from Prof. Baral through email.
Dear Pranay:
Hope you will have time between your cricket and hockey watching to read the following. :-)
Last year I came across information regarding Ratnagiri, Lalitagiri and Udayagiri Complex and Puspagiri (all in Odisha) being (part of) an ancient Buddhist university comparable to Nalanda.
While I had read about Nalanda and Taxila in high school, and read about the recent revival of Nalanda University (with efforts led by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen and President Kalam) I had not heard of Ratnagiri and Puspagiri, even though Ratnagiri is about 70 kms from Cuttack (and 100 kms from Bhubaneswar).
The comparison of Ratnagiri and Puspagiri with Nalanda intrigued me and for the last year or so I started exploring and researching the Buddhist art history and archaeology literature to find out more about Ratnagiri (Lalitagiri and Udayagiri) and Puspagiri and how they compared to Nalanda. In the process I exchanged mails and met with Professor Thomas Donaldson of Cleveland State University who has written several books on Art history and archaeology of Odisha and India. He gave me several pointers. I also met professors at Utkal University who do research on these areas and went with some of them to see Ratnagiri, Lalitagri and Udayagiri.
I am astounded by what I found through my exploration and research. The Buddhist art history literature is replete with references and mentions of comparisons between Ratnagiri and Nalanda. Following are some samples:
0. Professor Thomas Donaldson (in his email):
As you know Ratnagiri was a rival to Nalanda as a site of Buddhist learning and some later Tibetan texts even ascribe the origin of Mahayana and Tantrayana to Ratnagiri. Collectively the three closely situated sites certainly compare artistically to the site of Nalanda ...
1. From the Archaeological Survey of India Brochure made available at the Archaeological Musuem at Ratnagiri:
Extensive excavations conducted at the site by the Archaeological Survey of India between 1958 and 1961 have brought to light remains of a Buddhist establishment consisting of stupas, monastic complexes and temples hitherto unparalleled in Orissa and comparable to the well known Buddhist site at Nalanda.
2. From pages 226-227 of Debala Mitra’s book: Buddhist Monuments (Debala Mitra was the Director General of Archaeological Survey of India between 1975-1983)
Ratnagiri-mahavihara … It played a significant role in disseminating Buddhist culture and religion forming itself, like Nalanda, an important religious and philosophical academy, to which flocked the entrants and scholars to take lessons from the intellectual stalwarts of Buddhism.
… Indeed, excavations have revealed that here was an establishment that can be compared with that of Nalanda. In the overwhelming number of portable monolithic stupas Ratnagiri can compete even with Bodh-Gaya.
3. From page 152 of Debala Mitra’s book: Ratnagiri
Monastery 1 … Not a single monastery of Nalanda, which has yielded so far the largest number of spectacular structural monasteries , can compete with this one in respect of embellishment.
4. Page 114 of Sunita Dwivedi’s “Buddhist heritage sites of India”
Lalitgiri, Udaygiri and Ratnagiri in Cuttack district on the banks of river Birupa are famous as the `golden traingle’ of Orissa. … The triangle is supposed to have been the famous Puspagiri monastic complex mentioned by Hiuen Tsang. It was considered as an important seat of Buddhist learning, next only to Taxila and Nalanda.
5. Page 143 from “Tourism in India and India's economic development” By Kartik Chandra Roy, Clement Allan Tisdell
The Ratnagiri Vihara like the Puspagiri Vihara was known throughout the Buddhist world as a great center of learning, and a rival to Nalanda.
6. Yojana: Volume 43 India planning commission, India Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
According to archaeologists, a Buddhist University known as Pushpagiri Vihar was located on the hills about 70 kilometers from Cuttack. Since it was as important as Nalanda and Takshila, the Chinese traveller Huen Tsang visited this place.
7. The Maha Bodhi: Volume 95
In about 5th century AD, a Buddhist academy under the title of Puspagiri Vihara came into existence in Ratnagiri. This academy, rather university, was in a very prosperous condition like Nalanda and Vikramashila.
More details and more quotes are in the attached power point slides.
Considering the very low level of awareness about Ratnagiri (Lalitagiri and Udayagiri) among people from Odisha, let alone among Indians and others, I think it is important that we make some serious efforts to increase awareness about this.
But more importantly, Ratnagiri being a contemporary and competitor of Nalanda means that it was one of the early universities of the world. This is of great significance; perhaps as significant or may be even more significant than the Konark temple, Lord Jagannath Temple, and various temples in Bhubaneswar, as those places were (a) places of worship with (b) great architectural as well as artistic value; while Ratnagiri (Lalitagiri and Udayagiri) in addition to having those two attributes also have the added dimension of being one of the early centers of knowledge in the world.
In other words the Ratnagiri, Lalitagiri and Udayagiri complexes, as one among the first (pre) universities in the world, may be the biggest contribution of Odisha to the world and the mankind.
Yet, this is not much known in Odisha, India or the world; outside of Buddhist art history and archaeology research circles.
As ambassadors of Odisha, we ought to make efforts to address this.
I discussed this with Annapurna apa (President of the Orissa Society of America and a faculty in Anthropology teaching at the University of California Santa Cruz) and we both agree that we should make an all out effort to make this known around the world and in the process revive this ancient university.
We would like your help towards that effort. As a start, we would like to invite you to be a member of the Ratnagiri-Lalitagiri-Udayagiri Knowledge Complex revival committee. Our immediate plan is to organize a meeting about this in July 2012 and formulate a steering committee that will lead the efforts to (re)establish a university there perhaps called the Ratnagiri-Puspagiri International University.
We look forward to hearing from you on this.
sincerely,
Chitta
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Thursday, August 18, 2011
A Letter to JRD from a Girl
Have Passion!
It was probably the April of 1974. Bangalore was getting warm and gulmohars were blooming at the IISc campus. I was the only girl in my postgraduate department and was staying at the ladies' hostel. Other girls were pursuing research in different departments of Science.
I was looking forward to going abroad to complete a doctorate in computer science. I had been offered scholarships from Universities in the US... I had not thought of taking up a job in India.
One day, while on the way to my hostel from our lecture-hall complex, I saw an advertisement on the notice board. It was a standard job-requirement notice from the famous automobile company Telco (now Tata Motors)... It stated that the company required young, bright engineers, hardworking and with an excellent academic background, etc.
At the bottom was a small line: 'Lady Candidates need not apply.'
I read it and was very upset. For the first time in my life I was up against gender discrimination.
Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge. I had done extremely well in academics, better than most of my male peers...
Little did I know then that in real life academic excellence is not enough to be successful?
After reading the notice I went fuming to my room. I decided to inform the topmost person in Telco's management about the injustice the company was perpetrating. I got a postcard and started to write, but there was a problem: I did not know who headed Telco
I thought it must be one of the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata was the head of the Tata Group; I had seen his pictures in newspapers (actually, Sumant Moolgaokar was the company's chairman then) I took the card, addressed it to JRD and started writing. To this day I remember clearly what I wrote.
'The great Tatas have always been pioneers. They are the people who started the basic infrastructure industries in India, such as iron and steel, chemicals, textiles and locomotives they have cared for higher education in India since 1900 and they were responsible for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I study there. But I am surprised how a company such as Telco is discriminating on the basis of gender.'
I posted the letter and forgot about it. Less than 10 days later, I received a telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview at Telco's Pune facility at the company's expense. I was taken aback by the telegram. My hostel mate told me I should use the opportunity to go to Pune free of cost and buy them the famous Pune saris for cheap! I collected Rs30 each from everyone who wanted a sari when I look back, I feel like laughing at the reasons for my going, but back then they seemed good enough to make the trip.
It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city.
To this day it remains dear to me. I feel as much at home in Pune as I do in Hubli, my hometown. The place changed my life in so many ways. As directed, I went to Telco's Pimpri office for the interview.
There were six people on the panel and I realized then that this was serious business.
'This is the girl who wrote to JRD,' I heard somebody whisper as soon as I entered the room. By then I knew for sure that I would not get the job. The realization abolished all fear from my mind, so I was rather cool while the interview was being conducted.
Even before the interview started, I reckoned the panel was biased, so I told them, rather impolitely, 'I hope this is only a technical interview.'
They were taken aback by my rudeness, and even today I am ashamed about my attitude.
The panel asked me technical questions and I answered all of them.
Then an elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me, 'Do you know why we said lady candidates need not apply? The reason is that we have never employed any ladies on the shop floor. This is not a co-ed college; this is a factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker throughout. We appreciate that, but people like you should work in research laboratories.
I was a young girl from small-town Hubli. My world had been a limited place.
I did not know the ways of large corporate houses and their difficulties, so I answered, 'But you must start somewhere, otherwise no woman will ever be able to work in your factories.'
Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful. So this was what the future had in store for me. Never had I thought I would take up a job in Pune. I met a shy young man from Karnataka there, we became good friends and we got married.
It was only after joining Telco that I realized who JRD was: the uncrowned king of Indian industry. Now I was scared, but I did not get to meet him till I was transferred to Bombay. One day I had to show some reports to Mr Moolgaokar, our chairman, who we all knew as SM. I was in his office on the first floor of Bombay House (the Tata headquarters) when, suddenly JRD walked in. That was the first time I saw 'appro JRD'. Appro means 'our' in Gujarati. This was the affectionate term by which people at Bombay House called him.
I was feeling very nervous, remembering my postcard episode. SM introduced me nicely, 'Jeh (that's what his close associates called him), this young woman is an engineer and that too a postgraduate.
She is the first woman to work on the Telco shop floor.' JRD looked at me. I was praying he would not ask me any questions about my interview (or the postcard that preceded it).
Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, he remarked. 'It is nice that girls are getting into engineering in our country. By the way, what is your name?'
'When I joined Telco I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir,' I replied. 'Now I am Sudha Murthy.' He smiled and kindly smile and started a discussion with SM. As for me, I almost ran out of the room.
After that I used to see JRD on and off. He was the Tata Group chairman and I was merely an engineer. There was nothing that we had in common. I was in awe of him.
One day I was waiting for Murthy, my husband, to pick me up after office hours. To my surprise I saw JRD standing next to me. I did not know how to react. Yet again I started worrying about that postcard. Looking back, I realize JRD had forgotten about it. It must have been a small incident for him, but not so for me.
'Young lady, why are you here?' he asked. 'Office time is over.' I said, 'Sir, I'm waiting for my husband to come and pick me up.' JRD said, 'It is getting dark and there's no one in the corridor.
I'll wait with you till your husband comes.'
I was quite used to waiting for Murthy, but having JRD waiting alongside made me extremely uncomfortable.
I was nervous. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at him. He wore a simple white pant and shirt. He was old, yet his face was glowing. There wasn't any air of superiority about him. I was thinking, 'Look at this person. He is a chairman, a well-respected man in our country and he is waiting for the sake of an ordinary employee.'
Then I saw Murthy and I rushed out. JRD called and said, 'Young lady, tell your husband never to make his wife wait again.' In 1982 I had to resign from my job at Telco. I was reluctant to go, but I really did not have a choice. I was coming down the steps of Bombay House after wrapping up my final settlement when I saw JRD coming up. He was absorbed in thought. I wanted to say goodbye to him, so I stopped. He saw me and paused.
Gently, he said, 'So what are you doing, Mrs. Kulkarni?' (That was the way he always addressed me.) 'Sir, I am leaving Telco.'
'Where are you going?' he asked. 'Pune, Sir. My husband is starting a company called Infosys and I'm shifting to Pune.'
'Oh! And what will you do when you are successful.'
'Sir, I don't know whether we will be successful.' 'Never start with diffidence,' he advised me 'Always start with confidence. When you are successful you must give back to society. Society gives us so much; we must reciprocate. Wish you all the best.'
Then JRD continued walking up the stairs. I stood there for what seemed like a millennium. That was the last time I saw him alive.
Many years later I met Ratan Tata in the same Bombay House, occupying the chair JRD once did. I told him of my many sweet memories of working with Telco. Later, he wrote to me, 'It was nice hearing about Jeh from you.
The sad part is that he's not alive to see you today.'
I consider JRD a great man because, despite being an extremely busy person, he valued one postcard written by a young girl seeking justice. He must have received thousands of letters everyday. He could have thrown mine away, but he didn't do that. He respected the intentions of that unknown girl, who had neither influence nor money, and gave her an opportunity in his company. He did not merely give her a job; he changed her life and mindset forever.
Close to 50 per cent of the students in today's engineering colleges are girls. And there are women on the shop floor in many industry segments. I see these changes and I think of JRD. If at all time stops and asks me what I want from life, I would say I wish JRD were alive today to see how the company we started has grown. He would have enjoyed it wholeheartedly.
My love and respect for the House of Tata remains undiminished by the passage of time. I always looked up to JRD. I saw him as a role model for his simplicity, his generosity, his kindness and the care he took of his employees. Those blue eyes always reminded me of the sky; they had the same vastness and magnificence.
(Sudha Murthy is a widely published writer and chairperson of the Infosys Foundation involved in a number of social development initiatives. Infosys chairman Narayana Murthy is her husband.)
Article sourced from: Lasting Legacies (Tata Review- Special Commemorative Issue 2004), brought out by the house of Tatas to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of JRD Tata on July 29, 2004 .
It was probably the April of 1974. Bangalore was getting warm and gulmohars were blooming at the IISc campus. I was the only girl in my postgraduate department and was staying at the ladies' hostel. Other girls were pursuing research in different departments of Science.
I was looking forward to going abroad to complete a doctorate in computer science. I had been offered scholarships from Universities in the US... I had not thought of taking up a job in India.
One day, while on the way to my hostel from our lecture-hall complex, I saw an advertisement on the notice board. It was a standard job-requirement notice from the famous automobile company Telco (now Tata Motors)... It stated that the company required young, bright engineers, hardworking and with an excellent academic background, etc.
At the bottom was a small line: 'Lady Candidates need not apply.'
I read it and was very upset. For the first time in my life I was up against gender discrimination.
Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge. I had done extremely well in academics, better than most of my male peers...
Little did I know then that in real life academic excellence is not enough to be successful?
After reading the notice I went fuming to my room. I decided to inform the topmost person in Telco's management about the injustice the company was perpetrating. I got a postcard and started to write, but there was a problem: I did not know who headed Telco
I thought it must be one of the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata was the head of the Tata Group; I had seen his pictures in newspapers (actually, Sumant Moolgaokar was the company's chairman then) I took the card, addressed it to JRD and started writing. To this day I remember clearly what I wrote.
'The great Tatas have always been pioneers. They are the people who started the basic infrastructure industries in India, such as iron and steel, chemicals, textiles and locomotives they have cared for higher education in India since 1900 and they were responsible for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I study there. But I am surprised how a company such as Telco is discriminating on the basis of gender.'
I posted the letter and forgot about it. Less than 10 days later, I received a telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview at Telco's Pune facility at the company's expense. I was taken aback by the telegram. My hostel mate told me I should use the opportunity to go to Pune free of cost and buy them the famous Pune saris for cheap! I collected Rs30 each from everyone who wanted a sari when I look back, I feel like laughing at the reasons for my going, but back then they seemed good enough to make the trip.
It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city.
To this day it remains dear to me. I feel as much at home in Pune as I do in Hubli, my hometown. The place changed my life in so many ways. As directed, I went to Telco's Pimpri office for the interview.
There were six people on the panel and I realized then that this was serious business.
'This is the girl who wrote to JRD,' I heard somebody whisper as soon as I entered the room. By then I knew for sure that I would not get the job. The realization abolished all fear from my mind, so I was rather cool while the interview was being conducted.
Even before the interview started, I reckoned the panel was biased, so I told them, rather impolitely, 'I hope this is only a technical interview.'
They were taken aback by my rudeness, and even today I am ashamed about my attitude.
The panel asked me technical questions and I answered all of them.
Then an elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me, 'Do you know why we said lady candidates need not apply? The reason is that we have never employed any ladies on the shop floor. This is not a co-ed college; this is a factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker throughout. We appreciate that, but people like you should work in research laboratories.
I was a young girl from small-town Hubli. My world had been a limited place.
I did not know the ways of large corporate houses and their difficulties, so I answered, 'But you must start somewhere, otherwise no woman will ever be able to work in your factories.'
Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful. So this was what the future had in store for me. Never had I thought I would take up a job in Pune. I met a shy young man from Karnataka there, we became good friends and we got married.
It was only after joining Telco that I realized who JRD was: the uncrowned king of Indian industry. Now I was scared, but I did not get to meet him till I was transferred to Bombay. One day I had to show some reports to Mr Moolgaokar, our chairman, who we all knew as SM. I was in his office on the first floor of Bombay House (the Tata headquarters) when, suddenly JRD walked in. That was the first time I saw 'appro JRD'. Appro means 'our' in Gujarati. This was the affectionate term by which people at Bombay House called him.
I was feeling very nervous, remembering my postcard episode. SM introduced me nicely, 'Jeh (that's what his close associates called him), this young woman is an engineer and that too a postgraduate.
She is the first woman to work on the Telco shop floor.' JRD looked at me. I was praying he would not ask me any questions about my interview (or the postcard that preceded it).
Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, he remarked. 'It is nice that girls are getting into engineering in our country. By the way, what is your name?'
'When I joined Telco I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir,' I replied. 'Now I am Sudha Murthy.' He smiled and kindly smile and started a discussion with SM. As for me, I almost ran out of the room.
After that I used to see JRD on and off. He was the Tata Group chairman and I was merely an engineer. There was nothing that we had in common. I was in awe of him.
One day I was waiting for Murthy, my husband, to pick me up after office hours. To my surprise I saw JRD standing next to me. I did not know how to react. Yet again I started worrying about that postcard. Looking back, I realize JRD had forgotten about it. It must have been a small incident for him, but not so for me.
'Young lady, why are you here?' he asked. 'Office time is over.' I said, 'Sir, I'm waiting for my husband to come and pick me up.' JRD said, 'It is getting dark and there's no one in the corridor.
I'll wait with you till your husband comes.'
I was quite used to waiting for Murthy, but having JRD waiting alongside made me extremely uncomfortable.
I was nervous. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at him. He wore a simple white pant and shirt. He was old, yet his face was glowing. There wasn't any air of superiority about him. I was thinking, 'Look at this person. He is a chairman, a well-respected man in our country and he is waiting for the sake of an ordinary employee.'
Then I saw Murthy and I rushed out. JRD called and said, 'Young lady, tell your husband never to make his wife wait again.' In 1982 I had to resign from my job at Telco. I was reluctant to go, but I really did not have a choice. I was coming down the steps of Bombay House after wrapping up my final settlement when I saw JRD coming up. He was absorbed in thought. I wanted to say goodbye to him, so I stopped. He saw me and paused.
Gently, he said, 'So what are you doing, Mrs. Kulkarni?' (That was the way he always addressed me.) 'Sir, I am leaving Telco.'
'Where are you going?' he asked. 'Pune, Sir. My husband is starting a company called Infosys and I'm shifting to Pune.'
'Oh! And what will you do when you are successful.'
'Sir, I don't know whether we will be successful.' 'Never start with diffidence,' he advised me 'Always start with confidence. When you are successful you must give back to society. Society gives us so much; we must reciprocate. Wish you all the best.'
Then JRD continued walking up the stairs. I stood there for what seemed like a millennium. That was the last time I saw him alive.
Many years later I met Ratan Tata in the same Bombay House, occupying the chair JRD once did. I told him of my many sweet memories of working with Telco. Later, he wrote to me, 'It was nice hearing about Jeh from you.
The sad part is that he's not alive to see you today.'
I consider JRD a great man because, despite being an extremely busy person, he valued one postcard written by a young girl seeking justice. He must have received thousands of letters everyday. He could have thrown mine away, but he didn't do that. He respected the intentions of that unknown girl, who had neither influence nor money, and gave her an opportunity in his company. He did not merely give her a job; he changed her life and mindset forever.
Close to 50 per cent of the students in today's engineering colleges are girls. And there are women on the shop floor in many industry segments. I see these changes and I think of JRD. If at all time stops and asks me what I want from life, I would say I wish JRD were alive today to see how the company we started has grown. He would have enjoyed it wholeheartedly.
My love and respect for the House of Tata remains undiminished by the passage of time. I always looked up to JRD. I saw him as a role model for his simplicity, his generosity, his kindness and the care he took of his employees. Those blue eyes always reminded me of the sky; they had the same vastness and magnificence.
(Sudha Murthy is a widely published writer and chairperson of the Infosys Foundation involved in a number of social development initiatives. Infosys chairman Narayana Murthy is her husband.)
Article sourced from: Lasting Legacies (Tata Review- Special Commemorative Issue 2004), brought out by the house of Tatas to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of JRD Tata on July 29, 2004 .
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Jai had one, Veeru had one, But I had (have) many...
At the twilight of childhood, there was this uncertain yet amusing feeling of stepping into adolescence. Not exactly a pair of reluctant legs, but certainly an inquisitive mind that was all set to run like a Forest Gump. Always had friends, may be was not so sure of the kind of world that would be unfurling in the days to come. As if life was all about being good in the classroom and outside of it there was a freaky yet fresh sky bestowing all the blessings. Study, play, laugh and dream- togetherness had only these inherent hygiene factors. Never had an idea what was up in store. Guys who one felt good to be with were too generously called friends and the pinch of innocence was probably the real beauty.
At 11, oh my gaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwssssssshhhhhh- I was 11 then, went to something- allow me to call it a hostel. It was the beginning of a new chapter in my life where I started to learn something called ‘sharing’. Being the 1st child of my parents, I was always the most pampered one and hence never perhaps cared for that term, or may be never had to. Sense and sensibility were reserved for a latter time. Then once I went home with a friend’s shirt covering the top half of my body. Well, I would vouch for the fact that it was not out of a kind of possessiveness, just a plain coincidence. My mom would scream at me and ask me not to do that again as if putting on someoneelse’s shirt was against the law of nature. I had no idea why she said what she said to me. About one and a half decade later when I was to go under the scalpel for a freaky injury that I had picked for over-stretching to reach out to a shuttle cock which got only worse with every game that I played, there was a group of buddies who left no stones unturned to ensure that I did not feel all by myself, broke all possible rules to be with me, share the fun that they had apparently brought to a room on the 7th floor of the hospital. One would take my mom to the ground floor for food and another would lit a fag and 4-5 agarbatties also to beat the raising eyebrows. Another would bring a nai to the room saying that the nurses would care better if I looked your normal self. They would take the doctors on duty for a cool ride asking questions that they would not normally hear from the acquaintances of a patient who had just undergone a surgery. Worse, from the discharge desk straight to a cabre dancer so that my pain was not felt. Back in the hostel they shifted my stuff to a room in a ground floor near to the loo and a chair cut in a way so that it became a commode for me as i was advised not to squat or stoop. Cutting short their times at labs, canteen and playground they would all join me in my room so that I was not left talking to myself. Guess what, they also shifted the TV which was there in our hostel canteen to my room because the world cup was on and others were kind enough not to complain. Am sure chetan bhagat would have borrowed few leafs had he known all these.
Dad stayed for few days but was not aware of all these. However, mom quietly took note of all those small things. After a good when she was to leave to join back her job, she would come to me and said with two lines of tears dropping down her cheeks, ‘now I know why you always care(d) so much for your friends’. Now my mom is proud of my friends as much she is for me.
Love you guys just being the way you are.
At 11, oh my gaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwssssssshhhhhh- I was 11 then, went to something- allow me to call it a hostel. It was the beginning of a new chapter in my life where I started to learn something called ‘sharing’. Being the 1st child of my parents, I was always the most pampered one and hence never perhaps cared for that term, or may be never had to. Sense and sensibility were reserved for a latter time. Then once I went home with a friend’s shirt covering the top half of my body. Well, I would vouch for the fact that it was not out of a kind of possessiveness, just a plain coincidence. My mom would scream at me and ask me not to do that again as if putting on someoneelse’s shirt was against the law of nature. I had no idea why she said what she said to me. About one and a half decade later when I was to go under the scalpel for a freaky injury that I had picked for over-stretching to reach out to a shuttle cock which got only worse with every game that I played, there was a group of buddies who left no stones unturned to ensure that I did not feel all by myself, broke all possible rules to be with me, share the fun that they had apparently brought to a room on the 7th floor of the hospital. One would take my mom to the ground floor for food and another would lit a fag and 4-5 agarbatties also to beat the raising eyebrows. Another would bring a nai to the room saying that the nurses would care better if I looked your normal self. They would take the doctors on duty for a cool ride asking questions that they would not normally hear from the acquaintances of a patient who had just undergone a surgery. Worse, from the discharge desk straight to a cabre dancer so that my pain was not felt. Back in the hostel they shifted my stuff to a room in a ground floor near to the loo and a chair cut in a way so that it became a commode for me as i was advised not to squat or stoop. Cutting short their times at labs, canteen and playground they would all join me in my room so that I was not left talking to myself. Guess what, they also shifted the TV which was there in our hostel canteen to my room because the world cup was on and others were kind enough not to complain. Am sure chetan bhagat would have borrowed few leafs had he known all these.
Dad stayed for few days but was not aware of all these. However, mom quietly took note of all those small things. After a good when she was to leave to join back her job, she would come to me and said with two lines of tears dropping down her cheeks, ‘now I know why you always care(d) so much for your friends’. Now my mom is proud of my friends as much she is for me.
Love you guys just being the way you are.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The more I change the more I remain the same
Caveat: ‘I’ am an imaginary construct. Any resemblance whatsoever to anyone dead or alive is a mere coincidence...
Ever since I gained something close to consciousness, I have been seeing/hearing ‘chalta hai’. So I stopped chasing excellence. There was something within me which simply hesitated to dig deep and put in the required effort as that something within me always saw mediocrity being promoted. Merit was a good virtue to possess, but then there was always an ‘another’ who would go past me either because of his/her surname or a long hand(le).
Was excited abt my 18th birthday. Unfortunate that I was and still am left with no choice but to elect/select the ‘less bad’. When we allow someone that we know not the best one around to make policies, they are bound to go haywire. And, we stand to lose our moral right to complain about such an unfortunate thing. Alas, democracy is supposed to empower the citizens to be the master of their own destiny. Let’s be honest and ask are we? When I am asked to grease someone’s palm to get something (which is my legal/constitutional entitlement) done like a driving license, a ration card, a passport, availing health-care facility, etc, nothing can be more unfortunate than this. I am yet not talking about a safe and secured society around me.
I think I have been indifferent of sort hearing about the blast every year. The recent Mumbai blasts were no exceptions. Deep down there, I see ‘fear’- fear of returning home as i step out, fear of losing any dear one as they travel. No place on this planet seem to me as a safe bet, nor even a police station.
Every time I see new schemes , new polices being made to die their natural death. Two things that are strikingly amazing in my country in last 6 decades; one is its democracy and other its persistent poverty, as if we don’t seem to care much and take them for granted.
Just a passing thought: imagine if one is given a chance to choose a place to be born in. You think India’s population would be 1.2 bln. I bet, no...Only the dirty minds wud choose. Please pardon my sense of patriotism here.
There was this joke which took a round in emails sometime back- Americans fart and say: Excuse me! Britishers fart and say: Pardon me! Japanese fart and say: Forgive me! AND Indians fart and say: NOT ME! It’s always ‘me’ when things are all honky-dory. The moment there is a bit of accountability, it’s not ‘my job’. Am sure may would tag me as ‘cynical’. But, am not left with better words now. How better one would feel when being let down by every ‘others’ who ought to have provided me with a sense of fool-good? Tolerance would certainly have been the greatest virtue to have, but if at the cost of human lives, then I am really sorry. I am not calling a head for another. But, my head should not be your head’s business.
What did a small child do to deserve a life without his father who never returned home because some ba***rd dropped a bomb on his way? By what stretch of imagination would it be ok to say that all terrorist acts cannot humanly be stopped? Is it my responsibility to always safeguard my life? If so, why the h**l then you come to me every five years to beg for my vote? If I have to stick my neck out for every bit that possibly affects my life, why should I then care for/respect that ‘anyone’?
Why do I need change when I am continuously made to feel that more the things change, more they remain in essence the same? I am born in a no-man’s land and allow me to peacefully perish at no-man’s mercy.
Ever since I gained something close to consciousness, I have been seeing/hearing ‘chalta hai’. So I stopped chasing excellence. There was something within me which simply hesitated to dig deep and put in the required effort as that something within me always saw mediocrity being promoted. Merit was a good virtue to possess, but then there was always an ‘another’ who would go past me either because of his/her surname or a long hand(le).
Was excited abt my 18th birthday. Unfortunate that I was and still am left with no choice but to elect/select the ‘less bad’. When we allow someone that we know not the best one around to make policies, they are bound to go haywire. And, we stand to lose our moral right to complain about such an unfortunate thing. Alas, democracy is supposed to empower the citizens to be the master of their own destiny. Let’s be honest and ask are we? When I am asked to grease someone’s palm to get something (which is my legal/constitutional entitlement) done like a driving license, a ration card, a passport, availing health-care facility, etc, nothing can be more unfortunate than this. I am yet not talking about a safe and secured society around me.
I think I have been indifferent of sort hearing about the blast every year. The recent Mumbai blasts were no exceptions. Deep down there, I see ‘fear’- fear of returning home as i step out, fear of losing any dear one as they travel. No place on this planet seem to me as a safe bet, nor even a police station.
Every time I see new schemes , new polices being made to die their natural death. Two things that are strikingly amazing in my country in last 6 decades; one is its democracy and other its persistent poverty, as if we don’t seem to care much and take them for granted.
Just a passing thought: imagine if one is given a chance to choose a place to be born in. You think India’s population would be 1.2 bln. I bet, no...Only the dirty minds wud choose. Please pardon my sense of patriotism here.
There was this joke which took a round in emails sometime back- Americans fart and say: Excuse me! Britishers fart and say: Pardon me! Japanese fart and say: Forgive me! AND Indians fart and say: NOT ME! It’s always ‘me’ when things are all honky-dory. The moment there is a bit of accountability, it’s not ‘my job’. Am sure may would tag me as ‘cynical’. But, am not left with better words now. How better one would feel when being let down by every ‘others’ who ought to have provided me with a sense of fool-good? Tolerance would certainly have been the greatest virtue to have, but if at the cost of human lives, then I am really sorry. I am not calling a head for another. But, my head should not be your head’s business.
What did a small child do to deserve a life without his father who never returned home because some ba***rd dropped a bomb on his way? By what stretch of imagination would it be ok to say that all terrorist acts cannot humanly be stopped? Is it my responsibility to always safeguard my life? If so, why the h**l then you come to me every five years to beg for my vote? If I have to stick my neck out for every bit that possibly affects my life, why should I then care for/respect that ‘anyone’?
Why do I need change when I am continuously made to feel that more the things change, more they remain in essence the same? I am born in a no-man’s land and allow me to peacefully perish at no-man’s mercy.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Rekindling the hope in Kiran’s life
Kiran was happy in more ways than one- a new book in her hand which is her own now, a sky-blue frock which seems to have eluded her for over a year, some candies which she firmly gripped in her left palm and so many new friends around. Life has certainly thrown a big surprise to this seven year old girl who has until now spent time at her home helping her mother in some petty household chores or her brother when he went out to keep an eye on the cattle and a herd of goats that her family rear to earn their livelihood. Now, she is enrolled into class II at a school in the neighbourhood.
It feels great that life for Kiran is never going to be the same again. Upon asked why she did not go to a school until now like many others of her age did, Kiran’s innocence unveiled the obvious-to-many: her parents never thought of sending her to a school. She does not even know whether two of her three siblings (all brothers) ever went to a school. But she says firmly that Biju bhai was going to a school for some time, but not now. After her father (Dibakar Gouda) sold off the goats that they possessed her other brother- Kaila bhai went to Surat to join the eldest one: Sanjay bhai.
Kiran would not stop thanking her paternal uncle and Mrs Bharati Kumari Sahu, the Head Teacher of the Girls UP School, Dura, Ganjam that she is going for 3 days now, for they were instrumental in convincing her father- Dibakar Gouda and mother-Kamini Gouda about the benefits of education and the provisions of the revolutionary Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act-2009, popularly known as the Right to Education (RTE) Act. Dibakar would not have sent his daughter to the school if he had to spend money for buying books or a dress for his daughter.
Kiran appears to be on the top of the world, with so many friends around and with a book in her hand which she says she would love the most. It was too early for her to tell us what she wants to be when she grows up. However, she confided that she would continue studying as long as she can. And why not, the euphoria will need some time to sink in! The school is also celebrating Kiran’s admission along with some other new entrants who joined the school in its induction class during the pravesh utsav marking the first day of the state wide campaign: Shiksha Chetna Abhiya ( SCA).
The novelty of SCA launched by the School and Mass Education Deptt of Orissa in collaboration with Rural Development Deptt., ST and SC Development Deptt. and UNICEF office for Orissa, cannot perhaps see a better manifestation than having all the Kirans of the state enrolled in their neighbourhood schools. The 6-days long abhiyan with a basket of activities at the school levels was envisaged primarily for gearing up the implementation of RTE Act in the State. For little over a year now the Deptt., unlike many other states is not playing a wait and watch. Rather it has been a front-runner in terms of kick-starting an array of activities on a fast track starting with providing the required impetus in sensitizing the parents, guardians, community members, teachers, PRI members and administrators to ensure that children in the age group of 6-14 years are not denied their rights to elementary education. Going forward, crores of rupees will be sent, millions of man-hours would be dedicated for the purpose. But the real impact will be made at the cutting-edge level only by having all the Kirans in their neighbourhood schools.
There have been eye- brows raised over the quality of education in the state run schools. But then, somewhere there has to be a starting point. SCA promises to snowball into an impact-making larger revolution going from strength to strength with required support from and involvement of all the stakeholders to ensure quality education at the elementary level. I do have reasons to believe that quality education or lack of it is just a state of mind.
It feels great that life for Kiran is never going to be the same again. Upon asked why she did not go to a school until now like many others of her age did, Kiran’s innocence unveiled the obvious-to-many: her parents never thought of sending her to a school. She does not even know whether two of her three siblings (all brothers) ever went to a school. But she says firmly that Biju bhai was going to a school for some time, but not now. After her father (Dibakar Gouda) sold off the goats that they possessed her other brother- Kaila bhai went to Surat to join the eldest one: Sanjay bhai.
Kiran would not stop thanking her paternal uncle and Mrs Bharati Kumari Sahu, the Head Teacher of the Girls UP School, Dura, Ganjam that she is going for 3 days now, for they were instrumental in convincing her father- Dibakar Gouda and mother-Kamini Gouda about the benefits of education and the provisions of the revolutionary Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act-2009, popularly known as the Right to Education (RTE) Act. Dibakar would not have sent his daughter to the school if he had to spend money for buying books or a dress for his daughter.
Kiran appears to be on the top of the world, with so many friends around and with a book in her hand which she says she would love the most. It was too early for her to tell us what she wants to be when she grows up. However, she confided that she would continue studying as long as she can. And why not, the euphoria will need some time to sink in! The school is also celebrating Kiran’s admission along with some other new entrants who joined the school in its induction class during the pravesh utsav marking the first day of the state wide campaign: Shiksha Chetna Abhiya ( SCA).
The novelty of SCA launched by the School and Mass Education Deptt of Orissa in collaboration with Rural Development Deptt., ST and SC Development Deptt. and UNICEF office for Orissa, cannot perhaps see a better manifestation than having all the Kirans of the state enrolled in their neighbourhood schools. The 6-days long abhiyan with a basket of activities at the school levels was envisaged primarily for gearing up the implementation of RTE Act in the State. For little over a year now the Deptt., unlike many other states is not playing a wait and watch. Rather it has been a front-runner in terms of kick-starting an array of activities on a fast track starting with providing the required impetus in sensitizing the parents, guardians, community members, teachers, PRI members and administrators to ensure that children in the age group of 6-14 years are not denied their rights to elementary education. Going forward, crores of rupees will be sent, millions of man-hours would be dedicated for the purpose. But the real impact will be made at the cutting-edge level only by having all the Kirans in their neighbourhood schools.
There have been eye- brows raised over the quality of education in the state run schools. But then, somewhere there has to be a starting point. SCA promises to snowball into an impact-making larger revolution going from strength to strength with required support from and involvement of all the stakeholders to ensure quality education at the elementary level. I do have reasons to believe that quality education or lack of it is just a state of mind.
(My) Passions (reposting)
Three passions have governed my life:
The longings for love, the search for knowledge,
And unbearable pity for the suffering of [humankind].
Love brings ecstasy and relieves loneliness.
In the union of love I have seen
In a mystic miniature the prefiguring vision
Of the heavens that saints and poets have imagined.
With equal passion I have sought knowledge.
I have wished to understand the hearts of [people].
I have wished to know why the stars shine.
Love and knowledge led upwards to the heavens,
But always pity brought me back to earth;
Cries of pain reverberated in my heart
Of children in famine, of victims tortured
And of old people left helpless.
I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot,
And I too suffer.
This has been my life; I found it worth living ( adopted from B Russel)
The longings for love, the search for knowledge,
And unbearable pity for the suffering of [humankind].
Love brings ecstasy and relieves loneliness.
In the union of love I have seen
In a mystic miniature the prefiguring vision
Of the heavens that saints and poets have imagined.
With equal passion I have sought knowledge.
I have wished to understand the hearts of [people].
I have wished to know why the stars shine.
Love and knowledge led upwards to the heavens,
But always pity brought me back to earth;
Cries of pain reverberated in my heart
Of children in famine, of victims tortured
And of old people left helpless.
I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot,
And I too suffer.
This has been my life; I found it worth living ( adopted from B Russel)
My ten cents: love it or hate it
Sometimes wonder don’t we have more than required number of bills/Acts/laws or having yet another in the form of Lokpal(LP from now on)is gonna to do what good ?
My worst fear is that the LP might just end up being yet another toothless tiger and would with time die its (un)natural death post elevating some names into the history book.
Not for once I am endorsing not having something to curb/kill/end corruption in the country. But then let’s ask ourselves once again- don’t we have anti corruption laws in place? And then, what about the RTI Act which was supposed to lay the very foundation of transparent governance? Are we realising its true potential or its being withering away? We are either too tolerant or plain fools. There is no third way.
A more realistic stab would force us do the soul searching. Are the existing laws being enforced properly, the Acts/bills being implemented in their true spirit. If we have not witnessed proper implementation/enforcement, I am afraid the new ones would not get us any magic fruition either. Be it the envisaged LP or anything else for that matter. If we would have strengthened the means, the purposes would have certainly been served. Result- we would not have had to see Annas and Babas doing what they are doing. Want an LP to overarch almost everything that’s existing, what for? Isn’t it unconstitutional to undermine the sanctity of the democratic independent institutions? Why would LP be designed to be a ‘super-judiciary’? Let's dive a little deeper. If the apex court is gonna remain as the supreme one, why duplicating? And guess what- when we already have all those uncleared, untouched court-cases, LP would simply delay things further. There would be more number of cases requiring more time to get the hammer on. LP or no LP, there is a stern need to give teeth and transparency to ‘law enforcement’ in this country. If not, mark my words- if LP becomes a reality it would also meet the same fate as others have. I am not all surprised over the deadlock/stalemate at the drawing board.
The latest buzz over the countless number of fasts is just as unfortunate as the fuss over the raise of drinking age, equally or more farcical. To add to the farce, Kejriwal terms it a ‘jokepal’- bad looser ( I mean see, he has already conceded) ! This goes on to show how serious he or for that matter his team was about the whole thing. In a democratic set up, if you are not ready to come to the table for a dialogue and allow agreements and disagreements over things, then I am afraid you are wasting others’ time. I am yet not talking about the purposeful sidelining of the likes of Aruna Roy and Harsh Mander from the camp. Worse, the inconsistency of Santosh Hegde! Come on, have a still head, dude!
The people of the country certainly need to be made aware of the concern over governance, transparency, justice, etc or lack of them. But then, for heaven’ s sake allow Gandhiji to rest in peace. Am sure he would hang his head in shame to see his notions being abused at the drop of a hat. History bears the testimony to the fact that Gandhiji never used Satyagrah (fasting) for Independence. Rather he fasted whenever there were atrocities meted by the Britishers. And then, that had a different historical context. A layman would tell us that something that worked wonders in the past may have turned obsolete. Going on fast to gain sympathy of the people is almost like putting me at gun point asking me to call a goat a tiger.
I don’t wish to make a mention of Ramdev here, as I strongly support what Digvijay Singh said. He should better be remembered as someone who took yoga to most households of the country and be respected for that only.
With heart within and God above me, let me say : Buraa jo dekhan main chalaa, buraa na mila koyee, Jo mann khojaa apna to mujh se bura naa koyee.....Do a survey and find out how many Indians don’t want corruption to end and how many of them have not been a party to it regardless of the magnitude. The point that I am trying to drive home is – let charity begin at home.
On another note- if my dad and mom had to retire from work life at 60, why should not everyone after 60 (I repeat) be asked to stay home and play with grand children. Isn’t it time for the country to run on fresh legs? I am sorry but ‘democracy’ has never been made to feel home here in India. You may like it or hate it, but ignore it at your own peril.
My worst fear is that the LP might just end up being yet another toothless tiger and would with time die its (un)natural death post elevating some names into the history book.
Not for once I am endorsing not having something to curb/kill/end corruption in the country. But then let’s ask ourselves once again- don’t we have anti corruption laws in place? And then, what about the RTI Act which was supposed to lay the very foundation of transparent governance? Are we realising its true potential or its being withering away? We are either too tolerant or plain fools. There is no third way.
A more realistic stab would force us do the soul searching. Are the existing laws being enforced properly, the Acts/bills being implemented in their true spirit. If we have not witnessed proper implementation/enforcement, I am afraid the new ones would not get us any magic fruition either. Be it the envisaged LP or anything else for that matter. If we would have strengthened the means, the purposes would have certainly been served. Result- we would not have had to see Annas and Babas doing what they are doing. Want an LP to overarch almost everything that’s existing, what for? Isn’t it unconstitutional to undermine the sanctity of the democratic independent institutions? Why would LP be designed to be a ‘super-judiciary’? Let's dive a little deeper. If the apex court is gonna remain as the supreme one, why duplicating? And guess what- when we already have all those uncleared, untouched court-cases, LP would simply delay things further. There would be more number of cases requiring more time to get the hammer on. LP or no LP, there is a stern need to give teeth and transparency to ‘law enforcement’ in this country. If not, mark my words- if LP becomes a reality it would also meet the same fate as others have. I am not all surprised over the deadlock/stalemate at the drawing board.
The latest buzz over the countless number of fasts is just as unfortunate as the fuss over the raise of drinking age, equally or more farcical. To add to the farce, Kejriwal terms it a ‘jokepal’- bad looser ( I mean see, he has already conceded) ! This goes on to show how serious he or for that matter his team was about the whole thing. In a democratic set up, if you are not ready to come to the table for a dialogue and allow agreements and disagreements over things, then I am afraid you are wasting others’ time. I am yet not talking about the purposeful sidelining of the likes of Aruna Roy and Harsh Mander from the camp. Worse, the inconsistency of Santosh Hegde! Come on, have a still head, dude!
The people of the country certainly need to be made aware of the concern over governance, transparency, justice, etc or lack of them. But then, for heaven’ s sake allow Gandhiji to rest in peace. Am sure he would hang his head in shame to see his notions being abused at the drop of a hat. History bears the testimony to the fact that Gandhiji never used Satyagrah (fasting) for Independence. Rather he fasted whenever there were atrocities meted by the Britishers. And then, that had a different historical context. A layman would tell us that something that worked wonders in the past may have turned obsolete. Going on fast to gain sympathy of the people is almost like putting me at gun point asking me to call a goat a tiger.
I don’t wish to make a mention of Ramdev here, as I strongly support what Digvijay Singh said. He should better be remembered as someone who took yoga to most households of the country and be respected for that only.
With heart within and God above me, let me say : Buraa jo dekhan main chalaa, buraa na mila koyee, Jo mann khojaa apna to mujh se bura naa koyee.....Do a survey and find out how many Indians don’t want corruption to end and how many of them have not been a party to it regardless of the magnitude. The point that I am trying to drive home is – let charity begin at home.
On another note- if my dad and mom had to retire from work life at 60, why should not everyone after 60 (I repeat) be asked to stay home and play with grand children. Isn’t it time for the country to run on fresh legs? I am sorry but ‘democracy’ has never been made to feel home here in India. You may like it or hate it, but ignore it at your own peril.
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