History, Statistics, Facts and Myths about corona virus

History on Onset of Disease and related Statistics

The first case is reported in China on Nov 17th, 2019 when a 55 year old women has contacted with this new viral disease. This was in the Hubei Province of China, the place where we are talking of the city of origin of Corona- the Wuhan. Doctors found some more cases creeping in with symptoms similar to SARS virus and researches started working on that. It was suspected that the virus must have spread from some fish market- a wet place, but patients included people who had no contact with such places. By December 15th the number of cases increased to 27 and 60 cases by December 20th, 2019.

Dr Zhang Jixian, the Head of respiratory department at Hubei Provincial Hospital of China, identified the causative organism as Corona virus. By December 27th the number of cases increased to 180. Scientist suspect that this corona virus originated from SARS in bat. The virus some how reached the most trafficked mammal- Scaly ant eater- Pangoline and then passed to human. This transition, mechanism and details are unknown. 

By January 12th, the Nation Health Commission of China submitted a report to WHO that a virus erupted from exposure to a sea food market.
By 7th January China identified this new virus and by 12th Jan, they had the genome sequence of this virus.
on 13th January a case in Thailand, 15th Jan- Japan and 20th Jan- Korea. The News of Novel Corona Virus- Covid 19 ( 2019- nCov) has spread to the entire world. 

By 20th January the number of cases in 3 countries was 282. By 30th January, the number of cases have increased to 11,900, by Feb 15th it was 59,197 cases, by March 1st it is 88,595 and by March 16th the number of cases world wide are 1,82,414. This logarithmic increase in the number of cases globally led down to announcement of lock down in several countries. But the spread of virus has not stopped. It has reached even the Palaces and even to Price Charles. Today , i.e., 31th March 2020, it is very sad to see the total number of cases escalating to 8,37,016. The virus has spread to over 200 countries, resulting in 41,298 deaths. 1,72,502 have recovered while there are many yet to recover.

The following is a graph showing increase in corona virus cases

The following graph reveals number of cases revealed.

Worst effected are the elderly, above 60 years of age and also those who are week, lacking immunity. Death toll kept increasing globally. Governments have announced lock down and are ready with ventilators, detecting kits and support systems to help identify the infected, treat them and educate people. Italy, Spain and US are the worst effected due to Corona virus. But as on today China has come out of the effect of corona- They are able to manage the disease and lock-down has been seized, while rest of world is staying at home. 

Points to be remembered by the people are:

• It is virus and spreads through droplets coming out of other people
• It is not carried in air
• Its route of entry is mouth, nose and even eyes.
• It survives in the wet and coolest part of body- which is the nose and upper respiratory tract.
• It has noting to do with outside environment
• One sneeze of a person can give out thousand of droplets having virus that can effect tens of people around that vicinity.
• Virus ones entered into body, does not stay outside, but enters the cells. Hence no superficial cleaning can help us
• Taking good food and citrus fruits does not mean the virus cannot effect us
• A minimum distance is imposed so that virus transfer from surface of one person to another can be avoided. The virus does not creep out of body, but comes out due to saliva or nasal droplets.
• Good hand washing and self hygiene can prevent virus entry into body, but this is to be done regularly.
• The worst part of this virus is, it effects upper respiratory tract and people are helped to survive with ventilators.
• Incubation time for the virus is 14th or so. Symptoms may appear late, hence you cannot rest assure that you are totally fine and great
• There is no need to panic that everyone is going to die, as 4.9% people are dying due to this viral infection.
• Self isolation of infected people is recommended as to avoid spread of incidences due to contact.
• YES, it is true that there is no vaccine and no medicine
• BUT, we are getting rid of cold ( Influenza) virus and our body will take time to gain immunity against this too, hence stay calm and eat good food if infected.
• ONE LAST POINT- STAY AT HOME AND STAY SAFE.

The above slogan is to be strictly practiced to stop this pandemic spread of virus. 

NOW LET US TALK ABOUT MYTHS

1. Myths about Chinese and their dietary intake. 
Many Whats app messages started coming up saying that Chinese eat raw meat and hence every new disease erupts in China. We really do not know the reason but people started portraying things in such a way that the messages started disrupting religious harmony.  People started expressing words that. their country people will never get due to some practices, which are quite annoying and disturbing. 
Then comes the dietary war fare- and myths about food intake. Not understanding the seriousness at which this virus can spread and that it is totally NOVEL. Recommendation came up with recipes and a change in life style for that too.
People of a country have their own different food habits which are decided by the climatic conditions and availability of natural resources and finally beliefs which one cannot comment. 

2. Myth that hot water bath can kill Corona virus
It is absolutely wrong. Virus on the surface of hands, face, near nose, eyes can enter us. So frequent hand wash is recommended. 

3. Hand dryers can kill virus: 
Before drying hands are to be washed with soap or cleaned with alcohol based sanitizers. Later one can dry the wet hand, but dryers alone do not kill virus.

4. Exposure to UV light can kill corona virus: 
UV radiations on skin can cause irritation and also skin cancer. Hence never use UV light. Virus resides in cells of upper respiratory tract.

5. Suspicion on working of thermal scanners to detect effected individuals: 
Corona virus infection lead to increase in body temperature. But in many people the incubation time for symptoms to appear vary from 7 to 14 days. Hence we cannot say that Corona viral detection can be done 100% effectively with the thermal scanners. 

6. Spraying alcohol or chlorine on body can kill corona virus: 
No. Not at all. Such sprays can damage mucous membranes of mouth, eyes and are very harmful to people. A family suspecting to have got infected with corona virus, gave alcohol even to a infant who died not because of virus, but due to methanol that they consumed. 

7. Can vaccines against Pneumonia protect people:
No. Vaccine against corona virus is under preparation and researchers are expected to come out with vaccine for the virus within 2 years. 

8. Can Choloroquine be used as a drug against Corona virus: 
No. It is used to treat malaria. FDA of US has strictly prohibited anyone from using it. Cases have come up with people consuming the drug suspecting themselves to got affected with Corona and got hospitalized due to the side effects of this  medication.

9. Can cleaning nose with saline prevent corona virus infection: 
No. Such acts can make the people prone to common cold. 

10. Can virus survive Hot and Humid climates / Cold and chilled climates:
What ever the outside temperature maybe, our body temperature remains same and is best place for virus to survive. Hence such myths must be ruled out. 

11. Can steam inhalation kill viruses: 
No. Steam inhalation does not raise your body temperature. So, virus is not effected. Steam inhalation with orange peels, mint leaves, garlic, ginger, eucalyptus and some anti viral herbs has been falsely told to effect Corona virus. Steam thins the mucous membrane and gives temporary relief during cold or flu. But cannot kill virus.

12. Can mosquitoes transmit viruses: 
It has not been proved till date that mosquitoes can do this task. 

13. Eating garlic and turmeric protect us from Corona virus:
No. Garlic and turmeric are antimicrobial taken orally. But corona effects nasal tract. It enters cells and does not stay outside waiting for consumption of ginger or garlic or turmeric. 

14. Can antibiotics protect us: 
No. Antibiotics are used against bacteria. No antibiotics are recommended for Corona virus.

15. Drinking warm water protects people against corona virus: 
No. This is a myth. There are no evidences saying that keeping throat moist or having warm water helps viral infection

16. A message saying holding breath for 10 seconds helps to identify Corona virus infection:
If the person is infected, and has crossed incubation time, then this test is valid. For people in early stages of infection, this test cannot be taken for granted. 

17.Older people are the only ones affected and it does not effect youth: 
This myth is mainly responsible for the drastic increase in corona virus infection cases in European countries. The youth had a fake opinion that they wall not be affected and this has resulted in the rapid escalation of cases and increased incidences of deaths in Italy and Spain. 

18. Corona positive pregnant mother can transfer virus to baby: 
No . Few pregnant mothers who are positive to infection delivered Corona negative babies.

19. Can Corona positive mothers breast feed their child: 
Yes. With utmost care mother's milk is to be given to babies. Milk has IgA and protects babies gut against infections.

20. Corona Virus infections lead to death: 
Absolutely wrong. People with good immunity and health have happily recovered and are back with their families. Only 4 to 5% of people are dying. Many of them are aged with many complications or the ones having very week immunity.

21. Using AC/Cooler at home spreads virus: No. You can have your comforts at home. Virus spreads through tiny droplets coming from individuals, and not through air. These tiny droplets fall of floor by gravity and are not carried by air from outside. Cooling of room or air coming from AC's or coolers has nothing to do with attracting virus and such myths.

Symptoms: 

It is important to know symptoms for self check. By this time we are all aware of the symptoms.

Common symptoms include: Fever, tiredness, dry cough.

Others- Shortness of breath, body aches and pains, sore throat, nausea, runny nose etc. 

People have to immediately rush to hospital for detection of virus at the on set of early symptoms.  many diagnostic kids are now available which can detect virus from 24 hours to the recent CCMB kit 1hour.

CLOSING NOTE:

Viruses are always smart. A non living, tiny, Ultra microscopic organism called Novel Corona virus has made the entire world to come to a halt. They are smart and effect the moving ones. People who are careless, negligent and do not care for mankind.

Let us all promise to ourselves.

MAINTAIN HYGIENE

FOLLOW GOVERNMENT RULES

TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AND FAMILY

DO NOT PROPAGATE MYTHS OR RUMORS

TO STAY AT HOME AND TO STAY SAFE.

AUSTRALIAN FOREST FIRES- A DAMAGE THAT CANNOT BE REPAIRED

Australia's unprecedented wildfires are supercharged thanks to climate change, the type of trees catching fire and weather, experts say.

And these fires are so extreme that they are triggering their own thunderstorms.

Here are a few questions and answers about the science behind the Australian wildfires that so far have burned about 5 million hectares (12.35 million acres), killing at least 17 people and destroying more than 1,400 homes.

"They are basically just in a horrific convergence of events," said Stanford University environmental studies director Chris Field, who chaired an international scientific report on climate change and extreme events. He said this is one of the worst, if not the worst, climate change extreme events he's seen.

"There is something just intrinsically terrifying about these big wildfires. They go on for so long, the sense of hopelessness that they instill," Field said. "The wildfires are kind of the iconic representation of climate change impacts."

What is causing the fires?

Each year there is a fire season during the Australian summer, with hot, dry weather making it easy for blazes to start and spread.
Natural causes are to blame most of the time, like lightning strikes in drought-affected forests. Dry lightning was responsible for starting a number of fires in Victoria's East Gippsland region in late December, which then traveled more than 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) in just five hours, according to state agency Victoria Emergency.
Humans can also be to blame. NSW police have charged at least 24 people with deliberately starting bushfires, and have taken legal action against 183 people for fire-related offenses since November, according to a police statement.

Why are the fires so bad?
Fire season in Australia is always dangerous -- the 2009 Black Saturday fires killed 173 people in Victoria, making it the deadliest bushfire disaster on record. But conditions have been unusually severe this year, fanning the flames and making firefighting conditions particularly difficult.
Australia is experiencing one of its worst droughts in decades -- the country's Bureau of Meteorology said in December that last spring was the driest on record. Meanwhile, a heatwave in December broke the record for highest nationwide average temperature, with some places sweltering under temperatures well above 40 degrees Celsius (about 113-120 degrees Fahrenheit).Strong winds have also made the fires and smoke spread more rapidly, and have led to fatalities -- a 28-year-old volunteer firefighter died in NSW in December after his truck rolled over in high winds.

Experts say climate change has worsened the scope and impact of natural disasters like fires and floods -- weather conditions are growing more extreme, and for years, the fires have been starting earlier in the season and spreading with greater intensity.
Several high-ranking emergency service officials, including the former commissioner of the NSW Fire and Rescue Department, sent letters to Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2019 warning of the impact of the climate crisis on Australia.

How many animals have died?
About half a billion animals have been affected by the fires across NSW, with millions likely dead -- and that's a conservative estimate. That number of total animals affected could be as high as one billion nationwide, according to ecologists from the University of Sydney.
The figures for NSW include birds, reptiles, and mammals, except bats. It also excludes insects and frogs, so the real sum is almost certain to be higher, the ecologists said.
Almost a third of koalas in NSW may have been killed in the fires, and a third of their habitat has been destroyed, said Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley.
Some species, like koalas, aren't in any immediate danger of extinction because they are spread out across the country, said the university ecologists. But others that live in more niche environments with lower populations, including certain types of frogs and birds, could be wiped out entirely if their habitats are hit by the fires.
These are pretty good estimates based on previous research on population density -- but until the fires stop, researchers have no way of surveying just how extensive the damage is, and exactly how many animals have died.

source: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/01/australia/australia-fires-explainer-intl-hnk-scli/index.html

SONGS THAT INSPIRED ME- Dr Anupama

SONG THAT INSPIRED ME

Dr P. Mary Anupama

Assistant Professor

Dept. of Biochemistry

St. Joseph’s college for women

Visakhapatnam

Having born in a family where people breathe music, I am addicted to music. If I am not wrong there are many people on this planet who keep humming all the time and the songs that would be choose would be according to the situation that we are in. It is not just in movie that situational songs play, but in real life also, we keep humming to recollecting or singing situational songs. Based on situations are works we sing songs and based on our mood our choice of beat varies.

I can recollect many songs that I sing personally and try to be happy. At this at of 45years with the limited exposure that I have, am trying to attempt to recall what I sing and arrange them systematically.

Most inspiring song: There is a telugu song from the Movie Ashwini (1992), which is based upon the atheletes life- Aswini Nachappa. The songs lyrics were written by Veturi Sundara Rama murthy garu. The song lyrics go like this

“Chey- Jagam marichi jeevithame saadhana

Nee Madini tarachi chudadame Shodhana

Aasayam annadi nee varam

Tala vanchunu ambaram

Nee krushi neekoka Indhanam

Adi saagara Madhanam”

These lyrics talk about our goal in life. Lyrics says- forget the world around you and your aim in life should be to practice. Search your heart and set your goals. Have a aim and the your dedication with bow the heavens. Your hard work is your fuel and keep doing it just like how Ksheera saagara madhanam took place.

Then there are other songs which I sing based on situation.

If I feel like I need to enjoy life: The song which I recall is the Hindi song –

Aage bhi jaane na tu, peechhe bhi jaane na tu
Jo bhi hai, bas yahi ek pal hai
Aage bhi jaane na tu...

Anjaane saayo ka raaho mein dera hai
Andekhi baaho ne ham sabko ghera hai
Ye pal ujaala hai baaqi andhera hai
Ye pal gawaana na ye pal hi tera hai
Jeene waale soch le yahi waqt hai kar le puri aarzoo
Aage bhi ...

This is from movie Waqt (1965), Lyrics by Sahir Ludhiyanvi, sung by Asha Bhonsle ji. This songs keeps telling me to enjoy life in the best way you can. Enjoy this moment . you do not know what is there ahead of you and what is left is gone. So live this moment. I keep singing and inspiring myself or I should say motivate myself to keep doing and give my best.

When taking a stand for my life:

I love this song by Bon Jovi, its says It’s my life. And no one can stop me from living and loving my life. You gona hear me loud and I am gona do thing in my way (which does not mean a wrong path). As I have faced many situations where people start questioning me and give a stupid look which says” MIND YOUR BUSINESS”. Then I sing this song.

“This ain't a song for the broken-hearted
No silent prayer for the faith-departed
I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice
When I shout it out loud

It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive
It's my life

This is for the ones who stood their ground
It's for Tommy and Gina who never backed down
Tomorrow's getting harder, make no mistake
Luck ain't enough
You've got to make your own breaks

It's my life
And it's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want…”

When I am light hearted and happy

Whenever I feel like yesss, I gave my best, then I get that feeling of light heartedness. Then I sing this song

“Ban Ke Titli Dil Uda, Uda, Uda Hai
Kahin Door..

Ban Ke Titli Dil Uda, Uda, Uda Hai
Kahin Door..
Chalke Khushbu Se Juda, Juda, Juda Hai
Kahin Door..O..
Aaj Se Yeh Kaise
Ansuni Se Jaise
Choome Andheron Ko
Koi Noor..
Ban Ke Titli Dil Uda, Uda, Uda Hai
Kahin Door..O.”

This is from the movie Chennai express and written by Amitab Bhattacharya and sung by Chinmayi and Gopi sunder. Excellent song that lightens our mood.

When someone appreciates our progress in profession:

I recall this telugu song Mounangane edagamani. I think this is the most common inspiring song which tells people not to make noise about your success. You need not be loud all the time. But grow like that tree which grows with no noise and reaches greater heights in life.

“Mounam gaane edagamanee.. mokka neeku chebutundee

Edigina koddee odagamanee.. arthamandulo undee

Apajayaalu kaligina chote.. gelupu pilupu vinipistundee

Aakulanni raalina chote.. kotta chiguru kanipistundee

Dooramento undanee digulu padaku nestamaa

Dariki cherchu daarulu koodaa unnaayigaa

Bhaaramento undanee baadhapadaku nestamaa

Baadha venta navvula pantaa untundigaa

Saagara madhanam modalavagaane vishame vacchindee

Visuge chendaka krushi chestene amrutamicchindee

Avarodhaala deevullo aananda nidhi unnadee

Kashtaala vaaradhi daatina vaariki sontamavutundee

Telusukunte satyamidee talachukonte saadhyamidee

Mounam gaane edagamanee.. mokka neeku chebutundee

Edigina koddee odagamanee.. arthamandulo undee”

In recent days we see many people talking too loud about every tiny thing that they do just to gain attention of people. And there are many others who believe in silent progression of life.

When am cooking for many:

I get this chance of cooking to at least 20 to 30 people and I start appreciating myself my singing the song from Maaya bazaar (1957) “ Vivaaha Bojanambu”.

Ahahhahhahhahha vivaahabhojanambu ahhaha
Vivaha bhojanambu vinthaina vantakambu
viyyaalavaari vindhu ohhohho naake mundhu
vivaaha  bhojanambu vintaina vantakambu
viyyaalavaari vindhu ohhohho naake mundhu
ahhahahhahahha ahhahahhahahha ahhahahhaaaahaahaa

Ouroura gaarelalla ayyaare boorelilla
ouroura gaarelalla ayyaare boorelilla
oho re areselulla ahaahaa ahaahaa
iyella naake chella

vivaha bhojanambu vintaina vantakambu
viyyaalavaari vindhu ohhohho naake mundhu
ahhahahhahahha ahhahahhahahha ahhahahhaaaahaahaa

BhaLeere laddu landu vah theni boni indu
BhaLeere laddu landu vah theni boni indu
bhale jilaabi mundu ahhahahhahahha
iyella naake vindu

vivaha  bhojanambu vintaina vantakambu
viyyaalavaari vindu  hhohho naake mundu
ahhahahhahahha ahhahahhahahha ahhahahhaaaahaahaa

This is an ever green song written by Pingali Nagendra Rao garu and sung by Sathyam garu. It talks about all sorts of sweets and delicious items made during marriages and is highly entertaining even today. A lively song to live with- as I believe- cook- serve and eat.

When I am alone and talk to God

There is one melodious song in telugu- Nee krupa leeni kshanamu

Nee Krupaleni Ksanamu Nee Daya Leni Kshanamu

Nenu Uhincha Lenu Yesayya

Yesayya Nee Krupa Naaku Chaalayya

Nee Krupa Lenide Ne Bratuka Lenaya

1. Mahimanu Vidichi – Mahiloki Digi Vachhi

Maargamu gaa Maari – Manishiga Maarchaavu

Madine Neevu – Maadhuryamuga Marchi

Maadiri chupi – Maru Rupamichaavu ) /2/

Mahimalo Nenu Mahimato Nunda

Mahimaga Marchindi Nee Krupa /2/Nee Krupa/

This song says- God I can’t imagine my life without your grace. It is god’s grace that I am alive. It is His grace that me and my daughter are leading a happy life. So I feel like He is with me and I cannot imagine my life without God. You came to this world to save us lord. Thank you for your grace.

About this Drama called Life:

A song from movie- Mera Naam Joker(1970) depicts the reality of life. This song is written by Shailendra ji and sung by Mukesh ji not just tells about life of a joker , but also tellus us about our lives.

We all have to live in this stage of earth and do our duties. And to all my friends, those all who need me just call me and I have nowhere else to go. In this platform, am here today and there may be some else doing the same job life me. Live here, this is Heaven and this is hell and I have nowhere else to go. Raj Kappor ji has lived this song and made everyone to shed tears for the life of Joker.

Jeena yahan marna yahan
Iske siva jana kahan
Jee chahe jab humko aawaz do
Hum the vahin hum the jahan
Hum the yahin dono jahan
Iske siva jana kahane

Yeh mera geet jeevan sangeet
Kal bhi koi dohrayega
Jag ko hnsane behroopiya
Roop badal fir aayega
Swarg yahin narak yahan
Iske siva jana kahan

Jee chahe jab humko aawaz do
Hum the vahin hum the jahan
Hum the yahin dono jahan
Iske siva jana kahan

Other songs that I love – it is a big list

When I have to spread religious harmony- There is a telugu song “ Ae kulamu needi ante”. This is a telugu movie which tries to show that people should not be discriminated based on religion.

The songs says- When the cowherd was asked about his caste, they say that we belong to the caste of Lord Krishna. The earth nor the sky has this feeling but these heavy headed human beings create all these differences by way of speech.

When I have to talk about degradation or destruction of earth:

I remember the EARTH SONG by Michael Jackson. He clearly shows what is being done to earth and represent the cry of earth and animals in the song. Very much moving song and I really hate mankind when I see or hear about what our species is doing to earth.

Lastly- About my only Daughter

She is a blessing to me who completed my life. There is a song from Movie- Amrutha (2002), the year in which she was born. Lyrics by Veturi garu, Music by AR Rehman ji and sung by Hariharan ji.

enta chekkili gil gil kallu jil jil jil jil
chekkilla muddu pedite, ee chinnari muddu pedite

e devi varamu neevu, chiru needalela kanulaa
aayuvadiginadi nee neede, aayuvadiginadi nee neede
gaganam mugiyu diSa neevele, gaali keratamai sokinaave
praaNavaayuve ainaave, madini ooyalooge
Ye devi varamu neevo
chiru needalela kanulaa


edaku sontamle, eduru maatavule
kaliki vennelave, kadupu kotavule
swaati vaanani chinna pidugani
praaNamainadi pidapa kaanidi
maraNa jaNana valayam neevele

This song talks about how precious the daughter is to her mother. You are a blessing from some goddess. You have that precious eyes. My daughter is a premature baby and I struggled to keep her safe and healthy. Like a wing you entered my life and you became my life and my purpose for life. You are close to my heart and you are naughty my life goes around you. This is my life as on now. I live for her and I love her.

Kotak school reunion pics

Had very good time with metric and 10th classmates

Human errors and environment damage related articles

Humans Produce 100x More CO2 Than All Earth's Volcanoes Combined

According to a decade-long study by an international team of researchers, human CO2 emissions total 100 times more than the planet-warming effects of all volcanoes combined.

The total amount emitted by volcanoes is only about 0.3 gigatons a year - a tiny fraction of the 37 gigatons humankind produced in 2018 alone.

That means they're not nearly as big of a contributor to global emissions as some prevailing theories hold.

"Climate skeptics really jump on volcanoes as a possible contender for top CO2 emissions but it's simply not the case," Marie Edmonds, Professor of Volcanology and Petrology at Queens' College, Cambridge, told told Agence France-Presse.

In the distant past, there have been freak incidents on a similar scale to today's human CO2 output - and they were catastrophic. One such carbon event was the Chicxulub asteroid impact, 66 million years ago, which the scientists estimate to have released anywhere between 425 and 1,400 gigatons of CO2.

But the impact of industrial civilization is now taking a comparable toll.

"The amount of CO2 pumped into the atmosphere by [manmade] activity in the last 10-12 years [is equivalent] to the catastrophic change during these events we've seen in Earth's past," Edmonds told AFP.

"We are on the same level of carbon catastrophe which is a bit sobering," Celina Suarez, Associate Professor of Geology at the University of Arkansas, added.

The team of scientists released a series of papers as part of the so-called Deep Carbon Observatory, a global research program founded in 2009.

Unfortunately, for the Earth to level out carbon dioxide in its atmosphere, it'll be a very long while.

"It will rebalance itself, but not on a timescale that is of significance to humans," Suarez said.

Source:https://www.sciencealert.com/humans-produce-100x-more-co2-than-all-volcanoes-combined

Collection of Articles on No religion No caste stand cases and religious hormony

Case study on religious hormony- from The Hindu, 10/5/2019 edition

Saji Cheriyan also built Mariam Umm Eisa mosque for them

An Indian Christian businessman, who built a mosque for Muslim workers in the UAE, is serving iftar meals to nearly 800 workers during the ongoing month of Ramzan.

Saji Cheriyan, 49, who hails from Kayamkulam in Kerala, built the mosque last year for Muslim workers living in an accommodation that he rented out to 53 companies in Fujairah.

He built the Mariam Umm Eisa (Mary, the Mother of Jesus) mosque after he saw workers spending their earnings on taxis to get to the nearest mosque during the holy month.

Ramzan began on May 7.

Humble beginning

Mr. Cheriyan, who landed in the UAE in 2003 with just a few hundred dirhams, hosts iftar for about 800 people, including workers and other senior employees of various companies at an air conditioned convention centre in the same complex, the Gulf News reported.

The mosque opened on the 17th night of Ramadan last year. So, I could offer iftar to the worshippers only for the remaining days. From this year, I would be doing it every day, he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

The iftar meal includes dates, fresh fruits, snacks, juice, water and biryani. “I have made arrangements to offer different types of biryani so that they don’t get bored eating the same dish every iftar,” he said.

Abdul Qayum, a 63-year-old Pakistani bus driver, who had iftar on Wednesday, appreciated Mr. Cheriyan’s efforts.

“The world needs people like him. If there are no people like him, the world will end. We are praying for him. Allah will bless him.”

Vajas Abdul Wahid, an Indian employed as assistant manager with a company, said there are employees of more than 50 companies living in the area.

“Senior employees and labourers are staying in separate accommodations. But, when we come here, we are all equal. We pray and have iftar together, he added.

The mosque in Al Hayl Industrial Area can accommodate 250 worshippers at a time. Facilities for another 700 to pray in the interlocked courtyard of the mosque, which will be shaded by the time it opens, have also been arranged.