Archive for November 2014

Friday, 28 November 2014
| 10:12 | No Comments

New seeds for Indian Education

Importance of education affects the status of every country. Status of a country is all based on the quality of education it provides. It is the our responsibility checking quality of our education and maintaining status of our country.
In Kerala, we studied lower primary education of DPEP (District Primary Education Programme) syllabus where we should carry colour pencils, art works describing subject matter and assignments. It was fun working with those subjects. In upper primary section including history,geography and science we had tough exams which makes us usually complain about the mysterious questioning style. They includes pictures of birds and vehicles for questioning subjects like physics and chemistry. That resulted in absence of surety about result prediction. Unexpectedly division of marks were liberal . That provided confidence for the next exam to create answers. The next year was more interesting; analysing questions and creating answers. 
Instead of direct questions that could be answered only through memorizing the lessons, indirect questions and open ended questions were included so that the student needed to think before answering, and the answers could be subjective to some extent. This meant that the students had to digest what they studied and had to be able to use their knowledge in a specific situation to answer the questions. Present social situations like political and economical issues related with subjects became questions. That created the importance of being updated with the news. At the same time, the new method took away a lot of pressure and the children began to find examinations interesting and enjoyable instead of being stressful. We understood the value of our education is precious when we migrated from Kerala to our  neighboring state for higher education.

Teacher - The model
In India, a great system named 'Gurukula' was been practiced in olden ages. The student should go for his guru requesting for his approval as a disciple. After his acceptance he should live with him gathering every knowledge his master can provide. Metaphysics and philosophy were the main core subjects taught.
The main lesson taught by gurukula system is the teacher itself. Every teacher should be a model for students to follow the right path.
Now a days the quality of a teacher should be checked. I personally categorize modern teachers as 4 types.
1. Newspapers - they just read the information.
2. Radios - they will not allow doubts
3. Kings - they think they should rule students
4. Politicians - they say if you have any doubt then
                             ask me, if you have any problem then
                               tell me etc. And escapes in needs.
We can't blame our teachers alone for this situation. The quality less education and improper teacher training makes the 'Newspapers'. The teacher selection of authorities without finding or analysing his abilities creates 'Radios'. The people meant for serving students are transformed to rulers and the system continues within themselves. When one becomes teacher he/she utilize their position as an opportunity to rule students, as it was for them.
Improper teacher training programmes and its implementation failure are the basic reason behind this condition. Training levels should be effective such that the teachers should understand how to make the students gather knowledge, think and analyze things for a better future. Proper training levels provide better knowledge about how the students can perform well with their brains.
'Amir khan'  the erudite Bollywood actor explains the best concept of teaching in his movie '3 idiots'. He says ' Even the lion of zoo will do actions as its master suggests, we will not call lion 'well educated' but we say 'well trained' '. Well educated means they should know how to analyze and create. In my personal opinion I think we can create masterminds with the help of changing the present way of teaching in a slightly different manner. We have four levels of Indian school system : lower primary (age 6 to 10), upper primary (11 and 12), high (13 to 15) and higher secondary (17 and 18). In the lower primary level, manners like punctuality cleanliness etc. should be taught including the basic of subjects. Stories should be told effectively so that imagination and capability for thinking can be made even from childhood. In the upper primary section they should study the language so that they can learn everything reading ie. without translation. Another thing is the art of learning should be thought. Other than mental photography technique memorizing every line, the theory can be zipped by relating it with some other ideas and can be stored in memory. A student with proper language skills can elaborate the zipped concept eloquently.
In the high school level they should include some subjects and activities that can help them finding their career. They should be checked how effectively they can produce their potential abilities out. The exam should have a better interview level that check his/her skills of being a student which includes aptitude and creativity. Exams should not bother them while enjoying studying. During the higher secondary education they should realize the core of their abilities and should select subjects accordingly. There should be enough guidance specially allotted to support such departmental qualities. They should be taught how effectively the modern technology can help them in achieving their interests.
Apart from this there should be a revision of base in every levels. The teachers should try to create curious minds so that the education become much more interesting. They should make the students able to think out of the box through debates and group discussions.
Our government can do a lot more for improving our quality of education. Corruption in examinations aiming at the good result outcome from school is also a threat for our society. Corrupted government officers and syllabus selection creates a foolish generation. Updating the syllabus at times in accordance with the improving technology is the suitable way of creating a new great India.
Kerala was the first state in the country to introduce Information Technology as a subject of study at the High School level. It was started in class 8 with the textbook introducing Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office. Once you establish these methods throughout our country, the idea will make you feel like its implacable. Changes are happening all around. Let those changes direct us towards a bright future.

Saturday, 22 November 2014
| 23:08 | No Comments

Experiencing Village & its beauty


This is an incident that took place recently, when I decided to spend my diwali holidays in a Tamil village with one of my classmate. It was the end of terminal exams and starting of model exams continuing till university exams. Expecting the busy season ahead I have decided to make a trip to somewhere in search of peace. Unexpectedly 'Meialakan' an amiable fellow from erode invited me to his village where they arranged a trip to 'kolli hills - the dangerous road in 
south India with 70 hairpin turns. 

It was the second time for me to reach his home where two children Naveen and Jyothika gave me company. When I visited that village last time they told me that the rain only visits them rarely and for two years there was no rain. Such a situation where there is no water to drink and to cultivate grains. The Kaveri river seemed to be like the spill ways. But this time nature blessed them with enough rain that covered their land with a green carpet. Even ponds and wells got filled. In the diwali evening we were playing with the crackers at his home and was planning about next day trip.

Unfortunately the arrival of an unexpected guest destroyed our plan with their animal sacrifice ceremony for thanksgiving. So because the function can't be avoided we abort the plan for trip and decided to stay at his grandpa's house. His grandpa's house is a three room habitat with an extended verandah where they actually live.

Sun moved a few hours other side when we reached his grandpa's house. There were some elderly people including his uncle and aunts preparing food for the relatives.  They were all present for the temple function of offering goat for their god. The animal sacrifice ceremony is performed a kilometer away temple where many of the localities usually pray for the well being of their village. In that agricultural village most of the people used to travel in a cycle structured motor scooter and only the coming generations use motor bikes which are more stable than their usual vehicle. So because we came in the motor bike we are assigned for taking the offering goat to temple nearby. I felt so excited being there because it was my first experience watching a Tamil custom in a village. Then the time got ready. They taught me how to hold a goat in my lap avoiding its  jumping from the bike. So he started the bike; I diligently took the goat and sat behind. Goat was big and heavy. The heart of heavy goat was beating quiet giving me a poke at my thigh lap. It was enjoying its final moments of life silently. Even if it had a bad odour of shit, I never felt it bad. Within minutes came the temple. There was a small crowd present with their offerings like goats, hens and a small pig. It was nearly 9:30pm when the prayer started with ringing bells and lifted fire. The priest suddenly started dancing, shivering his hands and rotating his head. Watching him doing like this I made a confused glance at Meialakan standing at my side. He replayed that ' saami vandath' means 'The God has  Came '. After a pause of time two of the elderly ladies also started dancing, shivering body and rotating heads. They all show the presence of god among them. Then the priest took a small vessel full of water and came dancing. Two of the strong men came forward and hold him for support. They took him to every goat and he took some water in his palm and poured it on each goat head. Everyone seems to be eagerly looking onto each goat after this ritual of water pouring. Soon the goats started to shook their head in order to get the water out of their head. The elder people made some sound showing some kind of end to their anticipation. I twisted my head and made an expression of ignorance. Meialakan understood my question mark shaped expressions reason and explained. '' They are asking the goat for its affirmation with the pouring water and when the goat shook its head implies its confirmation in taking its life.'' With no possibility to chide, whatever it be a goat or human it will surely shook its head when water is poured above head . Do you feel it so terrible ? What about experience watching it!
After getting approval from every keda(goat) they made it ready for its sacrifice, holding its upper legs together with one leg and lower legs with other. The dancing priest came with a knife to cut each goats head. I began to abhor that scene and stood confused whether to see it or not to. As the first goat left its blood I find it so hard looking at it. So to inhibit that scene of murder, I diverted my point of view straight so that I can find a gathering of ladies at the opposite side. There every lady was of my mothers age or more.

Between them I started searching for a young girl without hope of finding one. At the back of that group I suddenly stuck at two beautiful eyes which were looking on the god statue. All of a sudden it pointed straight on me. With the excitement of that look and remembering the strength of Tamil slap, I diverted my view and acted like I'm behaving casually. Again after some seconds I repeated looking back at her. Only some parts of her face including eyes were visible. She appeared like a gem in dug so that I adjusted myself here and there to see her between the crowd. At that time meialakan interrupted. " Hey look here; See how the pig is getting killed. " There the girl disappeared between the crowd and every eyes were killing the final pig visually. A small pig was held tight horizontally and the priest came with a vel (kundham). He inserted it into its throat giving end to its small life. The small pig gave its life crying out loud like a simple cat. There was an old callous man with a clay pot, collecting hot blood of every baits. I doubted myself whether that man have no emotions while collecting those blood sprayed even at his arms. The man with a pot full of innocent blood appeared so feral. Can you believe he serve god ?

When they finished killing the last that ground appeared like a war field with beheaded goats and full of blood. Fourteen pigs, ten hens and a small pig sacrificed their life for humans. While packing the goat meat back to home I searched for that owner of beautiful eyes. At the back of a tree I found her wearing a green silk saree and was talking with two small kids. But what made me sad was her bulging stomach carrying a heavy kid inside. Those kids were even calling her 'mom'.

We came back to home ready to prepare mutton curry. They took the goat skin carefully and was cutting its legs. The head and the legs were burnt in fire and kept stored for months like the old people of ancient periods. That night was my session to chat with those village people and they became my very good listeners. They enjoyed  talking with me and my eloquent speech were interesting for them like never before. I wanted to ask them about this ritual of brutal behavior, but I understood my position as a guest and made myself silent in questioning them in something related to their belief.

The next day mutton curry was not good for me and remembered me about the last night seen of assassinated goats. I vomited that morning and find it difficult to eat something. We returned that day morning. Being a village boy in that agricultural village was wonderful. Enjoying every moment and  experiencing something new like the volleyball match in midnight, the cycle ride between crop fields, getting friends with his friends, the kedavett, watching agricultural fields etc were awesome. Being a listener for their dreams was been also a wonderful experience. While returning back from there I felt myself proud for getting such a chance in exploring such a village.




Saturday, 15 November 2014
| 10:33 | No Comments

Women of Indian society

I think one of my friend from my village and his story suits the opening. He studied nursing as because it was the trend of that time. But when he finished his studies situation changed a lot. He was a normal village boy and had a younger brother. He always had a sexual starvation with an enthusiastic eye on every girl he saw. I think the social status and the formalities he practiced made him silent while he experienced such lust. After spending lot of money in the foreign agency, his dad arranged him a visa and a job that flooded him to UK. He got job and an apartment where he can share it with three other female mates. He felt it so shy to face them every time and two of them were attractive enough to kill his mode of control. He avoided situations where they initiated for some long conversations. He wanted to come back home so because he can't adjust with that situations. After half a month he suddenly became ill and needed to have rest for two days. At that time they took leave and served him with alacrity, arranged his leave formalities at hospital and made him speak. At first he felt shy and had thinking like 'these ladies are going to take advantage of me'. He acquiesced and started talking with them, interactive conversations took place. Slowly he realized, he is changing dramatically. His concept on looking at women changed in a way that he never felt them sexually attracted after. He enjoyed their friendship their care and their love. When he came back to our village, we saw a different man of self quality. He says the reason for his change in looking at women with his story. In the past, if he would have existed like the way he was his sexual starvation would have directed him to rape.

I think the major and basic reason for rape is the gender discrimination exists in our society. Lack of female love turns to ignorance and the desire for experimenting. Humans from the very beginning showed their immense pleasure in finding something that they were unknown about. In magic shows every audience looks for the secret behind the trick other than getting amazed.
Women of our society are kept secret by our own cultural rules and judicial laws. Sigmund Freud known as the father of psychoanalysis, stated the core reason behind most of the psychic disorders as sexual starvation. We separate our children based on their gender, we never let them have a healthy relation with their opposite sex. Later they becomes over enthusiastic about their opposite sex ie. his/her body. They try to abuse them by touching and groping them in public transports, schools and at home.

In India women are treated as women and men are treated as men other than considering both gender as humans creating gender polarity. Our movies, social acts, serials, screenplays etc. affect our mental status in describing women of our society. Some social art forms describes women superior and other describes them as backward. Reservation for women in public buses, government offices, schools etc. also makes it worse. So because of that  many adults pass half their life not interacting with the opposite gender. It is the sexually perverted or sexually starved mind set of Indians which leads to pathetic situations.

Initially, I think we should teach our children how to live in manners, not to act.

Cultural exchange

The Vedic period can be called the "Golden Age" because this period women enjoyed high status. Ancient women were educated in the early Vedic period. Rig Vedic verses suggest that the women married at a mature age and were probably free to select their husband scriptures such as Rig Veda and Upanishads mention several women sages. Women began to decline with the Smritis and with the Islamic invasion of Babur and the Mughal Empire and later Christianity curtailing women's freedom and rights although reformatory movements such as Jainism allowed women to be admitted to the religious order by and large, the women in India faced confinement and restrictions. The practice of child marriages is believed to have started from around sixth century. People from west not only stole our resources but also a good part of our great culture.

If there is no concept named virginity in our society, what all things will be rewritten ?

Hanne Blank says, "virginity reflects no known biological imperative and grants no demonstrable evolutionary advantage."

Concept of Virginity actually makes a good girl and a bad girl in our society. If she isn't virgin, this concept opens two options; either to die or to live ashamed in the society. If she is raped to spoiled virginity, then she is considered as a bad girl neglecting her justice and society of male superiority suppress such cases encouraging rapist to do another. After committing crimes some people say ' her way of dressings provoked me'. Think wisely, whether this statement from the platform of a dreadful crime can erase or protect him from being punished. She not only loose her virginity but also life in Indian society.

Love is the medicine

A change in mindset of society can save both, life of that girl and a rapist from his bad behavior. A rapist is surely born from a place where he is subjected to absence of female love. Basic reason for sexual assaults, rape and prostitution are the indirect result of gender polarity in all parts of India. It is the right time to change our customs and culture providing equal freedom to both men and women. Respect for women needs to be preached and practiced.
The reason for these type of heinous acts are repressed mentality due to lack of sex education, spreading of porn and disgusting sexual videos.

Let freedom for individual rights and expressions may change Indian society back to our golden age of great culture.


Thursday, 6 November 2014
| 22:20 | No Comments

Kiss Of Love Not Lust



Kissing is the symbol of love not lust. If you think its lust then it is you who should change your view of looking at yourself and your state of mind. If you can kiss your mother and say it is love, then why are you watching it the other way. Even they say it is kiss of love.

Strikes are usual in Kerala, fighting within humans, destroying public properties like vehicles and shops, creating traffic and making disturbances for everyone. Police usually stand quiet at these situations like dolls at the cracker store.

Some young men and women wanted to express their protest against the orthodox behavior in changing society. They never violated rules, fight each other nor created public disturbance. Police arrested them. The whole state started blaming them. If they protested in the usual old style for another reason creating public disturbance, they will get protected and will become the next election nominees. They are blamed for a silent protest. Some others say these youth destroyed our culture. They say kiss of love, not lust. 

I think culture is something that changes with time. It is not the culture that existed 10 years back. It keeps on changing. You should think about our culture before independence. The low cast people should submit their newly wedded bride to their high cast land lord for the celebration of first night. A time where low cast ladies are not allowed to cover their bare chests. They say kiss of love not lust.

Some arguments says 'this change is the effect of westernisation not modernization'. Only the English or people from west taught us how to wear better cloths. Are you saying about India's culture. It introduced Kamasutra for the whole world. A ever made mass public descriptive note on sex. Isn't  that offensive ?

Do you want to say about Purana, base of our culture. Kamadevan and the oliambu is also a part of our purana. Krishna the lord had too much of wives and pancha pandavas shared a single wife. Our youth said, 'kiss of love', not lust.

Culture is something that is constantly changing. Even then they are not protesting it will change with time. I would like to present you an example. If the bill gates have not introduced Microsoft, someone will have done that job after, sometimes better than that. What makes him special is that he started the new culture revolution in IT releasing Microsoft. Likewise these young people are the front row of our changing society and culture. They should be praised for their intrepid attitude in facing such situations. What they wanted is here to reach the society with their ideas. Their incisive work did it, creating a spark in every mind. Let a free world arise with love, respect and peace.

If you say they are not right or they are right. Or when you discuss about this within yourselves or between others, they just wanted that. Just a spark that enables us to think about freedom, love and change.

I know some local politicians, who strongly resisted the arrival of computer in our country. They made speeches making people aware about its bad effects. They said it destroys our culture, it will turn us lazy, and much more. Now they realize how foolish and useless those speeches were. They are also using computers and the government registrations and works are also performed with that change.

Let's wait for the change. Not in actions but in mindsets.