How Would You Honour A Soldier?

The recent terror attacks on Bombay have left every Indian feeling exposed and vulnerable. No place is safe. Who would have imagined that a five-star hotel would bear witness to such gruesome acts of terror and fright? We're all feeling the shock of the awful attacks in Mumbai. All our hearts go out to the victims and their families. I'm writing this because I feel we need to honor their memory.

The attacks were aimed at our people, our prosperity and our peace. Their top target was something else: our unity. If these attacks cause us to turn on each other in hatred and conflict, the terrorists will have won. They know that hatred and chaos feed on division. They also know they are radical extremists, and their only hope of reaching society as a whole is by turning the rest of us against each other.

India is a country with a great heritage and she has witnessed insurgence, wave after wave, and attacks by foreign invaders in the past. After attaining independence, we have had a more or less peaceful existence barring the China-India war in the 1960s and the wars with Pakistan including the unforgettable Kargil war. In both cases, India won victoriously and once again made us Indians realize the importance of our defense forces and brought about a surge of patriotism and respect mixed with awe towards the armed forces of our great nation. Awareness spread through the press and media, first hand reports, eye-witness accounts of events and incidents, and about the brave acts of the soldiers. Common man realized that everyone owed their freedom and life to these selfless souls who pledged their lives for the safety of their country men. While we sat in our cozy living rooms and watched the events unfold on TV and radio, these brave men and women lost their lives saving the nation from infiltrators.


Becoming a soldier is the noblest duty one can take up. However, not many have the will power and dedication to take the decision and actually become one. It is those who have immense love for their nation, and concern for the lives of their countrymen who actually become soldiers – and remain soldiers till the very end.

These brave souls, who are subject to the worst of conditions on the frontlines of war, deserve more than just medals of honour. Even though it may sound controversial, I recall when Abhinav Bindra won the Gold medal for shooting in the recent Olympics, several state Governments individually honored him with prize money totaling to nearly 1.66 crores. For a person highlighting the name of our Country in International forum – we choose to honor. It is good and will be a motivator to several such aspirants. But, one must also think of our soldiers and policemen who brave it each day in the line of duty unflinchingly and take the beating when the fail. Why are these unsung heroes not rewarded in such a fashion? Why don’t the governments take pride in lavishing these living heroes and those that have sacrificed their lives with honour?

I take pride in the fact that “Melur Meadows” a unique gated community project coming up near Coimbatore, chooses to think differently and act practically. We lead by example. We take pride in honoring all war heroes and people from the armed forces, people who serve the nation in the truest sense possible.

www.melurmeadows.com – our website will give you a clear idea about what this unique gated community is all about.

Once a soldier, always a soldier. Strong willed and brave. Conditioned to face any situation, committed to a cause. Most of all dependable and a person who can lead and be looked upon as an Idol or mentor. We would love to have people from the armed forces in our unique gated community so that people are motivated and patriotic. For this very reason, we offer cottages at discounted prices for people from armed forces/ war heroes. We plan to have a mini India. Ours is not about real estate, but about the package of services that come with it. A mini India with people form all walks of life, all parts of India, live together in Unity, harmony and peace. In a safe and secure location.

The pollution free, tranquil atmosphere and not to forget the ideal location near several scenic spots making this an ideal holiday home for all. A simple, laidback lifestyle in a village setting, but with all modern amenities and facilities available within the community. Visit our website and know for your self the true meaning of “CATCHING UP WITH HAPPY LIVING”.

Can a city dweller have Green dreams ?

Many people find gardening an incredibly relaxing hobby. A hobby that allows them to get in touch with the earth and themselves. Likewise, gardening is not an expensive hobby to start, although the hobby may become expensive as you progress in the art of planting. Needless to say, thousands of people enjoy gardening each year and if you are fond of the outdoors, you may find yourself interested in gardening too.
You won't need much to start gardening. Some basic tools like a shovel, a rake, and hoe may do you well in the garden. You will need either seeds or starter plants, whichever you prefer. But, how does one actually become an expert at it? Well, gardening comes naturally to us humans as we have nurtured and and used plants from time immemorial for our own use and benefits. Still, it helps list out the following before we actually venture into large scale gardening...

What is your budget? It could start from as little as Rs.10/- to thousands of Rupees depending upon the following...

1.Is it indoor / outdoor or terrace gardening that you are venturing into
(a) If it is indoor – what sort of time are you willing to devote each day. If you lead a busy life with much of you time spent away from home, the choice of indoor plants must be made wisely and the plants inside the house must also be located strategically to take in most of the natural lighting available from windows or the balcony.
(b) If it is window boxes that you desire – on the sill of your bedroom/ kitchen windows, you will once again have to choose your plants wisely and also have iron brackets installed to hold the plant box you desire to install.
(c) If it is terrace gardening you plan to do, (a) would it be on a large scale with soil and lawn all over the terrace or potted plants placed in rows on the terrace.
2.If you are lucky enough to have a patch of land where you can have a garden, then what is the amount of open space or soil space you have?
3.What sort of gardening venture are you getting into – something that will yield fruit or vegetables soon after planting, or something that will take time to grow and bear fruit – like fruit trees.
4.Having decided this, one must take into consideration the climate prevalent at the place and the soil type.

I am a city dweller, and even though I have an immense desire to garden, I am unable to do so because of the following factors like space constraints (I live in an apartment), rules laid out by the flat association, necessity for conservation of water, objections that may be raised by other residents, etc. For example, I cannot put up anything on the terrace, such as a small shade to protect my plants from direct sunlight, as it is against the association rules.
These things, trivial though they may be, ensure that my dream garden remains a dream and nothing more, at least for now. I, however, intend to have a garden no matter what happens, even if it means having to wait till my husband retires. But then, even after retirement, WHERE?
I think the solution lies in self-sufficient gated communities in rural areas, with cottage-type residences coupled with resort-like facilities one looks for in today's world. One such dream getaway is 'Melur Meadows', a safe, secure, tranquil, peaceful and pollution-free colony near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. I came across their website www.melurmeadows.com. Upon going through I was impressed by the various options that ones gets. The best part is that it is so affordable that one can go in for a cottage and let the company's property management scheme take care of the letting out, taxes, rentals etc and we could visit it as a holiday getaway whenever we have a holiday. It is just awesome. I am glad such alternative lifestyles are available at affordable costs.
If you're wondering what this community has to do with gardening, then here's the answer. Melur Meadows gives each of its residents their own garden patch, where they can grow absolutely anything they want! There will be garden festivals, gardening competitions and displays! Oh what fun. I cant wait to get there. The community starts full-fledged by December 2009.
I urge like-minded people to visit the website and find out for themselves. Think of what you could do, provided with your own garden patch... Isn't it a dream come true for sore city-accustomed eyes?
Think about it!!