When will we Indians start taking our kids seriously?

Kids! Kids! Kids! In India kids are all over the streets, transports and where not? But when it comes to their well being, things shrink down only to food, physical health and for the lucky few, education. We don't see much discussion on their emotional needs, spiritual growth or standardizing their sense of ethics. When discussion is scarce, implementation does not have much hope in the queue. Why is this so? Let us analyze!

Most probably because, we don't take our kids seriously enough. We are concerned only about their physical future and their emotional security goes for a toss.  We all are busy mixing health drinks for them while they are emotionally thirsty. Neither do we parents think about what our kids want to convey, nor are we bothered about how they feel when we don't feel their pain.

Right from their new born state to their day of marriage, we all are anxiously looking at their bank balance, their social status and to some their educational qualification. We don't look at their eyes, we don't see how genuine their smiles are and still what do they really want from us. We let them cry when we give them bath, we don't believe them when they say they don't want that food any more, we make them study forcefully when their minds are preoccupied. We rarely allow them to choose a career and lifestyle of their own and even choosing their own spouse is mostly not acceptable for us.

We know kids cry because they don't have the knowledge of words. But aren't we forgetting that even newborn babies can smile? Can't we stop ourselves and look once whether we can convert their tears into smiles, when it is in their formative stage, and give shape to their mind-frame the concept of love, affection, communicability and sense of humanity?

6 ways to encourage unwilling students in studies

Unwilling and de-motivated students are always a cause of worry for parents, teachers and specially the student themselves. In this article, I want to share the real-life experience of motivating such students.

Since childhood, or at adolescent period, many children suddenly lose their interest in studies, and right from doing their homework to prepare for the examinations, the struggle starts at home, at school and between the student and their parents as well as their teachers. In most cases, this results into bad score, depression, arguments and in most extreme cases, suicides.

To avoid such situation, we need to take some precautionary measures and try to prevent such misfortunes in advance. Here's some observation how it definitely works.

I as an experienced teacher both in schools and in homes, have followed certain methodologies, that helped the so-called "bad students" score highest in the class and finally heading towards higher studies and careers.
In all these cases, what was the basic triumph was not making of a student, but the development of a personality who started respecting themselves in contrast to the condemnation and shame in the class, among relatives and even at home.
Few students were merely at primary level, some were in high schools and few in colleges. But the common feature in all of them is the self-hatred and defiance against the established rules and regulations. The most news that can upset anybody is, the grievances and grudges against parents who are unwilling to understand their ward's emotional needs. And there is the gap, which is needed to be filled up, to be rectified and modified.
And it is never too late as long as they are alive.

Here is what philosophy I followed while taking up the responsibility of a teacher.

1. We need to remember each student is unique in their nature

Whenever we are interacting with a student, whether it is our own child or a student, we need to remember from the very beginning, that we cannot generalise anybody, so it is better to take careful steps from the first few steps itself.

2. Ask to write a paragraph about their favourite things.

To establish a good communication and trust with the antagonistic student, we can start with asking them to write down whatever comes in their mind about their favourite things. Don't correct that page even if there are grammatical mistakes, use that writing as the basic informative page about the child.

3. We need to observe their learning habits

Each student has their own learning habits. some are good in remembering, some are not, some are visual learners whereas some are auditory learners and some are tactile and reading-writing learners.
Once we come to know the tendencies, we need to arrange for them the study and demonstrative methods that suits them best.

4. Observe their favourite subject

All students have their own set of choices regarding the choice of subjects, which helps them choose their career in the later stage. But in the primary stage, when all subjects need to be studied, we have to keep in mind that those subjects are having some elements which they don't feel comfortable with. For example, a poem needs to be memorised as it is, and those who are not expert memorisers will find it uninteresting. So, while teaching a poem, we need to categorically convert it into a sequence of events and then slowly step by step we need to make them memorise the sequences, then the way they are expressed and then the particular sequence of wordings, it may take time more than usual, but we have to deal it with patience.

5. Never condemn a student for their mistakes.

Students are learners, they aren't experts. It is very natural for them to commit mistakes. We should never condemn them for their mistakes. Instead we should take it very practically and create an atmosphere of sports, as though it is a fun competition whether with other students or with his earlier records, that he commits lesser number of mistakes. This will develop a healthy competitive attitude and encourage them to target an ambition or goal at a small scale.

6. Explain the necessity of study in life, the philosophy behind learning.

Most of the students are studying today as a rat race, without knowing why they are studying. Those who enjoy the rat race, are racing, but those who are a bit more logical just don't understand why they need to study at all.
To them the entire matter of study seems to be meaningless, unless we explain them the whole story of mankind which has differentiated itself from other animals in search of a comfortable life. So, they need to understand, unless they want all those discomfort coming back to their lives, they need to remain connected in the society and for that they need to do the needful.

Finally, each student has to be given the realisation that he is studying for his own benefits and not to satisfy others. It is not because of parents, teachers and the society he is learning, but he is learning for themselves in order to have a good relationship with everyone which will give them a sense of self-worth and self-satisfaction.

Philosophy: the currently ignored subject in India

Philosophy: the currently ignored subject in India

In India right now we don't find any encouragement for the subject philosophy. Yeah it is there as a subject in the field of higher studies but not included in the primary syllabus till the high school level.  The departments of the universities are having a vacant leisurely look, the activity part is almost nil. People in the educational profession itself have already considered the subject obscure. With an image of insignificance which has got nothing to do with the modern flow of life, philosophy as a subject is waving its hand to say goodbye from the mainstream courses of education in India.

The subjects taught right from the beginning abruptly start from nowhere, there is no room for general curiosity, quest, reasoning and logic in the system that is prevalent in the current scenario of education, perceived in India. So a fresh mind of a child which we love to call a "tabula rasa" (empty slate) in philosophy is suddenly thrown into a world of unintelligible codes divided under the still unknown categories of science, humanities and commerce. Why on earth one has to study these three things and why not others, the little minds are never given any explanation. They are strictly told not to question, not to talk, not to defy and not to wonder. And all these natural activities of a child's mind is shut up and thrown away with that obscure subject, which was named at times as "philosophy" which means "the way of life".

I know grudges are too many in the list for the government of India to be sorted out. And positive solutions are very few. Even I was doing the same in the above lines, but now I change my mind. Can we rethink and reintroduce philosophy at the grass root level of education? Can we allow our kids to question us, question the entire system, prove them wrong, defy us and go ahead with a fresh line of thought? I am sure an array of problems can be solved if we do this.

In recent days philosophy has marched ahead with the study of consciousness and cognitive science. so, there is huge scope of carrier brighter and happier than many hackneyed jobs we are looking for. It doesn't only pay up bills, it regenerates your own self which is going to be there even if you are not drawing pension.

Today, our world of education has incorporated several subjects, which lead to a profession, and many of them are directly professional courses, which trains the students to develop a certain skill. But we are forgetting one fact that in every stream of education, the basic skill that is required is the thinking capability and better understanding of the acquired knowledge. A particular subject teaches a particular aspect of life, but the overall contribution of that subject in our life is taught by Philosophy. Philosophy makes us think, it reassures us, that the passing thoughts we experience everyday are also worth it. There are many aspects of life, which we ignore, and that makes us suffer the consequences at many points of time. Philosophy teaches us, the way we should think, the thought procedure that will reach a logical conclusion. Once we know the proper ways to think, our life get an inner support within ourselves and we don't feel that helpless any more. We would have the answers to those questions which left us restless in many sleepless nights.

Before we start studying a subject we all need to know, why that subject is existing at all, and what contribution it has and what are its implications. That will never be understood, unless, we know the Philosophy behind it. And once we know it, each of us can find new ways and means to contribute something new to that subject. Nevertheless, we will enjoy studying the subject with its essence.

So, its time that the education system of India realizes the worth of Philosophy as a subject and start introducing it at the very basic level. At the elementary level, the mind of each learner is in its most receptive state, and that is the time, when we need to teach him the basic knowledge of life, encourage him to question the world, answer their relentless questions and quench their thirst for knowledge. And all these can be done only through Philosophy, the currently ignored subject.

Why Indian Writers Are Not Paid Enough

Why Indian Writers Are Not Paid Enough

“Ask and thou shall get.” Is it true? The possible answer may be, “yes, if one knows the art of asking”. On the other side of the coin, to get what one asks for, one has to be deserving enough. This applies to the field of Freelance Writing as well. In India, Freelance Writing hasn't picked up that stature which alone can make a comfortable living. The reason is obvious,  in India, freelance writers are treated more like a wedge earner than an independent contributor in the intelligentsia.

In comparison to the Western countries, where Freelance writers are equally established as any other white collar job holders, Indian freelance writers have to struggle through a bitter journey, and success come to a very few, which isn't worth counting. If we delve deep inside, there may be some reasons which pop up on the surface level and some lurking behind the apparent scene.

Apparently, it has been found that Freelance Writers in India share a few common thoughts which might be one of the reasons behind the not so bright scenario:

1.       It is better to get less than nothing at all.

It has been a very common thought process which has been observed within most Indian Freelance Writers (leaving successful exceptional cases aside) that they think they would lose the chance of signing up an assignment, if they quote higher price. It is their low quote which will bring them opportunities. If they don't agree, they would return empty handed.
But that is the first wrong way of thinking. And once we step on this wrong stone, it will sweep us down the wrong path and a return journey will take away indefinite period of time with an unsure result. Once we set our value for less than we actually deserve, our customers take us for granted and we enter a low grade market by degrading our self-worth. On the contrary if we don’t get an assignment that pays us well, it will save us time and energy to upgrade ourselves and look for better opportunities.

2.      I can’t afford to say no.

In most of the cases, our economic condition forces us to accept an assignment at low pay rather than rejecting it. In reality, this way an author kills his scope to grow and finally keeps himself confined in the struggling state with little chance to improve his standard of living. On the other hand, refusing to an offer which does not feel lucrative has a manifold benefit.

i.                     The writer will save time and energy from working on a non-profit assignment and save himself from cascading losses. 

ii.                   It will be a good chance to establish one's rights and correct value.

iii.                  The one who is looking for exploiting intellectual property will not be encouraged.

iv.                 On the bargain, the writer can have a chance to win by getting his desired pay cheque.

v.                   It will be a satisfying deal for the author if he says “no” to the offered rate, as he isn’t turning down the assignment by doing so, but just establishing the fact that he can’t afford to say “yes” on the same.

But why do Indian writers have to think on these lines at all? There may be countless reasons, starting from the economic condition of our country, the social scenario, literacy rate, readership count and so on. These are known to all, but few things which I found worth mentioning here, are:

Reputation in the International Market:

In the international market, Indian labour is known for its low cost. We are sincerely following the grade of a “third world country” and are happy to sell ourselves that way. That is there in the attitude of every Indian and we freelance writers are no exception.

Lack of exposure:
Writing is only a way of expression. Expression is the outcome of experiences. Experience evolves from exposure. We Indians have less opportunities to get exposed in the open world. When we compare our write-ups with those of Western Countries, what falls short in our court, is ample exposure and dynamic experiences. A common writer in India is associated with a small group of friends with a "jhola" on his shoulders, (some may carry a camera in it by chance), hanging out in a few known places and half known cafeterias. He has very less chances to have a world tour, explore the world and gain experience. And this lack of exposure gets caught up in his writing.

Language:

If we are talking about writing in English, as a second language, the expressions come out as a translation rather than an original writing. It may happen because we think in our vernacular language first and translate them before putting down on paper.

Credibility issues:

If we search the internet, there are many pages which contain lengthy list of grievances against Indian writers for not following the terms and conditions of an agreement. Many of them have played foul with the punctuality, originality, authenticity and many other criteria that count behind building up a credible standing in the market. Unfortunately because of some unethical crap, the credibility has crushed down and the basic trust on Indians both in the domestic and International markets is under a doubtful condition.

Besides these, there may be even more vital issues which are causing this demoralizing circumstance for the Indian Freelance Writers, but the solution to the problem will come out only when we change our attitude towards ourselves and remember that now we are citizens of a Free India, and we are Free to choose our own value and contribute in the intellectual growth of mankind across the world. To bring that freedom in our profession, we have to have a freedom of thought.

My Author Story: Why I Thought, I Should Write

Author has an identity, which has got something or other to do with the word “Authority”. That is being an able person to take up a responsibility of something. And that was the idea that suddenly dawned upon my mind, and I found that being an author could be the answer to many of my own questions and lead me towards a better understanding of life.

The Prelude:

When there was no picture in my mind that this could be one of the signals that I should write, I was writing. I was writing at the back of my school exercise books with pencil, and use to rub it off, before I had to submit it to my teacher, or show it to my mother. Then there came those attractive diaries with 365 options to write in each, and those were the days, when so many things crossed the mind of a teenager.

There were plenty of things which I wanted to tell, but to whom? Was it to my friends, my family? Never. I wanted to tell those things to myself. There were no target audience, there were no face for whom I was writing. It was my own mirror, it was my own mind. I had discourse with myself, I had many things to share with my conscious mind, that was roaming like a shadow in my unconscious one.

The Interlude:

Gradually I grew up, I came into terms with myself, that there is no point in keeping things to myself and grudging about life. To live happily with my own being, I have to come out from my own shell of privacy, and dare to share my foolish ideas with people around to evaluate how much foolish I was being. I have to involve my fellow beings into my world of thought, and there is nothing to feel shy about. The world is a large canvas, empty for everyone to scratch and paint. We all have the authority to be an author and paint our mind with words and expressions which is anyway going to be there in our daily life.

I started answering the questions, by different people, may be only those which had a common thread in my mind. People started acknowledging my answers to be useful, and I was elated to know that. I kept it up, and it became like an addiction. This gave birth to another idea, that why don’t I have a detailed way to say, what I wanted to? Why don’t I point out the actual point, which generally gets hidden behind the apparent points? So, I started my own blog, and started writing whatever comes to my mind.

The Postlude:

I am not an authorized author yet, but I can’t stop writing and leave the hope of being one. I am ready to keep my habit of writing as a hobby, even if it doesn’t help me much in filling up my wallet.

What I feel that an author must be feeling, is contributing in this society few methodologies, which appeared to him or her as the best solutions to some age-old problems, or a viewpoint that could envision a large panorama as well as a microscopic angle to any issue that can cross human mind or overwhelm.

 

 

 

 

Free India: Dream and Reality

Free India: Dream and Reality

1947, India got her name, her Independence from a power that ruled the world, that influenced the entire human civilization and under whom several countries were mere servants.

India too had to toil for 250 years under the British thumb rule, countless people lost their lives, lost their identities and a new concept was born from this fire of anguish and sacrifice, and that was India, a dream concept with a dream constitution, incorporating the best of the best rules of the world's best countries.

2013, we are habitual citizens of India, a free country, free from rules, free from ethics, free from courtesy and free from dreams and motivation. Today we are free to break the laws, free to encourage corruption, free to commit heinous crime and free to put down our own country in the eyes of the international citizens.

That is not the end, we gave freedom to our neighbouring country to infringe our borders, whenever they want, we gave them freedom to kill our countrymen whenever they "feel like", we have given them freedom to snatch away our freedom to live free from fear, to visit places that belongs to our own country boundaries and freedom to pursue our own philosophy.

Yes, India is free today, indeed. But those who brought it, had a different view of freedom, and the reality of India is having a different concept of freedom at present..

What the Freedom fighters must have dreamt of can still be achieved, still be fulfilled and not yet has become a bygone.
We can raise up, we can rise up, wake up and stir up with a little bit more vigour, energy, effort and willpower.
Real Freedom could be achieved, if all of us start thinking out of the box, change the stereotype pattern and cycles that we have fallen into. We can change, modify and upgrade our constitution, which has kept all the options open for corruption, delaying, defying law itself and give undue power to those who do not deserve. We can change the entire political scenario, the administrative policies and social genre.
We can start stopping people around us from committing mistakes and crime, indulge in corruption, and while checking and criticizing others, can stop for a while in front off the mirror, to check ourselves for the same things.
Instead of celebrating the Independence Day, with the same age old processions, songs, movies and lectures, we can celebrate it with a new jerk of thought, that Democracy doesn't mean only voting for the already elected wrong people, but erecting a new concept, where there can be all facilities without inflicting pain on others. A Free India can breathe freely, only when it is free from old thoughts and replaced by new ones, because Freedom doesn't occur in dates, it occurs in minds and thoughts. A Freedom of India has to be sought in her Freedom of Thought.

Beggars Can be Choosers

Beggars Can be Choosers

Beggars on the street of any city in India have become an intolerable menace. But their growth in number, kind and ways show, how it has become almost like a full-fledged industry. We all know about organized begging, we know how they are been trapped, tortured, amputated and wasted, but still we encourage them by showing sudden bursts of sympathy and contribute directly in ruining their lives, who could have otherwise led a far better life instead. Because of our unthoughtful behaviour, people are choosing such a suicidal livelihood and the most ironical part of it is that, we are’ paying’ for it to happen.  Have we ever realized that few people, who don’t have an iota of sympathy in their mind, are making money only by exploiting public sympathy? Why should anyone waste their money for encouraging such heinous criminal racket?  If we don’t have time, money or scope to donate for a good cause, let us keep our money to ourselves and add up to our bank balance, than draining it to criminal hands. We need to ponder on the fact that, when we have the mind of helping a poor hand, when we feel for them at least once in a while, we can make amends; this small kindness can really change lives.

We can follow few simple steps to reduce the hyper activities of the begging rackets.

1.       Don’t give the beggars cash; give food, clothes or toys instead.

If we are moved by the beggar’s cry and plead, when we are in our vehicle waiting for a signal, we can give them a piece of food item, a clothing material or a toy. If we stop the circulation of money or resale items to the hands of beggars, it will directly benefit the beggar on site and not the wealthy, filthy criminal racket owner behind the screen.

2.       Whenever you see a child beggar, take a snap from your mobile.

All of us carry a mobile whenever we are outdoors. Whenever we come across a child beggar, even carried or accompanied by an elder, we can take a snap of them and post them in any of the social media sites, if not in a newspaper. Still better will be, if we can report it to the police station over ruling the fact that they won’t work. Sometimes they do, if they find, things are getting too public.

3.       Talk to them and take out information:

Whenever we come across a beggar pestering us to give him money, ask few questions like where is he from, whether he is in touch with his parents. Ask him and take a note whether he can tell his address or any contact person or their number.

4.       Inform the police:

If you want to save a life and have the satisfaction of it, take the trouble and initiative of informing the police, whatever information you could collect from those ill-fated children. We all know that in most cases Police disappoints us and to be more openly true, they put us into trouble. But then if we keep quiet and only watch things rushing towards the negative direction, one day we may have to pay an unbearable price for it.

A secured nation doesn’t happen one fine morning. it has to be built up day by day with all the hands put together. Corruption, crime and man-made-disasters can be reversed, if we can take the courage of resisting them instead of being more courageous to suffer their consequences. We need to remind ourselves, that those who are suffering today have also thought that “nothing will happen to them.”