Godaan or गोदान

It was first published in 1936 and is considered one of the greatest Hindustani novels of modern Indian literature. Themed around the socio economic deprivation as well as the exploitation of the village poor, the novel was the last complete novel of Premchand.^[1] It was translated into English in 1957 by Jai Ratan and P. Laltranslation; a 1968 translation by Gordon C. Roadarmel is now considered "a classic in itself".

Godaan was made into a Hindi film in 1963, starring Rajkumar, Mehmood and Shashikala.^[4] In 2004, Godaan was part of the 26-episode TV series, ‘'Tehreer.... Munshi Premchand Ki, based on the writing of Premchand, starring Pankaj Kapur and Surekha Sikri, directed by Gulzar and produced by Doordarshan.

The story revolves around many characters representing the various sections of Indian community. The peasant and rural society is represented by the family of Hori Mahato and his family members which includes Dhania, Rupa and Sona (daughters), Gobar (son), Jhunia ( daughter-in-law). The Story starts from a point where Hori has a deep desire of having a cow as other millions of poor peasants. He purchased, on debt of Rs.80, a cow from Bhola, a cowherd. Hori tried to cheat his brothers for 10 rupees. This in turn led to a fight between his wife and his younger brother, Heera’s wife. Jealous of Hori, his younger brother Heera poisoned the cow and ran away because of the fear of police action. When the police came enquiring the death of the cow, Hori took a loan and paid the bribe to the police and was able to clear off his younger brother’s name. Jhunia, the daughter of Bhola, was a widow and eloped with Gobar after she got pregnant by him. Because of the fear of the action from villagers Gobar also ran away to the town. Hori and Dhania were unable to throw a girl carrying their son's child from their doorstep and gave her protection and accepting her as their daughter-in-law. The village Panchayat takes action against Hori for sheltering a low caste girl and issued a penalty on Hori. Hori again is compelled to take a loan and pay the penalty. Hori is in huge debt from local money lenders and eventually married off his daughter Rupa for mere 200 rupees to save his ancestral land from being auctioned because of his inability to pay land tax. But his determination to pay those 200 rupees and to have a cow to provide milk to his grand son, leads to Hori's death because of excessive work. When he is about to die, his wife Dhania took out all the money she had (1.25 Rupees) and made Hori pay the priest on behalf of (Godaan) (cow donation). This eventually fulfils the traditional dream of Hori but still his desire to pay back the rupees 200 to his son- in- law and to have a cow to feed the milk to his grandson remain unfulfilled. Hori is shown as a typical poor peasant who is the victim of circumstances and possess all the deficiencies of common man but despite all this, he stands by his honesty, duties and judgement when time requires. He is shown dead partially satisfied and partially unsatisfied.

Education Blob's Revenge

I wrote recently how teachers unions, parent-teacher associations and school bureaucrats form an education "Blob" that makes it hard to improve schools. They also take revenge on those who work around the Blob.

Here's one more sad example:

Ben Chavis, founder and principal of the American Indian Public Charter Schools, got permission to compete with the Blob in Oakland, Calif. Chavis vowed, "We'll outperform the other schools in five years." He did. Kids at the three schools he runs now have some of the highest test scores in California.

His schools excel even though the government spends less on them.

But Chavis paid his wife to do accounting work, rented property to his schools and didn't follow all of the Blob's rules. So last month, the Oakland School Board said it might close the schools.

Parents and students begged the Blob — pardon me, the school board — not to. One sobbing mother pleaded with the board: "As soon as (my son) goes to this school, he's a top student. ... And now you guys want to take that away from me." Many students implored, "Please don't close down our school!"

The school board voted to close the schools anyway.

The students will now probably have to go to Oakland's government-run schools, which are not as good. We asked to talk to members of the Oakland School Board, but they refused.

Chavis, though, explained how working with his wife and renting space to the schools — regarded by the board as too incestuous — saved government money.

"Yes. Some of the money did go to me," he told me. "Someone had to step up and get space. We had 34 kids when I started. Today, we have 1,200."

Despite all that new staff, test scores stayed flat.

At least there are a few signs of hope. Remember the union protests at the Wisconsin state capitol two years ago? The union there eventually lost its fight to stop Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker from limiting collective bargaining. Now they can bargain over pay but little else. Contracts negotiations that used to take years are sometimes resolved in 15 minutes.

Union membership is no longer automatic but has to be renewed annually by individual members, voluntarily. The result: Teachers unions lost about a third of their members.

I expected that but had no idea that some of the savings in Wisconsin would come from ending the union's monopoly on health insurance. The union had demanded that its members buy insurance from a company the union created. Allowing other insurers to compete lowered insurance costs so much that Wisconsin has saved tens of millions of dollars.

Village Life vs City Life

It is a firm belief on the part of people that there is a big difference between village life and city life. It is absolutely true that the life in a village and that in a city varies so much that the difference is glaring at times.

In fact it can very well be said that people living in cities are different from people living in villages. It is normal feeling amongst us that city life is more enjoyable than village life. It is only an assumption. City life is endowed with a lot of advantages. This is because of the fact that there are a number of opportunities open to you in a city. City life is provided with a lot of facilities too.

You would not find many facilities and opportunities in a village. Parents would be happy to send their children to cities for higher studies rather than to villages. Cities are endowed with quality higher education institutions whereas villages are not endowed with high quality colleges and universities.

In addition to schools and colleges, city life is preferred for improved medical facilities. If someone falls ill in the family, you tend to take him or her to a popular hospital in a city since villages are not equipped with the best of medical attention. The number of hospitals in a city and the facilities are far more when compared to that in a village. A city has banks, cinema theaters, parks, golf courses, sports stadiums, clubs, hostels and shopping malls.

The behavior of people in a city is different from that of the people in a village. People in a city are generally unfriendly and they maintain distant from others. The people in villages on the other hand are warm-hearted and friendly. Villagers receive you well where as city-dwellers tend to be within doors. People in villages are very helpful in nature whereas people living in cities tend to be more selfish in their attitude.

A city is characterized by various kinds of pollution such as noise pollution, visual pollution and air..

Future of Journalism in Odisha

Present status of media in Odisha can be summed up in one sentence, with apology to
Charles Dickens (A Tale of Two Cities): ‘It is the best of the times; it is the worst of
the times’.
Looking from the reach, access and use the mood of media in Odisha is buoyant. In
fact, news media in Odisha never had it so good. Odia Newspaper readership is
growing at one of the fastest rate in India. There has been both horizontal and vertical
growth. National Readership Survey (NRS) 2006 figures for Odia media reveal that
the total readership has crossed 1 crore. Three leading papers: Sambad, Samaja and
Dharitri together have close to 55-lakh readerships. Sambad leads the readership with
20.39 lakh readership followed by Samaja (18.97 lakh) and Dharitri (14.45 lakh)
[Source: NRS-2005/v-3.00, NRS- 2006/V-1.00. Readership in lakh]. Number of
newspapers and periodicals has increased substantially. At the end of 1964 there were
70 papers published in Odia language (four dailies, nine weeklies, 38 monthlies and
19 other periodicals). By end 2010 there were as many as 52 dailies approved by the
I&PR Department of Odisha. Major newspapers of Odisha are on expansion spree.
Almost all the major newspapers are publishing multiple and muti-location editions.
New TV Channels are coming up. In 2009 as many as four 24x7 Odia satellite
channels made their entry. Existing ones like Doordarshan, E-TV (Odia) and O-TV
are beefing up their programmes. Net penetration, access and use are increasing.
Number of web-based publications is also growing. Mobile phones are almost
ubiquitous in all parts of Odisha. Media houses are embracing state of the art
technology. Convergence of technology is fuelling diversification in existing media
houses. Technology, increasing literacy and readership, greater competition and
aggressive marketing are transforming the media scene in Odisha from placid
monochromatic frame to a hyperactive, techni-colour one at a rate never seen before.
It is best of the times.
But looking from other angles — the quality of journalism, the issues being covered,
the impact, financial status of the journalists, their safety and security, ethics, press
freedom — the situation does not look rosy. Many believe it has deteriorated in
comparison to say twenty years before. With media becoming more capital intensive
and market oriented — the diverse voice is finding it increasingly difficult to survive.
Serious issues are not finding their due space/time. News is being commoditized.
Sensationalism is rampant. Trivialization is increasingly being accepted as the rule.
With media ownership becoming increasingly monopolized, press freedom is in
danger from within. Journalists are more insecure now. They face double insecurity
— insecurity arising from the intimidation of outside forces irked by his/her report
and job insecurity. More and more journalists are hired on contract now. Scarcity of
job forces many to accept the contract on the owner’s term. Envelope journalism
(money for news) is rampant. Corruption, many veteran journalists say, has reached
new low. It is the worst of the times.

about Photo journalism

Photo journalism is a particular form of journalism (the collecting, editing, and presenting of news material for publication or broadcast) that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (i.e., documentary photography, social documentary photography, street photography or celebrity photography) by complying with a rigid ethical framework which demands that the work is both honest and impartial whilst telling the story in strictly journalistic terms. Photojournalists create pictures that contribute to the news media.

    Foundations

The practice of illustrating news stories with photographs was made possible by printing and photography innovations that occurred between 1880 and 1897. While newsworthy events were photographed as early as the 1850s, printing presses could only publish from engravings until the 1880s. Early news photographs required that photos be re-interpreted by an engraver before they could be published. Train wrecks and city fires were a popular subject in these early days.^[1]

In 1847, an unknown photographer took daguerreotypes of the U.S. troops in Satilo, Mexico, during the Mexican-American War.^[2][1][3] The first known photojournalist was Carol Szathmari (Romanian painter, lithographer, and photographer) who did pictures in the Crimean War (between Russia and Ottoman Empire, 1853 to 1856). His albums were sent to European royals houses^{[citation needed]}. Just a few of his photographs survived. William Simpson of the Illustrated London News and Roger Fenton were published as engravings. Similarly, the American Civil War photographs of Mathew Brady were engraved before publication in Harper's Weekly. Because the public craved more realistic representations of news stories, it was common for newsworthy photographs to be exhibited in galleries or to be copied photographically in limited numbers.

On March 4, 1880, The Daily Graphic (New York)^[4] published the first halftone (rather than engraved) reproduction of a news photograph. In 1887, flash powder was invented, enabling journalists such as Jacob Riis to photograph informal subjects indoors, which led to the landmark work How the Other Half Lives.^[5] By 1897, it became possible to reproduce halftone photographs on printing presses running at full speed.^[6]

In France, agencies such as Rol, Branger and Chusseau-Flaviens (ca. 1880-1910) syndicated photographs from around the world to meet the need for timely new illustration.^[7]. Despite these innovations, limitations remained, and many of the sensational newspaper and magazine stories in the period from 1897 to 1927, (see Yellow Journalism) were illustrated with engravings. In 1921, the wirephoto made it possible to transmit pictures almost as quickly as news itself could travel. However, it was not until development of the commercial 35mm Leica camera in 1925, and the first flash bulbs between 1927 and 1930 that all the elements were in place for a "golden age" of photojournalism.

Kids & Teens

6 Year Old Alam My Hero, Says Mum

Just as he was getting ready for school his mom collapsed right in front of his eyes.

But 6 year old Owen Stanley didn’t panic. Instead, he called emergency services which rushed an ambulance to help out.

“I’ve not been so well for a couple of months, then came down with a bug on Sunday, which didn’t help.

When I got up on Monday, I didn’t feel well at all and knew something was going to happen. I kept asking Owen ‘have you got mummy’s phone?’ ‘Mummy doesn’t feel very well’, as I felt myself getting worse.

The next thing I knew I was waking up in hospital. Apparently I had collapsed and Owen, just in his underpants went running across to my neighbour saying his mummy needs an ambulance.

It was she who called for help. Owen was so brave and didn’t cry or panic.

But the fact that he knew what to do is amazing and I have never explained what to do in those situations. It’s scary enough for me in that situation, let alone a little boy. I’m just so proud of him.”
– Deborah Stanley, 32

Deborah’s blood sugar and blood pressure had been extremely low and her body had gone into shock.

She’s expected to recover enough to attend a Mother’s Day school project.

Second phase of polling begins for Jharkhand Assembly

Polling began on Tuesday at 7 a.m. in 20 Maoist-affected constituencies amid tight security in the second phase of Assembly election to the Jharkhand Assembly, with polling personnel airdropped in the remote parts of the state.

An electorate of 44,31,900, including 21,72,982 women, is eligible to vote in 5,048 polling stations across seven districts to elect 223 candidates, said Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer P.K. Jajoria.

There are 35 women among the candidates with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, BJP and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) nominating four women each.

Polling began at 7 am in all 20 constituencies. While it will end at 5 am at Jamshedpur (West) and Jamshedpur (East) seats, the exercise will end at 3 pm in the rest of the seats, Jajoria said.

Inspector-General of Police M.L. Meena said there were 1,424 supersensitive and 2,048 sensitive polling stations and added that polling personnel were airlifted to remote areas to be brought back by air after the polling.

The November 25 first phase election covering 13 Maoist-affected constituencies had ended peacefully, recording 62 per cent votes.

In this phase, RJD and JD(U) are not in the fray.

Prominent among the candidates are incumbent Agriculture minister Banna Gupta (Jamshedpur —West), HRD minister Geetashree Oraon (Sisai) and Industry minister Champai Soren (Seraikella).

Former chief ministers Arjun Munda and Madhu Koda are the other figures trying their luck.

Former IAS officer J B Tubid, who took voluntary retirement to join the BJP, is contesting from Chaibasa, while former MLA Surya Singh Besra is fighting from the Potka seat.

Union minister Jyoti 'regrets' controversial speech, offers apology

The opposition raised the issue in Parliament on Tuesday and demanded the sacking of Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti for the use of foul language. "It shows narrow-mindedness of BJP, such statement has never been made in history of democracy before," said Congress leader Ashwani Kumar.

Following the uproar Jyoti said, "I regret for the comments I gave outside the House. I take back my words. If the house demands , I am ready to even apologise."

At an election campaign on Monday, Jyoti had asserted her point, while convincing people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party, she added that those who do not believe in this ideology, do not belong to India. "You have to decide. Do you want a government of Ramzaadon (followers of Ram) or 'expletive'?" she said.

She heaped praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efficient working style. "Narendra Modi's mantra is not to indulge in corruption and not let others to be a part of it," she said.

She later told ANI, "I did not take name of any particular individual, community or party. My comment was directed at those who live in India and don't consider themselves Indian."

Niranjan Jyoti, minister of state for food processing industries in the Narendra Modi-led government, is a leader who helped BJP make inroads among the Dalit and backward classes in the politically-crucial state of Uttar Pradesh. She is among the six BJP MPs drafted into the party's campaign for the Delhi polls due early next year.

Jyoti also took digs at Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son-in-law Robert Vadra, who has been accused of making controversial land deals.

"The son of an ordinary family, who sold utensils - Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law - how did this man become a millionaire? They robbed the poor."

When asked her about the abusive remarks, she was defiant. "What else do you call people who loot the nation...those who steal from the people and stash it in foreign banks? You tell me what we should call them," she told reporters.

Former Maharashtra CM Antulay dies in Mumbai

Former Maharashtra chief minister AR Antulay died in a Mumbai hospital on Tuesday after a long spell of illness. He was 85. 
 
The veteran Congress leader had been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital around a month ago for severe kidney ailment. He had renal failure a year-and-a-half ago.
 
Antulay had been a heart patient for years. He underwent a bypass surgery in 1985 and a pacemaker was fitted in 1993.
 
Doctors had told his family that he was not in a condition to undergo a kidney transplant.
 
Senior Congress leaders, who were in city to attend party leader Murli Deora's funeral, had visited Antulay in the hospital on Monday.

36 feared dead in Kenya attack: Red Cross

At least 36 people are feared dead after gunmen staged a fresh attack on a quarry in northeast Kenya, the Red Cross said Tuesday, the latest in a series of attacks.

The incident overnight Monday to Tuesday took place some 15 kilometres (10 miles) from the remote town of Mandera and close to the dangerous border with war-torn Somalia, where the al-Qaeda-affiliated Shebab and other militia have carried out a string of raids.

The quarry killings follow a separate attack Monday night in the town of Wajir, which left one person dead and 12 wounded when gunmen hurled grenades and sprayed a bar with bullets.

"Our team is on the ground undertaking assessments of the attack," the Kenya Red Cross said Tuesday. The attack in Mandera is close to where Islamists last month executed 28 non-Muslims who were grabbed from a bus. The Shehab said the bus attack was carried out in revenge for police raids on mosques in Kenya's key port of Mombasa.

Kenya has suffered a series of attacks since invading Somalia in 2011 to attack the Shebab. Kenyan forces have since joined an African Union force battling the Islamists. No one has so far claimed responsibility for either of the attacks Monday night.

Several key unions including for civil servants have warned members to leave the restive northeast until the government can ensure their safety. Professionals working in the largely Muslim and ethnic Somali northeastern regions often come from further south in Kenya, where Christians make up about 80 percent of the population.

On Sunday, Kenyan media reported that the embattled interior minister and police chief may soon be sacked over "repeated lapses" in security following a wave of attacks.

Both officials mentioned in the report have been under fire since last year's attack by the Shebab against the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, in which at least 67 people were killed in a siege involving just four gunmen and which lasted four days.

Worries over internal security mounted when Shebab rebels massacred 100 people in a string of raids against villages in the Lamu region on the Kenyan coast in June and July

- See more at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/36-feared-dead-in-northeast-kenya-attack-red-cross/article1-1292323.aspx#sthash.PaRr4aDT.dpuf