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tamS-bn¬ IpSpw-_mw-K-߃°v kzImcy hnX-c-W-Øn\p am{Xw Newsletter Modayil Kudumbayogam Modayil Kudumbayogam Mr. Ipe Samuel Thomas B. A., B. T., Patron - 0469 2680407 Executive Committee Members Adv. M. Philip Koshy (President) 9447387362 Mr. Sunil Oommen Mathew (Vice President) 9895395156 Mr. P. George Modayil (Secretary) 9544618439 Mr. George Mathew M. (Joint Secretary) 9961352601 Mr. Abraham Varghese (Treasurer) 9497324565 Mr. Thomas M. Oommen 9447071570 Mr. K. A. Philip 9747719606 Mr. M. M. Mani 9388870555 Mr. Abraham Mathew 9980477291 Mr. G. George 9400689420 Mr. Salim Gee Modayil 9447456748 Mr. Idicula Kurien (Raju) 9447230978 Mr. M. K. Kurien (Sunny) 8289886605 Mr. M. P. Kurien 9747718838 Mr. George Ipe 9447330912 Mr. George Mathew 9495765282 Mr. George M. Cherian 9447504932 Mr. John Mathew 9446570312 Mr. Korah Mathew 9847992592 Mr. Sunny Cherian Philip 9447126648 Mr. Mathew Kurien (Jerry) 9447614214 2 Newsletter Modayil Kudumbayogam Dear Modayil Kudumbayogam members, This issue of the news letter we are publishing in English, in response to a long standing demand from the ‘new gen’, who are unable to read Malayalam. We hope this will not pose any problem to the ‘pazhan gens’ also, as they also know English. Anyhow there was not much response to whatever was written in Malayalam in the previous news letters; we were even not sure whether anybody was reading them. Now let us see how the ‘new gen’ reacts. We will be having our annual meet as usual in December. Even though the purpose of the meet is to know each other better, in the previous meetings it was seen that members were made to sit and listen to some speeches and return home no wiser than before. We have to think of some way to make our members interact and know each other better during the meetings. Suggestions from all members are invited towards this. Any suggestion to make the annual meet more lively and attractive are welcome. You can reach us through the ‘contact us’ page of www.modayilkudumbayogam.com or phone us directly. Our family tree is being updated in excel format. All available data has been entered. Almost all names upto the 8th generation are there. But other data like date of birth, occupation, contact details, etc are still to be filled in for most of them. We had requested all members for the details; but only a few have responded. The family tree in the present form can be sent by email to those who are interested, if you send us your email ID. We have the good news to share with you that our finances are on the upswing. There has been good response to the collection for forming a fixed deposit. Most of our members are positive to idea of having a fixed deposit, so that the daily expenses can be met from the bank interest. But there is a long way to go, because collection has reached only 10% of the target. So we request all of you, who do not find it a burden, to contribute generously to the fund without waiting for us to contact you personally. We also request all of you to contribute your personal news, stories, photos, etc. to be published in newsletter. We take this opportunity to thank Mr. Rajeev Philip who wrote a wonderful travelogue for our last issue. Wishing a happy Onam to all of you… President Secretary 3 Newsletter Modayil Kudumbayogam ModayilKudumbayogam Fixed Deposit fund Donations received till 31st July 2016: 1. Mr. M. C. Varghese (Joy), Karikkattoor / Canada - Rs. 5,000 2. Mr. George M. George, Karukachal - Rs. 5,000 3. Mr. Punnoose Koshy, Ernakulam - Rs. 5,000 4. Mr. Koshy M. Koshykunju, Mumbai - Rs. 5,000 5. Mr. Roy G. Thomas, Mallappally West - Rs. 5,000 6. Mr. George M. Thomas (Binu) , U. A. E. - Rs. 5,000 7. Mr. Jacob Thomas (Chinu), - Rs. 5,000 8. Mr. Ginu Modayil, Sharjah - Rs.10,000 9. Mr. Niju Modayil, Doha - Rs.10,000 10.Mr. Punnoose Modayil, Abu Dhabi Rs. 5,000 Total - Rs. 60,000 [ The collection for this fund has been started as decided during the general body meeting of ModayilKudumbayogam held on 26.12.2015. The purpose is to have a Fixed Deposit of at least Rs. 5 Lakhs in bank, so that the day- to-day expenses of the Kudumbayogam can be met from the interest accrued from the deposit. Since now we are no where near that target, the co-operation of all members who have not yet contributed is earnestly requested.] Note: Our Bank account No: 12650100015559 at Federal Bank, Nedungadappally IFS Code FDRL 0001265 4 Newsletter Modayil Kudumbayogam Challenges before today’s students and youth Dr. M. Punnoose George Ph.D, IPS (Retd.) Dr. M. Punnoose George Ph.D, IPS (Retd.) belongs to 1975 IPS batch and has served in many key positions in Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Lakshadweep. He was awarded President’s Police Medals for meritorious service and distinguished service. Dr. PunnooseGeorge retired as DGP of Madhya Pradesh in 2008. He is the son of Late Mr. M. P. George (Kunjoonju), Modayil Thazhathekkoottu. Students and youth are the cream of society. They are the future not only of a family or a nation but also of the world, of humanity itself. Therefore it is necessary to examine and understand the challenges they face and come out with solutions. Challenges are as old as life itself. One cannot imagine life without challenges. Infact both coexist. All forms of life in order to survive, flourish and sustain must adapt adroitly to the challenges that nature offers. In the struggle for existence the fit survive leaving behind the unfit to death and decay, as the theory of evolution explains. Nature, “red in tooth and claw” was what our ancestors of long ago faced. As civilization advanced, life became more orderly if not benevolent. Peaceful co-operation as well as competition among citizens based on well established norms of human rights and natural justice became the guiding principles of the rule of law governing democracies world over. 5 Newsletter Modayil Kudumbayogam What are the challenges that the youngsters of today face? Perhaps the most important and unique challenge is the fast pace of growth and development of science and technology. No generation in the last two thousand years ever witnessed such a deluge of technological innovations as the youth of today. The complexity, pace and volume of development itself is cause enough to unsettle them; coupled with this is the faulty system of education wherein rote learning gets a premium over originality. Faulty notions regarding selection of subjects for study, jobs and status in society along with parental and peer pressure, lead to students pursuing education in subjects with which they are neither passionately in love nor have the aptitude for. Commercialisation of education fails in inculcating values such as integrity, sincerity, dedication, commitment to duty, honesty and hardwork in students as well as teachers. Intoxicants like liquor, ganja, tobacco, drugs etc find easy entry in school and college premises. All pervading corruption in society and its over reach in the job market does not leave even the temples of education untouched, resulting in poor moral and academic standards. Smart phones and internet are two edged weapons. Without proper care and caution these can play havoc with young minds and hasten their doom. A bane of the spread of TV and smart phones is the decreasing interest in reading in youngsters, especially of classical books. The importance of reading and writing is well explained by the renowned scholar and writer Francis Bacon when he states: ‘reading makes a man and writing a complete man’. Lack of models for students and youth to emulate is another important challenge of the day. As the famous Irish poet W. B. Yeats writes in his celebrated poem ‘The Second coming’: “The good lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity”. Before Yeats, Alexander Pope lamented: “Fools step in, where angels fear to tread” Deterioration in standards, morals and 6 Newsletter Modayil Kudumbayogam principles, ever increasing grip of authoritarianism and fascism, absolute absence of tolerance to criticism and different points of views, and an all pervading sombre and eerie Orwellian atmosphere overshadows the whole world. Its impact in differing degrees can be felt in all walks of life, be it politics, government, religion, education, enterprises public or private. The very fast pace of life provides little time for introspection and correction. Parents find it hard to spend quality time at home with children. As a result family ties grow weak and healthy development of children suffers. Inappropriate use of time or sheer waste of time is another challenge that students face. A person who lives long enough has only 6,50,000 hours at his disposal. No wonder, Charles Darwin wrote: “One who is prepared to waste an hour of life does not know the value of life.” Increasing interference of politics in every sphere of life has become the order of the day. Even religion is no exception. It was hilarious to hear and watch how politicians were jostling with athletes in Rio Olympics, quite often robbing the latter of resources meant for them. A thorough enquiry would reveal the adverse impact of such extraneous and avoidable pressures on the performance of our athletes. Newspapers too seem to have forgotten their civic duty. Instead of moulding public opinion and strengthening democracy with objective reporting, they seem to have taken the easy route of sensationalism. The transient, ephemeral and insignificant crowd newspaper space while the more objective, real and significant fail to appear.