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A Tribute to the Life of George Pothen Thekaekara
George Pothen Thekaekara, father, grandfather and finally Catholic priest, arrived in Bangalore from Changanacherry, Kerala, with the first pioneering Malayalis, in 1937, to teach physics and maths in St. Josephs Indian High School and then St. Josephs College.
Almost six feet tall, ramrod straight and endowed with a penchant for speeches peppered with home-grown humour, and a joke for all seasons, he soon became a well known personality in Bangalore by the 60's.
George moved to the Government of Karnataka as Director, Physical Education and was selected to represent the state with a scholarship to the US. Piqued by being unfairly dropped from the list, he resigned, only to find himself in the envious position of being snapped up by the USIS (United States Information Services) with a three fold salary hike. He served as Deputy Director and was at the heart of many USIS sponsored cultural events in the city. He welcomed eminent personalities such as Ambassador John Galbraith and Jazz legend Duke Ellington to his farmhouse in Banswadi and had many inside stories to tell of famous visitors to his home.
His wife and soulmate Mary was Headmistress and Superintendent of
Schools. She was imbued with even more energy, combining her exacting job with running a farm with 1000 chickens, a dairy of Jersey, Holstein cows, goats, pigs and beautiful flowers which were the talk of the town.
Teaching was George's first love so he took a sabbatical in the mid 1960's to teach high school math in N.J.
Just as he was planning to return to India, Mary and he were offered an assignment with the Peace Corps and always ready for a new challenge, he accepted. Off they went to St. Croix to assist in training India 33, the group that was coming to Kerala to help out in poultry farming. Mary taught them Malayalam and George everything else! Once back in India, the group became extended family. Mary and George's home in Banswadi, Bangalore was home away from home for the PCV's. George and Mary maintained their connection with many of their "boys" over the years.
In the 1970's he moved from centre stage Bangalore life, to Baltimore, where he taught high school maths and physics. He had fascinating stories to tell about working in a special school for drop out inner city kids serving jail sentences whom he considered specially challenging and exciting. At the other end of the spectrum he taught privileged Jewish kids in a rabbinical school. He attacked both jobs with his legendary enthusiasm, discipline and sense of humour.
Mary's death by cancer in 1982 was a painful blow, but George did not give up. Instead he returned from the US at 70 to begin theology and philosophy studies at St. Peters Seminary, Bangalore. He went to classes every day dutifully from 9 am to 4pm like his grandchildren, a 70 year old among 20 year olds, and fought diligently for his right to a student's bus pass!! In the seminary with failing eyesight he battled Greek, Latin and Hebrew and passed his exams in spite of everyone's dire predictions. He had a hard time finding a Bishop willing to take this highly critical student but finally Bishop Frederick D'Souza of Jhansi accepted him on trial. It was difficult for the seventy five plus former Director to bow down to vows of obedience and poverty but he made the transition to the extreme heat and cold of Jhansi, the different cuisine etc. and was ordained a priest at the age of 83, narrowly escaping making it to the Guiness Book of records. A few years later he retired and returned to Bangalore.
He leaves behind his four children Merlyn, Alpheen, Phillip and Stan. And grandchildren Nimmi, David, Allan, Matthew, Tahira, Tarshish and Tariq.
Till his mid 80's he remained ramrod straight, absolutely fit, insisting on doing some manual work everyday in his much loved garden. A fall in the bathroom just before his 89th birthday, was his undoing. The broken hip healed but began a downward spiral and he succumbed to diabetic related complications months before his 90th birthday. It was a measure of the man, his extraordinary fighting spirit, determination and resilience, that all who knew him were shocked by his death. He remained in spirit a very young 89 year old.
Mari Marcel Thekaekara
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Update Nov. 11 on Pakistan India Earthquake Relief Efforts
by Bob Alexander, 517-351-0965, from Shrikumar Poddar,
1.The People's Science Institute (PSI) initial report on the needs for North India now state that sufficient blankets and tents have been delivered. Instead, funds are needed for Tool Kits, so that families can use savable materials from their destroyed homes to improve their temporary shelter and lean-tos. Each Tool Kits includes a hammer, saw and some nails, and costs about $6 per Kit. A Tool Kit is to be shared by 3 families, and will be distributed by local assistance groups. The International Service Society of Bombay and Okemos, MI (ISS) donated funds for 1,000 Tool Kits.
2.The PSI poster on the proper angle for tin roofs (so the snow easily slides off) has been translated and printed in Urdu (official language of Pakistan), for distribution by the relief agencies in north Pakistan.
3.On today's British Broadcasting Company, BBC, there were reports that many of the survivors in north Pakistan, who live at the highest levels in the mountains, are beginning to trek down to the small towns in the valleys. They realize that relief supplies are not going to arrive in sufficient amounts for the winter, or not at all, and their only way to survive is by walking down to the relief camps.
Update Nov 8
1. On the India side, there will be enough funding for building mid-term shelters and long-term homes once the snows melt next Spring. The Indian government has budgeted sufficient funds to meet the housing needs in India. Much more will be needed to help on the Pakistani side next Spring due to far more devastation.
2.Our People's Science Institute (PSI) field evaluators have just submitted their field report, and Shrikumar will send it along soon. Snow is expected in the next week or two, so massive rebuilding of mid-term shelters will have to wait until Spring. The teams are recommending major efforts to improve the insulation in the temporary structures and tents, using bags of air, rice husks and other materials. Our International Service Society in Okemos (ISS) advanced funds to PSI for purchases of insulation and other materials for shelters. PSI is developing posters to demonstrate the proper angle for tin roofing sheets so that the snow slides off to prevent roof collapses.
3.Across the EQ zone there is a need for about 600,000 tents; only about 125,000 tents delivered as of last week. This is a crisis, as we cannot produce sufficient winterized tents to meet this immediate need. Complicating the tent crisis are the very strong winds in the mountains during the winter.
4.The 1,000 blankets that ISS purchased last week were delivered to the Pakistani side in the 8th convoy of major shipments from India to Pakistan. One border crossing is now open and four others are expected soon.
5.There is little cultural use of packed snow in these mountains for insulation, as traditionally the homes are heated by coal burning stoves. The local people use walls of thick stones.
6.There was another earthquake yesterday in Pakistan, level 6.0. Unsure of damages.
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U.S.-Indian Nuclear Energy Cooperation: Security And Nonproliferation Implications
R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs
Remarks as Prepared for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Washington, DC
November 2, 2005
Introduction
Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, thank you for inviting Under
Secretary Joseph and me to discuss the current state of our relations with
India and, specifically the development of full civil nuclear energy
cooperation between India and the U.S. The July 18 visit of Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh to Washington marked a watershed in our ties with the
world's most populous democracy.
President Bush's desire to transform relations with India is based on his
conviction that, as he has said, "This century will see democratic India's
arrival as a force in the world." We believe it is in our national interest to
develop a strong, forward-looking relationship with India as the political and
economic focus of the global system shifts toward Asia. We know that many in
Congress embrace this view. And the time is right. The Cold War, when India
was the ultimate non-aligned nation and the United States the ultimate aligned
nation, is long past. It is time to shift our U.S.-India relationship to a
new, strategic partnership for the decades ahead.
Complete Article
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Questioning the Aryan Invasion Theory and Revising Ancient Indian History
by Klaus Klostermaier
The Aryan Invasion Theory and the Old Chronology
One of the major points of revision concerns the so called 'Aryan invasion theory',
often referred to as 'colonial-missionary', implying that it was the brainchild of
conquerors of foreign colonies...
Complete Article
Footnotes
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The FOI 20th Reunion was a success.
Read all about it in the latest
President's Message.
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The U.S. And India: The New Strategic Partnership
R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs
Moderated by Ambassador Richard Holbrooke
Question and Answer Session After his Speech at the Asia Society
The Asia Society, New York City
October 18, 2005
QUESTION: The Bush Administration has spent years urging all states to
strengthen export controls in order to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
Yet the Bush administration now wants to loosen controls to help India. How do
you respond to critics, including many Bush Administration partisans, who say
you are in fact boosting the importance of nuclear weapons rather than
diminishing their importance? And how do you counter their concerns that you
will encourage other states like China to make exceptions for their friends?
AMBASSADOR HOLBROOKE: Before you answer Carol's question, let me add a very
precise addendum: Is, as your critics charge, the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty
effectively dead as a result of the deal you made with India?
Complete Article
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Long after the media has gone on to other news and other disasters,
the Crisis Corps is still working to reconstruct communities that
were devastated by the TSUNAMI that occurred on December 24, 2004
in the Indian Ocean...
Dear Friends of India,
To date, we have placed 25 volunteers in Sri Lanka and 27 volunteers in Thailand in response to the tsunami and many of those volunteers have started to return to the United States.
Crisis Corps will continue to work on tsunami reconstruction projects and is planning to place up to 30 more volunteers to the affected communities in Sri Lanka.
The Crisis Corps program in Thailand will be transitioned to the Peace Corps and 2-year Volunteers will continue the work started by our Crisis Corps volunteers there.
Work has already begun developing the first 15 Sri Lanka Crisis Corps Volunteer assignments for a December 2005 input. The following positions are now officially open for recruitment.
If you are qualified and available to depart by the indicated start date, please respond with the appropriate position title in the subject line to crisiscorps@peacecorps.gov so that a recruiter may further assess your qualifications for the assignment.
SRI LANKA OPEN POSITIONS
Position: Water Sanitation Engineer
Partner: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
# of CCVs: 3 Positions
Duration: 6 Months
Start Date: Early December 2005
Project: Assist in devising and implementing WATSAN plans; ensure the WATSAN needs are met for beneficiary populations; assist in educating beneficiary population on management of resources linked to WATSAN; ensure that required construction materials are procured and delivered to the respective sites in a timely manner; ensure that proper authorization for land from the government is obtained and that providers of other essential services such as water sanitation, electricity and other basic amenities are identified and contacted prior to the commencement of shelter construction works; coordinate with partner agencies who work principally on WATSAN and assist in supervising the implementation of projects in IOM sites; monitor construction activities carried out by contractors; work closely with the head of Sub-office and the finance office regarding the contract management, close out procedures, and final payment to the sub-contractor.
Qualifications: Degree in civil engineering, architect or related field; flexible and willing to work under difficult work and living conditions; able to work independently and carry out duties with oversight from afar; prior water/sanitation and construction project management experience; monitoring and evaluation experience; ability to maintain
Position: Community Health Officer
Partner: International Organization for Migration
# of CCVs: 2 Positions
Duration: 6 Months
Start Date: Early December
Project: Monitor the daily duties of IOM health projects (Disease Surveillance System and Capacity Building and Ophthalmologic Care Project); coordinate health project activities and liaise with other project partners; develop a reporting system for weekly reports to Field Coordinator.
Qualifications: Degree in Public Health; experience in public health and communicable diseases; exposure to emergencies and capacity to work under difficult conditions; excellent communication and reporting skills; Performance expectations in diverse cultural contexts, psychologically stressful environment and physical hardship conditions.
Position: Disaster Management Associate
Partner: International Organization for Migration
# of CCVs: 1 Position
Duration: 6 Months
Start Date: Early December
Project: Assist the Project Officer with all aspects of the implementation of IOM's disaster risk management program, including preparing project documents, initiating the implementation of the projects, monitoring and reporting; work with local governmental authorities, international organizations and voluntary agencies and other stakeholders in the areas of relevance to disaster risk management; assist in utilizing project-generated information and tools to develop training materials for field staff on mainstreaming disaster risk management into the tsunami recovery programs; assess and monitor project impacts so as to ensure that project objectives are being met; support resource mobilization efforts to provide additional resources for the disaster risk management program.
Qualifications: Degree in disaster management, flood management, water resources, development studies or related field; prior experience in disaster risk management projects; flexible and willing to work under difficult work and living conditions; ability to work independently with minimal supervision; ability to maintain performance expectations in diverse cultural contexts, psychologically stressful environment and physical hardship conditions.
Position: Livelihood Assistants
Partner: International Organization for Migration
# of CCVs: 3 Positions
Duration: 6 Months
Start Date: Early December
Project: Assist with all aspects of the implementation of IOM's livelihood program, including: data collection and analysis, procurement, delivery, monitoring and reporting; identify and verify vulnerable populations for priority livelihood assistance; brief Camp-Care Committees (where they exist) on IOM's livelihood program; consult with beneficiaries to design locally relevant livelihood-assistance packages; coordinate with other organizations working in the district; work with local organizations to develop proposals for support to tsunami-affected persons.
Qualifications: degree in International relations, business administration, economics or related field; experience with data collection and analysis and program monitoring and evaluation. Previous experience with livelihood programs and proposal writing is desired.
Position: Financial Systems Development Officer
Partner: United Methodist Committee on Relief
# of CCVs: 1 Position
Duration: 6 Months
Start Date: Early December
Project: Assess current financial operations and reporting systems; conduct mini-audit of regional office systems and practices; develop, design and implement improving current financial operations and make recommendations for expansion of humanitarian assistance program.
Qualifications: Qualification with a recognized accounting body (Bachelor's degree in Accounting or A Bachelor's degree in Business with experience in accounting, CPA, or other accounting certificate); ability to work independently within agreed deadlines; good computer skills (including financial software packages and excel); ability to work effectively in a team.
Position: Administration Development Officer
Partner: United Methodist Committee on Relief
# of CCVs: 1 Position
Duration: 6 Months
Start Date: Early December
Project: Conduct an assessment of the Administration and Human Recourses departments; review policies and procedures, making suggestions in improving the systems; provide support staff in maintaining an efficient and effective staff database, and set up a workable HR filing and record archiving system to monitor dates relating to probationary periods, performance management, annual leave and sickness absence; advise and support staff in their roles by helping them to prioritize, organize and handle multiple tasks simultaneously; assist in training staff in developing their managerial skills; implement monitoring and evaluation systems and developing reporting systems; write progress reports and train the District support staff in report writing skills.
Qualifications: Degree in Business Management, human resources or other relevant discipline; an ability to work independently within the agreed deadlines; experience with NGO development projects, staff training or capacity building; ability to work effectively in a team and to work independently with minimal support .
Position: Hotel Management Specialist
Partner: Mercy Corps
# of CCVs: 1 Position
Duration: 6 Months
Start Date: Early December
Project: Under supervision of the Program manager and in collaboration with the President of the Arugam Bay Tourism Association; familiarization with the hotel industry and the national / cultural context at Arugam Bay; advise hotel managers in how to better manage their facilities; including visitor services, reception, maintenance, room and facility cleanliness, book keeping and accounting; conduct training needs assessment and training sessions for hotel employees in prioritized subjects.
Qualifications: Degree in hotel /restaurant management or related field or significant experience working in hotel management; significant experience working in hotels with management and supervisory experience; ability to transfer skills to hotel owners in general book keeping and standard hotel practice such as maintenance, room and facility cleanliness, visitor services and guest reception.
Position: Restaurant Management Specialist
Partner: Mercy Corps
# of CCVs: 1 Position
Duration: 6 Months
Start Date: Early December
Project: Under supervision of the Program manager and in collaboration with the President of the Arugam Bay Tourism Association; familiarization with the restaurant industry and the national / cultural context at Arugam Bay; advise restaurant managers in how to better manage their facilities; including food preparation, alternative cuisines, food storage and facility cleanliness, book keeping and accounting; conduct training needs assessment and training sessions for restaurant employees in prioritized subjects.
Qualifications: Degree in hotel /restaurant management or related field or significant experience working in hotel management; significant experience working in hotels with management and supervisory experience; ability to transfer skills to hotel owners in general book keeping and standard hotel practice such as maintenance, room and facility cleanliness, visitor services and guest reception.
Upcoming Projects
As we indicated above, we are planning to place another 30 volunteers in Sri Lanka in the coming year. The first 15 assignments should arrive in Sri Lanka in early December and the second group will likely be deployed in March/2006.
Availability Update
If you do not want to receive future e-mails from Crisis Corps regarding our efforts in the region, please direct your e-mail to crisiscorps@peacecorps.gov with "unsubscribe tsunami" in the subject line.
Thanks,
Crisis Corps Tsunami Response Team
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