accidents But if they just wear the helmet as required by law they could easily

avoid fracture and hence death.

Very often the cause of accidents is the failure of the brake system which means the owner of the vehicle does not bother to keep the machine in good condition By attending

to the vehicle regularly a lot of miseries could be avoided

Road safety is a matter of education in which the school can play a significant role Through scouting, Red Cross and social education classes, children can be taught the importance of observing the rules of the road Children must be taught their limbs and lives are very valuable and they must not take risk, especially when leaving the school

As soon as the bell goes children rush out and accidents do happen Under the

circumstances the teachers must feel it their duty to regulate the traffic near the school The police can cooperate with the school in this respect

To make the people road conscious, the mass media can play a useful role The

newspaper, the wall poster and the cinema and now the TV come in handy Shots in the cinema or TV emphasizing the importance of road safety can be highlighted There may

be speeches over the radio by the police officials During peak hours in crowded areas, the police may direct the traffic and ask people to keep to their lanes

Assess the danger that the industrial society may collapse

by the middle of the 21st century through the exhaustion of raw materials

Before actually assessing the danger as contemplated let us first of all know about the certain premises raised here To begin with let us be clear about an industrial society In such a society for all his needs man look to the machines which symbolize the

industrialized society Many of the things would have been automated, for example, the sorting of eggs or the baking of bread In such and many other cases man may be

working but he is only a cog in the wheel Everything is on a mass scale; everything follows a system; everything is made to order The USA and most of the West European countries come under this category Japan is the Eastern nation which is highly

industrialized

For all their industries, all these societies use many raw materials They may be forest products, the fossil fuels, or the ores from the bowels of the earth Their quantity is limited and the way the industrialized societies are exhausting them, create the fear that stock may be exhausted sooner or later

For instance, forests are being denuded in many countries for the manufacture of paper and furniture It is easier to fell hundreds of trees a day than to grow one But the demandfor paper is growing very fast that unless some alternative to wood is found in forest based industries, there may not be enough paper

So too with fossil fuels whether it be oil or coal or natural gas The way they are being

used has led to the speculation that there may not be any petroleum by the turn of this century Perhaps the stock of coal may last a few decades more Anyway in the case of coal the stock is only limited and not inexhaustible If forests take only decades to come

up the fossil fuels require geological ages to form and unlike trees they cannot be made toorder

Then there are other minerals especially ferrous and non-ferrous metals Some of the metals are in abundance while others are scarce After all mines are not milch cows and even milch cows would become dry and old

But by the middle of the next century things may not be gloomy after all Science and ingenuity of man will work together to find a way out of the impasse Newer materials, newer processes and recycling may have the answer Already we are having a taste of what may come Look at the man made fibers and plastics A few decades ago none would ever have thought of them but now there is none who does not use them In fact they are made from things which were considered useless or which were going to waste

With the advent of television and other still more sophisticated methods of

communication, the need for a big bulk of paper, may be reduced Instead of writing letters, they may be tape recorded Instead of books we may have microfilms of books

Recycling has a great promise Since matter is indestructibly, one useless stuff can be converted into something really useful Nature does it in fact as in the case of

photosynthesis or keeping the nitrogen cycle going After man has set his foot on the moon, a lot of thinking has gone into recycling So we may think of a day soon when there will be not waste material By changing the constitution of materials they may be made to do wonderful work An example is fiber glass which has the strength of steel Then there is the sea floor which has not been exploited as much as land Remember three fourths of the earth is sea

Man is the only animal who can take the challenge and if previous history has anything toteach, it shows that man has stupendous and fantastic capacity to survive

Five things I love the most

This world is full of many wonderful and lovely things Man is trying to utilize the maximum resources of his intellect for finding out various types of inventions and discoveries and thus endeavoring to make the things more lovely and worth enjoying The process of beautifying the world is a continuous process There is no end to it Since there are many beautiful and lovely things, it becomes very difficult to pick and choose Somehow, with great care, I have selected five things I would like to adopt in

my future life

Firstly, I love nature I am fed up of this artificial and momentary pleasure which we derive from the city I would like to settle in some village where I would be able to enjoy nature Nature can be a true friend and guide for man Wordsworth, the great

lover of Nature, has also acknowledged this fact in his poems I am very anxious to go and enjoy the scenery of steep hills; greenery of the own valleys, cool breeze and other natural things There I would find people who will be quite different in nature from the city dwellers Their motto of life is "simple living and spiritual thoughts" Thus I will have the privilege of coming in contact with simple and straight forward people Secondly, I would like to take up teaching as my career I am deeply pained to find illiteracy in my country For the successful functioning of Democracy, it is essential that we reduce illiteracy to the minimum I want every young man and woman to get educated There is a dire need for spreading education to every nook and corner of the country I hope that by selecting this profession, I would be serving my country in the most appropriate way

Thirdly, I am a keen and voracious reader Reading novels is my favorite pastime Reading widens the door of knowledge They give us an insight into this world

Sometimes we are able to resolve many difficult problems by reading We are able to chalk out many schemes which can be useful in our day-to-day life

Fourthly, I love my country I can forego anything just for the honor of my country If somebody were to ask me to go to a foreign land and serve there, and get a handsome salary I will be the first to bluntly refuse this offer I am very fond of the way of life, food and sunshine of my country If I were to go to a foreign country for employment, Iwould not be doing justice to my Motherland

The last but not the least, I love my home sweet home, The saying "East or West, home

is the best" is correct I live in a small house which does not contain all the modem amenities, but still it is not less than a paradise I have been to my friend's houses where

I find ultra modern decorations and lavish furnishing I do not like this type of artificial life or home

The selected items above are the five things which I hold dearest to my heart and are the very essence of my being

My most interesting dream

Dreams are the products of our subconscious state of mind Dreams are of many kinds But the dream which I had last Saturday was the most interesting I have ever had I was transported into a fairy land where beautiful fairies were dancing and singing

I dreamt that I had gone to Paris There I went into night club and saw many exciting happenings Twist, Ballroom and Shake dances were going on in full swing with the music blaring away As I was watching the spectacle of dance and drama, a beautiful girl gazed upon me I was attracted by her rosy cheeks, alluring eyes and sweet smile on her face I at once recollected the famous poem by Keats known as "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" Her silent expressions of love enthralled me I was really captivated by her charm and sweetness She was really communicating with me with her silent expressions

of love and her eyes I thought I must respond to her facial and other expressions

I walked up to her, introduced myself and talked to her She also passed very lovely and witty remarks We then both took our cup of coffee, while sipping our coffee we had a long talk to our heart's content At the same time I was remembering and recollecting the eternal lines of Shakespeare:

Love is not love that alters

When it finds alterations;

Or bends with the remover to remove,

Now I was in two minds Whether her love was true or false But I tried to be true to her

I sincerely expressed my love to her in the most unambiguous terms We ultimately promised to marry and live as life long companions

Soon the dance and music came to a close With that she got up and went somewhere, saying that she would be returning soon

But she did not turn up I was repenting for falling in love I was thinking that I had been betrayed by this girl who had deceived me As I was pondering over this heart-stricken subject, my eyes opened but my mind was still groggy I thought I was in Paris but to my surprise I found myself still in Kuala Lumpur

In this dream I have come across a woman who has been well described by John Keats inhis profound poem "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" i.e "The Beautiful Woman Without Mercy"

Are scientific inventions making us happier ?

One of the most popular questions which is often asked is: "Are scientific inventions making us happier ?"

Science today has given us such comforts as were unimaginable years ago Today we switch on the radio and listen to music, We have electricity, telephones, televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, air-conditioning plants and a host of other gadgets All these things have made the life of man very easy and comfortable The flush-lavatories, shower-baths, electric fans, cinemas, cars, trams and "planes" are among other scientific inventions which have increased the ease and happiness of, mankind

Science has made traveling easy and efficient The world has become small for us But those exciting adventures and romances which traveling gave us in the past have all disappeared Modem traveling is a dull business

People who live in big cities like New York or London have benefited in some ways and lost in many other ways The city people do not have any leisure Their life is so busy andmechanical that they do not have any time "to stand and stare" as well as to see and

appreciate the beauties of nature Their lives have become artificial, devoid of charm and delight

Modern age is an age of science As science is advancing it is at the same time thwarting our civilization In the world of science, the words love, emotion and sentiments are quiteforeign So what is the use of science to man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul ? Spiritualism is on the wane while materialism is on the increase Philosophy, culture and love are rapidly fading from the surface of the earth because of the

advancement of science

On the destructive side, science has invented weapons which are dreadful and disastrous The invention of U-boats, Rockets, Atom Bombs, Hydrogen Bombs and other harmful nuclear devices have increased the chances of human destruction Thus, if these weapons

of science are misused they would spell disaster for entire mankind This is the peak of scientific civilization

Thus the opinion generally remains divided on the above subject No one can claim that science is beneficial or a complete curse While a scientist makes inventions, a politician misuses them Mainly, it is this wrong application of scientific inventions by the

politician which has brought humanity to a bad state In this respect science has

dehumanized us Nowadays we have better drugs and surgical instruments but men are becoming weak constitutionally What an irony of fate it is ? Today, we have a sensitive 'heart', a sensitive 'lung' and a sensitive liver' due to fast speed, smoky atmosphere and dusty roads Thus science, while it makes mankind happy by its latest achievements, also makes it unhappy when it shows its destructive power But, broadly speaking, science can be used for happiness but the mad mind of the man and particularly of the politician misusing the discoveries of science, makes us unhappy

The funniest incident in my life

Everyone in his life experiences some incidents good or bad There may be the happiest, the saddest or the funniest incident in one's life

One Sunday morning I received an invitation from a friend of mine Mr Sudhir, as I had come from the U.K back to my native land I got up early in the morning and started preparing myself My sister gave me a cup of tea early in the morning Then I took my bath, and got ready My sister then again asked me to take some snacks and tea but I refused to take as I was very anxious in getting to my friend's house She kept insisting

me to take a heavy breakfast but I did not care for it I walked out to the Bus Stop Soon abus came and I got into it and asked the conductor for a ticket for Babar Lane The conductor frowned at me saying "This bus is not going to Babar Lane It s going in the reverse direction, you can get down at the next stop and catch another bus." I was baffled for some time at this sudden bit of information Then I alighted from the bus and again waited for the next bus for Babar Lane

I boarded the bus and reached 15, Babar Lane But when approached my friend's house,

the door of his house was all locked up and closed I was wondering whether I had come

to the right place As I was gazing and pondering, a neighbor of my friend came and asked me, "Why are you standing here? Do you want to meet someone?" I replied "Yes,

I want to see Mr Sudhir living in Quarter No 15" He replied "He has moved house on Wednesday and has gone to Changi."

Frustratedly, I came back to the bus stop I was feeling thirsty and hungry Soon it starteddrizzling I was now in a fix as I had no umbrella My confusion became worse with the pouring rains I thought for a while that I had refused my morning breakfast in the hope that I would take it at my friend's house At this stage my anger was mounting I was cursing myself as well as my fate, I was soaking wet and instead of going home, I made

up my mind to meet Sudhir, come what may

An idea hit me I telephoned the Enquiry Office at Changi The operator told me his address So I made my journey to Changi I reached the Address given to me by the operator I rang the door bell Tapan, a tiny tot (Sudhir's youngest brother) came out and greeted me with a "Hello, uncle." The moment I entered the drawing room, I saw the parents of Sudhir sitting on the sofa They offered me a seat and I sat between them As I was going to ask about the invitation extended to me by Sudhir, Dolly (Sudhir's sister) came with a tray of tea She was a pretty and vivacious girl I remembered that I used to love Dolly during college days and had written to her many love letters, proposing marriage Now Sudhir's mother began to talk very politely "Look son, the invitation to tea was a joke, as you know today is the First of April" But you are fortunate in the sense that your proposal of marriage has been accepted by all the members of the family." I was thrilled to hear this news from Dolly's mother

My joy knew no bounds My spirit felt lifted Dolly was looking at me silently, her eyes expressing her love for me We had tea to our heart's content I rushed home to give the glad news to my parents This day, indeed, is the most funniest and happiest day in my life

Memories of childhood

The memories of childhood have their own kind of nostalgia With the passage of time, one feels more attached to this childhood, the best period of a man's life A child has no worries, anxieties and no work He is free from the dirty and filthy noises of the world His motto of life remains: eat, drink and be merry The charm of childhood cannot be forgotten These memories have everlasting impression on one's life

When I recollect the days of my childhood, I feel very delighted over that pleasant periodwhich I spent in high spirits In my childhood I was carefree, having no worries at all I used to wander like a deer in the open field and enjoyed the natural beauty in the gardens along with my other companions

Certain incidents are still fresh in my mind:- For instance, at the age of five, I got a severe attack of typhoid In those days medical science was not so advanced, so in the absence of a proper diagnosis, I was reduced to a skeleton After taking medicine for a

long period, I was cured The doctor advised me to go to some hill-station So my father took me to the Cameron Highlands Due to this attack in my early age, I became very weak and I still have not been able to recover my health

The other incident was about a juggler who came with two monkeys He exhibited a show with the monkeys The male monkey fell in love with the female monkey The female refused to marry the male The male went to his father in-law's house the father-in-law was the juggler himself After some persuasion the female agreed to many the male monkey They were dressed up in a colorful costume for the ceremony which was performed by the juggler The juggler and his show with the monkeys stand out in

my memory

Another thing which I still remember is my swimming accident It was on a Sunday that Iwent with my friends for a picnic at Port Dickson Some of us were expert swimmers but unfortunately I did not know much about swimming My friends plunged into the sea in order to swim and persuaded me to do the same Soon I was caught by the swift current

in the water and was carried away My scream of panic was heard by my friends who rescued me from drowning I was really very grateful to them for saving my life

It is this period of childhood which has been described by poets and writers To recollect the past is to plunge ourselves in a state of nostalgia Wordsworth, the immortal poet of England, and a great worshipper of nature, describes in his poems his childhood period, which, to him, was full of pleasant memories I too miss those good old days which had flown by so quickly

If I were a millionaire

We often hear elderly people advising their young ones to forget the past and the future and care for the present only But there is hardly any one who has no ambition for a higher status than his present one This constant struggle for a higher position and money remains with a man till the last day of his life This struggle, in fact, is essential for achieving higher ends in life

I belong to the middle-class I can never think of earning millions of dollars but there is nothing wrong in harboring the hope that I might win a lottery Suppose I am fortunate enough to win a lottery of millions of dollars, I will try to spend it in the most appropriatemanner so as to derive the maximum pleasure out of it

My colleagues advise me that at the very outset, I should endeavor to improve my lot I should have a huge mansion to live in and a car for the family But my idea of life is quite different Rather than improving my lot, I am much more interested in uplifting the condition of the poor masses of the country

My country is poor There are people in my country who hardly get two square meals a day, what more to speak of enjoying the comforts and luxuries of life They are semi-fed and semi-clad Most of these people are living in villages, where the main occupation of

the people is agriculture I will offer them a loan at a very nominal interest to enable them

to purchase tractors, fertilizers and better seeds This scheme will save the villagers from the village money lender

I will invest a good portion of my money in constructing a hospital with all the modem amenities I will employ highly qualified doctors This hospital will be run free of charge for the poor masses Charities will always be awaited from the rich classes This will savepeople from the jaws of death

Many people, particularly in villages, have no means of recreation, I shall spend a part of

my wealth to provide means of recreation for the Many people, particularly in villages, have no means of recreation, I shall spend a part of my wealth to provide means of recreation for the poor I shall open various social and educational centers at various places

Since there is no adequate provision for the support of orphans and widows, I would, therefore, lose no time in opening new centers for widows and orphans They will work and earn their livelihood honorably This will certainly help in the cause of country's advancement

There may be people who will jeer and mock at my utter foolishness of spending millions

of dollars in this manner Probably they do not realize that a man gets inner happiness in helping the poor, which is much more than the sensual pleasures that a man can get from the money he possesses To spend money like this, will be my dearest hopes and

aspirations

Why is it that a play can tell a story in far fewer words than

a novel ? Illustrate your answer with reference to particular plays and novels

The fundamental difference between a play and a novel is that in one the actors present themselves and act and speak what is en the play In a novel except for the contrived conversations et is only a narration The flesh and blood have to be supplied by the novelist to create an atmosphere In a play emotions are almost seen (even while reading)but in a novel they are not specially displayed In a play, the events are not isolated islands; one sees the direct link In a novel one has to go about looking for the events If asingle illustration could help, it is like this; a play is like being at a shop and the novel is like going to a shop The things are there in the one instance and in the other one has to visualize and wait to move The play has a more direct appeal to our senses than the novel

There is a famous lore in 'Julius Caesar' The conspirators struck Caesar and among them was Brutus, the one time friend of Caesar When Caesar saw Brutus striking him he said, 'Et tu Brute! Then falls Caesar' He dies so saying These sex words describe the whole world of relations between the two and the emotions involved If it were to be a novel,

the whole situation may require not six words but six pages At the hands of say Scott, Hardy and others it would have taken even a whole chapter

Again let us look at the pitiable Othello who had murdered his wife out of jealousy Having killed her, he says en self pity, 'I have no wife' Those who have been following the play thus far can easily understand Othello's mental torture These words would be meaningless in a novel unless description followed as to how he wept, howled and tore his hair The play shows the act but the novel only describes

'Oliver Twist' is a powerful novel indeed and Dickens has shown his deft hands there; butthe same in the form of a play is more powerful Just imagine the scene where Oliver asks for more Dickens has, in fact made it more dramatic; but the scene in a drama can

be shorter and more effective The play allows you to visualize and almost you are a party there but it is different in the case of a novel

Satires, puns and jokes are more poignant in a play than in a novel We enjoy a Falstaff, aTouchstone or a Jaques in their flesh and blood in the play There is some identity and there is sympathy In the play you are not told certain things but you are an unconscious actor, never so in the case of a novel

In the novel the climax is worked out very quickly and one need not wait for hours to see the end coming You sense it and is ready for the end to come In the case of the novel the climax and the end are far apart This can be seen in 'Hamlet', 'King Lear' or

'Macbeth'

In a novel small things do not play any role at all as in the case of a play A kerchief, a chain and a flower may be almost a character Thus the kerchief plays a role in Othello, the chain in 'As You Like It'

Comparison and contrasts are brought out efficiently in a play not so easily in the novel Characters small and big are there to see side by side, one acting as a foil to another Thus we find in Adam, the old servant of Orlando who is faithful and the treachery of Oliver

In short, a play while it economizes on words can illuminate the characters much better than the characters in the novel While a novel is like an intricate canvas with all its magnificence only an art critic can appreciate and comprehend A play is like the

laughter of a child or a tear in the eye of one's beloved which requires no explanation

Discuss the difficulties that arise from the existence of

more than one language in a country

The essay implies there are real difficulties existing in a country where there are more than one language The way out is not sought, so let us confine to the difficulties alone

The first difficulty will arise regarding the court language or state language besides, of course, the language to be chosen of international communication Each language may compete for the coveted post of becoming a court language When may languages are spoken by different people in one country, to pick out one of them and say that is the state language will lead to conflict and more often then not as witnessed in some

countries The safest course would then be to have all the contending languages as court

or state languages

Though this arrangement is possibly the best, it is wrought with practical difficulties, In the offices more forms will hove to be printed, more officials will have to be appointed, very often proficiency in more than one language will be insisted upon In that case people who learn languages easily may get into the offices to the chagrin of others Since all records will have to be in all languages, more paper work will be involved Many useful hours will be spent in translation, though simultaneous translation has become practical with the advancement of technology

In official business each language may claim superiority to the resentment of others In legislatures such controversies may surface very often and this is detrimental to the unity

of the country Though simultaneous translation has obviated the difficulty today, still translation may not be correct because the idioms and nuances peculiar to o language will

be lost in translation

Perhaps the greatest difficulty that may arise refers to what is called the linguistic

minorities In any area the people speaking different languages may not he of the order ofpercentage The number of those speaking one language may out number those speaking another language and thus they claim numerical majority Those who speak the minority language are looked down upon Very often feelings get strained and there may flare up language riots To keep the people speaking different languages under restraint and make them live amicably is difficult What is called the linguistic chauvinism has not become athing of the past

The real difficulty will be with education Any government or state cannot brush aside the claim of a section of her people to educate their children in their own mother tongue That means more schools, more teachers and above all more text books in different languages The question of language comes up in conducting public examinations, As many papers will have to be set up in different languages, this adds to the administrative burden

In such a country the study of literature becomes hard, because each language may be having a good literature and unless due recognition is given to literature it may not grow

A practical difficulty will be felt in travel and communication A person from one area of

a predominant language will find it difficult to go and do business in another area having

a different predominant language

When all these difficulties are viewed dispassionately one must agree there must be one

national language It is worthwhile to think of a national language Purists may quarrel but the national language may absorb good words and idioms from other languages This

is a way out of language difficulties

The best performers the world has ever seen are those who start on themselves ( George Bernard Shaw ) Discuss

There is more truth in the statement than what appears on the surface When reformers are mentioned very often the names or pictures of social reformers come first to vision readily But the pictures must include the great religious reformers as well

These reformers had visions themselves before they could pass them on to society They thought and worked out the reforms and preached them without fear or favor They had a lot of suffering in the form of ostracism, privations and physical attacks Still we could see they themselves were the schools where they practiced the reforms The tremendous success of those reforms which they conceived and gave birth to is even in usage today Let us take a few examples We can start with the Buddha He was born a prince and was brought up a prince But when he chanced to see the sufferings of life his heart melted with compassion He relinquished his wife and child and went in search of

`knowledge' He found the truth and hence he became the 'Buddha' He preached what he himself had lived through and thus a great part of the then known world came under the influence of Buddhism The languages and climates were not a bar to the spread of Buddhism

The next picture which comes to our mind is that of Lord Jesus Christ He preached love,good neighborliness, service to the poor and the diseased and finally his surrender and the forgiveness he gave to the mankind The Roman Government sentenced him to die for preaching The personal example of Jesus is worthy of note

Think of Mahatma Gandi as the modem apostle of non-violence, though he himself had admitted that he was greatly influenced by Jesus Christ An important weapon in his repertoire was Satyagraha or civil resistance He learnt its importance while he was in South Africa He suffered a lot form the hands of the Whites there but he put up with them very gallantly and upheld the standard of non violence Even Smuts was converted

to his way of thinking later on When Gadhiji returned to India he used the some weapon

of non-violence and Satyagraha against the British and was able to see that India got independence The greatest thing in India was to uplift the untouchables He gave them o noble name and called them the 'Harijans' He proved himself what o great reformer he was To the lost he stood for the Hindu-Muslim unity which cost him his life just like Jesus Christ

Martin Luther King, the Great American Block leader was influenced very much by the teaching of Gandhi and he practiced non-violence against the Whites He was able to open the eyes of the American Government and like Gandhi he was tragically murdered His mortal person may not be there but what he did for the American Blocks will stand

for ever What Martin Luther King did in our own times was attempted by Abraham Lincoln a century earlier

Turning to social reformers, Florence Nightingale or "The Lady With The Lamp" as she was popularly called, may he mentioned During the Crimean war she did o great lot to lessen the sufferings of the soldiers at Scutari Quite rightly she is recognized as the mother of modem nursing

Then the name of Dr Schweitzer comes to the mind He went to the heart of Africa and started his hospital for the Africans at Lamberene It was gargantuan task which would hove broken even the bravest heart But the great doctor looked upon it as a life's missionfor him because life was so sacred

There had been o number of less worthies but they too had spent their lives for the sake

of reforms

Why study history ? Is it perhaps to learn from past

mistakes, to yearn for lost glory or for some other reason ?

What is history ? History is the story of men and women on the face of the earth at a particular period of time who played their part to make up something like a story

Individuals may influence the course of history, but history as such is the sum total of all the actions put together culminating in some shape which the historians conveniently callthe period History may be looked at as the story of the growth of a people or peoples History may again reflect the interaction of human emotions ending up in a certain form

of society History may indicate how societies were formed and how they grew If certainsocieties survive the onslaught of time while others disappear altogether, history helps understand the forces at work In short we may not be far from right if we say that historytraces the growth of human society

Then why study history ? The above mentioned ideas of history have the answer to this question There have been periods in history which shows the rise and fall of societies, where great men and women play their part Each country boasts of a certain golden era when a great personality, a king or queen or an Emperor had so much power that he was the centre of the picture To know the picture is to know the person Just to quote an example, take the period of Queen Elizabeth I in England It was a period of expansion for England, it had its moments of glory, it saw the flourishing of art and so on To know the period, we learn all about the life of the actors on the stage

Individuals may influence the course of history The great religious founders like the Buddha, Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohamed had influenced the course of history Quite recently we know how the writings of Rousseau and Voltaire and others influenced the course of the French Revolution that was to follow In recent times we know how the works of Marx and Engels brought about almost universal revolution and the course of which has not stopped To know the growth of a people we read history This is best

illustrated by studying the History of the USA How a few religious people who ran awayfrom their mother country to avoid prosecution went in waves to colonize and almost a powerful country was born Here one is easily aware of the accidents of history

History of the Industrial Revolution and the consequent labor movements and many otherthings which have been the off-shoots of the Revolution are very interesting to know

To know the growth of societies, one must look into history Thus a study of ancient societies throws light on how such societies were formed and grew Some forces act as destructive ones, some forces act as incentives and some others go to consolidate the society A classical example is Munroe which helped the uninhibited growth of USA for nearly a hundred years History traces the growth of society This seems to be a major idea today; the old insistence on dates, acquisition, battles and treaties have been

relegated to the background

It is said that history repeats itself That means human nature being, it repeats the same mistake without learning from the past If we know the past mistakes perhaps we could have avoided them That is what the United Nations has been trying to do Its predecessorthe League of Nations had been built in weakness But it cannot be said that the UNO is acompletely revised version because one or two of the basic mistakes which the League ofnations suffered from It is a great pity that humanity cannot learn from the past mistakes.The next proposition is whether the study of history is a yearning for past glory To some extent this is true In oriental countries which have been under colonial rule, they really look back for some glory They cull it from the past art and literature and have a sense of fulfilment The invention of printing has revolutionized the world of thought The

invention of the Mariner's compass has helped navigation to such a great extent that all the seas have come under the control of man The invention of gun powder, the discovery

of coal and petroleum, the invention of the motor car, and the splitting of the atom, almost all of them have changed the course of history Now there are two great questions staring at the world; one is the atmospheric pollution and the other is the population explosion Now that man has a knowledge of their presence and has the tools to tackle them; he can to some extent shape his future

Discuss the importance of other kinds of history than

political history

Normally when we speak of history, people take it to mean the political history because all along it has been the impression created in the academic circles So when a student says he studies history, more often than not, he means only the political history which deals with the rise and fall of a nation, the various dynasties that came on the scene, battles won or lost, treaties signed, territories gained or lost and so on and so forth

However it is worthwhile to remember there are histories which are as important as political history Thus there are social history, constitutional history, history of literature and history of philosophy Man's knowledge and achievements have grown so fast in the

last few centuries, literally speaking, there is no faculty which cannot boast of a

respectable history of its own

After all history treats with the beginning, stages of growth, agents of progress, or

otherwise, the personalities on the scene, the action and reaction both within and without and so on in a particular area Man has to know a lot today because of the complexities oflife A non-scientist may as well be interested in the Martian probe by Viking as a

specialist in the field In helping him appreciate the achievements of Viking he may learnthe history of space probe

Let us look at the social history of a country This will be woven round society as the nucleus This will deal with the social forces acting on them, religion, industry, the socialset up of the family, the ruler and the ruled, the force of law and in general how the life flowed at that time It may reveal how a particular incident, discovery or invention changed the course of history and as such the life of the people in general Thus the coming of the steam engine changed life, in England; the opening of the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal changed the course of commerce The discovery of Petroleum and invention of vulcanized rubber completely revolutionized road transport

Similarly a student of constitution studies the history of constitution He could compare and contrast the various constitutions of the world, their historical bearing and the social forces that went to effect certain constitutional changes Whatever may be the form of theGovernment, a student of constitution must have a competent knowledge of different constitutions to evaluate the constitution he is specializing in

Then take the history of literature This is as vast as the political history Each language

of the world has its own history This will deal with the progress of literary thought of thetime as reflected in the writings of poets, dramatists, novelists and so on This will help toappreciate the social history of a time because literature of that time may throw lucid light on the persons, manners, customs and the prevailing notions at that time For

example, if one studies Shakespeare he can easily appreciate Elizabethan England; so too

if one studies Dickens one can have a clear idea about the England immediately after the Industrial Revolution The 'Tales of Two Cities' for example, portrays France during the Revolution and the horrors of the guillotine can be vividly seen in the fate of Sydney Carton

Then there is the history of science Perhaps many are not aware that science too has a charming history of its won From the time man learnt to make fire till to date, the

progress of science has been steady and in recent times it has been so fast that is has overstripped the grasp of ordinary man There had been great giants of science whose names are a household word today Which student of science does not know the name of Newton? One peculiarity about the history of science is, unlike the case of political history where conflicts and ruin are common, here it is one of construction still better knowledge of things and forces around man The history of science is charming indeed The importance of studying various histories can be appreciated

How would you prove to a non scientist that (A) Infectious diseases are caused by living organisms and (B) Electric currents are caused by the flow of particles ?

Man as any other organism is subject to disease and decay When a person is ill and diseased there is something wrong in his or her system, that is quite obvious When he is not able to go about his duties properly the various organs do not function well and the person is ill We know it through symptoms like headache, fever, cold and cough, rashes

on the body and wrong bowel movements These symptoms are not diseases though very often in common parlance, people speak of them as diseases They indicate there is something out of normal in the body When the body is healthy the functions take place quite normally So the body itself could not have created the difficulty by itself

Then there must be something from outside that ought to have got in Since the infection grows there must be some living organism involved If the foreign body entering the body is lifeless like a particle of dust in the eye, the symptom may be localized But in the case of infectious diseases, it is not the case; the whole body is involved A little reflection will show there is growth of the foreign body within , with all the concomitant results The foreign body multiplies in conducive conditions and in so doing produces toxic materials which enter the blood system or other tissues to play havoc sooner or later The higher temperature, headache and motions are only symptoms as mentioned above and they give the warning

Now it has been proved beyond doubt these diseases are caused by micro-organisms, very microscopic in nature; some of them are, in fact, ultra microscopic With the

invention of powerful microscopes, man's knowledge of these organisms has grown and today, thanks to the work of great pioneers like Louis Pasteur the nature of these

organisms has been known, with the result that man is able to fight them back Really speaking, he has succeeded in completely eradicating most of them

When a piece of zinc and copper is placed in dilute sulphuric acid or acidulated water, it can be shown that an electric current flows

In the reaction bubbles of hydrogen can be seen moving It can also be seen that when theflow of hydrogen is stopped or blocked there is no current So naturally there is a

relationship between the flow of current and the flow of hydrogen particles Hydrogen particles carry power or in scientific parlance they are charged particles As they go and attack the copper , charge is set free from copper

To understand this one must know the nature of conductors like copper and other metals The are elements and their electronic (atomic structure) has been studied They have electrons moving in their outer orbits when a charge of the same nature comes into them there cannot be any chemical reaction, the extra charge overflows Thus the flow of electricity is nothing but a flow of particles

What do you think is the value of science in general

education for one who doesn't want to become a scientist

Science makes sense What is sense ? Knowing, understanding, applying and

appreciating, all to go to make sense Man alone is endowed with this capacity to know while other animals live by mere instinct Man alone can modify his environment while other animals when they cannot adapt to the changing environment simply perish Not only does man modify his environment but he creates also an environment where he can live comfortably Thus man today can live in the hottest part of the world or the coldest part This achievement he has been able to get by his knowledge of Science and by his mastery over forces and by his ability to adapt them for his own ends

Whether one is going to be a scientist or not, one should be able to use the products of science There are innumerable gadgets science has placed in our hands; man enjoys using them There is no time in the day when man does not use some product or other Athome stoves are in common usage Watches are used as though a man is born with them Bicycles, motorcycles, scooters and motorcars are commonly used for transport

Transistorized radios and stereograms have come to stay They are looked upon as important second only to food and clothing Television is catching up too In the office many contrivances are used like the intercom telephone, the transistorized calculating machine and computers Man is affected by all these Directly or indirectly he has to deal with them In most cases one has to use them This requires a rudimentary knowledge of their working So we see whether it be at home or in the farm or in the office, a

knowledge of science would go a long way to enjoy the fruits Otherwise it would be like

a man who bought a gold watch but could not tell the time because it had Roman

numerals

The next stage is to know how things work One must have a fundamental knowledge of science An idea of various laws connected science, a knowledge of energy and its various causes and effects are fundamentals to be learnt One must have the knowledge

of the world of elements to know and understand their reactions One may handle a camera efficiently without knowing the physical and chemical actions involved To understand them is by far better than simply following instructions blindly Besides the physical world there is the world of living things How organisms live and multiply, how they affect our lives, how best to make use of them for the betterment of our lives are some of the areas of biological sciences in which man must be interested Now that scientific farming has come to stay, man must know all about the tools of farming, manures and fertilizers and enemies and friends of plants

What the ancient man looked at with awe and fear, the modem man is able to appreciate

He can measure the skies, probe into space and dig deep into the bowels of the earth or ocean for minerals Science is not only for material benefits but also for the progress of mankind The landing of "The Viking " on planet Mars may be a costly project today but the knowledge gained from it is useful The appreciation of the world of colour and

sound is something to be cultivated This had led to the great poetry of the world

Knowledge of Science has helped man to create The creative activity is not confined to scientists alone but the knowledge of basic science has helped many to create This is evident in various fields and we come across ordinary artisans without any scientific knowledge doing a bit of creative activity

Therefore, a knowledge of Science to an ordinary man, even though he may not become

a scientist is as valuable as his knowing the fundamentals of civil law

What qualities would you consider necessary in an

international language ?

The need for an international language cannot be gainsaid and its need has been felt morenow than before But such a language must have certain qualities so that it could be accepted as an international language The purpose of this essay is to discuss some of those qualities

Any language must have its own alphabets The Roman Script in which most of the European languages are written is very convenient as it has the smallest number of letters It is only twenty six and compared to the thousands of letters of Chinese, it is veryeasy to master Roman Script But even here there are certain difficulties because all sounds could not be expressed in the Roman Script That is why experts like Bernard Shaw suggested a forty script language So an international language must have a small number of simple scripts and must be useful to express any sound

Secondly it must have a rich vocabulary There are dozens and dozens of highly

developed languages in the world with their beautiful vocabulary Some of those words,

if they are already popular and could be easily understood, must find a place in the international language These words must have the respectability capable of being used inthe newspaper, in conferences and international meets Those words must be acceptable

to the people of the world, at least the educated who would be using them very often Thirdly it must have good idioms and expressions Only these make any language virile and the international language must absorb those idioms into it so that it will be better understood in suitable form Since in an international meet, all kinds of people from different countries would be present the idioms must be acceptable to all and intended only for international usage All that is peculiar to a particular tongue need not be there The language must be capable of being spoken and written by many, neither too hard to understand nor to simple too be forgotten

It must not have a cumbrous and difficult grammar Each language has its own rules of grammar, some of them not very logical on the face of it For example, in English we say

`I read, you read and he reads' This has proved a headache to many a beginner of

English In fact in almost all languages these peculiarities are also found So the

international language must have a simple grammar

The language must be capable of being used in the august assemblies of the world But that is not enough; it must be capable of being used by the man in the street as well; otherwise it will become dead soon It has been the fate of some great languages of the world, for instance, Sanskrit, which continued to be the court language and the language

of the elite and so it became dead To attain an international status, it must be the

language at that level It must be used in world bodies so that translation could be

What measures have been suggested to deal with the rapid increase in the world's population ? Which of these, in your view should be encouraged ?

One of the greatest of scourges for man's undoing is the growth of the population of the world This is called population explosion and people who know say that if this explosioncontinues at the rate it does there may even be no standing space on the earth by the end

of this century With the conquest of diseases, better environmental conditions, measures

of social welfare and better mother and child care, the balance of the living over the dead

is improving; hence the great number of people on the earth

Population explosion has brought about a strain on government because the responsibility

to feed the teeming millions rests with the state In spite of all the advances in farming and agriculture the production of food cannot keep pace with the requirements The modem state is in charge of the many welfare activities and as such a vast percentage of the national revenue has to be spent on welfare activities like education, medical care, roads and housing As such money will not be available for economic betterment Many Governments are caught up with the problem The question now is how to contain it In principle all are agreed that it is better to mend the roof before it rains There are, of course, differences of opinion on religious grounds but even then they are coming to an agreement

Various measures have been suggested to control population growth They are the pill, the loop, sterilization of both men and women and the rhythm method Now the pill for females only are available though the time may not be far off when the pill for the male also will be in the market The pill taken by the female as advised by the doctor would help her avoid pregnancy But there are some side effects in taking the pill like blood pressure, over weight and sometimes even cancer Such incidence is far and few between

The medical opinion is divided on this question Perhaps it may be sometime before a fool proof pill may be put into the market

The loop is another method A tiny gadget in the form of a loop is inserted in the uterus and this helps the female avoid getting pregnant This is said to be a comparatively cheapand convenient method The loop itself can be removed when the need arises Even here there is some danger in that some people develop complications after the insertion of the IUCD as the loop is called

The rhythm method follows nature's calendar Between the monthly cycles there is a period in women when they can conceive If that period is avoided by the couple, then there is no chance of conception This is good but man being an animal, his ability to self control is very limited and any intimacy may lead to conception This method is highly ethical, provided there is a strict agreement between the husband and wife The problem

is one cannot always be remembering the calendar

The next best and most fool proof method is sterilization Vasectomy in the case of the male and the tubectomy in the case of the female, when properly done, will help them avoid conception permanently Vasectomy is much easier and a few men are willing to undergo that operation The majority fear that they may go impotent but according to medical opinion there is no ground at all for such a fear Tubectomy is better done

immediately after a delivery

The next method is abortion and this has been legalized by almost all governments though once it was looked upon as a sin They call it medical termination of unwanted conception Once it was resorted to when the health of the prospective mother didn't warrant a conception Now very simpler method of aborting has come and under

competent hands abortion is not dangerous It raises a moral question because this may encourage pre-marital conceptions and immorality among careless youths Postponement

of marriage is one of the methods suggested but it does not appear to be an answer

Weighing the pros and cons of the various methods, until a simpler method is devised, sterilization alone seems to be the answer today Hence governments are bringing in legislation to make sterilization compulsory Whatever opinions one may have, whatever objections one may raise on moral or religious grounds to save humanity from self destruction, family planning is a must

The absence of sporting spirit and its consequences

The world from the dawn of civilization has been enjoying sports One of the pastimes ofthe rulers was to arrange for periodical sports It may be hunting, chariot race, horse riding, wrestling and boxing Organized sports were popular in Greece, especially

Olympia from which modem Olympic games have derived their names Sports were for fun and frolics In the middle ages sports were very popular in European countries Sportsare supposed to develop many good qualities There may be healthy competition and rivalry and never enmity or bitterness It is and should be for the sports' sake and not for

winning the laurels This is the real sporting spirit There are rules and regulations in playand games The sporting spirit implies the following of rules whether one wins or loses The outcome or the result is not the important thing but how the game is played

A real sportsman takes things easy Take for instance, an angler sitting by the river side from morning till evening, casting his line into the water He may not always be lucky to have a catch Still he whistles back home happy in the evening when the night sets in It

is not the catch that is the point but the angler's attitude He cannot grow angry and break the fishing rod Then he has lost the fun So too in any game the winner or the loser, much more so the latter must be able to take things easy A real sportsman does not lose his head when he wins nor is he bowled over when he loses

The crux of the problem is whether a sportsman plays the game; in other words if he strictly follows the rules of the game and never adopts foul means to get a win But unfortunately this point is missing In certain modem sports, games like horse racing, they dope the horses The Olympic games where one expects the ideas to prevail seems

to be no exception There are instances of doping and impersonation and hence vigorous tests are given and the competitors are checked seriously

When the sporting spirit is absent or missing, naturally very unpleasant consequences canensue Very ugly scenes are more often the rule in football matches Referees are

manhandled and the crowd become partisan Cricket was a king of games where such behavior was unheard of But of late, even in cricket unpleasant things do happen; when

a player is signaled out by the umpire, he loses his temper and grimaces at the umpire and

so on and makes a show of his unpleasantness Bowlers are being very often warned All these result from lack of sporting spirit

A good sportsman knows his game rather than the rules of the game and follows them willingly In whatever position he is placed he plays his part He cooperates with all the members of the team and works always for the good of the team of which he forms a part He develops espirit de corps and in and outside the field he shows this sporting spirit He never plays foul though there are few who turn mercenary and wreck the fortune of their team for the sake of money or other considerations

This sportsman's spirit may be developed in ordinary life In whatever walk of life one finds himself he must be able to do his duty Material gains apart, he must be able to deliver the goods He must be reliable and a good companion to his comrades He is faithful and obedient to his superiors He goes about his duty without gossiping and scandal mongering Then people call him a good sportsman Such people are scarce but they are assets wherever they are found

If people do know the value of the sporting spirit why then the rarity or the absence of

it ? Simply it is because of selfishness For personal glory or ownership or name, one grows selfish The selfishness gets started in early childhood Jealousy and rivalry and sometimes even lack of security lead to selfishness Very often children do not want to part with their play things or share them with, others When this selfishness grows into

life, there will be absence of sporting spirit Such people keep themselves in isolation andthey never mix freely with others Temperamentally they are non-companionable and they are never happy nor add to the happiness of others So we see that this sporting spiritmust be developed even when they are children Here comes the Cubs, Girl Guides and Boy Scouts movement which develop in their incumbents all the good qualities of a sportsman.

The problem of over population

The world today faces many problems despite the fact that it has taken long strides in science, technology and knowledge One such problem is over population especially in developing countries The population is growing so fast, that it grows in geometric progression whereas economic goods grow only in Arithmetic progression that

demographers say there will not be literally any standing space on earth for her teeming millions Let us find out the causes for such a growth, the problem or problems such a growth causes and the possible remedies

The fast growth in population can be attributed to good health, lowering of mortality rate,combating famine when and where it occurs With the knowledge of science many killer diseases have been literally conquered For instance, smallpox which used to take a heavy toll of lives has been eradicated from almost all countries, so too has cholera, plague and so on Even Tuberculosis is kept under control The wave of flu which

accounted for millions of death in 1919 was nothing but a common cold Infant mortality has been reduced considerably by taking pre-natal and post-natal care Child mortality is kept under check by protecting the child against Tetanus and Polio Thus while the number of deaths is reduced, there is no control on birth as a result the population is increasing at a runaway speed

Again periodic famine in certain countries used to take away the lives of thousands of people Now with the better management of the world's food, in the matter of production,storage and distribution, no part of the world needs suffer from famine Add to this the better methods of producing more food that are being adopted By using better manures and fertilizers, high yielding seeds, by pest control and water management there has been

a revolution in food production These are some positive conditions which contribute to the growth of population

The growth of population has its problems as we shall see As there are more and more mouths to be fed, there comes a great strain on the resources of a country; this is real in the case of developing countries with the result they are unable to push ahead

economically As food is not sufficient there is chronic malnutrition in these countries especially in women and children resulting in weaker population who would only

economically be a drain on the country as their productive years will be short As health and education are the State's affair, they affect the country's finances So in developing countries health and illiteracy continue to be the problem The unwieldy growth of population leads to the problem of housing and sanitation In many countries the slums

are a sore to the eyes Slums grow round big cities and are found with all the drawbacks

These are the areas of disease, filth and crime

Now people have realized, the dangers of over population Every country is caught up

with this problem and population growth control has become an economic necessity In

fact it is a survival necessity Family planning has become a household word Though

there has been objections on religious and other grounds, people have come to accept

family planning as a fact of life Some countries have taken it seriously that it has

become a national effort Through mass media people are being warned and educated

Inducements are made in the forms of free treatment, earned leave and cash gifts Men

and woman in their productive age can get themselves sterilized Vast research is going

on to introduce simpler methods

Still the world may be saved from population explosion May be there are more Green

Revolution miracles up the sleeves May be birth control miracles in the next ten years

may save us Right now the whole world seems bored with Family Planning Can the

world afford the luxury of such boredom ?

In educating the children, the same treatment may be all right in the lower classes But when it comes to a matter of higher education the difficulty comes in Children of the same parents are not alike Even in the case of identical twins the difference is perceivable In the case of normalchildren there is bound to be vast differences physically and intellectually In the same family

we might come across highly intelligent children as well as muffs

So certainly there should be different treatment for different children A wise parent should never try to put all children into the same mould The children vary in their attitude to work, study and play One may be physically strong and prefer physical rather than intellectual work The second may prefer sports, games and active open air life rather than classroom work Still

a third may like to read a lot So it is for the parent to observe closely and study the attitude of individual child Accordingly he must choose the career of the child It is easily said than done.There are many problems in choosing what type of education the child must be given The difficulty may be in the means All facilities cannot be provided by the parent That is why most parents choose the line of least resistance and send children to the public school or grammar school Since these schools cannot cater to the individual needs for children, many of

the children leave school as misfits or with an aversion for the scholastic life

Even a discerning parent cannot theoretically speaking treat children differently according to their talent and capacity Where the parent fails the Government must step in For ideological

or political reasons this is not being practiced in democratic countries Whereas in totalitarian countries, the State takes a stem view of the education of children and makes them fit into the groove in which they can set themselves in The question of a square man in a round hole may not arise This is a very delicate question and unless the parent treats children intelligently there may be more harm than good

Suppose you could go to school where you wanted to, in a

large city, a small town or out in the country Which would

you choose and why ?

Given the choice I would choose the school out in the country for reasons which I put

forth below

Before actually stating 'Why' I shall say 'Why not' Let met first state my case against a

city school Schools in cities are usually crowded and in crowded locations Except for a

few schools many city schools are housed in drab, old houses with a slovenly

atmosphere The noise from outside will be abominable and since the school is crowded

there cannot be much cordiality between the students The question of transport from

school to home and vice versa will be time consuming and at the same time sickening

One will have to start quite early and travel by crowded buses or trains and return home

late By the time one returns home, there will not be time for play or relaxation This

almost mechanical life for six days in the week would tell on the nerves A city school

boy may have a swelled head figuratively, but his health and knowledge may not

compare with a boy in a village who enjoys the rough and tumble of life

In a small town the scope for learning outside the class may be little The chances for

recreation may be limited The chances for wandering and to get lost may be limited

You are nobody in a city but you are easily recognized in a small town So the scope for

indulging in play and recreation may be limited unless provided by the school There

may be variety lacking in such schools Different strata of society may not be represented

there and the scope for knowing people at large will be limited Usually the students from

these schools are like second class citizens They have neither the knowledge of the

country nor the variegated experiences one could have from a city

My preference is therefore for a school in the country What I visualize is a school in the

country neither too far away from the city nor too near The school must have proximity

to a main road, so that mobility will not be a problem though it should not encourage

travel often The school must have natural surroundings, may be a hilly land or green

fields with a river nearby There must be plenty of space to move about and play One

must be able to go about fishing or swimming or if one feels like it he must be able to

wander When I write this I have Thoreau's 'Walden' in my mind where man could live

free and feel one with nature, enjoying the cooing of birds, and rustling of leaves If there

is a school like that in the country I shall certainly go there

An unusual bet

Challenge is a word made familiar today whether it be breaking a record at the Olympics

or getting solar energy to work for us Everything is a challenge Betting is also a

challenge Here one uses one's sense of speculation From time immemorial betting has been in vogue Betting for fun and profit is not uncommon In gambling betting is usual especially in horse racing and in international football Sometimes there are occasions of unusual betting There was once a musician who was a tough guy When it came to a matter of challenge he would rather break than bend So people who knew him did not dare get into an argument with him This man had a problem with his roof which was leaking The tiles had to be removed and replaced and some minor repairs made So he called a mason and discussed the problem The mason agreed to do the job provided he was given a certain amount by way of his wages It was exorbitant and there was a lot of haggling and both parties were stubborn, one demanding a higher wage and the other for reducing it considerably

In this zigzag affair the mason threw a challenge to the professional musician He said that the other might know something of music but he didn't know anything about a mason's work and so couldn't do his job The musician rose up to the challenge and said that he would show the mason how well he could do the job

The next morning the erstwhile musician was seen on his roof He had tucked up his loins, bared his shoulders and was removing the tiles His fingers which used to keep time now lifted the tiles, which was a hard job indeed But the musician would not back out He removed the tiles, cleaned the roof, replaced the tiles in their place with a

professional touch and applied cement and mortar to keep the tiles in their place Thus hetoiled and moiled for three days and had done the job to the wonder of his neighbors whowere watching the man at his job People who were at first pessimistic came forward vociferously to congratulate him They said he was indeed a nut and had showed that he could do anything once he made up his mind The mason admitted his defeat and thence forward he became staunch admirer of the musician He had lost his earnings by

throwing a challenge to a man who meant business

Youth on the move

In the old days youth played a secondary role in the society They never assumed any responsibility nor was it offered The elders played all the important roles and the youthwas made legally responsible only after they attained the age of twenty one In many matters the decision of the elders was final

But now times have changed The youth appears to be revolting throughout the world

In so far the youth was following the occupation of the parent, the youth was

subservient and he had to learn from the elder But with the spread of education and diversification of jobs and the facility in travel which takes people away, family ties get

slackened When the youth was living with the parent under the same roof he was sharing the joys and sorrows of the family Once the youth gets away from home he is not so much attached to the home

The youth today succumbs to various influences In those days it was the home and the school that influenced the youth Now there are forces like the newspapers, the radio and the television, the cheap magazines and the cinema and the politicians too The youth very rarely has any firm ideas They sway between extremes, for example, religious fanaticism or various political ideologies Where they are disillusioned with society they become extremists believing in terrorism While others turn hippies

throwing all the social norms to the winds

The formal discipline to which their parents were subject to is an anathema to the youth As they want more direction, the more they are in a disarray They have wrong notions of freedom The formal education that they get, does not guarantee them any job Their ambition is high and what life and society can offer is comparatively low While many may resign to their fate, some rise in revolt That is why there is unrest in the campus

Youth, the cream of the society, must not be allowed to move on the path of

destruction The home and the school have a tremendous responsibility in shaping the character of youth The youth need people to advise them guide them and to lead and show them the path of righteous, fruitful and enjoyable activities The correct directionsgiven to youth can help them to be good and useful men of tomorrow

Describe how something that happened in your own

neighborhood aroused strong feelings among neighbors

They called it the rationalists' meeting People suspected their bona fide and said they hadsome political motive in holding that meeting It appeared they wanted to divert the attention of the people from the main issues and that they wanted to spoil the youngsters Their main aim was to attack the established order and that was why they called

themselves rationalists; whether they were rational is for others to say One thing is certain, their meeting had destroyed the peace and tranquility of the place People got divided on issues, and as the general law is every action generates an equal opposite reaction That was the result of the said meeting

The so called rationalists went on a procession They carried placards criticizing the practice of people They had slogans condemning rituals and observations They met at the municipal hall and the meeting was addressed by some self-styled leaders who spoke

at length about the rituals, festivals, places of worship and other things They spared no people, or any institution They claimed freedom under the freedom of speech principles Since they had a well paid army of volunteers, there was no lack of noise and applauses They passed resolutions not only condemning the practices and customs of people but

also asked the Government to bring in legislation to stop such practices It was rumored that these people had a powerful lobby in the State Assembly where their voices could beheard But the newspapers were very cautious in reporting the proceedings of the

meeting

The meeting brought about a sharp reaction among the people of the neighborhood Most

of them could not exactly see what these people meant So they also brought out posters condemning the rationalists They brought together all the people and held meetings to chalk out a plan of action to counter the influence of the rationalists

The meeting of the rationalists had one effect It had stirred the erstwhile dormant people into action Youngsters have taken up the challenge and have come forward in large numbers to carry on counter propaganda against the rationalists

Sensible people fear that the rationalists have unfortunately raised the hornets nest and it may take quite sometime for the bitterness to die down Whether it would lead to further strained feelings and outbursts, is anybody's guess Anyway well meaning people are not happy over the turn of events

Describe how you have been helped or hindered by

relatives and friends in preparing for exams

Examinations are like running a race It is not always the one who deserves that wins Some proper training is indeed essential for passing examinations well With all one's innate intelligence one may require proper guidance Some grasp quickly end can do further work by themselves These ere people with e high intelligent quotient Average people can surely succeed in examinations with positive help It is something like oiling the wheel One may know the answer but how it is put end present it makes a lot of difference Experienced people may show the way Hence nowadays people seek even outside guidance by having private tuition at home or joining an institute giving expert tuition

Of course in my case I am lucky that all along I have been helped by my relatives end friends To begin with I can't forget the help my mother used to render in the primary classes She was ready to help and so I never worried about my homework Not only did she use to urge me to do the task but patiently helped me along

When I came to the higher classes I could confidently depend on my brother and sister They would teach me mathematics and help me do the problems Since they always wanted me to do well in the examinations they not only gathered question papers from other schools but also patiently saw to it that I completed those papers by myself

One of my teachers used to help me whenever I approached him He knew that I wanted

to score first in the examination to get into a professional college Unless one is really competent, one cannot hope to enter the professional college easily So my teacher

showed me the way how examinations should be tackled We used to discuss in a generalway about various problems both national and international and I can say it has stood me well in competitive examinations That again has helped me in viva voce examinations because I had e first hand practical knowledge

Last but not least I can't fail to mention that some of my friends really helped me We used to compare notes and help each other when one was not attending the class We used to take down notes from reference books and discuss them We formed almost a team and with a competitive spirit went for the examination There was no jealousy among us and in doing practical work one always helped the other When I look back I

am grateful to all of them who helped me ungrudgingly

The value of being a vegetarian

Man needs food to live Food can be classified into two groups vegetarian and vegetarian Man perhaps started as a non-vegetarian because we know ancient times man hunted for food Then he learnt to eat fruits Much later he mastered agriculture and began growing grains, to make food and these were used as supplements to meat In most

non-of the countries even today non-vegetarian food forms the major part non-of the normal diet

Pure vegetarianism may be said to be a product of the East With the coming of

Buddhism and Jainism some twenty five centuries ago animal sacrifice was looked down

as cruelty to animals was condemned Great emperors and kings, like Ashoka preached love for all animals and slowly men began turning to vegetables for food The knowledge

of cooking might have encouraged vegetarianism because different tasty dishes could be made with vegetables and food grains

Both types of diets go to build the body and supply the necessary energy In certain aspects the non-vegetarian diet may be better in that it supplies the necessary protein and fats required by the body easily Liver content from non-vegetarian food may be helpful

to keep the liver functioning well and supplies certain types of vitamins Those who argue in favor of non vegetarian diet point to milk which is in every sense non-vegetarianand which every vegetarian takes without objection But extreme vegetarians like Gandhiwere against even milk In fact for a very long time Gandhi went without taking milk though later he took goat's milk on doctor's advice Why milk is tolerated is because it does not involve the cruelty of killing, though milking the cow at the cost of the calf may involve cruelty

A vegetarian diet can supply all the necessary food items needed by the body except that

it may be deficient in the required amount of protein in our food Vegetables are harmless

to the body compared to a non vegetarian diet For instance, meat, if not carefully kept and handled may carry diseases A vegetarian diet is definitely deficient in Vitamin B and C for which the a vegetarian will have to depend on a supplementary such as pills and tablets to keep up his strength

Another point in favor of vegetarianism is men's denture and the long intestines point to

the fact that man could best be a vegetarian Economically vegetarian food is cheap; vegetables and fruits end greens are delectable and beautiful to look at

The argument that non-vegetarian food makes one strong is shallow There are great intellectuals among vegetarians Gandhi and Shaw were great vegetarians It is a matter

of habit if one could overcome being e slave to the tongue, vegetables can do as much good as a non-vegetarian diet

A daring rescue

It was a seven story building that had caught fire The lower floors were used for offices and shops In the three upper floors people were living with their families There were several families living in the flats

The fire started in a paint godown on the first floor How it all started nobody knew The fire was noticed only when it began to rage It was an ungodly hour when the fire broke out The fire was noticed first by a night watch man who raised an alarm He phoned up promptly for the fire service and police It was sometime before the fire engines came to the scene By then the fire had spread to the other floors Between fire and smoke there were cries of anguish and despair People were at first rescued with the help of ladders and lifts In the confusion that prevailed nobody knew who was rescued In such

circumstances people tend to be very selfish

The fire fighters thought they had rescued all Then suddenly a lady remembered that her child who was sleeping in the cradle had not been rescued One can understand her anguish and pain She began beating her breast and wailing, thinking that her baby wouldhave perished by then in the fire One of the firemen did not lose hope He told the lady assuredly that if the child was still alive he would go and surely save it

He drenched himself with water, got up the ladder in spite of the warning given by his colleagues Walls were crumbling down and beams were falling and tongues of fire were still to be seen Worst of all there was a thick pall of smoke The man managed to get a foothold on a window He got into the room and with great difficulty he was able to locate the cradle It was a miracle that the fire had not done much damage to the side where the cradle was located He took the screaming child rolled it in a wet blanket which he had brought He quickly strode to the window and called his colleagues who were waiting anxiously below with a foam mat He threw the valuable bundle down His colleagues caught it with dexterity and the child was moved to a place of safety No words can explain the joy of the mother

In the meantime the fireman slipped down the ladder In spite of the precautions he had taken, there were burns on his body He was promptly taken to the hospital and given proper treatment In appreciation of his service the highest civil authority rewarded a sum

of money to him That was the proudest moment in the life of the fireman Everybody was saying that he would get the President's Medal for his courageous act

to make mothers aware of their place in the upbringing of the child

The Inspectress of schools presided over the function One of the Secretaries of the Mothers' Association of the school welcomed the gathering and introduced the chief guest Several speakers spoke on the various aspects of a mother's role

One of the speakers spoke about the nutritional aspect She emphasized the need for providing a balanced diet to children and on the methods of preparing wholesome food athome She touched on health of children as being important for a nation as a whole and stressed on environmental cleanliness She observed that from a health point of view children should be allowed to play freely and the dangers of living in crowded areas She wanted the government to see to the sufficiency of space for play in every school Yet another speaker emphasized the need for moral education in which mothers could play a signal role A friendly, loving and, affectionate atmosphere at home helps to shape the character of the child

The chief guest expressed her joy at being present at the occasion and would endeavor to help the school in every way possible She observed that mothers could help in making the midday meal scheme a great success She asked the mothers to supplement the work done at school She emphasized the importance of a happy home in the shaping of the character of children

Finally the Assistant Secretary of the Mothers' Association proposed a vote of thanks andthe meeting ended on a happy note

A journey by car to a distant town

When considering the distance a train journey ought to have been preferred, but my family decided this time to go by car Our family friend offered his Sedan at our service The car was a well maintained one and could stand the long journey We wanted to avoidthe morning rush on the road and so we started early morning after having tea All our luggage was packed in and the four of us left Besides ourselves there was of course the driver

Even before we were on the road the day was breaking There was not much traffic on