WHERE THERE IS LOVE THERE IS NO DISTANCE

[Guest guest]

OM AMRITESWARYAI NAMAH

 

"Where There Is Love There Is No Distance":

 

Amrita University's Satellite Link Is Inaugurated

 

Photos-Link: http://www.amritapuri.org/slideshow/latest/photos.php?

app=/slideshow/latest

 

Saturday, 15 May 2004 -- Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri

Campus

 

It was a historic moment--both for Amma's Deemed University and for

India. On 15 May 2004, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham became the

nation's first multi-disciplinary educational institution to connect

its campuses via satellite. As Dr. S. Banerjee, the director of

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, put it during the satellite link's

inauguration, "This will have a catalytic effect on education in the

country."

 

The inauguration served not only to formally launch the satellite

link, but also to provide its first effective demonstration--as the

inauguration was held simultaneously at the four Amrita University

campuses, with all present at each centre interacting freely via the

link. The initiative was made possible through a unique "university-

government-industry" partnership: an alliance between Amrita

University, ISRO (India Space Research Organisation), Cognizant

Technology Solutions and Cadence Design Systems.

 

The first message broadcast to the four campuses was none other than

that of Amma, who congratulated and encouraged those who'd made

possible the technological connection, while at the same time

counselling everyone to not forget the importance of spiritual

connection--the inner communion with the Atman and the communion of

fellow hearts.

 

"Today, because of the communication between machines, even people

in far off places seem very close," Amma said over the

satellite. "Nevertheless, as the communication between hearts is

absent, even those who are physically very near to us are really

very far. The beauty of society lies in the communication between

hearts."

 

After Amma's speech, the link was officially inaugurated in each of

the campus centres: in Amritapuri by Padma Bhushan Dr. G. Madhavan

Nair (Chairman of ISRO), in Cochin by Dr. S. Banerjee (Director of

BARC), in Bangalore by Sri. Balu Doraisamy (President of Hewlett-

Packard India) and in Coimbatore by Professor V.S. Ramamurthy

(Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India).

 

Immediate uses for the satellite link will be in allowing Amrita

University students to not only "attend" but also to interact in

lectures taking place on the all four campuses. As Amrita University

is home to computer, medical, management and engineering

institutions, the link will also be used to build inter-disciplinary

research laboratories--for example, in such areas as bio-engineering

and nano-technology. But these are only the beginning. As Dr. Venkat

Rangan, the Vice-Chancellor of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, explained

in his speech, the next step lies in using the link to extend Amrita

University-calibre education to India's remote masses.

 

In his speech, ISRO's Dr. G. Madhavan Nair explained how such

satellite links hold the potential to transform India in terms of

education and healthcare, both of which areas are being championed

by Amma's institutions. He said how inspired he'd been just days

before at seeing doctors at Amma's AIMS hospital evaluating patients

in remote areas of Leh-Ladakh and the Lakshadweep Islands via an

ISRO satellite. And now, he said, Amma's institutions were making

bold steps on the educational front as well.

 

In Coimbatore, Professor V.S. Ramamurthy spoke along the same lines,

reiterating how the power of the link lies in taking the

universities to the students and in taking the hospitals to the

patients.

 

One of the Amritapuri campus' guests of honour was Dr. Bharat

Jayaraman, a professor from the State University of New York in

Buffalo who has been involved with "distance teaching" for the past

20 years. Dr. Jayarman said he could not believe that a Deemed

University not much more than a year old could have set up such a

complex and advance satellite-link system.

 

In Her speech, Amma referred to a saying of Hers: "Where there is

love, distance doesn't matter." She then recalled how one of Her

brahmacharis had once quipped to Her, "Will you phone me when You

are abroad giving programmes? Where there is a phone, distance

doesn't matter." Amma said, "The satellite network being initiated

today makes us feel the same way. It will help you to study and work

better." Then Amma gave the mantra of success to the

students: "Study while you study, play while you play, and work

whole-heartedly and sincerely. Success will be yours."

 

Later, BARC Director Dr. S. Banerjee recalled Amma's words.

Referring to the dedication and sacrifice of all involved with

making the link operational, he said, "Where there is love there is

no barrier--this is what we are witnessing here, as only love has

made this possible."

 

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Amma Sharanam