കൊറോണക്കാലത്തിന്റെ രസതന്ത്രം: Dr. Jinu George, Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry.

ഉലകം ചുറ്റി ഈ കൊച്ചു മലയാളക്കരയിലേക്കു വരാൻ അധിക കാലം ഒന്നും വേണ്ടി വന്നില്ല, ഈ ഇത്തിരിക്കുഞ്ഞന്! അതെ, പറഞ്ഞു വരുന്നത് കൊറോണ വൈറസിനെ പറ്റി തന്നെ!

2020 മാർച്ചു മാസം 11 നു ആണ് COVID -19 നെ ഒരു ഭീകരൻ ആയി ലോകാരോഗ്യ സംഘടനാ പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചത്- 'പാൻഡെമിക്' 

വൈറസുകളുടെ രസതന്ത്രം

വവ്വാലുകളിൽ  നിന്നെന്നു കരുതപ്പെടുന്ന ബീറ്റാ കൊറോണ വൈറസ് ജനുസുകളിൽ പെട്ട ഈ സൂക്ഷ്മ ജീവികൾ ദിവസങ്ങൾക്കകം അകത്തളത്തിൽ ബന്ധനത്തിൽ ആക്കിയത്, ലോകത്തെ മുഴുവൻ! കൊടും ഭീകരൻ...

അനേകതരം പ്രോട്ടീനുകളാൽ  കൊമ്പും കുഴലും വച്ച് അതി സുന്ദരനാണീ സൂക്ഷ്മ അതികായൻ..അവയുടെ ലോകത്തേക്കെത്തി നോക്കിയാൽ...

എൻവലപ്   പ്രോട്ടീനും  സ്പൈക്ക് പ്രോട്ടീനും  ചുറ്റും കളം  മെഴുകിയിരിക്കുന്നു,  അവന്റെ സ്വത്വമായ ന്യൂക്‌ളിയോ കാപ്‌സൈഡ് പ്രോട്ടീൻ ആർ എൻ എ ക്കു ചുറ്റും...അവരാണെങ്കിലോ മുത്തുമണികൾ മാലയിലെന്ന പോലെ കോർക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു, ഈ വൈറൽ   ജീനോമിലേക്കു.

കാല്പനികമായി  പറഞ്ഞാൽ, ഇരയുടെ ശരീരത്തിലേക്ക് (ഹോസ്റ്റ് റിസെപ്റ്റർ) ആഴ്ന്നിറങ്ങുന്നതു സ്പൈക്ക് പ്രോടീനുകളാണ്,  ഇവയുടെ ചുറ്റും ഏറ്റവും പുറമെ കാണുന്ന (കുഴലുകളായി രേഖാ ചിത്രങ്ങളിൽ കാണുന്ന) സക്കിങ് ഹാൻഡ്‌സ്. H E എന്ന് ചുരുക്ക പേരുള്ള ഹീമാഗ്ല്റ്റിനിൻ esterase ടൈമർ പ്രോട്ടീനുകൾ, ശരീര സ്രവങ്ങളിലൂടെ കോശങ്ങളിലേക്കുള്ള ആഗമനത്തിനു ഫുൾ എൻട്രി കൊടുക്കുന്നു- ഭയങ്കരന്മാർ!

വൈറസിനെ തളക്കുന്ന രസതന്ത്രം-ശുഭപ്രതീക്ഷ

ഈ ഭീകരന്മാരുടെ ശരീര ശാസ്ത്രം മുതൽ ഇവക്കെതിരെ പോരാടുന്നതിനുള്ള വാക്സിനുകൾ/ തെറാപ്പികൾ  വികസിപ്പിക്കുന്നതിൽ വരെ രസതന്ത്രത്തിനു അനിവാര്യമായ  ഒരു റോൾ ഉണ്ടെന്നതിൽ യാതൊരു തർക്കവുമില്ല..

ഇപ്പോൾ രോഗികളിൽ ഒരു പരിധി വരെ ഫലപ്രദമെന്ന് കണ്ട ക്ലോറോക്വിനും ഹൈഡ്രോ‌ക്സീ ക്ലോറോക്വിനും പോലുള്ള ആന്റി മലേറിയൽ  മരുന്നുകളുടെ പേരുകൾ സാധാരണക്കാരുടെ നാവുകൾക്കു പോലും വഴങ്ങുന്നു... കെമിസ്ട്രി ജനകീയമായെന്നെ! എന്ന് ചായക്കട ചർച്ചകൾ ചാനലുകളിൽ ഒതുങ്ങി എങ്കിലും ഈ മരുന്നുകളുടെ കയറ്റുമതികൾ ചൂടേറിയ ചർച്ചകൾക്ക് വഴിയൊരുക്കി. കൊറോണ വൈറസുകളുടെ കുടുംബത്തിൽ പെട്ട സാർസ് വൈറസിന് 2003 ൽ ഇത് ഫലപ്രദം ആയതിനാൽ  കൂടി ആവാം ഇവക്കു ഇത്തവണ നറുക്കു വീണത്.

മരുന്നുകളുടെ രസതന്ത്രം

വൈറസ് നമ്മുടെ കോശങ്ങളിലേക്ക്  രംഗപ്രവേശം ചെയ്തു കഴിഞ്ഞാൽ ഉടൻ നമ്മുടെ സെല്ലുകൾ അവരാൽ  കബളിപ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ടുതുടങ്ങും.

നിത്യേന  അവർ ചെയ്യുന്ന ജോലികൾക്കു പകരം അവ എല്ലാം മാറ്റി വച്ച് ഈ വൈറസുകളുടെ അനേക മടങ്ങു പകർപ്പുകൾ നിർമ്മിക്കുന്ന   പ്രവർത്തനത്തിലേക്ക് അവർ സ്വമേധയാ വ്യാപൃതരാകുന്നു...എന്തൊരു ചതി ! ശ്വാസകോശ സെല്ലുകളാണ്  അവരുടെ ഇഷ്ട ഇടം അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ടാർഗറ്റ്. അവിടെ അവ ഇൻഫെക്ടഡ് ആയി വർധിച്ചു ആ സെല്ലുകളെ തകർത്തു തരിപ്പണമാക്കുന്നു..അങ്ങനെ രോഗി മരണത്തിന്റെ പാടി വാതിലിലേക്ക് ആനയിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു..

ശ്വസന സഹായികളും മേല്പറഞ്ഞ മരുന്നുകളും പിന്നെ ഡോക്ടർമാരുടെ വിദഗ്ദ്ധ ചികിത്സകളും സഹായിച്ച്  രോഗാവസ്ഥയിൽ നിന്നും മടങ്ങി വരുന്ന രോഗികൾക്ക് മറ്റു പാർശ്വ ഫലങ്ങൾ ഉണ്ടാവാതിരിക്കട്ടെ എന്ന് പ്രാർത്ഥിക്കാൻ മാത്രമേ കഴിയൂ ..

ലോക്‌ഡൗണിന്റെ രസതന്ത്രം

മാസം ഒന്നു കഴിഞ്ഞു  വീട്ടിൽ ഇരിക്കാൻ തുടങ്ങിയിട്ട്..ട്രോളുകളും കമന്റുകളും  ടാസ്കുകളും മാത്രമല്ല ലോക്‌ഡൗണിന്റെ സംഭാവന..

ചില കുടുംബ രസതന്ത്രങ്ങളുടെ വീണ്ടെടുപ്പ്..ചിലരുടെ കഴിവുകളുടെ രസതന്ത്രം..ഇനിയുമത് ചിലരിൽ നിറച്ചത് എൻഡോർഫിനുകൾ- A bundle of activity hormones -ഹാപ്പിനെസ്സ് ഹോർമോൺസ് എന്നും പറയാം..ഒരു നല്ല വ്യായാമം കഴിയുമ്പോൾ..നമുക്കൊന്ന് ഫ്രഷ് ആയി തോന്നാറില്ലേ?

മറ്റൊന്നുമല്ല, ആ നിമിഷം എൻഡോർഫിനുകളുടെ സൃഷ്ടി ആണ്. നല്ല ഒരു കോഫീ കുടിക്കുമ്പോൾ..ഒരു നല്ല സായന്തന കാഴ്ച്ചയിൽ മനസ് നിറയുമ്പോൾ ...

ഏറ്റവും പ്രിയപെട്ടവരുമായി സല്ലപിക്കുമ്പോൾ..എന്ന് വേണ്ടാ

സ്വന്തം  അടുക്കള തോട്ടത്തിലുണ്ടായ  ഫലം കൈയിലെടുക്കുമ്പോൾ..നമ്മുടെ ശരീരത്തിലേക്ക് സ്രവിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന സവിശേഷ ഹോർമോണുകൾ ആണിവ..

അതിജീവനത്തിന്റെ രസതന്ത്രം

ലോകമെങ്ങും പരന്ന ഈ വിഷ വിത്തുകൾ നിർവീര്യമാക്കുവാൻ ഒരു പക്ഷെ മാസങ്ങൾ എടുത്തേക്കാം.

എന്നാൽ,

അതിജീവനത്തിന്റെ

സ്ഥിരോത്സാഹത്തിന്റെ..

പ്രത്യാശയുടെ..

പ്രതീക്ഷയുടെ..

തിരിച്ചുപിടിക്കാമെന്ന വിശ്വാസത്തിന്റെ..

പരസ്പരം താങ്ങാകാമെന്ന ആത്മ ബലത്തിന്റെ,

വിത്തുകൾ മുളക്കേണ്ടത് നമ്മുടെ ഉള്ളിൽ തന്നെ!

ആ രസതന്ത്രം ലോകമെങ്ങും വർക്ക് ഔട്ട് ആകുമ്പോൾ നാം ഉണരുന്നത് പുതിയ ഭൂമിയിലേക്കാകും..ഓസോൺ വിള്ളലുകൾ സൗഖ്യമായ,

പൊല്യൂഷൻ ലെവൽ കുറഞ്ഞ .....

നമുക്കുംമറ്റെല്ലാ ജീവജാലങ്ങൾക്കും ബ്രീത്തിങ് സ്പേസ് ഉള്ള ഒരു പുതിയ ഭൂമി!

the  real  refreshed  earth  with  an  amazing  chemistry !

  

COVID DAYS – AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ENGAGING WITH ONESELF, WITH OTHERS, WITH THE PLANET AND WITH THE SUPREME SELF- J. Prasant Palakkappillil CMI

The world is facing an unprecedented crisis, as we are all aware, and are experiencing.  I have experienced riots which had forced us to remain within homes for a very long time, but this is unique in its being universal, with no one being spared, and we all are still going clueless as to how to tackle it.  Hence it is time for us to gear up for newer modes of learning and living. 1.       With Personal Self – Aham Brahamsmi It is difficult times, but a very rare opportunity.  It is ideal that some time is set apart for engaging with oneself. (i)                  Keeping fit - FIT INDIA– start with stay fit efforts within your homes – I can vouch for Yogic practices in this regard as excellent. You could get online instructions, if you are not already familiarised.  A certification in this regard will be really a value addition for you. (ii)                Have some useful courses done on-line – related to your basic programmes, related to your interest areas, or related to your future career.  It could be anything – yoga, art, improving hand-writing, making a vegetable garden, organic farming, cooking lessons… This is the opportune time to experiment with the yogic ideal of swadhyay (self-learning), which is also stated as ‘’one quarter of our learning should be by the disciple him/herself” (paadam shishya swamedhaya) (iii)               Healthy practices like spending some time for self reflection with or without the help of scriptures or with some japam. (iv)              Best practice in this regard would be to have a personal journal (diary) where every day one jots down what one achieved, what surprises of the day, what came as a gift or bonus, the joys and set backs of the day, one’s failure and a thought or dominant feeling of the day.  I felt glad because…. I felt bored …., I felt happy …., I felt ashamed…., I felt sad…., I felt angry …. Enabling one to have clarity regarding one’s feelings beyond thoughts. 2.       With Other selves – tattvam asi! (i)                  It is a rare opportunity for training in social skills by keeping ourselves away from others physically – physical/social distancing – staying home! Also getting used to the new needs of caution as a preventive measure – that of using masks so that we don’t become contaminators of the immediate environment; that we avoid the unhygienic practice of spitting around. (ii)                By enlisting ourselves for volunteering by registering on SANNADHAM portal of the government. 3.       With the Planetary Self (i)                  This is an ideal time to engage  oneself in the education of hands (3 Hs advocated by Bapuji – Head, Heart and Hand) – that we are able to engage ourselves with our planet by means of our hands (manual labour).  This is also a call by the nations of the world as Sustainable Development Goals – especially, Goal No. 12 – sustainable consumption and PRODUCTION.  Vegetables, microgreens etc. can be grown by you.  And I promise you, you will definitely enjoy that. (ii)                In this regard, also taking into account the scenario depicted by our CM, it is time that we seriously reflected on our basic call as stewards of earth (Gen. 2:26) to till the earth and produce.  Gandhiji would refer to it as gramswaraj where each village is self-sufficient as far as basic requirements are concerned. In this connection, one way to go about is to start planting tubers – kappa, chempu, chena, kaachil, kizhangu (cheru kizhangu, nana kizhangu, adathaap), koorka (tapioca, colocasia, elephant yam, yam, other tubers, African potato or plecranthus).  These will come handy, in case the lockdown continues.  These can be planted now (though it is a little late – kumbham is considered ideal time) either directly on earth or in some sort of grow bags (you could make use of paint containers/cartons etc.). It is better to avoid plastic grow bags as they generate further waste. (iii)               This is also a good time to start practising a wasteless life instead of the increasing trend of wasteful/waste generating life. This calls for simple personal decisions – like not to create waste, and more practically, to segregate waste into bio-degradable and non-biodegradable items. 4.       With the Transcendental Self (i)                  This is not drastically different from No. 1.  However, it will depend.  But, as a believer or as a non-believer, the effort is to relate oneself to the realms which are beyond us.  For a believer, this is more easily done – the unquenchable thirst within us is said to be realised only in our submerging into that greater self. (ii)                This is also a call for resources beyond our usual reach.  Reaching out to the source of strength within or above!! The COVID Days are times when we feel that in spite of all our technology and advancement, there are several small things that can make us stuck, make the whole world and the most powerful and the most influential people get stuck and succumb. (iii)               Where we raise our hearts in prayer, and ask as it goes in the first sura of Quran: “show us the straight way”!  Or as Jesus taught: Our father in heaven, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I pray with the ancient seers for our vasudha kutumbam: लोकाः समस्ता: सुखिनो भवन्तु सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिन: सर्वे सन्तु निरामया: सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चित् दुःख भाग भवेत्! -- J. Prasant (പ്രശാന്ത്) Palakkappillil CMI Ph. D Principal S.H. College, Thevara KOCHI 682013 - KERALAM INDIA www.shcollege.ac.in

Rudiments on ICTRP (International Clinical Trials Registry Platform)- Pius Augustine Ph.D,

Clinical trial and trial registration is to make available various research results on a particular medical issue to all those who are in need and in a way to assist the health care officials in decision making. This will make the research more scientific, ethical, transparent and dependable. It is the moral responsibility of the scientists to ensure that the research they carried out is ethically valid and reported to the authorized agency.

The clinical trial is a research study in which human participants or group of humans are involved in, to understand or establish a response to health-related interventions. Here intervention is a broad term: may include but not restricted to drugs, cells and other biological products, surgical procedures, radiologic procedures, devices, behavioral treatments, process-of-care changes, preventive care, etc.

Established or Internationally acceptable results of a clinical trial will be made available to the health workers or hospital staff to practice through a process called trial registration. This trial registration ensures that the pieces of evidence of the clinical trial are accessible and there is no bias or selective reporting in the publication process. ie. trial registration confirms the Declaration of Helsinki which states that "Every clinical trial must be registered in a publicly accessible database before recruitment of the first subject". Wastage of time and money on the duplication of the established or ongoing research will be checked/minimized and also the research collaborations can be facilitated through the process of trial registration. Also, the registration process attests to the quality of the clinical trials and locates the potential problems, if any in the research progress. 

Registration is not carried out with WHO or WHO ICTRP, but with anyone of the Primary Registries in the WHO registry network or International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)  approved registry. Clinical trial and registration formalities would vary from one country to the other and the entire process is expected to strictly abide by the regulations stipulated by the respective countries. The record of the registered clinical trial would be stored and managed using a database.  However, more than a database, broader terminology is ‘clinical trial registry’ which is an entity that houses the complete and accurate information of the registered clinical trials and is used for health care decision making.  

When the registration process is initiated, a trial number (early in the history of the trial) called UTN (Universal Trial Number) will be given to facilitate unambiguously identification of clinical trials. However, if the trial is not fully developed or does not recruit participants, UTN may not appear attached to a registered trial.

ICTRP is a global initiative which makes publicaly available all the clinical trials involving human beings. ICTRP was established in 2006 on demand by the countries to the World Health Assembly for: "a voluntary platform to link clinical trials registers in order to ensure a single point of access and the unambiguous identification of trials with a view to enhance the access to information by patients, families, patient groups and others"  Reference: WHO official site

 Assistant Professor,  Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Kochi. 

“The Ministry of Utmost Happiness”- Hanna

Book Review

One of the rewarding books that I have recently read is “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness” by
Arundhati Roy. The title of the book refers to is about, how happiness is perceived differently by
different people, which encase the whole idea that the novel deals with.

“The Ministry of Utmost Happiness” is a discursive novel, which can be categorized as a
contemporary literary fiction, that has two shores, one proceeds with Anjum, a hijra or trans-
woman, who is struggling hard to make a life for herself in Delhi, the other comes after S.Tilottama, an architect turned activist and the three men who fall in love with her.
The novel takes the reader from the story coming out from the neighborhoods of old Delhi into
the prosperous capital and beyond, to the valley of Kashmir and to the forests of central India. It
is at once a weeping love story and a firm protest against the discords in the society. The
protagonists mentioned in the stories are people who have been broken by the society they live
in.

The first part of the novel is Anjum’s story with a large cast of characters in it, in which each of
them have their own stories to tell. Anjum, born as Aftab, who is neither masculine nor feminine,
and is ignored by the society for being a trans-woman. Anjum’s story develops in a Khwabgah,
who later moves into a graveyard, where a community of outcasts band together.
The second story is that of Tilo, it actually encapsulates the life of the author, Arundhati Roy
itself. The story spools out the issues faced by her all through her life. It touches issues of caste,
religious hatreds, gender divisions, corruption etc. in it.

Both the plots have a common thread, as both Anjum and Tilottama, yearn to save a new born
baby, which depict the hardships faced by each women, who would love to raise their children in
a life free from conflicts plaguing India. The two stories carry a lot of meanings and metaphors
in it, that at some point made it difficult to comprehend.

Although, there are some flaws, like the vast line-up of characters, which made it a little bit
confusing, however, its strengths outweigh its weaknesses. The author has managed to paint a
beautiful portrait of love and hope for the misfits and outcasts, for whom India offers no home,
along with which it also unfolds clashing of traditions and progress in India. It is obvious that the
whole book is heavenly written with spirited imagery nurtured aesthetically.

hannacelestialdreamer@gmail.com

Quarantine Days- Dr. Roby Cherian, Assistant Professor, Sacred Heart College, Kochi.

In Indian culture we treat Earth as our mother. If we look out we see that just as mother nourishes her child, the earth nourishes all living beings by providing them with various necessities and shelter at the right time.

Human race has got developed brains compared to all other beings and it makes us feels superior to all others, but are we really developed beings? The land where most of the buildings that we see today were once filled with trees, lakes, and hills. To be more specific new hypermarkets at Kalamassery and Edapally is the result of leveling the hills and encroachment of lakes. More than that our new cancer research ward at Kalamassery medical college is the result of a vanishing hill act.

Sometimes we rate a nation as great by the amount of concrete building, nuclear weapons or by the number of satellites that been placed in the space successfully by them. But this Covid-19 pandemic days really proved that these things don’t matter at all.

This lock-down days gave a strong message that corona virus treats all humans equally and does not discriminate between the rich and the poor and even there is no discrimination based on sex and caste. During this period we saw people spending more time in the family which they used to miss in the busy life. Even once the lock-down is over we should be spending the required time in family by not taking home the extra work from offices. Office works are to be completed at office and spending extra hours at office and other places needs to be trimmed off. A family that stays together while eating, cooking, playing etc. will always keep that spirit of togetherness at all times. This vacation gave a different experience to many families as kids were with their parents 24 hours.

My parents had brought a cycle for my elder daughter last September and since it was a bit big for her she could not try cycling herself. It required someone’s assistance and I was the only hope. But due to the tight schedule we both could not make it happen and this lock-down was effective for that as the cycle got placed on the terrace and smooth surface required just 2 hours of help after which she just went on smoothly. Now it’s a daily 2 hours of activity cycling on terrace in the evening.

This lock-down saw people handling the waste generated at their homes in a better way as the roads are not littered with waste. The HMT-NAD road which is a place to dump waste from various regions saw a great decline. It clearly shows that these are mainly the acts by the nearby hotel chains that have grown in great number. The number of hotels and hospitals are rising equally in the city and we see both are proportional and this needs to be looked upon seriously by the authorities and do the needful to minimize the damage being done to the society.

Prior to the lock-down I was engaged in the online Swayam course and I was spending 5 hours per week for the same. Once the lock-down started I decided to make lecture note for “Statistical Mechanics” as per the new PG syllabus 2020. I could complete the same which took 100 plus hours of preparation lasting 25 days covering around 200 pages. It was a satisfying experience. I hope this hand written note can be scanned and be shared among students.

Recently I got enrolled myself for the “Online Learning and Content Development (OLCD) ” which is an online program running for 2 weeks by Kerala MOOC’s (MOOC- Massive open online courses). The aim for taking up the OLCD program was to cope up with the situation that could arise if the present pandemic gets extend. It might be the only best solution available as of now. Live classes will be missed and technology won’t be able to give the same feel but at least we can try with various applications that can give the same essence, which requires good internet connectivity in participant’s mobile phone.

During this lockdown we saw many people shifting towards micro-green cultivation procedures, improving their terrace farming etc. But I feel that all these steps are good to start with but in the long run we should not be thinking of these micro-level things alone as we need to move towards macro-level thinking. Planting a tree will not be effective for the person immediately but it creating a great effect to the nature in the long run. If we are able to change the micro-level thinking to a macro-level thinking we will be able to do wonders to the living beings around.

Mother Earth is like our body. If the body is having some problem it will react and during that time we will feel comfortable. The Earth in this pandemic time is trying to heal herself from the toxin and painful human activities. From now on seeing high rise building should not create wonder in minds but should create pain in the heart as all these are created by the large number of pilings on earth and it has the same effect as piercing nails on our body. The mother earth is bearing all those pains and when it crosses the critical pain it will react and that is what is been observed now.

All the countries which were rated as powerful nations in terms of their weapons or space explorations were not in a position to handle this pandemic. In my opinion individual needs to be self-sustained to its maximum and it will lead to more local produce usage in the coming years and always the local produce is the best medicine compared to exported items.

Hope national leaders will spend more in the development of organic farming sectors in various region, concentrate on waste management, promote go green activities following strict policies and spend more on uplifting the health care research and development in the coming days. To achieve a safer Earth not only Government but also the people who forms the society needs to work towards the goal, as a small deed will be a stepping stone to success. Let us help mother Earth to live peacefully.

                                                      Date: Earth Day 2020, 22nd April 2020

Book Review "Aadujeevitham"- Chandana Mohan

One of the most loved novels is 'Aadujeevitham' by Benyamin. This epic makes the genuine of a Gulf Malayalee  who worked in the desert. This is one such book which is brimming with life and made tears in our eyes. Likewise, this novel gave a message that parcel of sufferings of the typical bay malayali(pravasi).Benyamin, the novelist's hero is Najeeb,a common Malayali. Najeeb wish to work in a good environment,send money to home and also he wish to lead a luxurious life. This is the desire of everyday citizens. In gulf,Najeeb got caught. He cheated and came to the desert where he was allocated to care for sheep and camels under an unfeeling man 'Arabab'. There,he doesn't have the foggiest idea about the language,and he is absolutely far away from the human collaboration. Nowadays were an extraordinary sufferings to him. He had no legitimate food,no cover and no chance to get for human essential needs. Through his articulate bas encounters in life he turned himself as one of the goats and his life one like a goat. He began conversing with them,eat with them and furthermore he shared an incredible encounters to them. He imagined that these creatures were better that men. However, at these says he had an expectation which will carries opportunity and the sufferings with goat and the severe 'arabab'. He had an expectation throughout everyday life and the god as well.The story narrated in the book was the real life of a person" the author said. Benyamin interviewed and extracted the best from the person who suffered the life of Najeeb,in real life. That means the story was a real life experience,not created. But he mixed lot of thoughts and imagination for the better reading. This shows the talent of the writer. There are much characters along with the hero. That is Hakkim and Hameed. Hakkim is an innocent man who spend most of his time with Najeeb before the life with goat. If we tried to understand th life of the hero,definitely it makes tears from our eyes.

<chandanamohan561@gmail.com>

TO SCOTLAND OF THE EAST…- Srinandini VR

Initially, I felt, we all were digging a foundation where there is not even a plan of building house.  It was about our study tour to Shillong. But, all of us , with so much optimism went into deep planning and we did create waves. Good fortune befalls only when opportunity and planning coincides.

The only hassle was a long train journey to the East. It seemed that all nature enthusiasts throng Guwahati in large numbers for the same purpose as that of ours. The pace of each day taking us near to the destination was the most appreciable factor in the train.

Institutional visit is an inevitable part of any educational trip. The North Eastern Hill University(NEHU) awaited with the unexplored, unseen, and totally scientific “working” equipments- the Nano drops, QRT PCR, chromatin immunoprecipitator, rotating evaporators, UV illuminators, amplifiers and even the confocal microscopes worth crores! This signals us how central universities can nourish one during doctoral programmes or projects without making our hearts heave hard for facilities.

The place was as that of the “God’s own country”; but the extra was the chills which might make us yearn for the warmth of a good summer, only at the worst though. The most appealing tourist spot to me was the Krang suri waterfalls, as blue as the sky. The greenish blue pool pushes you for a deep plunge. The boon of the vision indeed gave the impulse to keep a picture of my own; the real time vision beautiful than any camera. Same was the feeling to see the sister falls at Dympep valley. All of a sudden, the step down at Dawki was a chance to wave a “HI” to the neighboring Bangla state.

One of the wettest places on Earth, Cherrapunji  surprised us with its own magnificent beauty. The story of the Nohkalikai falls there goes like this; Ka Likai was a widower with her infant daughter. She had to work to sustain their living; but had to leave her child all day long unattended for the same. Taking the flaws in her parenting as a single mother and for the love that a daughter deserves from a father, she marries for the second time. Against her expectations, an air of jealousy grew in her husband since       Ka Likai devoted all her attention to her daughter. The man kills the infant one day and cooks the flesh, hiding all the traces of the cold murder. As the mother returns so hungry, even after noticing the empty house, she eats the cooked meal to her full. On deciding to chew a betel leaf, near the chopping stone, she finds a chopped finger. She realizes what happened and in deep anger , sorrow and guilt, she jumps to death for she had a meal of her daughter like a cannibal. The valley from where she jumped was named the Nohkalikai fallsas a reminder of her tragic life.

“The greatest joy in nature is the absence of man”. The current scenario of the world with better air, and water may account for the same it seem! Well, the clean air, the transparent waters, the hills abode of clouds and the sunrays caressing in cold breeze chills- everything accounted for the evidence of how man can just be a string in the web of life; uninterfering with the wholesome wilderness, bothered only about the “need” of the day! Scotland of the East is just like heaven on Earth under your feet…..

Not a pile of gold but a treasure of love- Vismaya Venugopal, IDC Economics

As J G Jennings mentioned in the poem, Lovely is Youth, the phase of our childhood is indeed the most euphoric time of our lives; the sad part being that it gets over like the expeditious flight of a meteor. Talking of meteors reminds me of the times that we children used to stand in that small park, the centre of activity in our quarters, and watched shooting stars fall, not realising that we were also a part of the flight. While I have a poor memory that flies away like leaves in the wind, the memories of those childhood days  has stayed in my mind like a huge rock immovable by any wind gust. The friendships I formed during those days made me realise its importance in facing the sea of adversities that life offers.

The nostalgia of the 11 years that I spent in the place that I could call heaven has been carved in my heart. The park is the best museum for me, with the artifacts all grown up and separated from each other now. But while creepers grow different ways, the bond it formed in the beginning makes it stick together anyways. Those bonds were the ink that my pen needed to write the pages of my unfinished novel of life. Every evening felt like the celebrations of festivals with everyone out of their houses, playing and talking and basically on cloud nine throughout. All the fierce matches of badminton played under the dull streetlights with the moon for its bulb, the days spent cycling around the park imagining it to be an amusement ride and those Saturday evenings indefatigably spent playing Cops and Robbers are beautiful sad memories that shines like the sun in a blue sky.

The plethora of falls and injuries now feels like caresses, with the tears blooming me into a flower from the bud that I was back then. Seventh standard was when the curtain of this play fell, an end to a beautiful scene. Even after moving from there, opening the creaking windows of life back then, brings in a flood of light to the current confines within the four walls of my room. The childhood I got is a four leaf clover which I consider as my greatest luck because those innocent days were filled with perfect exhilaration. John Green once said that some infinities are bigger than other infinities; and like Hazel Grace,  I am thankful for the little infinity I got in my childhood, a fountain of memories that noone can take away from me. Those good times is reflected in the sanguinity hidden in the pritsine melancholy of my reminiscences.

THE FIRE UNDEAD WITH THE FIRST BLOW...- Srinandnini V.R

We are all born free, but unfortunately, at least some of us spend a lifetime to somebody's or our own false truths. These false truths spread fast like fire and you know fires rarely die with the first blow; they only die after many...

One such fire that I could see was in the academic life of nearly 30-40 students of Thevara school. Being the ones with appreciable quotient of curricular and extra- curricular talents, they were stamped dumb and hopeless. Mellowing their sorrows in the beginning seemed antagonistic; it was like fanning the flames of rage towards anybody who went to teach them.

On rewinding, I feel blessed for I had been a string of the tuition venture, Educare initiated in SH. The programme turned to be a noon for the students as well as the student tutors. This was a responsibility of greater worth and mirth. Helping those children was like “unlearning and relearning" many a norms of teaching and learning. Their incessant efforts of becoming a better version of themselves were the real joy. 

Their lack of care and affection and family background- all reflected the darkness in their results. May be, this is why any education centre should be just a home to any seeker. Eventually, the darkness revealed our stars, passing out with flying colours, and the greatest reward.

“Educare” helped me learn that beautiful flowers cannot bloom without healthy roots. And, for being a firm root unlocking the doors of opportunities for everyone involved, I can't thank the parent if this venture enough! I believe all of us are lamps, inherently capable to lighten the ways to at least a few, and brighten the deeds.. This was one of the best experiences that heartian life has gifted me, and I feel, Heartbytes is indeed a platform to remember and revive anything dusted. 

Thank you so much...