The Media frenzy

The Media, both print and electronic, is 'terror-stricken' at the moment.There is so much discussion on terror, the several possible definitions of terrorism, its perpetrators from both small and large scale organizations - so much so that one is almost deluded into believing that things are actually moving in the right direction. A closer look at these 'discussions' ( wish we could call that) would sadly reveal that in all such 'air-time empty rhetoric', each panelist is simply in a state of delirium only bent upon demonstrating to the public the strength of his / her vocal chords, absolutely not willing to listen to perspectives. Each one has a point of view, fine. But how does that preclude one from being receptive to other points of view? Seldom is there an attempt at persuasion, the tendency is always to shout down the other. And mind you, these are big time politicians, scholars and intellectuals!! Sometimes the show reaches a point when no one can hear the other and ironically no one stops to listen to the other - very similar to a street brawl - the only difference being the air-conditioned room and the 'intellectual' ambiance. Many a time i have felt sorry for the anchor looking utterly helpless, not knowing how to restore order, all the same desperately attempting to give an intellectual hue to an otherwise wayside farce. In all this comedy (!!!) the very purpose of the discussion, again assuming there was one is completely defeated. Why can't we have debates and discussions in an orderly manner? If in a class of hundred well organized, disciplined discussions can happen why not with five or six people, however eminent they are? What is the motive of the anchor and the participants? Is it merely to sensationalize the issue giving the impression to the world that they really are concerned about the nation's problems and debates on such topics would necessarily involve a lot of 'heat and dust'? May be!! But every time i happen to watch such programmes on air i'm sadly reminded of the Bard's words which are quite appropriate:'full of sound and fury signifying nothing'.

A sequel to delayed action bomb

At last I’m back from hibernation. Or was it providential that I did so just because I needed to be fed with enough fodder to continue from where I stopped last time. I received a mail today from a highly educated gentleman whose views distinctly reflect the problem I was talking about - being merely in religion and not really religious. Very disappointing as well as disturbing!!! Why does it happen even with 'educated people'? Is it because our system of education rarely touches on the emotional quotient of learners more importantly required in the present context than the intellectual quotient? Will a focus on emotional quotient in our curriculum really help in curbing fundamentalism, chauvinism, extremism, terrorism – isms of all sorts, be it in religion, in region or in language? It is really a pity that our policy makers in the education field have not woken up to seriously addressing this lacuna in the existing system. Left unattended to this issue will assume more dangerous proportions that our country really cannot handle. On the one hand we will have educated illiterates everywhere and on the other educated terrorists with a fatally, dangerously innovative mind. What a lethal combination!!! Going by events happening around us in Mumbai, in Orissa, in Karnataka I strongly think that the time has come for us to redefine what terrorism is. Should we not deem any act meant to disturb and disrupt peaceful coexistence in a pluralistic society terrorist whether or not bombs explode? By this definition MNS activists in Mumbai are terrorists. Hard to accept? Extend the same yardstick to other states, to similar outfits- harder to accept? May be, but that is the truth, the bitter truth. I really wish suitable changes and amendments in the present Indian educational and legal systems are made especially in the context of several ‘terror’ outfits mushrooming in the country. Or else we may soon be a mute witness to the emergence of several ‘indias’ within India, which are biding their time and waiting to take shape.

Delayed -action bomb

"It takes at least a couple of decades to realize that you
were well taught. All true education is a delayed-action bomb
assembled in the classroom for explosion at a later date. An
educational fuse of 50 years long is by no means unusual."

This quote by Kenneth D. Gangel set me thinking. I'm trying to relate it to events unfolding around us - especially those that undermine, destabilize and are detrimental to our secular fabric - whether they occur in Jammu & Kashmir or in Orissa. Human life seems to have no value to us - the fact that someone belongs to a certain community, religion, region, language group determines their position, status and even security in a country like ours is distressing. How 'religious' are we when we kill because someone has chosen a different way to experience the divine or when that way is not the same that we have chosen to tread upon. Are we not merely 'in religion' and not really religious when such horrendous acts are committed? Why can't we exercise restraint even when religious passions are aroused in us? Are we caught up in fundamentalism so much so that we do not know the difference between being religious and being fanatical. It is time educational institutions played a vital role in strengthening India's secular tag. Even if it were to be a delayed-action bomb we need such bombs that will bring us together, closer to one another than those that will kill us with hatred.

examination woes!!

Of late the number of students resorting to unfair means to succeed, especially in examinations is on the rise. Although the innovations employed in such situations deserve appreciation they cannot be condoned. Why do students even think of such means? Is it the fear of failure? May be! But failure in what? Failing in an exam (even assuming that one has worked hard not to) must make one more reflective, more industrious and more focused. It is a learning process. But, unfortunately the fear of ‘failure’ weighs more heavily on their minds than the fear of being ‘caught in the act’. Who is to blame for this unhealthy trend? Of course, that students must restrain from such practices is indisputable. But are there other ways to help them stay away from such shortcuts to success? Perhaps there are!! Is it possible to stop examining rote learning and concentrate on enhancing their critical and creative abilities? For this to materialize our examination system needs a major revamping and a lot more thinking (and time) must go into the preparation of question paper. Malpractices in examinations can be stopped only when our testing patterns focus on the application aspects, completely or largely ignoring textual and factual comprehension.

Relevance of Hierarchy!!

Often our mind dabbles with Utopian thoughts. Establishing a system with no hierarchy is one such doing the rounds for many days. I can recall some comments form our own city's technocrats when the software industry was in its infancy; there were many who spoke proudly about the non- existence of hierarchy in their organizations. "Radical, great, that's how organizations must function, wonderful philosophy" - many more such epithets had rent the air then. Interestingly, such notions are expressed, quite vociferously, even today. I cannot fathom how a system can work without hierarchy, without roles being assigned. The objects or the people, their attributes, their relationships and the environment they are in are integral to a system. So long as these remain important to a system one cannot ignore the value of interdependence - the most important characteristic of systems. The system may be a 'whole' but it also involves interaction among the 'parts'. This is where hierarchy is useful - for resolutions. Each member of a system may have one or multiple roles to play. Conflicts are bound to exist, but conflicts have also to be resolved- Hierarchy comes in handy. If a small unit like family cannot run sans hierarchy how can a huge organization function without it? To work efficiently and effectively roles assigned must be stuck to and played accordingly, trouble starts when boundaries are transgressed.

Banana republic!!!

There is jubilation on one side. 'Corruption, rigging, horse-trading' cries another. The former says India will prosper with the deal. The latter screams that democracy is dead and that 22 July 2008 is the saddest day in the history of Indian Republic. Well, one group, unholy as it may seem, has won and the other, equally unholy if not worse, has lost. So much of talking and debating in the parliament for the last two days about who's right and wrong, about how many crores of rupees changed hands, if the price was okay considering the high rate of inflation, blah, blah, blah- and sadly no one really debated the nuclear issue - for the purpose the parliament was convened. What is the issue and whether it is useful or detrimental to the common man? Who knows and who cares? The common man is in the same place where he began -ignorant, confused, uncertain, undecided. Of course our leaders have decided for all of us, as always they have acted on our behalf, very responsibly. What perhaps will keep the common man going are the goings on in the parliament - the unruly scenes, wad of currency notes tauntingly shown to the public, the diction of our honorable parliamentarians, charges vociferously made without proof, stories of kalavathis and sashikalas - in short, there was no dearth of entertainment and it had all the making of a popular television serial. So much for democracy and so much for our banana republic.

We Know it All

Something that happened recently in college set me thinking hard first on the importance of context and took me on to a whole lot of other issues.
Context determines our actions, our behaviour, our language - everything that we say and do. Ironically, not many of us attach importance to this, particularly the young. An attitude almost bordering on arrogance ( they call it confidence) is most commonly exhibited by our youngsters which often results in complex /complicated situations they create for themselves. Worse, instead of attempting to wriggle out of those situations they generally aggravate them by their insensitive/ insensible words and actions. Why is it so? Why is this 'I-know-it-all' attitude? Why do we feign omniscience? Is it because the situation demands? Or may be because we live in a consumerist world today where marketing and selling yourself matters so much that you constantly have to wear the garb /mask of a 'super genius', 'a walking encyclopaedia', 'a living god'. I sometimes wonder whether to laugh or to cry when children as young as eighteen years speak of their understanding of the world in absolute terms - it certainly is a cause for concern. Sadly, the ability to be receptive to other perspectives/ possibilities is blatantly lacking. It is always "I do this, i do that, i have read this, i have read that- and therefore i know better". Life would be so simple, so peaceful if only understanding or enlightenment can happen after reading a couple of books, or for that matter doing some research on some specific area for only two years. I feel we all have become so engrossed in this rat race that each one wants to compete and excel in the 'art' of exhibitionism. Everywhere we go we carry huge placards boldly proclaiming our so called expertise, interests, knowledge areas and what not! Unfortunately that has not helped us to even understand / distinguish between situations, act maturely, act differntly in different situations. On the one hand we continue to claim knowledge, on the other our actions betray us and reveal our ignorance.

Regional vs National.

A few things continue to intrigue (may be read as irritate) me. Till today i can't figure out the media's notion of what the regional and national is. While reporting the 54 National Film Awards winners atleast one TV news channel screamed 'The Regional becomes the National". What did they really mean by that God only knows.

In India, very often the term 'Indian cinema' is used, especially by the media to refer to Hindi cinema. Utterly foolish! Logically and ideally all films made in India, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari whether from the north, south, east or west of the country should come under 'Indian cinema'. On what basis do we make the distinction between the national and the regional? Is it distinction or discrimination? In today's context is there any thing that could be considered purely 'regional' or for that matter 'national'? Ironically there is also that subtle and invisible note of condescension or inferiority attached to the term regional when used alongside national. Isn't it time remedial actions are seriosly thought of? Of course some popular film actors have raised such concerns already. But despite their best efforts to set right this wrong nothing much has happened. Perhaps the media must come forward to effect this change - they must change their mindest first - instead of blindly following practices of the past, learn to report with a critical, realistic eye / perspective of the changing Present .

Who is responsible?

Just finished watching the Big Fight on NDTV on Scarlet murder that is rocking Goa. There were Scores of people on the sandy beach waxing eloquently on the character of the deceased and the poor parenting of Fiona the mother and the failure of the government. The debate had some intellectual hues to it as well: many talking about subcultures and subtexts in the ongoing war between the insider and the outsider with Fiona categorically stating that the cameras wouldn't be there but for the outsiders. It was passing the buck game all the way that was played so boringly to a national audience.

Why are we trying to blame only the government for any tragedy? In this case the mother, who conveniently shifts the responsibility taking refuge in the so called warmth and cordiality of the Goans is equally to be blamed. No sensible person would trust a stranger with their daughter on a beach in the dead of night no matter what your faith in humanity is. After having risked your ward's life by your own foolishness how could you squarely blame the government for ineffiency?

What is happening to our own sense of responsibilty? To think the government or the police would protect every single individual in the country 24X7 is nothing short of stupidity. Is such a thing really possible? Are we not supposed to help ourselves by taking precautions and acting sensibly? We don't leave our house doors open thinking the police is there to protect us. The same logic should apply when we are outdoors too - basic precautions must be taken. In this case all of us are to be blamed - first the mother, then the child, then the accused and then the police, the govt. machinery and the people or the society at large- in the same order.

Another Tragedy!!!

Yet another tragedy and so quickly - even before the bitter memories of the previous one could be buried. What's worse is, it is a child this time - all of 10 years and so brutally killled, burnt alive, all because of a minor tiff in a marriage party. And it happened in our national capital, our capital that stands testimony to many such cruelties. I'm pained, shocked and ashamed.

No Value for human life?

I was deeply hurt this morning when i read the story about an autorickshaw driver who paid a costly price for jumping the signal - the price, his father's life. The old man couldn't wait and he died en route to the hospital. Interestingly and ironically the police say the cop who stopped them and demanded to see the papers and prevented the sick man from reaching the hospital in time was only doing his duty. Since when has our police force become so duty-conscious? Assuming that the cop in question was really making an attempt to enforce the law which he strictly believed in, couldn't he assess the situation and act accordingly as any sensible human being would? The old man in the auto was there fighting for life and how could one turn a blind eye to it? I'm not condoning the autodriver's offence; what he did was wrong - wrong in the eyes of the law. But, What should be taken into account here is the motive or the intention for the crime. You and I in the same situation would have jumped many signals to reach our loved one safely to the hospital. Can't the police force relax rules during emergencies? Or has the force become so mechanical and dehumanized that the rule book is more importnat than human life? A sensible, really duty-conscious cop would not have detained them but ensured that they reached the hospital well in time. When will our police force change?

Bloodless encounter

Teachers these days are a worried lot. Today, A fine balancing between professional and personal commitments is proving to be extremely arduous- at the risk of being termed stale i must say it's like walking the tight rope. Just as you pat yourself for having gotten over that difficult task you are bombarded with more problems - worse than before. Woe betide those with added responsibilities like heading a department or in charge of a class- for then, these problems assume greater proportions- you are immediately branded heartless or dictatorial. You end up earning the wrath of your wards for having shouted at them, or for having sent them out of the class- simply because you thought these goody goody chappies will learn their lesson. The grand finale is of course when you get to see some of these fellows (with nose in the air) returning to college just to spite you - just to prove they are a better lot. Many teachers, i'm sure have had such encounters and for those lucky ones who haven't, here's a sample laced with a little humour and a lot of imagination. The moral of the story is .......well you decide!

BLOODLESS ENCOUNTER
I was getting ready for my drama class. From across the table, Macbeth was staring at me. The task for the day was clearly cut out. I must communicate to a bunch of seventeen year olds forcefully and sensibly Macbeth’s depression, dejection and frustration just before his tragic death. In short, I must make them understand what life is. It seemed quite formidable and daunting. I was uncertain whether those who were kids only yesterday could comprehend what life is and the full import of Macbeth’s deep angst. Quite abruptly my reverie was cut short. Looking up I saw someone standing at the door, beaming with a smile.
“May I come in, sir?” For a moment I couldn’t trust my own ears. I thought I had misheard. He repeated the request, this time louder.
“Oh, yes, Please come in and have a seat.” I said feeling rather elated by his politeness. At a time when polite students are a rarity I didn’t want to let go of this encounter. He walked in casually and by the time he had parked his load on the chair I knew I had invited trouble.
“Sir, do you remember me?” he started. There was that ‘how can you NOT remember me’ tone in his voice. And yes, I remembered him, quite well too. Not that he was a prodigy or anything. But his ingenious ways for disrupting classes was an open secret.
“Of course I do,” I said hiding my discomfort. Then, nonchalantly I said, “So, how are you, young man?’
“How do you expect me to be?” he snapped. I wasn’t surprised at his retort. In fact, I knew he had the potential for deeper incisions. Light dawned on me- he had come with a purpose.
“Oh, come on man,” I said struggling hard to conceal my awkwardness. “I’m not omniscient. You must tell me.”
“Better than you, much better, you know.” It was clear he hadn’t forgotten those unpleasant ‘out-standing’ experiences at college.
“Oh, really!” I managed to mumble. “Good for you man.” By now I was thoroughly feeling embarrassed. I had offered him a seat and there he was glued to the chair determined to avenge me. I knew I had no escape. I let him run on.
“Mr……….,” he began. The transition from sir to Mr, I think was quite intentional. “I just joined this multinational company and do you know what my pay package is like? 30K.How’s that for a ‘useless guy’? In five years I’ll cross the 50k mark. Have you ever imagined where you will be after five years?”
Actually, I had imagined that many times over the years and I knew where exactly I would be. Couldn’t tell him, though.
“Anyways, thanks Mr………….” I was relieved my ordeal was coming to an end. “Thanks for teaching me what life is.” With a mischievous grin on his face he walked out, triumphantly. Shakespeare, from the table was still staring at me.
“Life is a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Are we tolerant?

We take pride in saying we are Indians and native to the land of mahatmas who preached and practised non - violence and Ahimsa. The time has come for some introspection, really. Look at the increasing number of 'street justice' incidents rampantly seen in our country, especilally in Bihar. What is really happening to us?
Well, the savage instinct is in all of us, the instinct to survive, to harm, to injure and to kill. But where is the redeeming feature that is also there in us - the ability to restrain. Where has thou gone restraint, the much needed redeemer, the only balm to all our instincts of savagery.
At times i wonder if we are willingly going barbaric so much so that it seems fashionable today. All the TV Channels continue to beam such gory incidents in the name of news and in the process perhaps augment their ratings also. What about the damage that such telecasts have on impressionable minds? A speeding car driver attempting to kill an engineer on duty in broad daylight was horrible. The mob venting its fury on an accused in Bihar was even more horrible.

Where has the spirit of tolerance gone? Where are those finer sensibilities that we associate with human beings? What has changed us so much - that we have become so horribly barbaric? Who's got the answers?

Is Conformism really a sin?

One of the major difficulties that a teacher encounters in his/her career is non-conformist attitude / tendency in students /youngsters. Is conformism so bad? The way we look down upon it as if it is a deadly sin intrigues me. Don't we all conform to many things in life? Can we not conform for the sake of a common cause and still be happy? Why are we so rebellious about everything, vociferously protesting against all norms. 'We want freedom' is our refrain. But can freedom come without responsibility? Are we mature enough to handle freedom? Were the girls who stripped under the influence of alcohol in a public place in Kolkata "free"? Physically and literally - yes they were. Did they behave responsibly? Certainly not. Why do we try to abuse / take undue advantage of the freedom that we already have? Is freedom something that is given to us? Or is it something that we already have? And the biggest question is, are we in the name of freedom trying to go too far? "Ah! You are a puritan," "generation gap - you don't understand," "You are a traditionlist - to hell with you" - choicest expressions commonly used to attack those insisting on order. Is the attack really fair, especially when it comes from those who expect fairness from others. How long can we go on like this? Will the situation change?

Hi

What a way to begin? To begin with failure. The first attempt to blog didn't yield desired results, despite spending a few hours on the process. Learnt the lesson, however-never give up. The result is here to see. Perseverence has paid off - i'm about to publish my first post.

Now why did i want to blog? Is it because my colleagues are at it? Or because the whole world is hooked to it? I'm not sure. But i know one thing for sure. This is a wonderful, faster, swifter medium to get across ideas, to get to know a lot of people, interact, discuss anything and everything and in the process learn a lot more about life and discover your own self.

I have decided to take the plunge. With the support of the sea of humanity all around me i'm sure i'll be able to swim through.

Welcome aboard.