" The School Has Reopened! May The Blessing Of Our Parents, Teachers and The God Be With Us Always.

The Sri Murugan Centre has worked over the past 18 years to create an awareness among the Indian children to leap from the working class to the middle class. It was started by Indians who firmly believe that the Indian is second to no one and given the guidance the Indian will excel everyone. The movement has grown and  is continuing to grow beyond the expectations of its founders. 

We compiled a list of middle class Indians from all sectors - professionals, corporate leaders, businessmen, civil servants - who have shown concern for the future of the Indian. This group of middle class are silent but fully aware of the developments in the country. They are prepared to help a genuine group that does honest work to improve the community. They do not have the time to travel, teach, write notes or motivate the Indian children but they are willing to financially support dedicated people who are prepared to do it. You are one such Indian recommended to us. We invite you to join our struggle to do something for the progress of the community.

“WEAPON” FOR THE CHILD

         The academic system we follow at SMC has been very carefully devised and constantly monitored and modified. The details are in the booklet accompanying this letter. The Volunteers  do not enter the class for remuneration or retirement benefits or promotion but because they want to give the Indian child a “weapon” far superior to what others are getting in regular schools and tuition centers. The Indian child must have an advantage over the others in the Exam Hall.

FROM PESSIMISM TO CONFIDENCE FROM SUBSERVIENCE TO COURAGE

       At our centers we give Education a more meaningful interpretation. Education for the Indian community, in a narrow sense, means good performances in school exams, furtherance in academic and professional education and ultimately better jobs with higher income. 

          For SMC, education means not merely enhancement of economic status but achieving the far-reaching goal of knowledge, discipline, commitment to self and the nation, self-realization and ultimately a change in attitude from parochial feudal outlook based on fear, diffidence, pessimism, subservience, fatalism and superstition to individualism with hope, confidence, trust, strength, courage, conviction and optimism. The new educated SMC  Indian would be resolute with a vision and will not whine but rush forward to seize the vast opportunities this country has to offer.

     The success of these aims has been possible because of the caliber of SMC Volunteers.

SMC FAMILY OF VOLUNTEERS : Ideology Above Self

           From the beginning, SMC was the target of critics and cynics who predicted a premature demise of the movement and ascribed ulterior motives for its creation. SMC has proven them wrong. Their mistake was a failure to understand the fundamental spirit, belief, and principles that drew the SMC Family of Volunteers together. Many do not comprehend that there can be a genuine group of people or individuals who place their ideology and convictions above their personal interest. They will not understand, for example, why Abraham Lincoln killed his own kind to liberate the black slaves or why reformists and revolutionaries sacrificed their lifes for their cause.

"MORE WORK ; LESS TALK

            The SMC Volunteer has district characteristics. He is young, energetic, well-educated and disciplined. He is prepared to sacrifice his time and determined to help the disadvantaged Indian child. Above all, his belief, his ideology and his conviction is his religion. That is the real reason why SMC has grown into what it is today. Very few Indian social welfare organizations have sustained themselves over 17 years and continued to grow with each year.

      The SMC Family of Volunteers have steered clear of factionalism, petty disputes, personal rivalries, and idle talk. Their motto is - More Work; Less Talk - .

       We appeal to you to help this group of Volunteers. They are ready to sacrifice everything for the struggle to make the Indian stand shoulder to shoulder with the other communities. They need your help and encouragement. We need to stimulate them to continue their work for the community.

       The SMC Volunteers are bound together as a Family by common beliefs. These principles run through the veins of every SMC Volunteer.

MOTIVATING THE CHILD : SHORT TERM CONTROL OF THE RESTLESS MIND

              For a decade SMC had attempted to ignite the enthusiasm in the child through motivation talks. Motivation is an integral part of the SMC academic program. Motivation talks, however well-organized and presented, have their shortfalls. It creates short-term spurts of energy which dissipates within a week. Consequently talks have to be constantly repeated to sustain the flagging will. The aim of motivation really is to create discipline to study, that is, discipline to control the body at the study table and to control the restless mind  to concentrate on the topic of study. Ideally, discipline should be permanent and it should emanate from within. This was the reasoning that led us to seek a permanent source that would create discipline and enable the child to sit and study with concentration. The answer is religion.

KALVI VIRATHAM : DISCIPLINE FROM WITHIN

              In 1991 we launched Kalvi Viratham. Literally, it translates Fast for Education but it means Education through Discipline. Viratham is a religious observance that dates back to the beginnings of Indian culture. Viratham is abstinence,  self-denial,  control of mind and body to achieve a vow which is related to health, wealth or family. Kalvi Viratham also requires the same abstinence, self-denial, control of body and mind but the discipline so acquired ought to be used for study. The discipline acquired through Kalvi Viratham is derived from belief in Religion.

              The practice of Kalvi Viratham at home is detailed and involves the participation of the parents. About 300 Kalvi Viratham Gatherings have been organized throughout the country to explain in very simple words its meaning and practice. The response of the Indian community has been overwhelming. The attendance has ranged from 400 in small estates to over 7000 in urban areas. The parents are realizing that there are many ways for their child to be bad but only one way to be good - Discipline through Religion.

KALVI YATHIRAI :"MIRACLES CAN BE MADE TO HAPPEN"

The tremendous response to Kalvi Viratham encouraged SMC to organize a national Kalvi Yathirai at the Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur in 1995. We were astounded at the reception given to the idea of Discipline through Religion and Education through Discipline. Over 200,000 Indians attended the Yathirai each year in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998. Details of the Yathirai are in the - " What Is Kalvi Yathirai "  - in this web site. The child has been trained to prepare himself for the Yathirai. We recognize that no magic will happen on a one-day ceremony but we know that if a family honestly practices Kalvi Viratham daily and then steps into Batu Caves miracles can be made to happen. When a child develops mental and physical discipline, enhances his memory, cares for details and discriminates between form and substance through prayers he will be able to use the same attributes to excel in studies.

It is difficult to explain the entire concept of the relationship between religion and education but let us assure you that we are not religious fanatics! We believe that a person who sincerely prays for 10 minutes can study for 10 hours.

HELP US TO HELP OTHERS

               SMC has the convictions, workers, infrastructure, experience and determinations to work for the community.

        Annually we collect donations from the concerned, supportive and well-meaning Indians to carry out the Yathirai. The Yathirai costs about RM120,000 working on a tight budget.

               The Education Hall, named Kalvi Arivagam, with a seating capacity of 1000 students will be built at the SMC Ashramam in Petaling Jaya. SMC had raised donations in 1991 to purchase a 14,500 sq. ft property opposite University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur at the price of RM450,000. The purchase price has been fully paid up. We now need a hall at the SMC Ashramam to conduct our classes in a more conducive environment. We have  been using Tamil schools for the last 17 years. The Kalvi Arivagam will also be utilized to host Seminars, Forums, Lectures, Debates, and Discussions on current and topical issues of concern to the Indian Community. Eminent speakers will be invited to share their ideas with us.

        The donations you give will be used for the Yathirai and the excess shall be used for the Arivagam.

         Your donations will go further than the Yathirai and the Hall. It will motivate the SMC Family of Volunteers. It will make them realize that somebody out there cares for the work they are doing and some one is encouraging them to go on doing it. We thank you for your concern. Help us to help others.

" WE ARE INDIANS OF THE  21^ST   CENTURY "

          SMC’s objective for the first 20 years of the next century is to produce 10,000 Indians who are well-trained, united, organized, disciplined, educated, and highly motivated. They should be tops in all sectors in Malaysia – professions, business, corporations, administration, management, industry and agriculture. We shall succeed. A disciplined minority in any country can exert its influence far beyond its numbers. The Yathirai is the first step in that direction.