M.C.Mehta The Taj Mahal and Ganga Pollution Cases Mahesh Chandra Mehta visited the Taj Mahal for the first time in early 1984 and was shocked to see that the monument’s marble had turned yellow and was pitted as a result of pollutants from nearby industries. Being a lawyer, he filed an environmental case in the…
033. S.R.Rao: Handling a plague, transforming a city
S.R.Rao On a fateful day in May 1995, Suryadevra Ramachandra Rao of the Indian Administrative Service took over as the new Municipal Commissioner of Surat in Gujarat, India, a city known for its diamond industry. He did not really want that job, because he knew what awaited him there. What he did there, however, remains…
032. The thief who spoke the truth
When the Thief entered the temple, he did not know that his life was going to change forever. It was night and he went in to take rest. He saw an old monk, who was eating some fruits. The monk offered him some and asked who he was. Seeing the venerable monk, the Thief could…
031. Elisabeth Mann Borgese: The Mother of the Ocean
Elisabeth Mann Borgese She trained as a concert pianist, became a professor of political science, but spent the greater part of her life working for the peaceful and sustainable use of the ocean. Elisabeth Mann Borgese was born in Munich in 1918 as the fifth of six children. Her father was Thomas Mann, the great…
030. S.R. Sankaran: People’s bureaucrat
S.R.Sankaran Can you imagine a very large number of people from all walks of life joining the funeral procession of a retired bureaucrat? That happened in Hyderabad, when S.R. Sankaran, a former officer of the Indian Administrative Service passed away on October 7, 2010. That was a rare tribute to the memory of a civil…
029. Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla: Fighting together for justice
(Photo by Terry Allan) The two women first met as employees at a stationery factory in 1986 where they founded an independent union to fight for better labour conditions and wages (traditionally male-dominated unions would not accept them). In 1989, they led a 750 km march to New Delhi, presented a petition to the Prime…
028. Life is like the coffee
The Professor was to retire soon and, before leaving the university campus, he invited a group of his favourite alumni to visit his home, have some coffee, and share old stories. The students invited were mostly successful in their careers and earning well. The students were happy to meet the Professor and at first they…
027. Nammalvar: Crusader for organic farming
Nammalvar On December 30, 2013, Govindasamy Nammalvar died at the age of 75. He was then on a peaceful march in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, India. He was leading a campaign against the methane exploration project for which the State government had granted a licence to an American multinational company. Not many in India…
026. The Starfish Thrower: It made a difference for that one!
Loren Eiseley The young man had the habit of walking along the beach in the morning. He had been here often and he saw the beach as a place “littered with the debris of life” – shells, crabs, octopus, starfish, and such. The sea seemed to reject its offspring. The tiny breathing pores of the…
Q 01. Hope in dark times: Inspiring quotations 1
Beginning April 14, 2020, I have been publishing on this site one inspiring story every day. I have tried to introduce variety in the offerings: meaningful tales, inspiring stories of ordinary persons achieving extraordinary things for larger purposes, stories of women, men and children, and so on. Yesterday, I published the 25th story. Today, I…