Heart Has More Value Than Pocket

Once a little boy said to his father, who was a philanthropist: “You say that we are on this earth to do good to others.” “Yes, my son, we are to do good to others,” said the father. “Then what are the others to do?” Questioned the boy. “My child! it is enough for us to know what we are to do on this earth, forget what others are here  to do.”

In the present society and age, people often do the mistake of asking themselves – Why should we do good to others if they have not done the same to us? The present world is mostly ridden by the question – Mujhe kya Lena or mujhe kya milega?

Today we certainly need to think of those great people who did great service to humanity without questioning. Did Mahatama Gandhi and Neleson Mandela ask before fighting for the cause of downtrodden – what black people have given to us? What will we get for dedicating our lives for the downtrodden? Did Nobel Prize winners, Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi, while working for the welfare of children, ask such questions?

Living in the materialistic age of gold rush, people tend to become king Midas. In the craving for the Midas touch, you no more remain a human being. What are you if not a human being?  Voltaire has quipped is so well: “Don’t think money does everything or you are going to end up doing everything for money.” What lies in your pocket doesn’t make you a valuable human being, it is what lies in your heart for others that makes you a man of great value because what is in your pocket is only for you and your family but what is in your heart is for others.

As we are human beings, the best species residing on this earth, we need to make this world a better place. One best way to do that is to have love, sympathy and compassion for fellow beings.  The man with the compassionate heart is driven by the feeling of empathy – your pain in my heart. Virtues like kindness, compassion, love, sympathy and empathy are the essential ingredients of humanity.  

It is appalling that Mujhe kya lena (I am not concerned) runs like a life slogan in our modern self-centered and money driven society. This modus vivendi has ruined us a lot and still ruining us. We often stand mute spectators to the exploitation and oppression of the weaker and downtrodden. We take a nonchalant stand gracefully saying – oh! I am being impartial. This is, in fact, a wrong argument for the wrong reason. We close our eyes and shut our mouth to the crime and dare not stand against the perpetrator even as witness in the court of law. We are scared lest we should run into any kind of legal or personal trouble. We open our mouth only when the criminals get freed and that too to blame the law only. If at all we tend to oppose, it’s only when we ourselves feel harmed by the act. In fact, we need to have a spirit and courage to raise your voice for the poor and oppressed fellows.

You can bring a great comfort to the person by holding out your umbrella to him while he is dripping in the rain. The Hindi movie, Adhikaar, has a beautiful lyric – Jeena to hai usikaa jisne ye raz jaana, hai kaam aadmi ka auron ke kaam aana. The lyric gives a great message of love and compassion. 

Build bridges for the people who will follow you. Remember the words of Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest persons in the world: “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” Think not only of yourself and your generation, think of the generations yet to come. Let’s not forget that we belong to each other.

It’s Different from different points

Once one of my friends, Munshi Sharma and I were having arguments on certain issue. I was firm on my view and he was firm on his. Being wise and intelligent, Munshi suddenly said: “Let’s agree to disagree.” The voluble situation turned into a quiet one. Since then I am reminded of these words whenever I enter into some hot discussion. Of course, we cannot always agree at everything nor do we need to agree because everything has many dimensions and can be viewed from different angles varying from zero to 360 degree. You rotate the thing or you vary the angle, your point of view is bound to change.

When the TaJ Mahal was built, it was acclaimed as one the wonders of the world, but Aldous Huxley disparaged it as marbles covering a multitude of sins, Rabindranath Tagore extolled it as a solitary drop of tear on the cheek of time, yet Sahir Ludhyanvi lamented in one of his poems that by erecting the Taj Mahal, the emperor made a mockery of the poor lovers. So there is one Taj Mahal, but different and opposing points of view.

There are many perspectives to a thing. Can a round ball become a wide ball? A big NO to this can put you in a spot of bother because even a perfectly shaped round ball becomes wide ball at times while it is in play in cricket. If a shepherd saves sheep from the wolf, sheep call him saviour of their lives and liberty, but wolf calls him a destroyer of his life and liberty. Of course, sheep and wolf are standing at extreme opposite angles. After spending a day with his child at Fun World, a father may lament: “A day wasted!” But the child may exclaim: “The most wonderful day of my life!”

We often form a view about a person and then stick to our judgement as I had once formed about a student. I had developed a block in my mind that he was not sincere and was not respectful to the teachers. However, after two years on Teachers’ Day, I got a greeting from him: “You are my ideal teacher. You always inspired and motivated me.” A feeling of guilt pricked me for nurturing wrong notion about him. To pen-portray a person, we have to look at different dimensions of his personality. Ghazal composer, Nida Fazali, has poured much truth into his lines - Har ek aadmi mein hote hain das-bees aadmi, Jisko bhi dekhna. kai baar dekhna

In Middlemarch, George Eliot says: “It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view.” We oftentimes forget that when there is day in the Northern Hemisphere, there is night in the Southern Hemisphere; the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is the Summer Solstice in southern; the Spring Equinox in Northern Hemisphere is the Autumnal Equinox in Southern Hemisphere. It depends on which part of the world you are residing in.

Just Hold Your Tongue!

One morning sitting in the lobby of Tenzin Hospital at Shimla, I was waiting for my turn for the eye check-up. Others were also sitting there with the same purpose. Suddenly my attention was drawn towards three middle aged persons who were discussing Indian politics. Starting normally, now their conversation had turned into a high sounding tirade against the parties they supported or liked. The people around also got exasperated. Disturbed by this, the doctor came out of his cabin and staring at the three with a disapproving look, he pointed his finger towards the white piece of paper glue-stuck to the wall. The paper had the words typed on it big and bold: “FOR BETTER LIFE SPEAK ONLY WHEN YOUR WORDS ARE BETTER THAN SILENCE.” All the three had to cut a sorry figure and they snapped their lips tight only to open after a long time when they left the hospital corridor. This is how at times people exasperate others because they don’t know the principle of three W’s and one H – what to say, when to say, where to say and how to say.

In our impulse to hold the centre stage, we throw out useless words and it becomes a rambling talk. Greek philosopher Epicetus rightly said: “Nature has given us one tongue, but two ears, so we may hear twice as much as we speak.” Instead of being more eager to say, better to be a good listener. Talking more than required makes us less communicable. By listening keenly, we understand better and talk better.

Not only is mouth sandwiched by two ears, it has also an overlooking head. Open your mouth at an appropriate time and as required by the situation. The tongue must twist and turn only after seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting. In other words think first and speak later to speak better. Here I think it pertinent to refer to an interesting and enlightening incident related to the life of our great former president Dr A P J Abul Kalam:

One evening Kalam’s mother placed a plate of subzi and a burnt roti as dinner in front of his father. The father just ate the roti and said: “Honey, I love burnt roti.” Later that night, Kalam asked his father if he really liked the burnt roti. He took Kalam in his arms and said: “A burnt roti never hurts anyone, but harsh words do!”

Undoubtedly harsh words pierce the heart like an arrow. Wounds caused by bullets or arrows can be soothed down by medication, but the wounds caused by words are difficult to be healed.

Rudyard Kipling has quipped: “I am, by calling, a dealer in words, and words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. Not only do words infect, egotise, narcotise, and paralyse, but they enter into and colour the minutest cells of the brain.”  Well intended thoughts, if expressed in harsh words, can offend the hearer. What you take as frankness can become vulgarity for others. Most of the conflicts arise not due to the difference in opinion, but due to wrong tone and choice of language. Well measured words mean that you can make friends with various types of people – be it work place or peer group or social gathering.

There goes a catchy line in Urdu. Whoever said it, said it so well. Here it goes  – Khuda ko napasand hai sakhtiyan zubaan kee, is liea haddi naheen hai zubaan kee – the tongue doesn’t have bone because God dislikes the harshness of language. Tongue remains moistened because it has been made to say soft, sweet and juicy words.

The words or the language you choose to speak to people tells much about the stuff you are made from. It may raise or reduce your stature in the eyes of the people. Your tone and tenor decide whether people are going to like your company. Therefore just wait, hold your tongue!

Social Media: Your Voice

In his book We Think : The Power of Mass Creativity, Charles W Leadbeater said : “You are what you share.” Of course when even an ordinary man gets a free way to share or say what he thinks on a particular issue or on the issue of his own choice, it gives a feeling of revelation that he has a voice. And when people standing at the margin think that they have a say, its true democracy and real freedom of speech – that’s what the social media is doing today. Of late, it is fast catching up with the people as an unprecedented opportunity to express their agreements and disagreements, pleasures and displeasure, selection and rejections, satisfaction and disgruntle and above all everything what they wish to express and that too at their own terms and conditions.

Be it the enticing language skill of Ravish Kumar on NDTV or the dominating, scathing and reprimanding arguments of Arnab Goswami on Republic TV or Rohit Sardana’s show of Taal Thok Ke  on Zee TV or Anish Devgan in Aar Paar  on News India or Anjana Om Kashyap in Halla Bol  on Aaj Tak, all these channels seem to be pulling the debate towards the predetermined conclusion. Every evening in TV studio, stage is set for some debate with some political spokespersons and a few known analysts and experts sitting as panellists. They start shouting at each other and in the pandemonium, it becomes difficult to ascertain as to who is saying what and to whom. In between, the anchor, who is supposed to control the proceedings, himself loses control and also starts shouting. These channels and anchors seem more or less biased with some particular agenda or pre-concluded conclusions. They say – nation wants to know or desh janana chahta hai as if they had completely calculated the pulse rate or had read the faces of more than 125 crore people.

In this gambit of debate, where are the common audience and where is their voice? A common viewer also has his own view, his own issue, his own problem. He also wants to say or shout and wants to be heard?

But worry not now! We have the social media – Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, linked In etc. wherein you can have your say, where your voice is heard by those whom you want to tell. where you can drop in anytime as per your convenience and can pour down what is in your mind and heart. Reducing the hegemony of a few newschannels and anchors, Social media have given tremendous power into the hands of the people. You can tap the like, comment or share tab. If you don’t like something, you have the option of unfriending and blocking. This all is so easy and free of any hiccups. Do you want to say something on what I say, do come to my timeline!

Vulgarism Eating into Common Language

James Rozoff said in one of his books – ‘Vulgarity is like a fine wine: it should only be uncorked on a special occasion, and then only shared with the right group of people.’ But today vulgarity in language is catching up very fast at every occasion.

While on a regular evening stroll with my friend some days back, I happened to pass by a small open space where some children were playing and frolicking. Walking along, my eyes caught two little kids – a boy about 6 and a girl about 8 having a verbal duel. They were brother and sister to each other as I later came to know. Suddenly, the boy gave a push to his sister uttering these nasty words - “Sali ma…lo…” The little girl somehow avoided the bad fall and ran away crying out for her mom. Shocked to hear those nasty words from the little kid who was just six, I stood there motionless for some moments. After a few seconds, I scolded the child- ‘Not good manner. How can you say those nasty words?” Scared, the boy ran away but not before he had announced –‘uncle, mere papa bhi mummi ko aisaa hi bolte hain jab donon ladte hain.”

            This is how, of late, the elements of vulgarity, profanity and sexism have been creeping into the language of our common chat or conversation and from there has been percolating down to the budding citizens ie children. With not an iota of doubt, the boy had picked up the language from his elders. He even didn’t know the meaning of the words he had used. The language one talks in gives an ample impression of one’s personality. But You may easily come across two gentlemanly dressed up people who greet each other by saying- aur bhai ma .ch…  kyaa haal hai tere or they may respond saying- theek hun bhai pein….ch. Another testimony to vulgarism and sexism in common language can be seen scribbled down on the walls of public toilets. There are many who are creative and crafty enough to form salacious couplets. Some even find opportunity to sneak into the ladies’ toilets and leave the impressions of their craftsmanship there too. You may also come across this linguistic profanity in schools also where the children use expletives without being conscious of its meanings. Even teachers at times find themselves helpless to do away with these expletives as it has become their parlance. Not to quote a single example, salacious dialogues and songs of Hindi movies are now tradition and act as crowd pullers.

            When kids get this kind of language being spoken, scripted and dialogued, obviously they also adopt it, rather imbibe it. Though kids are small, but they have long ears. They are very attentive to the words being exchanged by their elders in different situations. They speak what they listen. Thus the vulgar or aggressive language spreads like bad cold. Not to know any language is not that bad as to know and follow the bad language. It is the expressive of crude and distorted menatality.

Live as Brothers

Though Winston Churchil had scoffed at Mahatma Gandhi calling him ‘a half-naked Fakir,’ yet this Fakir ignited the spark of freedom among common Indians without using khadag or dhal. Known as Sabarmati Kaa Sant, he is revered by the whole world today as the man of millennium. Giving the message of love, cohesion and brotherhood he said: “An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.” He taught the people hoe to lead a life of truth and nonviolence.

When human being takes birth, none comes into this world crying Allah hu Akbar or Har Har Mahadev. No one has any label tasselled to its little body that deciphers him as Hindu, Mulim, Sikh, Christian, lower caste, upper caste, black baby, white baby etc. God has made us equal. None is high, none low. Isn’t it enough to be born as human being? We come into the world as His siblings. There is only one caste – the caste of humanity and there is only one religion – religion of love. We are the trees of same seed and root. Can you hate the trees and love the roots?

There is no network – not the Airtel, not the BSNL, not the Vodafone, not the Reliance, not any other network – that has more signal strength for white skinned people and less for less white people. Sun does not command its rays to shine softly on some, singe some and leave others untouched, nor do the clouds direct the droplets of rain to moisten a few and leave others dry. The moon remains same for both - Id and Karvachauth. The phenomena of nature do not discriminate people from people. So, why do we, after all, discriminate between man and man on the bases of caste, creed and colour?

This is really tragic that some dies in hospital due to scarcity of blood while the same blood flows on roads in the name of God. Iqbal beautifully puts it – mazhab naheen sikhaata aapas mei bair rakhanaa…  No one has the right to humiliate and rob people of their freedom and joy on the bases of colour, religion, caste or creed. Say ‘love’, the world will echo with ‘love’; say ‘hate’, the world will echo with ‘hate’. Let this world echo with the word ‘love’ not hate. Be an ambassador of universal brotherhood and cohesion. We are on this earth to make this world a better place to live in and that can be done through love not hate.

Therefore, make this world a place where we are judged by the merits and contents of our character, not by the colour of our skin, caste, faith or creed. Every individual, of course, has the right to have his own set of beliefs, but he must also consider that others also exercise the same right. Remember the words of Martin Luther King Jr: “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together like fools.”

Shun Linguistic Chauvinism

Nelson Mandela said: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” Of course, the national language of any country plays a vital role in binding the nation in one strand. Though the constitution of our country recognises many languages, yet it cannot be denied that Hindi is the language in wish we started giving vent to our emotions and thoughts.

However, does this mean that all other languages need to be disparaged? I strongly object to those who relate Hindi to Hindus, Urdu to Muslims, Punjabi to turbans and English to whites. Some even go to the extent of calling English the language reeking off colonialism. This   stance is the result of linguistic chauvinism. Languages never go against each other, rather they embrace each other as sisters.

            If we draw such limiting circles for our language, its development and expansion gets truncated.

            Even the history of freedom struggle testifies that it was not one language that contributed to bring out the awareness among people. Our very national anthem jan gan man and national Song vande matram are originally in Bangla. The revolutionising slogan karo ya maro, Dilli chalo were coined in Hindi, inqilab zindabaad was coined in Urdu. Tarore’s Gitanjali shot to fame after getting translated into English. The greats of Hindi literature like Munshi Premchand and Dushyant Kumar had rare and sweet blend of Hindi and Urdu in their writings. Apart from Hindi and regional languages, Raja Ram Mohan Roy made English the instrument of social awakening. He tried to use this language as a bridge between Indians and British.

We cannot afford to forget that the English language has brought laurels to the nation. Nehru’s Discovery of India, R K Narayanan’s Malguddi Days, Raja Rao’s Kanthapura, Kiran Desai’s Inheritance of Loss, Arundhati’s God of Small things, are a few of those creations in English that raised the stature and status of the country on world stage.

Often, some Hindi lovers make hue and cry that Hindi is in danger. But, the fact is that Hindi is the second biggest language spoken in the world after Mandarin. As Hindi has its own sustaining capability, there is no question of its being in danger.

            The magnanimity of any language lies in its tendency to imbibe words from other languages. That way English stands at top as it has borrowed words from many languages. Hindi should also not hesitate to borrow the words from other languages if they come naturally to its usage. The use of high flown words does make a language great. It is the simplicity that touches the heart of the people. And the language that becomes the language of heart of the masses grows like deodar and expands like peepal.           

            Of course, Hindi must be kept comparatively at the higher pedestal, but honour and learn other languages also as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe has avered: “Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own.” 

Consolidate the Basic Education

It was hard to believe the eyes and ears when the the BA I semester resut was  of the HPU was out. It was no less than a shocker. It has raised the eyebrows of many. Especiaioally the students, parents and teachers are groaning and moaning in the agony of this unexpected bad outcome. Nobody could have imagined such a poor result. More embarrassing is that the 10+2 toppers have also fallen in the trap wreathed by the RUSA. As the HPU has endorsed that no goof up has taken place while preparing the result, it gives much to rethink about the esperiments being made with the education and the learners.

       The bad result as this, various questions about the veracity and credibility of education and examination system naturally will arise, and need to be answered too. After all why it so that even the 10+2 toppers flunked miserably in BA 1st semester?

In fact, the success of a learner in higher education depends on the how well he has read and learnt in his basic classes. As brick of foundation is to the building, the education and learning is to the development of nationn. Weaker the education, more weaker the nation. The recent results framed under RUSA has made it threadbare that our basic education system is brittle and fragile.

       No detention policy till 8th standard has become an irksome for the education and teachers. Various surveys have made it clear that the students of 6th standard are unable to write their own name correctly and in 9th class they cannot do the basic sums of multiplication and division. So much so that a student of 10+1 can’t rearrange the jumble to form an English proverb, the use of correct tense forms is a far call.

The teachers who deal the students after 8th standard find themselves in all sorts of troubles. If they teach the learners the basic skills of maths and language, the syllabus cannot be completed; if they take up syllabus, the students can’t learn. Apart from this the teachers have to do various non-teaching works. He dangles between being a babu and a teacher.Then there is transfer and inrement scare if the result stands off the mark. working under pressure and stress, he has become a harassed lot and a harassed teacher can only be a bad teacher.

The questions also arises about the credibility of the HP Board examination. How come the 10+2 toppers got failed in BA? The Board may make lofty claims of holding fair examination, but what actually happens during examinations is enough to beacon  that we are heading to be at par with Bihar.

After staggering and plodding through to get 33% marks in 10+2, , the learners find themselves incongruous with the RUSA pattern which has raised pass percentage to 45 per cent.

So its high time to revamp the basic education system so that the learners may get ripe at the ripe time to cope with the higher education system

Teacher’s Day Or A One-Day Respite

          Once a child got a remark from his teacher on his test notebook: "poor child." Seeing this, the father scribbled down his response just above the teacher's remark: "The poor performance of my child shows how good his teacher is." The teacher may not have liked the response or he may have felt a prick in his ego, but this comment from the father entails a large truth in it, if not the whole truth. Of course, it’s impossible to measure the impact of a great teacher. The curiosity they ignite in young minds comes out some day in the form of new inventions, discoveries theories, new breakthroughs and beautiful art that make the world of tomorrow a better and brighter place.

          When king Dhananand of Patliputra disgraced Chanakya by calling him a petty ordinary begging brahmin and got him hustled out of his palace, he said, "A teacher is never ordinary. Creation and destruction play in his lap," This statement was not just a momentary retort emerging out of wrath, but he proved it later on practical ground. He educated an ordinary looking child, Chandergupta, destroyed the Nanda dynasty and enthroned him as emperor.

          However, with the flow of river of time, the scenario of education also changed, its implications and complexion changed. Moving out from the Gurukuls  and shantiniketans, today, it has entered the portals of big and plushy schools and colleges. But, in this whole journey, what happened to the status and esteem of teacher in the society is not what he can feel proud of. He lost a lot by his own deeds and a lot was robbed off from him. Once held above the stature of Govind, today the teacher has become a target of criticism, satire, drollery and ridicule. Parents are disappointed with him, high-ups are angry at him, and the government is not ready to trust his sincerity and integrity any more. What is left for him is Teachers' Day which is becoming more of a formality to be completed to maintain a traditional decorum rather than a celebration resulting from heartfelt respect and good will for teachers. On this day, programmes like man kee baat are held, the legends of teacher’s role and importance are sung, and the quotes of great people regarding his role are referred to in high-flown words. Some of the teachers even manage to notch up awards for themselves by this way or that way.

But what goes after that? Goes the Teacher’s Day, goes the euphoria created by it and teachers are made to feel miserable like a child whose balloon gets deflated at the prick of some thorn. Next day onward, the routine chores of his derision returns and go on till next Teachers' Day as a one-day respite. If some student gets good marks, the people say, "Oh! In fact the guy himself is brilliant and hardworking. It does not have much of teachers' doings in his performance." On the other hand, if results go off the mark a bit, there is big blabber around, "Oh! What, after all, these teachers do in the institution?"

What exactly went wrong that the society, which used to put teacher in high esteem, started disparaging him and relegated him to that low a place? Let’s try to understand.

          In fact, thanks to corrupt system, many teachers made into this noble profession by their political strings. Far from acknowledging teaching as a profession with passion and mission, their basic aim was to warm their pockets on first of every month. The number of such teachers is not that much, but it is not that less either. If one fish is enough to make the whole pond dirty, imagine what would happens when they were in plenty. The things may have gone well if these gurus had tried to hone their skill as teachers. But the sad story of our gurus is that the day they are appointed as teachers, they put their books in the box - the box that rarely reopens.

Not to talk of honing their skills, these non-deserving entrants started showing their true colours in their doings. Not to talk of improvement, they started to show their colour in their doings which tarnished not their own image but also the image of those teachers also who have been really doing tremendous job in the field of education because if you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas. There are plenty of instances that have cast a slur on this noble profession. The incidents of merciless thrashing of students, use of foul expletives while dealing with them, use of intoxicants before students, assurance of help in examination hall, and even sexual harassment of girls are no more uncommon in the education circle. Under such circumstances, the erosion of teacher’s status and stature is inevitable.

          Amidst this erosion of values, more worrisome is the pass-the-buck game going on in education arena. Teachers, parents, decision makers and people at helm of affairs, instead of shouldering the responsibility of halting the debacle of the system, are busy in the pass-the-buck game. In this whole noise, the sufferers are the innocent students because in the fight of two big elephants, the only sufferer is the green grass.

          To be great, any nation needs good education and for good education are needed great teachers. Doctors, professors, actors, leaders, stattesmen, ministers, presidents, social workers,  business persons - whoever they are, however great they are, teacher has an indelible influence, though invisible, in their making. In fact, schools, colleges and universities are the pictures of fate and future of the nation in miniature. Whereas parents do the work of nurturing and culturing of their children, teachers do the work of sculpting them into an ideal and better human beings.

          No doubt the profession of a teacher has become thorny. Though the respect of teachers has become a lost tradition, I firmly believe that society still adores good teachers and students respect them. Famous thinker Aristotle says: "Those who educate children well are more to be honoured than they who produce them." A good teacher can change a lot of things, because the education he imparts remains with his students through his life. A student do remember good teachers, but he also does not forget bad teachers either.

So, teachers can be Chanakya of their students. They are the third parents. I call on them to put in their passion and soul into the profession of teaching as John F Keneddy said: "A child miseducated is the child lost." Remember - if a lesson fails, the teacher still gets paid. The kids get nothing at all.

Changing the Biometry of Education

AS the teachers are still whining and feeling the pinch of biometric attendance and the simmer of discomfiture and resentment has yet not subsided, the state government has decided to hammer another nail to screw tight and face lift the dwindling education system by formation of Inspection Cadre Cell and that too with an army of 94 people. Perhaps, slowly and slowly it is percolating down to the understanding of the government and the officers at higher echelons that the major reason for the horrible results and debacle of SSA and RMSA have been the absence of effective monitoring. Issuing notifications and scribbling down rules on papers have so far been the modus operandi of those at the helm of these projects, But it needs to be recognised that paper-boats can only entertain and give joy to a child for some time, but one cannot have a voyage in it. This time, it seems, that the big bosses are serious to facelift the dilapidated system because to take lesson from the mistakes is the strength of a wise person and to repeat the same mistake is the love of fools. 

The Inspection Cadre seems to have relevance because the officers at the directorate level hardly have the time to visit the schools and have an idea of the academic on goings and goings on in the schools. So because the Education Department is that vast and varied. Whatever scanty visits are made is the outcome of the complaints made to the department. Teacher, politician, bureaucrats – everyone seems to be worried about the education and wants to improve, but this only remains a wishful thinking and things do not go beyond the inked paper orders and should and would be advices. Through the whole session, no pains is taken to see if the academics are going the ideal way in the school. To wake up after a long slumber of whole year and then look for the 100% results is not only unjust but also logically out of place. To brandish the sword of transfer and increment loss are no solution, these are, in fact, short-cut formula that will lead to bigger problems. By transferring the teacher, you only transfer the problem. The 100% result bar will only move the state on to make it another Bihar. To rob Peter to pay the debt of Harry is no wisdom at all.

To improve present system of education is not an easy call, yet the formation of inspection showcases the genuine concern of the state government. Whether it will be able to realize the objectives for which it has been formed cannot be ascertained because the RMSA and SSA were also started with great zeal and zest, but what came out is known to all and sundry. The new Inspection Cadre Cell will consist of those people who are on the verge of promotion and many of them will have a withering zeal. Amidst such circumstances, it cannot be predicted as to how long, how well and whereto the same old stewards will lead this new train. Whether they would be able to re-rail the badly derailed system is open for speculations and we can hope only.

 Biometric attendance and Inspection cadre – the two steps of the express that the officers and the government believes that the teachers are not sincere to discharge their duties in the school. But can the whole teaching community be groups only this column? Certainly not for we still have teachers who have made the education department proud. If at all, the people at helm of affairs have this fixed stance regarding teachers, it is worthwhile to see whether the newly formed cell will ever pinpoint and track these shirkers and truants. If it fails, its accountability and responsibility be also fixed as, after all, the cell that has 94 people it should serve some purpose. And dear inspectors and enquiry officers, make the enquiry reports carefully because the teachers are not that weak and birdbrains as you might have estimated them to be. The cell may get choked up with the files of enquiry reports and court cases.

No doubt, the Inspection cell is a cog in the wheel, but just a cog because the education system needs much more to be done. The policy of all passes up to 8^th standard has been a big headache for teachers and the educationists. Though many states has openly criticised the no detention policy time and again, but the MHRD ministers have not been doing anything significant regarding this. They have come, criticised this policy, but have done nothing except throwing the juicy words to the people. How long will the teachers have to work like babus and when will they get rid of paperwork? Will they ever get rid of the census, elections and many other nonteaching activities and will they ever be able to divert their whole attention to     teaching? What about the posts that lying vacant for long period in schools?

Though the education is clogged with many drawbacks and problems, yet the Inspection Cadre is a positive step. However, the stewards of the system need to be careful because it is difficult to digest the first peg of wine. Remember the words of some wise person: “it is better to prepare and prevent than repair and repent.”

The Mirage

The Comings and goings, Goings and comings

On the beaten tracks,

Facing ebbs and flows of intangible force.

The stasis and flits of dull and dreary world,

Running the race hustling and jostling

From this pole to that post

To run over or be run over.

Dropping the catch and catching the drops,

Believing our doubts and doubting our beliefs,

Thus are we placed on a mirage

Betwixt oxymorons and paradoxes

Knowing nothing permanent except death

Yet are we destined and desired to live

Like toys of wanton boy

With willing suspension of disbelief

I am back

Am back after more than a year or so because was busy writing a book. The book is out and getting good response.

The Divine Drop

The Divine Drop

The million worms

Battle and scramble in mother’s womb

And only one wins to survive

That one drop – that divine drop

Chipping in and sticking for months nine

Thus comes forth sons and daughters

Whom we call mine

From drop to drop divine

From drop divine to living being

Is there a BEING in the being

Or being in the BEING?

Being or BEING - there is oneness

Call it water, cloud or steam  

So I say

The Spark is Within You

The Spark is in You

My book The Spark is in You is getting published by Authorspress, Delhi

The Kite Runner

Detest I all pages of knowledge, science and philosophy

That make one to forget Him as the Almighty
 

Fly may I higher and higher and delve deeper and deeper
But relish not the height nor the depth that hides my Anchor

Tiny before Him are the kings, emperors and the presidents
As are they the mere puppets and the role players at his behest

Mover and shaker is he of the world and holds the pivot
The kite runner is He thus controls the life and the flight

What happens and happens not happens at his commands
How Foolish are the fools to think doers they are of the deeds

Is He there nothing is where, is He there everything is where
And hapless the man that looks for Him far here and there  

Realization of being He is always with us yet unseen unrealized
Not the temple nor the Church nor the mosque He ever dwelled

Easy is He to find but subtle deeply to know and comprehend
Found I him in the heart of purity while I searched and searched

The real honcho is He of the immortal to achieve the goal
I bow before Thee, oh ! You the nurse and captain of my soul 

Our Hypocracy

Many a time it occurs to my mind that we Indians lead a life of double standard – one for ourselves and one for others.  We preach something and do something else. The last time I had a chance to be at the ‘Bhagwat Katha’ (religious story). The people thronged to the place of function in thousands.  This just imbued me to think how hypocritical we are. The people there were feeling so privileged to listen to the hasrikKatha (story related to god ) as if they all were leading a narrow and straight life. But I knew that so many of them were so down and dirty.

In fact, the people keep the principles only for sermonizing  but  in practice their deeds go against the common precept of decency and ethics. Not to talk of leading of a fair life, they leave no stone unturned impede the life of those who lead a fair and square life. Perhaps we are living in such a society where the honest people lose their houses to  be prayed in temples      

May God Forgive Us !

I saw my little daughter  hopping, skipping, prancing and dancing unwary that I had been observing her for a long time. Suddenly I thought of taking her in my arms and kiss her infinitely as I was thrown back to my past when we were to commit that heinous and inhuman sin and crime. A strong feeling of shame, regret and remorse dawned on me. And I looked toward heaven if the almighty would ever forgive us for thinking of committing that sin. Perhaps he will not……..

I had got married and also had had a son. After 2 years of birth of my son, my better half expressed her wish to have another kid with the hope that it would be a girl. But I opposed  on the pretext that it would be financially difficult to manage for the good upbringing of the two children.

Nothing came out conclusive and the altercation on the subject went on. But in due course god had it that my better half conceived thus surprising both of us. By that time, she had either got convinced with my view or she had resigned to my wish. Keeping my view in her mind, she decided to abort perhaps half-heartedly perhaps to keep my heart. But now I was deadly against it as I considered it the most heinous crime that a human is capable of committing.  But she thought that I was opposing just to keep her heart and I thought she was doing it to keep my heart. In due course of this ding - dong battle, I acceded to her intentions.

Next morning she went to the doctor who asked her to come the following day. However,  just  when my better half  was to leave the doctor the latter quipped, “ it’s  always better to have two kids”.  At night we again discussed the matter. This I spoke in roundabout way convincing - cajoling and condemning the act that she wanted to do. This time she looked convinced and she said,” You are right”, quoting the last remark of the doctor. I do not know whether she knew I really wanted the child or was it the remark of the doctor that could have been ringing in her ear and heart. However, the reason did not matter here. I felt relieved that we did not become the instrument of the sin.

And now I took the little cherub in my arms and loved and kissed her praying to god to forgive us both for having thought of preventing this little angel from coming into this world. Now she fights, plays and shares with her brother and I feel overjoyed for not missing the opportunity of finding the joy of the world that resides in the innocence of child, 

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 !