True colours

Do you show your colours during good times

when you have everything going your way…

Or do you reveal them when the times are bad

when you have obstacles blocking your way...

Or when a beggar asks for alms

and you put some money in their palms

Or you frown and ask him to go away

and still does this reveal your true colours anyway

When you see someone writhing in pain

as all his efforts have gone in vain

With eyes filled with tears

and his soul shaken with fear

Circumstances have bludgeoned him to near death

He is desperate and gasping for breath

Treat him like a headless chicken and put a wreath

Or give them the strength to fight and shield

This is when nothing remains concealed

and your true colours are revealed.

The education content delusion

Content and its quality is subjective to the user. There is no defined quality as such. People think by adding animations and diagrams, students will learn. But learning is not merely information provided to the user but it is what the user chooses to absorb and assimilate as knowledge. And assimilation of knowledge can be from text, from pictures, from animations. Unless there is reflection of what is absorbed, there can not be proper recall and application of what has been learnt. The learner may understand better from what he/she sees around oneself or in other words the real life applications of what is given in the curriculum. Once they start to inquire, then they want to learn as to how or why this or that is happening. What is happening today is that people/companies are converting information given in text books in a digital format with some masala added to them in the form of animations, videos. This may be projected as a giant leap but it is not. The learner wants to be challenged to think, to be able to connect, to be able to be transferred to a different plane where they are willing, they seek and they learn. Fact based content is freely available to every learner today courtesy the internet. They don't have to buy them at the prices that the so-called new age edu-tech companies are offering.
Moreover, most of what is being offered is the same wine in a new bottle. Aimed at compliance to the age old tradition of securing more marks, the yardstick that one judges oneself with, has been found to have little correlation with knowledge or learning. Most of these companies want to create toppers and want to help you in getting more marks. Aren't all the players in the field of education, right from the teachers in the school to parents obsessed with and also just focus on same. So where is the revolutionary bit here?
I am not denying the need or importance of good performance, but all the results, marks and ranks are essentially the by-products of good learning. Content and the methodology of imparting them need to be focused on the means - making the process more challenging, engaging and at the same time more enjoyable. This is what we seek to address through our content - focus on the means, the ends will take care of themselves.

Highway

There are three things that I wish to talk about after having just watched highway. The first one is definitely the cinematography. It is truly enchanting, dreamy and captivating. So much that not only do you feel like being there at the same time as the characters themselves but more so at times you just feel like taking the next flight, train or rather the truck to the have a similar adventure or just roam about in the beautiful places that our country has to offer. It has been a delightful shift with directors nowadays preferring to showcase the Indian countryside, hills, beaches, temples, cities and towns. Don't know but somehow Kolkata seems to be featuring in a lot of them oflate (whether I should feel proud about it as our culture is being displayed or depressed about getting stereotyped is a question perhaps to be pondered on some other day). The soulful music with the pictures and locales keep you hooked, hypnotised and at times in a happy state of trance. Second point is definitely about Alia. She's young, natural, chirpy and fresh. Her character evolves through the entire 125 minutes from being the innocent, domestic, suppressed girl into the vivacious, energetic and mature woman who would towards the end take big decisions with great ease and fearlessness. What makes you like randeep hooda is for the fact that he plays the perfect role of the catalyst in bringing about this metamorphosis of alia's character. The other cast members all play their part perfectly and are sacrificed as the movies reaches it's climax with just the main protagonists. As in the case of rockstar, Imtiaz Ali here also gives us a melancholic ending not before he has established a deep connection between the audience and the lead characters. This brings to the last point where the underlying theme of the movie is much more than a rich girl getting accidentally kidnapped by a crook, both falling in love but not going on to live happily ever after.  We all envision our lives to be moving in the same free flowing, unperturbed, unhindered manner as a car moves on a highway. New places to discover, new cultures, new people, living the carefree life, making each day count as if there were no tomorrow. What I really liked about the movie though was not just the showcasing of the free bohemian spirit that we all strive for but in taking that one step further. The best moments for me were those when Alia is surprised, in awe of the beauty around her, contemplative and confused, smiles and cries at the same time. They bear testament to the experiences on the highway of self discovery and self realisation. Highway is a movie just the way life is supposed to be. It touches a deep chord because of this very simple reason.

Q up

Every morning and evening on my way to and fro from my home to office, Kolkata’s organized disorder is at its very best. Droves of people on their way to work, traffic, horns, sweat, congestion. And don't even talk about those days when the gods decide to take a leak. Amidst all this disorder there's one astonishing thing that works absolutely in an order – forming a queue.

The omnipresent queue is perhaps a reflection of the docile, law abiding, orderly Bengalis. It may also be a reflection of the socialist ideology after 30 years of communist rule. All people should get equal opportunities and no one should behave like a capitalist and go out of the way, break to queue to do something different.

But what I see here definitely is not just a sign of civility. It goes beyond that. Queues pretty much represent the mentality of the masses – like a herd. I say this because even if there are empty buses, a new counter that opens up people still stick the longer queue. Is it a sense of pride, of loyalty that prevents action or simply a sign of lethargy and lack of self-confidence.  Although people don’t seem to break the line but they have definitely crossed the line here. The passing away of opportunities, complacency and myopic attitude to anything new has taken its deep roots in Bengal.

Bengal was once the crown of the English empire. Long live the Queen today has become Long live the Queue. Queues are necessary for maintaining order but blindly forming them everywhere would be as useless as the ‘ueue’ after q in queue.

Role of a teacher

In school I read this story called "Neev ki eent" by Ramvriksh Venipuri. Teacher's also need to be like the Neev ki Eent. The foundation stone. As the foundation stone, teachers need to love all the students. Love is acceptance and understanding. A teacher has to accept a student for who he/she is, understand that every student possesses the strength and power within to do wonders and then channelize the potential of the student towards achieving the desired goals.

A teacher's role is one of making oneself redundant in the long run. I remember how I had learnt how to ride a bicycle. I was scared. I fell many times, my dad picked me up and told me to carry on. Under the assurance, I rode and then when I looked back, my dad was not there. I was on my way. This is precisely what I mean by the role of a teacher.

Use one's experience to set the ball in motion. Fill the student with enthusiasm, purpose and get the momentum going. Then create systems, processes and motivate the student from time to time to ensure that the ball keeps moving in the right direction till the goal is reached.

I have never believed in vicarious pleasure. The romantic notion of students coming back, touching your feet and lauding you for their success just doesn't work for me. I find it embarrassing to imagine and in a way the wrong reasons to be a teacher. This can be a by-product but not the main motivation and driving force for sustained excellence. Besides respect and recognitions, tangible benefits, compensation and promotions are external motivating factors for all of us. But what is that one single factor of becoming truly phenomenal. Creating real impact?

Selfishness.

One can only be selfless and be the best at what one does by becoming selfish. Only when we are selfish, only when we crave for a direct benefit, a direct consequence and gratification of our actions for ourselves, can we ever reach the top. Nothing can ever be a substitute for the zeal of fulfilling one's own achievements and dreams.

Only those who themselves grow, only those who themselves do, only those who achieve, only those who have accomplished can set examples, can become role models and can truly inspire students, motivate young minds to realize and unleash their true potential.

For this to happen, a teacher has to constantly evolve, learn and become better. Through their experience of evolution ensure that the student learns.

The student teacher relationship is a highly synergistic and mutually beneficial one. Both evolve and get enriched through the process of interaction, sharing and exchange. Realizing and implementing this is perhaps the biggest role of a teacher.

My Father

My father has never gotten into the details of whatever I have done. Not that he doesn't care but he has always been my last resort. When there is so much noise, there's only one voice I trust. He's always there but never says much. Lying next to him even when he doesn't say anything gives me the strength.

My father has never scolded me but has only given me motivational talks. In fact, he has never ever instructed me to do something. His love for me is perhaps like that.

My father has shown me that even when he's half awake, in pain, he would ask me if I have had food or not. He has shown me what truly care for people means.

My father has never told me to change myself. He has always been the unrestrained, talkative, happy, jolly person himself, someone who has never believed in facades and appearances. He has always wanted me to be me.

My father has always been very particular about how I would drive my car, that I should be careful about what I do and not bother about how the other person drives. Perhaps this is the only time when he still instructs me. His message on a broader scale based on his experiences in life is to take care of oneself and not be really bothered about what the world does.

My father has never given me pots of money. He has given me all the support, encouragement and freedom to become a self-dependent man myself. He has always given more than he has taken and has given me values similar to live by.

My father has shown me the face of true love. Through his love for my mother, grandmother and for me, he has shown me that love is what really matters in life and that it is the true source of all happiness.

My father is far from the perfect Raymond's Dad but then he has given me so much that even if I am an iota of what he has been then I would make a great dad. I thank God for giving me a father like my father.

For my father, a thousand times over...

To give or not to give

I had this harrowing experience once when I was on a local train. This really old woman was begging and no one including myself gave her anything as if it was some show of unity. Suddenly she went into a fit of anger and started to cry profusely. While many were thinking that this may be a part of an elaborate routine, I had a change of heart and went over to her to give her a 10 Rs note. To my utter shock, she took the money and threw it away in frustration. I was pained and ashamed.

The act of begging has evolved over time. From the ancient times when sadhus used to beg alms going from door to door to the more recent, more dynamic animated forms of singing songs,  cleaning your car, shoes, dancing and more . The transformation may be attributed to the sadistic side of human nature as well as innovate or else die for those who beg.

Each and every day we find ourselves in the peculiar and rather uncomfortable situation when we find someone begging. We try to ignore, look away, ignore and think – why should we give to that child, woman, old man. For most of us it’s a whimsical decision based on our mood, weather conditions, which side of the bed we got up from. Some of us though give because we think that it would somehow result in some positive karma leading to the day being a favorable one. Altruism is especially at its peak when people are on tours of holy places, taking large quantities of change and distributing it amongst the poor and needy for it would absolve them of their sins.

But the rabbit hole goes even deeper. There are questions of morality, values and ethics associated as well. Begging is looked down upon as a menacing act where it is assumed that those who beg do so because they don’t want to work. To give would mean encouraging this culture and in turn that would be harmful for society.

There are some questions to be asked here:

Are we managing poverty or looking at measures to eliminate it?

With new definitions of BPL and all the hue and cry associated with it, the focus has shifted to issues that in no way search for a solution to eradicate poverty but of merely trying to manage it. A way of obviating from the obstacles that we face.  Of course the policy makers can do what they have in their hands (who again are at the mercy of the revolutionary politicians who mostly think about reforms every five years).

Is there a mechanism by which there can be at least a shift with respect to realizing the fact that its empowerment that is needed. To make people realize that they are the masters of their own destiny instead of creating an environment where the seeker would have to earn it and not through some subsidies or benefits thrown in as an alms.

Can we blame those who beg?

I have always believed that empathy or when we try to place ourself in the shoes of the other person leads to more rational, just and unbiased decisions than sympathy. No we can just not blame them. Given a choice nobody would ever want to beg, go to sleep without a morsel.

Of course then there’s the question as to whether these people would take up a job or work if given a chance to do so. The sceptics would say no they won’t and they would not be completely incorrect with that supposition.

So what is the solution?

Of course neither begging nor giving alms to beggars is the solution. It is not a permanent solution in any way. We give when we want to, we chide and shoo them away when we want to. To give may sometimes be a sign of mercy and compassion, at other times it may be accepting and encouraging the curse that ails our society.

Whatever be the case, poverty cannot be ignored and over looked. For any society to evolve, their needs to be holistic development and we need to find a mechanism to teach a man to fish. This is the only way to eradicate this disease.

“To give or not to give” should then be replaced by “Is this to be or not to be”. That is the question.