An Apology to my Son

As I’m with my yet to be named Son, his giggling to my actions, responding to my voice, smiling to my gestures was so fun and happiest moments in my life, accidentally I touched the TV remote which turned on the TV with big sound, and there was news about removing hockey as our National game, all of sudden he stopped his giggling and smiling, ignoring me completely, turned his face away from me, all my funny faces and actions are vain. He is still in serious mood I thought it is TV sound that upsetted him, I turned off the TV, he is still serious, gazing wall this time.  Out of impatience I turned his face towards me forcibly he stared at me, one stare asking me thousand questions.

Questions for which I don’t have an answer but silence, his questions are below:

 What is my role in this society that I’m going to gift him, a society in which he will be forced to LIVE next? Is this society as caring and lovable as me? Is this a responsible society that I’m gifting?  At least is this a society that is safe to live?

I’m still in silence, this time his staring is so intense, and here comes the harsh question, why this punishment to me to LIVE in this society? This almost bought tears, and he continued “Am I been cheated thinking that you (me) are responsible when you (me) are not? “

A society which is infected with illicit educationalists, money launders media, corrupted leaders and worst of all irresponsible citizens. Students are getting terminated forcibly for not performing, is that a mistake of the student or the inability of the teacher or the irresponsibility of the society?  The first two are correctable and can only be corrected when society becomes responsible.  

Recent bus accident (I would rather call it murder), the concern school declared holiday to students and teachers for a week to avoid further commotion, however within two days they were reopened, when enquired it seems the parents has called the school management to open school, as it affects their daily work (both home and office), as kids are at home, how pathetic and irresponsible these parents are? Not caring for the fellow parent grief, no wonder they are not when they don’t care their kids.  How responsible these parents are by letting children to study in the same school that washed hands and pointed the contractor of the bus, feeling no sorry except through lips.  If building collapses and 10 children die, he will again say sorry and point the contractor who build it. And there are 1000 parents to let their kids study in that school. Management gets there money but parents? I often wonder that, how many parents know that kids are gift and not a sexual mistake.  When we are not cared for our children why to give birth?

 Recent Assam Violence, there were no highlights from media, where did they go? Did Cat (Congress) caught there tongue?  Why it is not splashed as Godhra riots (2002), I believe it is used as adjective whenever Modi is addressed as AIADMK adds “Minority” to DMK. Is Assam violence not a genocide? Who should answer this question? It is not the media or the leaders it is us, citizens, members of this society, but we don’t bother to answer questions, when we don’t bother to answer, then we lose the right to question, hence we don’t question the media or leaders who are left to act on their own.

Sensational news is what we all are concerned about, it is not the concern any more it has become need now, there is no point in blaming the media as we are demanding and expecting the same from media, there is no point in preaching the media to be responsible when we are not responsible, it is better to practice before we preach, sarcastically we preach but wont practice. When we stop watching such news channels then obviously they are forced to change, they cannot force us to watch but we can force them to change.   

Removing Hockey as national game is another shame, just because my father is not responsible or not performing his duties, should I be changing my father?  Or training him on how to perform his duties?  Probably I should change, that is what these incapable leaders are setting an example, again it is not the leaders fault, it is us who made them the leaders. Are the players blamable or the sports authority? If tomorrow the selected games (players) are not performing will be there a change in the national game again? If we keep changing the games will there be games left to choose?

 I feel as if I’m shot with all these questions from my son, I’m not bleeding, I’m not breathing either,  my silence is killing me and as a fuel to fire his silence is burying me alive, just then my wife entered as a silence (ice) breaker, asking us both “ what is going on between father and Son?”  My son just responded her with a smile and a look at me which just said “now my father is responsible”.

Dhoni – Not out but education system bowled

After a long time, I had a satisfaction of watching a good movie (Good in the sense of concept), after watching movie I felt so light, though most of the screen play is cinematic (dramatic), but the core message is what good, it is good to see such movies (3 idiots) now a days.

Prakash Raj, has lived in his character as a middle class father, though there is little exaggeration, of middle class father, which pictures his honesty, diligence and his struggle to run the family. Karthick character exactly resembles most of the student’s life of this era especially in India yes it is only in India (as far as I know) where parents decide the student’s career.

I recently had a similar situation, to admit my nieces in a school, for 1^st and 3^rd std, each school has different syllabus, I was surprised, I know there is state board, CBSE board and few schools even have international board but they had additional syllabus along with state/CBSE syllabus. I don’t understand why that is required for primary school education. Sarcastic thing is they don’t have any moral education, any ethic classes such as to keep their dwelling place clean and all. There was an interview to my sister and brother in law, since I was accompanying them, I too was interviewed. We were asked whether we can afford for tuition, special classes (there is a catch of special fee) and we should spend minimum 4-6 hours with kids, in helping them in home work and all. One thing I don’t understand here is why am I sending kids to schools, if I need to have a tuition, special class and 4 hours of tutoring at home, then what is the need for school? I didn’t kept this question with me, I shot it out to principal and correspondent, I got a strong reply, that there school produces 100% result and it is prestigious (I think they meant premier) intuition and that’s the reason why we are there to admit our kids, and I said that’s fine why it has to be so stringent for primary classes, reply I got was even more pathetic, they said it is competitive world, and they are training kids from the beginning for tomorrow. That’s where I lost my control, and asked them is your institution is as prestigious as IIM’s and IIT’s , as I don’t think they produce 100% results every year, how prestigious are you when kids are producing results due to tuition, special class and tutoring at home, first why do they need special class when class are already there? I even asked them do you teach any tricks or techniques to learn things, like in mathematics teaching tricks for fast multiplying and all, they don’t even have any clue of what I’m talking? It seems all they teach is how to memorize things and vomit in papers during exams. There is no work shop for kids to learn things on their own, to understand subjects, and school is primarily targeting on kids memorizing power and not to their understanding capabilities, so that they can memorize things and vomit when asked/required.

I walked out of the room after saying, as your demands are unethical I can’t expect my kids to learn ethics from you, your morality sucks so I can’t expect that from my kids and the worst part is neither you nor your teachers know anything beyond books, even in that none of you know what is in the books. They attacked me asking how can I say that? There teachers are well qualified and highly educated for their role. Then I asked the principal (an ex math’s teacher), we know 9 is a magical number, can you give me one example to prove that? To my surprise he was not able to answer my question. And he was teaching mathematics to students for almost 10 years, I was not asking him to prove any theorem here, it was such a simple question for his cadre.

There is no need for the rest of the story, we didn’t got the admission there, I’m not regretting for that in fact I’m happy that my nieces will not be a book worms of this generation, I bought some books for my sister (Vedic mathematics and some puzzles for kids) to entertain my nieces with it, so that they don’t feel the pressure of learning but to get the essence of it.

In fact many who reading this, will think that I’m a stupid, arrogant and brutal person, for denying education from premier intuitions to my nieces, to the fact I’m not, how many of you know that there are thousands of kids in Chennai from well to do family don’t do their primary education in schools instead, they stay at home and learn subjects through private tuition's or becoming members in British council and all. I’m not saying it is affordable to everyone, but it proves at least that education is available even outside the schools. When it comes to the question of affordability, schools are now a day’s becoming more expensive, that those days are not so far that even middle class families have to forfeit their education.

Arakshan (Reservation)

Reservation the very term make hue and cry, especially reservation for back ward community is not a term any more but a fuel to communal riots. That’s exactly what pictured in the Movie Arakshan, the story line is good, indeed a bold step to show society the dark side of the reservation, however it seems (I believe) Director has lost that courage during the screen play or maybe I misunderstood about the storyline.

From the story line it seems, that it intended to explain about how the bright students, just because they born in forward community but economically backward unable to do higher studies in government institutions, with far better percentage they are not able to see themselves in those institutions, where as a dull student from a backward community but economically forward finds himself in the seats of those institutions, but the screenplay played a totally different role, as if the wealthiest (as always forward community, as if all forward communities are world’s richest) are agitated and will do anything to suppress Reservations. This is what my understanding about the movie, as my intention today is not write the review for the movie but about reservation, you can comment/review my understanding of the movie after watching (grasping) the same.

Even before I talk about the importance of the Reservation, as there were so many debates on the same, in all those debates the team who wants to support the reservation, has keenly shown that their intention is not for the betterment of the community but keep them as salves under their foot forever. I’m rude here as I’m not good at sweet coating, before giving supportive arguments for my claim, let me ask you few questions. In an 1000 meters race, a winner is declared after completing 1000 meters or just 800 meters, just try to implement the reservation here, if SC/ST 600 meters, MBC  700 Meters, BC 800 Meters, OBC 900 Meters  and FC 1100 meters,  for a 1000 meters race. Engineers and doctors with below average percentage can only provide below average service.  This reservation has led to brain drain, when an MCOM with 95% is a clerk, where his superintendent is a BCOM with 40%, when promotions and designations are based on reservation, how one can expect efficiency. Where once medicine was a service now it is service industry, in order to get certified in medicine one has to spent several lakhs in private college as he can’t get into public intuitions because of reservation, after completing the course there is no vacancy in public hospitals.  With average percentage, we know the service we get in public hospitals, that’s the reason the private hospitals are flourishing, again, not all private hospitals flourish and not all public hospitals stick there are exceptions, but the variance makes the difference  

We would be fooling our self, by saying reservation has worked out and showing results, as many politicians been saying all these years, if that is true, then the percentage of the reservation should be decreasing after every amendment (technically after every 10 years) but it’s increasing steadily, and those communities wants to increase it exponentially. If before 60 years, after analyzing the situation law makers have given certain percentage as reservation for backward community for the upliftment of the society, and have asked the future generation to review the same after every 10 years and decrease accordingly, as sign of reservation benefit.  Now even after 60 years of implementation, we still have to increase the percentage it means that reservation hasn’t worked as it is expected or if you argue that initial reservation percentage is not appropriate or been cheated by the law makers of that time, then that is worse, as the chief of those law makers, the first law minister of India, was from backward community.

 These reservations will bring only imbalance in the society and an example for the same is Mayawathi’s support for the forward caste community. It’s game all these years she was leeching them,  and all of sudden now she started soothing , that’s how politicians live, by bringing imbalance, only then they can survive, by saying that they uplift the downtrodden.

I’m not against reservation, I’m only against caste/race based reservation, reservation should be based on economic conditions, as rightly expressed in the movie, if someone with poor amenities,  and facilities can  fetch average percentage, if provided better facilities will get better percentage, however when already with better facilities gets only average, by providing what will make him better. This is applicable for all caste and race. Then why reservation based on caste/race, these reservations are helping only those politicians who want to be the eternal leaders of those communities.

Like water that feeds the crops also feeds the grass unintentionally, the reservation that feeds the politicians also feeds the communities unintentionally, like sheep adulating the butcher, these men adulating their leaders.  There is a saying “Oru rendu patta koothadiki santhosam” means if clients are ignorant/non-cooperative, then it’s time for lawyers bonus. It’s exactly what’s happening in our reservation system, politicians/leaders are having there lion’s share, leaving a little to the communities.

A leaders descision

I was invited with my friends to a small get together by a Chief Architect and Urban Development planner of a reputed construction company.  At the bar table we were discussing about our work cultures and traditions, after couple of drinks, we started discussing about internal and external affairs of our country, on one occasion we started discussing about the war crimes in recent SriLankan war , as Architect is from SriLanka he shared few of the brutalism to the tamilians in SriLanka by the army, out of which many were his and his kin’s turmoil experience . 

As we are talking about the tigers movement and its popularity and fame in SriLanka and around the world, infact there were many countries who had accepted there stand and supported the same, one such country fortunately happens to be INDIA, wait did I say India, yes, I did said that.  India indeed was supporting tigers indirectly or directly and had taken steps peace between Tigers and Lankan government.  In fact, I would not be exaggerating by saying, that Lankan government had not taken any serious direct military action against Tigers because of India’s support, many unbiased historians will support my argument, then,  how come all these have changed in NO time,  yeah in NO time one wrong  decision by the leader has ruined the whole of movement’s concern and its community,  when question was asked will one wrong step can cause such a disaster for a community or movement, my strong response will be YES, if that wrong step/decision was taken by a leader.

We all know that any wrong decision taken by a soldier in a war, costs his life, a lieutenants decision cost a team’s life, a caption’s decision costs a company’s life, a major’s decision costs a battalions life, a general’s decision costs an army’s life just like that a leader’s decision costs a country’s/community’s life. Assassinating the EX-Prime Minister of a world’s largest democratic country, is an insane decision, moreover it clearly proves it’s a hasty decision, all the supporters of the Tigers even now escape from answering this question, implies that. It is something that should be avoided but cannot be corrected.

There are arguments for sake of arguing, that EX-PM’s stand was a kind of against them,  even then as an outsider they can only declare war or ignore his support,  but assassinating has caused the entire movement to stamp a terrorist tag on their face.

Looking back at the history where such decisions have destroyed communities, many would have known Hitler, the Dictator, otherwise would have been Hitler, the Great, if had chosen England  to war rather Russia,  he thought England as chicken and declared war against Russia, which brought disaster to his community (NAZI), as he was not aware of Russia’s climatic conditions,  historians know that it is the weather that killed the Nazi soldiers not the Russians, and this breathing time has given strength to England and America to form allies which made them strong to fight against Nazi, IF and only IF Hitler had declared war against  England, instead Russia, he would have been Hitler, the GREAT not the DICTATOR, I mean he would have changed the history from Dictator to Great J.

Napoleon, lost at waterloo, same miscalculation when army arrived at Moscow, it was deserted, and army marched towards Poland, but it was too late, winter killed the army and there were siege at river banks, finally everything finished at Waterloo.

MohanDas KaramChand Gandhi alias Mahatma Gandhi accepted the partition of India, fearing there might be a civil war (well, Nehru and Jinnah both were competing for ruling. Will talk about this later) ignoring the fact that partition will only avenge both and will not soothe, and that is true till now we both (Pakistan and India) spend an astronomical amount on military research and expansion every year, and the worst part is there is 10 -12% increase on military expenditure year on year, where both are still developing countries. Can partition be avoided? Yes, it could have been very much avoided Gandhi’s charm would have made it possible as said will talk about this in a different forum.

There is only one man behind the rise and the fall of Tigers that is none other than its leader.

Death Sentence

The burning issue in Tamilnadu, from law makers to law breakers everybody are against the death sentence confirmation on Rajiv’s convicts ( Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan), and there are so many protests and riots across the state. Why this protest? Why the same political or law students/Attorneys didn’t protest when Auto Shankar’s death sentence was executed? Now why there are so many philanthropic talks about eliminating death sentence? When there were no single protests except from the Amnesty group for Auto Shankar’s execution, probably it’s no worth of political importance.

What is the example that these protests set to society? That anyone who has a community support can murder/assassin anyone and be free, is this not a political black mailing? Few groups who want to gain political popularity have staged this drama fooling the fellow kin’s. At this point I want to think of those police officers and security personnel whose life has been taken for no reason and is there is nothing which can compensate there loss to their families, and the worst part is those civilians who just gathered there to cheer their leader. Are those lives are not valuable? Are only these three convicts life is valuable?

What is the example we are setting to the next generation? That by having political support and community support you can indulge in any big crime and still can be free. No insane will ask what is the crime that they have committed, if any, then, Assassinating the Ex Prime Minister of a country was a crime, wasn’t it? A leader who took steps for the peace and harmony of the community, killing him, was that not a crime? Killing innocent security personnel who were doing their duty and civilians who are there to cheer the ceremony, was that not a crime? Challenging those family livelihood was that not a crime? Just because they are my kin, just because they speak the same language I speak, should I be supporting their crimes? Taking this as an example tomorrow if a political leader who has millions of supporters does a similar crime and he should be set free isn’t? What is the value we have to our judiciary? What respect will our next generation have towards our law and its system? Won’t they pooh-pooh it? That a group of mobs can rewrite something that a judge in a court has written? What respect we have towards those judges who gave this verdict and what respect we have towards our President (personally I don’t like her, as she have corruption case)? How would you expect other countries to respect our law system/president when we don’t? Won’t they pooh-pooh our system? How are we going to face them when they say that the verdict given inside the court can be rewritten by a group of mobsters outside? And we are not ashamed of calling this as victory/strength.

Taking this as an example, tomorrow there can be a protest to release 26/11 attacker Ajmal Amir Kasab, and this protest my be nation wide, as he belongs to a community not limiting to a section of people who speaks his language, if a state level protest can rewrite the verdict, a nation wide (may be world wide) will definitely bring fruits to him, the same goes for parliament attackers and any crime of any serious

Last but not the least, when Bhagat singh was given death sentence, there were similar protests, but he responded that, what he did may be good to his country but in view of law it is a crime and for that he should be hanged and accepted the same gracefully. In the movie “Ramana” the protagonist, actor cum politician Caption Vijaykanth, implied the same thing and was hanged till death. May be what these 3 have done is good for their community but it is still a crime, no civilian have rights to take the law in their hands, by overwriting the death sentence through protest and riots we will be sending bad signals to the society and not only that everyone will start taking law on their hands as it can be overwritten outside if few people think it’s for the good cause.

Finally, for any protest, let it be eradicating death sentence or corruption (Anna Hazare’s movement) we shouldn’t be taking decisions based on sentiments and emotions, as our support will set an example to the next generation and society.

Medical Service Anomalies

Last week I met one of my friends and we were talking about our fake life, a mechanized life, with no zest in it, and the worst part of it is, that people think we have most blessed life, as it is a white collar job, sitting in a centralized A/C room, hitting few buttons, that’s it earn 5 or 6 figure salary, but the reality is long working hours, often night outs, pressure to make impossible things to be possible and to add fuel to this, from taxi driver to doctor, every one charges 3 times the normal. At that time I recalled a recent reality show in Vijay Tv, neeya naana, a show debating about how a medical service turned into a industry, where a doctor confessed that he bills the patient twice or thrice the actual, if the patient is a software professional, and for the rest he still charges more and not the actual.
My friend recalled his friend confession who is a doctor, whom he met couple of weeks before, and he is pursuing his Master’s in medicine now in a government college, after 8/9 attempts to find one. When asked why waste 8/9 years in getting into a government college when there are more self-financed colleges to offer the same, the answer was quite simple and shocking, to study in a self-financed college one has to pay a donation of 75 to 100 lakhs INR + the normal tuition and hostel fees, whereas the same in government college costs 3 to 5 lakhs inclusive of all. 80% of the of doctors out here in our society are from self financed colleges, they have to reap fast as their investment is huge.
I wonder why the government hasn’t come up with more medical colleges or any colleges for that matter, as most of the medical, engineering, arts and science colleges are owned by politicians who know nothing about education, who was once illicit liquor brewer, is an educationalist now, once arrack shop owner is an educational trust chairman, black money dwellers and tax evaders runs and controls hospitals. How can we expect service here?
There is money involved in every aspect of this industry (once service), from getting into a medical college to prescribing medicine, commissions from diagnostic centers, commissions from pharmaceuticals, world tour to doctors, all these brokerage charges has to be beard by the patient apart from his bills. It would more shocking to know that a tablet which costs a rupee is inflated 300% to 400%, and there are tablets which are banned in America and European countries find a good market in India. Why not after all we have 110+ crore people few dies , who cares.

Election – A goofing game

Election around the corner, and so the bribing, legally and illegally, freebies is of one such kind where votes for bought, here it is not with the money that politicians swindled but with the money they will swindle in future, it is the only business in the world where you earn profit even before you invest. Every manifest talks about the freebies and I see no welfare activities (may be some where hidden which I overlooked…).

Before we blame politicians, lets scratch our back first, we been so ignorant that we didn’t even know that this is our right to vote and it is also our responsibility to vote, many worthless selfish goons might react saying what diff does it make? For them I’d say, it is the same difference it will make in choosing a wrong life partner. Because of this irresponsibility even after 60 years of Independence our (country) literacy rate is not even close to 65% (as per 2001 census) that is little more than half the population. Nearly 70% of the people lack basic amenities that include proper sewage system and medical facilities. Don’t jump into immediate conclusion that we are a poor country, if we are poor, global market wont even think of stepping our country, Expensive car, shoes, watches and wardrobe makers are seeing India as future market, it proofs that we are definitely not a poor country, then why do we lack those?

It’s because we are not dignified, we have lost our integrity, and we want things to be free rather earning it we even forget the fact that is nothing comes free in this world, even our death costs. Freebies that we got (will get) is technically not free, it’s our money it is the tax that we paid, for good transport, education, medical and emergency facilities and all. None of these have been fulfilled but we got our freebie which is a fraction of total tax money that we paid, and we are happy with that. We can compromise with bad roads, treat that as a free roller-coaster ride (hope there is no additional fee for that in future), with no basic medical facilities, with stinking sewage system, I think we are the only one who eat next to it (fast food centers). It’s our tax money which is spent for these freebies, and as an investment for investors to make them rich, which illusions that our country is growing, yes it is definitely, but who reaps the fruits. A minor fraction of the population reaps it where the rest is left starving.

A country growth is based on the people’s hard work, not with a bunch of scumbags. We are still hailing, our centuries old culture and civilization, not even a fraction of it we realized or understood. Our ancestors were able to reach such civilized state not by freebies but by elbow grease that required.

All I want from ours leaders is a path to uplift me, not a freebie. We all are striving for some kind of uplift in life, which they are failing to provide, they want a pacifier and found this freebie, just like Romans found colossal.

I remember a Tao story, which I read some time back, Once a Tao master was walking on high lands, he was stopped by the sight of butterfly struggling to free itself from cocoon, Tao master was standing by watching it, a kid passing by stopped and wished Tao master, master didn’t respond and whose eye was stuck on butterfly, kid looked at the direction the master was watching, and become furious, and angrily said” What kind of master you are? Cant you see poor fly struggling, why can’t you help it?” Tao teacher gracefully replied “Son that is pain it has to pay for its life” the reply angered the kid “this is so mean” teacher replied “Well, son, I’m making sure that fly comes out with flying colors from this struggle and not disturbed by anything else”, kid got frustrated and said “you are sarcastic, let me help the fly” and so he tore the cocoon and the let the fly free.

Butterfly flew few steps and fall dead. Kid felt so sad and started crying, teacher said “Son, that’s the reason I didn’t help the fly, it has to break the cocoon on its own which gives strength to his wings to fly”.

From the above story initially it seems that teacher was sarcastic and kid was helpful however finally it came kid is dreadful, that’s exactly what our politicians are doing by this freebie, we should not be freed, but need to protection when we are struggling to free our self.