Response to Reporter's Obambulating In Indian politics

Before reading this please go through Reporter's Diary

Reporter...Put forth Your question like this!
“Can the congress leaders think of nominating a person other than from Nehru dynasty for the post of prime minister?
Will the BJP led NDA can endorse an individual who does not belong to the Advani coterie?
Is it possible for the SP to nominate a person other than duo’s favourite?
Does Mayawati posess all the capabilities to become a PM?
Question towards Public
Are we ready to support an’ independent ‘individual’ if she or he has all the political,moral & intellectual credentials,to be the country’s head?
Secondly..
Suppose if a Dalit has all the above credentials….shall we endorse him/her for PM’s post?

Past

The pre- independence era& early 50’s witnessed a boom of Obama’s(with respect to capability) in India’s socio-political environment.Sardar Patel,CR,Jagjivan Ram,.JP Narayan….all were great personalities!Particularly,CR initiated innumerable number of reforms for the upliftment of untouchables and encouraged their participation in national politics.JP Narayan’s contributions are also praiseworthy in this matter.Jagjivan Ram..served as a defence minister,deputy PM(twice) .Regrettable to say that..the media carried an unwanted ‘discriminative’ headlines on KR Narayanan’s death.You are also committing the same mistake by highlighting the ‘untouchable’ elementin your question(Even though you sound to be positive for their upbringing)I feel you should have refined the question in the first place.Our SC chief justice?Hence,you cannot be neck and crop in your question.

But yes,there are certain ‘elements’ inherent in our political system…that prevents an independent (intellectual with all inclusive qualities) from becoming a PM.

Past&Present

Indian politics is full of paradoxes!We jog on to brag..the world’s largest democracy”.Alas!till this moment,we are following Caste,Clan&Regional politics.

In the early twenties,Gandhi publicly acknowledged CR as his successor..and wrote a letter to CR
“You are…perhaps the nearest to me.My innermost being wants your approbation of what I’m doing and thinking. I cannot always succed in getting it,but it craves for your verdict…”
Nonetheless,in early forties,owing to the ‘regional’ pressure,Gandhi took a different stand.Hindi speaking population(vast majority) preferred a northie to occupy the PM’s place.Thus Pandit Nehru was chosen.Of course like his contemporary mates..Nehru also had his own charm,which pulled the public towards him.

Under the existing scenario,its very tough for an individual with all political, moral and intellectual credential to be the country head..the reason is” politrical barrier”
Consider the internal elections held in each and every political party in India.The coterie vested with highest powers hold the ‘absolute’ authority and their pampered darlings enjoy all sorts of patronage.The liegemen are not supposed to question the functioning of higher authoritie..even if they questions,they will be thrown out .For this matter,all the parties weigh equally.

Caste,Clan&Region remain as a bottleneck .Unless and until we wipe out the 3 barriers from our’thinking’..it is unlikely for us to weave a dream for ‘Indian Obama’(even though we have witnessed Obama Boom in the past)in the near future.Mankind comes first,followed by gender,region…If we succeed in applying the ‘theory of mankind’ and calibre..we will be blessed with the best Prime Minister.

Concluding my comments with a Passage from CR’s diary(which was wrote during his days behind the bars in 1921)

“We all ought to know that Swaraj will not at once or,I think even for a long time to come,be better government or graeter happiness for the people.Elections and their corruptions,injustice,and the power and tyranny of wealth and inefficiency of administration will make a hell of life as soon as freedom is given to us.Men will look regretfully back to the old regime of comparative justice,and efficient,peaceful,more or less honest administration.The only thing gained will be that as a race we will be saved from dishonour and subordination”

Rest In Next ;)

My Personal History- Published in Tehelka(Issue dated 16th Aug 2008)

‘Talent and creativity were ruthlessly buried. Only rote learners survived’


I AM OVERTAKEN by repugnance whenever I think of my school days. The reason is quite simple. I was crippled mentally during high school. As I pen this essay, a couple of questions pop up. What is the purpose of education? Why are children always treated as students?

I was raised in a joint family, which included a grandfather and a paternal uncle. My mom, a homemaker, was a lady of high calibre and she nurtured the passions of her loved ones. Like any other mother, she too had dreams for her children, wanting them to be confident and fearless under any circumstance.

I was inclined to music, so my parents sent me to music classes when I was 10 years old. I was an average student, although I had a penchant for current affairs, quizzing and debates. My parents were content with my scores, which ranged between 65 and 70 percent. Little did they know that one day, their daughter would be demoted and devastated.

My turmoil began when I was in class seven. The school headmistress, who had exceptional teaching skills, heard of a fight that had broken out between me and another friend. She sought an explanation from our parents. After this, occasional taunts aimed at me became a regular feature of her classes. This made me an object of ridicule among my classmates. Day after day, my anxiety and fear grew, but I couldn’t reveal my feeling to others including my mom.


Illustration:Uzma Mohsin
In class nine, my anxiety grew further, because of Math and the Math teacher. She used to place the weaker students in one corner of the classroom so she could focus more attention on them. This created a negative impact on me. I started feeling targeted and cornered and felt that my independent thinking was suppressed. My inability to draw perfect maps or figures was used as a pointer while making scathing comments and this added fuel to the fire.

An extended hell! That is how I describe class nine. Did they ever make a single effort to point out my strengths? They denied me an opportunity to grow! At the end of the year, I was demoted. Later, I realised that 36 other students also suffered the same fate. The reason the school authorities gave was “filtration” before promotion to class 10. A few students joined other schools while others registered for a re-evaluation of their papers. I lacked the mental courage to fight. I repeated class nine, completed the 10th with 72 percent marks and thus my journey through the tunnel came to an end.

Today I ask — who were the losers when the library hours and physical training sessions were hijacked for extra classes and revisions? In the race for achieving high results, talent and creativity were ruthlessly buried. Only rote learners survived.

For my pre-degree years, I opted for commerce at the Government Victoria College in Palakkad. With just 72 percent, getting admission was difficult but I managed to snag the last available seat. This marked a rebirth for me. In college, I found that independent views were encouraged, I could actually explore life while learning. Each day, I found a new me within myself. The support I got from the teachers helped build my self esteem. In the second year, I joined the college cricket team and represented my college in matches. Resuming music lessons under the guidance of a renowned musician added to my happiness. In the first year, I had actually topped my class and was soon among the top five at the university. A student demoted in class nine occupying a place at the top! My teachers felt a little disappointed as I missed the overall top rank by a whisker. But for me, the results were a morale booster. It was a turning point for me.

I went on to do my masters, and was elected to the college union. Canvassing, meetings and elections were fantastic experiences. A timid, neglected school student elected to the college union!

Soon I was on stage, addressing the college, attending cabinet meetings, interacting with students and the principal, leading the college in inter-collegiate festivals, forming an association exclusively for girls to encourage them and ensure their participation in campus activities. The scared introvert in me had gone forever.

Failing a class in those days was — and is, even now — humiliating, primarily because teachers and the larger society make a child feel that way. It is seen as a scandal, a blot from which one can never recover. I left school with a heart filled with fear, depression and diffidence. My college faculty changed all that. To them, I was just one among the thousands of students they teach. They are my idols, because they changed my destiny forever. •

Something To share About Tarnished Feminity

Friends....This year on women's day...i wrote a poem 'Tarnished Feminity".My idea behind penning those verses was to spread the message..rather..to throw light on the deprived women(often termed as Sex workers)..Now this poem has found a place in a collection of poetries..and will be released in january 2009.


Women Hails!
The dawn of march 8
With a tone of Sameness
Joy&happiness all over.

Alas!Feminity-A curse
For alot unseen girls
Who can neither puff
Nor toast women's day.

Born as pure like you and me
Fluttered like butterflies
with dreams and hopes
Reasons of livelihood
Sinful acts of society
Made them impure and isolated

Dwelling in the dark
Leading a life of constant submission
Fear,shame&muted agnition
Nobody to share their pain&grieves
No machine to animate&elevate them,
Not a soul to wipe their tears
And propel their desires..
Withal,they yawn for solace!

Gaging the body
Burrying the sorrows
Bearing the stigma
Folding the wishes
The worthless life continues...

Can they erase their tainted mark
And hope for a better tomorrow?
Do we care to remove their stains?
Shall we spread lights in their lives
By accepting them ingenuously?

Who am I?

Nobler at heart
Scrawler in thoughts
Crawler in blogging
Babbling Scrabbler
Scribbling Reflections.

A Note Of Thankssss.....

Sorry friends....I'm on a vacation to my Home town Kerala...so couldn't update this space.Anyways...i have got a glad news to share with the visitors of this site...
Two years ago,a close friend of mine...lead me to this beautiful world of blogging.. Today,i'm proud to say that,this hobby has fetched me an opening!!

The glad news is that,last month my article on teaching appeared in Indian Express site under the section blogs..here goes the link for that article.

http://blogs.expressindia.com/showblogdetails.php?contentid=335850

My personal history has been published in latest Tehelka(issue dated aug 16th 2008)
link to that essay

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main40.asp?filename=hub160808talentand_creativity.asp

My friend Shaan's constant support and encouragement made me to explore, think...and scribble!I'm Thankful to him..There are few others who expresses their opinion and support through mails...and i'm indebted to them too...

I feel lucky to have such wonderful people around me for my profession!

Teaching-Redefined

A synthesis of imperfections!thats how I describe Indian education system.Business minded schools,imperfect teachers,obsolete method of teaching,syllabus failing to spurt analytical thinking and rote learning.Ironically,the ongoing furious debate on our education revolves around only one aspect that is the rote learning.All other fundamental factors are ignored while discussing the flaws of education system.Perhaps,the word 'education' itself is applied in a narrow sense..rather it is always used as synonymous to 'academics'.

Of all the fundamental factors ,Teacher assumes a greater role in building the future of a kid and I have always felt that ,teacher is the most appropriate person who can take a child to greater heights.A revered individual with an amalgamation of originality,distinctive ideas,ability to mend a child through the process of continuous interaction and mentoring.But how many number of parents can agree with the foresaid role of a teacher?Indian society jog on to live under a notion that teacher is a professional who sermonizes text book contents to the student mind!

Teacher – Foster Parent?

Accentuating the pivotal role of teachers as foster parents in school arises because, it is here, where the mental development of a child takes place.More deeper the teacher-student bond,,greater are the possibilities of miracles!Each and every student yearn for a Sosaku kobayashi(centre character in the book toto chan,who changed the lives of many students)in his or her teacher.

Paradoxically, subservient teachers(subservient to school management)takes a dictatorial role with students,and this has attributed to a wide gap in the teacher –student relation.Voice,needs and expectations of students thus goes unheard! Friendly gestures coupled with a bit of strictness and preaching is sufficient enough to mould a child particularly during the adolescent stage.Its obvious that the 'cane work' of a teacher at this juncture could prove disastrous.

Why students carry a 'prejudiced' view about teachers and teaching?What makes a teacher 'great'? why students are 'fond' of particular teachers?The answer lies within the classroom itself!Those teachers who mend the child to lead a good life are admired by the students,even though they lack teaching skills.A teacher who takes the child out of the 'locked world' is always remembered.Those teachers who can relate text book theories with real life and world are revered forever.A teacher who understands and develops the qualities of children is loved eternally!

Teaching Standards

The ability of a teacher to convince the students,their talent to deliver electrifying lectures thereby making the classes lively,their skills to motivate the children are considered secondary and often enough irrelevant for teaching purposes in our country.

When there are no proper yardstick(at present B ed is the only criterion),where there exists unethical practices in the appointment of teachers(Private schools demanding lump sum from prospective candidates)is it possible to find great teachers?.In government schools, no attempt is made to check the teaching skills.Furthermore absence of a proper system to evaluate the teaching standards and periodical performance of teachers in our country has resulted in an unsatisfactory educational environment.Even though our society considers teachers as a catalysts of change,there are no regular orientation course to elevate their teaching skills.The pathetic and poignant state with respect to the evaluation and orientation of teaching skills has reduced the quality of education .In the context of these cluttered background,how can we address teachers as 'catalysts of change'?

Only very few are passionate about this noble profession.Vast majority choose this profession in order to transfer the atrocities they were subjected to during their school days..For some others,failure to land up in a suitable job,directs them towards teaching.Teaching is not a lucrative job.Unlike other professions,the opportunity for growth is less..And yet,this is the noblest of all profession!

What Can Be Done?

Let us not forget that the teacher is the nucleus of education.Teaching must cut across all the barriers-there arises the need to redefine teaching and the role of a teacher.First step towards this is vesting limitless freedom or in other words,no lines of demarcation should be drawn for the purpose of carrying out teaching….so that teachers too can explore,learn and experiment.why can't they ignite themselves before nurturing young minds?The more they teach,the more they learn!Learning is a continuous process….it has no border.At the end of the day,after all these exploring,learning and experimenting,they can also grow,thereby we can make teaching profession more attractive.Besides these,we need teachers who can change the perception of teaching.

What the education system desperately needs is an efficient promising mentors,who are not addicted to monologue teaching or who does not impose brutal punishments in the name of discipline.Schools should build a core team of zealous mentors who can very well connect to the children.Every profession has undergone transformation over the last few decades.Unfortunately,teaching and related methodologies are yet to embrace the change.School is a place where a child grows mentally..there teachers takes the role of parents.Possibly,a redefined Teacher-Student relation and a new horizon to teaching can produce wonders not only in the student lives,but also in the society as a whole.

The Cheerless

The launch of IPL tournament has kicked off to a stretchable debate on the issue of cheerleaders..But do cricket really need cheerleaders?Or why only this kind of cheer leaders?India,is not short of any culture and arts.Perhaps,worlds most respected country in the matter of tradition,culture and diversities!But with the ‘installation’ of these cheerleaders,aren’t we diluting those treasured traditions?

First of all, a game like twenty twenty itself is an entertainment for the spectators.So why unnecessarily making the cheerleaders as an essential part of these matches?

Secondly, if at all the spectators need any sort of entertainment ,why can’t the IPL proudly present other Indian folklore or any other art forms instead of promoting the obscenity?

Finally..where are our women organisations?..who constantly makes hue and cry over petty issues? Where is our minister who is obsessed with targeting men and roaring in volumes?aren’t these a part of commercializing and exploiting women?

In short its all about hypocracy!One side delivering rambling speeches on stage about rural development,Protection of women…on the other side promoting luxury,commercialization and extravaganzas! who is going to care even if millions of people die in poverty and hunger?the promoters cum politicians will be 'busy' in applauding the twenty twenty 'cheerleaders'..isn't it?

Reader's Response To Taking Stress Out Of Schools

Our education system lay too much emphasis on theoretical approach to studies,thus ignoring practical aspect completely.This has lead to the deterioration in the quality of our education..Reforms should not end up with mere revamping or rewriting the text books and syllabus.It has to be something beyond..Institutions make much ado of cent percent results,as a result of which teachers put too much pressure on the students..At home the parents push their kids to become topper in the class,ignoring the child's aptitude.Hence the children are jam packed between these internal and external forces.All these have resulted in their lack of creativity and originality ..Even today our schools follow the obsolete method of monologue approach for teaching.Classrooms should serve as a platform for discussions on various subjects and it will mould the children to develop interest and enhance knowledge in the concerned subjects.Taking the stress out of schools is a collective effort and participation ,Schools,Teachers and Parents.

Reading-Relics Of a Departed Era?

Victor Hugo once quoted " To learn to read is to light a fire;every syllable that is spelled out is a spark"-It has become need of the hour to ignite the mind of today's children and youth.This is because,there has been a gradual decline in the reading habit among children and youth since 1980.With the internet growing popular among teenagers,reading has lost its charm, has sunk in oblivion and thus it has become a dreams of the past.If viewed from a wider perspective,reading is the bridge that connects a child with the outside world.A fusion of enhanced knowledge,rational thinking,clarity of thought,convincing power and cultured mind are possible only through reading.

Books Enlighten;Knowledge Delights..this was the theme of this year's International Children's Book Day"(ICBD)Every Year ,on April 2nd(Hans Christian Andersen's Birthday)ICBD is celebrated with the purpose of inspiring the children to explore and read books.

In olden days,listening to stories was the first step towards reading.Children gets motivated by the stories of moral and ethical values. .Today,television and Computers have replaced the story telling sessions and books. Youngsters lament on time for serious reading..its ironical that the same people while away endless hours in front of television ,watching Award nights and Reality Shows. Spending incessant hours in front of computers which have become a part of modern life style is leading to the indifferent attitude of teenagers towards reading. Growing popularity of social networking culture has made the situation more pathetic!

The inevitability of newspaper in the development of an individual cannot be ignored because,it is through this medium a person is connected to the outside world.The columns,editorials,and other scholarly articles appearing in the dailies are propitious for students ranging from high school section to research scholars.With the advent of visual media there has been a drastic degeneration in the news paper reading habit particularly among youth.Print media can influence any age group in a more constructive manner than any other medium.Introduction of a separate accompaniment , with the objective of meliorating and promoting the young talent is a laudable effort taken by the print media.

Unfortunate to notice that,in most of the schools,library hours are hijacked by teachers for extra classes and revision..which means that accepting reading as an integral part of our academic education has a long way to go.By the time the child is in upper primary section,newspaper reading can be made as a part of classroom sessions.Similarly, discussions on a wide range of topics,based on newspaper supplement,would be a positive step towards amplifying a student's debating skills and logical thinking.Any creative attempt in making the children to read,write synopsis,passages,poems...can help the student in wiping out the mugging up habit completely.Having thus identified penchant of a student towards different subjects,classroom sessions becomes more lively and interesting.Conducive are the classroom discussions in the matter of group interaction and socialisation skills.

It is pertinent to note that,our grand parents were just matriculates or graduates.Today, a long list of qualifications supersede our surnames.Nonetheless their avid reading helped them in extemporizing on any topic with ease and perfection.Status of modern generation in this respect is very pitiable.Compiling a sentence without any error rarely happens among present day school and college going students.

"A home without books is a body without soul"
At home, parents squeeze the children for entrance coaching and related academics.Children should be taught about the necessity of reading at a very young age.Regrettable to say , it has become the need of the hour to illuminate the elders, with respect to the priceless power of reading.

Margaret Fuller remarked-"Today a reader,tomorrow a leader"..the communication and socialisation skills,the sense of self esteem and confidence attained through reading and discussions are imperative for a good leader.Analytical mind is nurtured through reading.like differentiating good from bad,right from wrong,truth from myth.By removing darkness,reading leads an individual to the path of knowledge,truth and wisdom.In conclusion,reading is ineludible for the overall development of an individual. Only a collated step from elders and print media can create a difference. Elders should lead the youth to the wonderful world of reading .The print media,which stood as a beacon during our pre independence era,got to inspire the youth.Simultaneously,the young blood must be given a platform to express themselves.Any conducive measure taken by them can reduce the calamitous situation and it will definitely rejuvenate the reading habit of children and youth.

--

Very delighted to see the commendable initiative taken by The Hindu with regard to the Timely publishing of Subramania Bharati's letter.Bharati was popularly known as Tamil Poet,hence his proficiency in English language went unnoticed.His writings were true reflections of his mind towards various social issues including colonialism that prevailed during his period.The inspiring letters will definitely bestow thoughts upon today's youth,to cultivate a sense of nationalism.During our pre-independence era as well as in early 50's, besides Bharati,there were many other visionaries,who contributed articles and letters in dailies.Their writings were a manifestations of their constructive thoughts and love for our country..It would be a worthwhile effort,if The Hindu take steps in publishing those letters and articles,in the interest of the nation.

Savitri-A Woman Of Substance!

"A Book has one voice,but it does not instruct everyone alike"

Any mythology or epic can influence us in so many ways.Even great men are inspired by charcters in the epic to face the trials with faith and intensity..Savitri is one such character drawn by Vyasa..The anecdote of Savitri and Satyavan is about their love and relieving satyavan from the clutches of yama by Savitri.The story gives an insight to Savitri’s multi faceted role as well..as an affectionate daughter,a dedicated and loving daughter in law,a determined and devoted wife..Above all she was a woman with a blend of wisdom,faith,fortitude,&confidence.Definitely these attributes makes her unique.

Even though she was the daughter of a Great King,she decided to choose satyavan at her will(knowing that he was pennyless)..Not only that she followed satyavan to the forest,but also she took care of satyavan’s parents.These actions of savitri substaniates her love accompanied by humbleness.When yama took satyavan ,she ran after him and won the battle.It depicts her faith,confidence and courage!

In this era of gender war,mythological character like savitri assumes a lot of significance.Her mind was flushed with wisdom,courage,faith and confidence.Yet she never intervert from her path of her love for Satyavan,duty bound mind….Women can imbibe a lot from the role of Savitri..Even in this 21^st century ,we all make a hue and cry over the legends of Sita and Draupadi..It is true that Sita was pushed to Agnipareeksha..and Draupadi became the victim in the fight between Pandavas and Kauravas,but the same mythology has rendered on Savitri.But her parables remain unsaid,hence we continue to sob along the tales of Sita and Draupadi.Stories of Ubhayabharathi,Savitri,Kannaki…personifies the unlimited Wisdom,endurance,Courage of women…women are yet to explore the same..so our weakness continues to be more visible than our strength.

Women should remain as a Pillar of Strength…and that makes a woman ideal. Savitri is one such rare character of mythology.The greatness of Savitri deserves to be preached and practised among women.Truly she is a woman of substance!

Ennodothunarunna........

Ennodothunarunna Pularikale……yes,that sways in my soul..! Not only that,many of the compositions of Bombay Ravi are heart felt and i turn quiet chatty...when it comes to Bombay Ravi’s music…coz most of his musical works are my favourites..from the movies...Panchagni,Parinayam….almost all.!.His masterly compositions echoes in my heart,and whenever I listens to his songs in neeraduvan,ee puzhayum,Aareyum bhaava..it takes me back to my place kerala…greenary all over...down the memory lane…I wonder how a North Indian is able to create marvellous songs that too in Malayalam(A fusion of Tamil& Sanskrit)with a classical touch and without losing mallu feel!

Bombay Ravi’s inimitable style of musical creation has gifted malayalis with more than a dozen of ever green nostalgic hits .. ,indupusham,Chandanalepa sugandham, .... Flow of nostalgia accompanied with a sketch of divinity is the specialism of his songs.His songs are quite absorbing,and it has attributed to the unparagoned hits produced by him.Even though he has composed only for a limited number of movies(around 15) almost all his compositions(except 2 or 3) were super hits!

Everyone talks about Ilayaraja,A.R.Rahman....but i have never heard anyone talking about this amazing music director...An Unsung Maestro of the Music world!

Link to Bombay Ravi's songs

http://www.musicindiaonline.com/music/malayalam/m/music_director.158/
http://www.musicindiaonline.com/music/malayalam/m/music_director.2631/
http://www.musicindiaonline.com/music/malayalam/m/music_director.938/
http://www.musicindiaonline.com/music/malayalam/s/movie_name.3655/

Reminiscence

When i took pen to write this memoir...my heart was filled to the brim with feelings which were expressive beyond words.

"Unfolding the casket of memories..
Your picture comes to my mind..
Through the words from the
Bottom of my heart...
I Prostrate before you..."
Here i begin....

It was in the year 1997 i got admission for my Mcom in GCC.I got down from the bus and like a toddler ,crossed the road and entered the college campus.Though i was fascinated by the greenary all over..i looked around the campus with some apprehensions...with respect to students as well as teachers.Regular classes began...and sooner i threw all my apprehensions.


The year 1997 was so significant in the history of college...it was in that year the college celebrated its Golden Jubilee.The celebrations lasted a month and the whole campus was in a festive mood.There were a lot of cultural activities,competitons,exhibitions...Under the guidance of Prof P.Venugopal i got an opportunity to lead the commerce department in the exhibition,and our department stall was adjudged the best and we won a trophy for the same. Participating in that exhibition was a nice experience for me.


1998 the most memorable year of my college life ..the year in which i was elected to the college union as the Vice chairperson.Immediately after filing the nominations..we started the campaigning.The election campaigning-the most relishing part of college elections which i can never forget.Our mass campaign that started from the college gate with 2 songs.....where manu,shijina,rinju..took a lead role for singing ..the songs Padunne puthupattinnithu paadunne nammal"..a nostalgic one!and another song EE neelavanangalil"..These two songs still echoes in my heart!!!The ganamela that was conducted prior to the elections..magical voice of sainoj and the crowd puller singer shyju added spice to our campaigns.

Awesome and mind blowing speeches of the trio(Aneesh,Arun Kumar and Shine Sankar Das)nothing can beat those spectacular speeches that captured the minds of hundreds of students of the college.During the campaigns..the classrooms resound with the speeches of the Trio.

On the day of meet the candidates..i was shivering..as i had no prior experience of addressing a mass.My voice was trembling and somehow with the help of my zealous comrades,i was able to finish my task of addressing the students.

The union members worked towards a common goal-with a creative approach.

Arts festival was organised and celebrated in an elaborate manner.The celebrations lasted for 4 days,and it was the first time that arts festival was given so much importance.

An association called Mathrukam(vanitha samskarika sanghadana)was formed,with the objective of motivating the female students ,to take part in the college activities.Still i remember ..we campaigned each and every corner of the campus to ensure the presence of female students for the inaugral session of mathrukam.We all were excited and surprised when we saw the college auditorium was jampacked with the active presence of girls-girls only!!!all the guys were standing outside the auditorium.

Apart from these a 3 day film festival,quiz,debates and many other seminars were organised by our union.

Another remarkable achievement was that our college secured third place in the inter zone competitions held at Kalppetta.I got an opportunity to take part in that inter zone festival and that too was a memorable one for me.

The college Union stood above the expectation of the students in all sphere of activities and it was one of the Best Union the college ever had.,and the staff and many other senior members vouched the same.Even today i feel proud to say that i was a part of the most creative union.

Today when i look back into those days..i don't have any regrets.The only regret in the corner of my mind is that i could have contributed in a much better way for my dear GCC.Even though i have missed many academic sessions..my teachers and friends helped me a lot in compensating the lost sessions.

Life in GCC gave me many things..it widened my friends circle,my contacts and above all it taught many things and shaped my thoughts and attitudes.As i put a dot to this memoir, the Pictures and thoughts of my loving friends,teachers ,campus comes to my mind..the thoughts that can never be erased from my memory.

Gods Own Country and Devil's Own People!

Kerala-God's own country is celebrating the 50th year of its formation.Unfortunately kerala is no longer a God's own country.The values,(social,political,moral)and their ideologies are deteriorating day by day and the principles are being replaced by violence and other immoral and anti social activities.Appraising the incidents that are happening in the state will make the people understand about the realities ,and will prevent them from making deluded statements regarding the state's achievements.The government(UDF and LDF) other persons sitting in the helm of the affairs,have miserably failed in addressing as well as initiating necessary steps for many of the social issues.Let us have a glimpse over the major issues that need an immediate attention and remedy.

On one side we are making a roar over the achievements made through Kudumbasree,through which the women are being made independent for their livelihood.-on the other side the girls in our society are being sexually exploited.Over the last 10 years we are witnessing a SPURT in the growth of the sex rackets and only few cases such as suryanelli,kilirur,vidhura,adimali,ice cream parlour are brought into the eyes of the public.A large number of cases are being concealed and are ignored.In major cities and towns, big shots are involved in organising and running the sex rackets andtill today none of the government has been able to take action against the persons involved in the scandals and in a desperate situation,the victims put an end to their lives by committing suicide.Unfortunately the girls from the poor families are subjected to these exploitation and very often the family members of the victim are beset by the rackets and the leaders.

It is true that Kerala stands first in literacy in our country,and this has lead in making hypocritical statements regarding the achievements in the field of education.Proliferation of colleges alone cannot solve the problems in this sector.Still we lag behind our neighbouring states and due to this we continue to hinge on these states for higher education.Vocational education still remain as a dream for us.Absence of professionalised approach and lack of focus further enchances the problems and leads to the complexities in the education sector.The issues related to self financing colleges remains unsolved.Vaccancy exists for the posts of school and collegiete staff ,these positions remain as unfilled because recruitment are not done in a satisfactory manner.A large number of youth adhere to work part time in schools and colleges because of the uncertainity prevailing to their recruitment. Existence of redtapism,malpractice and irregularities in this sector has to be annihilated and the concerned authorities must delve in to these matters so that it the entire education sector can be revamped so as to achieve a desired results.

Breakneck pace of terrorism is posing a threat to the state and kerala has emerged as the hub of terrorist activities.The terrorists linked to mafia,hawala agents and their animus attitude towards the society is creating bigger challenges for the government and the department.Although the officials are taking this as a serious issue,they are unable to take severe action against these groups.The shocking information revealed by a senior police official is that nearly 50000 crore of rupees is being floated by the mafia operating in the state.So far strict action has not been taken against these operators and very few cases (Hawala)are registered ,and due to the intervention of leaders, the officials are being put in a dilemma and they are forced to withdraw from those registered cases.Major chunk of the hawala money are diverted for realestate and for private financing at a higher rates interests thereby creating a headache for the common man.

Kerala holds the record for strikes and bandhs .The attitude of the union,workers,political parties is responsible for these strikes and bandhs.Investors view this as a major hindrance for their business operations in the state and this inhibits the investors from investing in the states.In the initial stages,they wilfully come for joint ventures but in the end they withdrew from those major projects.Natural resouces are not tapped and utilised in a viable manner .Only relief is the interests taken by the government(both)in inviting new proposals for the state like smart city,vallarpada,vizhinjam,cial......The straggly attitude towards industrial development should be given up so that we can hold a prime position in the industrial map of our country.Moreover these proposals should be viewed as an opportunity for employment for many of the unemployed youth in the state.Several other bottlenecks such as improper connectivity,uneven development of cities ,lack of infrastructure facilities are deterring the growth of the industries.

Apart from the above mentioned there are a number of other issues that are unnoticed ..... like that prevails in the agricultural sector,problems faced by the farmers,improper drainage and sewage,absence of a well organised road transport system...

Though the state has made noteworthy achievements in the field of tourism, and other tiny sectors,still it has a long way to go to reach the height of development.Government,opposition,
bureaucrats should consider the topics seriously and collective efforts has to be put in towards the rectification of the problems so that the state may be able to regain its lost glory,and can acclaim ourselves to be the children of God's Own Country!

Education - As I See It

Over the last decade, Indian educational scenario is witnessing a tremendous change, with respect to the quantitative growth of educational institutions.Simultaneously there is an ongoing paper war over the flaws in the present education system,an outcry insisting on the need to make changes in the present education structure for the over all development of a child.A serial of articles criticizing the rote learning continues to occupy the space in journals and newspapers..That means, our system has reached such a state.,.where change has become inevitable..To be precise,the only solution is to revamp the entire education system.The write ups and debates urges for a renewed pattern or rebuilding of the system.Nonetheless,before chalking out the steps for a restructuring,there arises so many questions(not subjective) for which unequivocal answers has to be found.Even though all the debates and exposition are free from ambiguity,most of them jog on to draw generalized approach for this regeneration.Alas,the basic issues are left unnoticed.It would be more fruitful if the discussions addresses the following need.

Objective of education and its need?
Does academics alone is suffice to achieve the objectives?or a combination of academics and non academics?
Does the present disciplinal structure ensures the accomplishment of objectives?
What can be done towards bringing about change?
From where the change should begin?
How it can be brought in?
Who all should act as a bridge in bringing a positive change in the development of a child?
Parental Attitude
Role of the teachers in moulding the child
Lead role to be taken by the institution towards change
Curriculum

All the above factors have a lasting influence in the growth of a child.Thusly,each and every element has to be analysed carefully,inorder to promote a healthy educational system in our country.

Beyond Imprisonment

The Delhi High Court has come up with a clear message by delivering a remarkable judgement in Priyadashini Mattoo's case.The message is transparent-that whoever it is,all are equal in the eyes of law irrespective of their positions in the society.This verdict is going to serve as a warning to the prospective criminals also.But there is one issue that still lacks severity-the punishment for the sexual assaulters.At present the maximum penalty given to these criminals is life imprisonment under section 376 of IPC..So it has become the need of the hour to review the punishment given to these malicious persons,who don't deserve any mercy.The penalty given to Imrana's assaulter was only 10 yrs imprisonment.Such criminals have to be wiped out from the society.Wicked persons of this category must be dealth with punishment beyond imprisonment-Death sentence..or they should be treated in a brutal manner....which is being practised in some of the middle east countries(slicing the tongue or dipping them in boiling oil or water)The severity will haunt them for years and others who intend to do such unscrupulous acts will put an end to such thoughts.This will also forbid others to do such inhuman acts.Moreover women in our country can remain fearless.

Unquiet Mind's Reading....

When it comes to reading,i become restless!Trying to finish reading in a hurry,and leaving the book midway...is habitual for me. A sheaf of 'unfinished' books... piles up infront of me...ranging from Mega Living,Monk Who Sold His Ferrari,The World As I See it....and the list continues to go....

This time,i decided to get myself into 'regular' reading..and the book i picked is Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet.Along with Prophet,i took another book from my older shelf..Sidney Sheldon's The Naked Face.Even Though ..a bundle of Sheldon,Grisham,Clancy..books continues to occupy my older shelf..i have never touched them before!coz my so called reading is limited to Editorial,Essays,Self Development Books& Biographies..

Whenever the topic of Books and reading pop up,i become tooo excited to talk about my close friend,"esurient reader". Infact he has been quite inspiring for me to get into reading..if my figuring is correct ..he has got a minimum of 300 books to his credit(its not a hyperbolic figure).An avid reader without any lines of demarcation...a Bibliomaniac! I gets awed(at times envied too),admire him...coz for me reading 300 books is something which happens only in my dreamsssss...Finishing a 300 pages book itself is a herculean task! hmmm..thats the way i'm..An Unquiet Mind..!!

POLITICIAN...WITH A DIFFERENCE

An individual who practises Gandhian philosophy and ideology in his political career-A non corrupt politician-A leader with a clean image- Perhaps these attributes of Mr A.K.Antony has made him as the most revered politician of our country.An idealist leader who never swerve away from the values and principles,a leader with a commitment towards the public and who acts prudently during the period of crisis ...These spirit of dedication has taken him to the new heights...country's Defence Minister.Prior to Mr Antony Late V.K.kRISHNA Menon was the only malayali who was entrusted with such an important portfolio.The surprising move from the party leadership is likely to create an envied feeling in the minds of many congress leaders.Right from early sixties,Mr Antony was in charge of various affairs of the party,and undisputably we can say that he has done full justice to the matters dealt by him


Though the congress made a spectacular victory in kerala assembly elections held in 2001,the ministry formed was the outcome of many compromises.Thennala Balakrishna Pillai(Antony man)who was the then KPCC president, was removed from that post.Antony came with an unpalatable truth against the minorities,as a result of which he had to face severe criticism from his party as well from the disgusting allies.When the Maradu riots took place,Antony was blamed and many leaders openly raised their voice against Antony,for the stand taken by him during that ruptured situation.The fact was that all the political parties were equally responsible for the turmoil that lead to the worsening of the situation.In 2003 bye election for Ernakulam constituencyMr K.Karunakaran openly declared a war against Antony and challenged the candidate backed by Antony,and the effect was that congress candidate was faced with a humilating defeat.The congress suffered a major setback in the loksabha elections held in 2004.Once again he was put in the dock for that defeat.Instead of accepting the reality many leaders dramatised the situation and Antony was forced to resign from the post of C.M.


Antony was sacked because he was secular.He became the victim of the dirty game played by the congress leaders and the saddest part is that many of his close associates had an upper hand in the game for power.Many times UDF allies have shown a strong opposition for his leadership and has expressed their discontentment for Antony in many public meetings.


Though Antony went through many trials and tribulations during his tenure as CM,he tried his level best to maintain cordial relation with the opposition as well as with the public.Unfortunately many of his attempts became futile.Had been Antony continued as the CM,the congress would not have suffered such a huge blow in the recently held assembly elections.Even today when the keralities are given a choice for a CM from the congress...the public will definitely come up with an unanimous choice...None other than Mr Antony.