Covid-19 or otherwise, whether schools remain closed yet for another year or remain open, all of us, especially the young students who have experienced the loving care and affection of their teachers for years together will always specially think of them on Teachers’ Day, celebrated annually on September 5, set aside to express our gratitude for making them what we are today to a very great extent. The day provides all of us, whether we are students or parents or have even become teachers today, a unique opportunity to appreciate them and tell them that they are precious to us, and that we shall never forget them in our lives.

Our country has always held teachers in very high esteem; the Mahabharata has many classic examples of this. Acharya (the royal teacher) was always considered an integral part of the royal household. His advice was always sought before the king took any important decision, and his word often prevailed over others. No one ordinarily questioned his moral authority.

Rabindranath Tagore was affectionately called Gurudev by his disciples, and sure Tagore liked it. Even today, in many circles he is referred to as Gurudev, and not so much as a writer, which he was by any standard.

Subscribe to The Teenager Today print / digital editions to read the full article.

The post Teachers, you are precious to us! appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Together with Neeraj, we salute Mirabai Chanu, as well, who won the first medal for India at Tokyo 2020 on the very opening day, P. V. Sindhu, the first Indian female athlete who won a medal in two consecutive Olympics (Sindhu was featured on our cover in October 2017). We also salute Lovlina Borgohain, Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Bajrang Punia, and of course, our men’s hockey team. You have done India and all of us really proud! Hats off to each one of you!

These young athletes have brought home 7 medals (1 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze) which, as Gp. Capt. Achchyut Kumar points out in his cover story, accounts for a remarkable 20% of the total number of medals India has won till date. A tally of 7 medals in a single Olympics is the biggest harvest of medals India has ever had, improving upon the two silver and four bronze medals won at the 2012 London Olympics. They have really infused fresh hope in to the minds of all who now look up to 2024 Paris Olympics for a greater harvest of medals!

Though our women’s hockey team missed getting a medal, our girls did an excellent job under the captaincy of Rani Rampal, particularly in defeating team Australia considered to be far more superior to our team. They really deserve our applause, and it is heartening to see that the country has welcomed them back in that spirit. Cheerio girls! You have done your best, and The Teenager Today wishes you all the best in the 2024 Paris Olympics, hardly three years away. It is our firm hope that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the government of Orissa will continue to stand by them and that more private sponsors too will follow suit.

The post You’ve done India proud, hats off to you! appeared first on The Teenager Today.

“I am not a silent spectator…
I am part of the game and am prepared to pay the price whatever that be.”
— Fr Stan Swamy, SJ

Swamy did pay the price by giving his life for the people and the cause he loved, the way Jesus did, of whom the Bible says, “Having loved his own, he loved them to the very end. (Jn 13: 1). He loved (and lived for them) the marginalised tribals, and the Adivasis in Jharkhand and all across the country, till he died at the age of 84, on 5 July 2021, at the Holy Family Hospital, Bandra, Mumbai.

Stanislaus Lourduswamy was born on 26 April 1937 at Virgallur village in Trichy district of Tamil Nadu. Stan’s parents were ordinary peasants who had to work hard to keep the flame burning in the family kitchen, and to see to the education of their children. Swamy knew from his early childhood the struggles a family like his had to go through in life. He possibly also knew that it was even worse with many poor families in India, in particular, of the Adivasis and tribals, especially in north India.

So, he chose the Jamshedpur Province of the Jesuits when he decided to become a priest, as the Jamshedpur Province would give him more opportunities to serve the poor, the dalits and the marginalised tribals of the region.

The turning point

As part of his Jesuit training, Stan came to Chaibasa, now in Jharkhand, to live with and to directly experience the life of the “Ho” tribe there. It is what he saw and experienced there that led him to become in every sense of the word “the voice of the poor and marginalised tribals”. He academically qualified himself in Sociology, to serve them better, going for a one-year course in Sociology in Belgium. At the completion of the course, he was chosen to go for a doctoral degree in Sociology. But, Stan opted to return to Chaibasa, and work with the tribals. After a year of service there, he was sent to the Philippines to complete his priestly studies, and was ordained a Jesuit Priest, there.

A Priest, qualified in Sociology, Fr Stan was appointed Director of the Indian Social Institute, Bangalore, for a short period. He then returned to Chaibasa to once again involve himself fully in the mission he had initiated. He was given a place at the Agricultural Training Centre, Ranchi. He founded Bagaicha, an organisation to fight for the rights of the tribals, and to champion the cause of the Adivasis, fighting for their rights guaranteed by the Constitution. This did not sit well with the powers that be, the landlords of the place and the industrialists, who had their eyes set on the land of the defenceless tribals and Adivasis. These could easily garner support from both the Central and State governments, as well. Fr Stan soon became their common enemy.

Subscribe to The Teenager Today print / digital editions to read the full article.

The post Fr Stan Swamy: Martyr for tribal rights and true freedom appeared first on The Teenager Today.

In one of the latest issues of THE WEEK magazine, Ramesh Tawde, who participated in many athletic events with Milkha Singh, writes: “Milkha was not just an outstanding athlete, but a thorough gentleman and a very caring human being. In his death, I have lost a very dear friend.” Milkha Singh was “a very caring human being and a dear friend” not only to Ramesh Tawde but to everyone who had the opportunity to know him!

Born on 20 November 1929, at Govindpura in Muzzafargarh district of Punjab Province, now in Pakistan, Milkha’s education was restricted to just fifth standard. He had to flee to India, at the time of partition, to save his life, after both his parents were killed before his eyes. Frustrated with such tragedies in life, Milkha thought of becoming a dacoit; but his elder brother persuaded him to join the Army, which he did, in 1951. Joining the Army became the turning point in his life, and the strict training that he underwent at Secunderabad, and the encouragement he received from the kind officers gradually groomed him to be one of India’s best ever athletes.

Milkha Singh won his first gold medal in 200 and 400 metre runs at the National Games held at Cuttack, Orissa. In the same year, he also won gold at the Asian Games in Tokyo, and again at the Commonwealth Games. But, what really “immortalised” Milkha Singh was his performance at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Though he missed the Bronze just by a whisker, he set a new Indian National record that lasted for four decades.

His unique athletic achievements aside, the legendary athlete was blessed with a heart that bled for the less privileged, handicapped and poor. Though he had already four children (three daughters and a son), he adopted the seven-year-old son of Havildar Bikram Singh who died in the Kargil War. In 2003, he set up the Milkha Singh Trust to help poor and needy sportspersons. For sure, Milkha Singh was a very special athlete, an athlete with a big difference! Do turn to our cover story (pages 12 -14) and read lots more about Milkha Singh that you are yet to know.

The post An athlete with a big difference appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Being an earthquake-prone region, the Japanese build their houses with wood. Walls are constructed with wooden planks on all sides. One such house was being renovated, and as the carpenter began demolishing one of the side walls, he noticed a lizard caught between two planks, nailed to one of them. He understood that the lizard was nailed accidentally, when the house was being built, five years ago.

The carpenter was curious to know how the lizard kept itself alive for so long. He didn’t have to wait. Soon, another lizard appeared with some food in its mouth, and started feeding the trapped one. Moreover, he saw that the lizard was religiously doing the rounds this way, every other hour, and that kept the nailed lizard alive all these years! Really amazing!!

Close to my office, we have a few love birds, kept in a large cage. I enjoy visiting them and “speaking” to them a few times everyday. I take care of their feed and provide them fresh water, daily. Gradually, the birds and I have developed a close bond.

One evening, I heard one of them “crying” for long in an unusual tone and went to see why. The bird went on crying for a few seconds more and then flew towards the small pot kept tied to a corner of the cage, and started wailing again. Surprised, I looked around and found another bird trapped in the little space between the mesh of the cage and the pot, by now half dead! I took it out, and brought it to my office. After nursing it the best way I could, I left the bird on my table with the fan on, and went to my room expecting it to have a happy death.

Interestingly, the contrary happened; as I reached the office in the morning I saw the bird nearly recovered and trying to move on the table. I happily left her back in the cage among her friends, and today she is hale and hearty, and will hopefully begin to lay eggs, shortly!

The lizard who kept the hapless companion alive for five long years by bringing him food, and the love bird that wailed aloud calling my attention to the endangered one are truly life-savers in their own way! The present issue of The Teenager Today brings you some very special people, with hearts larger than life, doing that. Turn to two of the articles on pages 34 &50 to meet them. Be part of them in your own way and in your own surroundings. Let’s be life-savers like them, and not onlookers! The Teenager Today wishes you all the best.

The post With hearts larger than life! appeared first on The Teenager Today.

18-year-old Alfiya Pathan, a Std. XII student of Pallotti School, Nagpur, has brought laurels to her school, her family and to Nagpur as she returned to the city after winning gold at the World Youth Boxing Championship organised by the International Boxing Association, held on 22 April this year, at Kielce, in Poland. Alfiya won gold, defeating the European Youth Champion Daria Kozorez of Moldova, 5-0 in the final.

A determined Alfiya told reporters the day before the finals in Poland: “I’m very focussed. I know this is a historic fight. I‘m going to let people know that women’s boxing is as exciting as that of men.” She showed the world the next day that she meant every word of what she said!

Daughter of Akram Pathan, an employee with the Nagpur Police, Alfiya had been on a medal-winning spree since 2016, when she took silver in the 80 kg event at the National School Games, and added gold at the Khelo India Games and at the Junior Nationals. In 2019, she won gold at the Asian Junior Girls Championship, beating Kazakhstan’s Diana Magauyayeva 4-1.

Alfiya has been training ever since she was 13 under Mr Ganesh Purohit. Purohit says, “Alfiya is a very talented boxer and a good athlete. She is strong and fast; sleek and smooth, she has got all the tools she needs… She has a keen eye for spotting her opponent’s soft spots, and uses it to her advantage. Though she is only a junior, she has all the pre-requisites for athletic stardom.”

Moin Qazi met Alfiya on her return from Poland, for The Teenager Today, and has sent us the cover story that we bring you in this issue. The Teenager Today feels highly privileged to feature Alfiya, “Nagpur’s Dream Girl,” on our cover this month. Well done, Alfiya! The Teenager Today is very proud of you!

The post On her way to athletic stardom! appeared first on The Teenager Today.

World Athletics Day was established in 1996 by the International Amateur Athletic Federation in order: a) “to popularise sports among the youth, b) to increase public awareness about sports, and educate young people of its importance, and c) to establish a strong link between the youth, sports and environment conservation.”

The International Amateur Athletic Federation, the world governing body for Sports and Field Athletics, was founded in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 17, 1912, its counterpart in India being the Athletic Federation of India (AFI), affiliated to IAAF, and to the Indian Olympic Association.

To coincide with World Athletics Day, keeping in mind its primary objectives, The Teenager Today brings you, this month, a less-known game in India, Polo, and one of the game’s greatest proponents, Lt Col. Faiz Siddiqui. Group Capt. Achchyut Kumar met Lt Col. Siddiqui at his residence at Allahabad (Prayagraj) on behalf of The Teenager Today in an informal chat for our cover story. I’m sure you’ll not only enjoy reading the article, but some of you might as well take to Polo. Lt Col. Siddiqui will be more than happy and be willing to help you.

Polo originated in Manipur (India) where it is known as Sagol Kangjei or Pulu. In the absence of well-bred horses, the game was played there on ponies. The tea planters brought it to Calcutta, from where the British took the game to their country, and refined it by replacing ponies with horses. Today, Argentina is considered to be the home of the best Polo players, with horses specially bred for the game.

With the intent to bring Polo, in its pristine glory, to India, Siddiqui began practising the game for eight hours a day, then took up a special 10-day coaching in Mumbai from Mr Manupal Godra. In 2010, he went to Argentina for a two-month course where besides improving his riding skills, he learned the art of training horses and how they are bred for playing polo.

Returning to India, he began coaching students and authored his now popular book, Keep Calm And Ride On, possibly the only book on horse riding written by any Indian author. But, Lt Col. Siddiqui remains a committed soldier who says, “Polo and horse riding are only my hobbies; my duty towards nation comes first!” Turn to page 13, and see how dutifully he manages to divide his time between the two.

The post Bringing Polo back to its roots appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Easter is the most important feast day of the Christian calendar though Christmas — the feast which commemorates the birth of Christ — is celebrated with greater pomp and show all over the world. Easter is the first and perhaps the only feast the early Christians knew till about the end of the 2nd century. The joy of Easter involves the greatest mystery of Christian faith — it is the day on which Christ conquered sin and death and rose alive in glory from the tomb where he had been buried on Good Friday.

Easter invariably falls on a Sunday — the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox. The equinox is the time when the sun crosses the equator and makes the day and the night of equal length. In the first half of the year this usually occurs about March 21; so, Easter cannot come earlier than March 22 and later than April 25. This year, Easter falls on April 4.

Origins

The word ‘Easter’ is believed to have been derived from the name of the goddess of spring, Eostra. A festival was celebrated in her honour every year in April. With the coming of Christianity the old gods were set side. Instead, this festival came to be celebrated in commemoration of the resurrection (rising from the dead) of Christ. The coming of spring with its bright sunshine and beautiful flowers has always been the cause of great joy. No wonder then that this festival celebrating the sun’s reappearance from its wintry grave has been transformed into the Christian feast of the rising of Christ from the dead.

Subscribe to The Teenager Today print / digital editions to read the full article.

The post Easter: Festival of Joy and Hope appeared first on The Teenager Today.

But the human spirit refuses to be cowed down before tragedies and calamities of any magnitude, though we cannot perhaps prevent them from happening to us, or from leaving their marks on our bodies and minds. History unfolds before us hundreds of such stories of human courage, determination and bravery.

The Teenager Today brings you, this month, one such unparalleled story of a courageous young girl (born on July 20, 1989), Arunima Sinha from Uttar Pradesh, who has shown the world that most tragedies can be turned into blessings, and disabilities, inborn or otherwise, can be turned into abilities. All what is needed, she says, is “a strong will-power and the determination to go on despite the obstacles we face on our way.”

It was April 11, 2011. Arunima, then a volleyball player of national stature, was travelling from Lucknow to New Delhi by Padmavati Express for an interview called by the Indian Army. Halfway through the journey, robbers entered the train and attacked the passengers. Their eyes fell on the necklace Arunima wore, and they tried to snatch it from her. She resisted, but they overpowered her and pushed her out of the running train. She fell onto the adjacent track, and before she could even breathe, an incoming train ran over her and crushed her left leg. The doctors had to amputate it to save her life, and gave her a set of crutches to walk on for life, which ended her dreams of an Army job and a possible volleyball captaincy!

But Arunima was not prepared to give up. Remaining in her hospital bed she began dreaming of climbing Everest, the highest Himalayan peak. Once out of the hospital, much against the advice of her doctors, she put aside her crutches and began to walk free in pursuance of her new dream, which came true on May 12, 2013, when she reached Everest, becoming the first Indian amputee to climb Mount Everest!

There is so much more to the Arunima story; do turn to page 12, and convince yourself that nothing is impossible for the one with a steely determination and indomitable courage!

The post Will-power and determination: Keys to real success appeared first on The Teenager Today.

In the recently-held civic elections, Arya Rajendran, a student activist from her young days, was fielded by the Communist Party of India (CPM) in the Madavanmugal ward constituency which she won with a large majority. Arya was later elected Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. She holds the unique distinction of being the youngest Mayor in India. Arya was only 21 years, when elected. She turned 22 on January 12, this year.

More striking is the fact that Arya continues to be a student of All Saints College, Thiruvananthapuram, managed by the Congregation of Carmelite Religious (see pgs 14 & 15). The Teenager Today is deeply grateful to the management of the College, headed by Mother Mary Frances, and the staff for making an exclusive interview with Arya possible for us, soon after her swearing-in as Mayor.

The Teenager Today also congratulates the city Corporators for electing young Arya Rajendran as the Mayor, creating history and also setting an example before our political class who often refuses to gracefully pass on the mantle they don to the next generation who can possibly handle the responsibilities better, today. (See also the Sports column).

Arya has clear views on students entering politics, and on other issues involving students. “If education is about understanding the society we live in, addressing the challenges and finding ways to tackle the problems we face, there is no better way than having a deep sense of political awareness. In a democratic society like ours, how can the students be kept away from politics? However, students should receive guidance from their families and Institutions how to manage study and politics together well. Running away from politics is never the solution!”

But Arya affirms: “I do not condone violence of any sort or unlawful activities like the destruction of public property, exploitation of gullible people, breeding fanaticism in the name of politics, religion, etc. Students should understand well the problems the country faces, and address them through democratic and peaceful means!”

Arya Rajendran has mastered the art of striking the right balance between her studies and other activities and responsibilities she is committed to, in the process of reaching where she is today. Young students in the country can look up to her and learn from her how to ably handle the conflicting situations they often have to face in their lives, without compromising either.

The post Striking the right balance appeared first on The Teenager Today.