DENNES SEBASTIAN

  Sujatha Ramprasad: “A Three-wheeled Revolution” is an interview by Sujatha Ramprasad for the India Currents published on June 24 th 2010. Sujatha Ramprasad was an Indian author and writer, who passed away in March 2016. Sujatha Ramprasad was a writer with an unabashed style and content. Her story, “Kindness” was widely acclaimed. She also won over the readers with her non-judgmental observation of gay parents in, “Two Daddies”. This interview had brought keen respect for the under-privileged rickshaw pullers by profiling Irfan Alam, a social entrepreneur with a message to support the cause of clean air. 

  Irfan Alam: Irfan Alam, popularly known as ‘The Rickshaw Man from Bihar’, for his innovative business model for empowering rickshaw-pullers, is an internationally acclaimed social entrepreneur. Alam, a Fulbright Scholar of the Harvard Kennedy School, has also completed his master’s in Public Administration. He was among a select list of people who were invited to attend the Young Entrepreneurs’ Summit at the White House in 2010 and had impressed former American President Barak Obama.   President Obama complimented him with the words, "You are doing a tougher job than me." Irfan Alam, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad, came up with the idea of equipping rickshaws with music, magazines, newspaper, first-aid kits, refreshments and advertisements, to help rickshaw-pullers. Irfan Alam established a foundation for Rickshaw Pullers called SammaaN in Patna in 2007. He began with 300 rickshaws, and it has today more than 500,000 rickshaws a...

 

 

 

 

Helen Keller Helen Keller was an American educator, advocate for the blind and deaf and co-founder of the ACLU. Stricken by an illness at the age of 2, Keller was left blind and deaf. Beginning in 1887, Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan, helped her make tremendous progress with her ability to communicate, and Keller went on to college, graduating in 1904. During her lifetime, she received many honors in recognition of her accomplishments. Keller was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Keller was the first of two daughters born to Arthur H. Keller and Katherine Adams Keller. The family was not particularly wealthy and earned income from their cotton plantation. Keller was born with her senses of sight and hearing, and started speaking when she was just 6 months old. She started walking at the age of 1. Keller lost both her sight and hearing at just 19 months old. In 1882, she contracted an illness — called "brain fever" by the family doctor — that p...

  Character Sketch of Robert Baldwin Percival Wilde's One Act Play, The Hour of Truth ,  is an intense psychological study of the corrupting influence of money, on people. Robert Baldwin is an honest and upright man who wants to go to his grave clean. Mr. Robert Baldwin was the secretary of a powerful bank Owner Mr. John Gresham. They knew each other for the last thirty-five years. Mr. Gresham is accused of misappropriating the bank's money, which in turn, hurts the clients of the bank. As a result of the arrest, Gresham begs Mr. Baldwin to simply say three words during the trial. He just needs to say just three words, "I don't remember “, when important questions are asked. As a reward, he offered him a hundred thousand dollars, an amazing amount of money. When Mr. Baldwin rejected it Mr. Gresham showed no surprise, as he knew Baldwin well and nothing could take him away from an honest life. Baldwin takes it as a compliment. Once again, money changes ...

  The Hour of Truth: Plot Robert Baldwin is an honest family man, and the secretary of a powerful banker named John Gresham. Mr. Gresham and Mr. Baldwin were friends for thirty-five years. The Bank owned by Mr. Gresham wrecks, due his own misappropriation of its funds. Though, he did not aim to cheat his depositors, as the diverted fund does not come back in time, the bank collapses. He is charged with fraud and forgery. Before the opening of the play, Mr. Gresham sends for Mr. Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin is the only witness in the case against Mr. Gresham, and the trial is to take place the very next day. Robert Baldwin’s wife, Martha, his son John and Evie, his daughter are waiting anxiously for his return, when the play opens. They are anxious to know why Mr. Gresham, implicated in the case has asked to see Mr. Baldwin. All the three have strong faith in Mr. Baldwin’s honesty, and know that he would not give into any temptation, set forth by Mr. Gresham. John is in fa...

I Will Fly When I wish upon a star, Makes no difference who I am. Anything my heart desires Will come to me . “ I Will Fly” is an adapted version of Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam’s speech. Dr. Kalam believes that the ignited mind of the youth is the most powerful resource on the earth, under the earth and above the earth. He inaugurated a programme called “Sasthrayaan”  which means the propagation of science. The mission of Sasthrayaan was to ensure the preparation of about two thousand students from different schools to make them eligible for engineers, scientists, doctors and civil servants.  Kalam’s inaugural address was on the topic “Science Empowers the Nation”. After the address, many raised their hands to ask questions. Abdul Kalam shares in this unit the relevance of a question asked by a teenager.  The boy expressed his fear to talk to his teachers and friends. He admitted that he had not gained confidence th...

  Glimpses of Greatness Success is the fruit of hard work, perseverance, inspiration, motivation and an unyielding mentality. One has to grab the chances that are presented and it may never come back. Greatness is partially achieved through hard work and the will to conquer great heights. Abe’s First Speech: 1.     What made little Abe stand on the dry good box and deliver the speech? One Abe and his friend Dennis Hanks heard the political speech made by a typical campaign orator. Neither were impressed. At the end of the speech Dennis Hanks declared that his friend could make a better speech. He brought a dry good box and asked Abe to reply to the Campaign Orator. Abe made a fine speech and the crowd as well as the politician were impressed. It was Dennis Hank’s motivation and encouragement that made Abe make his first Speech. 2.     Some people take the initiative, while others do not dare to showcase their talents. All are born with talents. ...

  Stephen Hawking Stephen Hawking was regarded as one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists in history. His works on the origins and structure of the universe, from the Big Bang to black holes, revolutionized the field, while his best-selling books have appealed to readers who may not have Hawking's scientific background.  Stephen William Hawking, one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists in history and cosmologist was born in England on Jan. 8, 1942 exactly 300 years after the death of the astronomer Galileo Galilea. He attended University College, Oxford, where he studied physics, despite his father's urging to focus on medicine. Hawking went on to Cambridge to research cosmology, the study of the universe as a whole In early 1963, just shy of his 21st birthday, Hawking was diagnosed with  motor neuron disease , more commonly known as  Lou Gehrig's disease  or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was not expected to live more than tw...

  Amigo Brothers   Amigo Brothers is a short story written by Piri Thomas. It is about two seventeen years old boys who want to be world light weight champions in boxing. Antonio and Felix are not just friends but they care each other as brothers. They grew up at the Lower East side of Manhattan in the same building. Antonio was fair, lean and lanky. Felix was dark, short and husky. They work a lot for their dream, and one day, they have to fight each other to be a representative of their club. They sense a wall rising between them, and they promise that the competition isn’t going to get in the way of their friendship. They promise to be strangers in the boxing ring. The day finally comes, they fight very hard. The spectators and the judges are stunned by the ferocity and savagery of the fight. They really hurt each other. When the judges are ready to announce the winner, they notice that the two brothers have already walked out of the ring, arm in arm. The pr...

His First Flight Liam O’ Flaherty What is the theme of the story? “The Young seagull was afraid to make his first flight. Though his parents encouraged him, threatened to starve him, he would not fly. He thought his wing would not support him and the fall from the ledge would kill him. Though he had the inborn ability and skill to fly and swim, he would not dare to do it. He lacked self-confidence. At the end it took a bit of deception from his mother who coaxed him with a piece of fish, to make him leap into the air. Though we are born with wing, and born to fly, we often lack the will, courage, self-confidence and motivation to fly. Often, it is necessity that makes us achieve our potential. What is your impression of the reaction of the parents in the story? Parents have a major role in the growth of their children. They are the ones who foster, nurture and train their children grow up and become independent. They provide for physical and financial protection as well as me...

 

 

  Horegallu Sudha Murthy Horegallu is a stone bench, placed on road sides. Travellers and farmers working in nearby fields could take a little rest on the horegallu. They were usually placed under trees like banyan which provide much needed shade and relief. Cool water would also be made available in earthen pots for the weary travellers. They could put down the burden they carry, rest for a while, refresh themselves, exchange the news of the road with fellow travellers, share their worries and difficulties, and later continue their journey. Character Sketches of Grandfather and Ratna Grandfather was retired schoolteacher. He used to sit under the banyan tree, in the village and talk to those resting there. They were mostly farmers working in the field nearby or long distance travellers. He used to listen to their worries and hardships patiently. Talking to him used to refresh the travellers and they would pick up their burden once again and continue their journey. Ratna ...

Theme of the Poem. Robert Frost's Mending Wall is symbolic. Walls are constructed for protection and safety. To keep away dangers and strangers. But it also stands for separation and segregation. Mending wall presents two types of people. The Wall Makers and The Wall Breakers. The Traditionalists and those who wishes for change in the Society (The Radicals or Revolutionaries). The haves and the have - nots. The Natural forces and the Supernatural forces. It is a fight man verses nature and divine elements. The man wants the wall but natural and supernatural forces breaks the wall. Walls are against the natural order of things. The very Nature conspires against the wall. Nature does not like walls. Walls stands for discrimination – walls of racial, religious, casteist, cultural, political, economic, geographical walls exist in the society. Time and Place Produces people who pull down these walls. Wall builders would try rebuilding the wall. It is a Sisyphean ta...

  Analysis of the Poem. A stone wall separates the speaker’s property from his neighbour’s. In every spring season the poet finds the wall broken. He informs his neighbour who lives across the hill. The two meets on a day to walk on either side of the wall and jointly make repairs. So Spring is a mending time. The poet does not know what bring the wall down. He says that there is something that doesn’t love the wall. He believes that it may be the work of the rabbit hunters or tremors of frozen ground. Every year they find the wall damaged and together they make repairs. In some places the speaker sees no reason for the wall to be kept—there are no cows to be contained, just apple and pine trees. He does not believe in walls for the sake of walls.  The neighbour resorts to an old adage: “Good fences make good neighbors.” The speaker remains unconvinced and mischievously presses the neighbor to look beyond the old-fashioned folly of such reasoning. His neighbour will not be...