Daily Archives: April 25, 2016

Roger That! Mathachan Ashan Keeps Ham Radio Buzzing

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Science & Technology
Mathachan Ashan operating his ham radio at his residence in Idukki (photo courtesy: Vincent Pulickal)
Mathachan Ashan operating his ham radio at his residence in Idukki (photo courtesy: Vincent Pulickal)

Idukki :

When connectivity is no longer a barrier in this digital age, does using wireless telegraphy for communication make any rational sense? Apparently Yes!

Mathachan Ashan, the first ham radio licensee in the district, is operating it successfully, especially at times of natural calamities.

For Septuagenarian, Puthanpurayil P M Mathew, better known as Mathachan Ashan among his dear and near ones at Ambalakkavala in Kattappana here, ham radio is not just a means of communication, but an integral part of his life. It was in 1982 that he bagged the licence for running a ham radio for the first time in the history of Idukki.

He later upgraded his license to first grade in 1995. The Central Ministry of Communication and Information Technology’s Wireless and Planning and Coordination wing is the authority that provides ham radio licences. Hams have to pass a test consisting of three papers on rules and regulations on ham radio, fundamental theory of radio, and morse code. Now, around 50 hams are there in the district alone.

People used to rely on him for passing urgent messages when even land phones were not so popular and available. So he is still treasuring all his old communication devices. Mathachan Ashan, who got lured into the world of electronics when he happened to see a radio exhibition at his school, also interacts with hundreds of other hams in and out of the country every day through his ham radio.Ham radio plays a crucial role when communication facilities get damaged in disaster like situations and wherever mobile phone coverage is very weak. Even the governments approaches private hams, at times of calamities. The district ham radios were in the forefront to help out the government for communication during Thekkady tragedy and  Pullumedu stampede occurred. Mathachan Ashan remembered how he contacted the relatives of Kattappana natives at the time of Peruman tragedy and Kashmir flood through his ham radio.

“Through the ham radio, I and my friends tracked seven of the doctors from Erankulam who went missing in Kashmir during the flood. “Later, they contacted to thank us. It’s really a great feeling when we realise later that we did a big thing,” says Mathchan Ashan.

source: httpP://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Sruthi Paruthikad / April 25th, 2016

Guv opens SBT’s banking museum

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Thiruvananthapuram:

No urban citizen can do without availing banking services, sometimes in the form of a cash transfer or maybe a financial loan. But a majority of us are ill-informed about the tremendous evolution the banking system in India has been through. Filling this vacuum will be ‘Footprints,’ the official banking museum set up at Kowdiar by the State Bank of Travancore.

The museum was inaugurated by governor Justice P Sathasivam in a function presided over by the managing director of SBT Jeevandas Narayan. Also a book titled ‘Tradition of Trust’, depicting the bank’s history, was released by the governor by handing it over to royal family member Gouri Lakshmi Bai.

The museum will walk the visitors through the history of both the bank and the banking culture that prevailed in Kerala. Started as the Travancore Bank back in 1946 by the then Maharaja Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the bank was expected to serve as the central bank of the princely state of Travancore. On display at the museum are age-old banking instruments like cheque books, accounting ledgers, share certificate and share agreements. Also invoking curiosity is a larger collection of coins across different time frames in Indian history.

Artefacts from across 20 earlier branches of the bank were collected and brought in to be exhibited at this museum. “The initiative is highly welcomed by the branches from across 18 states we have presence in,” said Jeevandas Narayan. “The bank has a rich heritage that the public is often unaware of and that prompted us to establish such a museum,” he added.

“Banks have a crucial role to play in the lives of the common man. Coming from a family of farmers I had the opportunity to visit banks at a young age with my father. When I look at the facilities and ease of doing business now compared to then the scenario has undergone a progressive change,” said P Sathasivam while inaugurating the museum.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / TNN / April 24th, 2016