140 items in this section. Displaying page 14 of 14
The Emperor and the Zebra
This is a tale almost 400 years old. Mughal emperor Jehangir’s zoo had a brand new visitor — the zebra. And the emperor could not believe his eyes at the sight of this unusual, striped animal. So surprised was he that he wrote about it in his memoirs. He spoke of it as a very strange animal. So strange that some people imagined that the animal’s stripes had been painted! The emperor decided to find out whether the zebra was indeed coloured or not....
The Chief Minister and the Butterfly
Where: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India July 1, 2000: Indian politicians are mighty people, especially when they are in power. Even Nature trembles before their arrogant minds. Some years ago, when India was ruled by a Congress-I government, its environment minister decided to build a guest house in Manali. Why not, you may ask. It’s a nice place. But there was one small problem – he wanted to have the course of a river changed so that he could have his guesthouse exactly where he wanted it....
A Tale of Two Wonders
Where: USA and India June 24, 2000: In the first week of June, Indian newspapers wrote about two very different kinds of success stories. Both involved youngsters — one 12 year old and another teenaged boy. One was in the United States, the other was in Madurai (Tamil Nadu), India. But both proved that their success had very little to do with the education system. It had more to do with their desires and determination....
Where Guns rule
Where: The state of Texas, USA May 19, 2001: In yet another shocking incident of firearms violence in US schools, 16-year-old student Jay Goodwin shot himself to death before the eyes of a teacher and female student, at the Ennis High School, in Goodwin, Texas. The incident happened just two days after the march of mothers and grandmothers in the US capital, Washington DC, to demand that the government pass stricter gun control laws to protect children in the world’s most violent and gun happy society....
Making Light of Darkness
May 11: Till five years ago, the Male Kudi tribals of Kodyadi, in the Western Ghats in Mangalore, lived in darkness. The government had never switched on to their needs. But now, thanks to their leader, Elyanna, the first graduate in the tribe, they have invented an ingenious method of electrifying their village – and their achievement has electrified the nation. In 1995, when Elyanna returned from his educational stint at Ujire, his mind was teeming with ideas....
Orissa Police's Feathered Force is Dying
July 1: The news is that a mysterious disease has killed 35 valuable members of the Orissa’s police service. They are all pigeons. The first of the deaths took place in March in Puri district. Twenty-four more pigeons died soon after, in Cuttack district. They experienced long drowsy spells before dying. The veterinary doctors who examined them said that the mysterious disease could be just the sweltering heat. Pigeons? In this day and age? Yes, Orissa is the only state in India whose police force still employs pigeons as message carriers....
They Make you Swallow a Fish for a Herbal Cure
As the northwest monsoon strikes India in the first week of June, people from all parts of India, and abroad, make a beeline for Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh. They all have one thing in common: they suffer from the disease of asthma and gather in Hyderabad for a unique herbal cure. The medicine is stuffed inside the mouth of a three-inch live murrel fish which the patient is made to swallow. Once inside the body, the fish releases the medicine....
A Show of Endurance
A Show of Endurance [Illustration by Shiju George] October 22: The newspaper photograph showed Japanese swimmer Kei Miyamoto’s body finely arched at the starting point as he prepared to slice into the Olympic pool at the Sydney Aquatic Centre. And then I noticed it. He had no arms. Kei was practicing for the Paralympic Games, just as wheelchair-bound track athletes and sportspersons bearing the loss of an arm or limb with practiced ease, went through their paces for the 11-day event for the physically challenged that is going on in Sydney at present....
When a Whacky King Turned Serious
As a young emperor, Akbar seems to have had a whacky sense of fun. Since he was very fond of cock fights, he once announced that anyone coming to see him must bring a fighting cock with him. One person who got a real taste of Akbar’s sense of humour was the governor of Punjab, Shamsudin Atka. He was on his way to meet the emperor when he received an order from Akbar that he should have his head shaved....
From Kitchen Cabinet to State Cabinet?
May 11: From the kitchen floor of the house to the Floor of the House or State Legislative Assembly – that is the distance Lakshmi Parui is hoping to cover. A widow in her late 50s, who supported herself by working as a domestic help in semi-urban Balagarh till a few weeks ago, she contested the West Bengal state elections on May 10. She has contested the elections as an ally of Mamta ‘Di’, leader of the Trinamool Congress....
- ❮ Previous
- Next ❯