Echoes of Eco

October, 2014

Vivekananda Kendra- nardep Newsletter

Green Rameshwaram: Bio-Diversity

Vol:6 No:8

In this issue:
Green Rameshwaram: BioDiversity
Third Brain-Storming Session:
Green Rameshwaram
The Happenings-I
The Happenings-II
From our Publications
Visions of Wisdom:
Accepting Change
I-Thou vs. I-It
Ecological Economics

Homage to Atman

From Rameshwaram to Tuticorin spread over the sea area of 140

kilometres there are coral reefs about 108 types. Just a little bit below
the sea level these coral reef grow at the rate of 2.5 cm per annum. They
have been there for millions of years. There are many marine organisms
which are dependent on these coral reefs. Starting from Rameshwaram
spread over to the Gulf of Mannar. The pollution that we make in the sea,
global warming - all these are affecting and destroying the coral organisms.
The coral reef that has been formed over the millennia in the region was
instrumental in saving the population and area from the 2004-Tsunami.

That which is neither conscious nor

unconscious, which is invisible,
impalpable, indefinable, unthinkable,
unnameable, whose very essence
consists of the experience of its own
self, which absorbs all diversity, is
tranquil and benign, without a second,
which is what they call the fourth
state-that is the atman. This it is
which should be known.
-Mandukya Upanishad

Service to humanity is the highest form of worship Swami Vivekananda

Both social ethics and mystical spirituality become the earlier and later phases of one continuum
of the spiritual education for the human soul. There is not and there can never be any conflict
between them. This two fold Dharma has in view the true social welfare and spiritual
emancipation of all living beings. Swami Ranganathananda

Green Rameshwaram : III Brain Storming Session :

11-Oct-2014

The third brain storming session for Green Rameshwaram has been organized by VK-nardep at Hotel Tamil
Nadu, Rameshwaram on 11th October 2014. The welcome address was made by Sis.Saraswathi. The guests
from outside were introduced by S.Aravindan. The programme started at 11:00 am with universal prayer. The
programme was attended by important dignitaries from different branches of science. The highlight of the
third brainstorming session was the participation of local people representatives of special interest groups
such as Auto drivers, guides, hoteliers etc., local social activists, educationists, entrepreneurs and media
persons. They were introduced by Sis.Saraswathi. An introduction to the genesis of the project was done by
S.Aravindan. A review of the progress done so far was presented by Er.V.Ramakrishnan. He pointed out that
two bio-methanation plants have been already installed and many more have been demanded in the island. The
project is afunded by BrahMos Aerospace. The following dignitaries attended the programme.

Sri. Nanthakumar, IAS, District Collector , Ramnad district

Sri. Ravi Sam, Project Chairman, Green Rameshwaram

Sri.Arjunan, Municipal Chairman, Rameshwaram

Sri.Picchai, District Forest Officer

Dr.Deepak,District, Wildlife Warden

Sri.G.Vasudeo, Secretary, VK-nardep

Dr. Sathyamurthi, Retd. Director, Dept. of Archeology, Kerala

Dr.Ramarathnam, Green energy expert, Chennai

Dr.Vaibav Mantri, Chief-Scientist, Algal Research Station, Mandapam

Com. Manzeal Ade, Indian Coastguard, Mandapam

Sri.K.Sriraman , Hand in Hand, Chennai

To know more about Green Rameshwaram

Project contact:
Secretary, Vivekananda Kendra - Nardep,
Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari-629702;
Phone:04652-246296, 9442646296 Email:
vknardep@gmail.com

Supported by BrahMos Aerospace

as part of Green Rameshwaram - a
project catalyzed by VK-nardep.

Echoes of Eco - Newsletter, Vivekananda Kendra nardep, October 2014 Vol. 6 No: 8

Know therefore thy body to be a knot in Matter and thy mind to be a whirl in universal Mind and
thy life to be an eddy of life that is forever. Know thy force to be every other beings force and
thy knowledge to be glimmer from the light that belongs to no man and thy work to be made for
thee and be delivered from the error of the personality. Sri Aurobindo

Remarks by the Project Chairman

Chairman Sri.Ravi Sam who came specially from Coimbatore informed that how he was
impressed by the traditional water body renovation work done by Vivekananda Kendra. He
promised all help from his side but insisted that ultimately everything depends on the local
participation. He informed that he in his capacity as the chairman of Tamil Nadu chapter of
the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), had already taken the issue of declaration of
Rameshwaram as a heritage island with the appropriate central minister. He also promised to
take up the issue once again with the minister.
Local Contributions and Inputs
Sri.Arjunan, the chairman of Rameshwaram municipality, commended the good work being done by Green
Rameshwaram project. He promised his complete cooperation. He declared that he would take up the issue of
additional ten wards to be given to Hand in Hand for solid waste management at the earliest. The local
representatives, special interest group people, teachers and hoteliers came to the podium and gave ideas as to how
they could help in the Green Rameshwaram in their own way.
Inputs from District Administration
After this District Forest Officer explained the various government schemes of planting tree saplings that are being
implemented in the island from Pamban to Rameshwaram. Then the district collector spoke about how collective action
from the local community is vital for the success of the project. He wanted each one of the attendees to start with
themselves by not using plastic bags and he wanted that the renovated traditional water bodies should be free from
the encroachment and it is the duty of the local community to see to it.

Special Presentations by experts

Biodiversity: After the lunch Dr.Deepak, district wildlife warden made a detailed presentation about the biodiversity of the Gulf of Mannar region and its importance to local livelihood. He also promised to help the Green
Rameshwaram project in its outreach programmes with educational institutions and also by installing a few boards
from Pamban to Rameshwaram before the year end. Sri.Vasudeo suggested that these could be stone based paintings
as in the case of ECR from Chennai to Puthucherry. District collector said we could look at various possibilities within
the limit of the budget of Rs 50 lakhs.
Solar Technology: Dr.Ramarathnam, energy expert from Chennai spoke at length about the installation of efficient
green energy solutions at various levels. District Collector wanted him to make a pilot project before November end
at the Vivekananda Kendra building and based on the performance both in terms of energy efficiency as well as
economics, Dr.Ramarathnam would be asked to replicate the installations wherever possible in all government buildings
in the island. Dr.Ramarathnam stated that he would come up with green-energy packages for different income groups
in the island thus increasing its energy self-reliance.
Algae based Livelihood: Dr.Vaibhav Mantri, Senior Scientist from Marine Algal Research Station, Mandapam gave a
presentation on sea weeds. He spoke about creating value-added products like greeting cards from sea weed by
training local SHG. District collector was enthusiastic about this livelihood creation scheme and wanted Dr. Mantri to
create some samples and show him. Dr.Mantri also assured that his institution would help in the creation of awareness
about the sea weed resources in the island for the coming tourists as well as the residing population through exhibits
etc.
[ to be continued in the next newsletter]
Echoes of Eco - Newsletter, Vivekananda Kendra nardep, October 2014, Vol. 6 No: 8

This new paradigm marks the entrance into an era that seeks synergy, instead of discord, and
attempts to put the pieces together into a greater whole in preference to breaking things into
individual parts. We can thus transition from an age of separation into an age of integration.
- Theresa Bullard (Physicist)

Happenings this month:

SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE

Exposure Visit of Farmers for learning

Green-Farming technologies:
Training and Exposure visit of NABARD
farmers was organized by Pasumai
Uzhavar Mantram, Perumpathy, Pollachi,
Coimbatore Dist. at the TRC, Kalluvilaion
the 1st of this month. 23 farmers
attended and the resource Person was
Dr.P.Kamalasanan Pillai and his team.

Happenings this month:

VK-nardep activities
done with DST core
support

Workshops on Construction technology

Training programme on Compressed Earth
Block with DST, Core Support was done
at the Rural Building Center, Kalluvilai from
24th to 26th of this month. 12 students
attended it and the Resource Person was
Er.V.Ramakrishnan

Happenings this
month:
Water Management

Tested water from 14 wells in

Kanyakumari Dist. as a part of the
programme of Central Ground Water
Board, Chennai.

Happenings this month:

Green Health Camp @
Green Rameshwaram
Green Health Camp under the auspices
of UNICEF, Chennai and Green
Rameshwaram initiative was held at
Chinapalam on 27th of this month. 155
people in and around the village
participated in the camp.

Training programme on Wonder Fern Azolla

was conducted under the DST, Core
Support at TRC, Kalluvilaion 25th of this
month for 6 persons and Dr.Kamalasanan
Pillai was the resource person.

Green Health camp for Green

Rameshwaram

Training Programme for NABARD

farmers

Green Construction Technology being

demonstrated to the participants of
the workshop: Compressed Earth
blocks demonstration.

To know more about Green Rameshwaram Pilgrimage Project contact:

Secretary, Vivekananda Kendra - Nardep, Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari-629702;
Phone:04652-246296, 9442646296 Email: vknardep@gmail.com

Green Health Home of VK-nardep

functioned for 7 days and treated
192 patients.

Echoes of Eco - Newsletter, Vivekananda Kendra nardep, October 2014, Vol. 6 No: 8

The ability of a cell to sense these broken ends, to direct them towards each other, and then to
unite them so that the union of the two DNA strands is correctly oriented, is a particularly
revealing example of the sensitivity of cells to all that is going on within them. They make wise
decisions and act on them..
-Barbara McClintock

Renewable Energy this

month:

Networking Activities
this month:

Happenings this
month:
Networking
In the News:

Training Programme on Bio-methanation

200 Farmers visited Gramodaya Park
plant was held To
at TRC
Kallivillai
on 25thRenovation
and
Dina Thanthi
a popular Tamil news
know
more about
Rameshwaram
Project contact:
Secretary,
and of learnt
different Teerthams
cost effective
Kendra technologies
- Nardep, Vivekanandapuram,
Kanyakumari-629702;
1 person attended theVivekananda
programme. Er.
paper reported the resolve of the
including live model
Rain
th
Email: vknardep@gmail.com
Ramakrishnan was the resourcePhone:04652-246296,
person.
Ramanathapuram
district
water 9442646296
harvesting structure
on 13 of this
month. The exposure visit was organized
administration to remove Prosopis
by
Dist.
Watershed
Development
Training
Programme
on
Energy
juliflora on 12-Oct-2014. This is
Agency, Virudhunagar.
Conservation
was conducted for 58
an invasive thorny bushy plant that
students of Govt. Polytechnic College,
spreads throughout the island.
Konam on 15th of this month. The resource
Dr.Kamalasannan Pillai was the resource
Person was Shri.V.Ramakrishnan
person.
Removal of
Prosopis Juliflora in the island
given top priority.

Greening of Rameshwaram initiative by

district collector: planting of trees.
Eco Awareness Programme sponsored by
UNICEF, Chennai was conducted on the
11th of this month. 51 persons attended
the programme.

Construction of Shakthi-Surabhi Plants

this Month:

Fixed 1 cum 1
Portable 1 cum - 1
Portable 0.25 cum - 1

District Collector speaking at the

Green Rameshwaram Meeting.11-Oct2014

Echoes of Eco - Newsletter, Vivekananda Kendra nardep, October 2014, Vol. 6 No: 8

Even the structure of the atom has been found by the mind. Therefore the mind is subtler than
the atom. That which is behind the mind, namely the individual soul, is subtler than the mind. If
the ego does not rise, the Self alone exists and there is no second (nothing external).
-Ramana Maharishi

From our
Publications

It is our misunderstanding and partial understanding of the nature of the world fragmentation that has
led the world to the brink. Our eco-toons bring this out.

About one billion adults cannot read or write. More

than one billion people in absolute poverty. They are
a fifth of humanity.

Echoes of Eco - Newsletter, Vivekananda Kendra nardep, October 2014, Vol. 6 No: 8

In every figure he hath been the mode: this is his only form for us to look on.
Indra moves multiform by his illusions; for his Bay Steeds are yoked, ten times a hundred.
-Rig Veda 6:47:18

Accepting Change
Our old ways of strife, strife against our
fellow human beings, against nature and the
environment, against what we know deep
inside to be true, will not yield anything
except the likely outcome of global
disaster. We are not isolated tribes
anymore.
Everything
humanity
does
matters to the whole of existence on this
planet. The Earth is too small, a mere speck
of dust in the infinite expanse of space and
time, yet it is our only home as we wander
through the universe. Right living not
just for ourselves as individuals but for
everything and everyone around us that
sustains us. The centerpiece of moving
forward as we embrace change also lies in
true and honest dialogues. And it starts in
the true and open dialogue between science
and spirituality, between the best in
rational thought with the best in the human
experience and spirit. The dialogue is
crucial. And in carrying out the dialogue, we
will realize that what binds everything
together and allows these diverse ways of
thinking and living is the underlying
consciousness of all. It is the foundation of
both science and spirituality, of science
and philosophy, of science and religion, of
thought and ethos. For us, as individuals
and collectively, as citizens of the world, as
curators of life on Earth, the message is
simple: Embrace change, enable dialogue.

- Menas Kafatos
Physicist

I-Thou vs. I-It

It appears that traditional societies are
characterized by a number of conditions
conducive to the evolution of a
"community of beings" world-view: small
community size, the presence of
extended kin groups, repeated social
interactions, and a geographically welldefined resource base. However, many
other non-industrial societies also show
many or most of these characteristics.
In fact, many rural societies of the
contemporary world do this as well. In
general, these beliefs go back to the
pantheistic tradition dominant before
the rise of monotheistic religions. If the
"community of beings" world-view can be
characterized as an "I thou"
relationship between humans and nature,
the "dominion over nature" world-view is
characterized as an "I it" relationship.
Nature is viewed as clockwork and is
considered to exist separately from
humans. It can be studied by taking it
apart and by asking systematic, testable
questions. It can be brought under
control and made to yield human
benefits. Economic growth is seen as a
consequence of somehow freeing these
limitless resources. Productive activity,
therefore, is seen as a process of
overcoming environmental constraints.

-Madav Gadgil
Ecologist

Ecological Economics
The primary objective of the ecological
economists is to enlarge the framework
of the neoclassical economic paradigm
to include scientifically valid measures
of the environmental costs of economic
activities. Scholarship in this discipline
is replete with carefully developed and
well documented reasons why the
mathematical
theories
used
by
mainstream economists should include
these
costs
and
numerous
demonstrations of how this could be
accomplished. But the fact that there
has been virtually no dialogue between
ecological economists and mainstream
economists clearly indicates that the
former is saying something that the
latter simply does not wish to entertain
or understand. Part of what mainstream
economists clearly do not wish to
confront is that there is no basis for
assuming
that
the
mathematical
theories used in their profession are
scientific. There is, however, a much
more
fundamental
reason
why
neoclassical economists have been
unwilling to engage in this dialogue.
Because ecological economists are
normally familiar with research done in
environmental science, they know that
assumptions about economic reality in
neoclassical economics are anything but
sacrosanct.

Robert Nadeau
Historian of Science

Vivekananda Kendra nardep, Kanyakumari-629702 Phone:91-4652-246296 www.vknardep.org