VALLIKKAVU (KOLLAM): Mata Amritanandamayi’s spiritual life is not for attaining ‘moksha’ for herself or for society around her but it is aimed at the welfare of the entire world, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said here on Friday. At ‘Amritavarsham 66’, a programme to celebrate the birthday of the spiritual leader at Amritanandamayi Math here, Singh said the spiritual leader and her math have undertaken numerous initiatives for the poor and the downtrodden to ensure that they live with honour.
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey lauded the initiatives of the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences to provide free treatment to hundreds of poor people. Through these noble initiatives, Amritanandamayi has proven that service to mankind equals service to God.
Choubey added Amritanandamayi’s concern for fishermen has prompted her to inspire researchers of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham to come out with a technology that can ensure internet connectivity to fishermen even 100 km into the sea. Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur said the work done by Amritanandamayi and her math has transformed numerous lives not only in India but across 40 countries. The minister lauded the math’s assistance of `5 lakh each to the victims of the Pulwama terror attack. He said the noble gesture from the spiritual leader shows how much she cares for the country’s soldiers.
He said the country is fortunate to have a spiritual leader like Amritanandamayi and a political leader like Narendra Modi who are transforming India in their own ways. Distributing OceanNet connectivity device, Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma said the government will findout ways to cooperate with the math in ensuring better safety for fishermen who venture into the sea. Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said Amritanandamayi Math is the ultimate refuge for thousands of people who are in distress. He lauded the spiritual leader’s initiative to provide assistance to flood victims.
MLAs, O Rajagopal, R Ramachandran, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, MLA from Gorakhpur (Urban) in UP, Radha Mohan Das Agarwal and SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan were among those present.
‘Maritime vigil upped to foil strike from neighbour’
Vallikkavu (Kollam): Hinting at the possibility of a neighbouring country carrying out a major terror attack on India through its coastline, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India has strengthened its maritime security in the wake of the threat. He was speaking at ‘Amritavarsham 66’, a programme to celebrate the 66th birthday of spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi, at her ashram at Vallikkavu in Kollam on Friday. “There is a possibility that a neighbouring country’s terrorists may carry out a major attack on our coastline which extends from Kutch to Kerala. But our country’s maritime security is absolutely strong. We are completely committed to coastal and maritime security,” Singh said. The Navy and Coast Guard are fully prepared to meet any eventuality, he added. Referring to the Air Force strike in Balakot in response to the Pulwama attack, Singh said,“We do not trouble anyone but won’t spare anyone who troubles us.” No one in the country will be able to forget the sacrifice of the soldiers who died in the Pulwama incident, Rajnath said.
OceanNet project for fishermen rolled out
Kollam: As part of Amritavarsham 66, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham on Friday launched ‘OceanNet’, a networking solution that provides internet connectivity to fishing boats even when they are more than 60 kilometres away from the coast. Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma distributed the OceanNet kit to as many as 10 fishermen selected from across the state during the function. OceanNet is an affordable wireless communication system offering internet connectivity to fishermen at sea to help them stay safe in rough weather conditions. At present, the mobile towers located on land provide connectivity only up to 45 km in the sea.
Each boat’s speed and course can also be tracked on a land-based server. SOS calls are also supported via this gadget. Praising the initiative taken by Amritanandamayi Math, the minister said this technology will help fishermen in distress stay in touch with their families and communicate with authorities. “The Fisheries Department in association with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is in the process of launching a satellite-enabled hi-tech communication device using which fishermen can stay connected up to a distance of 1,500 km from the shore without internet or mobile connectivity,” she said.