WHY DO PEOPLE USE DRUGS?

Excitement over what drugs can do has led people to

believe that any ailment, infective or psychic, can be
relieved by taking a pill.

Medical journals now advertise tranquilizers, amphetamines,

and other mood altering drugs; doctors prescribe them, and
the public expects miracles from them. In such an
atmosphere, it is not surprising that drug abuse has spread.
WHY DEPENDING ON DRUGS IS PROBLEMATIC ?
Depending on drugs leads to people losing their ability to
solve problems through perseverance, self discipline and
mental effort.

Slowly drugs move forward from solving problems to source

of pleasure.
ROUTE OF MEDICINE
Hippocrates, the father of medicine, is the first person to
state that the remedy should be taken into account, not
only the symptoms of the disease, but also the constitution
and habits of the patient.

That is when a person takes a medicine for a disorder it

should have restorative effects.

That is healthy person cannot benefit taking drugs.

SENSUAL DRUGS
Drugs that provide pleasure.

The brain governs moods, thoughts and actions by chemically

regulated controls.

These are easily upset by such drugs. With regular usage of

such drugs, the user feels less and less satisfied.
ADDICTION
In severe addiction, drug would only impart relative relief
from misery and would suspend illness of withdrawal.

Deprivation of the drug would lead to general feeling of

discomfort, and personality changes.

Addicts even lose the sense of being alive.

Drug user often assumes the danger of drugs to be non

existent as they are not immediately apparent. Possible
results are incidental delirious effect to death from overdose.
HARMS
Dirty needles used for injecting drugs can cause abscesses
in arms and veins, liver disease and infection of kidney and
Brain.

Sniffing cocaine damages the tissue of nose.

Tobacco can cause lung diseases as well as alters brain

chemical.
Heavy users of alcohol face liver issues.

Marijuana damage cells. Overdose can lead to respiratory or

cardiac failure.
I come home at the end of four years of research
in North India, having earned a doctoral degree
and generous praise for my work on making toys with husk;
bored with eating chapaties day after day,
I'm eager to eat a meal of athikira* rice.

The speaker who was doing research in North India, returns home
after four years. His research is based on making toys from husk. He
is tired of eating chapaties and is eager to have a meal of athikira
rice. This also shows that he is missing his home and misses
something that connects him to his motherland.
It will be the planting season when I get there,
and my father- his handloom dhoti stained with yellow mud,
excited about the waters of the Varanganal canal-
will greet me from the fields below our house,
amidst the shouts of ploughing with several oxen.

He imagines that it would be planting season when he gets there.

His father would greet him from the fields that is below his house. He
expects his father to be wearing his handloom Dhoni with yellow
mud and is excited about the waters of Varanganal canal would be
amongst the shouts of fields being ploughed. He expects his father
to be engrossed in agriculture while he returns as it must be an
image that stayed with him while he left
The oxen will stop when they see me
walking with my suitcase, and my father,
without smiling the smile slowly forming on his lips,
will call from the field: 'And when did you start from there?'.

Poet feels that the oxen would stop when they see him and his father
would be forming a smile on his lips and would ask him when did he
start from the there. He is showcasing how deep he feels for his land
and his need to be back is well portrayed in his excitement.
My little brother, carrying the tender saplings
to be planted in the field where the ploughing is done,
will run when he sees me, and call out loud
within earshot of the house: 'Mother, brother's arrived!'

The poet thought that his little brother would run and call out to his
mother that he has arrived from the field where ploughing is done.
Poet is anticipating the reactions and emotions of his family
members
Walking cautiously along the dyke
so as not to upset the baskets full of seed,
I'll reach home in good time, at last,
just as my mother drains the well-cooked rice.
O train, will you run a little faster
let me get home quickly and eat my fill.

The poet walks carefully along the dyke and ensures that he does
not upset the basket full of seeds. He hoped that he would reach
home by the time his mother drains the rice. He asks the train to run
a little faster so that he could go home and eat his fill.
Walking cautiously along the dyke
so as not to upset the baskets full of seed,
I'll reach home in good time, at last,
just as my mother drains the well-cooked rice.
O train, will you run a little faster
let me get home quickly and eat my fill.

The poet walks carefully along the dyke and ensures that he does
not upset the basket full of seeds. He hoped that he would reach
home by the time his mother drains the rice. He asks the train to run
a little faster so that he could go home and eat his fill.
The bus stops on the road across from the house.
When I left this place, palm-thatched houses could be seen
in the distance on the right--but now there's nothing,
except for trees. How the place has changed!

Finally the poet reaches where he expects himself to reach. When he

left the place he was able to see his house from a distance itself. But
now when he goes back he finds nothing except trees. The place has
changed a lot.
Rubber plants, twice my height,
now stand in rows around me on the ridge
where modan and vellaran* used to be sown,
and confuse my path as I walk home.

He finds the route filled with big rubber trees. The rubber plant is in
the space that were once filled with fields of modan and vellaran. He
found the path entirely different and confusing.
There's no bustle of men below,
no shouts of ploughing; and when I look,
the whole field is planted over with arecanut palms,
and in the corner, along the canal, stand the dealwood trees.

Nothing looks the same, or nothing goes as he planned. There were

no shouts of ploughing, the fields were taken over by arecanut
palms and near the corner along the canal there were dealwood
trees.
I enter the house. Beyond the southern wing,
my father's watching them fix up the machine
for making rubber sheets--how happy
and contented the look on his face!

When he went home, his father’s gaze is fixed on the rubber sheet
making machine. His face was happy and contented. Entirely
different from what the speaker expected.
My father says, with obvious pride:
Son, we've stopped working on all the rice.
It was quite inconvenient. The farmer gained nothing-
only fools turn to rice-farming for gain.
This is better money--what good times!
The government gives rice to those who don't have paddy fields.

Father was really proud on the fact that they have stopped working
on all the rice. They have realised that farmer gained nothing out of
rice. Now government gives rice to those who don’t have paddy
fields.
My little brother runs in to meet me--
I, eager to have a full meal of athikira rice.
He's carrying the rations for the whole household--
He trips over something and scatters the wheat all over the yard

His brother ran to him just as he expected. He was all set for athikira
rice. The brother was carrying ration for the whole household
because when he fell down the poet saw wheat all over the place.
Above us, a 'ship of the sky' roars northwards,
drowning my brother's loud cries--
the Chief Minister's off like an arrow to the Centre
to clamour for more grains, now flying high
above the cash crops, now growing tall like the trees,
since no one here promotes the farming of rice.

Can we get some husk from the Centre, too,

to make toys with it? I don't know.

Aeroplane soared above his head and the poet says that it was CM
going North to ask for more grains as no one in here promotes rice
farming anymore.
Details of the Interview
Interviewee
Irfan Alam
Interviewer
Interview given to Sujatha Ramprasad for India Currents in
May 2010, after participating in the Entrepreneurship
Summit in Washington.
Congratulations on your achievement. When and how did
you conceive this idea?
× He was travelling in a rickshaw and was thirsty.
× After asking the rickshaw wallah for water, he realizes that they
could not afford to buy bottles and stack them.

× This also meant there was a market meant for selling water bottles
to them, thus he talked to 5 rickshaw pullers, gave them 8 bottles
each and asked them to sell them.
× For every bottle the sell, they could make a profit of two rupees which
they could split in half
× He made a profit of 8 rupees that day.
You were very young when you came up with and
executed this idea.
× Had an interest in business from a very early age.
× Father and his friends lost a lot of money in 1992 stock market scam
× Thus learnt a lot about stock market and researched on various
companies.
× His advise helped them to regain what is lost and some started
making profits.
× Started first portfolio management firm at 13.
× Once the rickshaw puller plan started, parents tried stopping him. He
shelved the plan but kept thinking about it in his college days at
Pondicherry for Masters of Foreign Trade degree.
What was the spark that revived this idea?
× 2006 Indian show Business Bazigar solicited for business ideas
× He was a contestant and his idea was to build rickshaw in such a
way that it has spaces that could be sold for the purpose of
advertising.
× Also added that additional revenue could be made by selling
products like water, biscuits, juice etc.

× Won the contest and was given the seed money of 150 lakhs.
Was SammaaN started with this seed money?
× Realises that entering business was an easy task.
× Had to gain the trust of the rickshaw pullers.
× Had to provide them insurance, ID card and uniforms, planned of
developing a not-to- profit organisation.
× The TV show organisers were not happy with this model, so he
couldn't use the seed money.
When did this turn into a true social venture?
× The more he learned about the plight of the rickshaw pullers, it
turned into a social venture.
× Of 10 million rickshaw pullers in India, most of them rent the rickshaw
for 30-40 rupees per day. After this, they barely have sufficient
money for the livelihood.
× He wanted to find a way to increase overall revenue
× CK Prahalad's idea, business can be successful by focusing on the
bottom of pyramid worked.
Can you describe the operation model of SammaaN?
× Rickshaw pullers were verified, given training on etiquette and
traffic rules, help them get a loan for a new rickshaw.
× They also provide these people with accident and health
insurance.
× Each driver is given uniform and ID card.
How does SammaaN help increase the revenues of the rickshaw
pullers? How does SammaaN itself get its revenues??
× Sammaan rickshaws have space for advertisements and the
advertisement reviews are split in half by SammaaN and rickshaw
pullers.
× They can also choose to sell bottles, juice, newspapers etc and the
profit is split between SammaaN and rickshaw pullers. Money earned
by them in the travel is solely theirs.
× Their revenue increased by 30-40%
× Beyond that rickshaw pullers developed a sense of belonging
and empowerment.
× SammaaN gyan gave free evening classes for spouses and
children.
× The organisation had a net profit of 8 lakh rupees.
Does SammaaN get directly involved in micro-financing?
× No it doesn't.
× The labourers pay the loan through instalments and own their
vehicle.
Aren't cycle rickshaws a dying breed?
× Still popular in many parts of the country.
× New Delhi, a 20% increase was seen as it was the most chosen
mode of transport to and from metro station
-e
× He believes that rickshaws are vehicles of futu as they are
-
A
environment friendly.
-

× They have an R&D wing that is working on a solar-powered,

fibre glass rickshaw. -

-
What were your experiences at the Presidential
Entrepreneurship Summit at the United States??

× Met many people and felt honoured to talk to Nobel prize

Laureate Muhammed Yunus.
× Was invited by him to open a similar venture in Bangladesh.
What is your advice to students on entrepreneurship?

× An entrepreneur is one who identifies an opportunity and thinks

of means to make it an enterprise.
× People usually discourage youth from being one, but it should
be seen as a career opportunity to avoid unemployment.
× It is important to dream but is equally important tolE calculate
risks to achieve those dreams.
-

-
Details
× Taken from Redrawing India.
× Written by Shaheen Mistri and Kovid Gupta.
× In 1983, the speaker lived a happy and pleasant life in Jakarta,
in a lovely white colonial home.

× People usually discourage youth from being one, but it should

be seen as a career opportunity to avoid unemployment.

× Until the day she visited an orphanage. She vividly remembers

the children in there. She kept returning to the orphanage
either out of curiosity or thankfulness
× Her father was a banker and this caused her to change 10
schools across five countries. Realisation of her life being
imperfect happened during summer vacation.

× Her summers were spent between orphanages in Jakarta and

being a volunteer in Happy Home and School for the Blind in
Mumbai.
× She saw inequity during this time. She was in her AC car going
from family lunch to School of Blinds when she saw children
begging in the streets.

× Contrast of piles of wasted food, woman sitting in the street

dividing all too meagre portions of food among families. Slums
of Mumbai was its fabric, could be seen everywhere. There was
a disparity everywhere.
The change
× In 1989 while in a traffic three children rann to her begging
for money that led to the decision of staying in India.

× A week before she was to return, she told her parents of

staying back in here.

× They accept the proposal on the condition that she will do

her graduation in Mumbai but would go abroad for further
studies.
St Xaviers
× She chose to study in St Xaviers and went to meet the principal.
× The assistant informed her that the admission closed 3
months ago and stops her from meeting the principal.
× She somehow manages to see him through side door.

× Father D'Cruz, the principal, granted her admission when

she told im her purpose.

× She realised that here, bookish form of learning replaced

academic gour and she could learn more in cities than in
college.
Indian slums
× She walked around the cities observing and saw a low
income community, with 10000 people, no running water,
no system of waste disposal, and shared 6 dark cubicles
for toilets.
× In the afternoon she walked around talking to children and
imagine how their life would change if each of them had
access to opportunities that would fill their greatest
potential.
× She felt an instant connection to Sandhya a soft spoken girl
in a saree and realised that they were both eighteen yet
had a great gap in their current situation. Though they
never understood a word of each other.
First Class
× Started teaching some children a few words of English, a
little maths and a few songs.
× Felt confident being in India.
× This became a routine, children would call her didi.
× Akanksha was born out this. India had space for
classrooms, teachers who could teach and funds to
educate all.
× First Akanksha centre space was found to keep these
students away from distractions.
For the space
× Contacted several schools for a classroom. They declined
by either calling it too revolutionary, or saying that these
kids would spread diseases.
× When she was about to give up, principal of Holy name
High School in Colaba gave them a classroom. It became
the first Akanksha centre.
× She mobilised volunteers from St Xaviers to teach.
× Akanksha formally started in 1991 with 15 children. Akanksha
grew into 58 centres and 6 schools with over 3500 students.
DETAILS OF THE SPEECH

× It is a Nobel prize acceptance

speech by Wangari Mathai.

× She is the first African woman to

recite Nobel Prize
INTRODUCTION
× Addresses the audience as "Your Majesties, your Royal
Highnesses, Honourable Members of the Norwegian Nobel
Committee, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen"
Content
× Accepts the award by pointing out that she accepts it on
the behalf of women in Africa.

× She says that her inspiration comes from her childhood

where she saw forests being cleared and replaced by
commercial plantations which destroys biodiversity.
GREEN BELT MOVEMENT

× When the movement started in 1977 she was responding to

the needs of rural women which included clear drinking
water, firewood, balanced diet, shelter and income.
ROLE OF WOMEN

× Since women are primary caretakers in Africa, they

become aware of environmental damage way faster.

× It became difficult for women to sustain the need of the

family because of scarcity in resource.
TREE PLANTING

× Tree planting helped women to address some of the initial

basic needs.
× It is also simple, attainable and guarantees quick and
successful results with in a given amount of time.

× Together they planted around 30 million trees that

provided fuel wood, food, shelter, income for the family.
DEGRADED ENVIRONMENT LEADS TO

× Scramble for scarce resources.

× Climatic instability
× Contamination of soil.
× Poverty
× Conflict
× Riot
TREE AND DEMOCRATIC STRUGGLE IN KENYA

× Sustainable governance of environment was impossible

without democracy.

× Tree became struggle for democracy in Kenya

TREE AS A SYMBOL OF PEACE
× Tree became a symbol for peace and conflict resolution,
especially during ethnic conflicts.

× The elders of the Kikuyu carried a staff from the thigi tree
that, when placed between two disputing sides, caused
them to stop fighting and seek reconciliation .

× Such practices are part of an extensive cultural heritage,

which contribute both to the conservation of habitats and
to cultures of peace.
 CONCLUSION
× Equitable development is required to bring peace.
× No development is possible without sustainable
management of the environment.
× Calls out to leaders to expand democratic space, build just
and fair societies.
× Calls on young people to commit themselves to activities
that contribute toward achieving their long-term dreams.
× She concludes by asking people to give back what they
have lost to their children.
 K. Satchidanandan

• K. Satchidanandan (born in 1946, in Kerala)

• Indian poet writing in Malayalam and English.
• He is known as a pioneer of modern poetry in
Malayalam.

• He is also a critic, columnist, translator and the

former secretary of the Kendra Sahitya Akademi.

• He was shortlisted for the Nobel

Stammer is no handicap
It is a mode of speech.

Stammer is the silence that falls

between the word and its meaning,
just as lameness is the
silence that falls between
the word and the deed.

Handicap: an illness, injury, or condition that makes it difficult for

someone to do some things that other people do.

Lameness: inability to walk like majority does.

Did stammer precede language
or succeed it?
Is it only a dialect or
a language itself?
These questions make
the linguists stammer.

Each time we stammer

we are offering a sacrifice
to the God of meanings.
When a whole people stammer
Stammer becomes their mother tongue;
just as it is with us now.
God too must have stammered
when He created man.
That is why all the words of man
carry different meanings.
That is why everything he utters
from his prayers to his commands
stammers,
like poetry