Unemployment

             One of the primary duties of the society or of the central or state governments is to provide opportunities of employment for everybody, especially for the young men and women. But, in our country there are more people than the number of available jobs and that is why thousands of young people, after finishing their studies remain unemployed. Everybody considers unemployment a curse. And this curse is so harmful that it becomes a disease, weakening the minds and bodies of the younger generation.
             It is also necessary for the students to change the basic attitudes towards occupation. It is a common feeling of the people that they should go only for jobs in state or central government or government owned companies, in banks or very big establishments. They do not want to take a certain amount of risk and start their own business. Never do they look for avenues in the agricultural field and in other areas where they can do things on their own. Here the question of self help, Imagination, daring and dauntless diligence comes in.
             Instead of blaming the government for everything, our people should change this attitude and look opportunities themselves. The government also should in the meantime recover from the hangover of their time-old policy of mixed economy and adopt a new fiscal policy of setting up big mother units and small ancillary units and boost up cottage industries to open up new employments.

Summer in Bengal

             Summer is a very prominent season in West Bengal. Baisakh and Jaistha of the Bengali calendar, approximately from mid- April or mid- June of English almanac, are the two summer-months here. Summer brings gradually increasing heat after the temperature climate of the spring and bathes in perspiration before the rainy season sets in.

             Summer is compared by many poets to an ascetic silently engaged in deep meditation sitting at the center of a circle of fire. It is shorn of all luxuries and excesses, Actually, Summer months constitute the lean time on the year. Our mother Earth comes nearest to the Sun in these two months. Summer gives us the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The hottest sun at its zenith drives away man and cattle equally from the open to take shelter in the shade.

             The water of the rivers and ponds is evaporated by the blazing heat of the sun. The sources of natural water dry up and the people in the areas where tap-water and tube-wells are not many suffer a lot from the lack of drinking water. Summer diseases spread like wild fire taking the toll of lives. Whirl wind goes on arising dust and flight, over the bosom of the bare fields and grey woods.

             Dearth of food and vegetables rules the market hut some juicy fruits and few fragrant flowers are the only boons these terrible months terrible bring for us.

Drought

             Drought is a period of continuous dry weather, especially when there is not enough water for people’s needs. During droughts it never rains for months and months, not even in time of the rainy season. Drought causes untold misery to the people. Rivers, canals, ponds and pools get dry. There is heat wave and hot spell. The thirsty earth gapes for rain. People experience acute shortage of drinking water. The water level for the tube wells supplying drinking water in villages goes down. The blooming cornfields dry up. As it causes widespread damage to crops, cattle perish for want of fodder and famine starts stalking the land. Various diseases break out. Prices of food stuff goes up so high that most men cannot afford to buy them. So drought is a bane to most men.

Duties of A Student

             A student is seeker after knowledge. It is obvious that a student’s main concern is to study. There are some people who say that students should be like devotees in the temple of learning. They must keep aloof from all other activities. The main duty — the only duty — of a student should be to study and learn. There are others who opine that a student is as much a member of a society as anybody else. As such, he must be alive to the other demands that society makes on him. A student life, according to the latter, should be alive to the bigger problem of life. The fact is that a student of today is a citizen of tomorrow. As a future citizen every student has the duty to equip himself properly.

Patriotism

             A deep love for one’s motherland is called patriotism. It is noble feeling and it lies burning or dormant in the mind of everybody. A true patriot puts his country before himself. So he never hesitates to sacrifice his self-interest for the good of his motherland. He dedicates himself to the service of his native land. He considers it to be his sacred mission. No material gain can deter him from that noble commitment of his life. True patriots are the idols of the people. Their fame spread far and wide. Rana Pratap, Sivaji and Netaji are a few examples of such true patriots born ii India. There are people who profess to be patriots. But an analysis of their motives and activities does not support the claim of those self-styled patriots. They secretly run after their selfish ends. Such men are dangerous. They generally abuse the great virtue o patriotism. Such a cry as my country, right or wrong, is to lead, often leads to war. So we should guard ourselves against such extreme and infantile nationalism. The facists or the nazis, or the so called nationalists have in this way already destroyed the human values and peace of this world. The true patriots must honor other’s patriotism and thus, the integrity of each nation will be protected to create a better human understanding. Patriotism, in this way, is the protector of peace.

Androcles and The Lion

             Long and long ago there lived in Carthage a slave named Androcles. Once he did something wrong’ to his Roman master. To save his life from his cruel rage, be ran away into the woods.
             There he hid himself in a cave and lived on whatever food he could find.
One morning Androcles was sitting in a cave with a mind full of anxiety. To his terror he saw a lion coming towards him. It held up its paw in a pitiful way, and was groaning in pain.
             Androcles took up the swollen paw, and found a thorn inside it. With great care he pulled out the thorn. The lion being free from pain, wagged its tail and licked Androcles’ feet.
Some days later, Androcles was caught and taken back to his cruel master. He was ordered to be thrown to the lions at the next public games.
             On the appointed day a huge lion from a large iron cage was let out to kill Androcles. But fortunately for him it was the same lion he had helped. The fierce animal, instead of devouring him, lay at his feet and licked his hand. The Romans were struck with wonder at this sight. The Roman master set both Androcles and the lion free.

Moral: Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.

No One to Bell The Cat

             Some mice lived in a big house and always did some mischief or other. The master of the house brought in a stout cat for killing them. So the mice could not get out of their holes for fear of being killed. Thus being unable to get any food, they were about to starve and grew lean and thin,

             In this crisis the mice met in a council to find out what to do. But nobody could find out plans to solve the problem. At last a smart young mouse got up. He said, “I have thought of a good plan. It is to tie a bell round the cat’s neck. It will ring at every move of the cat. Its sound will be a signal for us to run away.” The rest of the mice jumped for joy at the idea.

             But after a few minutes a grave old mouse rose and said, “It is a good plan indeed, my dear friends, but which of you will dare to beII the cat ?“

             At these there was silence, for no one wished to risk his life in such an adventure. They left the meeting one by one.

Moral: ‘Things are more easily said than done.’

Science — A Friend or Foe

             Science is neither a friend nor a foe. It all depends on how you utilize it. Thus we cannot determine whether science is bad or good, — it depends on the person who uses it. If you utilize it to make a television-set, it is as good as a friend, but if you use it to develop an atomic bomb which can cause great harm to the world, it becomes an enemy. Thus, it depends on the usage of science.
             These days we are living dangerously. Both the super powers, the USSR and the USA, have developed deadly weapons, with the use of science of course, which can practically wipe out the whole world. It will not take very long to push a button in the USA and see the destruction taking place in China. Here science is just an enemy to mankind.
But, there are people who are using science to better the standard of living. People, who have invented the radio, the television, telephone, electricity, etc. have done a great service to mankind with the use of science has also helped us in developing various medicines which cure even the fell diseases.
             So, what is important in this context is the proper usage of things. Science should be used to develop things which will bring comfort mid ease in everyone’s life. When science brings bliss, it is a friend and when it brings curs, it is a foe.

Autumn in West Bengal

             Autumn in West Bengal spans the period from mid August to mid October. Amongst the six seasons in this State, Autumn is the best of all. As this season is preceded by monsoon, autumn wears a festival and charming look with lush green all around. The floating clouds, clear blue sky, moonlit nights, quiet nature, soothing climate and the rivers and ponds full of water make the nature so romantic.
             Autumn is also the season of festivals. Durga Puja, the greatest religious festival of Bengal falls in this season. The other festivals like Luxmi Puja (Dewali) follow thereafter. The distant sound of beating drums fills the early. People, irrespective of their social status, eagerly wait for this happy season, as they enjoy the festivals very much. Schools, Colleges and even office remain closed enabling people to take part in the festivals and enjoy themselves. Everyone is in a holiday mood. This season also being the harvesting season, farmers are happy with their land full of paddy and other grains. The vast stretch of luxuriant paddy crops undulation in autumn breeze fill the heart of the farmers, The little they earn this season makes them happy. Once this season is over, they anxiously wait for harder winter months.

Pulse Polio Immunization

             Polio is the abbreviated name of Poliomyelitis. It is an infantile malady, starting from the mother’s womb, it continues to make its victim suffer throughout his life. Its virulence is markedly manifested in children. It causes painful bone-deformities of a child that ails him till he dies. It is a scourge, a menace. The sure remedy of this disease is in the periodical oral administration of the medicine ‘Pulse Polio’ during the early years of a new born baby. This medicine creates immunization in the metabolic system of the baby killing the polio- bacteria attacking the process of forming bones and bone-marrow.
             This immunization is imperatively essential for a baby for eradicating the chances of the disease’s onslaught in future. Hence, pulse polio is a must even for a healthy new-born to stop any possibility of this disease in future. It is very easy to administer. It is to be administered orally at intervals of certain period of time to be tied by the physician. According to the UNICEF reports, this disease is on the wane — thanks to the raised against this devil.
             Success of this world-wide Immunization programme depends entirely on the conscious efforts of the public. The people must be made, through constant propaganda and continuous campaigning, aware of the dangerously lingering attack of this disease and it’s very easy remedy. The governments of the backward countries have come forward and now its total success depends on the cooperation of the public for their own good.

The Study Of History

             History is the annals of the past. And without past there cannot be any future. Thus we can say that history is not only an interesting subject but also an important one. Every citizen of a country should, as a duty, learn the history of that country and only then can we hope for a better future. Study of the cultural heritages of a people inspires feeling of patriotism and a pride to take the nation ahead at any cost of sacrifice.
             Though it is not necessary to know the history of the entire world thoroughly, but it is necessary to know at least a brief history of the world. This will help us to understand the various reasons why a particular country has done well or badly and what are its achievements or failures.
Incidents like the American Revolution, Russian Revolution, the French Revolution or the Chinese Revolution are all very important events in the world. The critical study of these events helps us to know the important changes which took place, in the world, both social and political, after these events and why and how the changes occurred.
             Previously, in different history books, usually the tales of kings and queens used to be told in great detail. Now the trend had changed for the better. With the more or less abolition of the king-queen system, these days history is more or less based on the common people on their culture, literature, social system etc. Everything combines together to make up the history of a nation and it is definitely an important study.

Recreation

             It is absolutely essential that everyone gets a chance to have a period of rest after a spell of hard work. It is very often seen that only work makes the mind dull. Even, if machines are made to run continuously, they tend to give trouble. They cannot function properly in the same fashion and the human mind needs rest to start with a dew vigour. And for this recreation is necessary.

             There is hardly any point in wasting one’s off time. There are people who just do nothing during their leisure. Such men are not very successful in life. One must see how one can best utilise this free time to get the best from life.

             Here the question of developing a hobby comes. One can develop various types of hobby. For a young boy, sports are essential to develop not only a good body but also a healthy mind. It gives the boy a chance to mix with a lot of other boys and thus he can develop various ideas by talking to them.

Another very interesting hobby is reading. It is rightly said that a hook is a man’s best friend. One can easily pass long hours by going through the classics of different literatures. It is an education by itself. You are learning during your recreation. Nothing can be better than such a recreation. Choosing the right kind of recreation is important but what is more important is having recreation.