The martyr

A thousand whips and lashings,

But spurred the battle

Chains and bonds barely visible

Blood, sweat and tears amid,

The mind focusses for the fight.

The fruit is near and close,

- freedom to rejoice

Bells clamour and the doors open…

He roars, a thousand

For company – Ours is Ours.

Limbs refusing he

Arises, stands a  tall rock –

The servant’s salute,

A kiss on the soil, so

satisfying, sweet –

He falls back limp and dead.

(Independence day celebrations; a HAIKU structured on a 5-7-5 syllable basis.The theme was “Indian freedom fighters/national leaders”)

India’s road to be a super-power.

The road has been laid clear – let’s make it a highway!

The first step lies in determining how super-powers are built. Economically? Politically? Or these, and much more?

I would back the last option and elaborate on it, looking at it top-down.(Gandhiji wanted it from the bottom-up which never happened and we have but ourselves to blame.)

The first thing we need to do is to make use of our resources. The census places our current population estimate of at nearly 1.12 billion. Good management can decide whether this astronomical figure is going to be an asset or a liability.

The ability to lead, manage and inspire people with vision, at every micro level, will determine our growth as a country.In business, these people are called entrepreneurs who manage to provide employment and experience to millions thus forming the crux of a cycle.To sum we need good, intelligent leaders to be our politicians and smart businessmen to run our economy.

Next, how do we get these good managers at every level?

1)       By implementing a fool-proof education system and weeding corruption of any form altogether, although this is easier said than done.

2)       By providing enough incentives to keep the educated folk within the country.

Quite evidently, education is the tap root of the tree.Our teachers and their students form the most invaluable assets of the country.Isn’t it true that the four walls of a school or a house can decide the future of a country? Every person has the potential to change the world in some way – we must find the right people to give direction to these dreams – a la top down.

Once we have raised valuable human potential, we need to use them to create opportunities, consolidate, and grow from there on.When this happens, the perfect scenario of balance between all concerned – the judiciary, the government and the public can be achieved.Also, the ‘world’s largest democracy’ would then be able to get the much-needed harmony and consensus to solve all its problems.The constitution of India is our pride – once the public abide by the law and natural justice is allowed to take its course, governance becomes easy and industry will flourish.

Finally, every Indian must pledge himself to abide by the law and serve the country, by serving himself. We need to applaud every individual who comes forward to make a difference, for starters.

Until then, the super-power dream will continue to be what it is – a dream – and a subject of conjecture and hypothesis with no action.

Nevertheless, the fact that the country is a force to reckon with and also the second fastest growing economy in the world makes me proud as an Indian.

(A write-up for Independence day celebrations.The topic was”India’s road to be a super-power”. I have borrowed the premise from my earlier post on education)

Education and teaching

Is education business? Do teachers come at a price?

Unfortunately-  yes.

And an emphatic ‘yes’ at that. I speak in the Indian context.

And herein lies the answer to another troubling question, ” Why are we still not a developed nation?”

We might be the second most populous country in the world – but that’s not something which we can credit our mind with.

But pray where are the numbers,  when we take a count of achievers at the international scenario in any field?

I will attribute this poor ‘total achiever count’ / total number of people ratio – not to the often-blamed ‘Indian’ mentality or to bad politics either ( though they are also partly responsible) – but to the atrociously poor system of education in this country.

An education that discplines – but cripples creativity. An education that only prepares you for examinations evaluated by substandard means.

When Einstein said, ” Education ruined me”, you can be sure he meant it.

Let’s face it. We have a huge shortage of quality teachers and that’s why we’re short in the achievements on the international front as well. Which brings me to my main theme : the noble profession of teaching, inspirational teachers and the utter rarity of their breed.

There are questions aplenty in the quest for true knowledge; sadly, many are answered by repeated mistakes, rather than by any form of teaching.

Is there anyone who is truly and completely willing to share everything he knows? Or does his insecurity prevent him from giving away everything he knows?

What is spoon-feeding? Does such a concept really exist and if it does exist, should it?

Now why should curiosity kill the cat, I ask you? If there are answers, to further that curiosity.

An ancient hindu philosophy credits teachers with the third highest position in a person’s life – next only to his parents. The notion does seem a tad exaggerated today – especially when the true guru needs to defy monetary desires and an education system like ours?

When the ‘true’ teacher is no more, true learning is killed. And the curious disciple is no more. Hence achievements are all the more creditworthy coming from India.

And so, if there’s no olympic gold medal, please don’t complain. We simply don’t encourage the right kind of thinking. Because It’s as much in the mind as in the body.

And Indians will continue to trail behind the west, unless we come to terms with this realization.

As for me, however, I hope to teach someday –  when I feel I have learnt enough of the world.

I will feel proud of it, I don’t give a damn to the system of education and I will persuade others to do the same.

Inspiration – Swami Vivekananda

Words can be very helpful when you really want them.

The lines that follow are sentiments that I truly identify with, and influence my thinking greatly as an individual. 

Pearls of wisdom from Swami Vivekananda.

1.”You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”

2.”Be a hero. Always say, “I have no fear.” Tell this to everyone—“Have no fear.””

3.”Go on saying, “I am free.” Never mind if the next moment delusion comes and says, “I am bound.” Dehypnotize the whole thing”

4.:Stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders, and know that you are the creator of your own destiny. All the strength and succor you want is within yourself. Therefore make your own future.”

5.”Those who grumble at the little thing that has fallen to their lot to do will grumble at everything. Always grumbling, they will lead a miserable life, and everything will be a failure. But those who do their duties as they go, putting their shoulders to the wheel, will see the light, and higher duties will fall to their share”

6.”Perfection does not come from belief or faith. Talk does not count for anything. Parrots can do that. Perfection comes through selfless work.”

7.”Don’t look back—forward, infinite energy, infinite enthusiasm, infinite daring, and infinite patience—then alone can great deeds be accomplished.”

8.”Each work has to pass through these stages—ridicule, opposition, and then acceptance. Those who think ahead of their time are sure to be misunderstood.”

source: wikiquote.org

Menial alright

The best thoughts always seem to come while travelling.

As it happened, I decided to take the air-conditioned deluxe bus from Majestic to Electronic city.

Believe me, it was more of a necessity than a luxury - it was the peak hour, and the distance is such that a seat is necessary.

I paid the fare of Rs 45, deliberately giving him a 100 rupee note, hoping to get some change. But the conductor sweetly refused it, asking ( in broken english ) for a 50 rupee note instead.

Suddenly, a sense of luxury crept in. I felt like a king sitting on a high pedestal throne.

Loftily I gave him the last of my change.” Thank you sir ! “

And I realised a real business philosophy here…We really like to be served, don’t we?

We want to be treated as gods, we want our ego to be flattered to the fullest, never mind the money.

That sense of false importance, prevalent during the yesteryear ( visualize the white man ordering his slaves around, getting them to do all his dirty work ) still exists in everyone of us, in bits and pieces.

I see it everywhere – waiters in hotels, household servants – we seem to love the concept of menial labour.

What the heck, we have the money – let’s pamper ourselves!

We have to leave it to time, probably,  to teach us some lessons.

Wastage

This is an issue that’s very close to my heart. So close, in fact that it tends to prey on my conscience.

Please don’t waste. Whatever it is. Food, water, petrol, money – they are all in short supply.

Particularly food.

The cavalier attitude with which people treat food astonishes me.If you don’t like the food somewhere, don’t go there. If you feel won’t be able to last another round at the dining table, don’t fill your plate up.Complete that glass of water which you sipped at lunch.

Small things that we don’t bother to care about!

There are more important issues than the mindless drudgery that we go through everday.

Think of the difficulties faced by farmers all over the world to give us the rice that we eat.

Think of the children dying by the hour,  of extreme poverty and hunger.

We cannot save the world, I agree.

We cannot spend a billion dollars like Bill Gates on community service.

But we can stop being frivolous by putting an end to our appalling wasting habits.

Please adopt the resolution ” I will not waste indiscriminately “

Remember, small resolutions such as these make a big difference to you and the world.

Eventually they matter more than that billion dollars.

Please visit:

http://www.poverty.com/

 

Mrs.Jagadha Ganapathy

The irony of it all is that we realize….when it’s already too late.

This third post of mine is dedicated to the late Mrs.Jagadha Ganapathy. My paternal grandmother.

Remembering her is possibly the least I can do, given the love and care she has bestowed on me as a grandson.

Mrs.Ganapathy was not one of the regular paati-ma’s you would think of. Weak,false teeth,stereotyped? – No sir!

She knows subjects like law (being the daughter that great man Justice A.S.P.Aiyar) inside out, she’s won a bike race (just because another guy challenged her that a woman couldn’t do it) and if some smart-ass of a sales guy tries smart-talking her into a deal, she can really throw him off guard with her knowledge of the stock market.

That last paragraph could be very frightening, I know… but thats not the complete story…My paati has a softer side to her…

She’s an unbelievably good cook and makes cooking look ridiculously simple…those sumptuous sunday lunches still remain fresh in my memory …yummy!!

A very kind and generous person by heart, she cared and looked after all those who had served her,be it the house-maid or the coconut-seller.

And she had a soft corner for both of us ( me n my sis)…  

There are so many things I can write about my grandmother – Indeed, a single post does not suffice.But the primary purpose behind my wirting this post, is the fact that she’s been a great source of inspiration for me in my personal life.

She made a mockery of the problems she faced in her life and banished them, as if they were mosquitoes or something

And really, my problems are nothing in comparison.

Well, there’s no doubt I’m missin her, but again, the least I can do is to strive to emulate her in her ideals and attitude in life.