That Encouraging Word

                                            Statue of the founder, GTN College, Dindigul


"I KNEW it all along, I could feel the sense of gratitude and the looks of admiration from my classmates, both boys and girls. Yet it felt good and truly boosted my spirits to hear it from my master when he told you about me the other day," my friend's daughter told her mother Nandini (my friend) recently.

'And hearing her say it the day after she graduated from her College boosted my spirits in turn because we really had reason to fear for her', Nandini explained.

'Her two years of Higher Secondary at a new school hadn't been good. How she landed there, hostel and all I still can't say.Some suggestion from her friends, some from mine and off she went. Her idea was to listen well in class and  then open her books now and then to understand a concept. Just before tests and the exams she'd refresh what was in her mind.But it didn't work out there.

The authorities there who had produced some toppers believed in making the students reproduce the textbook, word for word. This would ensure full marks for the students and a name for the school. When my daughter produced the answer in her own words, she was hardly given a decent mark. Overcome by shame and guilt, she lost her reasoning and logic. In spite of our assurances that we only wanted her to be happy and confident, she showed symptoms of stress, depression and inferiority.

Then to our surprise she passed with a 1st class and in fact with marks above 70%. But with every College expecting students with top marks, we had a tough time during admission. Anyway she was admitted  to the GTN College and it proved to be a healing therapy for her.The positive and encouraging atmosphere there did her a world of good.

. Most of her classmates being from villages, my daughter who had lived in towns through out had lots to learn from them : like sharing in the chores at home,being independent,etc.

And they in turn came to know of their rights,learnt to think and reason with their lecturers, etc.from her.She had even arranged a trip to Kerala for them-all on her own.

 Once I got to meet a lecturer by chance.He was surprised how so active a girl could remain humble and helpful too.This was the lecturer she was referring to, Meena",Nandini told me obviously relieved.                                                                                                                                                                    A trip to Kerala                                                                                      

Creating a Samacheer (uniform) Class for Children

It's been around four years now since the introduction of the Samacheer  or uniform system of education for all children in Tamilnadu. And both students and teachers have found a way to crack even this system, generally speaking.
 Logically, it sounds right. Creating equal opportunities by giving all the children: rich and poor, city and slum area, equal education. Yet if  we hold the lens close enough, we notice that there  still are differences. Differences in background  knowledge, scope and capacity. And perhaps we haven't really lifted the level of the village children. Perhaps we have only brought down the level of the city and town children.

But of course just as a human cell takes at least 3-4 months to grow, perhaps a human brain must also be expected to take its time to show  the benefit of growth. So perhaps like all team work, the 'slow and backward' so far might get a chance of being either uplifted or shoved up.That's as far as academics is concerned.
 But as for as the real problem, teachers still have to grind their teeth. The behaviour of the downtrodden children. Perhaps in the tough competition for their basic needs, man automatically turns into a beast,when it comes to survival of the fittest. Like we see 'decent' middle class people when their water pipes are broken or blocked and they have to depend on 'water trucks' or lorries.

So it could be either the hunger in these children or anger. Physical hunger because his overworked mother doesn't have the strength or time, sometimes even money to provide for him. Naturally, hunger for attention also ensues. Anger that the parents/society/fate did not provide them their basic needs or spend enough time with them. The pity is that they are not even aware of their anger or hunger. So they don't know that they can try for a solution. Instead, they smile their sadist smile and vent their anger with fowl words. Words that a self respecting teacher would blush to hear. Or they mercilessly bully a weak child.

The media with its introduction of violence and sexually stimulating scenes and words hasn't helped at all. Socially, the stess on honour and values have been replaced by marks/grades with the idea that it'll convert to money some day. Neither do we find many children with a value based book in hand or sitting at the library.

At school,the teacher tries to correct the child with kindness, even love - and finds herself made a fool of. And practically, we can't expect most of the teachers to pursue after that. Sometimes the child has simply grown up with that kind of behaviour in that kind of class  and imbibes it without thinking. ( the lower classes have to live in a particular place so that they may not cross over to or walk or even collect water from where the higher classes live,though stray pigs can do that).

 If his father is a drunkard and hits his wife, a boy thinks that the 'man' thing to do would be to drink himself and look at girls without respect. Small, common rooms for parents and children make them observe their parents in their private moments and may  stimulate him to try out his ability. Any different kind of advice makes him think that this person doesn't  have the kind of experience he has.

Where then lies the answer?Social workers and teachers have to exercise their wisdom, patience and  prayers for these children till a common class of thinking and well behaved children arises.Will it?

                                                                  Photos : free digital photos.net

High Above the Maddening Crowd

            THOUGH it may not come under any ‘Heritage’ or ‘wonder of the world’ title, Dindigul’s  Balaji  Bhavan,Tamilnadu is surely a haven above the ground  for any local resident or visitor.

     We escaped from the crowded Bus Stand to Balaji Bhavan  one evening,  went past the crowd already eating/waiting for their parcels to be packed and took the lift to the roof top.

       It was my son’s birthday. And my daughter wanted to celebrate it in style.  We stepped out into the cool fresh air and took a few steps ahead. We were greeted by the sound of light romantic music. The dim lighting helped relieve the tension off my eyes(I became aware of it only after entering there).I was looking  at the young bamboo shoots and flowering plants and shrubs when we had to cross a small bridge. As I watched my step I saw fish pass just below my feet as water flowed under the bridge.

       Four or five young couples with small children were already seated around small tables.  A smiling waiter took us to an empty table towards the inside. Water jugs and small sauce pots were already placed on the table. Table mats of chart paper with quiz and puzzles for children were laid on the empty table. As we were relishing all these, the waiter served us the menu card. We asked for both mushroom soup as well as the usual tomato soup. Strangely though, the mushroom soup was not as good as the tomato soup. As we were ordering these, another waiter served the neighbouring table with something that was burning and smoking but  in a raw cabbage leaf. I held my daughter’s arm and pointed to the dish but my daughter whispered that it was a sizzler and that was the way it should be served. By the time we finished our soup, curiosity overtook my fear and I wanted a sizzler too.

  The children ordered spring rolls(tortillas), naan,( something like a big bun) and rumalli roti as the main dishes.These were mostly made of maida(white flour), which  had no nutritional value. But on seeing the children’s faces and comforting myself that it was only once a year, I kept quiet. The mushroom gravy topped with cottage cheese and cauliflower curry with mayonnaise were sumptous and  appetizing.

    We felt full but what is a celebration without a dessert? Each of us
had a milk shake of a different flavour with a generous topping of icecream. All these came within a surprising low bill. And to re-live the sweet memories we sure took a lot of photos in the funniest of poses you could think of!

A Lady's Sense of Justice

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I had heard so much about her that I was waiting for the day I could see her in person. Plump and caring but authoritative with the final word  and an innate sense of justice.

She entered the reserved compartment and walking straight towards a seat that seemed empty, she sat down. It was actually a two seater but a thin couple occupied only half the space provided.The man reminded her that it was a reserved compartment but she replied that she was harming no one.

Her husband had served in the railways for many years and died 'in harness'. The job was given to her son. She was called to help with her daughter's second delivery and while there,she had yet another call from a relative who was having serious health problems. Wasn't it her duty to go there immediately and help? Should she be delayed searching for Identity proofs and the lot?

Vendors selling fresh murukkus (a crisp rice snack) passed by. She called them and bought a good lot of murukkus. The relative had children, you know. Presently she took out the day's newspaper and offered a sheet to each of the passengers to read.In half an hour the men began talking politics. The lady too joined in. Right from the politics of her local area to State politics to National politics, she was well informed and well opinionated about everything.                                                                                                                                           free digital photos.net

She could look above the cracks and loopholes of the abiding law that so many took unfair advantage of. She reminded me of the old time grannies who managed joint families with their intuitive love and wisdom. An explanation of the Tamilian custom of worshiping women goddesses.

                                                                         free digital photos.net