The perfect crime.

Would it not be the perfect crime, 

if I were to steal your heart 

and you steal mine?

The Education Prison

Image by Ben Heine

In a country with a population of over 1,200 million people it is astounding to hear from almost all employers, "We can't get the people we need".  

India has one of the youngest populations in the world, and this represents a fantastic asset, if the people are productive. However a majority of these young and middle aged people are currently unemployable. If this situation is not corrected soon then India is indeed sitting on a gigantic human resources time bomb. 

Compared to earlier generations the opportunity to acquire knowledge was a great boon for the preceding two generations, with literacy rates and job skills being greatly enhanced. 

To meet the growing demand education institutions have mushroomed mainly owned and managed by politicians. With a focus only on maximization of short term profit  most of these institutions are providing education which is often hopelessly out of sync with current requirements of employers and society in general.

Learning which should be an exciting phenomenon has become a dreary and boring affair for students. So bad is the situation that the students are forced to attend classes which they would prefer not sit in. The system has come to represent a prison of sorts.

Indian educational institutes from school to universities have mandated that every student must attend a minimum of 80% of all classes to be eligible to be examined or tested at the end of each term.

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Why was the rule created and why is it sustained?

•   Parents do not have the time, energy or inclination to police or engage their children, they expect the educational institute to do that.  The system keeps children somewhat occupied with each other if not with their teachers and their subjects.

•   When education becomes a drudgery, because of overflowing classrooms, poor quality of content, falling teaching standards, and indifferent or overworked teachers, the children will rebel.  The education institutions see it as an opportunity to earn more fees by imposing penalties, repetitive collections of fees from detained students, etc.

This makes everyone happy except the student, because they have to endure, long boring sessions with drudgery. No prisoner is happy, even if the attempts of teaching are claimed to be for the student's benefit.

 "You can take the horse to the water but you cannot make it drink", goes a well known saying. It is possible to force the student to sit in a class but it is impossible to force them to learn.  You don't have to be a genius to know that any kind of forced action always has unpleasant or problematic results.

Instead of treating the student as a lamp to be lit, our system now considers them to be vessels to be filled.

The situation is indeed alarming but can still be rectified. We need to restructure the way we ourselves and our children learn and acquire skills more suited to meet the challenges of the 22nd century. 

Readers are invited to respond with their thoughts and suggestions.

Where the mind is without fear

"None  are  more  hopelessly  enslaved  than  those,  who  falsely  believe  they  are  free"                                  

~ Johan  Wolfgang  Von  Goethe. 

"Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;

 Where knowledge is free;

 Where the world has not been broken  up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;

 Where words come out from the depth of truth;

 Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;

 Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;

 Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action -

 Into that heaven of freedom, My Father, let my country awake"

  Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore

       (1861 - 1941)

                                                    ___________________________

Come one and all, my fellow countrymen and women, let us celebrate our freedom. 

Why do you not celebrate with us on this Republic anniversary day of ours?

Let us sing and dance like all happy and free people.

Oh I see! You do not feel too happy or so optimistic.  

Freedom, what freedom you ask? 
Maybe you are right.  

We have traded in imperialistic rulers to replace them with self serving dynastic and often criminal rulers.  We lived in bondage under the Kings, Princes, Nawabs, British, Portuguese and French, now they have gone we like to believe we are  free.  But are we free? I think not. 

The enslavement of the mind and spirit is greatly more reprehensible and sad than physical slavery.  The physical slave is aware of his or her plight and either accepts or fights it. 

The tragedy of the people whose minds and spirit are enslaved is that they are not aware that they have been enslaved. They take great pride in their slavery and even preach the same dogma of their former and current masters.

This tragedy the great Rabindranath Tagore ji foresaw and prayed to God that  " …into that heaven of freedom, My father let my country awake" 

A great future beckons us, all we have to do is believe in it.  India can once again become a beacon of hope, health, prosperity and happiness for the entire world.

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"The Bard of Bengal",  Rabindranath Tagore ji (1861 – 1941)  reshaped Bengali literature and music, as well as Indian art.

Author of 'Gitanjali'  he became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Tagore's poetry was viewed as spiritual and mercurial; his "elegant prose and magical poetry" had a profound impact not only on Bengalis but on the world.

His compositions were chosen by two nations as national anthems: India's Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh's Amar Shonar Bangla. The Sri Lanka's National Anthem was inspired by his work.

I love my India, do you?

Most of the news in the media these days is frivolous, biased and whatever is engaging is negative and depressing. Our leaders and our government gives us much to despair about and yet we are possessed by this disturbingly unhealthy craving for news.

People follow their leaders and the values they demonstrate. When leaders aided by their minions are criminal and corrupt, the people are increasingly inclined to become corrupt. Why earn when you can rob or simply receive a handout?

In spite of its best efforts at concealment and misinformation, such is the magnitude of blatant mismanagement, frauds, siphoning of funds and grand thefts, the government simply cannot stem the flood of information into the public domain.

Every parliamentarian takes an oath to serve the nation and  the people yet many of them seem to have forgotten that  pledge or is it that they simply do not care? The writing on the wall and in the streets is clear. The  government has to act, and act now, to stem the rot and  look after the security and welfare of its people. This is the  first and only duty of any legitimate government.   Power without accountability is dictatorship, and dictatorship  is what the politicians and bureaucrats seek. A government  must stand on both legislative right and moral authority.   The government has lost all moral authority and therefore it  has only the one leg of electoral representation to stand on.  It is our government and we want to support it but for that  the leaders and the government must win the hearts and  minds of the people. Not by tokenism and useless  speeches full of empty promises but by actions that will  win the government and our leaders, the love, respect  and gratitude of its citizens, Amidst this cacophony an inspiring  European leader  comes to mind.  ____________________________________________ Fredrick II,  the Prussian King (1712 - 1786) also  known as 'Fredrick the Great', was once informed  by a visiting British envoy to his court, "Your majesty, your people are protesting on the streets! " Fredrick II  replied, "I and my people have come  to an agreement which satisfies us both. They  are free to say what they please and I am to free  do what I please" Fredrick considered a political and military genius  with many successes to his credit, did not deem it  necessary to be accountable to anyone but himself  as absolute monarch.

Maybe the  current government  in power has not noted the difference. India is supposed to be a modern democratic republic and the citizens opinions and concerns do matter. Ignore the writing on the wall and the price to be paid maybe simply too significant for the leaders. 

Unlike our government, Fredrick II was an effective ruler. He continuously lowered taxes, food prices,  and provided the best education system in Europe and generally people loved and revered him. Fredrick II invested in building infrastructure making Prussia one of the leading economic powers in Europe from an economic backwater.

Fredrick II secured his borders and internal law and order was extremely good and stable.  Justice was there and minorities felt safe and wanted. Trade and commerce flourished.

On the other hand the Indian people are disgusted and angry with their leaders, for bad governance, high inflation, increasing poverty, lack of justice, no accountability either of politicians or government servants.  We now seemed to be possessed by the worst possible combination of traits in our leaders, selfish, manipulative, incompetent,  unethical and very powerful.  God, help us!

Mr. Anna Hazare the civil activist and his team have once again taken it upon themselves to crusade against the government for its numerous acts of omission and commission. My research shows a growing support for them and what they stand for.

Maybe the leaders in the government wish to emulate the overbearing confidence of leaders like Fredrick II. However it would be wise if they also emulate his integrity, capabilities and quiet dignity.

The next few days in India promise to be exciting, entertaining and educational. Undoubtedly in the end we will have a vibrant democracy, a stronger society and hopefully a more accountable government that works.

I love my India, if you do too, then stand up and be counted

This is my land

The Bishnoi community people of Kankani village near Jodhpur in India revere all life. They know that their environment nurtures them  and they in turn respect and protect their environment. This was highly publicised in October 1998 when the local people agitated and had a group of irresponsible film actors from Mumbai arrested for poaching. Enacting in real life the senseless killing of several animals including endangered species of black buck and Chinkara deer.

What really transpired only God knows, but what was heartening was the local people arose in unison to protect and preserve their environment.  In most places this sense of belonging is now mainly visible by its absence.

I travel extensively across my beautiful country spoilt by garbage, filth, the polluted air and stinking water bodies.  Most people cover their nose and mouth and trudge along or merely drive past.

I despair not only for the desecration of our home and environment but at the total apathy of my people. Then I ask myself, 'my people?', who are these strangers? How come my people have become destroyers of their own land?

By nature people are neither fools, nor are they uncaring, then what causes them to become so indifferent to their impending self destruction?

Love gives rise to a sense of belonging and care. Such people need few laws and even fewer law enforcement people. They live by a code of honour and respect which has existed successfully for millennia. Societies living in harmony with their environment have thrived and those that have failed to do so are doomed to perish sooner or later.

Symbiosis of man and nature leads to both enrichment of the environment and its people. Skew the balance and the entire fabric comes apart.

However if people are shunned or made irrelevant they possess neither love nor belonging. But what is making people uncaring? The answer is big government and our current system of governance. The government is normally blamed and rightly so, for it is so disconnected from the needs, problems and possible solutions of its people. It has by way of legislation and bullying monopolised all powers, resources and means to deliver services to the people.

An officer or a department sitting far away manned by bureaucrats having no stake in the outcome of any situation can hardly be motivated to do what is appropriate. Bureaucrats and government exist only for their own self preservation.

The government consisting of politicians, bureaucrats, government officers and their select vendors can afford to show totally disdain simply because of the apathy of the people.

Apathy sets in when people do not have mechanisms for discussion, interaction, sharing of problems and possible solutions.

Be it medical facilities, education, garbage, crime, corruption, the only way forward is to force by political, judicial  and civil activism the government to vacate all areas of activities except defence, monetary policy, fiscal policy, and policing. Leave it to the people to evolve non governmental policies and structures.

Unfortunately many of those capable of initiating and sustaining such change are already in bed with the various non productive, obstructionist elements in government and therefore do not see any need for making any changes to the situation.

This is my land, these are my people and this is my world. Let us come together, start a dialogue, implement actionable plans and bequeath to our children a better world than what we inherited.

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# Black buck deer and Chinkara gazelle images from wikipedia
Bishnoi girl image from Flickr;  http://www.flickr.com/photos/devriese/69629290/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Cave Dwellers

The other day our nephews aged (12 and 6) along with their parents came to visit us from Mumbai. They had driven all the way from their apartment in Mumbai to our apartment in Pune.

I asked the if they wanted to go out to the park and play or to go trekking in the hills or maybe go and play some soccer, but answer was a firm and emphatic 'no' from them and their mother. They wanted to either go to the shopping mall, a cinema show or play video games.

I suddenly realised our lifestyle had made us cave dwellers. We live in apartments which are modern caves. We rise each day and scurry off to another cave called school, college or work. Then we rush to another cave for special classes or meetings, returning home to our residential cave.  To break out of our routine we rush to other caves, called malls, restaurants, cinema halls, all highly sophisticated places but always indoor.

Like timid creatures which are always scared of becoming prey we dart from one cave to another. It is rare to stop and admire the wonders of nature, the time to while away with oneself in a park.

Condemned to the world of modern caves, we are losing touch with reality and ourselves, living other peoples ideas and dreams, programmed to respond in predictable fashion and uttering other people's thoughts and words.

We now know not who or what we are. What greater tragedy can befall humanity?

Why and because

WHY:
Why do men's clothes have buttons on the right while women's clothes have buttons on the left?

BECAUSE:
When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right! And that's where women's buttons have remained since.

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WHY:
Why do ships and aircraft use 'mayday' as their call for help?


BECAUSE:
This comes from the French word m'aidez -meaning 'help me' -- and is pronounced, approximately, 'mayday.'
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WHY
Why are zero scores in tennis called 'love'?

BECAUSE:
In France , where tennis became popular, the round zero on the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called 'l'oeuf,' which is French for 'the egg.' When tennis was introduced in the US , Americans (mis)pronounced it 'love.'
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WHY:
Why do X's at the end of a letter signify kisses?

BECAUSE:
In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous.
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WHY:
Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called 'passing the buck'?


BECAUSE: 
In card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not wish to assume the responsibility of dealing, he would 'pass the buck' to the next player.

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WHY:
Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast?

BECAUSE:
It used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously. When a guest trusted his host, he would only touch or clink the host's glass with his own.

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WHY:
WHY:Why are people in the public eye said to be 'in the limelight'?

BECAUSE:
Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and theaters by burning a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light. In the theatre, a performer 'in the limelight' was the center of attention.
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WHY:
Why is someone who is feeling great 'on cloud nine'?


BECAUSE
Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine being the highest cloud. If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly cares.
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WHY:
In golf, where did the term 'Caddie' come from?

BECAUSE:
When Mary Queen of Scots went to France as a young girl, Louis, King of France, learned that she loved the Scots game 'golf.' He had the first course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets from a military school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when returned to Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she took the practice with her. In French, the word cadet is pronounced 'ca-day' and the Scots changed it into ‘caddie.’
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WHY:
Why are many coin collection jar-banks shaped like pigs?



BECAUSE:
Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of a dense orange clay called 'pygg'. When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as 'pygg banks.' When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made a container that resembled a pig. And it caught on.