cathartic effect

when something affects you- and it happens very often to me- till it comes out in the open (your reaction or opinion) there is a sense of turmoil within. after the last posting i feel relieved that i got the angst out of my system. the things that trouble me and the issues that i am bothered about need a resolution. the kind of mental agony in the absence of a closure is difficult to overcome unless it is thrashed out in the open.
blogs allow for just this. an open forum to bring out any issue and place it in front of the world- inviting comments/criticism/acknowledgment. an open society is the safest bet against misunderstanding and conflict. only when things are hidden there is a scope for confusion. more than talk about issues, blogs allow for baring the heart out. what would have happened if this option was not around?

crime and punishment

the news about the students being made to sit the whole day in the corridor of the school as a punishment shook me and shocked me. it made me angry as i thought about it in the context of my school-aged daughter. how dare the school authorities impose this punishment or any punishment whatsoever. to top it all, the punishment was meted out not for an act by the students- their parents had skipped the parent-teachers meet on saturday.
schools are in the news increasingly for the wrong reasons. the inability to deal with the disciplinary issues, the excess workload and pitiable salaries are driving the teachers to take resort to punishment as a way out. it is high time punishment (out-moded means to achieve compliance) was done away with. What is the message one is giving the children (future citizens of our country) by punishing them for something they did or others did? what values are we imbibing in them? will they grow up to become better than us or just remain in our image?
The school authorities must be punished (not by making them sit in the open) for having done such a ghastly act. better still, they must be reformed. punishment does not achieve anything. the objective is to change the thinking of the person and not make him/her feel miserable. at least in the future children can go to school without fear of punishment.

mirror image

michael jackson's 'man in the mirror' comes to mind as i try and deal with the question of identity. last saturday i got an opportunity to watch a premier of a kannada movie at badami hall. the main character in the movie is named 'gandhi'- it is also used as a metaphor in the movie. it narrates the struggle of gandhi in the face of having to live up to the great name. in the end, he is forced by circumstances to accept defeat and therefore decides to change his name.
the movie had an impact beyond the story. if i ever wanted someone to put a mirror to reflect my real inner personality the film did just that.
being a kannadiga by birth but not having lived a kannadiga's life (whatever that means) i was a fish out of water among the select crowd that had been invited to the premier. the cosmopolitan sheen keeps me from acknowledging my roots. while watching the movie i connected to the real me. deep inside, once you remove the outer layers (accent, educated...) i realised i was no different from the rest out there. i had found my identity. i am now, unashamedly acknowleding it.

giving advice

it is good to feel that someone wants to consult you for a career move. your advice is given importance. that puts a lot of responsibility on me to give good advice. what is good advice? our experience can provide a bit of insight into things but circumstances change and in the changed circumstances giving advice on the basis of past experiences can be problematic.
it is ironical that when it comes to taking a decision in life i dither. all the possibilities and angles have to be looked into and then a decision can be taken. the same must apply for giving advices. without thinking out the options, we have no right to state a course of action. by putting all the options on the table, it becomes less of an advice and more of a choice for the advice seeker. it then becomes the responsibility of the person to choose the right path. hopefully, in the latest case i have been careful in doing just that. for i should not be the cause of any wrong action.

plugging loopholes

i am curious to know what makes people tick? the other day, in the department, my mind was trying to figure out a few things as i saw/heard Mr. Kennedy explain and convince three bold and intriguing girls about the need to write positive about college. i, for obvious reasons, will keep out of the debate (class is where i will speak out). now what is of interest to me is the reasons behind the writing, its objectives and more importantly why one is not willing to compromise on ones stand.
we have to communicate our feelings and emotions- to not do so is dangerous. the forum, the method and the means to communicate are important if one has to overcome the fears of the guardians of stability and decorum. each one has to choose the way to speak out depending on the ground realities. one formula will hardly work for everyone. experience is the biggest clue one can fall back on- and my experience tells me, what works for someone may not work for me. so, without loosing hope, find other avenues for those creative & critical juices.

farewell all

was thinking that i will not do this. it would be a repetition of the one i write every year at this time. but what prompted me to write on the same subject was the realization that the students are not the same. a new bunch of students are going to graduate and they need a proper farewell. in fact, they deserve it.
i will start with the students of Thai origin. for starters i am ashamed to admit that except for three i don't known the names of others. but their faces are etched in my mind's eye forever. as foreign students they deserve special treatment. it was not possible to give more time and energy to their unique requirements- it will always be a regret.
the other group that i interacted the least was the one made up of students mostly in the 60s- roll number that is. the onus is obviously on the teacher to draw the students out of their shells. this was again something that didn't happen. why is it that the background of the person matters so much for even us teachers to warm up to students?
Rahul j, tarun, ajay, rahul m... make up another group (may not be a cohesive one) that was hard to crack. again i take responsibility that it was not possible to draw this group into the mainstream of the class activities.
come to think of it now, very few are left of the class who i did relate to and interacted with- big regret. ali, sheetal, shivraj, sumantra... were, due to different reasons, accessible and thus the class to me is represented through and by them.
finally, all the best to each and everyone of you- the journalism batch of 08. may you all do well in life. take care.

force multiplier

thought that u.r. ananthamurthy's speech was inspirational. not that he said anything new- it was the way he put it, with examples. i have been thinking of the same issues he put forth before the audience today at Christ College. i have been debating the pros and cons of the various controversial issues he touched upon. no i don't have the answers to them, yet. but it really takes guts and conviction to say the things he said in a public forum. i may think along the same lines but have very little strength to go public with them. take for example the divisive politics played by BJP (sometimes you wonder whether any political party is blameless), especially in the state of Gujarat- what succeeds in one state may be replicated in others. of course, one cannot but take the name of Raj Thackeray in the same breath. he is rewriting the script perfected by his uncle, the ever famous Bal. Regionalism, language politics and communal politics to name a few have surfaced time and again in this ancient land. it has its success in the short term. in the long run it leaves a trail of hatred and ample scope for future reprisals. As ananthamurthy said, it is through intellectual opposition that these forces can be defeated. where do i sign up?

cosmopolitian bombay

The images of people of north indian origin leaving pune and other towns of maharashtra brought back the memories of bombay, once again. it has been two decades since i left bombay but the images that i want to associate with the city are mostly pleasant. every colony is a microcosm of india. the diversity that is bombay extends to the schools and colleges. the differences hardly mattered to us while growing up in the metro. having friends from all over had its own advantage. a punjabi classmate, who incidentally quit college after the anti-sikh riots of 1984; a few marwari friends i walked home with and one day ended up visiting their temple; a parsi who took pride in his identity and many more. each and everyone of them has added to my rich storehouse of experience and i am glad that i had this opportunity.
it obviously makes me sad, very angry to see the visuals of North Indians being harassed and forced out of their 'homes'. bombay is the home to all those who have come for a better life, whether from other parts of the state or the country. when one starts differentiating and dividing on the basis of 'we' and 'them' it bodes ill for the nation as a whole. what angered me more was the lack of steps taken by our national politicians to put an end to this divide. if it succeeds in maharashtra today, can karnataka be far behind.

rewriting history

i once saw a movie in which a man gets to go back in time and change the events so that the present can be suitable for his needs. so if one wants to change the way things are today- tweak at history. one gets the feeling that Ashitosh Gowarikar has tried, over did it in Jodhaa Akbar. the movie is a version of the history that the director wants to amplify. it comes off as too clinical to be true. the versions of history one is used to doesn't help in accepting Gowarikar's version without doubting the authenticity. the objective is appreciable, though ill conceived and some times overdone.
there is no doubt we require to change for the better- more understanding of other communities is desirable in today's context. but one cannot comprehend the ways- Mera Bharat Mahan set of short films in the 90s and today Jodhaa Akbar. interestingly, while watching the movie one gets a feel of the rigid polarization in society- one spectator shouted 'ab pata chala' to a exclamation by Akbar on hearing about taxes on Hindu pilgrimages. it drives home the point that there is a undercurrent of suspicion and maybe even hatred of the other community. the qawalli was taken as a big joke by a group of college students who laughed and made fun of the tradition. rewriting history has been tried before, by the state. now it is the turn of individuals for nationalistic reasons, of course. an insight into the cultural practices of the others will obviously make for a better understanding and appreciation of diverse groups in society but by blatantly tampering with history (again, even for a just cause) may just backfire.

professionalism redefined

got inspired to pen my thought again. one thing that is going around in my head is the question- what is the role of a teacher? it is said that the teacher is a friend, philosopher and guide. he or she is a role model for the students, someone who inspires them. but what is happening! are we getting petty? punishing someone for not conforming. the very idea of punishment is repugnant. but when the punishment is one that robs someone of academic excellence and future pursuits then one is forced to think again. imagine a situation where i don't like the way someone dresses or talks, do i automatically get the right (being a teacher) to ruin the future of that student? is this what the profession of teaching has come to mean? to forgive is human- but when the student forgives the teacher for punishing him it is time we, the teaching community, bow our heads in shame. The moral high ground that one hides behind is the beginning of the end for the profession that is held in such high esteem.

god-speed

the first year students are here. just when i was getting used to the final year students, understanding them a bit, knowing about their future plans, their hopes and fears, they are gone. a day when there is so much of hope on campus is also filled with sadness. as i met a few of the ex-christites who had come to bid farewell, several thoughts were racing in the mind. so many promises yet unfulfilled. many a plans incomplete. this heavy burden adds to the sadness. life is not static. change is important for progress. so, farewell to the ones who leave us and a big welcome to those who join us for the next three years.

raining movies

Thanks Romal. I finally saw Mungaru Male and i loved it. I can't stop thinking about the movie- am listening to all the songs at home. Still, there is something unfulfilled- there is a feeling of loss. A film that matches to the standards of Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra... It had a touch of class- sophistication rarely seen. But it also left a void- a feeling of incompleteness. Please let me know when good movies hit the screen. I need to catch up on many...

Hyderabad Chronicles

After three years you would expect to know the person. But in a class of sixty, it is only some who make their presence felt- the rest fade into the background. I encountered Vishruti for the very first time a day before she formally bids farewell to Christ College and to Bangalore. In a span of an hour I learnt more about her than in the last three years. She is the last person I would have thought would get into active journalism. Vishruti is all set to start her six months training at Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad. From being a swimming champ to training for NCC at Christ and being silent in class, Vishruti has left her mark- at least on one person. Au revoir

Welcome Mr. John

I first met Mr. John Thomas during a refresher course in 1995 organized by the Communication department, Bangalore University. At that time Mr. John was with the Deccan Herald newspaper as the Chief of Bureau. With this contact we had an opportunity to make annual press visits. Later due to his vast network of contacts, we also were able to get prominent people to speak to our students. Today, he has joined as a colleague. With his vast experience the students can only stand to gain. Mr. John has a way with words. His ability to link things, use everyday analogies and humour should go down well with our students. How I wish he was my teacher. But I sincerely hope that everyone shares this enthusiasm and benefits from Professor Emeritus. I also pray that our students match up to his expectations- his perception about Christites.

Time again

its time again. tomorrow we start college. i have a feeling that it is going to be a repeat of the past few years- looking for those familiar faces among the masses. the final year students are almost gone-they have to complete their exams. new faces, that will take a long time to get used to, will dot the campus on june 15th. life has to go on-one can't cling to the past. but memories will always remain, faces may fade into the horizon. i would obviously miss all you guys; your individual uniqueness, ability to stick out or fade into the crowd, dress sense- the works. before i get emotional, let me wish all the very best in life- immediate and future. don't forget that you can keep in touch...

Gyaan Again

to continue from where i left (inspite of some criticism). cant seem to understand why people dont take criticism in the right spirit. why one gets defensive and sometimes fights back, even when one is at fault. to advice, to scold and to criticise is normal- we all have to take it, whether we like it or not. public space is open for such encounters and one should get used to it. i see a few going into their shell- sometimes for a day or two in some rare cases for years. children today are tough- they go through a lot in a short period of time. yet one does not see the same reflected in handling criticism/scolding. one can only hope that reason will prevail or the situation that gives rise to such encounters is eliminated.

gyan time

it is time to prescribe some gyan. the time of the year when the farewells are all around to remind the end of yet another batch. while wishing them all the best in future endeavour one cant but give out some advice.
first things first. never expect to be acknowledged, thanked and fussed around. try and find satisfaction within when you have done your best instead of getting any from the praise of others. one problem i see around is the expectations of people- students in particular. there is nothing wrong in having expectations, but dont expect it to come true all the time. disappointments will accompany expectations not met.
giving up is easy, fighting the odds is tough but very satifying. all around one sees people giving up, some agaist tough adversaries but others for frivalous reasons. who ever said life is going to be easy. every obstacle is an opportunity to prove to oneself. only if one has life can one expect a future filled with safisfaction- hold on to that one life you have. more gyan later

withdrawal symptoms

The seminar is over... for this year. It has become a matter of routine to have the national seminar every year. But is it loosing its substance and objective to the ritualistic manner of its organisation? We (the teachers) start with certain assumptions and come to the conclusion that this will be useful and supplement classroom teaching. How much of the assumption is valid? Some programmes in the past have been organised due to the need that students articulated; similary some were dropped when it was seen to have few takers. Today, as the memory of the latest seminar is fresh in everyones mind, can we have some genuine feedback, ideas and criticism on each and every aspect of the same.
Let me take this opportunity to thank everyone- speakers, students, collegues and support staff for the seminar. I would, of course, like to name everyone. The obvious people in the organising committee, Sheetal, Nelson, Manasa, Payal, Rakesh Meher, Tejaswini Thirtha, Bharat, Romal, Shrenik Avlani and Mr. John Thomas. Whoever thought one person can make anything happen is sadly off the mark- cooperation and group effort is the only way.

haunting music

straight from the heart
Music is for a lot of people soothing. When driving a car through peak hour traffic, getting into verbal duels with fellow drivers and the tension of being on time is taking its toll, music comes as a relief. Listen to haunting melodies of Kishore Kumar (early 70s of course) or hum his tunes for a total change of mood. But music also brings memories of the past- one gets into constant debates of the kind of music and lyrics of the present in contrast to yesteryears. The in-your-face kind of music today compares with the melodious tunes and touching lyrics of the past (one that had meaning).
As I was listening to an academician of repute at a conference, outside I heard the sound of a flute. The sound inevitably takes me on a guilt trip. The people who are talented, skilled and hardworking struggle to make a living. The cost of the flute is just Rs.10/Rs.25. The melodious sound made me go out and buy a couple of flutes- my way of warding off the guilt at being helpless.

batch of '99

straight from the heart: past and present
got a big surprise the other day. 5 guys for the '99 journo batch showed up without warning. could recognise three of them. jp was sure different. he was more confident- no shifting of the gaze. he was always an enigma while in college. he looked more mature and capable of taking care of himself. sapna, pallavi, james and radhika provided some fodder for thought. was a great opportunity to know about the batch, their progress and present situation in life. one may not get back the time, but surely the memories of the time.