Wisdom From a casual Interaction

The other day I had a conversation with a teacher who takes tuition in  Maths and science ( CBSC syllabus) for students of class 9th and 10th. As she wishes to remain anonymous, let us call her Ms Y. The teacher related an anecdote about one of her students. During the tuition class, the student gave an impression of  knowing all the answers to problems/questions asked orally, as she answered in unison with other children . However, in formal tests during tuition or at school , she fared badly. Ms Y said that she advised her student to ask questions and clear doubts. "I am not interested in knowing what you know well. I am interested to find out what are the areas in which you are weak or not clear so that you can be made strong.'  I felt that this was some very sound advice. I asked Ms Y  as to what prompted her to give such advice.

Ms Y is an Msc B Ed  qualified person who had quit teaching after couple of years of working in late eighties, to cater to the challenges of motherhood. However, years later when her son was in 9th class, she started teaching him. A few more students requested to join and thus began a revival of her journey as a teacher. she particularly loved Maths and enjoyed imparting it to students. Ms Y said that the seed of the advice that she gives to students  came from an experience from those early days. In a tuition class as in any class, you get a mix of students who are sharp and others who are weak. Yet success depends on the approach and mental make up of the students.

In that initial class Ms Y  had two weak students, a boy and a girl. The key difference between the nature of the two was that the girl would keep on asking questions about things that she did not understand. At times, it seemed repetitive but  she was getting her doubts cleared and  was not afraid of being thought of as 'ignorant ' or 'slow' before other students. The boy on the other hand remained silent and was reluctant to ask questions. Gradually, the girl began to do better and better as she became sound in the basics. The boy could not make appreciable progress.

As Ms Y related these stories, I was thinking of how important the approach of the teacher is to the success of a student. They can be a source of encouragement and reassurance or one of  discouragement and demotivation. I was reminded of my own Maths teacher in middle school. we had just moved from class V to VI and were scared having to cope with a new teacher and new concepts like sets, algebra etc. The teacher was not thorough in his subject. He used to simply copy down steps on the black board, expect us to copy it down and perhaps by heart them. To cover up his limitation, he used to always dress 'Tip Top' and put on an air of an intellectual. We used to call him "Tippan". At the end of the class, he would ask "Any doubts?. Ask any question". If no one did, he would persuade them- "Go on ask a question".Finally if a child took courage and asked a question, his response would be " you coconut pith holder ( Brainless) you don't know the answer even to this! ".  His strategy was to ensure that in his class, in the long run no one ever said, that they did not understand his teaching.

I was happy to listen to the approach of Ms Y- urging students to come out with all things they have not understood or have difficulty with, so that they can be addressed. Teachers in general, whether at school or in  tuition classes would do well to follow this tip.They need to reassure, and ensure that the children do not have the fear of ridicule so that they may speak up and  freely ask even "silly" questions.The approach and effectiveness of teachers affect not just one project or assignment but the future and success of generations of students! 

Captivating lines from here and there- 25

• Successful people think about what they want and how to get it most of the time. Unsuccessful people on the other hand, think and talk about what they don't want most of the time and who is to blame for their problems and difficulties- From the book "Million Dollar Habits by Brian Tracy
• Excellence is improving every day on whatever you are doing.
• If leaders praise good work and encourage more of the same, then eventually they will be able to relax and let their subordinates do most of the work. All the leaders will have to do is guide them in the proper direction.
• Happiness is feeling good about yourself- Louise Hay, Author and metaphysical healer   
• Everywhere we go, we see problems. Anyone with a solution to a problem is an innovator- Dr Annamalai , Scientist and editor, Creativity sphere
• " I forgive you for not being the way the way I want you to be. I forgive you and set you free". This affirmation sets us free as well- Louise Hay Author and metaphysical healer
• Get out of your complacency states. Look for inconveniences and find out ways to remove the inconveniences- Dr Annamalai, Scientist & Editor "Creativity sphere
• The best way to put the 'Law of Giving' into operation is to make a decision that anytime you come into contact with anyone you will give them something - it could be a flower, a compliment or a prayer- Deepak Chopra Author, Seven spiritual Laws of Success
• By paying attention to the signals of your emotions, you can understand with absolute precision everything you are now living, or you have ever lived- From the book " Ask and it is given"
• Every subject is really two subjects. Something that you desire and absence of something you desire. Some believe that they are focused on the subject of a healthy body, when actually they are focused on the fear of a sick body.  

Statistics

Even as politicians 
tell lies, damned lies
and statistics to back claims
the 'common man' of R.K.Laxman
stares in bewilderment
wondering "what is the fuss about?
Has my life really changed?"  

After all, "The good times" hasn't happened for him
for the farmer, the guy next door
or the one sleeping on the pavement
perhaps the 'good times' are not meant
for 'any citizen' but only for those
who are 'more citizen'!  

NB In the allegorical novel 'Animal Farm', by George Orwell, there is a proclamation by the pigs who control the government that.” All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." 

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."- Quote popularized in the United States by Mark Twain (among others),who attributed it to the British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli:

'Kedarnath'- A Lovely experience

Soon after I watched the grand flick
on the vast, big screen- I told myself
must write about this alluring  experience
at least for the beautiful locales
set in elevated abundance!

It deserves a "Dekho" though, for a lot more
a very strong message, that you disrespect,
exploit nature, at your own peril and
that greed has to pay a very heavy price
in the long run!

Another important, sublime message
is of the grandeur of 'wholeness'
all of nature- humans, flora & fauna
being part of a grand panorama
albeit divisive voices of vested interests,
screaming,No, you are Hindus, Muslims
Sikhs and Christians!

Lovely acting by the debutante
Sarah Ali Khan, by the ever reliable Sushant Singh Rajput
and shall we say, by every actor
who played parts in the flick
black, white or shades of grey...

Director. co producer,Abhishek Kapoor
camera person, Tushar Ray, other technicians
can all be proud of the breath of fresh air
that the movie emits, radiates
it upholds traditional values of  'unity in diversity'
that India and Indianness stand for!

Book Sharing- ' Zorami ' by Malsawmi Jacob

Our  book Lovers club called "Bring your own Book", based out of Bangalore, meet periodically to share the gist of a book we have read and liked. Everyone brings a book he/she liked and talks about it. Great conversations follow!"Participants are encouraged to read a few lines from the book as well.  The best part of the exercise is that you get information and snippets from more number of books than you have actually read and you may be motivated to get hold of a book that impressed and actually read it yourself. Further you get exposure to a variety of books be it fiction, self help, classics, health, economics, spirituality, mystery or adventure!

When we met in November 2018 at the Takshashilla Foundation premises, I shared about the book "Zorami" the maiden novel of author Malsawmi Jacob, who is also an accomplished poet. The book,  tells about the life and times of the protagonist Zorami, from her childhood in the sixties to the year 2004. Parallelly, it traces the chequered history of the freedom movement of the Mizo people who were also part of British India.

 At the time of independence however, the Mizo people were not happy to be included with Independent India. Majority of the population felt that traditionally in terms of culture and as a race (Mongoloid), they were different and distinct from the mainland (Vai) people. They also felt that New Delhi was not bothered or concerned about the misfortune or difficulties experienced by people living in far flung areas.  In 1959, the Mizo Hills were devastated by a great famine known in Mizo history as 'Mautam Famine' . The cause of the famine was attributed to flowering of bamboos which  resulted in a rat population boom. After eating up bamboo seeds, the rats turned to crops, infested the huts and houses, causing plague in the Villages. 

Many people died on account of the famine and the administration did not seem to care. In chapter four of the book titled "A plague of Rats" , a character laments "They are eating up all the food. At this rate,we will all die of starvation" The local people formed a society called Mizo National Famine Front (MNFF) which  gained considerable popularity as a large number of Mizo Youth assisted in transporting rice and other essential commodities to interior villages. Later on the word "Famine" was dropped and MNF under the leadership of Pu (Mr) Laldenga was formed in October 1961 with the specified goal of achieving sovereign independence of Greater Mizoram.

The movement that had turned violent, was mercilessly crushed by the Indian army and MNF was outlawed in 1967. Many activists were tortured and their families and homes destroyed. In this regard some of the Mizos played the role of informers and assisted the army. The problems were finally sorted out through negotiations and Mizoram became a union territory and later a state. But the period of the struggle was a nightmare for the ordinary citizens and this has been effectively brought out in the novel. It is painful for a reader to read of brutalities by a state on its own people. It must have been all the more painful for the author to write about it, being a Mizo herself . 

Although there is the story of the movement in the background, 'Zorami' is not all dark and dreary. It is enlivened with stories of day to day life of the various characters who live in the town. Beautiful caricatures of  personalities abound in the book whether it is of the shy, diffident, quiet Zorami, her  high spirited friend Kimi or the kind hearted soldier Sardarji. It is delightful to read the small little pleasures of community living, and social life that is so universal- "When not in school, the girls played house, climbed trees and dug out dung beetles.But the greatest fun was sliding down a hill side on a mound of freshly dug earth. Then they'd forget to go home until dark. That brought on scolding,of course. But the fun they had was worth it." 

The bitter sweet life of Zorami with its secrets, joys, longing and concern are all brought home dramatically by the author and then there is the sweet climax  when  Zorami and Sanga  are together again in spirit, sans the misunderstanding. 

Utilizing the opportunity to read a few lines from the book, (instead of opting to read traumatic details of the Mizo agitation) I chose to read the part that had a big impact on the relationship between Zorami Pari, the protagonist and her spouse Lallian Sanga. 

Exercept

" Dinpui, Dinpui, wait for me, Don't leave me! Sanga mumbled

A startled Zorami put down the book that she was reading and gazed at her sleeping husband. She sat up and awoke her husband " U Sang, what is it? Who are you calling? 

He sat up and rubbed his eyes.She put a hand on his shoulder and asked " What is troubling you?" 

" A sad dream."

" Who is Dimpui?"

After a long silence, he told her. Dimpui is the girl he loved. He can't forget her, though he has tried. 

Zorami felt like she's hurtling down into a black abyss. And then she felt nothing.No anger, no grief, no emotion at all.Only a heavy deadness. "No wonder there is no spark of romance in our life together.He's a burnt out stub, poor guy!" She thought. 

At last,in a flat,listless voice she managed to ask " where is she now?"

" Dead."  

  After I shared about the book, I was happy that it elicited  excited discussion..One member shared his experience of a time when he was working in the north east region. There was  apathy from Delhi to a disaster faced by the region. We also discussed of what the reputed television anchor Rajdeep Sardesai had said about mainstream media  knowingly or unknowingly tending to pay less attention to incidents that happen far away from the Capital city. As for example, he admitted that the devastating  Chennai floods were nor given adequate coverage by the media in the initial days. Rajdeep has opined  that the media needs  to be consciously and constantly vigilant to ensure that this does not happen. 

Even as I write this post, fifteen  miners trapped in a rat hole mine in Meghalaya since 13th December  are yet to be rescued although more than two weeks have lapsed. There has been apathy and delay in mobilizing the high pressure pumps essential for the rescue. Contrast this to the Thailand Cave rescue operation wherein young children and their football coach were successfully rescued by the concerted efforts of many agencies including the Government.

 During that crisis, the Pune based pump maker, Kirloskar Brothers had contributed by sending machinery and teams of engineers to assist in the Thai rescue operation. Unfortunately, the same has not happened in Meghalaya. Given the number of days lost, a survivor says that "There is no way the trapped miners will come out alive. My only hope is to see that their bodies are pulled out and last rites be carried out as per traditions.".

At a time when  there are so many divisions being created in the minds of people by vested interests in terms of language, region , race, religion or caste (that hit at the very concept of a single nation and unity in diversity), the novel 'Zorami', reminds  and exhorts us to love and respect all countrymen living in any part of our great nation, be it  east, west, north or south!  

( Readers may like to read an earlier blog reviewing Malsawmi Jacob's book- "The Messiah"  
  https://rajeevianlinesandverses.blogspot.com/2018/07/a-book-review-messiah-by-malsawmi-jacob.html )

Keeping at Bay

I am ready
to keep eyes wide open
be ever vigilant
and keep at bay
any lurking fear

After all Fear is simply
False Education Appearing Real
with focused will and gumption
you and I can tie it down
send it packing
to where it belongs

Far far, up in the sky
out of sight and away from us!

Captivating Lines from here and there- 24

• A promise is an agreement we make with the world. A commitment is an agreement we make with ourselves- Shiv Khera, Motivational Speaker 
• A true artist doesn't really care about whether there is anyone who can create as well as or better than he. He is too busy expressing himself purely for the purpose of expressing- Anita Moorjani, Author of the book "Dying to be me"
• Definition of Good Health: Having no fatigue, having a good appetite, going to sleep and awakening easily, having a good memory, not being clumsy, being honest, humble, grateful and loving. How healthy are you?- Louise Hay, metaphysical healer and Author
• In the grand scheme, being right is insignificant compared with being happy. Stop attaching so much weight to being right- Dr Deepak Chopra
• Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die- Buddha
• The antidote to loneliness is to be prepared to connect with anyone. Open your eyes to the wealth of people- Dalai Lama
• We don't need time management. What we need is time revolution. We need to spend more time on most of what we consider valuable - Richard Koch, Management books Author    
• Men will argue because they do not feel trusted, admired or encouraged and are not spoken to with a tone of trust and acceptance. Women will argue because they are not listened to or not put high on a man's list of priorities - John Gray, Author 
• Those who seek, knock at the gate. Those who love find it open- Rabindranath Tagore 
• A person convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still- Benjamin Franklin, US scientist, inventor, politician