It is every citizen’s duty, not only to protect themselves and their families from harm but also to take care of everyone we come in contact with. A healthy society translates into a safe society for us and our loved ones to move in.

Sometime back there was an infotainment clip which starred the veteran actor Ms. Shabana Azmi. It showed her visiting a ward of children affected by HIV. She hugged a child and says “HIV does not spread by hugging and touching; only love does!”

This is the other side of HIV stigma; wherein the persons affected are shunned by society! That is not right either! There are specific ways in which this condition spreads and they are:

• Sex with someone affected by HIV
• From an affected mother to the child in her womb
• By blood transfusion of HIV +ve blood

If precaution is taken in these areas then it is safe to socialize with HIV +ve persons.

Why do I say this? Let me explain…

There is a legend about an African tribe. When these tribal wish to clear a forest area to plant crop and they need to fell trees; they don’t cut them. All of them gather around the tree and start abusing and spewing hateful words. The tree dies within a few days! If hatred and abuse can have this effect on trees what will protect humans from this kind of behavior? The same way humans will also wilt, like flowers in harsh weather.

If AIDS won’t kill the persons suffering from it, our hatred will! Be compassionate. Taking care of the person or at least being kind and understanding will go a long way towards healing them!
When you reach out to a person with compassion and love not only do you heal them but you also heal yourself and generate your own spiritual growth.

Be healthy and happy!

There are two types of diabetes – Type I & Type II. The second type is more common in over-weight adults. Those who suffer diabetes are usually obese, hypertensive and have high cholesterol and triglyceride levels (all are risk factors of CAD).

Factors leading to diabetes are, age over 35 years, obesity, and stress.

Weight reduction, dietary control, yoga and stress management, can reverse diabetes.

This day is celebrated every year on November 14. Millions of people worldwide engage themselves in diabetes advocacy and awareness. This day came forth from the need to address one of the deadliest diseases that we humans are facing. The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public spotlight.

Various activities for the day include –

Radio and television programmes / Sports events / Free screenings for diabetes and its complications / Public information meetings / Poster and leaflet campaigns / Diabetes workshops and exhibitions / Press conferences / Newspaper and magazine articles / Events for children and adolescents / Monument lightings / Human blue circles / Walks / Runs / Cycle Race / Political Events.

See where you could best contribute and then go ahead and do it. My team and I conduct seminars at various forums to bring about awareness of lifestyle changes in diabetics, and try to rope in senior consultants and philanthropist to contribute to these events and make a difference in people affected by this deadly disaster.

It was started to promote mutual exchange and understanding among children and secondly to initiate action to benefit and promote the welfare of the world’s children. NGO’s organize various events, including fundraising with participation of renowned singers, movie stars, governmental and public persons as well as top-ranking officials.

It calls society to a greater response to the plight of many millions of children around the world who are denied the basic necessities of a happy childhood and the education to develop their capacities. On this day at various forums, children display their talents, skills and achievements and simply celebrate the earlier years of childhood. Events and activities focus on language and literacy, health, sport and recreation, the arts and science, as well as children’s cultural, social and emotional needs.

What you can do for children will out-live you as well. To start with you can develop self-esteem in them. Self-esteem is the real magic wand that can form a child’s future. Her future will be written by the ink of self-esteem. Unfortunately most parents continue to treat children as inconveniences and nuisances, when they’re not treating them as possessions or toys.

Other things that you can do for them can be summarized as:

• Showering them with love and care
• Reinforce them positively
• Listen to them
• Help them express themselves
• Show them practical and detached ways to resolve problems
• Show them how to take care of their health – physical, physiological, psychological, and emotional

I love children and would want a child to stay a child. Please do remember, if a child is given love, he becomes loving … If he’s helped when he needs help, he becomes helpful. And if he has been truly valued at home … he grows up secure enough to look beyond him to the welfare of others. And that what life is about; living is about!

Vijayadashami is the tenth day of Navratri the nine days of worshipping Indian Goddesses. I know of communities in India which consider the daughters to be an incarnation of Goddess. This is the country where daughter’s feet are touched by many a fathers to gain the blessings of a Goddess.

This is also the country where a doctor husband murders his wife; dumps her body in a suitcase and disposes it! I hang my head in shame. No hardened criminal would be forgiven let alone a well educated man proposing to practice the noble profession!

No this is not my India! My India is the India of Ram who left no stone unturned to regain the respect of Sita; of Gautama Buddha who showed the path of truth, sacrifice and empathy! This is the land of many such great souls who showed us the path of enlightenment.

This Vijaydashmi I beseech you to kill any negative thought that you have in your heart for anyone! For that will be your own undoing! This Dushera bring home the wealth of love and kindness; the treasures of knowledge and hope. Also instead of distributing sweets distribute the knowledge of values and wisdom of our ancestors and learned peoples.

If you cannot do well for anybody, cannot help anybody no problem. Don’t hurt anyone; don’t be an obstacle in the path of anyone. Just be in yourself. Introspect and try to improve yourself by becoming aware of your shortcomings.

This Dushera pray to God to give you wisdom and peace and so also to everyone else. My heart felt good wishes to all of you. May the Goddess shower you will all the good things like health, peace, happiness and good relationships.

World Animal Day was started in 1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. Since then it has grown to encompass all kinds of animal life and is widely celebrated in countries throughout the world. October 4 was chosen as World Animal Day as it is the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

I am really happy to write on this topic as I am a staunch believer of vegetarianism. We all see the atrocities committed on animals but we do not even realize that animals are killed left right and centre. Many a times I see people being kind to roadside dogs and a moment later stepping into a fast food joint to eat a hamburger/chicken burger whatever!

This is not a joke; this is a fact! We don’t see the obvious when it comes to ourselves. The best way to do something for animals is to become vegetarian in your eating habits. Not only will it benefit the animals by preventing slaughter but also benefit you by making you healthier and fitter!

Animals are my friends… and I don’t eat my friends. – George Bernard Shaw

There are animal rights groups all over the world; it is such a sad thing that such a group needs to exist! There are people trying to save Cows, whales, tigers etc. Don’t forget the goats and hens are also animals!

That song in the movie “3 Idiots” – ‘Murgi kya jaane ande ka kya hoga? Life milegi ya tave pe fry hoga…’

I request you that chose life for these animals. Don’t eat meat, save a life! God has not given us power so that we may take other’s lives. Let us live in harmony with all the living beings on this planet and save the ecological balance.

The man who kills the animals today is the man who kills the people who get in his way tomorrow. – Dian Fossey

Everyone writes about what Gandhiji did for freedom and his contribution to the fabric of Indian society. Today I have chosen a totally different topic to write about. A topic close to my heart and to Bapujis heart to

Gandhiji followed a diet pattern that most nutritionists today consider an ideal diet. Are you surprised? Why should that be so? He was a visionary and thinker before his time and that he should follow a healthy diet pattern should be the obvious course!

Bapuji’s experimented with diets to see how cheaply he could live and remain healthy. He started living principally on fruit and goats’ milk and olive oil.

For him, food was not something that just satiated hunger. It was an very important part of shaping the human consciousness. Which is why he carried out a number of experiments to find the perfect diet. Though Gandhiji is associated with vegetarianism and milk, he actually abstained from milk for a period of six years, considering it an animal product.

He emphasized on wheat and rice in a diet, with cereals holding the second place. He felt that cereals should be taken relatively dry for mastication and proper digestion. This was followed by fruits and vegetables. He stressed that fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables should be eaten raw. He also expressed his preference for jaggery over sugar.

Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Relax your body by using the progressive relaxation technique. Starting from your head and reaching your toes relax all the parts of your body.

Now bring your attention to your heart. Think that your heart is an entity by itself and you are standing in front of your heat and conversing with it. A word of caution here please do it only if you have belief in this technique otherwise it will be useless and your heart will not talk with you! You can cheat others but you can’t cheat yourself can you?

Now look at your heart and radiate love and compassion for it. Say thank you to your heart at the onset; for it is the heart that keeps you alive! Gratitude is definitely in order. Now say the following words:

“I thank you for giving me life! I thank you for protecting me and I know that you have created shields around yourself so that I may not be hurt. It is for my benefit that you have created barriers around yourself. Today I want to speak with you without the shields, without the barriers; will you please speak with me?”

Your heart may or may not respond. If your heart does respond, the answers will come to you without the spoken words and you will understand them. All through the conversation create a cocoon of love, compassion and positivity around you and your heart.

If your heart does not respond that means it has created tough barriers to protect itself. You will have to keep trying till it trusts you enough to respond. You will have to reassure your heart that it is okay to let down its barriers with you. Sooner or later it will respond.

While you are with your heart, wish it well and visualize it in complete health and vitality. Visualize it performing to full capacity happily.

To some of you this may sound a little farfetched. This is my adaptation of the statement “you will receive all your replies within, do not search for them without!”

The core of the human being is his heart! That is our innermost part, part which is most fragile and which we protect with our lives!

On this world heart day I hope I was able to introduce you to your heart. Hope you both can be friends now!

Each of them first washed their own thalis, entered the kitchen to serve themselves the potato bhaji and roti cooked for lunch and then lined up in front of me to collect their favourite Indian Mithai, The Peda. I served each one of them with 4 pedas, and in return they served me with a sweet smile and Thank You.

To our surprise , none of them started eating after taking their place in the dining area. Mr. Joshi mentioned that they first say a prayer to Thank the Lord for the food he’s given and then only start the meal. All of them stood up and prayed after which they began eating.

The boys love attention like any of us. Hence they would pose and smile for photos which we were clicking. Mr. Joshi thanked us for coming and wished us with one Line’ Yeh Khushi ka Din Baar Baar Aaye’.

I took leave little after that filled with the joy of giving something Sweet today. Now I am sure my whole week will be filled with happiness and gratitude that I received from Mangal Mandir.