HOW FREE ARE YOU?

Reflections of a young adult on the susceptible position of a subverted concept

“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high….…Into ever-widening thought and action, Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”

- Rabindranath Tagore

I belong to a country that is currently sixty-three years young, but, when I look around me, the thoughts that are ricocheted seem centuries old. This paradox called India is a paradigm of ancient dogmas intermittently arrayed with a sense of an artificial modernity. Maybe, this is the reason we still revel in dynastic politics while wriggling simultaneously in despair to free ourselves from the clutches of poverty and indifference.

The question that arises in my mind is, ‘How free am I?’

Keeping the facts in mind, my attempt in this essay is to emphasise on the need to wipe out the diffidence of the youth towards the country and encourage them to assume responsibility as ‘Architects of the Future.’

This essay will serve as an exposé on the issue at hand ‘How Free are you?’ by highlighting four important themes:

Part one focuses on ‘Civil Society as a primeval need of Modern Man.’ The following section, will deal with the ‘Idea called Freedom’. The third part elucidates the Role of Freedom in a Democratic society and its gross manipulation in various fields under ‘Freedom: A Democratic Sham.’ The final section, ‘I can be Free: The Audacity of Hope’ will counter these problems with a simple seven- step workable youth program supplemented by comments by Dr. Shashi Tharoor and Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai.

Civil Society: The Primeval need of Modern Man

As we deliberate on the various periods of history, we study the progress of Man from being an absolute nomad to a social animal that cannot thrive in isolation. It is from this need for social contact that the first civilisation emanated and today continues to flourish. ^[2]

The case, however, seems to have changed drastically over the years. Given the current deplorable scenario on the political front and the dismal display of the hunger for power and money, I am forced to recall and re- think if Lao Tzu was right when he stated,

“Exterminate the sage [the ruler] and discard the wisdom [of rule], and the people will benefit a hundredfold”^[3]

As I contemplate on the issue at hand, reality strikes hard and I am faced with the quintessential question: ‘What have I done to secure my freedom?’ The issue at hand today is one that we all as responsible citizens should be vigilant about. As a young adult, I am faced with innumerable questions on the economic, political and social health of the Motherland I love.

A major determinant is the perception of man that works on two levels: individual and social. Man primarily seeks to serve an individual purpose first, fulfil his self- interest and then if he finds it in his interest he looks to the benefit of mankind.^[4] This gives rise to the involvement of the common man or colloquially the ‘Aam Admi’ who must rise above all and perform his civic duties as pre- determined by the supreme law of the land, The Constitution of India. The law bestows a certain amount of authority to elected representatives of the people. Here, it is imperative to note what an Indian strategic analyst pointed out regarding the difference between ‘power’ and ‘influence.’ He said that a country may earn its title as a superpower but if its influence is on the wane it is in need for active coalition-building.^[5] We are forced to ask ourselves, ‘To whom do we owe our solidarity? Is it to the country, a political party comprising of flawed human beings much like ourselves or something greater?’

Freedom: An Idea or a Practice?

If we are to study the question posed in the previous section, we must first deal with the idea called ‘Freedom.’ This concept may be best defined in the words of Bertrand Russell who said, “Freedom in general may be defined as the absence of obstacles to the realization of desires.” This means that there is no scope for any sporadic hurdles if we want to consider ourselves free. Now, a concept remains so until it is put in practice but, here it is that we confront the naked truth. Although, India won her Independence at the stroke of the midnight hour on the night of 15^th August, 1947, she attained a limited ‘paper- freedom.’ This is because the lust for power was overwhelming to the sons of the soil. The fact that pristine politicians like Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel and others existed cannot undermine the reality that corruption exhibited its ugly countenance through the lower rungs.

Today, India features in the ‘Top 100’ list in terms of Corruption. On reading this statement you and I are now forced to cogitate on the more important point, ‘When we talk of realisation of desires, whose desires are we talking about?’ The ancient Latin Proverb, ‘Optima corrupta pessima’[6] comes to mind.

Freedom: A Democratic Sham!

We have already seen the role that Freedom should play in the logical sense. Now, we will deal with the Reflections of Freedom in the modern day scenario. The Commonwealth Games scandal and the 2G Spectrum Scam will go down in History as the darkest period of Indian Democracy. All our achievements of this period have been overshadowed by the incessant need for supremacy. It is now a distant dream for anyone to wake up one morning and read a newspaper headline that is free from the scar of another politician’s wayward ways. The immediate effect of this permanent blot on the political circle has evidently affected the economic sphere as well. Foreign investors are questioning the credibility of the country. Research shows that India is to take a severe hit financially in 2011-2012 as a result of the dent on the country’s reputation.^[7] Stagnation on the economic front will further widen the Great Economic Divide that is prevalent in India.

We call ourselves a Pluralist democracy that has transcended the most important barriers of religion and language. The point however is that it is not enough to only show unanimity on the outset and not make the best use of the opportunities that society has to offer in the service of the country.

It is rightly stated, “Poverty and prosperity are not matters of land. Poverty or riches or personal satisfaction depend on man, on his culture and on his political arrangements. Understand that and you will understand the most important cause of wealth deprivation.”^[8] It is shameful to note that in a country with 1.21 billion people we are struggling with a whopping 41.6% below the International poverty line.^[9] Sauvik Chakravarti summed up the entire situation in a simple statement encumbered in Truth. He said, “We as a nation have been woefully ignorant for far too long.”^[10]

In the political and economic spheres of our country we need to focus on the issue of collective planning that needs to be complemented by political consciousness for it to work in favour of the Aam Admi. Ultimately, the members of the Government are very much answerable for their actions to the people who elected them. The recent 2G Spectrum Scam brought to the forefront the issue of corruption at the highest levels of the political hierarchy. No one man can be held responsible for what happened. It was the callousness on the part of all those concerned to maintain a check on the working of the Telecom industry. As if that wasn’t enough, the Commonwealth Games Scandal took the cherry, the icing and the whole cake! In fact, a popular comment doing the rounds these days is that the oncoming monsoon session of the Parliament may just have to shift to Tihar! It is when I read statements like these from the naïve youth who call themselves the ‘Future of India,’ I realise we need to work our way out of this disgraceful situation. The Youth of today are slowly losing their faith in the workability of a Democracy in the country. Before we can concentrate our attention towards finding plausible solutions for this problem, we need to focus on other difficulties that are leading to social dispiritedness.

The Government of India recently passed a bill in favour of a thirty- three per cent reservation for women. However, this has failed to make a compelling impact on the majority. The reason I do not support any form of Reservation is because it gives rise to a hackneyed society. We all would prefer to have a healthy competition, rather than show unwelcome pity to a deserving female candidate whose potential may never be recognised because she falls under a category called ‘Reserved.’ The age- old myth of Reservation becoming some sort of status symbol is definitely a farce. The lesser we believe in it the better will be our future. A similar problem is faced by deserving students who lose their seats because of reservation.

A glaring issue when we talk of Freedom is the issue of Economic Growth. As I peruse the newspapers each day, I am apprehensive about the catharsis of the Economic Crisis. Edward Wilson once stated, “We are the first species in the history of life to go out of control on a global scale.” Although the statement may seem astounding, the truth in it cannot be undermined.

The major pillar of a glowing Democracy is its Free Media. In fact one of the first propagators of a Free Press, John Milton has given the essence of Truth in media in his essay Areopagitica, “Though all the winds of doctrine were let loose to play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do injuriously by licensing and prohibiting to misdoubt her strength. Let her and Falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter.”

Today, the media it seems has succumbed to the indomitable power of money. The integrity of the media is at stake especially because it has now engrossed in the trivial. This is a matter of serious concern and so it is essential that both the Print and Broadcast forms of communication must be scrutinised. I do not believe in ‘Media- gagging’ but I am in favour of a positive restraint. Given the corruption that is rife even in the Media today, Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai shared his views on the Responsibility of a Free Media and Student Participation. He wrote,

“I think the quality of the news will improve when we invest greater time and effort in content generation. News can be fast food only up to a point. The prime responsibility of the media is to report the news as they see it without any personal agendas influencing it. I wish the student community would get more passionate about public life, and their attention span should not be fleeting. There is more to news than a 140 character tweet! Explore the complexities of news, look for shades of grey, and not black and white descriptions. [11]”

I can be Free: The Audacity of Hope

Since we have studied the major issues that affect the Indian political system we realise the reasons that young people are soaked in political indifference. The need of the hour is to find a solution to the impending problems rather than fall prey to worthless Criticism.

Lord Byron once remarked, “Nothing is as difficult as the beginning.” So, keeping in mind the various problems that our country faces, here is a simple Seven- Step Program recommended in order to have a substantial increase in the percentage of youth participation in the country.

1. Introduce Day Training programs, workshops for the Youth to broaden their views about Politics.

2. Political Counseling and setting up of Political Engages at regular intervals throughout the year and not only at the time of elections. Make the Youth believe in their leaders!

3. Induction of young Turks in the Indian Parliament.

4. The use of various media like Twitter and Facebook to connect with the people. Excellent examples include, Mr. Kevin Rudd, former Australian PM, Omar Abdullah CM of Kashmir and Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Former Under- Secretary General to the UN and currently a prominent Member of Parliament in India. All these popular international personalities have created a virtual platform for Political Accountability apart from connecting remarkably well with the young minds!

5. Establishing schools that work for an overall development of the student and imparts not only secular and cultural values but also a greater degree of civil consciousness.

6. Each political party must include Youth Participation compulsorily in their Party Manifesto and recruit committed young people in the cadre.

7. Finally, establishment of schools specializing solely in the field of Politics and Governance like the MIT- School of Governance in Pune would be a welcome relief.

With the hope that this essay has fulfilled its task of elucidating upon the current trends of Political Apathy in the Youth in the context of a free society, I conclude in the optimistic words of Dr. Shashi Tharoor,

“The only answer is to get involved! Young people must know they should not be indifferent to politics because it determines their opportunities in so many ways. We all get the political leaders we deserve, so if we stay apathetic we allow others to decide for us who makes the policies that shape our futures...”^[12]

---

Being Democratic

A youth member’s take on Corruption and the Current Political scenario.

The current political scenario has finally got me to a vantage point. Years ago, during the Emergency my dad as a youngster wrote an article entitled, ‘The Rape of Judiciary’ sensing the urgency of the situation. Today as I watch the Parliament proceedings and the current political scenario I feel a sense of Emergency and hence this blog...

I am a member of the Youth Community who is silently witnessing a Protest that is being termed as a ‘Second- Freedom Struggle.’ This Struggle is against Corruption. Now, before any of you readers get the wrong impression that I am supporting any one faction, I am not. What I am doing is adding a little Reason to both sides. A humble request to all those who read this blog: Please keep your mind free from any clout or bias to understand what I have written. I respect your point of view, I hope you do too.

To begin with…..

Who are Members of Parliament?

Constitutionally, a Member of Parliament is an elected representative of the people representing the hopes and aspirations as well as the miseries and the problems of the people.

What have I witnessed in the last few days and months?

All that has happened in the last few weeks is that Members of Parliament are being Insulted, Abused and De- graded and for what? For ‘Representing’ us! I agree, you are frustrated and at a near breaking point but, abusing the Prime Minister, Home Minister and the Finance Minister on public forums is not the solution. I have heard the nastiest things being talked about these distinguished members of society. They are international figures who have been applauded for their efforts at National and International levels. Just for starters, apart from many other things, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Dr. Salman Khurshid, Mr. Praful Patel, Mr.P.Chidambaram, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Mr. Manish Tewary or for that matter the Opposition leaders like Arun Jaitley are in this Parliament not as opportunists but they are there to get a substantial amount of work done. They have a passion to serve society.Now, this may bring out the cynic in you and you may now come up with a list of names of corrupt politicians, but do we sacrifice every pristine politician at the same altar as those who are tainted? Each of them and many others (It would take couple of pages just naming all of them) is trying to make your voice heard too. You and I can sit in the luxury of our homes and tweet and rave and rant about the ‘Corruption’ in society or we can show our solidarity by firstly respecting the Members of Parliament who are trying to make sure we don’t face problems and not allowing these corrupt elements to thrive in society.

So, what is the Lokpal?

It was decided by the Members of Parliament that in the greater interest of the Society certain measures were needed to be taken to curb the corruption and it was to ensure that common man would be able to report the malfunctioning of various government bodies and various government officials so that this wanton bribery and corruption could be curbed effectively. The problems arose when the Lokpal was branded as ineffective and incompetent to serve the aforesaid purpose.

The Lokpal Debate:

When the Parliament decided to table the Lokpal bill, there was a huge uproar. A slim petite figure, a former war veteran realised that he had to stop this supposedly 'weak' bill. Backed by a few other prominent members of society and a belligerent media, a parallel bill was instituted to serve the purpose. Differences arose in both factions and this soul called Mr. Anna Hazare is on a fast unto death that has today entered its second week. This group of early risers against corruption christened itself as the ‘Civil Society’. They represented the aspirations of the people. The question then arose, “Why do we elect Members of Parliament?”

What I Support:

Like you, I believe that we DEFINITELY require a strong Anti- Corruption law that will address all aspects of this growing cancer. It is necessary that we all come together and have a good law. No one appreciates a well drafted law more than a student of Law. The intention of Mr. Hazare is much appreciated and so are the Government’s efforts towards the same.

What I am against:

I am against those who are ‘Losing faith’ in the Supreme Legislating body. Most of the people I had this discussion with said, “No, the Parliament is taking too long to pass the Bill, stringent action must be taken.” If you think rationally, every aspect and every clause of a Bill in the Parliament needs to be carefully deliberated upon before it becomes a law. After all even Jefferson said, Delay is preferable to error. I still recall the golden words of an eminent legal personality of our country Mr. Ram Jethmalani who said, “Justice hurried, is Justice buried.” If the law is made in haste, we are sure to pick out more lacunas once this bill is passed. Time is of the essence, but sometimes we need cynicism to take a backseat and allow the Parliament to make decisions for us. After all it’s a simple analogy; you elected the Member of Parliament, now show some faith! If you trusted them all this while why not a few more weeks? One person can be wrong two, even three but a Parliament of 552 Lok Sabha members + 250 members of the Rajya Sabha cannot be corrupt, wrong and unworthy of office! At the same time, this does not discount the fact that like you, I am also against the Parliament being adjourned three times a day with no substantive work getting done.

There’s always room at the top if we all put our minds together rather than obstinately stand against each other, because of foolish pride.

Protests by screaming slogans that are against the Government are never going to do any good.

But, I am a student, Protest is the best I can do:

Wrong! You can do a lot more than shout out in the middle of the square that you are against Corruption. You are up in arms against the unknown devil. You need to treat your country with dignity. Will sacrificing a day at college bring corruption to an end? No! If you feel so passionately about this problem, do what the country expects of you today. Study hard, get into the services and ensure that you do not encourage bribery or any other form of corruption. You will have done your bit for your nation. Stop paying that extra buck, start becoming an aware citizen, spread the awareness and make sure you get heard. If your still unhappy make sure you chose rightly the next time around. Hurting yourself or hurting another fellow Indian’s reputation and dignity is no answer to this grave issue.

I appreciate every citizen’s need for a Corruption- free society but lets’ not have Opportunists blowing things out of proportion. Each one of us has faced and is facing various effects of an unethical part of society. Let’s not delve into the minor and trivialise such an important issue. Let us all stand against corruption without holding our Democracy at ransom. Let us show some faith in those whom we elected to make the right decision. Let us all be a little more Reasonable.

Having said that, I rest my case!

*Views and Opinions expressed by the writer are personal.

CAN I BECOME A POLITICIAN?

Dispelling political myths for young Political Aspirants!

I belong to a country that is 65 years young and in a month’s time ‘She’ will celebrate her 66th birthday. But, something saddens me deeply. My country is home to one-sixth of the entire world’s population, but is still struggling to get her young sons and daughters to work for her.

Politics in India is said to be confined to a few influential families; but, what happens when when we do not want to contribute to our country for fear of being branded. Can we then blame those who are willing to take up responsibility for us? Politics is known to have taken people to the zenith of a successful career while others have unwillingly become scapegoats. With this background the quintessential question remains, “Should I consider taking Politics as a profession?”

The aim of this blogpost is only to dispel the myths that most youngsters face and erase the cynicism leading to indecision and finally political apathy. With a hope that I can make a slight Attitudinal difference, I have addressed a few questions on the scope of aspiring young Indians willing to take the lead in re- defining India, a country, richly blessed with a rich history, heritage and culture!

Do I really need to be the daughter/son of a politician to be a successful politician?

This is perhaps the first question that most of the sons and daughters of young India ask. The answer is NO! You do not need to hail from a politically affluent family to be a politico. In fact there are very many politicians from our own Indian Political system who do not belong to influential political families. Prominent names include, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Mamata Banerjee, Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyyar, Arun Jaitley and many others.

Prominent Political families rule the country. Do I stand a chance?

We do not want a family to rule the country, but what happens when we willingly abdicate our responsibility from contributing to the social welfare of the country. Why do we aspire to stay away from politics and then question the policies that are made by like-minded thinking individuals? So am I an idealist? No, far from it! I’d rather be a pragmatist and review both sides of the coin. My belief takes refuge in Arnold Glasgow’s famous lines, “An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied.” If the son or daughter of a prominent politician is willing to make a difference to lives and in doing so positively influence young minds, why shouldn’t he/she do so? That does not mean that children of non- political families will never get the support of the masses. The people want a politician they can connect with, one who sympathises and empathises with them, not one with influence, power or money!

I am considering taking up politics, does my Age count?

Age can never be an impediment for anyone genuinely wanting to serve his motherland. Your morals, your goals are probably what will define who you are. Implementation of your promises to the masses is the key to being a good Politician!

But what about getting branded as ‘corrupt’ and a ‘cheat’?

For all those who ask this question, I would like you to re- consider other professions. As examples, I have just added a few prominent ones. You may find these argots attributed to the following professions. At least these are some I have heard of.

Lawyers are liars!

Diplomats, smooth liars!

Doctors are butchers!

And the much hallowed Teaching profession too has borne the brunt of similar jargon. Is there any truth to these statements? NO! So does that stop one from taking up these professions? Again, No! Because the simple fact remains that despite all odds our country has the distinction of producing the finest lawyers, doctors and diplomats that the world looks up to! A few rotten apples in the Political System cannot and should not over- shadow or undermine the virtues of the rest.

Christy Romano once wrote, “And after I make a lot of money, I'll be able to afford running for office” Times have changed though and the youth wings of most parties are considering the induction of newbies who are interested in the welfare of the country and are willing to devote their quality time in the service of the nation. Many a time the political parties too help you out to stand for elections.

But, India is a multi- party State. Whom should I represent?

This is a question that every new entrant should give a careful thought before entering the political foray. Floor- crossing never holds good with the masses. With the mushrooming of political parties in every State and city, it tends to become a little confusing for any political aspirant to choose his path. A simple step one, is to read up on the Party policy and see which ideologies bear similarities to your own.

Finally, the most interesting and perhaps the most defining question of them all;

Am I eligible to be a Politician?

Yes, if you have a willingness to work for your country, principles that you ‘Believe’ in and the support of your electorate, you may not become a very rich politician but you will most definitely be a Loved Respected and admired Politician. The Choice is Yours!

This Blogpost is dedicated to the Indian Politician who changed my view towards Politics for the better:

Dr. Shashi Tharoor : An Inspiration to Youngsters across the Globe!

Telephone to Glory!

Faith Re-visited

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits…

Are you in the depths of despair or having a List of Unanswered Prayers? Then this little piece is for you. The reason you’ve just experienced all these emotions is because you forgot the most important and perhaps the most beautiful gift that God has endowed you, “The Power of Prayer.”

The Bible says, “Ask and ye shall receive.” The life of Jesus was crowded with labor and responsibility; yet how often He was found in prayer. If you compare all the other Scriptures you will find this thought resonant in other religions as well.

Prayer is an affirmation that you have done your best and you need to trust God to help you. How many times do we ‘Thank’ God for keeping us safe through the night? How many times do we thank Him for the people who share our joys and sorrows; our loved ones? Remember, your trial is a gentle reminder that God is waiting to get in touch with you, He’s waiting for you to invoke His guidance. If you need God, you have to call on Him. You cannot expect a miracle if you do not have the faith. I have heard people young and old alike confess that they do not want to pray because they do not feel connected. What they fail to realise is that the discord is the direct result of their unwillingness to share their trouble with God the Father. God never turns down a prayer. He may not always say, ‘Yes!’ But whatever he does for you is always for the ‘Best!’

Prayer is a manifestation of your compassion, your faith. No matter how high an ambition you achieve or how low you may fall, God is with you both at the zenith and at the nadir. Faith is the only thing constant in your life. You may have the power, the money the control today, not always. Prayer is the cheapest mode of communication but unfortunately the least used in today’s fast paced world.

We have all the time to surf the internet, tweet from our cell-phones, chat with friends, study, and work and hang out. Minimal time is spent in talking to God. Prayer is nothing but a form of self- expression. It teaches us, comforts us and grants us the much needed peace of mind.

Prayer is letting go of all the emotions pent up for so long within us. Most of us remember to pray when we are desperate for something to work out in our favour, but the more important point is why do we fail to Thank Him once we received it? Why is He the last person on our mind then? The most fascinating thing about our Maker is that He is willing to welcome you with open arms despite our ungrateful hearts.

Since we shy away from God, isn’t it logical to deduce He should turn away from us too? But, that is exactly one situation none of us will ever face. God never turns away. His eyes are ever- watchful!

Someone is watching over you because someone is praying for you. I hope that you never forget that. Don’t wait for an invitation to pray, talk to Him as a Friend. You will be pleasantly surprised how all the complexities in your life untangle without your aid.

If you have been praying for something too hard and it just isn’t happening, check again. Are your expectations and your prayer likely to cause harm or are your aims not in sync with God’s expectations.

Finally, never be time- bound to pray. Use your time, even if it’s a few minutes you can grab on your way to work, college, school to just share with God your hopes, desires, problems and disparities.

So, Stop Complaining, Start Praying! The answer is right at your door!

You can find Peace in the midst of the Storm!

For my Mentor on the occasion of Guru Poornima!

Dear Mentor

On the occasion of Guru Poornima here’s a short and simple message to tell you why you are admired,

Your countenance reflects Optimism

Your pleasant demeanour, Hopefulness

Your Attitude teaches us how to fight the good fight,

Your Determination is your gift,

Your efforts, Inspire us to be better than we are

Your Humility defines you……

So,

It is time for us to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever, the one who recognizes the challenge and does something about it.

All in all, you are a Blessing because you touch lives of others in more ways than one

With a hope that God abounds you with infinite grace that you continue to touch more young lives,

Warm Regards and Best Wishes

Katie

THE NEED TO RE-STRUCTURE THE INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM!

As the daughter of an educationist, I find it hard to believe that the Education system that we follow today is hardly making the impact that it should. In fact when I talk to my dad, I realise that a lot of what is being taught in the colleges, he studied in school.

So, are the students today slower than the earlier generations or is it something more? Why are we, the largest democracy of the world in need of re-vamping the system? Why do we face a brain drain in our country?

Mrs.Ellen.G.White in her book Counsels to Teachers has written, “It is when the intellectual and spiritual power are combined that the highest standard of manhood is attained.

The aim of every educational institution is to re-in force a child’s skills, sharpen his mind and boost the student’s morale. However, education today has lost its meaning. It is now confined to late night projects, tiresome assignments.

History teaches us that in the past students stayed with their teacher in what was called a ‘GURUKUL’. Here a student developed a love for learning, picked up good activity and academic skills and learned the dignity of labour, thus making him an all-rounder.

Today most people are qualified, not educated because knowledge is not measured in terms of marks on the mark sheets at the end of the year, it is the understanding that we earn for a lifetime that matters as it is rightly said Experience is the Mother of wisdom.

Most people blame the poor qualification of the higher ups at the State level for ruining the system. But, that isn't the whole truth because when Ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair appointed Mr. Alan Johnson a school drop out as the higher education minister he fulfilled his task with a lot of efforts. Why then is it so difficult for us to have a refined education system especially when we have some of the finest Teachers and Educationists? What is the Missing Link?

Lord Byron remarked, “Nothing is so difficult as the beginning!” It is thus necessary to address the root cause of this issue. Any educational system comprises of 3 essential components:

1. Students without whom the need for teaching would not have arisen

2. Teachers who are the our guiding light on the path of knowledge

.3 Parents without whose support and encouragement a child’s growth is stunted.

As students ourselves have we ever stopped to think why today most of us are buried in books while others are indulged in sports and extra-curricular activities? Why are we unable to procure a balance between the two?

One of the reasons for a student’s lack of interest may lie in the overuse of assignments. Assignments aim at cultivating creative writing and thinking because what matters is the process of thinking and not just getting the right answers. Hence care must be taken that assignments must be given to a certain limit. Textbooks also must aim at giving an insight into a particular topic so it becomes easy for child to focus on the subject.

Apart from the flaws in the technicalities of the learning process, we must not forget that ‘The hand that rocks the Cradle rules the world’, so Parental involvement is crucial in the development of a child and teachers must not be expected to fulfill this duty. At the same time it is not to be forgotten that teachers who are blessed with a pleasant well balanced disposition will prove a great benefit to the students. If teachers aim at simplicity and effectiveness the explanations would be far more plain and clear. It is necessary to inculcate in the students a need to learn to search for knowledge, rather than spoon- feed them with ready notes and guides.

If we really wish to see our youth educated and knowledgeable intellects, the need of the hour is to make the students to love their books rather than detest them! For this, rote learning must be actively discouraged.

Last, but definitely not the least we cannot undermine the fact that students too must contribute to the system by active participation not only in the classroom but debating activities, extra-curricular and cultural activities!

If these simple steps are followed by each institute, we can hope to host an institute better than an 'Oxford' in our country in the near future!

Mend your speech a little...

Critique on the Indian Media

“There is nothing more frightening than active ignorance.”

-Goethe

I have always believed that the Media representatives are a class apart, because they are the lifeblood of a thriving democracy. However, it is regrettable to note that, today, the quality of journalism is declining. The News is dwindling slowly from the ‘important’ to the ‘seemingly important’ and finally deteriorating into the ‘Trivial.’

Independent India brought with it a ray of hope and gave us a medium that could reach out to the people and would dwell on active but Constructive Criticism. “Free Media” was meant to be one of the Fundamental Pillars of a Progressive Democracy. This meant that the burden of spreading the “good word” lay on the media because its reach was far greater than any influential leader or Political Party. Furthermore, emphasis was laid on accuracy and objectivity.

The scenario today is different with the media delivering news like a fast-food restaurant. My generation maybe young, but definitely not naïve to understand when a ‘puff – piece’ is blown out of proportion and given the title of ‘Breaking News!’ Efficiently delivering news that is fair and more importantly accurate is the responsibility of a ‘Responsible’ media representative.

Interestingly not one, but many celebrities have voiced their angst against mis- represented facts and mistaken names. The journalists thus land up getting involved in defamation suits.

The active ‘inactivity’ of the media at times, frankly proves a turnoff for the Aam Admi.

Maybe the Media needs to re- think its stance. “The public is not a bunch of non- thinking entities.” They too have some expectations. Freedom with responsibility is the least one can expect!

This blogpost is only a reflection of a viewer and hence could be debated upon. But, I strongly believe that, it is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable. A few weeks ago, the media frenzied over Anna Hazare's fast and every minute we flipped the news channels, we encountered only two words “BREAKING NEWS!” What was actually ‘breaking’ and in fact crumbling to pieces was the ‘Patience’ of the Audience, forced to see the same visuals again and again until it was perfected to an extent that one could easily answer a three- hour paper on it! My point here is that, over- sensationalising a news- piece with the word “LIVE” plastered at a teeny- weeny corner of the T.V screen is in reality killing us.

Another glaring problem that we face is that although there is no paucity of issues to be dealt with, undue importance is given to only one news-piece throughout the day. This in turn not only overshadows the other news items, but also ensures that the viewers’ refrain from watching the news. A friend of mine remarked, “News today is like Television soaps, watch it twice a week and we’re sorted!” Another stated, “Yeah I read the newspaper, from the last to the first page, it’s easier to read that way!” These students are straight A’s students, by the way. As a member of the youth community keenly interested in politics, I watch the news with a hope of learning more, but, for young people dis- interested in politics and current affairs, the media is doing a great job keeping them that way!

When we study the law we follow an interesting theory, “Justice must not only be done, but, must also appear to be done.” Equivocally, “Quality journalism must not just be done, but appear to be done!” The murder of Mr J Dey, an excellent reporter was indeed a loss for the entire country, but in the last couple of days apart from the Secret Seven being caught by the Law Enforcement Agency what was projected was a more orchestrated attempt to get a ‘separate law’ for protecting journalists! Imagine, if all professionals took to the streets in order to get separate laws passed!

Clive Barnes once commented, “Television is the first truly democratic culture -- the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want!” But, the question remains, ‘Who defines what the people want?’

Another issue and this one cutting across all news channels, is that the news reporters never allow the guests on their respective Television shows to answer the question completely. The only words one gets to hear everyday is, "We're running out of time!" At times it is the guest who has to almost forcibly stop the interlocutor from cutting every dialogue. Why don’t the news reporters devote more time to such debates that will give an ecumenical view of the issue to the audience rather than a half-cooked pie that is indigestible? It would be much easier to just have an intelligent debate on the topic of interest rather than indulge in media – ennui. Emphasis can be laid on the issue more effectively.

It becomes necessary for me to state here, that the Media is not one- hundred per cent wrong. We have brilliant journalists conducting CNN- IBN’s Citizen Journalism, ‘The Buck stops here’ on NDTV and others but, we definitely need more such contributions in order to get the Indian Media at the top!

My intention is to bring to light that aspect that the Media does not see or does not want to see because of the much hallowed TRPs. The people want concrete, objective and accurate information and as a part of the society, I do not think it is too much to ask… or is it?

The chances of any journalist appreciating this blog are svelte, nonetheless this Case deserves a fair hearing or rather a fair thought!

Having said that, I rest my case!