Dr Mohan Kameswaran, MD, Madras ENT Research Foundation, speaking to mediapersons | R SATISH BABU
Chennai :
Over 600 representatives from leading academic institutions, including the Armed Forces Medical Services, in the country, will discuss the growing problems of deafness in children, sleep apnea and increasing ENT problems due to environmental pollution, at the ‘Indian Academy of ENT Surgeons Meet’ to be held here on December 12-14.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, Dr Mohan Kameswaran, managing director and chief ENT surgeon, Madras ENT Research Foundation, said that the meeting would be the first of its kind with over 15 international experts from the United States, UK, Germany, Turkey, Malaysia, Israel and Japan, interacting with academicians and scientists from India. Representatives from SAARC countries would also participate in the conference.
“The meeting will discuss the growing problems of congenital deafness in children. India has one of the highest incidences of such cases in the world,” Dr Kameswaran pointed out.
The problems of sleep apnea and snoring, increasing incidence of common disorders such as nasal allergies and sinusitis, head and neck cancer were among the other topics scheduled for discussion, he added. Eight medical institutions in the city — Madras Medical College, Stanley Medical College, Kilpauk Medical College, Institute of Child Health, SRM Institute of Medical Sciences, Savitha Medical College, Sundaram Medical Foundation and Madras ENT Research Foundation — would conduct a pre-congress workshop and updates on different topics to apprise ENT surgeons across the country of the recent developments in the field. Former West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi will be inaugurating the meet.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / December 10th, 2014
Somdev Devvarman tells about life on and off court
He’s a sportsman all right: tall, well built, with ripping muscles and ruffled hair. He’s briefly visiting the city he loves, the one he was raised and schooled in. At the Lacoste showroom at Express Avenue, those who recognise him scramble for an autograph or photograph, anything to prove that they’ve actually met him. For those who don’t, he gives no reason to suspect that he’s India’s No. 1 tennis player.
Somdev Devvarman, who started his sports career in the city two decades ago, betrays no sign of stardom. When he was 9, he was so energetic that his parents decided that a few hours of sport every evening would keep him out of trouble. Tennis was the natural choice, because there were two courts located conveniently close to where the Devvarmans lived in Nungambakkam. Little did they know that when Somdev got his hands on a racket, he’d fall so hopelessly in love with the game that he’d keep playing till he reached the finals of the Chennai Open, win gold at the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, play all four grand slams and continue after he received the Arjuna Award for his successes.
He’s played against some of the biggest names in the game, including Roger Federer, who he looked up to even before he started playing professionally. He confesses that the first time he played Federer, he stared at him in awe for a whole five minutes before he got himself together, ready to take him on. “When I first started out, I was a little star-struck with tennis players; that’s not so anymore. I’ve played against Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, and alongside Leander, Mahesh… I’m on tour now myself,” he says with a modest grin.
In 2002, he moved to the U.S. to pursue his dreams, while getting a degree in Sociology from the University of Virginia. “Tennis being an individual sport, you can often take a non-traditional route, and college tennis in the United States is played at a very high level,” he explains. He started playing professionally in the summer of 2008 and has since been travelling the world, playing the sport he loves for a living.
“I would shuttle between the room, courts and the airport, and that’s all I’d see of a city. For the lasy three or four years, I’ve been a lot more adventurous and I’ve started enjoying the cities I go to a lot more,” says Somdev.
He’s never in the same city for longer than two weeks, but he travels with a team he shares a strong camaraderie with, and is always accompanied by his fitness trainer and physiotherapist, so there’s no dearth of company.
His closest friends, however, the ones he takes the effort to keep in touch with through WhatsApp groups and the ones who fly out to see him play at tournaments, are those he grew up playing tennis with in Chennai. He spends about two months a year here, even though his parents have moved back to their hometown in Tripura, because he feels deeply connected to the city. It’s been almost 10 years since he left, so his Tamil is not as fluent as it used to be, but he says he can speak enough to haggle with an auto driver, an activity he finds rather fun. He’s quick to say that he definitely sees himself moving back to India at some time in the future.
He doesn’t make grand plans though, because he says they nearly never fall in place. “I just go with the flow,” he casually admits. At 29, he’s not sure how long he’s going to play the sport professionally. Having already overcome a shoulder injury which kept him away from the sport for most of 2012, he says it’s tough to see himself bouncing back should he suffer another one. “At this point I feel like, if things go well, I’d like to continue with it. If not, I’ll have to think of other options.” What those options will be, he’s yet to figure out. He has a lot to come home to though — close friends, a supportive family and the social initiative, Life Is A Ball, that he co-founded to educate disadvantaged children through sport. He also admits there’s a girl he’s been seeing for close to a year now. He blushes a little bit, deciding if he should reveal anymore when asked if she’s from Chennai. “I’d rather keep that information private,” he says decidedly. Neither of them is thinking about marriage at this point, but they are both happy with where things are.
He’s surprised, and struggles to come up with an answer when asked about the worst part of being a professional tennis player. “To be honest, I don’t have too many complaints about the job that I do. I’m very happy and blessed. I get to hit a little yellow tennis ball all around the world. I learn a lot, make many friends and have so many experiences. I think it’s any kid’s dream,” he says happily.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Raveena Joseph / December 09th, 2014
Marigold flowers that are in full bloom in fields in Dindigul district are bringing good returns to farmers this season.
These orange and yellow flowers are cultivated in Ambaturai, Uthupatti, Kamalapuram, Perumalkovilpatti, Jathikoundanpatti and Theppampatti near Chinnalapatti in Dindigul district. These flowers gain popularity during the wedding season and the Ayyappa season, as they are used in making garlands and in other decorations.
Women and farmers in the region enter the fields early in the morning to pluck these flowers, when they are in blooming stage, and transport them to the markets. A kilogram of these flowers is sold for Rs 50, which is a good price, according to the farmers. The flowers are taken to the markets in Nilakottai and Dindigul district. Senthil, a farmer from Ambaturai, said that these flowers are propagated through seeds, which are first sown in large numbers and later the tiny plants are planted in beds. The flowers gain their colour based on the quality of the soil in which they are grown.
The plants that were cultivated in September have started flowering in late November. The crop in one acre of land produces about 300 to 400 kilograms of flowers once a week, a quantity that most of the farmers consider to be very good.
Kumaresan, a farmer, said that the rains this season had resulted in big buds being produced and the flowering was also good. ‘We expect the price to go up by another Rs 50 as the pilgrimage season progresses,” he added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> City> Madurai / TNN / December 08th, 2014
Whether it’s carnatic, western or Tamil film music, artiste Embar S Kannan has delivered everything with ease and precision on the instrument he loves playing most – the silent violin. The violinist, who took to playing the instrument at the tender age of six, made his debut in the film industry when he was only 10, with Puli Petra Pillai. This transformed his life forever. From then on, he displayed his skills in numerous Tamil flicks and worked with biggies in the music industry like Ilayaraja, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Vidyasagar and A R Rahman, to name a few.
After giving a magical performance at the Sivagami Petachi Auditorium with his band CROSSROADS on Monday, he sits with us for a candid chat, only to recall the halcyon days he had spent with the music maestro Ilayaraja.
Embar S Kannan performing at a concert in the city recently
Kannan tells us that his sisters used to frequent Ilayaraja sir’s residence as they used to sing for him. “I used to make use of the opportunity and accompany them,” he says with a smile. “Later, when I actually started playing for Ilayaraja sir, I learnt a lot from the legendary maestro — both musically and otherwise. Though the literal meaning of the word ‘discipline’ was taught to me when I was in school, it was under Ilayaraja sir’s guidance that I learnt what discipline was all about. And it was he who made me implement discipline in my everyday life,” says the recipient of the Kalaimamani Award.
Ask him about the relationship he shares with Ilayaraja sir, and he’s quick to respond, “Ilayaraja sir and I share such a divine relationship that I can’t put it in words.”
Kannan, who had introduced silent violin in carnatic music in 2001, shares how the band CROSSROADS actually came into being. “I love travelling and have been travelling across the globe for many years now. The first aspect I notice when I visit a country is the music. Then comes food and culture. So, when I had actually gathered enough knowledge about the traditional music of the countries I had visited, I wanted to introduce a concept in which I could bring in the conventional music of other countries to India,” he says. “And that’s when the idea of CROSSROADS originated, in 2009. We gave the first concert in July 2012. The term CROSSROADS, however, was coined by veena artiste Jayanthi Kumaresh. The name is apt, given that the concept is a convention of music from various countries,” he adds.
Born into a family of musicians, Kannan has also been a recipient of numerous awards and accolades, the latest one being the Award of Excellence by Kartik Fine Arts. However, according to him, awards are not the end of the world, and they shouldn’t be construed as a big achievement. “Awards and titles are only stepping stones to success. Awards should encourage a performer to perform better. I have always valued the awards I’ve received, and that has boosted me to deliver better than before,” he signs off.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by B. Sudharsan / December 10th, 2014
Considering that more than 500 people die annually in the city from burn injuries, a local hospital has set up a skin bank which will go a long way in bringing these numbers down. The second skin bank in the state, it will harvest cadaver skin and use it as a biological dressing for burn victims.
The government hospital sees at least two to three new admissions to the burns ward daily, with at least half of them suffering from more than 50 per cent burns. “Mortality is very high among patients who come in with 50% or more burns, because they lose proteins and fluids. With much of their bodies exposed, they usually get an infection and die,” says the assistant resident medical officer, Dr A Soundaravel.
This skin bank will provide cadaveric skin, as a more affordable replacement to collagenic grafts, which will be used to cover exposed parts. “Such skin grafts can remain on the body for up to three weeks, by which time the patient starts recovering,” says Dr S Raja Sabapathy, who has set up the skin bank at Ganga Hospital. “The main advantage of skin grafting is prevention of infections, the main cause of death,” he adds.
So far, doctors have been grafting skin from other parts of the patient’s body itself or large collagen strips are placed on the exposed parts to quicken the healing process. “But collagen strips are expensive. A small 10cm x 10cm piece costs Rs500, and might have to be repeatedly grafted every week,” says Dr Jayaraman, professor and HOD of plastic surgery at Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital (KMCH).
However, the success of a skin bank depends on the number of donors. So far, the state cadaver transplant program, considered the best in the country, has seen just 11 skin donations. “That is because we started taking donations only in the past one year, after Chennai-based Rights Hospital set up a skin bank,” said Dr J Amalorpavanathan, coordinator of the program. “Once Ganga Hospital’s skin bank gets registered, we will send out circulars to all the organ donation counsellors in the city to request for skin donations,” added Dr Amalorpavanathan.
While doctors say that people may be apprehensive about donating skin, the increasing organ donations are an encouraging sign. “People are more willing to donate organs than skin since the former is not visible,” says S R Vijaylakshmi, former HOD of Burns ward at KMCH. grafts include removing only the top layer of skin, within six hours of death. “The process of removing the skin with a Dermatom takes only 20 minutes,” says Dr Raja Sabapathy. “It can be placed on a person’s body without worrying about gender, blood groups or HLA matching because it is just a bio-dressing,” he says.
“Since skin can be donated after death, we are going to partner with eye donation groups,” says Dr Raja Sabapathy.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / by Pratiksha Ramkumar, TNN / December 10th, 2014
H.B. Ari Gowder, a well-known leader of the Badaga community, the largest indigenous social group in the Blue Mountains, was remembered on his 121st birth anniversary on December 4.
Some members of the community gathered at the Nilgiris Cooperative Marketing Society (NCMS) here and garlanded a bust of the leader installed near the threshold of the Society’s multi-purpose hall. Among them were the president of the Society Kannabiran and T.M. Kullan of Tribal Solidarity. Participants pointed out that Gowder has for long been considered as the uncrowned king of the Badagas.
A widely respected philanthropist, he was instrumental in the NCMS coming into being in the 1930s to protect farmers from middlemen and unscrupulous members of the mercantile community.
Members of the Academy for Badaga Culture (ABC) Trust led by its president Manjai V. Mohan also paid floral tributes to the leader.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore/ by D. Radhakrishnan / Udhagamandalam – December 09th, 2014
Drums Sivamani at the launch of Rajsaan Watch Company
Chennai :
Drummer Kalaimamani A Sivamani inaugurated the renovated showroom of Raajsan Watch Company at Purasawalkam, recently. Checking out the range of wrist watches and wall clocks available at the store, Sivamani said, “I have never seen so many watches in one place before!”
Later, the popular drums player enthralled visitors at the store with a live performance. He was accompanied by models, who paraded the floor displaying the latest collection of watches.
Shradha Malvania, one of the proprietors of the building where the store is located, says that the company existed in a small 400 square feet room till 2010, after which it was shifted to the present building.
“The company then expanded to the top floor as well. Now, it is spread across a whopping 3,600 square feet including both floors,” she says. Back in 1978, the small watch store was inaugurated by the then Governor of Tamil Nadu Sri Prabhudas Patwari. Now, the showroom includes 50 brands of wrist watches and 20 brands of wall clocks ranging from indigenous budget range to exclusive Swiss makes.
Customers can also select and order models displayed on television screens provided at all the counters.
The showroom also ensures after-sales care with experienced technicians available in-house for maintenance and repairs. Raajsan Watch Company is managed by Sandip Shah and his daughter Shradha.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / December 10th, 2014
An aerial view of the national flag formed by volunteers who created a Guinness record in Chennai on Sunday / PTI
30,000 Chennaiites break record with ‘human Tricolour’
At 4 a.m. on Sunday, Chennaiites started gathering at the YMCA grounds here; a few hours later, a Guinness World Record was broken. Over 30,000 people came together to create the world’s largest human formation of a national flag, surpassing Pakistan in this feat.
Nine months ago, a sports club in Lahore made the first attempt to create a human national flag of Pakistan with 28,957 people and held the record for the largest formation till Sunday.
Seyda Subasi-Gemici, adjudicator of Guinness World Records Ltd., said, “It is a big historical day for India. I was very touched when I saw people gather around 5 a.m. and wait till noon in this heat to be a part of this event. They have truly showed their unity today.”
India is prepared to create such huge records and they can recreate this at any point in time, she added.
She recollected how she visited Chennai last year for “Parle Golu Galatta 2011,” the largest doll collection.
Isak Nazar, Governor of Rotary Club International 3230 that organised the event, said, “This achievement that people of Chennai have made is special. We organised this event to instil patriotism among the people and let future generations know about the importance of national flag.”
Planning for the event started 10 months ago.
“We mobilised people from colleges and corporate firms over a period of time. We had a set of architects who planned this,” Mr. Nazar said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – December 08th, 2014
A freedom fighter, who turned 100 on Sunday, has said he was not happy with the way the country has been progressing and painted a bleak future for the nation. He also rued that even another movement like the freedom struggle has had have no impact.
The freedom fighter B Ramasamy, a resident of Ayan Reddiapatti village near Kariapatti Taluk in Virudhunagar district, had fought for independence, along with Congress leader Kamaraj.
“Even if we launch another freedom struggle, it will be difficult to set right the course,” he said.
B Ramasamy
He recalled he had taken part in several freedom movement-related activities since the age of 15. “We fought for the freedom, but the country is not where we expect it to be. The youngsters should imbibe only good things from society, leave out the bad, and should work to steer the country to the right path,” he said.
On Sunday, on the occasion of his 100th birthday, his family and people from his village celebrated his birthday as if it were a village festival. They arranged for folk music and dance shows. In one spot near the dais,where the programmes were on, the villagers cooked food in huge vessels.
Ramasamy was born on December 7, 1916. He worked as a teacher in a primary school. In 1939, he was booked for giving shelter to a freedom fighter, Nedunkadu Ramachandran of Kerala in the Nellai conspiracy case, against the British and was sent to Alipuri jail. He worked also as the editor of a journal called Veerapandian. From 1966, Ramasamy was given a freedom fighter’s pension of `150.
“Ramasamy, who followed the footsteps of the father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi, struggled for freedom of the country. He was given five acres of land by the government but he donated the land to the Bhoodan Movement. Ramasamy is a selfless person, he still doesn’t have a house he could call his own,” a villager said. There are many youngsters who have been inspired by him, they added.
Former Education Minister and Thiruchuli MLA Thangam Thennarasu attended the celebrations.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Kaushik Kannan / December 08th, 2014
State Minister for Cooperation K Raju receiving the award from President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on Wednesday | express
Chennai :
Tamil Nadu Cooperative Minister K Raju on Wednesday received the National Award for the best State Channelising Agency on behalf of Tamil Nadu State Cooperative Bank for providing loans to the differently-abled. The Minister received the award at a grand function held at New Delhi.
The TNSC Bank is one of the channelising agencies of the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation. Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has chosen the TNSC Bank for this award.
Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa introduced the scheme to provide interest-free loans to the differently-abled. As per the scheme, the government will bear the interest on the loans if they repay the loans in time. During the past three and half years, Rs.71 crore has been given as loans to the differently-abled.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service / December 04th, 2014
