Madhava Turumella's blog

I am a lover of my own liberty and so I would do nothing to restrict yours.

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:29:15 +0000

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"I’m a lover of my own liberty, and so I would do nothing to restrict yours. I simply want to please my own conscience, which is God." - Mahatma Gandhi - Young India (21 January 1927)

BUSINESS ETHICS PRESENTATION - HOUSE OF LORDS

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 12:15:56 +0000

1) I am a Trustee of UKTA (http://www.uktas.org.uk/). I presented on subject "Business Ethics" in the House of Lords. This business meeting was chaired by Lord Billimoria, CBE, DL.

Seated on my right hand side:

1) Mr. RajaSekhar, Minister Political, Indian High Commission, London, UK

2) Mr. Prabhakar Kaza, a well known banker and President of UKTA

3) Lord Billimoria, CBE DL (Founder Chairman of Cobra Beer) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karan_Bilimoria,_Baron_Bilimoria

2) Me discussing with Lord Billimoria after my presentation. You can also see Mr. Dan Byles, MP (Conservative Party) and also Mr. Dalip Puri, Head ( Multicultural Banking) and Head of Global Indian Proposition, HSBC Bank plc.

UKTA SANKRANTI CELEBRATIONS

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:50:00 +0000

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article1099429.ece?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d36d21edbf1aa68,0

U.K. celebrates Sankranthi

The United Kingdom has celebrated its first ever Sankranthi, the festival of harvest, in the House of Commons.

Tory MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth, Dan Byles and Minister (Political) Indian High Commission C. Rajasekhar were the chief guests of the function organised by U.K. Telugu Association.

Speaking on the occasion Dan Byles, introduced himself to the audience as the son-in-law of Andhra Pradesh, having married a Telugu lady, said that the hospitality of the Telugu people is unforgettable and promised full support to the community.

“As the bilateral relations between India and the UK are strengthening up, events like this help to further strengthen the fusion,” said Mr. Rajasekhar.

He also praised Prabhakar Kaza, President of UKTA and his team for organising such an event in a novel style and with a touch of class.

“We hope to bring the Telugu culture to life in this country and introduce our customs and traditions to the English citizens too. Telugu New Year is the right opportunity and would be well received,” said Kaza.

Madhava Turumella, Trustee, UKTA explained to the audience the significance of Sankranthi and it’s association with the people of Andhra Pradesh.

Around 150 people attended the programme.

Dr John Marr, eminent Tamil Scholar and Carnatic music practitioner who was conferred Padmasri award, kicked off the cultural side of the evening with a song penned by Syama Sastry and it stood as the highlight of the evening.

The members of TPUK and students of London’s Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan entertained the audience with their dance performances in Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam and Kathak.

Keywords: U.K. Telugu Association, cultural event, NRIs

Art of Forgiving

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 11:09:00 +0000

All of us have been wronged by someone or the other. As we carry on with those grudges, we not only allow the other person to hurt us, but also let him control our life each moment. Revenge and turmoil eat our soul and engulf our life.

The most creative power given to human beings is the power to heal the wounds of the past, the power to forgive.

Forgiveness is a gift that God has given us for healing ourselves. It aligns us with the cosmic scheme through which we learn to accept the occurrence of events in our lives. Forgiving is the essence of spirituality because it liberates us from our suffering.

Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism, is full of verses that emphasise the need to forgive. “Bure da bhala mana gussa man na vasa” (Be grateful to the one who is bad to you since he is only an instrument. Don’t allow anger to fester in your mind), goes one verse.

We think that forgiveness is an excuse for escapism, inaction or cowardice and only those who cannot fight forgive. But there is a difference between fearing and forgiving. It is incorrect to believe that our decision to forgive will turn us into a coward. The Bible says forgiving is a sign of power.

Forgiving does not require us to reunite with the person who broke our rust, nor does it mean we accept the person’s behaviour. It merely means that we erase the “hate” within ourselves and stop living a life of torment and pain. Forgiveness heals the past releasing ill-will against the person while not forgetting the pain that guides our future actions.

The first step to forgiveness is recognising that by holding on to our grudges to make the other person unhappy we are actually making ourselves unhappy.

The truth is that attachment to the hurtful past does not harm the other person, but negatively impacts our emotional well-being . Martin Luthar had said “forgiveness is pure happiness”.

(Source: By Ragini Gulati, Hindustan Times)

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1001011051/efblike WM Inter Faith Week - Launch EventSaturday...

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:22:55 +0000

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1001011051/efblike

WM Inter Faith Week - Launch Event

Saturday 20th November 2010

Join us to celebrate the richness of our religious and spiritual diversity

From the 21st - 27th November 2010 the entire West Midlands will celebrate together the richness of religious and spiritual diversity for Inter Faith Week. This monumental occasion will bring together faiths and religions to help build stronger community relations, positive change and understanding.

The week will play host to workshops, seminars, and celebrations that will take place throughout the region. The events will aim to strengthen inter faith relations, increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities and increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious belief. To find out about the exciting activities in your area please visit: http://www.wmfaithsforum.org.ukor http://www.interfaithweek.org/

Come and help us celebrate the launch of the West Midlands Inter Faith Week. This energetic celebration will be bursting with live performances, exhibitions, stalls and food! please find details below:

Inter Faith Week Regional Launch

Date: Saturday 20^th November 2010

Time: 5pm -8.30pm (Exhibition, networking and vegetarian buffet at 5pm. Main event to start at 6pm)

Location: Coventry Central Methodist Hall, Warwick Lane Coventry, West Midlands CV1 2HA

Guest Speaker: Madhava Turumella - Inter-Faith Committee of the Hindu Forum of Britain

For more information on Inter Faith Week contact Selina Brown or Gareth Jones on 0121678 88 40

Have you got a real faith? or...

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:48:00 +0000

Have you got a real faith? or is it merely a political aspiration? is it merely a larger kind of selfishness? or is it merely that you wish to be free to oppress others, as you are being oppressed? Do you hold your political creed from a higher source? Is it God that is born in you? Have you realised that you are merely the instruments of God, that your bodies are not your own? You are merely instruments of God for the work of the Almighty.

-- Sri Aurobindo

Articles from Bande Mataram

Releasing the Reins �€“ Changing Others

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 08:26:00 +0000

Releasing the Reins – Changing Others

(When we feel the need to change others, take the time to look inside yourself, find the mirror and the message)

Our perception of humanity as a whole is to a large extent, dualistic. We paint people with a broad brush – some are like us, sharing our opinions and our attitudes, while others are different. Our commitment to values, we have chosen to embrace, is often so strong that we are easily convinced that our way is the right way. We may find ourselves frustrated by those who view the world from an alternate vantage point and make use of unusual strategies when coping with life’s challenges. However, ardently we believe that these people would be happier and more satisfied following our lead, we should resist the temptation to try to change them. Every human being has been blessed with a unique nature that cannot be altered by outside forces. We are who we are at any one point in our lives for a reason, and no one person can say for certain what another should be like.

The reasons we try to change one another are numerous. Since we have leaned over time to flourish in the richness of lives we have built, we may come to believe that we are qualified to speak on behalf of the greater source. The sum total of our knowledge will never compare to what we do not know, however, and our understanding of others’ lives will forever be limited. The potential we see in the people who are a part of our lives will never be precisely the same as our own, so we do these individuals a disservice when we make assumptions about their intentions, preferences, and goals. Our power lies in our ability to accept others for all their quirks and differences and let go of the need to control every element of our existence. We can love people for who they are, embracing their uniqueness, or we can love them as human beings from afar. Your ability to influence people may grow more sophisticated because others sense that you respect their right to be themselves, but you will likely spend more time gazing inward, into the one person you can change yourself.

(Dilip Dhingra, Ideas Exchange, October, 2010)

[I think the above writer may have been inspired by the thoughts of Sri Bala Gandagar Tilak especially his commentary on Bhagawad Gita - Karma Yoga]

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