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Private Circulation for LIC Pensioners only

( A monthly e - Magazine of LIC Retired Class I Officers’ Association, Kolkata )

DECEMBER,2017 50th Issue

Chief Editor : Sudarsan Basu Editorial Board : Dilip Kr Ghosh Subir Kr Mazumder Amar Kr Goswami Subrata Kr Ghosh

IN THIS ISSUE: Editorial………………....2 Federation Matter…..3 Association News….. 4 Of Interest : ……………5 Humour…..…..............6 Tourism…………………..7 The River…………….…10 Eminent Persons……12 Health Guide………...15 Price index ……………17 Readers”view………..17 About magazine…….18 Photo courtesy :

Sri Dilip Kumar Ghosh Retd.LICI, EZO

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DECEMBER,2017 50th Issue

EDITORIAL :

GLOBAL WARMING IS HAPPENING NOW. The planet's temperature is rising. The trend is clear and unmistakable. Globally, the average surface temperature has increased more than one degree Fahrenheit since the late 1800s. Most of that increase has occurred over just the past three decades.

We are the cause. We are overloading our atmosphere with carbon dioxide, which traps heat and steadily drives up the planet’s temperature. All these carbons come from the fossil fuels —coal, natural gas, and oil—plus the loss of tree. China is the highest contributor (27%) for carbon emission followed by USA(17%),Russia(5%) and India(5%). Kyoto Protocol, ia an international treaty, held at Kyoto city Japan in December,1997 which aimed to reduce the emission of gases that contribute to global warning. Inforce since 2005, the protocol called for reducing the emission of six greenhouse gases in 41 countries plus the European Union during the “commitment period” 2008-12. It was widely hailed as the most significant environment treaty ever negotiated. Paris Climate Agreement, is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gas emissions, mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020. The Agreement was negotiated by representatives of 196 parties in Paris and adopted by consensus on 12 December,2015. As of October 2017,195 UNFCCC members have signed the Agreement, and 169 have become party of it. The Agreement aims to respond to the global climate change threat by keeping a global temperature rise in this century well below 2 degree Celsius and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degree Celsius. In June,2017, U.S President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw USA from the Agreement, causing widespread condemnation in the European Union and even at USA including scientists circle. Under the Agreement , the earliest effective date of withdrawal for the U.S is November,2020. In July 2017, France’s environment minister Nicolas Hulot announced France’s five-year plan to ban all petrol and diesel vehicle by 2040 as part of Paris Agreement. Hulot also stated that France would no longer use coal to produce electricity after 2022. Stop deforestation can significantly lower global warming and plays an integral role in a long-term solution to global warming. The golden ray of hope that Costa-Rica, a central American State, already crossed 300 days on unconventional energy for power. They are on trial on Hydrogen fueled buses. HOPE Our wisdom will prevail to protect our planet.

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Federation News:

From Federation of Retired LIC Class I Officers’ Associations: The 9th General Council meeting of the Federation of Retired LIC Class-I Officers’ Associations will be held at Mumbai on 8th of December’17. This meeting will be held in the backdrop of the pending SLPs at the Supreme Court by the petitioners at Delhi High Court that negated the prayers of the petitioners bringing in an atmosphere of gloom among all sections of the LIC pensioners. Even the marginal relief provided by Delhi HC for the Pre-Aug’97 pensioners fell far short of removal of anomaly in the matter of DR. Our Federation has raised the issue of interim relief before the SC bench, considering the SLPs on 13th October’17, mentioning that LIC have not been paying the increase consistently in line with the interim relief granted on 31st March’16 by Supreme Court of India. Our leaders, present in the SC on the day, were satisfied and so were the counsel on record and the senior counsel that the Bench was favourably inclined on Interim relief.

Prior to the hearing on 13th October at SC, the leadership of the our Federation and All India Retired Insurance Employees’ Federation met at Bangalore on 5th of October and decided that both the organizations should stress on Interim Relief at the hearing at SC since there is bound to be a long gap before further hearing if SLPs are converted into regular Civil Appeals. It was agreed that both organizations will instruct their respective Counsels/Senior Counsels suitably in this behalf.

Some other issues of importance are pending before the Federation for resolution The issues are:- a) pension re-fixation for those who retired as Class-I officers between 01/08/1992 and 31/03/1993. b) pension re-fixation for those whose dates of births fell on the first day of a month c) Improvement of Family pension in line with RBI family pension. d) Option to join Group Medi-claim for those who could not join or renew Medi-claim earlier e) Subsidy in Medi-claim premium be raised up to a reasonable level. f) Reimbursement of domiciliary medical expenses. g) Revision of Dearness relief at every quarter.

Hope these issues will be taken up seriously in the General council meeting and the issues will not be shelved after passing resolutions. However, some actions have been initiated on the issue number (a).

In this back-ground, our Association will be represented by S/sri Tapasendra Chattopadhyay, Dilip Kumar Ghosh, Basudebdas, Amar Kumar Goswami, Subir Kumar Mazumder in the general council though Sri Chattopadhyay will not be able to attend the 9th meeting of General council for his being away from the country. The participating delegates have been advised to highlight the issues and express opinion in clear terms on handling the SLPs in Supreme Court. The delegates have been advised to support any positive move for improvement and growth of the Federation.

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Sad Demise

With profound grief we are intimating that one of our senior members Dilip Kumar Pal expired on 10th November'17 . at the age of 79. Late Pal was a Special invitee to the GOVERNING BODY of the association in the year 2016-17. Our Association pays respectful homage to Late Dilip Kumar Pal.

ASSOCIATION NEWS:

[ From the Desk of General Secretary, Kolkata Association]

The members of the Kolkata Association meet every Wednesday from 2PM to 4.30PM in the

Association Room of the in-service Class-I Officers. About 20/25 members attend such

meet. On 22nd November, 2017 the room was overcrowded with more than 60 persons

attending to listen to a very special guest and some very senior members who came

to welcome the Special Guest. Members present were visibly happy that such a

programme was arranged. In fact we are obliged to our very senior members who attended

the meet and also to our very special guest for allowing us a memorable afternoon. The

speakers mainly remembered the good old days and wished active and healthy life for our

members. The programme was presided over by Sri Anjan Mukherjee, our Vice President

and our Chairman of the Programme Sub-committee Sri Tapan Sanyal raised the vote of

thanks in his eloquent and carefully chosen words. The speakers as well as the audience

were obviously happy.

One of the speakers of the day Sri Pulak Bose summed up the tone of the meeting

in a beautifully worded message to us after the meeting. Please find the message in his own

words:

“ Dear Triumvirate (Dilip – Subir – Basudeb)

Take a Bow!

For the ORCHESTRA where everyone sang.

Scintillating solos by members

Raised to crescendo befittingly

By the honoured guest.

Active-listening audience prompted a lyrical summing up

By another member.

Let the Wednesday Symphony

Be perpetuated.

- Pulak Bose“

Annual Get-together & sports of LIC Retired Class-I Officers' Association, Kolkata will be held on 24th December'17 at Bidhan Sishu Uddyan from 9 am on wards. Members and their families together with Friends and relatives are welcome for the day long enjoyment.

Bidhan Sishu Uddyan is situated near VSNL Tower at Ultadanga, Kolkata. Contribution of Rs. 300/- per participant and accompanying driver has been decided. Members, who are willing to participate, are requested to confirm their participation before 20th December'17. We are looking forward to have a very special Guest on that day, a day filled with fun and enjoyment.

We heartily welcome Sri.Samir Mukherjee to our Association. Sri Mukherjee retired from Zonal Inspection on 31st May,2011 and joined our association in November,2017.

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OF INTEREST: GENERAL HOME SAFETY [source: http://www.aplaceformom.com]

▪ The following home safety tips can help keep you and your loved ones safe:

▪ Consider a medical alert or a buddy system.

▪ Keep a fire extinguisher and smoke detector on every floor.

▪ Never smoke when alone or in bed.

▪ Always get up slowly after sitting or lying down. Take your time, and make sure you have your balance.

▪ Wear proper fitting shoes with low heels.

▪ Use a correctly measured walking aid.

▪ Remove or tack down all scatter rugs.

▪ Remove electrical or telephone cords from traffic areas.

▪ Avoid using slippery wax on floors.

▪ Wipe up spills promptly.

▪ Avoid standing on ladders or chairs.

▪ Have sturdy rails for all stairs inside and outside the house, or, if necessary, purchase a stair-lift.

▪ Use only non-glare 100 watt or greater incandescent bulbs (or the fluorescent equivalents.)

▪ Make sure that all stair cases have good lighting with switches at top and bottom.

▪ Make sure that staircase steps should have a non-slip surface.

BATHROOM SAFETY

▪ Leave a light on in your bathroom at night.

▪ Use recommended bath aids, securely installed on the walls of the bath/shower stall and on the sides of the toilet.

▪ Skid-proof the tub and make sure the bath mat has a non-slip bottom.

▪ To avoid scalds, turn water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

▪ Mark cold and hot faucets clearly.

▪ Use door locks that can be opened from both sides.

▪ If possible, bathe only when help is available.

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METRO TUNNEL UNDER THE RIVER GANGA

P.C- Sri Babul Supryo,Union Minister.

The underwater tunnel of East-West Metro Corridor Project in Kolkata, built below the Ganga river bed, is the first of its kind in the country.

The Afcons-Transtonnelstroy of South Africa, is the agency to build the tunnel between Howrah Maidan and the proposed Mahakaran metro station near Writers Buildings.

The entire stretch of tunnel from Howrah Maidan to the Ganga bank in the Kolkata city is 1.7 km and the tunnel went under buildings like Howrah Station but there were no threat to them as the latest technology had been used through the tunnel boring Machine(TBM).

IT IS A GREAT SATISFACTION THAT THE CONSTRUCTION OF TUNNEL UNDER THE RIVER GANGA HAS ALREADY COMPLETTED AND NOW THE TUNNEL REACHED WRITERS BUILDING.

HUMOUR:

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TOURISM : Historical Murshidabad:

The last capital city of independent Bengal before British rule was named after Nawab Murshid Quli Khan, the Dewan of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Situated on the banks of the Bhagirathi, it is a city of splendours and is famous for its silk. It was made the capital of Bengal in 1717. The British shifted the capital to Kolkata in 1773. Plassey (Palashi), where the historic battle was fought in 1757 between Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah and Lord Clive of the East India Company, is only 40 km south of Murshidabad. One of the major commercial hubs apart from Kolkata, Murshidabad is a reclusive city situated in the state of West Bengal. Once famous for its calico (a typical cotton cloth), Murshidabad is infamous as a notorious city, owing to the notorious association with the British rule, and also the traitor of the Battle of Plassey named Mir Jafar. Founded by Murshid Quli Khan, the governor of Mughal ruler Mohammad Shah, this city also houses some of the most exquisite architecture, built mostly in the European way, including the Hazar Duari Palace (palace of thousand doors). If you're interested in a bit of history, do visit Murshidabad. October to March are the best months to visit Murshidabad. Murshidabad experiences both summer and winter in all its glory. While summers get too hot and winters too cold, the early winter months, however, stay pleasant and hence serve the best time to visit. A full day might actually suffice if you do not plan to cover Murshidabad in detail. Start off to explore Murshidabad's most famous place - The Hazar Duari Palace. The beautiful and huge palace will take up at least a few hours to cover. The Nizmat Imambara, Jafarganj Cemetery, Wasif Manzil and Madina Mosque, along with a few other places are all located in the same area. The best way to bask in its glory is to explore the entire region covering a few kilometres in a tanga (horse cart) or a rickshaw or electric rickshaw. If you start off early and have just enough time, you may stop at a Bazaar in Behrampore, the district headquarter, and shop for some beautiful silk sarees and then end the day by savouring the delicacies and varieties of mangoes Murshidabad has to offer in May-July season. Although Murshidabad is not particularly famous for any special cuisine, numerous hotels have decent eating places where you can enjoy a nice meal. However, be very careful about the water. Murshidabad is also known for murgi biryani, Gobindo bhog rice and Misti polao among a host of other Bengali and Muglai dishes. Hazarduari Palace: Murshidabad

The palace, famous by the name ‘Palace with a thousand doors’, is the chief tourist attraction of Murshidabad. Built in 1837 by Duncan McLeod for the Nawab Najim Humaun Jah, a descendant of Mir Zafar, it has actually 900 doors and 114 rooms. Spread over a massive area of 41 acres, the magnificence of Murshidabad's Hazarduari Palace is second to none.

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The name roughly translates to 'a thousand doors' as this palace is embellished with a thousand ornamental gateways. Out of these, 900 doors are real, and the rest are false doors which were built to confuse any intruders. The construction style of the palace is an amalgam of Italian and Greek architecture styles and is a great example of Murshidabad's rich cultural heritage. The palace is located on the eastern banks of the Bhagirathi river within an enclosure called the Kila Nizamat. The perimeter of the palace also houses the Nizamat Imambara, Wasif Manzil, Bacchawali Tope and the Murshidabad Clock Tower.

In its earlier days, the palace was a regal mansion, but now it has been converted into a museum of priceless relics. Ranging from Siraj-ud-Daula's prized swords to the vintage cars owned by the Nawabs, this destination has amassed the life and times of Mir Jafar's dynasty. Construction of Hazarduari Palace: The foundation of the palace was laid down by Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah of Bengal on August 9, 1829

and the construction of this magnificent piece of architecture began that very day itself. The construction spanned over a period of roughly eight years and was completed in December 1837. The Palace stands tall at the height of 80 feet and has three floors, each more stunning than the other. The Nizamat Kila, which houses the palace, also plays host to some other monuments of significance. The Nizamat Imambara is a Hall of Shia Muslim congregation located right in the vicinity of the palace. The ancient clock tower of Murshidabad also finds a place here. The Madina Mosque and Chowk Masjid are important shrines of the Bengali- Muslim community here. The Bacchawali Tope is a spectacular cannon that finds a place between the Nizamat Imambara and the Hazarduari Palace. If you actually wish to indulge in the Nawabi lifestyle, set a day aside for the Hazarduari Palace! Artifacts in Hazarduari Palace: For a history buff, this place can turn out to a fascinating journey. The Hazarduari Palace is a safe house for many distinctive historical relics and is divided into museum galleries. The most notable exhibits here are lavish paintings, distinguished weaponry and marble statues, which constitute a small part of a broad array of different artifacts. Nizmat Imbambara: On the northern side of the palace lies The Nizamat Imambara, built in 1847 AD by Nawab Nazim Mansoor Ali Khan Feradun Jah, son of Humayun Jah. The stunning mosque was built after the Imambara built by Siraj-ud-Doula got burnt down in a fire. Wasif Manzil: This Palace was built by Nawab Wasif Ali Mirza Khan, Nawab of Murshidabad. Located at the south end of Hazarduari Palace, it is touted as the 'new palace' because it was

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built much later. The palace is smaller but equally beautiful. In addition to the architecture, the numerous marble statues it houses are sure to catch your eye. The palace used to have an artificial hill and landscape on its side which got destroyed along with most of the palace in the earthquakes of 1867. The palace was restored, but the hill was never reconstructed. Footi Mosque: Construction of Footi mosque was started by Nawab Sarfaraz Khan. It is located towards the east of the Hazarduari Palace, at Kumrapore. The mosque is believed to be the brainchild of Sarfaraz Khan alone. The mosque could not be completed and is often rumored to have been built in one night Madina: Madina is a small mosque between the Palace and the Imambara. It is one of the most sacred of Muslim places in Bengal. Made to replicate Hazrat Muhammad's tomb at Madina, the original mosque's foundation had soil from Mecca, before it got destroyed in the fire. The one constructed later was built with pious soil from Karbala. The rooms of the mosque can house 700 Quran readers. Two minarets at the two ends of the mosque measuring 70 feet high, still exist. The architectural layout of this mosque is a rectangular plan. It has been divided into five inlets, each with a curved entrance and the central one is the most noticeable one as it has a lean steeple. The mosque has five domes, each of them used by a solo Namaz reader.

The Madina Mosque in Murshidabad is a complex which comprises two mosques. The old mosque was built by the Nawab Siraj-Ud-Daulah of Bengal, while the new one was built by Nawab Mansure Khan. The new mosque was built in 1847, while the old one was built in the 1700s. The old mosque was burnt to quite an extent in December 1846, after which the new mosque was built. The Nizamat Imambara houses both of these mosques.

The Madina mosque follows a very well-defined pattern of Islamic architecture. The mosque is on a raised platform and decorated with embellishments from around the world. China tiles adorn the platform, and soil had been taken in from Karbala in the foundation of the mosque. The walls and arches contain inscribed text from the Quran. There were fountains surrounding the old and new mosques. Khosh Bagh: The beautiful, near 8 acre, garden area is actually a cemetery. Khosh Bagh, built over 7.65 acres of land, lies on the opposite banks of Bhagirathi. It has the grave of Nawab Alivardi Khan, Alivardi's Mother, Siraj-ud-Doula and his wife Lutfannesha and other members of the Nawab family. Jafarganj Cemetery: Located about a mile from Hazarduari Palace is the Jafarganj Complex. Mir Jafar originally built his palace in this three and a half acre land. But now the place serves as a cemetery for Mir Jafar and many family members of his. Mir Jafar's father Syud Ahmed Nazafi, Alivardi Khan's sister, Shahkhanum, Mir Jafar's widows, Munni Begam and Babbu Begam are

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some of the important people buried in the area. The picturesque white cemetery fills you with the splendor of the bygone ages.

Khos Bag Katra Masjid

Katra Masjid:

Katra Masjid is situated about a mile in the north eastern side of Murshidabad town and is only 3 Kms from Murshidabad Railway Station. It was built by Nawab Murshid Quli Khan in 1137 A.H., 1723 A.D. The Mosque was built within 1 year by an

How To Reach Murshidabad

Murshidabad is well connected to the rest of India by rail & road. It is well connected by several

passenger and express trains. There is no direct flight connectivity for Murshidabad. The nearest

airport is the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata. Murshidabad is well

connected via roadways to the rest of India, owing to the famous Grand Trunk Road transmitted

through the city. It is well connected with Malda, approximately 95 km away from Murshidabad.

The main Railway Station is Berhampore Court, that has direct connectivity with Kolkata.

Khagraghat, the other main station, is connected with the Howrah Station.

OUR RIVERS :

The Teesta The Tista River or Teesta River is a 309 km long river flowing through the Indian states of West Bengal and Sikkim through Bangladesh . It forms the border between Sikkim and West Bengal. It flows through the cities of Rangpo, Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong and joins the Jamuna (Brahmaputra) in Bangladesh.

The Teesta River originates from the Pahunri (or Teesta Kangse) glacier above 7,068 metres, and flows southward through gorges and rapids in the Sikkim Himalaya.[2]

It is fed by rivulets arising in the Thangu, Yumthang and Donkha mountain ranges. The river then flows past the town of Rangpo where the Rangpo River joins, and where it forms the border between Sikkim and West Bengal up to Teesta Bazaar. Just before the Teesta Bridge, where the roads from Kalimpong and Darjeeling join, the river is met by its main tributary, the Rangeet River.

At this point, it changes course southwards flowing into West Bengal. The river hits the plains at Sevoke, 22 kilometres (14 mi) northeast of Siliguri, where it is spanned by the Coronation Bridge linking the northeast states to the rest of India. The river then goes merging up with

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the Brahmaputra River after it touches the city of Jalpaiguri and flows through Cooch Behar district at Mekhliganj and moves to Fulchori in Bangladesh.

During the monsoons, Teesta river distends its banks; both in size and turbulence. Landslides in this region often dam up parts of the river in this season.

Great changes have taken place in the course of some of the rivers in Bengal and the adjoining areas, during the period since 1500 CE. Although positive evidence is lacking, similar changes can be assumed in the remoter past. The Teesta River is one of the rivers that has changed over the years.

The Teesta earlier ran due south from Jalpaiguri in three channels, namely, the Karatoya to the east, the Punarbhaba in the west and the Atrai in the centre. The three channels possibly gave the name to the river as Trisrota "possessed of three streams" which has been shortened to Teesta. Of these three, the Punarbhaba joined the Mahananda. The Atrai passing through a vast marshy area known as Chalan Beel joined the Karatoya and the united stream joined the Padma (Ganges) near Jafarganj. In the destructive floods of 1787, the Teesta river forsook its old channel and rushing south-east it joined the Brahmaputra. James Rennell made a survey between 1764 and 1777 and his maps are one of the earliest authentic maps of Bengal in existence. In these maps Teesta is shown as flowing through North Bengal in several branches—Punarbhaba, Atrai, Karatoya, etc. All these streams combined lower down with the Mahananda, now the westernmost river in North Bengal, and taking the name of Hoorsagar finally discharged into the Ganges at Jafarganj, near modern Goalundo. The Hoorsagar river still in existence, being the combined outfall of the Baral, a spill channel of the Ganges, the Atrai, the Jamuna or Jamuneswari (not the main Jamuna through which the Brahmaputra now flows), and the Karatoya, but instead of falling into the Ganges, it falls into the main Jamuna, a few miles above its confluence with the Padma at Goalundo.

Hydroelectric project

India has an estimated total hydroelectric power potential of 84 GW (at 60% load factor). Of this, Sikkim's potential share is 2.9%, or about 4.29 GW. As of 2010, 13.9% (594 MW) of Sikkim's potential had been implemented and was under operation, 44.8% is under implementation (1919 MW), and another 41.3% (1773 MW) is yet to be examined from environment and engineering design perspective.[7]

The successfully completed major projects and dams are:

1. Teesta -V dam, the largest project so far, was completed in 2007 on Teesta in Dikchu, District- East Sikkim. Its height is 87 metres (285 ft) and its length is 176 metres (577 ft). It generates 510 MW hydroelectric power and assists flood control.[8]

2. Rangit III hydroelectric project was completed in 2000 on Greater Rangit River which is a tributary of Teesta River. The catchment area of Rangit III dam is 979 square kilometres (378 sq mi) and the dam is 47 metres (154 ft) high. The project has 60 MW generation capacity, and is already online.[9]

The other three completed projects are significantly smaller and minor—Lower Lagyap, Upper Rongni Chhu and Mayang Chhu projects.

Seismic concerns

Teesta river area is in the seismically active Zone-V and has experienced micro-seismic activity. According to India's Ministry of Environment & Forests, the Teesta river dam projects have been approved with the requirement that they adopt suitable seismic coefficient in the design for the dam, tunnel, surge shaft and power house. The projects are cascaded over the length of the

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river, do not store large amounts water, have small reservoirs, and therefore the projects are expected to have very low risk from the reservoir induced seismicity in the area.

EMINENT INDIAN PERSONALITIES:

LIFE AND THE TEACHINGS OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

Swami Vivekananda was a Hindu monk, it is so believed by many of us and the people throughout the world. But it is not fair to describe him so as the words are deficient of evaluating him correctly. He, himself, is an institution but not limited to a religious institution. He was much more than that because of his thoughts and preaching on the need for education and erdication of poverty, illiteracy, untouchability, casteism from the society. He played significant role in the growing Indian nationalism of the 19th and 20th century, reinterpreting and harmonising certain aspects of Hinduism. His teachings and philosophy applied this reinterpretation to various aspects of education, faith, character building as well as social issues pertaining to India, and was also instrumental in introducing Yoga to the west.

According to Vivekananda a country's future depends on its people. He said, "man-making is my mission." and Religion plays a central role in this man-making, stating "to preach unto mankind their divinity, and how to make it manifest in every movement of life."

Indian nationalism

Vivekananda played a major role in the growing Indian nationalism in the late 19th and the 20th century, encouraging many Indians with his success and appeal in the west. His example helped to build pride in India's cultural and religious heritage, and to stand up against the British colonial system.

Swami Vivekananda believed that India is the "land of virtue", ".... the land where humanity has attained its highest towards generosity, towards purity, towards calmness, above all, the land of introspection and of spirituality - it is India".

Late EMS Namboodripad, a noted leftist, described Swami Vivekananda as a great leader of nineteenth century renaissance in his lecture at a seminar organized by Sanskrit Department of Calicut University.

According to Swami Vivekananda it is coordinated willpower that leads to independence. He gave the British colonial system as an example, with forty millions of Englishmen ruling three hundred millions of people in India. According to Vivekananda, the forty millions put their wills together

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and that resulted infinite power, and that was the reason of their success. Vivekananda prescribed, to make a great future India the whole serest will lie in organization, accumulation of power, co-ordination of wills. According to Vivekananda the Indian race never cared about physical wealth, although they acquired immense wealth.

Religion

Religion played a major role in Vivekananda's ideas. To Vivekananda religion was not only talk or doctrine or theory, but realization of the best and strongest powers within oneself. He said, “It is being and becoming, not hearing or acknowledging; it is the whole soul becoming changed into what it believes". He also felt religion is the gist of all worship- is to be pure and to do good to others. According to Swami Vivekananda, religion is the idea which is raising the brute into man, and man unto God.

Influence of Ramakrishna

Vivekananda was deeply influenced by the Brahmo Samaj being satisfied with what Brahmo samaj taught him but, later, he felt that the teachings of Brahmo samaj did not touch the core of the matter. Finally, he could get his answer through his own realization under the guidance by his guru Ramakrishna, who regarded the Absolute and the relative reality to be single aspects of the same integral reality. He first heard of SriRamkrishna from Professor William Hastie the Principal of General Assembly’s Institution of which he was a student. As a student of Philosophy, the question of God’s existence seized his mind. One such question was “Did He create this world which is full of anomalies? “ According to Michael Taft, Ramakrishna reconciled the dualism of form and formless, regarding the Supreme Being to be both Personal and Impersonal, active and inactive.

The Personal and Impersonal are the same thing, like milk and its whiteness, the diamond and its luster, the snake and its wriggling motion. It is impossible to conceive of the one without the other. The Divine Mother and Brahman are one.

Sri Ramkrishna transformed his natural compassion into love and reverence for everyone and everything.

Yoga and meditation

Swami Vivekananda compared human mind with a monkey who is always restless and incessantly active by his own nature. He noticed, the human mind naturally wants to get outside, to peer out of the body, as it were, through the channels of the organs. So, he stressed on practice of concentration, as he felt there is no limit to the power of the human mind, the more concentrated it is, the more powerful it becomes.[13] Swami Vivekananda suggested not to do anything which disturbs the mind or makes it restless.

Universalism

Although embracing and propagating Universalism, he regarded Hinduism the best of all religions, and Advaita Vedanta the best of what Indian religious thought had to offer. According to Vivekananda the greatest misfortune of the world is we do not tolerate and accept other religions. In his lecture in Parliament of religions on September 15, 1893, he told a story of a frog who lived in a well for a long time, he was born there and brought up there and he used to think that nothing in the world can be bigger than that. Swami Vivekananda concluded the story:

“I am a Hindu. I am sitting in my own little well and thinking that the whole world is my little well. The Christian sits in his little well and thinks the whole world is his well. The Mohammedan sits in his little well and thinks that is the whole world. ”

According to Vivekananda we must not only tolerate other religions, but positively embrace them, since the truth is the basis of all religions.

Social service

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Social service was an essential aspect of Vivekananda's ideas, and an innovation which emerged from both Advaita Vedanta and Teachings of Ramakrishna. He nevertheless attributed these ideas to both, trying to reconcile them with his own ideas.

According to Vivekananda, an important teaching he received from Ramakrishna was that Jiva is Shiva (each individual is divinity itself). So he stressed on Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva, (to serve common people considering them as manifestation of God). According to Vivekananda, man is potentially Divine, so, service to man is indeed service to God.

The inequality in the society caused pain for him. He addressed the section of the people enjoying the fruits and pleasure only as “ You are void, the unsubstantial non-entities of the future.

He said “ I am a socialist not because I think it is a perfect system but half-a-loaf is better than no bread…..A redistribution of pain and pleasure is better than always the same persons having pains and pleasure”.

Personal development and Character building

In line with the influence of western ideas, Vivekananda stressed the importance of individual development. Swami Vivekananda realized three things are necessary to make every man great, every nation great:

Conviction of the powers of goodness; Absence of jealousy and suspicion; Helping all who are trying to be and do good.

Swami Vivekananda suggested to try to give up jealousy and conceit and learn to work unitedly for others. He told that purity, patience and perseverance overcome all obstacles. He suggested to take courage and work on. Patience and steady work, according to Swami Vivekananda, this is the only way to get success.

According to Swami Vivekananda "faith, faith, faith in ourselves, faith, faith in God- this is the secret of greatness”. Swami Vivekananda observed, the history of the world is the history of a few men who had faith in themselves, and it is faith which calls out divinity within.

Education

Vivekananda believed education is the manifestation of perfection already in men. He thought it a pity that the existing system of education did not enable a person to stand on his own feet, nor did it teach him self-confidence and self-respect. To Vivekananda, education was not only collection of information, but something more meaningful; he felt education should be man-making, life giving and character-building. To him education was an assimilation of noble ideas.

Education is not the amount of information that we put into our brain and runs riot there, undigested, all our life. We must have life building, man making, character making assimilation of ideas. If we have assimilated five ideas and made them our life and character, we have more education than any man who has got by heart a whole library.

Swami Vivekananda felt that the education that young boys and girls receive is very negative. He thought they do not gain confidence or self-respect from prevailing education system, so according to Swami Vivekananda only positive education should be given to children. Swami Vivekananda told, if young boys and girls are encouraged and are not unnecessarily criticized all the time, they are bound to improve in time.

He advocated for an alternative system of education beyond the state education system. He meant this system not bound with in the four walls of a small room for only a small number of students. His belief was for mass education.

He also told the youth: Set yourselves to the task of spreading education among the masses. Tell them and make them understand, "You are our brothers—a part and parcel of our bodies, and we love you”.

Acknowledgements: 1.Wikipedia

2. Swami Vivekananda: Marxbadider Drishtite (in the eye of a marxist). 3 swami Vivekananda-the Friend of all / RKM Institute of culture.

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HEALTH GUIDE:

Snoring

Snoring is caused by vibrating tissues within the airways of the nose and throat during breathing while sleeping. The vibrations that cause snoring are caused by turbulent airflow through narrowed airways. Snoring is affected by the stage of sleep, sleeping position, and the use of medications and alcohol. Snoring may be a problem for family members and sleeping partners of the snorer. Snoring also may be a sign of an underlying medical problem. Treatments for snoring are both nonsurgical and surgical.

Snoring is the result of the relaxation of the uvula and soft palate. These tissues can relax enough to partially block the airway, resulting in irregular airflow and vibrations.

Snoring can be attributed to one or more of the following:

Throat weakness, causing the throat to close during sleep.

Mispositioned jaw, often caused by tension in the muscles.

Obesity that has caused fat to gather in and around the throat.

Obstruction in the nasal passageway.

Obstructive sleep apnea

Sleep deprivation.

Relaxants such as alcohol or other drugs relaxing throat muscles.

Sleeping on one's back, which may result in the tongue dropping to the back of

the mouth.

TREATMENT

There is no certain treatment that can completely stop snoring. Almost all treatments for snoring revolve around lessening the breathing discomfort by clearing the blockage in the air passage. Medications are usually not helpful in treating snoring symptoms, though they can help control some of the underlying causes such as nasal congestion and allergic reactions.

A number of other treatment options are also used to stop snoring. These range from over-the-counter aids such as nasal sprays, nasal strip or nose clips, lubricating sprays, oral appliances.

Orthopedic pillows

Orthopedic pillows are the least intrusive option for reducing snoring. These pillows are designed to support the head and neck in a way that ensures the jaw stays open and slightly forward. This helps keep the airways unrestricted as possible and in turn leads to a small reduction in snoring.

Positive airway pressure

A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is often used to control sleep apnea and the snoring associated with it. It is a relatively safe medical treatment. To keep the airway open, a device pumps a controlled stream of air through a flexible hose to a mask worn over the nose, mouth, or both.[23] A CPAP is usually applied through a CPAP mask which is placed over the nose and/or mouth. The air pressure required to

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keep the airway open is delivered through this and it is attached to a CPAP machine which is like an air compressor.

The air that CPAP delivers is generally "normal air" – not concentrated oxygen. The machine utilizes the air pressure as an "air splint" to keep the airway open. In obstructive sleep apnea, the airway at the rear of the throat is prone to closure.

Surgery

Surgery is also available as a method of correcting social snoring. Some procedures, such as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, attempt to widen the airway by removing tissues in the back of the throat, including the uvula and pharynx which have risks of adverse side effects.

Pillar procedure

The Pillar Procedure is a minimally invasive treatment for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. During this procedure, three to six+ dacron (the material used in permanent sutures) strips are inserted into the soft palate, using a modified syringe and local anesthetic. As a result of this outpatient operation, which typically lasts no more than 30 minutes, the soft palate is more rigid, possibly reducing instances of sleep apnea and snoring.

Medication

Some Studies found benefit from pseudoephedrine, domperidone, and the combination in the treatment of severe snoring.

NATIONAL HEALTH SCHEME. United Kingdom suggests- Simple lifestyle changes to stop or reduce snoring.

DOs DON’Ts

TRY TO LOSE WEUGHT IF YOU’RE OVERWEIGHT

SMOKE

SLEEP ON SIDE-TRY TAPING A TENNIS BALL TO THE BACK OF YOUR SLEEPWEAR OR BUY A SPECIAL PILLOW OR BED WEDGE TO HELP KEEP YOU ON YOUR SIDE

DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL

ONSIDER ASKING YOUR PARTNER TO USE EAR PLUGS IF YOUR SNORING AFFECTS THEIR SLEEP

TAKING SLEEPING PILLS

PENSIONERS' TOUR.

LIC PENSIONERS’ TOURING TEAM Visit to BURDWAN TOWN will be published in next issue

Page 17 of 18

Consumer Price Index for AUGUST,2017 declared on 29.09.2017 was 285 (6505.38)

Consumer Price Index for SEPT’17 declared on 31.10.2017 was 285 (6505.38)

Consumer Price Index for OCTOBER’17 declared on 30.11.2017 was 287 (6551.03)

READER’S FEEDBACK:

1 Thanks a lot sir for your kind sending of the EN-November issue dot on the first of the month.

Health article on Prostrate Gland, Notes on the River Yamuna and the tips on Tax Planning and

not Tax Saving are the Highlights.

Hearty congrats.

R Venugopal

Retired Executive Director LIC

Bangalore.

2 good coverage..enjoyed to go through.-Pinakin Acharya

3. Thank you for sending the Newsletter with the usual regularity and promptitude.The article on

Prostate management is very informative and useful for retirees.

Kindly keep your good service.

Kind regards.

C H Mahadevan

4. Dear Sir, Thank you for "EASTERN NEWS" NOVEMBER2017. Although I don't have any feedback over the Magazine but I have a suggestion regarding " Preventive Health Checkup" of retired employees. At present an employee may avail the facility every year those who have attained 55 years of age under the package of preventive health check up. But a retired employee if desired, he/she has to pay at least more than a double amount for the same preventive check up from his own source. My suggestion is if retired employees are also included in the same package they may have to pay lesser amount for the same option. Of course the concerned retired employee have to pay the required amount to Corporation before availing the test etc. With regards S P DUTTA, PRINCIPAL, STC, Jalpaiguri 5. I appreciate the editorial board for presenting the News letter. The News letter covers many important areas which are unaware of many of the retired officers. I thank the editoria board for the write up on the health care. I am confident that our retired officers will be immensely helpful with (benefited by) the informations shared. The progress in the legal matters is also an important information. The informations for tourist areas are also a key area and has been nicely presented. Lastly I once again thank the editorial board.- Samir Mukherjee

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ANY BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENT/SUCCESS IN ANY FRONT IN THE FAMILY OF LIC PENSIONERS AND

GOOD PHOTOGRAPH MAY BE SENT TO US FOR PUBLICATION THROUGH OUR E-MAGAZINE. [ Publication of an article, news or Photograph is at the discretion of the Editorial Board]

Feedback/Write Ups/Information/Readers’ Views/Request with e-mail id for soft copy of

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Monthly EASTERN NEWS can now be read directly from :

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OUR SINCERE THANKS TO THE AUTHORITIES OF THE WEBSITES.