"My 10 Years of Unemployment" - Sevalaya Murali

I am enjoying my ten years of unemployment! I quit my corporate job on 31st March, 2009 and now one decade is over, after I have started a full time volunteer work.  

I joined PSI Data systems in Bangalore, after I completed my Engineering in Indian Institute of science in 1984. My first appraisal was due at the end of my first year in service and the appraisal form had the usual question “What do you want to become after 5 years and 10 years?”.  I had answered “Nothing”. My boss was shocked to see this answer and called me and tried to explain the significance of this question. “You see, we want to know your aspirations so that your career growth can be planned properly”. I told him “My priorities in life are different.”    After three years in PSI, I moved to TCS and spent 22 years. In 2009, I completed 25 years in corporate life. My initial thinking was to work only for 25 years and leave the job and do only free charity work thereafter. Meanwhile in 1988 I had founded Sevalaya and the organization was also growing big and required my full time participation. To make the tax calculations easy, I had decided to quit on 31st March, 2009, being the financial year end. So I put in my papers in TCS, giving proper notice period and walked out of corporate life as planned.  My wife knew my plans, may be even before I knew it, so she was very supportive of my decision.

My father was shocked, he was almost in tears. “All your children are still students. There is no earning member in the family. How can you just throw away a good job like this? Who knows what type of expenses will come in future”. I tried to comfort him telling that I have made all calculations and saved enough in 25 years of IT job and so no need to worry about financial status.  Now after 10 years, I have had a comfortable living, my family didn’t suffer and we are all okay! I could have earned more and more money and may be created more wealth for my family, but at the cost of denying myself what I really wanted to do!  Time has proved that I did take the right decision. 

Having Mahakavi Bharathi, Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda as my bosses and seeing so many underprivileged get benefited gives its own joy and fulfillment. Yes, the work is tough, may be thankless job sometimes, but as long as I am happy with what I am doing, who cares!

When I walked out of my office on 31st March 2009 and got into my car, I told my driver “That’s it. I have resigned and we don’t have to come to this car park anymore. “ My driver quickly responded “From today, I don’t think there will be time to park the car. I may have to drive the car all over Tamil nadu, non-stop. “ Yes, his words have come true. In the last 10 years, Sevalaya has opened eight more branches in Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Pudhucherry, Thanjavur, Thirunelveli etc.    

The wheels keep rotating.

From
Muralidharan
Founder & Managing Trustee
Sevalaya
21-March-2019

Wedding Bells at Sevalaya :-)

Dear Friends,

Abirami, when she was around five year old last both her parents in quick succession. She and her elder brother were left under Sevalaya care, by the villagers and some distant relatives. From then on she grew up as a cheerful person, forgetting her past. We could see she was very good in fine arts. She picked up drawing and painting skills very well. She was good in singing and dancing too. So Sevalaya decided to help her excel in fine arts line.

After her 12th grade in school, it was decided to put her in Fine Arts College and educate her in the filed she is good at. She wanted to take up drawing as her carrier but came to me and asked “Is this going to be very expensive? How will you manage?”. I told her that need not be her concern, and Sevalaya as an organization will somehow manage to get funds and educate children in the area they want to excel and have shown interest. So she joined a professional course in Fine Arts College in city. She had to get ready very early, catch a bus to the railway station and then a train to come into city and then reach the college. Many occasions, the breakfast will not be ready by that time. We had told her to eat out on such days, but poor girl will hesitate to spend money and will go hungry and attend the college. “This is public money, we have to be very careful” will be her answer, when I ask her why she is skipping breakfast.

After she completed the four year professional course, we offered her a job in Sevalaya School as drawing teacher. She was very happy to work in the same school where she studied, where she lived all her life.

When she was in college, she met Prabhakaran, who was doing music. He was specializing in key board. As they used to travel in the same train every day, they got closer and fell in love. Few months ago, Abirami told me able this. Then we had to make the enquiries about the boy, his family background etc. We went and met his parents and broke the news. The boy’s parents also came to Sevalaya to see the “home” of the girl. The discussions went on and finally it has been decided to have the marriage function on 8th May, 2019, in Sevalaya Kasuva village campus.

We have conducted such marriages in the past. The donor community helped us in meeting the wedding expenses and also presented lot of gifts to the new couple so that they can start their life. In Indian custom, there is big list of things to be done for wedding – what parents should do, what brothers should do, sisters should do, aunts, uncles, etc – yes, big list of relatives and bigger list of gifts! In this case, it will be all Sevalaya and its donor community – we have to play the role of parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts etc. Hope all of you are ready to contribute.

Inviting you to the wedding of Abirami, daughter of Sevalaya, on 8th May, 2019, at Sevalaya Kasuva campus, Thiruninravur, Thiruvallur dist. Please come and join the wedding celebrations.

With Love

Muralidharan V

Founder & Managing Trustee,

Sevalaya

Gandhiji’s prison life-2

General Smuts, who had agreed to repeal the Black Act if the Asiatics would voluntarily register themselves, went back on his words. While the voluntary registrations were validated, the original act was still in the books, so that those who did not register voluntarily before the cut-off date and the later entrants were subject to the obnoxious Act. The Indians intensified the agitation. Those who voluntarily registered gathered and made a bonfire of about 2000 certificates. Those who were outside Transvaal entered the state without permit. Both the resident Indians and those who entered without certificates started hawking goods without permits, which was a violation of law. They were arrested and sent to jail for periods ranging from two to three months with rigorous labour and fine. Those who courted arrest included prominent businessmen.

Gandhiji pleaded with General Smuts that while many in the rank and file of passive resisters were suffering imprisonment, he himself who was the chief instigator was still at large. He asked,” Is it courageous to leave me alone and harass the poor Indians?”

On September 29, 1908, Gandhiji was arrested with 15 others. On October 15 he was fined 25 Pounds or to undergo imprisonment for two months with hard labour. Gandhiji said he would not pay the fine and would go to jail. The Judge remarked, “I very much regret to see Mohandas Gandhi, an officer of this court and of Supreme Court in the present position. Gandhi may feel otherwise looking at the situation in the light that he is suffering for his country. But I can view it only from the other point of view”

The charge against Gandhiji was he was not able to produce the certificate (having consigned it to flames) and was not prepared to affix fingerprints as a mark of identification.

He was sent to Volkrust prison and given the job as a sweeper and also to work digging the earth. He sent a message to the passive resisters lodged in different prisons,” Keep absolutely firm to the end. Suffering is our remedy. Victory is certain.”

On October 27, Gandhiji was transferred to Johannesburg prison. He was lodged with dangerous criminals and had to keep awake throughout the night. He was released in the first week of December 1908, after the end of the term

In his moving letter to Kasturbai from prison he writes, “I have received West’s telegram about your illness. I feel heartbroken. But I cannot come to look after you. I have sacrificed all in Satyagraha struggle. I can come only if I pay the fine. And that is not to be done. You must not lose heart. You will certainly get well if you regulate your diet. Even it is my fate to lose you, I love you so much even if you are dead you will always be alive to me. You should depart with faith in God. Such death will be in accordance with the principle of Satyagraha.”

Gandhiji’s Prison Life -1

Transvaal Government in South Africa passed an Act on 21st March 1907. The Act required Asians to register themselves with the authorities, and many humiliating conditions were attached to the registration and production of the Registration Certificate. The Passive Resistance Association led by Gandhiji carried on an intensive non-violent struggle against this Act. The form of protest was to defy the legislation and refuse to register and undergo whatever punishment was inflicted. . Even after two extensions, only 500 out of the total of 13000 registered themselves. Irked by the lukewarm response, General Smuts decided that the leaders who instigated the resistance were to be arrested. Accordingly Gandhiji and several others were produced before the court on 28th December 1907. The magistrate ordered that they should leave the country within 48 hours. The time limit expired on 10th January 1908. They were produced in the court on the same day. Before the magistrate, Gandhiji submitted that resisters in Pretoria had been sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour and also were levied a hefty fine. He pleaded that as his own offence was much greater, he should be given a more severe punishment. But the magistrate chose to give him only two months’ simple imprisonment.

The clothes that were given to Gandhiji were very dirty. Gandhiji reconciled himself to wear them. The cell door was locked at 6:00PM. The door was not made of bars but was quite solid. There was a small aperture high up in the wall so that the feeling was that of having been locked up in a safe. In South Africa there were only two classes of convicts, namely whites and Blacks, i.e. the Negroes. , and the Indians were classed with Negroes. The next day it was informed that prisoners without hard labour were entitled to keep their own private clothing. Otherwise they would be given special clothing appropriate to their class. They opted to get clothing assigned to Negro prisoners not punished with hard labour. As such clothing was not available; the Satyagrahis opted to take the clothing assigned to hard labour Negro prisoners. The food allowed in the jail was not only not tasty but was indigestible. The prisoners were later allowed to cook their own food. Even though they were not called upon to join the physical exercises, they took part in the drill sessions. During the Jail term, Gandhiji read books by Carlyle, Johnson, Scott, Bacon, Ruskin and Tolstoy. He started translating books by Carlyle and Ruskin into Gujarati, but the task could not be fulfilled as he and his colleagues were released on 30th January 1909, as a result of an agreement reached with General Smuts.

How this agreement resulted in difficulties for Gandhiji. How General Smuts reneged on his words as a result of which Gandhiji hardened his stand and intensified his struggle is another matter which requires a separate study.

This was the first jail term of Gandhiji which lasted for 381 days.

Mystic-Saint Ramakrishna Paramahasa's 183rd birth anniversary - Sevalaya

When Gaja Cyclone battered our prestigious Granary Tanjore,  Sevalaya switfly jumped into action, by reaching the affected people and provided immediate relief. Simultanously  Team-Sevalaya assessed the damages in select areas.  We chose Orathanadu, where hut dwellers had lost their huts and belongings and became stranded.and decided to provide them houses in places of thatched roofing.  Sevalaya approached its Corporate Supporter M/s Financial Software Systems, who readily agreed to provide financial wherewithal for the initiative.  On 17th February 2019, Foundation Stone Laying function took place to give free housed to the affected.  The function was graced by His Holiness Deivathiru Thiruvadikudil Swamigal. The benefited are daily wage earners in agricultural fields in the area.

The other important event held was Divine Triumvarate's day at Sevalaya's Tanjore Centre.  Swamiji participated in this function also and gave his blessing note. In his brief address to the audience, he advised that we should strive hard to protect our great dharma.  All of us should follow Swamy Vivekananda in our lives. Importantly, prizes were distributed to the students participated in  the competition held on Swamy vivekanda's historical Chicago speech.

#sevalayasuccess #sevalaya 

Vanmathi’s Story: Skills are the Key to Success

Emerging from formal education at the age of 22, Vanmathi found herself struggling to find employment. Vanmathi was a bright girl and not uneducated; after finishing 12th Standard at a girls’ government school in Ambattur, she completed a 4-year BE course at Veltech College, Avadi. Despite this, Vanmathi struggled to access the job market as she lacked practical skills and experience. Her father works as a driver and her mother is a housewife, while her older brother works for a small company in Chennai. Her family’s financial situation meant that skills training courses were out of reach for Vanmathi.

By sheer fortune, a friend came to Vanmathi’s aid by recommending Sevalaya’s Community College in Ambattur. Vanmathi’s friend had recently completed a Tally course there, and conveyed Sevalaya’s provision of free practical skills training to her. Soon enough, by November 2017, Vanmathi herself had enrolled onto Sevalaya’s 4.5 month E-publishing course. Sevalaya’s Community College equipped her not only with publishing skills, but with a chance to take Spoken English and yoga classes alongside other young people in a similar position. Speaking of her experience at the Community College, Vanmathi expressed that ‘it became like a family to me’.

Now, having started an internship at Flatirons Jouve in Chennai, Vanmathi has secured her place in the job market. This internship, organised by Sevalaya’s Community College, is the start of a prosperous working life for her – one that she hopes will fulfil her lifelong ambition of being able to support her family. Vanmathi’s story is a perfect example of how practical skills training can transform a life – Sevalaya is immensely proud to have supported Vanmathi and wishes her all the best for the future.

Sangeetha's Story: an empowered entrepreneur

Sangeetha lives with her mother, father and her younger sister. She dreamt of a career in the fashion industry but, when her father had an accident, she had to drop out of her BBA beacause of financial difficulty. The family were forced to sell many of their possessions to send their youngest daughter to College, because, as a young woman in the workplace, many were attempting to exploit her.

Sangeetha took a year out, then did a short fashion design course, but was unsure where to go next; she knew she would need practical skills, not just a degree, to get her into a decent job. Her father’s physiotherapist recommended Sevelaya Community College in Ambattur. Here, she was able to join a free course in Tally, which were previously not an option for Sangeetha as Tally courses can costs between Rs. 25 to 30 thousand. Armed with her new skills, she is now in her final year of BBA correspondance and has a CCO role at LE Service Centre.

When speaking of her 4 months at Sevalaya, the 21 year old expressed how it was so much more than a Tally course. Students are taught typing, spoken English and yoga, as well as the practical training; Sangeetha explains this made her feel a much more confident in herself. In her own words: ‘I wouldn’t even mind coming to class on Sundays!’ She still aspires to get involved with business and fashion, ultimately opening her own boutique. Sevalaya wishes Sangeetha every success and is excited to see what else the future holds for this talented young woman.