The Solace of a Teacher

Suddenly, a young man came to me and touched my feet. This surprised me and I tried to recognize the young man. I recollected that the fellow was my old student while I was serving somewhere in Shimla. His name now rang in my mind. I was surprised not by the fact that he had suddenly came to my feet nor by the fact that I could not initially recognize him. My being surprised was due to some other reason. In fact, I was surprised because I had thought otherwise regarding the boy. I had thought that the guy in his life will never like to recognize me and will never try to show any reverence to me, And the idea of his touching my feet was a a distant dream - a dream which I had never thought of having.

The boy gave me enough stimulus to be thrown back to the days while he was my student. It had so happened that this guy was to take 10+1 exams and wanted some kind of help from us- the people on duty. I as I am could not do that at any cost. He just connived with the local goons and instigated them to browbeat us and thus teach us some lesson. These hooligans did their best to scare us physically and mentally. We had to inform the police and this guy was handed over by us to the police the next day for some better treatment. The examinations went on and came to an end without any hassles and the matter was forgotten as being a little frivolous incident.

Now after six years, this man had come down to me to seek my blessings. What I could make from this incident was that perhaps this is the only solace a good teacher can have even today.

The year 2011

The year gone by has been significant for India especially in one respect – the rising against corruption lead by Ram Dev and Anna. Whatever have been the results, but they have been successful in igniting the dormant resentment and disgruntle of the common people. For the first time, the initiatives  taken by the people like Ram Dev and Anna Hazare got so much force and support.

Though Ram Dev has decided to withdraw himself for the time being, but he will be back more surer, emphatic and resolute. As regards Anna Hazare, he has really caught the imagination of the people. The man really is strong in his character and resolute in conviction.

Of course, the politicians had to eat a humble pie. They will do their best to get rid of the duo. But I am sure the year 2012 will again see more from the duo and the politicians will have to bow down though with pinch of salt. Hats off to both !

Harishchander Replaced by Anna

There has been tremendous change in the scenario after Anna took up cudgels against corruption and corrupted goons. But those who feel insecure have started teasing the honest people by calling them Anna Hazare. Earlier they used to call them Harishchander. This shows their worry about their future as they have spent whole of their life in looting others by this or that way. I sakute Anna for awakening the people of this country.

Power of words

Truly strange is the world wonderful of words
And words many behind a word single
Thus power boundless does a word possess

Beautifying the beautiful and making uglier the ugliest
So they turn friends to foes and foes to friends
Have they the power to change the time and tide

Soothers are they to the soul and mind distraught
Venom also enormous with them do they carry
Thus change peace to war and war to peace

Frustrations deep and disgruntle untold out they gush
Hide they can the fret and woes of doleful heart
Also make they life a seeming cosy bed of flowers

Companinons are they to the lonesome and deserted
Add they hilarity to the life dull and dreary
Full of hope and gaiety thus the life becomes

Smiling and weeping, also making smile and weep
Out they come from mind unfettered and revolutionize
As did Socrates, Aristotle, Lenin and the Marx Great

But hark ! A culture of their own do the words have
Living Wherein do they grow and prosper
But lose their worth if unthoughtfully used 

Our Ailing Society !

One of these days, disgusted with failure of his son in PMT entrance test, one of my friends came to me and said, “ See, there is so much corruption”. what is it”? I asked. “This time too my son could not make it. They say the question paper was leaked out to some candidates. You know. there is no hope for the honest people like us,” he sneered. “Next time, he will do it”, I sympathised. “Please, take care of my son as you know the controller of examination ”, he emphasised.

I could not respond to his stance which was the result of his despair. But later I expatiated about what he had said. I sum up that In fact, we despise and appreciate corruption in the same breath. Though there is utmost despair and disgruntle among people, yet they do not want to lose opportunity to resort to foul play if it benefits them. If we fail to get anything out of the foul play, we start criticising the corrupted system and take the stance of an innocent person. If our own deeds are questioned, we justify them by saying that all are corrupted therefore our corrupted acts must be ignored. For instance while travelling by bus if conductor offers to charge less without ticket, we grab this opportunity and call the conductor a ‘nice human being’. That is just a small instance whereas our life is full of such instances when we at once forget all ethical values and change the standard and stance.

Notwithstanding the ongoing clamour and protests against the corrupted system, the long persisting contagious disease doesn’t seem to be cured that easily irrespective of the response of the government and the political parties.

No doubt the modus operandi of ‘Anshan’ or ‘Satyagraha’ or any other form of agitation may play a crucial role, but more important is the change in attitude, approach and outlook of the individuals and society. Therefore, we need a change in modus vivendi if the menace is to be cut at the root. The long and short of it is that we are honest only as long as we don’t get the chance to get corrupted.

Instead of acting as deterrent, our society has learnt to accept corruption as a way of life. It is not out of place to say that corruption has got into our blood and veins. In a bid to accumulate more and more filthy lucre, the biggest fish wants to swallow the smaller one, and the smaller the smallest one. Now, what the smallest fish do ? In this dismal world it is the smallest fish whose voice goes unheard and is the worst hit victim.

It is also equally sustainable that those whose lives have been nothing but a rat race for money will resist even the smallest effort initiated to curb corruption. In fact, we need double edged sword to tackle the issue of corruption. On the one hand we need more Anna’s and Dev’s to bring the big guns to book, on the other a consistent campaign must me launched to inculcate and spread the ethical values.

So, be it Lokpal or the satyagraha to bring black money back, it is the change in attitude and outlook of the common mass that is going to be important if we want to cure the society of corruption.

Schwa surprised me

I am back after a long interlude. In fact, I was extremely busy  studying the phonetics of English language. The most surprising and interesting was the schwa sound in English which does not have a definite origin. The most surprising is the fact that it is the commonest sound in english speech, but does not have definite letter from which it may evolve. It can evolve from any English vowel. I am further busy studying English sound system and also have started writing a book on functional grammar. I hope my readers or blog friends would not mind if I don't turn up frequently. I wish to have your good wishes for my little pursuit. Please pray for me from the core of your heart. This will be a great favour.

Lost Love

Turned I fifteen and was drawn towards her

                                          Was it the first crush or love as often they say   

Bewitched had she me with smile mesmerizing

                                         And felt I in core of my heart an ache so blissful  

Reservoir serene of solace she became for me

                                         To look and to hide the look her invincible style

But, Never did I nor she ever expressed heart

                                        But both knew had we something for each other

The viscissitudes of life Then moved us apart

                                        Departed were we with the hearts unexpressed

Thus were parted the hearts from each other

                                       Again are we brought together face to face

But now gone is the smile enticing and look

                                       As belong now we to different lives of world

Her heart no more mine and mine not hers

                                       Mine now other’s and other’s was hers too

Thus is she lost to me and me to her. 

This Post has been Published as a part of

No one is above nation

Even those cricket lovers having low retention power must remember the statement of Australian  dashing left-handed opener wherein he has termed Tendulkar as a cricketer with  individualistic goals and achievements.The statement that time ignited the adverse reaction from the cricket lovers in our country. The same statement was recently echoed in the words of Steve Waugh when he reacted to the Dhoni's statement that he wanted to win the World Cup for Tendulkar. However this time Waugh's words did not attract severe reaction.  Notwithstanding the reactions from Indian cricket lovers, I can but side with the two Australians. Let me not be misconstrued that by saying so I want to undermine the cricketing prowess of the little master. What my point is that an individual can never be above nation. 

Dhoni's statement was not only illogical but it also reflected insanity emerging out from a narrow, emotional  and lopsided mentality. The gentleman must understand that he represents the country he is playing for not an individual named Tendulkar.  

Let alone what Dhoni said,  I feel irked and piqued when people overdo the things and associate everything to their personal emotions. Many  a time I am disgusted  with the attitude of the cricket loving people towards cricket and cricketers. They see cricketers as gods and demons in the one go. Whenever they play well, they are raised to the sky as if they were infallible. Whenever they lapse, no stone is left unturned to make life miserable for them. All start giving master tips as if those players had undergone apprenticeship of cricketing skill in their own cricket academy. They are so much Tendulkarised that they forget that Tendulkar is only a player, and definitely a player with exceptional prowess, but certainly not infallible. 

In fact, Tendulkar is a player of game called cricket at the most an exceptional cricketer and certainly he is neither above cricket nor above the nation he plays this game for. It is not denied that he is a doyen of cricket but at the same time it is also true that many of his innings have been self engrossed. Falling in line with the prevailing milieu, our media are also not behind. Media need to be objective, but our media go two steps further in hoicking our cricketers from dust to sky and sky to dust.

I was coerced  into write this post when to my shock and dismay I saw two cricket crazy fellows coming to blows because one was for Sehwag while the other one was hellbent on making the former worship Tendulkar as his god. This is the last thing we do when we can neither convince nor convinced by others. What rubbish thing.

Talking in Symbols

Many a time symbolic language plays tremendous part in making people understand the things easily and clearly which otherwise does not seem to be that easy. The other day, while teaching, I was trying to make it clear to the students as to what a good paragraph was. Even after strenuous efforts, I was not convinced that the students had well taken my point. Suddenly I was reminded of a quotation which goes like this- A good paragraph should be like a lady's skirt: long enough to cover the essentials but short enough to keep it interesting. This was enough and the response from the students was that I was satisfied that the job had been done to the maximum. There was no need for further elaboration. 

Is Falling in Love One Time Affair- Against the Motion

Love is an emotion, and emotions do not necessarily remain constant. No doubt, the first crush in life in unforgettable but that doesn’t, in any way, infer that this kind of emotion or feeling will not occur again in future.

This post has been published as a part of THE GREAT DEBATERS No 1; the first edition of the Bloggers Debate; If you like this post then FAVE ithere and read other entries as well. 

We love the beloved or a thing at the first sight because something about that beloved or thing entices our hearts. But it is possible that we may find the same situation in future also. And, of course, we may feel the same crush again.

Then it also depends on the response we get from the beloved one. If our love goes unrequited, the degree of probability of having the same crush again is maximum.

It goes without saying that love is a natural feeling, and it may arise whenever we behold the beauty in different aspects. It’s not that we get enchanted towards only one aspect of beauty. At the same time we cannot get across the different aspects of beauty once. We may feel riveted towards one aspect at one time and towards other at any other time.

Therefore, I believe that love is a natural feeling and natural feelings or emotions may arise naturally without any definite rule or precision. 

Let me not be misconstrued as a votary of fleeting love. Of course, one needs to be united with the beloved for ever and in any way there is no scope for ditching, But at the same time one may have the feeling of  love again being it another matter that he will not leave the first one for the sake of new one as it is against moral and cultural values. 
The long and short of this post is that love is a natural happening, and natural happening may happen naturally without any canons of happening.