Padma Srinath has been in the Early Childhood field for well over 4 decades. She believes strongly in following the children's developmental needs to frame a curriculum which has more of talking rather than chalking.

Maya Nayar, is a certified school psychologist and learning disabilities teacher consultant in the US public education system.

In my conversation, I asked Padma, amongst other things, if all children are born equal.  She had a very direct answer to this question.  

Listen to the podcast to know what she said.

A chat with Dr. A.R. Ramdas

Hailing from Trichur, the cultural capital of Kerala in southern India, Dr. A. R. Ramadas is the medical director of of Vaidyagrama. He is also a founding member of Punarnava Ayurveda Trust. He inherits a strong family line of Ayurveda practitioners, serving the sick for more than half a century.

Dr. Ramadas completed his B.A.M.S. (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) from Ayurveda College in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, then underwent 3 years’ training in Nethra Chikitsa/Ophthalmology under the guidance of Manakunnath Gopalan Vaidyar. He then trained under the well-known pediatrician C.N.S. Gangadharan Vaidyar. He also has an M.S. Psychotherapy and Counseling from Institute of Behavioral and Management Sciences in Chittur, Andhra Pradesh. In 1992, he joined as consultant physician in his family firm Rajendra Pharmacy and R.P.M. Ayurvedic Nursing Home, which he headed for a while. He managed the first overseas center of Punarnava in Vietnam in 2007.

In more than 3 decades of practice, he has treated over 50,000 patients from various parts of India and abroad for conditions relating to neuro-musculo-skeletal, endocrine, skin, gastro-intestinal, respiratory, cardiac, psychiatric and reproductive health systems. One of his patients describes him as “a soft and kind soul, full of compassion and an inborn healing ability.”

Kalaimamani Parvathi Ravi Ghantasala is an established practitioner, versatile choreographer, teacher, able festival curator, a loving mother and wife. Parvathi Ravi Ghantasala, started learning Bharata Natyam at a very young age under Kalaimamani Smt. Krishnakumari Narendran, Padmabushan Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan and Shri. Bagavathulu Sitharam Sharma. She has performed solos in various venues, and has participated in festivals in India & abroad.

In 1998, she renamed her mother’s institution ( Nava Nandini Kalalayam ) to Kala Pradarshini with a vision to sustain world class Bharata Natyam artists.

In 2018, she spread her wings and started a school in Annanagar to reach out to more students.

A graded and empanelled artist with Indian Council for Culture Relations (ICCR) , she is also a member of the International Dance Council (CID, UNESCO) and has served as a Vice President & Secretary and presently as a Committee member for Abhai forum.

Suhir Ponncchamy is the director of ‘On Path to Liberation’ and several other features and short films.  A Sri Lankan by birth,  and an American by choice,  Suhir is an amalgam of multi-cultures.  

We quote what he said in an interview with a prestigious magazine: "I am the best at casting. I know how to choose the right people. For me, it is the intelligence that is needed. Then comes screen presence. If a person is beautiful, the audience would watch him/her for some time. But after a point, they need more. But if a person is talented and can get into the skin of the role, maybe the audience would get bored for a minute. But, real talent attracts the audience and connects with them. So, that is why the audience never forgets talented people. But beauty fades away very soon". 

Well said Suhir!

He learned his craft from the Tisch School of the Arts. His movie Ahead Xing is available on Amazon Prime. 

Here is a small chit-chat with Suhir, exclusive for the listeners of  WIT CAST!

The COVID19 virus has forced the schools to shut down and it is amazing how the teachers were able to cope so well with it.  Overnight, they were asked to do online lessons and apart from a few tech glitches, far and few, they have been able to do an admirable job so far.  Here is one teacher's perspective of the challenge.  She is a teacher in one of the largest public school systems in NJ, USA and also a Learning Disabilities Teacher consultant and a qualified school psychologist as well.