Good evening ladies and gentlemen. This is indeed going to be the most special speech of my career at Modern School, Barakhamba Road.
I wrote the first draft of the speech I make today a few months ago. It spoke of my memories and experiences as a student of this glorious school. That draft was to be the final one till I met my good friend who was my predecessor as the President of the Debating Society and Chief Editor of the school magazine. I was meeting him after a long time and at this point I was bracing myself to face the recently concluded Pre Board Examination. We spoke at great length about the various concepts of Karma in the Gita. Therefore credits to portions of this speech go to my good friend Gaurav Nath Sabharwal of the Class of 2008.
When the war ended in Mahabharat, Gandhari cursed Lord Krishna. She wanted to know why he did not stop the war. He could have saved all hundred of her sons from death at the hands of the Pandavas. Lord Krishna had earlier warned Duryodhana to give away the five villages and prevent the war. Duryodhana refused to even give the amount of soil that could rest on the point of a needle. Lord Krishna replied I could have stopped the war, I am God. But if I did, I would have to be everywhere to stop all that goes wrong. This would mark the end of the conscience.
That is the sort of education this school boasts of. The education I received here beyond all the talk of exposure and opportunity, taught me to choose between right and wrong. This school has given to all of us the skills and the grit to survive under any circumstances. That is what I value of my years at Modern School.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I had the welcome opportunity of representing the school at various debates held in a number of schools. In my first few debates, the reaction our team precipitated took me by surprise. We were typified as the privileged ones. I understood the word privilege in the right sense in terms of ability. However, I am not sure whether they meant it the same way.
When I recently met a fellow Modernite, Mr. Abhinav Chaturvedi, he said to me that the world does not know the excellence that exists within these 29 acres of holy land. He went on to say we Modenites are often misunderstood. If an alumnus decides to drive his BMW on the foot paths of New Delhi in place of the road; creating mayhem in the city. It is front page news. If an alumnus becomes the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, no one seems to notice, that he is a product of this school. Later on that day I read the following lines by Ralph Waldo Emerson. He said and I quote
“Is it so bad to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh.”
Coming back to my conversation with Gaurav on the Gita. The Gita promotes the idea of rebirth. The Gita espouses the view that we must treat our life as among many lives. For most people this implies better luck next time. But for me given my experience at Modern School it implies; do the right thing now or you are going to pay in your next birth.
My experiences at this school find their description in Harivansh Rai Bachchan Saab’s poem Agnipath.
Vriksh ho bhale khade, ho ghane ho bade, Ek patra chhav bhi mang mat, mang mat, mang mat Agneepath Agneepath Agneepath.
Tu na thakega kabhi, tu na thamega kabhi, tu na mudega kabhi, Kar shapath, kar shapath, kar shapath, Agneepath, Agneepath, Agneepath.
Ye mahaan drishya hai, chal raha manushya hai, Ashru shwet raqt se lathpath, lathpath, lathpath, Agneepath, Agneepath, Agneepath.
This is going to be my last speech as a sitting member of the Modern School student community. Therefore I would be failing myself if I did not mention the wonderful contributions of the members of the faculty. The blame for my failure, if I shall fail shall be mine alone. However if I succeed, the credit of success shall be of the teachers I have had.
In my years at Modern School I have been taught by a number of teachers. Ironically, the teachers who remain most fond of me have never taught me. My mother often suspects that is the reason they continue to be fond of me. However, I look at it as my childhood hero Sir Winston Churchill looked at it. “I am a keen learner. However, I am not always willing to be taught.”
There is a teacher who is currently seated in the audience whom I shall remain deeply indebted to for her unstinting support while I was down. She gave me the strength and the vision to surpass the challenges that our education system unfairly and unnecessarily throws at us. Her counsel and advice I know shall be available to me for many years to come. I thank you very much Mrs. Bhalla for helping and guiding me as your own son.
Another, one of my special teachers taught me more by her absence than she did by her presence. This dynamic teacher of English ensured that my experience at the school magazine’s editorial board was worth every bit of stress that surrounded it. I am thankful to Mrs. Malini Khatri for being a friend, teacher, mother, guide, confidante, well wisher, morale booster and ego deflator in one person; particularly at the time when I needed the most.
The moments that I spent with the Honorable Principal Mrs. Lata Vaidyanathan have truly gone in a long way in impacting the way in which I look at people and events. Our conversations on a spectrum of topics were often heated. It would be very difficult to have conversations of that nature with your Principal. That is the thing about my Principal that says it all, you are allowed to disagree with her.
To conclude I would like to quote the following lines of from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Ulysses. A favorite of the Kennedy brothers and according to me defines the spirit of a Modern School education
"I am a part of all that I have met
To much is taken, much abides
That which we are, we are --
One equal temper of heroic hearts
Strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
All in all that sums up what I had to say, but for one last thing that this speech is dedicated to my best friend who is not seated amongst us. Thank you.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Monday, September 14, 2009
Something’s Gotta Give…
For all those familiar with my body of work, the title and the rest of this piece of writing may come as surprise (Ah well it may just be a shock!). Anyway, so here it goes.
I have been accustomed to writing, reading, thinking and reading about politics, the economy, war and the likes. You may think this is some old author whose books have occupied the history reference section in a library, picked up seldom but only by the courageous (at their own peril, of course). However, I hate to break it to you I am seventeen going on eighteen. And this is going to be an account of what I am as a teenager beyond the politics, economy and war. This is my first piece of writing about me and not a distant hypothesis of an event gone by.
At first I thought why I should be writing such a piece of work. Well, after great rumination I reached the conclusion- its closure. A teenager talking, debating and arguing about subjects and issues that have only international ramifications (in other words absolutely nothing to do with me!) is often seen as being unique (well, unusual would describe that better, just being nice to myself). As many of my tribe who are caught between being classified as nerds and simply different. Anyone who thinks the above description fits a nerd you will be mistaken. Teenager such as I do not do half as well in academically as anyone would expect.
There have been instances often enough in my short in my life of close to eighteen years when I have felt and reacted in a way teenager would have. Those moments are met with sudden disbelief and a sense of complete alienation from those gratuitous individuals whom I like to call my peers. Well, that is understandable given the uniqueness of my character or as I like to think of it.
After giving you a brief perspective of the individual I am with my various facets mostly contradictory in nature, I come down to the real intention behind this sneak peek into the life of The Sidhant Kumar Marwah (arrogant much, eh? Well, hell yeah!).
The past few months saw a tectonic shift in my life. Friends who I held most dear but were in a stage in life ahead of mine finally moved on. Got on to their lives and prospective careers (might I say potentially illustrious careers!). However here I was facing the last year of school. Feeling alone yet trying my level best to focus on things other than those two wonderful birds that had of course taken flight.
I needed to at this time by popular demand (not so popular with me though!) get down to serious ‘academic’ work putting on hold my non academic pursuits and passions. Now I know why an old friend of mine always said “A poet without a pen is like an alcoholic without his prized bottle of scotch”. Touché wise one, I see it happening to me. So here I was an alcoholic without his prized bottle of scotch. A poet without his pen. And it was apparent to me a teenager without a BFF ( if you know what I mean!).
This phase drew to a close when another potential BFF came around, might I add another wonderful bird. There was an old song that began playing in my mind quite loudly “Why must I be a Teenager in Love?” There you have it the teenager in me kicked in! However, it is not a simple as it seems (well, nothing is if you are me).
There was a twist in the story, a climax in the movie. There was a Third Front ( can’t stay away from political long enough can I?!). Well, a teenager would fume at the third front, make all attempts to destroy the very idea of it or should I say him. This was not to be. The mature me reestablished its supremacy. And I only 'thought' of killing him. However, he is no hero to me now, I still hate his guts and so does the bird for reasons completely distinct from those I spoke of earlier.
I thought my encounter with my teenager self was over and I was back to what I consider most normal. As I said earlier nothing non complex happens to me. The teenager was back with the same song playing aloud the same song- “Why must I be a Teenager in Love?” And there we go again. This time it was when I was being my absolute self standing up for what was right, an epitome of moral rectitude (oh balderdash!). Anyway, so here I was doing what I do best in the mean time saving a damsel in distress. Well, at least apparently to me. However this damsel never seemed even a potential bird. “Why must I be a Teenager in Love?” rings loudly in my mind as before. And then another climax (usually a film has one but it’s me you know it has to be lavish!).
One has always heard history repeats itself or history is circular not linear. However, what the scholars forgot to add was that history repeats itself and completes a full circle sooner than anyone would think. The return of the Third Party (a new one of course!). The realization of this vulture’s existence (not being mean but the tongue of course has to be firmly placed in the cheek!) shrieked the ascent of the teenager in love to a sudden halt.
And then I thought to myself. Just wait a minute, this ain’t me darlin’! This will extract me from an elite tribe of young men and throw me into the general category. I am not going to be associated with a classification that is less than unique. I threw it all up! Indo-Pak relations, drought, the economic crises here I come!
This journey that I took without having the remotest idea of what was about to hit me, was entirely desirable and good fun! If I were to write a book on my life this chapter would be called- An almost Teenager Almost in Love. As this chapter draws to a close I am wiser with the realization that the teenager in me must be let out at times and must have a role in everything that I do. Also, I end this chapter I am more prosperous with a petite damsel as my BFF and the second petite damsel gave me a rare friendship that most would envy. This was for you!
P.S BFF=bird. For anyone who would wonder it to be equivalent to something remotely romantic.
I have been accustomed to writing, reading, thinking and reading about politics, the economy, war and the likes. You may think this is some old author whose books have occupied the history reference section in a library, picked up seldom but only by the courageous (at their own peril, of course). However, I hate to break it to you I am seventeen going on eighteen. And this is going to be an account of what I am as a teenager beyond the politics, economy and war. This is my first piece of writing about me and not a distant hypothesis of an event gone by.
At first I thought why I should be writing such a piece of work. Well, after great rumination I reached the conclusion- its closure. A teenager talking, debating and arguing about subjects and issues that have only international ramifications (in other words absolutely nothing to do with me!) is often seen as being unique (well, unusual would describe that better, just being nice to myself). As many of my tribe who are caught between being classified as nerds and simply different. Anyone who thinks the above description fits a nerd you will be mistaken. Teenager such as I do not do half as well in academically as anyone would expect.
There have been instances often enough in my short in my life of close to eighteen years when I have felt and reacted in a way teenager would have. Those moments are met with sudden disbelief and a sense of complete alienation from those gratuitous individuals whom I like to call my peers. Well, that is understandable given the uniqueness of my character or as I like to think of it.
After giving you a brief perspective of the individual I am with my various facets mostly contradictory in nature, I come down to the real intention behind this sneak peek into the life of The Sidhant Kumar Marwah (arrogant much, eh? Well, hell yeah!).
The past few months saw a tectonic shift in my life. Friends who I held most dear but were in a stage in life ahead of mine finally moved on. Got on to their lives and prospective careers (might I say potentially illustrious careers!). However here I was facing the last year of school. Feeling alone yet trying my level best to focus on things other than those two wonderful birds that had of course taken flight.
I needed to at this time by popular demand (not so popular with me though!) get down to serious ‘academic’ work putting on hold my non academic pursuits and passions. Now I know why an old friend of mine always said “A poet without a pen is like an alcoholic without his prized bottle of scotch”. Touché wise one, I see it happening to me. So here I was an alcoholic without his prized bottle of scotch. A poet without his pen. And it was apparent to me a teenager without a BFF ( if you know what I mean!).
This phase drew to a close when another potential BFF came around, might I add another wonderful bird. There was an old song that began playing in my mind quite loudly “Why must I be a Teenager in Love?” There you have it the teenager in me kicked in! However, it is not a simple as it seems (well, nothing is if you are me).
There was a twist in the story, a climax in the movie. There was a Third Front ( can’t stay away from political long enough can I?!). Well, a teenager would fume at the third front, make all attempts to destroy the very idea of it or should I say him. This was not to be. The mature me reestablished its supremacy. And I only 'thought' of killing him. However, he is no hero to me now, I still hate his guts and so does the bird for reasons completely distinct from those I spoke of earlier.
I thought my encounter with my teenager self was over and I was back to what I consider most normal. As I said earlier nothing non complex happens to me. The teenager was back with the same song playing aloud the same song- “Why must I be a Teenager in Love?” And there we go again. This time it was when I was being my absolute self standing up for what was right, an epitome of moral rectitude (oh balderdash!). Anyway, so here I was doing what I do best in the mean time saving a damsel in distress. Well, at least apparently to me. However this damsel never seemed even a potential bird. “Why must I be a Teenager in Love?” rings loudly in my mind as before. And then another climax (usually a film has one but it’s me you know it has to be lavish!).
One has always heard history repeats itself or history is circular not linear. However, what the scholars forgot to add was that history repeats itself and completes a full circle sooner than anyone would think. The return of the Third Party (a new one of course!). The realization of this vulture’s existence (not being mean but the tongue of course has to be firmly placed in the cheek!) shrieked the ascent of the teenager in love to a sudden halt.
And then I thought to myself. Just wait a minute, this ain’t me darlin’! This will extract me from an elite tribe of young men and throw me into the general category. I am not going to be associated with a classification that is less than unique. I threw it all up! Indo-Pak relations, drought, the economic crises here I come!
This journey that I took without having the remotest idea of what was about to hit me, was entirely desirable and good fun! If I were to write a book on my life this chapter would be called- An almost Teenager Almost in Love. As this chapter draws to a close I am wiser with the realization that the teenager in me must be let out at times and must have a role in everything that I do. Also, I end this chapter I am more prosperous with a petite damsel as my BFF and the second petite damsel gave me a rare friendship that most would envy. This was for you!
P.S BFF=bird. For anyone who would wonder it to be equivalent to something remotely romantic.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
My Independence Day Speech
As I stand under the halo of the tricolor, a proud Indian, I am reminded of Pandit Nehru’s words.
The appointed day has come -the day appointed by destiny-and India stands forth again, after long slumber and struggle; awake and vital as the Golden Bird readies to take flight again. The past clings on to us still in some measure and we have to do much before we redeem the pledges we have so often taken. Yet the turning-point is past, and history begins anew for us, the history which we shall live and act and others will write about.
Today our nation has come to be governed by a breed of rulers rather than people in the service of the country. As Barry Goldwater once said-
“Those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth. And let me remind you, they are the very ones who always create the most hellish tyrannies. Absolute power does corrupt, and those who seek it must be suspect and must be opposed”.
It is time once again for us the people of this great nation to reestablish our authority and restore the lost sheen of the largest democracy of the world.
The system has come be to become the villain for us, in all our ills. What is the system? The system is you and I. The system is the youth of this nation. The system is the occupiers of those arm chairs in plush homes.
Hillary Clinton said on her visit to New Delhi “We share a common trait of rolling up our sleeves to get things done”. Roll up your sleeves dear friends to stir up action that has drowned in rhetoric as words.
How will this be achieved you may ask. The answer lies in the eyes of the children and young adults like those of my brethren seated before me. We make the majority of the people that is considered by the world as the bedrock of knowledge. It is for us to bring about a transformation in our own mindsets. Politics in this nation has been for too long concerned with Lutyen’s Delhi. It is for us to bring Dharavi and Chandini Chowk to Parliament and Raisina Hill, to form the mind and soul of the Government of India.
You may again ask yourself but how. The answer is I can and I will. As Adlai Stevenson said “What do we mean by patriotism in the context of our times? I venture to suggest that what we mean is a sense of national responsibility ... a patriotism which is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime”.
Dear friends Prime Minister Nehru said in the Constituent Assembly declaring Indian Independence on the eve of Independence Day in 1947-
“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially”.
There shall be another tryst with destiny and now we shall redeem our pledge not just substantially but wholly and in full measure.
Jai Hind!
The appointed day has come -the day appointed by destiny-and India stands forth again, after long slumber and struggle; awake and vital as the Golden Bird readies to take flight again. The past clings on to us still in some measure and we have to do much before we redeem the pledges we have so often taken. Yet the turning-point is past, and history begins anew for us, the history which we shall live and act and others will write about.
Today our nation has come to be governed by a breed of rulers rather than people in the service of the country. As Barry Goldwater once said-
“Those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth. And let me remind you, they are the very ones who always create the most hellish tyrannies. Absolute power does corrupt, and those who seek it must be suspect and must be opposed”.
It is time once again for us the people of this great nation to reestablish our authority and restore the lost sheen of the largest democracy of the world.
The system has come be to become the villain for us, in all our ills. What is the system? The system is you and I. The system is the youth of this nation. The system is the occupiers of those arm chairs in plush homes.
Hillary Clinton said on her visit to New Delhi “We share a common trait of rolling up our sleeves to get things done”. Roll up your sleeves dear friends to stir up action that has drowned in rhetoric as words.
How will this be achieved you may ask. The answer lies in the eyes of the children and young adults like those of my brethren seated before me. We make the majority of the people that is considered by the world as the bedrock of knowledge. It is for us to bring about a transformation in our own mindsets. Politics in this nation has been for too long concerned with Lutyen’s Delhi. It is for us to bring Dharavi and Chandini Chowk to Parliament and Raisina Hill, to form the mind and soul of the Government of India.
You may again ask yourself but how. The answer is I can and I will. As Adlai Stevenson said “What do we mean by patriotism in the context of our times? I venture to suggest that what we mean is a sense of national responsibility ... a patriotism which is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime”.
Dear friends Prime Minister Nehru said in the Constituent Assembly declaring Indian Independence on the eve of Independence Day in 1947-
“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially”.
There shall be another tryst with destiny and now we shall redeem our pledge not just substantially but wholly and in full measure.
Jai Hind!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
The Indian Electorate Does not Really Have A Choice
“Politics is a strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage”
- Ambrose Bierce
The General Election 2009 is going to be remembered as the most complex event in history. The confusion began with the ruling United Progressive Alliance being reduced to a mere post poll alliance. The Congress Party refuses to go into alliance with most of its supporters in the alliance. The Left Front musters up another confusing and strange creature called the Third Front. This newly formed alliance of parties with absolutely nothing in common except one; the desire to usurp power from the National Parties namely the Congress and the Bhartiya Janata Party. Matters are further knotted by the breaking away of old allies such as the the Biju Janata Dal from the BJP led alliance and the formation of yet another front with of Lalu Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan. All three of whom were prime supporters of the ruling UPA and two of whom were Cabinet Ministers. Parties like the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar and the AIADMK led J. Jayalalitha have kept everyone guessing. All in all, there is one thing common amongst them all, they all want to be part of the next government.
Indian politics especially in the age of coalitions and fractured mandates is more to do with political expediency than ideology.
Firstly the Left Front led by the CPI (M) supported a Congress led coalition in 2004 without being a part of the Government. So in a sense the UPA Government was always a minority government. The Left has been ideologically opposed to the every policy of the UPA from the word go. It has been on the streets of this nation protesting against a regime which owes its existence to the Left itself. The Congress is the principal opposition for the Left in its bastion states of Kerala and West Bengal. Therefore this was a marriage of convenience which was always meant to end in a bitter divorce. The Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi in the course of their respective campaigns have called the Left’s ideology regressive. But it baffles me when in the same press conference they send overtures to the Left for their support in the 15th Lok Sabha.
The ‘real’ issues (pun intended) in this election are secularism and national security. On one hand you have the Bhartiya Janata Party which is accused of instigating riots that led to the massacre of thousands of Muslims in Gujarat. If I may remind this is also the party whose top leadership stands as accused in the Babri Masjid Demolition Case. On the other hand you have the Congress which is accused of not only instigating but also executing the 1984 Anti Sikh Riots in Delhi. Even when the demolition of the Babri Masjid took place the Congress was in Government at the Centre with P.V Narsimha Rao as Prime Minister yet the demolition took place. Therefore, I have concluded that every political party is as communal and as secular as the other. This ‘holier than thou’ sort of attitude in the Indian polity is unfortunate and has caused a great deal of anguish.
As far as the issue of terrorism is concerned, both parties are accused and guilty of not doing enough for National Security. Attacks on India took place during the reign of both. The Congress is accused of going slow on the execution of Afzal Guru, a convict in the Parliament attack case. The BJP is accused buckling under pressure and releasing dreaded terrorists such as Maulana Masood Azhar who are responsible for uniting Jehadist forces against India. The fact of the matter is real solutions to the problem of security such as police reform and development of an extensive security and intelligence infrastructure in the country have been pushed out of the realm of discussion.
For far too long the Indian electorate has been stuck choosing the better of the worst. We as a nation must strive to convert this into the choice of the best, through participation as candidates and as voters.
- Ambrose Bierce
The General Election 2009 is going to be remembered as the most complex event in history. The confusion began with the ruling United Progressive Alliance being reduced to a mere post poll alliance. The Congress Party refuses to go into alliance with most of its supporters in the alliance. The Left Front musters up another confusing and strange creature called the Third Front. This newly formed alliance of parties with absolutely nothing in common except one; the desire to usurp power from the National Parties namely the Congress and the Bhartiya Janata Party. Matters are further knotted by the breaking away of old allies such as the the Biju Janata Dal from the BJP led alliance and the formation of yet another front with of Lalu Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan. All three of whom were prime supporters of the ruling UPA and two of whom were Cabinet Ministers. Parties like the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar and the AIADMK led J. Jayalalitha have kept everyone guessing. All in all, there is one thing common amongst them all, they all want to be part of the next government.
Indian politics especially in the age of coalitions and fractured mandates is more to do with political expediency than ideology.
Firstly the Left Front led by the CPI (M) supported a Congress led coalition in 2004 without being a part of the Government. So in a sense the UPA Government was always a minority government. The Left has been ideologically opposed to the every policy of the UPA from the word go. It has been on the streets of this nation protesting against a regime which owes its existence to the Left itself. The Congress is the principal opposition for the Left in its bastion states of Kerala and West Bengal. Therefore this was a marriage of convenience which was always meant to end in a bitter divorce. The Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi in the course of their respective campaigns have called the Left’s ideology regressive. But it baffles me when in the same press conference they send overtures to the Left for their support in the 15th Lok Sabha.
The ‘real’ issues (pun intended) in this election are secularism and national security. On one hand you have the Bhartiya Janata Party which is accused of instigating riots that led to the massacre of thousands of Muslims in Gujarat. If I may remind this is also the party whose top leadership stands as accused in the Babri Masjid Demolition Case. On the other hand you have the Congress which is accused of not only instigating but also executing the 1984 Anti Sikh Riots in Delhi. Even when the demolition of the Babri Masjid took place the Congress was in Government at the Centre with P.V Narsimha Rao as Prime Minister yet the demolition took place. Therefore, I have concluded that every political party is as communal and as secular as the other. This ‘holier than thou’ sort of attitude in the Indian polity is unfortunate and has caused a great deal of anguish.
As far as the issue of terrorism is concerned, both parties are accused and guilty of not doing enough for National Security. Attacks on India took place during the reign of both. The Congress is accused of going slow on the execution of Afzal Guru, a convict in the Parliament attack case. The BJP is accused buckling under pressure and releasing dreaded terrorists such as Maulana Masood Azhar who are responsible for uniting Jehadist forces against India. The fact of the matter is real solutions to the problem of security such as police reform and development of an extensive security and intelligence infrastructure in the country have been pushed out of the realm of discussion.
For far too long the Indian electorate has been stuck choosing the better of the worst. We as a nation must strive to convert this into the choice of the best, through participation as candidates and as voters.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Political Expediency and The Presidency
Mulayam Singh Yadav has been credited to have said that his party would support any formation at the centre that would remove a democratically elected Chief Minister. This article is in light of alleged political deals being made on the dismissal of the Mayawati Government in UP.
In the words of Richard Armour
“Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.”
The Indian Presidency for long has been cast under the shadow of political malice. The election of the President every five years brings to my mind only one thought that is of irresponsible political polemicisim.
The party politics we are talking about today is a represents the fragmentation of the Indian people. The Indian people today do not bother to vote; even if they do the wrong people are being elected. From representatives and the servants of the people politicians have become tyrannical monarchs. We are responsible for the creation of this breed of rulers. Here I would like to quote Edmund Burke “For evil to flourish; the good have to nothing and evil shall flourish”.
The President is not merely a Chancellor sitting at convocations, but an important constitutional functionary. The President is required to act independently and his actions require constitutional knowledge as well political wisdom .Many Presidents from Rajendra Prasad to A P J Abdul Kalam have done just that - acted with political wisdom - while others - like Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and Zail Singh - have been accused of meekly towing the line of the central leadership. No wonder you today call the presidency a stamp. The frequent use of Article 356 of the Constitution is an instance of the Presidency being marred by party politics. The Janta Party Government made N. Sanjiva Reddy dismiss 9 state governments as they thought the Congress had no moral reason to be in government since they were put out of power in the centre. As soon as Mrs. Gandhi was back in power the same state governments were again dismissed by the same president.
A President is with out doubt a ceremonial Head of State. The Constitution of India empowers the President to be the conscience of the state. The President of India has to be a person who inspires the people to achieve enormous success- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam perhaps personifies that. It is also vital that the Presidency should command the trust and respect from the people which would actually mean belief in the Government.
In the words of Ernest Benn
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.”
In the words of Richard Armour
“Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.”
The Indian Presidency for long has been cast under the shadow of political malice. The election of the President every five years brings to my mind only one thought that is of irresponsible political polemicisim.
The party politics we are talking about today is a represents the fragmentation of the Indian people. The Indian people today do not bother to vote; even if they do the wrong people are being elected. From representatives and the servants of the people politicians have become tyrannical monarchs. We are responsible for the creation of this breed of rulers. Here I would like to quote Edmund Burke “For evil to flourish; the good have to nothing and evil shall flourish”.
The President is not merely a Chancellor sitting at convocations, but an important constitutional functionary. The President is required to act independently and his actions require constitutional knowledge as well political wisdom .Many Presidents from Rajendra Prasad to A P J Abdul Kalam have done just that - acted with political wisdom - while others - like Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and Zail Singh - have been accused of meekly towing the line of the central leadership. No wonder you today call the presidency a stamp. The frequent use of Article 356 of the Constitution is an instance of the Presidency being marred by party politics. The Janta Party Government made N. Sanjiva Reddy dismiss 9 state governments as they thought the Congress had no moral reason to be in government since they were put out of power in the centre. As soon as Mrs. Gandhi was back in power the same state governments were again dismissed by the same president.
A President is with out doubt a ceremonial Head of State. The Constitution of India empowers the President to be the conscience of the state. The President of India has to be a person who inspires the people to achieve enormous success- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam perhaps personifies that. It is also vital that the Presidency should command the trust and respect from the people which would actually mean belief in the Government.
In the words of Ernest Benn
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.”
Thursday, May 7, 2009
They’re Over!
Twenty Seventh Day of March in our Lord’s year 2008. You may be wondering why I am expressing myself as if I am writing history. Well, for only one reason it was a historic day for my fellow crusaders of the tenth standard who bid adieu to turmoil and embraced a new phase in their lives. The board exam is an excruciating yet significant event which comes with god’s grace twice in a student’s life. In the course of this article I will attempt to make you think again about our education set up and the board exams.
Recent reports compiled by a Washington based think tank said that Indian students are among the brightest in the world but the education system has terribly failed to harness this potential and convert it into economic gains. As the industrial era draws to a close a new world order has set in with knowledge at the helm of its economy. Education and knowledge will replace high production as a pre requisite for economic prosperity.
It is more relevant today than ever before to demand for the latest in education. Let me bolster my argument by giving an example- if you apply for a job with Infosys Technologies and if you’re lucky enough to get it you need to undergo another year of training before you can join the company. So this means what you learnt at engineering school is not enough. This implies that education institutes are not teaching what one needs when one enters industry. It is high time we demand a revamp of the education system in this country.
The only grudge I have against the Central Board of Secondary Education is that it thinks examination is the only method of evaluation. It’s almost suicidal to believe that examination is evaluation rather than examinations being a component of evaluation. The world over, educationists are moving away from examination centric systems. New procedures for holistic evaluation are being devised in practically every country. We have almost frozen in time as far as education in India is concerned. I am unwilling to believe that we do not posses the capability to innovate new methods of evaluation. The present system according to me should be locked up in a museum for the future generations to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors.
The buzz word these days as the case is every year when the Board exams are on is ‘stress’. I implore you to see the present scenario. On the basis of the three hours a student is given to manifest his or her abilities on paper, his or her whole life is decided. From the job he gets, the salary he shall receive to his standing in society is decided by just two examinations. And an examiner needs to spend just 14 minutes to pass an unchallengeable judgment on your intellectual capabilities.
Taking the average human life at 65 years one will spend 569400 hours on earth. Interestingly, 569370 hours of your life depends on the 30 hours you spend giving board exams. So 0.0052% of your life determines the nature of your entire life. Now, if you don’t get stressed in these circumstances then I think you will be revered in temples across the nation.
The Central Board of Secondary Education can give the CIA a run for its money when it comes to secrecy. There is no transparency in the manner in which answer sheets are evaluated. Whenever questioned over transparency the Board conveniently says that it is not practical for it to provide the transparency the victims of the horrors of the board demand. The Tamil Nadu education board provides photocopies of a candidate’s answer scripts on demand and on the payment of postal costs. After which a student can raise his or her grievances with the Board. This defeats the very excuse the CBSE is trying to give all of us over the issue of transparency.
In conclusion I would say the Board Examination is the largest form state sanctioned terrorism in the world even larger than what the al- Qaeda had unleashed with 9/11. The CBSE must be tried for Crimes Against Humanities in The Hague. Last but not the least we need to come together in order to arm twist our dear elected representatives to initiate change in this sphere.
Recent reports compiled by a Washington based think tank said that Indian students are among the brightest in the world but the education system has terribly failed to harness this potential and convert it into economic gains. As the industrial era draws to a close a new world order has set in with knowledge at the helm of its economy. Education and knowledge will replace high production as a pre requisite for economic prosperity.
It is more relevant today than ever before to demand for the latest in education. Let me bolster my argument by giving an example- if you apply for a job with Infosys Technologies and if you’re lucky enough to get it you need to undergo another year of training before you can join the company. So this means what you learnt at engineering school is not enough. This implies that education institutes are not teaching what one needs when one enters industry. It is high time we demand a revamp of the education system in this country.
The only grudge I have against the Central Board of Secondary Education is that it thinks examination is the only method of evaluation. It’s almost suicidal to believe that examination is evaluation rather than examinations being a component of evaluation. The world over, educationists are moving away from examination centric systems. New procedures for holistic evaluation are being devised in practically every country. We have almost frozen in time as far as education in India is concerned. I am unwilling to believe that we do not posses the capability to innovate new methods of evaluation. The present system according to me should be locked up in a museum for the future generations to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors.
The buzz word these days as the case is every year when the Board exams are on is ‘stress’. I implore you to see the present scenario. On the basis of the three hours a student is given to manifest his or her abilities on paper, his or her whole life is decided. From the job he gets, the salary he shall receive to his standing in society is decided by just two examinations. And an examiner needs to spend just 14 minutes to pass an unchallengeable judgment on your intellectual capabilities.
Taking the average human life at 65 years one will spend 569400 hours on earth. Interestingly, 569370 hours of your life depends on the 30 hours you spend giving board exams. So 0.0052% of your life determines the nature of your entire life. Now, if you don’t get stressed in these circumstances then I think you will be revered in temples across the nation.
The Central Board of Secondary Education can give the CIA a run for its money when it comes to secrecy. There is no transparency in the manner in which answer sheets are evaluated. Whenever questioned over transparency the Board conveniently says that it is not practical for it to provide the transparency the victims of the horrors of the board demand. The Tamil Nadu education board provides photocopies of a candidate’s answer scripts on demand and on the payment of postal costs. After which a student can raise his or her grievances with the Board. This defeats the very excuse the CBSE is trying to give all of us over the issue of transparency.
In conclusion I would say the Board Examination is the largest form state sanctioned terrorism in the world even larger than what the al- Qaeda had unleashed with 9/11. The CBSE must be tried for Crimes Against Humanities in The Hague. Last but not the least we need to come together in order to arm twist our dear elected representatives to initiate change in this sphere.
Alcohol and Drug Addiction
We have fast cars and mobile phones. We have designer clothes and luxurious houses but broken homes.
All of us live in an age of transition. Every one of us is running in a race. In this race to the future we have abandoned our treasures of the past.
Drugs and alcohol have become a part of every urban Indian household. A number of people take refuge in these vices without understanding the consequences. The law enforcement agencies in this country have failed terribly to control the spread of narcotic substances. The kind of access and the influence that the drug mafia exercises over all our cities is a very worrying. I know that all of you understand the threat posed by drugs. Therefore let me begin with the causes.
We are witnessing historic changes in the social fabric of the country. Globalization has led to what I call aping the west. We have not only adopted the good of the west but we have also adopted the ghastly. One may argue that this problem existed even before the process of globalization started. My answer to that is the number of victims has risen astronomically only in the past five or ten years.
Another challenge that we face in the battle against drugs is that there is a lack of awareness. The unrelenting yet tentative curiosity of a teenager leads him to discussions in the peer group. Now, in the peer group the person who asks a question is as ignorant as the person who answers it. So these bands of teenagers end up believing in notions that are inherently distorted and a far cry from reality. The monstrous ramification? We have successfully created drug eating zombies.
Society generally condemns addiction to drugs. Drug addicts need sympathy and help rather than apathy and social exclusions. Addiction to drugs and alcohol needs to be treated as a disease rather than an illicit habit. At the school level there needs to be a separate and specific legal and frame work under which drug addicts can be rehabilitated and peddlers severely punished. The law needs to make clear distinctions between the predator and the prey.
Indian culture is more dynamic than most of us think. Our most valued treasure- family traditions are being forgotten in the race for money and fame. In the age of cultural assimilation we are bound to be effected by influences from the west. Therefore it is more relevant today than ever before for us sit up and take notice of the blind acceptance of western lifestyles. . History is witness:
Let us not commit the same mistakes as the west. Let us make our own mistakes I am sure we’ll have plenty of them.
I rest my case at that.
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