Would you do social work on a week day?

31st December, 2010

A lazy long day.. this wasn't how I would have like the year to end. And then, this happened..

Infosys has been running SPARK - Rural Reach Program (RRP) which is a one day program that aims at improving awareness of computers and the power of IT among children in rural India. The target audience for this programme is school children of classes 5th to 7th. This is also connected to the PC donation scheme of Infosys.

With regards to the above programme, I was contacted to help coordinate the programme in a Government school in this area. The person from Infosys (may be some manager) explained the thing in brief - some volunteers would be coming and a target audience of 200-300 (later increased to 500) would be reached. Some of her lines shocked me, she stressed on the following - every volunteer would bring their own laptop, none of the volunteers would get paid for coming on a Saturday, it is very fruitful for the students, the program is being conducted all over India for the last 5-6 yrs and it has been a great success, they will provide computers to all school which submit a request within 2-3 months and on on.

Then I asked her - there are more than 50 Higher Primary schools here (surely an underestimate, I don't know the exact figure), is there any selection criteria to organize the programme?

"There is no such criteria. You can select it. We will cover all the schools in the future. There are 1000 or more than 1000 schools in the country, we can't finish all schools at once, we will cover them slowly." And another round of praise for the programme and the volunteers followed.

We decided to work on that and the phone goes dead. The thought kept playing on my head and then suddenly I realized that Saturday is a half-day for schools. So I send her a sms -

"One more constraint, Saturday is a half day for schools. So it might be difficult to have it on a Saturday. Please check for other options.

Praveen"

And the call comes in a while -

The lady on the other end says, "I saw your message now. We have successfully run this programme for so many years. It is very fruitful for the students to spend time with us. It is because our DC suggested this organization we are contacting you. We have so many schools waiting in the pipeline and they invite us to come to their school. Other than Saturdays is not possible as we have a working day in Infosys. We can't do social work on weekdays. Would you do social work on a week day? We are not wasting the time of students beyond 7th and we are not wasting the time of students below 5th. We are only asking for 5th to 7th. I hope I have explained the point. Instead of sending a message, give me a missed call. I will call you back."

And some 45 min later, I get an sms -

"It can be conducted without affecting to their classes please verify with the school head master n let me at the earliest for further arrangements. Trust me from this program lot of govt. Schools have been benifited..thanks for coordinating n Wish u happy new year."

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This evening had raised some questions I couldn't quite answer. We live in the corporate era and this conversation exposed some realities for me. We have schools where students find it difficult to write in their mother tongue in High School, students who don't come to school unless they are served the mid-day meal and here is a corporate firm who will send their people on Saturday and expect the school to function full time. We have a person who thinks there are 1000 or more schools in India, and she is the same person who thinks their RRP sessions are very fruitful. Is that true Corporate Social Responsibility? Well, it is for Infosys (which is the best among the lot)!

I would agree that these exposure sessions would be good for children but have they been chalked out well to facilitate the learning process or are they just the picnic visits of those people where they show  a few models of laptops? Can you plan to teach a kid without having any knowledge of that kid? Their show of skills (communication and presentation) may vastly undermine the skills of the teacher (in the eyes of the student) with whom the students would have to spend maximum time. Why shouldn't we train teachers? (Training teachers doesn't seem big enough in annual CSR reports, after all we feel more sorry for a child beggar than an old-aged beggar!).  The programme may or may not reach the intended goals, however, their lifestyle, culture, etc. may influence the kids in ways we may never understand. May be for good or bad! Who cares what happens to a child in these remote villages, after all the software-walas don't get paid for spending time with that child!

I have questions all over, didn't know where to start and where these would end. This seems to be the harsh reality of the modern world. Why can't CSR be truly for nation building? Why should we be paid for spending a few hours for our nation? In spite of so many questions, I still have a hope that these sessions will help some kid somewhere and I will try to facilitate these sessions until I find answers to at least a few questions.

Would you do social work on a week day?

I don't know what to say for that. May be the answer lies in another question -

Does your hunger take leave on a Sunday? It surely doesn't in the countryside.

--buddi

0119

01 - 01 - 2011

Dangers of a good resource

Dangers of a good resource
"Imagine a few balls held together and stationary at a place. Now imagine several small balls revolving around the balls at the centre, like what happens in our solar system. Except that the sun is replaced by a group of balls... Are you able to see what I am saying?"
"We don't understand it, just show us the Learnext videos" replies a student.

SILENCE! It was a very irritating silence. This was what happened in one of my classes recently. It wasn't a welcome sign to get back to teaching after a long gap. The last couple of weeks or so have been challenging for me to revive my interest and moreover accept the circumstances and plan my way ahead. I have had 2 very disturbing experiences - one of them was the above and the other with a group of teachers.

On November 13th, I was addressing was a gathering of 86 primary school science teachers at the Block Resource Centre at H D Kote. On the evening of the previous day I was given a list of topics of science to talk about. I chose topics primarily from physics and spent about 6 hours planning for the programme. I tried to stay within the syllabus of the Higher Primary School and wanted to primarily clarify their conceptual doubts. But only later did I realize that I got it wrong. I was of the opinion that if I can help teachers understand the concepts, they would put in their efforts to come up with newer ideas and customize their teaching as per the students in their classes. But what teachers were looking forward from this "training programme" was a ready-made package which they could directly deliver in a class. They just wanted to be postmen who deliver letters on time and in good condition (They just don't want to break your head about the content).

The other incident was something on these lines again. In both cases, the teachers and students have access to  resources - wonderful teaching materials, teaching aids and so many other things. Our world is surely a smaller place. Now a days, our teachers are able to teach better and students are able to understand better. But nothing comes for free.Teachers understand lesser and students think even lesser. All the teaching aids we have, have made the teachers and students less creative. They can't imagine abstract things, read lesser! Any small challenge in front of them and they are looking for support.

This is going to affect the creativity of teachers and students. I have seen quite a few students come up with ready made kits as part of their projects! What is happening? Are we ever going to break our heads, burn our fingers and dirty our dress for understanding how something works and may be get something to work. When resources are limited... thats when everything happens. I think it is time for us to have a look at the resources more critically and then decide what is that we need the most.

--buddi
0029
27 - 11 - 2010

Ambiguous goals

I have been having several ideas for the last few months but have written about hardly any. So, here I decided to at least write briefly about a few. Ambiguity is rooted in almost every move of our daily routine. Here are some questions I have..

Ambiguous goals - Every time we set our goals, we deeply rely on our resources and instincts so much that we rarely give importance to how we actually set our goals. I wouldn't call it a mistake that we do as it gives us a chance to reflect back on how we would have done better. Learning from experience (and not mistakes)! Here are my examples -

1. How does GRID operate? When I founded GRID, I thought I was very clear with my goals. GRID would work on agriculture, education and rural technologies; and myself being comfortable with the educational sector (just a feeling that I could do something) made that my immediate priority. I went ahead and discussed my ideas with several people and many seemed quite interested. We conducted competitions, workshops and held discussions in schools and with teachers in varied schools and have had a good response almost everywhere. We were approaching someone or were being approached, thought over what they needed (our thoughts), packaged it into some workshop or competition and then delivered it. However, today after 4 years of work and thought behind me, I have this doubt - did I get it right? And I started pushing my ever reliables, Anirudh and Sneha, to think. What exactly were our goals? Who was our target group? What was our strategy? We seemed to have played around with those according to our convenience.
2. What made IKC the ultimate goal of IViL? This issue involves a lot of us and I don't speak for them. The idea of setting up IKC at Natham was thrown up Prof. JBL at a time when IViL had energy in the form of new members and a laboratory in the form of Natham. It came at a time when many questioned why we were still sticking onto Natham. IKC was meant to be the perfect answer from a technological institute group for the rural people's needs. It was meant to facilitate a knowledge exchange between us and the people there. A perfectly running IKC was meant to be our stepping stone onto exploring possibilities in other villages, in a way saying GOOD BYE to Natham. After going through few of the reports prepared by the MSI students, IKC for me had a great vision and if achieved would be one of the best accomplishments of the group. As we went into the discussion, planning and implementation stages, we forgot to ask questions - Is this needed? (I don't remember any of us discussing whether IKC is needed) Is this the best way? (Much of our planning and implementation were never synchronized, leading to a lot noise in the group) Where does this lead to? (Many of the problems with the IKC were not surprising) And finally the big question - What did we learn? We had problems in answering every question. We were so obsessed with the idea of getting it running and then getting out of Natham that we never cared to think of those. I feel we as a group lacked clarity in what and why we were doing.
3. Where is SciTour heading? Another group, another idea, another time. SciTour was launched on Jan 1st, 2010 to publish articles to help people enjoy science.

In all of the 3 cases above, I feel we lacked clarity in what our goal was. We were just doing those because we felt that we were good at it. Is that the way to select to do something? Today I would say NO.

I feel it would be much better for us to set our goals first and then do everything that requires to be done to achieve those goals. In case of Natham, had our goal been to help it become a socially, economically, environmentally and culturally a better place to live in - we would still be there in Natham trying to get more people to use toilets, more kids to go to schools, more of the SHGs functioning, work with the farmers to build sustainable and profitable agricultural processes and get people to mingle with each other breaking down the caste barriers in the village. Alas, that isn't the case. When I look back at my journey in the last 4 years and interactions with different people - much has changed. I have learnt a lot from these experiences. However, somewhere deep inside I know they are mistakes (and not experiences).

--buddi

0225

16 - 11 - 2010

I like it but I don't want it

Ravi is a 7th grade student in a reputed school and has been asked to do a project work on freedom fighters by his social science teacher. He has to read and write about 2 freedom fighters, attach relevant photographs and then give a talk in the class. For him it was a daunting task.

As he sat at his table pondering over what could be done, his father comes over and asks him, "Whats wrong?"

"I have a project work on freedom fighters. Don't know what to do!"

"Who are freedom fighters you have selected?"

"Unable to decide. I want to take someone about whom I can get maximum information."

"That is not the way you should select.. Select one who inspires you most. I will help you in the work". Ravi smiles, the reassuring pat from his father had boosted his confidence.

"Should I select Chandrashekar Azad and Bhagat Singh?"

"Both are revolutionaries... How about selecting one who believed in non-violence?"

"But I like them the most along with Subash Chandra Bose, Alluri Sitaramaraju, Rajguru."

Ravi was a bit hurt that his father wasn't giving the full freedom. Ravi's father wasn't surprised at the choices,"I like the revolutionaries!" he himself had told all his friends and teachers in his student days.

As he smiled, he said, "How about Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekar Azad?"

"Ya.. those are the ones I told"

"In alphabetical order... " They laughed and the work began. The following days were memorable for the both as they shared the stories they had read about the revolutionaries - how they fought, what they sacrificed, how they were respected and many more. The project work was a time which changed Ravi. He now felt more responsible for his country now and sang the nathional anthem with pride. He no longer questioned why he should be standing in attention while he sang.

About 10 years later...

Ravi is sitting at the same table. He has his 7th grade project in front of him. It had been one of his most valued items all these years. The memories almost moved him to tears. He was still inspired by the same leaders. Ravi was in the final year of his MBBS. He was going to be a doctor. He had finally found an answer for his quest for a direction in life.. he wanted to join the armed forces.

His interest didnot impress his parents. In the days following his announcement, Ravi had to face a lot of heat from his parents. There were few lines he just couldn't forget -

"We didn't spend so much money for that!"

"We have made so many sacrifices to see you at this stage"

"What sort of a person are you? The whole world is moving in one direction and you say you want to go against it! There should be equal importance for interest and money."

"Nothing is going to happen in this country. Why do you want to waste your life on that?"

Days passed and Ravi was lost. He was unable to decide between what he wanted to do and what his parents wanted him to. The confusion led him to think about what his father had told him ten years ago..

"That is not the way you should select.. Select one who inspires you most." Was he mistaken? Was choosing a topic for a project different from choosing what to do in life?

"Why does my father like freedom fighters and still not let me try to do something like them?"

Deep questions to be answered...

I like it but I don't want it

There is always a conflict in what we like and what we want. The above story was an illustration of the struggle that goes on in eveyone's life. Smaller than this and at times larger.. Why?

I don't have an answer. This is something for all of us to think about... wouldn't life be more 'rewarding' and lively when we do what we like (with a bit of sanity). WE LIKE SPICE but WE WANT SUGAR! It would be too harsh to call it hypocrisy but most times we all are. We hardly care about what a person on the other side feels about the same.

A sad example for this are the sales representatives. I feel sorry for them, they work really hard - walking around in the sun, talking and convincing us, answer irrelevant questions and above all explain things with a smiling face. (I mean.. who would look at our uninteresting and uninterested face and keep smiling). This surely is one of the toughest job.

Does a customer care about how the sales fellow feels, does a father care about how the son feels, does a teacher care about how the student feels, do I care about how you feel? May be it is the time to start thinking, make sensible decisions and respect other choices.

--buddi

"To support my family I have to do this job. I don't like this but what to do..."

Non-sense! Don't you like supporting your family? Is it not your interest?

This article is a compilation of my thoughts based on my interactions with parents. Everyone likes APJ, Sachin Tendulkar, Vivekananda, Gandhi, Kalpana Chawla, Tagore, Gates, Che Guevara and so on, but they don't want their children to be like that. There is a lot of "risk". Are we "safe" otherwise?

Mobile Science Labs - An Experience

In the last 3 months of my work at SVYM, I have tried my hand in different things. Not academically eligible for any but I did manage to learn quite a bit. I plan to put some of my observations of various projects I have seen in last 4years in a series of articles here. Most of the projects I have taken interest in, work for improving educational standards in rural areas. This article is on Mobile Science Lab projects. Written for the group "All about science" it is a bit messy, I hope to improve the quality of writing slowly.

MOBILE SCIENCE LABS - Where do they start? Where do they stop?

For the last decade or more, mobile science labs have become a very popular idea for almost all NGOs and sometimes Government bodies. IViL took one to Natham! A simple Google search would give you several tens of news articles on the inauguration of a mobile science lab and even more photographs of the van / auto / lorry with some kids, and a celebrity! Though we are informed well about the inauguration and their plans, we are almost always left in the dark when it comes to the outcome of these projects. I am a part of a mobile science lab project myself, and this is an account of my experiences and unanswered questions - A hypothesis.

All mobile science lab projects aim at improving scientific temperament of students, providing infrastructure and human resource support to schools, primarily in the rural areas. Though the priorities and strategies might change a bit - the objectives and contents are almost always same. However, brain and beauty never go together! May be a bit biased but a comparative study of the two classes.

A couple of months back, I was at Agastya International Foundation, Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh. A 172 acre campus with 6 "BT lunch room sized" labs", full size cricket, football and basketball fields, a "Discovery" centre, in-house workshop, over 40 mobile vans and resource persons coming from Bangalore, Chennai and other places. Strategically placed where the three big southern states meet, it is a beautiful campus. The optical illusion display section in the "Discovery" centre was bigger than a couple of labs put together. Right from Guest rooms to the dinning plates to the office, everything shows crores of rupees being poured in. They claimed to have reached over 2 million children and 70,000 teachers. One of the striking features of the program is that they concentrate more reaching more students. A student will get a chance to visit a particular lab in the campus only once a year. Would that be enough? In sharp contrast is the SVYM project, Vignana Vahini. One mobile van, one coordinator, 20 schools, visiting each school once a month. Involving the local teachers to demonstrate the science experiments covered in that particular month, Vignana Vahini provides them the necessary equipment and raw materials. This is a model I believe in now (not necessarily the better). However, sometimes even the once-a-month visits aren't enough to sustain the interest of students for a month, what then? However, both models preach a hands-on experience and an experiential learning and though they have been successfully implementing these there is a large scope for improvement. The number of students being handled is a also a limiting factor.

Agastya has a very interesting concept of identifying the talented students in the sessions they take up and these students are made to participate in some science fair etc. However, the students themselves don't prepare the things for demonstration, they are only taught how to explain! With a workshop readily available in-house, Agastya prepares demonstration models with great ease. This kills creativity among the students and teachers - they hardly dirty their hands. In a couple of science exhibitions conducted recently, I had seen students explaining with ready-made kits. The concept works directly against Agastya's tag line - "Sparking creativity". Where do we start? And where do we stop? The kids selected in these sessions could act as the student-tutors and enhance peer-to-peer learning. Well the idea seems to be good, implementation presents a new set of challenges.

It is a fact that all the "best" B.Eds become government teachers (because they undergo a pretty tough selection process). However, the government post makes them good at counting money! Whatever teacher-force we hire outside or whom we have are all the second best. Be it the "well-trained" faculty at Agastya or the coordinators of our project none of them is as good as the government teachers. It is directly observable in the classes they take. However, well-trained someone is, only their vocabulary, body-language and methodology might change but their classes will be plagued with hundreds of conceptual mistakes. (A 'serious' common feature in most projects). They have equipments, they have resource persons but they are just not the best teachers. At Agastya, I had observed that the school teachers were alienated from the sessions going on (may not be the case always) and our project at SVYM involves the teachers too much. Both extremes are risky and will lead to a collapse of the whole mechanism.

How do me monitor the progress / impact of the whole project? How do we assess how a mobile science lab influenced a student's life? How do we calculate by how much percentage the student's scientific temperament has gone up? :P I wish we could just wait for a generation to pass by and then look at a possible change these projects would have brough about. Isn't enough to just be happy with the verbal approval of all students that these ideas help them? The answer is a NO. Improvisation is always possible, and we should be doing justice to the money that goes in. How is that money better spent on a mobile science lab and a health or sanitation programme? Justification, monitoring, feedback and reshaping are important, however no project I know of has these mechanisms in place and hence there is now news of a mobile science lab running successfully.

Intentions are right but implementation is never the best. The should be a blend of several mechanisms and a new system should evolve to best meet the needs of varied groups of children. Agastya is creating a spark in the fast-learners, SVYM keeps hitting and hitting until the moderate-learners pick up, what do we have for the slow learners? Should they continue to be the neglected batch? Several questions like these leave our projects severely handicapped. They need a deep thinking!

Questions to be answered -

1. Show up once in a year at some school do a couple of experiments and move on, to see as many schools as possible.

Show up once a month in every school, conduct some experiments, competition, give reading materials - just concentrate on this smaller group.

Which one is better? Which has more impact?

2. Monitoring, feedback and performance analysis of the whole project. How do we do these? How do we find out whether it is helpful for the students?

3. Other contributing factors - It has been observed that some schools with science labs are not really able to help the students. So just providing infrastructure won't help. Which are other contributing factors that could help the cause of the project?

4. Teacher's role is unquestionable in education. To what extent should they be made a part of our project?

5. Usage of ready-made models for demonstration - Yes/No? Till what extent?

--buddi

18 - 05 - 2010

Sleepless nights at SVYM

This is a part of the letter to few of my friends and a teacher... I am yet to post the letter, felt like putting it up here.

It has been quite a few days since I have slept well in my room here at SVYM.. too many thoughts, too many things to do. I am having sleepless night here. Feels very awkward to say this and I have not been too successful to put my thoughts together. So much confusion in life around me, even greater confusion in my life.

Things have not been too good in the world around. A group of kids (may be some 12yrs old) trying to blow out some smoke onto my face from thrown away cigarette filters, a student securing 9/625 in SSLC exams, a politician making 700cr a day, BEO asking for extra bills so that he could pocket the extra funds, a cabinet minister sexually assaulting his friend's wife, naxalites brutally murdering 73 jawans, a corrupt Chief Justice of a high court being transferred to another, a school with a single teacher who handles 4 subjects for the students, corruption beyond imagination, a 52yr old citizen turning into a traitor and spy, thousands dying of starvation when rice is being sold at Rs2/kg, crores of crores rupees of black money (an estimated amount of 75 lakh crores is in Swiss bank accounts and Indian budget is of the order a lakh crores), a hungry kid feeding his dog, an elderly man crying helplessly for his ill wife, an eloping couple, and so on. The last three months of travelling have shown me life beyond the safe haven I had lived in.

It has been a testing time for me, the last few days - a test of humanness. Eating food and spending money has become a bit difficult now. I just can't digest the fact that there is so much going wrong around us. I hate myself for being a part of this system - we have to go and lick that BEO's *** from tomorrow to try to help a few students. We all form a society and almost everyone accepts that what is going on is not right, but can't take that one step to help someone. No one can be blamed, it is the sad part in this world... people follow. We need an inspiration to lead us.

I am a part of a NGO, I thought I was helping people but there is so much missing. "A caring and equitable society free of deprivation and strife" thats our vision - sweet and far far away. What good am I when I can't make even one person's life free of deprivation and strife. We have several tools to support us, we just need to make the right use - education, courts, RTI and above all having faith that justice will done. We have to tear apart the evils which plague us generation after generation.

The solitude and the climate I enjoy here is something that reminds me of my native place. They give me the space to try to understand the dynamics of life. In those cloudless nights, somewhere in the darkness around me, there is a great deal happening that eludes me.. I have have found some inspiration and energy to look beyond my "career" (this is my career and would be this way). Some day I would like to make myself happy feeding that hungry kid, helping that old woman, help that student pass SSLC, use at least a bit of the available money to help the deprived... I hope to, no matter where that takes me and what it costs. May be thats what is soul searching!

--buddi

0211

07 - 05 - 2010

PS: I am still writing the letter, will finish it soon.

SVYM, My experiences - 2

Nice to get back to this! I always enjoy it..

For the news updates - I have joined 'the NGO' in the Mysore district.

This one is about my first couple of weeks here (Already!) SVYM, the exciting place, is still as exciting as ever. Once I have joined here officially I got to work with people even more closely and share ideas and opinions. I have been a part of several nice discussions, sometimes in favour of me and sometimes against me (but never the "heated" ones). I am enjoying my stay here, esp. with so many knowledgeable people around and ready to help there is hardly a time when I would like to sit idle, people are more productive than I am. I am sure I will catch up, at least I will try to!

SVYM has provided me with the optimism and opportunity to explore and experiment which I have not enjoyed at other places. It is surely the place to be. In the few days I have spent here I did make a strange observation. I am not sure whether many will agree. There is a striking difference in the attitude of the people here towards work and their place of work. While some people take pride in being a part of this organisation (which includes the founders and few inspired ones), for many it is just another place of work. I found it pretty difficult to digest. I feel the heavy turn-over of staff can be attributed to this point.

In my interactions with few people here, the only thing I could feel was the passion and optimism. Its like there is a transfer of enormous enthusiasm and 'can do more' attitude. These are the people who built, build and run this place. People at various levels, starting from the President to the doctors to the to the teachers these are people who have inspired me and brought me back to this place time and again. Dr Balu (my first choice, as Malathi akka told I like him the most. For me he has been more inspirirng than any person I have ever heard of), Dr MAB, Dr MRS, Dr Sridevi, Dr Padmaja, Dr Bindu, Malathi, Anitha, Sumathi, Beena, Poshini.. the list is surely endless. For all the people who question my motives and choices I don't have better answers than just taking these names.

Sometimes I am caught in a confusion should I call them sir, anna, or just by their name. I believe respect comes in how behave with them rather than how you call them (that is one thing 4 years in IIT has taught me, we called our professors as 'sir' but we never had any respect. I am a bit ashamed to say this but it is a fact). Moreover, I think I just know that with these people it doesn't matter at all and I know I have high regards for them. These are the people I have enjoyed talking to in the last few days, the best part has been spending time thinking over their ideas and ideals. I feel proud to be a part of their family (though I have questions like do I deserve to be here) Everytime this thought crosses mind, it is a hair-raising experience.

On the other side are many people here who don't seem to know about the social impact (or should I call it the social footprint) of this organization. I am among the few lucky ones to have visited few of the places. For them this is a working place that runs from 9am to 5 or 6pm, and within these timings they are expected to abide by the rules and regulations! And one more observation I had was that hardly anyone shares their good times (or even the bad times) of their work - classes, meetings... whatever. Every time a notice is sent calling for a meeting, people kind of gear up themselves to get some firing... :P (which may or may not happen). I feel very much out of place with such people around. Nothing is looked at like "our" work, it is almost always "mine", "yours". Sometimes people are afraid of talking a few things infront of me, they feel I would inform the "higher-ups". I don't understand whom they are afraid of, may be they are afraid of themselves saying the wrong thing! I can't help but smile as I put down all these. Well, I have had enough of these experiences even before I joined here and I know to walk my way around them but thats not the solution. We need a change in attitude. We are teachers who have to show how good students should be like! We need to be good students. I take pride in being a part of SVYM, no matter what ever little I have done. I hope I can inspire at least one more and may be build that emotional link.

SVYM has given me great days already and many more to come. There are some bad things here too. The sun rises late here (come on Earth be faster), the day ends very fast (come on Earth be slower) the school should have a nap break after lunch, a football team, a chit chat place for 'out of mind' people like me and more of 'out of mind' people... sounds crazy :P. Sometimes I do miss my friends, the ritualistic midnight coffee sessions and the long walks. These kids make me so jealous, I just want to join for 9th class next year here and relive my best years (9th and 10th classes)

@ Uday and Purri.. hope you people also join and then we will have a Purri's Boston Tea Party.

--buddi

1917

22 - 02 - 2010

My Heaven, Your Heaven

My Heaven, Your Heaven

It is always tough to draw lines. Drawing lines at what is yours and what is mine.. most people might not like the very topic but I feel it is extremely essential to maintain harmony and move forward with some one. When I first started discussing this with a few of my 'friends'.. they replied that they understood what I was trying to say but in the end they asked me why I wanted to build walls around myself! Well the truth is they never understood it... My language might look I am talking on behalf of us but I actually speak for buddi only.

Each of us have our comfort zones, each of us enjoy solitude and each of us enjoy company. What varies is what we like and at what time. No one can tolerate a breach into their precious solitude nor can we bear a time without people around. Time and again each of us are tested in this... you are almost always disturbed when you are thinking about something... the answer "Nothing" quickly follows and then.. "tell na..." is shot at you. Caught up! You can't say that you had nothing on your mind (obviously you would be lying) nor can you reveal what you was going on in your head (you are just not comfortable, had it been otherwise you would have been thinking aloud).

Some time back, there was an ad (I think it is of Reliance)... everyone likes to give suggestions. Suggestions are for free. Everyone of us claim to have put ourselves in the others' shoes and tell them what we would have done. It is interesting the way people put it. Sometimes suggestions are very essential to start a new line of thought but ultimately it us who has to make the final call. (@ suk, pur, bmv - this is what makes you special, the decision has always been mine but the thought yours).

One of my friends indicated that most people around me actually always have good suggestions for me as they are few people who are concerned about our well-being. She was very right but I still feel the walls of the heaven are still strong there. When I had asked her, "If that is the case why don't you just listen to your parents and get married, after all they are thinking about your well being?". She was taken aback and I hated myself for shooting that question at her but may be we just need to learn it the hard way...

People make comments on my dressing, spectacles, umbrella, room, books, interests, friends, sports, ACADEMICS. Most of the times the comments are wrapped up in a joke... which I enjoy! Most of those are about things which I don't give much thought about.. I guess I stick to my comfort and almost it never hurts me when one of those comments falls by my side but sometimes people tend to dig into too much of them (esp. about friends, academics) and I start feeling a touch uncomfortable. Why don't you do MBA? Why are you so bad at your academics? Why are screwing up your career? Why are your friends like that? Look at your friends, you are way behind them!... I always feel I have had enough of those, but I guess they will keep coming back until I am washed away like the beach sand. I hope I have the energy to live on with my dreams and interest..

Well, I guess everyone wants to go to heaven.. but even before we actually reach there (no one knows if it exists) we have our own imagination of how it should be. I can bet each of our heavens are extremely different! They should be, after all one is mine and the other is yours! We hardly have anything same in life... from the time of birth to time of death, every single thing is different for all of us, I feel it would be foolish to claim that we think alike or we think something is right for some one. I have just not known any person completely so far!

Everyone in this world will reach great heights. Everyone deserves to and should be given a chance to bloom. Everyone should understand that our 'heights' could just be different and 'heights' are not necessarily academic excellence. There are so many beautiful things in this world which are worth living for... everyone has their own journey. Be a part of everyone's, listen to everyone's and help them move on. To quote from "The Last Samurai" - ".. a small measure of peace we all seek. But few of us ever find". I wouldn't like to hinder my friend's search for peace! Your heaven and my heaven are different! (but I wish to be a part of yours')

--buddi

1428

12 - 11 - 2009

SVYM, My experiences

Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM) & Vivekananda Memorial Hospital

SVYM, My experiences

Reading through the entries in the blog, I feel so happy to know about SVYM and be able to watch it action. I have known SVYM for almost 3 years now and it has been a different journey. What started out as a quest has now become an obsession. This is SVYM in my view -

I have tried to become a part of several groups (16 precisely) which worked for varied causes from rural development to environmental awareness. I have been associated with them at different levels but every time I looked back at my experiences with them, something was always missing. SVYM was the answer to all. For the first time, I was with people who had committed themselves to this work for their life-time and at the same time I could see the immediate beneficiaries. Everything was so pleasing!

Viveka School of Excellence (VSOE), Saragur

During my first visit (2007), I was there without any aim and may be that was the reason I couldn't carry back much. But that was first chance to meet Dr. Balu and Anitha akka, who left an ever-lasting impression on me. The passion with which Dr Balu explained his vision of "exploratory park" (that is what it was called then) and Anitha akka's commitment to realize it. One of the lines I remember - Dr Balu says to Anitha akka, "You people come up with the design and we will get the funding. This project should be done before next academic year. No marriage until then!"

My second visit (2008) was more productive in terms of spending time with the teachers and students. Satheesh (Ph.D in Robotics) was with me. Starting with his talk on robotics at VSOE, the trip ended with a 4hr long discussion with Triveni ma'am and Vasantamani ma'am on efficiently using the available lab equipment at VTCL. Satheesh and myself used to dine along with the kids at VTCL and I sure had few of the heaviest meals of my life. We also went to backwaters and that was it - both of us knew we will be coming back for sure. Two lines to remember from this trip, Anitha akka taught me "Chennagadira?" and the second, at the resort at the backwaters, Satheesh asks, "Do you have any cool-drinks?" and the guy there replies "We have chilled beer!" During my second visit, I couldn't see much of Dr Balu or Anitha akka, but I could understand SVYM as a whole. I met two more very influential people Triveni ma'am and Malathi ma'am.

My third visit (2009) was the longest and by far the most productive. I was literally taken aback when I heard that most of the faculty were new. But very soon I realized, new faculty meant more enthusiasm. After a quick meeting with Malathi ma'am, I moved on with my idea of conducting a written quiz for the students of classes 5 - 8. Anitha akka was very quick in adjusting the time table and finding convenient periods for me. Towards the end of the day, the maths & science faculty and myself met in the computer lab and discussed about the ideas to improve the students' understanding. That was a good first day!

The second day was very exciting, as I prepared to take 5 classes for classes 7 & 8. The students responded well and in the last hour I joined some of the kids in the ground. PT sir found a spot for me in the kho-kho match but I didn't last for more than a minute. Aniruddh, a 6th class kid, got rid of me. He was the one who had topped the quiz the previous day. He had the killer-instinct, he was way ahead of others. He is a kid to watch out for! Few of us again met in the computer lab, where I demonstrated some experiments on light. The next day I went to VTCL. After watching an English play by 7th Class boys, I moved to the Physical Sciences Lab where with the help of Triveni ma'am and Mr.Vardharaj we conducted a quiz for a few selected students. Then the discussion on use of lab equipments and encouraging the students to take up projects continued. The return to VSOE on Mr.Devdas' bike was good, he took me to the Kabini Dam. On the fourth day, I had a couple of periods on career guidance and handling science projects.

The third trip was eventful in every sense. When I was there, the 40th anniversary of man's landing on moon was being celebrated, we witnessed the longest total solar eclipse of the century and the heavy rainfall in the Western Ghats had filled the Kabini Reservoir and all the gates were opened. These three were very important themes for the classes I had taken. We discussed about India's space mission, how solar and lunar eclipses occur and how rainfall and water management play an important role in agriculture. I was having a great time with the faculty - played carroms with them, helped one of them solve sudoku, had lunch & dinner with them, discussed classroom experiences and so on. I finished reading "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. A line to which I could relate to - "... no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity." SVYM was the best place I could read that book. Helping students in rural India realize their dreams has been my dream.

I have picked up loads of memories and experiences in my visits. I couldn't quite digest the fact that few teachers left in search of better jobs. The commitment and vision of the people at SVYM had pushed GRID out of my diary into reality. Whatever, little bit I have tried to do through GRID, a major share of the credit would go to SVYM, Dr.Balu and Anitha akka in particular. Over the 25 years of existence, I can't imagine how many would have been benefited and how many more would have been inspired listening to the story of SVYM. It would be foolish to claim that SVYM changed lives in rural Karnataka. It is not just in rural Karnataka, SVYM built lives everywhere. Given an opportunity I would like to join as a science teacher at VSOE and contribute my bit to help Dr Balu start the Exploratorium. I wish to realize my dream!

--buddi
05 - 08 - 2009


P.S: An edited and better version is available on the official blog of SVYM. Edited by Dr C Anil.

A book is weeping

Photo courtesy: Internet

A book is weeping

A book once went into the hands of a 'beautiful' person and returned unhealthy... The person thoroughly enjoyed the book and the book enjoyed the reader's interest but where did it go wrong? Why does the book have to suffer and why do I have to write here...

There are lots of issues which do irritate me. May be I am out of my mind most of the times. May be I just blow things out of proportion but I believe I still have a point. I have been questioned a lot about my affiliation/inclination/affection towards books and for all those I never really had an answer.

What I have here is just another "typical Praveen's article", so I decide where to stop writing and you decide where to stop reading.

I still remember the wonderful guide of Bombay my father bought when he had been there (that was may be in the 1980s). Full of wonderful B&W photographs of all the interesting places in the city. But in my second or third class I cut the book into pieces for those photographs for my scrap book. Only later did I realize that I was never going to get that book back. I think I was right and thats what pains me today. Every mark we make on a book or every page we tear is just permanent and no supreme power / technology can undo it.

Right from the moment a book goes off from my hand I just pray it returns back with the smile still on. But every time I feel weaker and let down. Whatever is there in the book is still as important as earlier then how could something be allowed to degrade with the reading. At least I wouldn't accept it.

There is an unavoidable wear and tear with usage but to what extent is it acceptable? Am I being foolish all over? The questions still remain unanswered. I would like to draw this to an end saying -

Books are knowledge. Books are treasures. Books are my love. Books are for generations to see. And the book is still weeping!!

--buddi
0359
23 - 08 - 2008

You always have a choice

9th March 2008 at around 10.15am at Thiruvanmiyur beach, I was playing with the soft sand when I heard some one say "You always have a choice" - I just looked up to see who it was, it did remind me of the dialogue from the movie "Spider man"... but it was not just a borrowed line from a movie or part of a long conversation with a girl... it went almost unnoticed when I heard it for the first time, may be it needed a beach and a line from this beloved friend to drill into my heart...

It is not just a line with some message... Something better goes into it... it took me a long while to realise that. May be I am wrong even now but it did require some genuine effort from my side to arrive at some conclusions. They do seem to be quite obvious to me now, but I just needed some place to put them down.

"you always have a choice"... you do have a choice to read on or drop the idea!!

I once had a chance to tell my parents I wasn't interested, I once had a chance to confess that I stole money, I once had a chance to thank my friends when they celebrated my success, I once had a chance to keep up the promise I made to my favourite lecturer, I once had a chance to give my best in the last 25m to finish first in the 8 km run, I once had a chance to meet a professor right in time to publish a research paper, I once had a chance to give my best to attend INPC, I once had a chance to drop a movie to extend my last meet with my lecturer, I once had a chance... I always had a chance.

But why all these now? Just that these keep coming back as nightmares in my life... I missed those chances. I kept complaining all life, I kept blaming people all life, but I always failed to realise that I still had a choice. Sometimes I feel I was late at a few things, I took the wrong turn at a few places... but today I realised, the decision was always in my hands. And, if you fail to make the decision right, just accept the situation and one day you will realise that where ever you go, you always have something for yourself. Then it all melts down to your capability of finding out how capable you are in adapting to the situations and moving ahead and digging out your dear victories. This is a point I once made in my entry "Being at the wrong place"... but the irony is that I almost never put it to use. Just hoping that this time it isn't that bad... just hoping to follow a line made by my dear friend.

This article is dedicated to the person who inspired this thought, the person who has taught me a lot, the person I am sure has inspired a lot many more people around her... Mrudula. Thanking her...
There are lots to write about her... may be some time later.

--buddi
0245
18 - 03 - 2008

The butterfly effect

there is pleasure in being unorganized…
there is efficiency popping up from no-where…
there is synergy that is working magic…
then why??

we are supposed to move ahead…
does that mean that we build our tomorrow..
are we losing today in the run?
why don’t we realize that tomorrow - we are one day closer to our end…
our muscles turning weaker… few more brain-runs making more of ourself giving up…

we are going to work lesser tomorrow…
are we going to see our comfort when we grow old.. and do nothing today
or, are we going to work hard today and leave it for our next generations to take care of us and our work…

order comes from work…
order comes from culture…
order comes from members…
order comes from your heart… not from a set of rules being put in

for me a world of unanswered questions would be much better than a world of only answers and responsibilities… and the day I don’t see a question is my end…

PS: This doesn't quite fit in into this blog, but this was one stand I took... this does mean quite a bit for me

--buddi
0651
06 - 03 - 2008

She will be loved

Here is one of my favorite songs... not a very popular one.
The lyrics are so touching, definitely worth a read.

May be someday, I will sing this for some one...


MAROON 5 LYRICS

"She Will Be Loved"

Beauty queen of only eighteen
She had some trouble with herself
He was always there to help her
She always belonged to someone else

I drove for miles and miles
And wound up at your door
I've had you so many times but somehow
I want more

I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
She will be loved

Tap on my window knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful
I know I tend to get so insecure
It doesn't matter anymore

It's not always rainbows and butterflies
It's compromise that moves us along, yeah
My heart is full and my door's always open
You can come anytime you want

I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved

I know where you hide
Alone in your car
Know all of the things that make you who you are
I know that goodbye means nothing at all
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls

Tap on my window knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful

I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved

[in the background]
Please don't try so hard to say goodbye
Please don't try so hard to say goodbye

Yeah
[softly]
I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain

Try so hard to say goodbye

Where do we stand??

“Tomorrows come,
Yesterdays go,

Promises come,
Accomplishments stay,

People come,
Members stay,

People die,
Good Work stays…

Take a stand today”

In this world of interpretations… in this world of clever people… in this world of carelessness.. it is a tough job to put across a point. When people tend to ski across the “serene” snow but fail to realize that they are standing on a frozen pond, rarely do you get to see the reality. Think different!

Not every time do you get a chance to enjoy,

not every time do you get a chance to claim your work,

not every time do you get a chance to prove you worth,

not every time do you get a chance to win for someone else,

Today could be your last, today could be their last… just don’t think, there is someone waiting with open arms in the darkness ahead… be capable to see that. Sometimes it does take a quite a bit to live in light. which one do you think is better.. “increasing the light around you so much that you go blind” or “sharing light and staying in a dull and yet a loved place“. Where are we going next?

this is just another stand..

–buddi
1227
01 - 03 - 2008

IViL Culture

The following is a light-hearted review of what has been going on IViL from the CARPER. Take it easy...

(1) The RULERS - the two professors who are supposed to be the rulers of this sleeping nation - but they are disturbed while they are asleep once in a while by the Daily Wagers & Armed Forces...

(2) The HIGH BP guys - Guys like Satheesh, Sabapathy and of course the CARPER have been cribbing about the progress in work. Satheesh has learnt using tablets and has got used to the slow pace. Sabapathy other hand is trying to run behind people and make them work. CARPER has lost all hope and shouts at anyone who is showing interest.

(3) The DAILY WAGE guys / DOCTORS - Robo, Swapnil, Srinath and the one and only VIKAS - the four wheels of the "IViL chariot" - they are the most hard-working people of the group, usually end up doing things which no one else would do - they carry the burden of 500 (if not more) sleepy "patriots" and still manage to turn the wheels and help the HIGH BP walas to live a bit longer...

(4) The ARMED FORCES - Amoeba (Pradeep), Ayush, Mudit, Swathi, Mrudula, Vinay, Anil, Anusha - they are the ones who prevent the group from humiliation, often doing work that goes unnoticed they are among the ones who are often taken to task by the HIGH BPs - they may be good at defending the group but not at defending themselves...

(5) The ABOLISHED - rest of the group - they have been termed the abolished by the CARPER for not having done anything that was directly relevant to his work (there could be a few who belong to the ARMED FORCES) - they are the ones who are best at defending themselves but fail to live for the group - they make up the "public face" of the group - slumber is their game...

If you feel you belong to another group defend yourself...

THE CARPER
2100
28-01-2008

INDIAN RAILWAYS AND INDIAN PSYCHOLOGY

Indian Railways and Indian psychology - each others' fodder

This is being written to express my disgust over each of them... first, the bribing in Indian Railways (IR)- one of the most wide spread and unchecked plague in the single largest employer of the world. Why should a person having paid the whole amount for a waiting list ticket have to bribe the TTI to get a berth confirmed (and if you are not ready to pay, you can be sure that you will never get a berth)??

The fault lies on both the sides... first the public for being such idiots and muddle-heads for failing to realize that they have already more than what is required (as IR records around Rs15000crore of profit yearly). And the second group to be blamed is of course the government employees, who are the Midas-like people - perhaps they don't know that whatever bribe they take is being used to improve their luxury which results in growing their belly and that finally leads to death because of heart-attack or cancer one day. Every rupee they take will move two rupees away from them when in need... people give it a thought...

and one more such instance is the seat sharing part... every person in the waiting list deserves a seat... perhaps the only mistake they would have done was that they booked their tickets late... every passenger has an equal responsibility in helping them out..

keep thinking!!

this article has been left in between...

GRID's 1st year... Dream vs. Reality...

There is always a difference between a dream and a reality... even if a dream comes true... the following is a critic's account on the work of GRID so far...

1st October, 2006 - I got this wonderful idea of starting a group for rural development and started working on its structure and functioning and less than a week later, I found my first few members (Idli, Kavya and Harsha)... The mood was upbeat, I didn't want friends in the group... I wanted people who talked about work first and then anything else, but I had no other go but to start with friends...

By the end of October, I had answers for almost every question that could be raised about its functioning... the only thing I didn't have was the support... I could already see signs of people losing confidence and interest in the whole idea... I have always believed in hand-picking my team but that was not the case here... then I asked my favorite 3 for their support... Uppi, Uday and Vijju... Uppi for his brilliant management skills and to handle people, he could win over anyone with his words... Uday and Vijay for their excellent ideas and Vijju especially for his expertise in computers for maintaining website and related stuff. Uppi agreed right away but Uday and Vijju agreed to stay out of any direct activity but assured all sorts of help they could...

Meanwhile few others joined and we decided upon the activities we would take up... B-Plans & Projects for a start... we then decided upon 5 topics... 2 of them to be started right away...

In Hyd in my bedroom talking to Uppi and Idli, I got these wonderful ideas of JaRID and the coconut business plan... over the next 3 nights I spent close to 10hrs making rough drafts of the proposals... in the next week I met Ravishankar, the best candidate to work as a team leader for JaRID... and I pulled in Satheesh, the most respectable GRID member for his invaluable comments... I was expecting other people to show some interest to do something about the coconut plan for the fast approaching Genesis Competition... but as the rule goes... no response!!

These were the first signs of myself getting irritated... I always liked the coconut business plan more than JaRID as I have been seeing the plight of the workers, the farmers (even my father) for over 15 years... that was something I could directly relate to... with other mounting pressures I decided to quit JaRID and concentrate more on this... then I started talking to Uday and Kavya about it... never informed anything to anyone else... finally we did something, it wasn't the best but decent enough...

By then I had understood that things were going to become really tough from then... a handful of other ideas had totally flopped... weekly online conferences, weekly discussion on social issues, the projects, proposed trips to ICRISAT and some villages... most of them were limited to the first proposal mail... then Idli came up with this idea of newsletter... it took us more than a month after the finalised deadline to get the first 3 articles... with the promises made by Kavya and Uppi ending up as un-kept ones, I really have no interest to take up another issue of it... effectively there was more work done by Vijay than any other GRID member...

My hatred for the members reached a new high and as a result 5 to 6 members were kicked out... but things never change... except for a new addition Praneeta who has loads of enthusiasm for this, I don't see any future for GRID as a group to exist...

But what was the dream... Where did I get it wrong?

activities... I was looking for a group on whom other Well I was looking for a group of people who would volunteer to do things they can see from the THINGS TO DO list in the website... I was looking for people who were willing to sacrifice some of their spare time for trying to help out fellow Indians... I was looking for a group whose activities would attract funds from outsiders (sufficient for our basic necessities)... I was looking for a hyper-active and huge group which would need a separate team to look after Internal activities... I was looking for a group to volunteer in other NGOs ... I was looking for a group on which NGOs could rely on for technical support... I was looking for a group which would constantly be on trips to some place or the other... I was looking for a group which could hire an agricultural expert for clarification of doubts raised by farmers...

May be I got it wrong everywhere... I just took people for granted...

but one thing remains as a truth... GRID has been my dream, will be in future... just a bunch of non-interested INDIANS can't get me off-track... it may not exist as a group but I will always be there...

--buddi
0642
29-11-2007

Social Issues & Indian Solutions

SOCIAL ISSUES AND INDIAN SOLUTIONS

Social issues are arguably the most complicated problems ever faced by mankind. Issues ranging from war to drought, all come under this title. India faces a unique challenge in coming up with feasible solutions to these problems. “Unique” in the sense that the receiving end is often suspicious and the bureaucracy is often polluted.

One should agree that, since independence, it has been a slow but decent progress. The time ahead could be the worst phase we could ever think of. Even though it is being termed and projected in a much more attractive way, coming ahead is an era of social crisis, an era of misunderstanding and mismatch of the need and the supply in every means.

In the present context, there is a war building up. A war between sensible citizens, corrupt political circles, environmentalists, social activists, media and so on. Everyone is contributing their part to this mess up. Everyone feels that they are right and their issue is of more importance and needs to be addressed. Even small issues are often blown out of proportion which gives rise to unrest elsewhere.

Only thing we can do is to try to build up a society which is self-sufficient at the lowest level. Self-sufficiency in every sense should be the goal. From water for irrigation to income generation to help in case of calamities everything should be taken care of. The solution seems quite difficult to achieve but with careful planning it is possible and has been proved to be successful in quite a few places.

As a general thought it can be accepted that multi-centered development could always be a success story. This confidence in the idea will help in taking the plan a step forward. As it said a work once started is half done. The whole idea behind this proposal is the thought that prevention is better than cure.

Water management in India can be seen as one of the biggest problem. The first thing that has to be analyzed here is the cause. Cities tend to use more water than they have, in fact more than what the adjacent areas can also supply. It is for the governing bodies to realize that and act responsibly. But the governments tend to show more importance (quite unnecessarily) to the comfort of these income generating pockets and often try to divert river waters and thereby denying the people in the lower basins of the water for agriculture, the very source of income for rural India. The Government has made an effort to implement the rain water harvesting plan in a few of the cities but it has never been taken seriously. The industrial sectors should be made to setup their own water purifying units to put the water to better use

Construction of micro-projects for water management is a wonderful solution for this problem in dry agricultural lands. But the Government seems to be negligent of this fact and the best example of this is the Narmada valley. At a few places the micro-projects have been constructed and are also being run quite successfully. But these are soon going to be submerged. Among other questions to be answered there are also environmental concerns. There was no attempt ever made so far to study the possible disasters of having such a large reservoir of water in that area (those districts are considered delicate points on the earth’s tectonic plates… remember the earthquake of Lathur??).

The relocation of the people for the sake of construction of a water project for the urban people and RELIANCE Industries is a foolish idea in this context. They are submerging thousands of hectares of cultivated land for the sake of cities and industries which are very poor in their water management. Doesn’t it sound ridiculous?? While the government claims to be building this project for the farmers of the dry districts of Gujarat, according to Medha Patkar only 4% of the water that will be diverted will reach the farmers (even if she is not right, the truth is the same).

Well this is just one example of the strategies that often go wrong. But there are a few things that can be appreciated. The plan of the SEZs is an example. The government wants to create centers of self-sufficiency. But there is a problem even with this, they are sacrificing fertile agricultural lands, instead they could go for the utilization of the waste lands. It’s all a matter of clever utilization of the resources we have.

Now how can this be achieved?? Each of these centers should be made autonomous in terms of money and judiciary. For this the governing bodies at the lowest level should be strengthened and be made answerable to the local people. This has the following advantages: (1) the people can answer their needs in a better manner and faster, (2) the people will have a feeling of satisfaction that their money is being put to use for their upliftment. The second point is the main cause of this Telangana controversy, people in coastal regions feel that their money has been poured into Hyderabad which was never of any use to them. But this idea has to be kept under constant check; the people have to be alert and should feel their responsibility.

Every system has its pros and cons, it’s just a matter of how responsible we feel and how sensibly we act. One could always ask me, “There are many great minds at work in the governing bodies, how can you blame them?” I would say, “these great minds are often overpowered by uneducated, politically anxious idiots. Do you think a great mind proposed ‘the free electricity plan’? Do you think a great mind signed off Rs440 millions for water projects without having any idea of where to build a dam? All these are political manipulations for personal gains, which will turn out to be disasters in the future.”

There are many more issues to be argued about… pollution, militancy and terrorism, liquor, reservations in educational and government organizations, taxes, crimes... this list is endless…

You are the best judge for your deeds… think!! Are you eligible to use the water you waste? land you use for constructions? There are many things you will have to answer…

DO THINGS FOR THE RIGHT CAUSE AT THE RIGHT MOMENT.

Jai hind

--buddi
1600
17-06-2007

being at the wrong place...

Well this article was always on the list..... it was just a matter of time... when it had to come

Being at the wrong place... it feels great..


Was i joking?? may be or may be not.. its all about your attitude...

it happened so many times... I felt I was lonely.. I was doing (infact I felt I was being forced to do) the wrong things but couldn't help myself... I was looking for some one to support me... all that i wanted was sympathy... I felt so helpless that i used to cry and later laugh at my helplessness...

well those were my learning days.. all those have made me a bit more wiser... a bit more of a philosopher's writing...

Well I have made complaints to many people.. "I am never at the right place.... This is not the right place for me..." But here I am today seeing things in a much different way. Well i was at the right place most of the times... just a few things went wrong and life seems to have become miserable...
God gives everything in a very balanced way... its just which part you enjoy more... there is nothing like being lucky... in your case you are often looking at things that went wrong and you claim I AM ALWAYS UNLUCKY.. in the case of your friend the only thing visible to you is their success and hence the line.. HE IS LUCKY..
we are almost never ready to accept that we enjoy as much as success as anyone else... but success really matters when it is hard-earned.. then it tastes sweet to you... failure on the other hand is the other way.. every undeserving failure brings along with it a bag full of hope and energy to work on...
All that matters is not the place where you are.. it is the work you put in to make the surroundings look more pleasing to you... You will enjoy the same success even without those efforts but your success will come and will pass by and even you won't realise that... nothing that adds to your joy...
All that you put in is to satisfy your egoistic needs.. to feel 'ESTEEM' ..
given the place you are in now you can do two things.. put in some work to turn things your way or put in some more work to dig out your success which went on even without you realising it...


Happiness is not a destination, it is a method of life - Burton Hills


buddi
Saturday May 5, 2007

How can people be so passive to my mails?

well the simplest of reasons is that i write really long mails... Long in both senses... paragraphs of useless and uninformative matter and secondly, fully written words which make things unattractive and too much routine...

in a world which feels it is tiring to type "you" and prefer a single letter "u"... my mails don't deserve a place!!!

Well people would advice me "change is necessary", OK.. I agree ... but change in what sense???

How much time do you save in going for such substitutions?? may be a couple of seconds if you are writing a 100-letters mail. 2 seconds... I think you can't even take a sip of coffee in that time...

What are you running for???

Mails, letters are means of expressing your feelings... you can't cut short your feelings. And I bet on this.. it is true atleast in the case of anger..

Mind you... things change... everything that can be physically felt appears different to eyes.. but what doesn't change is what you can't see... feelings... affection, love, sentiments, passion... these are the things which you are alive for...

Change... change with people around you but not at the cost of the very things which keep you alive...


After all this.. you need not read my mails... or infact anyone's mails for that fact... atleast try to realise that they have spent some time wrting those... they have felt that you were the most important for them atleast for those few minutes they spend in writing it... Believe me they are the ones who celebrate your success.. they are ones who mourn along with you... You do have the responsibility of atleast showing some gratitude to them... A single-letter 'K' could do the job for you if not a pain-staking double-lettered 'OK'....

buddi
Monday March 26, 2007