India Summit Conference in New Delhi

    Friends, European Council (Eu.C) - India Summit was held in New Delhi recently. At that time Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the then President of India, inaugurated the academic and cultural exchange programme for school students. The students from Us, Canada, Russia, China, Japan and England were invited to India.
   
 
      Hi ! I'm Jenna from Canada, the second largest country in world, in area. I'm interested in classical music of India so I have come here.
      Friends, Canada became independent in 1867. The name Canada comes from the word Kanata which means village or community. Most of us are immigrants from Britain and France. Our official languages are English and French.
        Our Emblem includes three red maple leaves. A red, eleven pointed maple leaf is included in our flag also. Our National Anthem is O Canada.... . My country is rich in natural resources. We are leading in the production of wheat, hydro-electricity and paper-pulp. O Canada, I love you.

        I am Chang from China. We are the largest country in population and the third largest in area. We were the first people to develop the compass, paper and silk cloth. Our Great Wall is famous world over. The name China comes from the word Qin an early Chinese dynasty. We were ruled by kings but now we are People's Republic.
         See our flag. It has five stars. The large star represents the leadership of communist party. The other four stars stand for groups of workers. Our Emblem shows the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing. There is a wheel that represents industry. Our National Anthem is March of the Volunteers.
     
   Let me tell you the industrial revolution began in our country. We produced great sailors, traders, writers and scientists. Shakespeare, the greatest dramatist of all time, and Sir Isaac Newton, the greatest scientist, belong to England. We have a long history of democracy. We have deep respect for our traditions. The lion and the unicorn in our Emblem represent power and prosperity. Our flag is known as the Union Jack. Our National Anthem is God save the King.

        I am Sako from the country of the Rising Sun, Japan. We call our country Nippon or Nihon , which means the Land of Rising Sun. You find the red Sun in our National Flag, too. Our National Anthem is Kimigayo.
        Japan is famous for Ikebana, Origami and Bonsai. Life in our country reflects the culture of both the East and the West. Most of the Japanese wear western-style clothing. On festivals and special occasions we dress in traditional kimonos. We like to watch both traditional No and Kabuki dramas and latest western plays and movies. I also love both-tradition and modernity.

    

A Clever Shepherd

Abbot : There are very difficult question, Your Majesty. I am unable to answer them immediately. I need some time to think.
King : All right. You are granted three weeks time.
Abbot : Thank you, Your Majesty.
King : If you fail to answer the questions after three weeks, you shall die. We shall meet after three weeks.

Abbot : Change your clothes? You don't need my permission for that !
Shepherd : But, in this case I do need your permission, because I must change my clothes with yours. Lend me your Abbot's robe for a few days, and send me to the king. You know how closely I resemble you.

King : What about my second question : How long would it take for me to go round the earth?
Shepherd : Twenty-four hours, Your Majesty.
King : Twenty-four hours !  How can I believe that?
Abbot : If Your Majesty rises with the sun and moves along with the sun as fast as it travels across the sky, I am sure, you can go round the earth in Twenty-four hours.

King : I see you can't. Anyway, I admire your wit as well as your loyalty. Ask me anything you wish.
Shepherd : Your Majesty, I beg you to forgive my master, the Abbot.
King : All right. I grant your wish. Tell the Abbot, he's pardoned and free to live in peace in the kingdom.

Abbot : No, Your Majesty. I don't. I'm a humble servant of God.
King : I don't believe you. You can't be so rich. And besides, you shouldn't be so rich. You're a priest. A priest should be learned and wise, not rich. Are you a learned and wise man?

Shepherd : Pardon me, Your Majesty, it's only simple arithmetic.
King : What do you mean by that? Explain !
Shepherd : It's quite simple, Your Majesty. A crown is five shillings and a sovereign is a pound which is twenty shillings. As it carries your image on it, a sovereign with a crown is twenty-five shillings.

A Selfish Giant's

   Every afternoon, while returning from school, the children used to go and play in the Giant's garden, was not there in his castle.

     It was a large and lovely garden, with soft green grass and beautiful flowers. There were many trees that blossomed in the Springtime and had rich fruits in Autumn. Birds on the trees sang so sweetly that the children would stop their games and listen to them.

     What are you all doing here? he shouted angrily. The children tan away. This is my garden, and I will allow nobody to come here, said the Giant. He was so selfish that he built a high wall all around the garden to stop children from entering it. He also put a notice on the gate.

       Trespassers will be prosecuted

       Then, came the Spring. There were little blossoms and little birds everywhere. Only in the garden of the Selfish Giant, it was still Winter. As there were no children, the birds did not like to sing and the trees did not blossom.

    Once a beautiful flower peeped out from the grass. But it read the notice on the gate; it felt so sorry for the children that it slipped back into the ground again. It decided not to grow. But only the Snow and the Cold Wind were happy. Spring seems to have forgotten this garden. We will be able to stay here all the year round.

     The Snow covered up the grass with her great white coat, and painted all the trees silver. Cold Wind roared all day round. This is a nice place he said. Every day for hours together he rattled on the roof of the castle and also ran round and round the garden as fast as he could.

       One morning, when the Giant was lying in bed, he heard some lovely music. It was very sweet. He thought it must be the king's musicians. But it was only a little bird singing outside his window. The Cold Wind stopped roaring. A fragrance came to him through the open window. Oh! The Spring has come at last, said the Giant; and he jumped out of the bed and looked out.

        Climb up, little boy! said the tree, and it bent it's branches down as low as it could; but the boy was too small to reach there.

         And the Giant's heart melted, How selfish I have been! He thought. Now I know why the Spring would not come here. I will put that poor child in the tree. I will knock down the wall. My garden shall be children's playground for ever.

The Teacher

      Second god of in this world is a Teacher

         My favourite teacher is Mr Pratik Kariaaria. He is a well-read man. He is very intelligent. He is always smartly dressed, neat and clean. Everybody loves him and admire him for his wish head and warm heart.

         He teaches us English. He is master of his subject. His teaching is very systematic. His voice is clear. His pronunciations are imitable. His ways are gentle. He sees to it that everyone comprehends listening and reading to acquire English as a second language easily. He loves his work. He loves his students. He takes personal interest in our Study problems and helps us. I have never seen him get angry with any student or punish them. Yet he has no discipline problems in the class. He often tells us interesting stories and funny jokes. He makes us learn through laughter.

          Mr Pratik Karia is more than a Teacher. We look upon him as our friend, philosopher and guide. We will always love and respect him.

Phatik's and his mother

        Mother was surprised looking at the stranger. He was Bishamber, Phatik's maternal uncle she welcomed him and touched his feet. Bishamber came to see his sister after many years.

      The brother asked about studies of the two boys. The sister said that Phatik was a nuisance for her. He was disobedient and wild. But Makhan was very good and gentle and very fond of reading. Bishamber kindly offered to take Phatik to Kolkata and educate him there with his own children. The windowed mother agreed readly.

      Phatik agreed to go to Kolkata Joyfully. He was very eager for that. At night he lay awake most of the time. As he parting gift he gave Makhan his fishing-rod, his big kite and his marbles.

      Phatik reached Kolkata with his uncle. He met his aunt for the first time. She was not happy seeing Phatik. Her own three boys were difficult to manage. Phatik soon realised that he was an unwelcome guest at his aunt's house. His cousin's mocked at him and his aunt always found fault with him.

J.Krishnamurti

     J.Krishnamurti was a unique thinker and a seer of our country. He had the knowledge of self-realization in his deep meditation. He practised meditation for three continuously. At that time he was 27. He was at Omman in California. He lived in a beautifully furnished simple cottage house. Coming out of his room after his meditation, he uttered, I have drunk at the fountain of the bliss. He was a different person. He gave up all the wealth and worldly bindings and moved in the whole world. According to J.Krishnamurti, one must be aware all the time and try to see his own faults and limitations. You are the world is a famous sentence from his teaching.