Mahatma Gandhi death anniversary

National Voters Day - Elocution Competition Winners

Lala Lajpat Rai Birth Anniversary

Punjab government on Wednesday declared a public holiday for today on the 150th birth anniversary of freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai. An official spokesman said all Punjab government offices, boards, corporations and educational institutions would remain closed on January 28 to mark the birth anniversary of Rai.

Born in 1865 in a village in Punjab province, Rai, was one of the tallest figures in the Indian Independence movement.

Popularly known as the 'Punjab Kesari', he was part of the 'Lal Bal Pal' trio. He died in Lahore, a few weeks after sustaining serious injuries during a non-violent protest against the Simon Commission in 1928.

INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

On January 27 each year, the United Nations (UN) remembers the Holocaust that affected many people of Jewish origin during World War II. This day is called the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. It also commemorates when the Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland on January 27, 1945.

What Do People Do?

Holocaust survivors and various leaders make their voices heard on the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. Many of them speak publicly about the Holocaust or their experiences around the event, its aftermath and why the world should never forget what happened in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. Many statements emphasize the need for future generations to learn about and remember the Holocaust and for everyone to work towards preventing genocide.

The UN organizes and supports events such as: concerts by musicians who survived the Holocaust or are survivors' descendants; art exhibitions influenced by the Holocaust; presentations of special stamps; the introduction of special educational programs; and film screening and book signing focused on the Holocaust.

Israel and many countries in Europe and North America mark the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. Many academics present discussion papers or hold seminars or round table discussions on the Holocaust and its legacy in the modern world. Schools or colleges may also have special lessons on the Holocaust. The Holocaust and how people commemorate it receive special attention on the Internet, television, radio, print media.

Public Life

The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust is a global observance and not a public holiday.

Background

The Holocaust, or Shoah (Sho'ah, Shoa), is the term used to describe the deliberate murder and desecration of millions of people prior to and during World War II in Germany and German occupied areas in Europe. Many of them were Jewish but the Roma people, Soviet civilians and prisoners of war, ethnic Poles, people with disabilities, homosexuals and political and religious opponents were also killed. Many people died in concentration and death camps spread across Nazi-occupied Europe. One of the most notorious camps was Auschwitz-Birkenau, near Oświęcim, Poland. More than one million people died in Auschwitz-Birkenau before Soviet troops liberated it on January 27, 1945.

On January 24, 2005, the UN General Assembly commemorated the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps. Following this session, a UN resolution was drafted to designate January 27 as the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. The resolution called for education programs on the Holocaust to help prevent genocide. It also rejected denials that the Holocaust occurred. On November 1, 2005, the assembly adopted this resolution so the day could be observed each year. It was first observed on January 27, 2006.

Many Jewish groups, particularly in Israel, also observe Yom HaShoah, which is a day of mourning for Holocaust victims on 27th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, which falls in April or May of the Gregorian calendar.

Symbols

The symbol of the "Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme" consists of four elements on a solid black background. Two elements are the words "Remembrance and Beyond" and the UN symbol, both depicted in white. The UN symbol consists of a projection of the globe centered on the North Pole surrounded by two olive branches.

The other two elements are a piece of barbed wire and two white roses. The strands of the barbed wire merge into the stems of the roses. The barbed wire represents: the concentration camps; the loss of freedom of Jewish people and many other groups before and during World War II; and their pain and suffering.

The white roses represent peace, freedom and remembrance. These flowers also remind people of the White Rose, a non-violent resistance movement that was active in Germany from June 1942 until February 1943. In the United States and United Kingdom, white roses symbolize the investigation, remembrance and prevention of genocide.

National Voters Day

The 25th of January is observed as the “National Voters’ Day”, throughout the country.The punch line for this event is “Proud to be a Voter-Ready to Vote”. The theme behind this special day is “Greater Participation for a Stronger Democracy”. This day got its special status last year, which marked the  Diamond Jubilee ofElection Commission of India .

This initiative is expected to give the youth a sense of citizenship,empowerment, pride and participation and also inspire them to exercise their franchise, when the occasion comes.It was aimed “to provide the unrepresented youth of the country an opportunity to give vent to their feelings and help them become a part of the political process,”.

The Constitution (Sixty-first Amendment) Bill, 1988 lowered the age of voting from 21 years to 18 years. The amendment was made in view of the fact that several countries had adopted 18 years as the official voting age. Furthermore, several states in India allowed 18-year olds to vote for the local authorities.

It was observed that the youth was “literate and enlightened” and “politically conscious” and that “lowering of the voting age would provide to the unrepresented youth of the country an opportunity to give vent to their feelings and help them become a part of the political process.” This led to the official voting age being lowered to 18 years.

However, year after year, it was observed that the modern day young voters were not getting involved in the election procedures in a big way, and continued to remain indifferent to elections as they could not identify with their political leaders. Let’s hope that  the National Voters’ Day initiative changes things for the better.We hope this will educate and encourage people to come forward and exercise their power to vote.

Desh Prem Diwas - 2016

 

Desh Prem Diwas 2016 - January 23 (Saturday)

India is a country who always recognized the contributions of its freedom fighters, leaders and martyrs. Their birthdays are celebrated as Jayanti, death anniversary as Punyatithi with great passion. Many leaders like Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Mahatma Gandhi, Chadra Shekhar Azad, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to name a few.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's birthday or Netaji Jayanti is celebrated in the light of patriotism and a breeze of love for country as '' Desh Prem Divas'' on 23rd January.

Bose was one of the most prominent leaders of the Indian Independence Movement. He spread the feeling of national integration, sacrifice and communal harmony among the masses.

Origin

In the course of struggle for freedom Netaji formed Azad Hind Fauz and led the Indian National Army. He advocated a revolutionary and violent way to protest as opposed to non-violent approach by Mahatma Gandhi.

Following the differences with Mahatma Gandhi he separated from Indian National Congress (INC) and founded his own party on 3^rd May 1939 in the name of “All India Forward Block.”

The party urged the government to announce the birth anniversary as “Desh Prem Divas” and is celebrated throughout the country with passion. The memories of martyrdom, sacrifices and patriotism became afresh. All over India many celebrations happen on this day.

Celebrations

Subhash Chandra Bose birth anniversary is celebrated in a grand way among the party members of Forward Bloc. All the district administration and the local civic body also observe Netaji Jayanti. Many N.G.O.s organizes Blood Donation Camps. Schools celebrate the occasion to instill dedication, sincerity and fighting spirit in the students. The schools organize various activities as exhibition, quiz competition, debates, extempore, sports, cultural programs and annual prize distribution ceremony.

Time to Celebrate

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary is celebrated as Desh Prem Diwas or Netaji Jayanti is celebrated every year on January 23. Netaji Jayanti is observed as a public holiday in the the state of West Bengal.

 

Scientist of the day - Alexis Carrel

Alexis Carrel

Alexis Carrel was born on June 28, 1873 in Lyons, France. His father, also named Alexis, was a businessman who died when Carrel was still young. Carrel was educated by his mother, Anne Richard, and he attended St. Joseph School in Lyons. Carrel attended the University of Lyons, earning a bachelor of letters in 1889, a bachelor of science in 1890, and a medical doctorate in 1900. While working on his doctorate using experimental animals Carrel developed methods for repairing small blood vessels using sewing techniques and tools taken from haberdashers. Carrel was also interested in organ transplantation and in 1902 he removed a dog's kidney and reattached it to a blood vessel and vein in the dog's neck. Although the kidney immediately began producing urine the dog died days later of an infection. After finishing his doctorate Carrel worked at Lyons Hospital and taught anatomy and surgery at the University of Lyons.

In 1903 Carrel traveled by train to Lourdes, France and while on the way he examined a young woman suffering from tuberculosis peritonitis. The unconscious woman had a fever with a rapid pulse and respiration and a distended abdomen. Carrel believed the woman was on the verge of death. Her companions poured water from the spring in Lourdes, which is reputed to have miraculous properties, on her abdomen and she appeared to recover. When he examined her later her abdomen was flat and she seemed to have recovered. Later when Carrel returned to Lyons he reported the apparent miracle to his colleagues for which he was criticized and told that he would not be able to pass the examinations required to join the faculty. In 1904 Carrel left France first stopping in French speaking Montreal. He later moved to Chicago where in 1905 where he began working at the University of Chicago with Charles Guthrie.

In 1906 Carrel took a research position at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research,where he would remain until his retirement in 1939. Although he lived the rest of his life in the United States, Carrel never became a citizen and during World War I he served as a major in the French Medical Corps. In 1912 Carrel began an experiment where he took embryonic chicken heart cells and kept them alive in a Pyrex container of his own design. The cells lived for over twenty years with changing of the nutrient broth they lived in, living longer than the normal lifespan of a chicken. Carrel believed that cells could be kept alive and would divide indefinitely if they were given proper nutrients. Later it was found somatic (non-embryonic) cells have a limited number of divisions before they will stop dividing. Carrel's cell culture techniques were later used by others to do viral research and develop vaccines.

In 1935 Carrel published a book called Man, the Unknown, which argued in part that humanity should be governed by an elite group of intellectuals and that a program of eugenic breeding would benefit humanity. In a 1936 German edition he added a preface that praised the eugenic program advocated by the Nazi regime.

Carrel was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1912, "In recognition for his work on vascular structure and the transplantation of blood vessels and organs." Other honors won by Carrel include a Swedish stamp honoring Nobel Prize winners in 1972 and a crater on the moon was named after him in 1979.

Carrel died on November 5, 1945 in Paris, France.

Aditya's Colours - 2016

Happy New year & Global Family Day