Educational Institutes and the building mindsets

We always talk about empowering youth. We talk about globalization. We talk about equality. We talk about our changing mindsets.

I have grown-up in a small town, where talking to a boy was a crime. People would talk ill about you, and even the most educated upper middle class women would gossip about how bad the 10-12 years old girls were when they used to talk to boys. Fortunately my parents were brought-up in a very urban family, and never really restricted me on interacting with boys. I always thought it’s just a small town thing, and people in Mumbai must be open-minded (Mumbai was a fascination back then for me). Well, my opinion changed in just a year after I shifted to Mumbai.

Now let’s get to the point. Recently I attended a college festival of a quite well-known college in Mumbai. One of my friends was performing there. I was in the audience when I saw that there was a barricade put in the middle on the sitting area, one side was for girls and the other for the boys, that was the first shock. There were NSS volunteers standing around the barricade. Now what these volunteers were told to do is, not to let any guy and girl talk to each other from above the barricade. That was another shock. There is already a barricade put, there are a lot of volunteers to make sure that people don’t jump over the barricade, there are also teachers standing around, keeping a look on all the audiences, then why are these volunteers asked not to allow girls and boys talk to each other? And look at the irony, there is dance & fashion show competition going on, with all kinds of romantic tracks, girls and guys dancing together, hand in hand. Backstage I see girls and guys sitting on each other, chatting having fun and here they are trying to prove that they are much disciplined?

Well, whatever was the reason, Educational Institutes should be concentrating on educating students, I never believed that colleges should inculcate moral teachings, it should in-fact talk about how prejudiced is the society and talk about equality between girls and boys. I don’t know how right I am but this, don’t talk to each other, stand apart, and watch your friends performing is just not right. It is a very sick attitude.

Mission Safe & Secure Nerul: Stay Alert, Stay Safe

That mindset of Policemen being useless and rude and disgusting and corrupt, changed, changed for some 20 people, right there, my eyes noticed it, and maybe before I stepped inside that one particular room, many people must have got out of that place with a positive feeling of safety and security in Nerul

Well, let me get to the point. Last Friday, that is ummm 10^th of January, a friend asked me to accompany her to Nerul Police Station, in the evening (you know it isn’t safe to go alone to a police station late evening for a girl, well just a fear, quite a irony). Anyway so I and the friend went to the police station for her passport verification. After sitting for like 10 minutes, one of the policemen made everyone present there, sit in the office of Senior Inspector of Police, in simple terms the senior in-charge of Nerul Police Station. Nicely arranged chairs, decent people, clean office and silence, and then enters Mr. Rajkumar Chaphekar, the Senior Police Inspector- A simple, smart, soft-spoken and funny man. He takes his seat and starts calling out names looking at the forms kept on the table, he just wants 2 simple questions to be answered- 1) Where do you stay in Nerul? And 2) since how long do you stay in Nerul? So one by one everyone he calls out for answers those questions. Very politely he asks everyone to give him some more time, as he would want to talk about a movement he has launched in Nerul for a while now. The movement is called, ‘Safe and Secure Nerul’.

Now the objective of writing the blog: This particular Movement, and the efforts that this policeman is taking, made me aware of the fact that ‘Staying Alert’ is the only funda to avoid mishaps. Fortunately most of the policemen I have come across turned out to be honest and dedicated to their work, but as the first line of this post goes, most of the people have a negative perception of police and a police station.  

What he spoke of the next 20 mins, wasn’t boring, did not make me sleepy, and did not force anyone to get up and walk out of the room. How with some common examples, funnily he explained that we humans are so irresponsible, that we just forget to use our common sense and put our life and our earnings at stake, forced people to listen to him, with attention.  The fact that most of the times, we ignore a crime, happening in front of our eyes, because we don’t want to get into any problems and waste our time, gives the criminals the  confidence to loot us, trouble us and dupe us is something that we all should understand, but we fail terribly.

All the tips and tricks that he shared with us, were so practical. No, you don’t have to go fight anyone when you see something happening, you just have to shout ‘chor chor’ and yes it is going to scare the chor. No you don’t have to stay indoors; you just have to take some efforts to stay alert, keep your cupboards locked, and keep the keys with you, not under the pillow or on the cupboard. Such really simple and common things that we avoid in our lives, telling ourselves, ‘chalta hai yaar’. We are lazy even to think smartly. We walk away quietly, when someone is trying to break a car’s window to steal some cash, walk on the roads, displaying the gold chains, ignoring to use the safety doors, putting letters for the doodhwala’s and paperwalas on the door, when going out of town, giving open invitation to the robbers, isn’t all this so dumb?

Well, this man, Mr. Rajkumar Chaphekar, talks to the people who come for passport verification to the police-station and tells them some simple things that we all know, but ignore. He goes to housing complexes, housing societies and take meetings, to make them aware and help the entire police force of Nerul to keep its citizens safe. You can invite him to your housing complex too; he will readily come, teach you in a way that it won’t ever leave your mind, and also make you laugh with his stories and the art of telling you the serious stories too wittily.

Join this movement, ‘Safe and Secure Nerul’, ‘Stay Alert, Stay Safe’!

A Language doesn't limit you, human nature limits you

Recently a really talented friend, asked me a question, 'Is English language necessary in every sector of Media?'. A Maharashtrian, enthusiastic, confident and talented girl is what I know her as. Since I have known her, she has always been trying to learn how to communicate in English, and she has improved. When she asked me this question, I was taken aback, she isn't someone who would be demotivated, who would ever think she is any less capable than her counterparts. The point here is the answer of the question she asked.

Well, unfortunately or fortunately, English is one of the necessities today. But if you cannot properly communicate in English does not mean, you cannot grow personally or professionally. Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Bengali etc. define the essence of India, they mark the culture, the traditions of India. Media is for Masses, and thus Regional media is here to stay, is my opinion, but of-course, a lot of scholars argue that survival of Regional media is under threat, taking in account the globalization. 

Haven't we forgotten what is media, and why is media? Development, Globalization. Westernization, cannot change the basic motto of media. Media is to inform, to influence, to change, to empower the masses, and most of the India still depends on regional media. I have known people, educated, well-versed in English, and yet prefer reading a Marathi, Gujarati or Bengali newspaper. And in my opinion, the power of English, as a language cannot be as influential as a regional language! The ease that a regional language provides to express ourselves cannot be provided by a foreign language.

Now on a personal level. How many Indian clients, we meet today, know how to converse in English properly? Okay forget that, how many Indians will laugh at you when you talk to them in their mother tongue? Aren't there any successful, filthy rich, well-known Indians who still struggle with English while talking or writing? Yes English is a global language, and it is important to be able to communicate in English, but not being able to communicate, does not limit you, it becomes difficult to grow and survive at a point, but not impossible. Growth majorly depends on what you communicate and how you communicate, not on what language you communicate in. I find myself highly incompetent when I can't communicate properly in Marathi, in-spite of living in Maharashtra from past 21 years, I find myself highly incompetent when I cannot communicated in my own mother-tongue. I find myself highly incompetent when I cannot understand certain words in Hindi, in-spite of Hindi being the national language of India.

So, my dear friend, trust me, you are a talented female, and your efforts in trying to learn is commendable. Do not let anything demotivate you, because, a language doesn't limit you, human nature limits you. The people who think you won't grow if you don' know a language, limit themselves. Nothing can ever stop you, unless you want it to stop you.

Therefore, wander!

Since past several months, I have this sudden urge to travel, travel as much as I can, as much as I can manage. And surprisingly I have been coming across a lot of blogposts, articles, stories about travel. Recently I read an amazing article written by Dileep Padgaonkar, in a weekly news-magazine, and it just filled me up with more enthusiasm.

Lord Indra- well-known God in Rig-Veda, is known as the protector of travelers. In Aitareya Brahmana, he says to a young man named Rohita, "There is no happiness for him who does not travel, Rohita! Thus we have learnt. Living in the society of men, the best man becomes is a sinner. Therefore, Wander! The feet of the wanderer are like the flower, his soul is growing and reaping fruit, and all his sins are destroyed by his fatigue in wandering. Therefore, wander! He who is sitting, his fortune too sits, it rises when he rises, it sleeps when he sleeps, it moves when he moves. Therefore, wander!"

I couldn't agree more. Whats the point in staying at one place forever? It's like a frog in a well, you never really come out, and till you don't dare to come out, you don't know the possibilities of the world. I believe that you rot, when you stay at one place forever. Your brain starts rusting, and you become someone that people make you, not someone you can be. There are less risks, less adventure, and less discoveries. There is nothing that you don't know about your area, you almost know everything there, know most of the people, there isn't much challenge in making new friends, meeting new people. You have a life, but the constant updating of yourself is missing.

Wander, because your life is a gift, and you need to constantly upgrade the gift. You would want to learn to live their way, learn to eat their way, learn to talk their way, and even learn to live their way. Wander, because, your brain needs new food, your heart needs new friends, your body needs new air.Wander, because risks are adventurous, because your brain needs some exercise, because there is joy, because the happiness of 'discovering places yourself' is more than 'I know it all'. Wander, because you don't want to rust and rot, because moving means growing, because it is the best part of learning, because knowledge and experience are directly proportional, because you sin when you stay at one place forever, because traveling is satisfying, the feeling is orgasmic.

If you still don't agree, or do not relate with the feeling, I will quote Lord Indra once again here, because he puts the idea perfectly:  "There is no happiness for him who does not travel, Rohita! Thus we have learnt. Living in the society of men, the best man becomes is a sinner. Therefore, Wander! The feet of the wanderer are like the flower, his soul is growing and reaping fruit, and all his sins are destroyed by his fatigue in wandering. Therefore, wander! He who is sitting, his fortune too sits, it rises when he rises, it sleeps when he sleeps, it moves when he moves. Therefore, wander!"

She has conquered herself. Finally.

As she sat and gaze outside the window, in the midnight, she saw the city lit up with lights, she was hearing the beats of the music playing in the background, her mind was dancing on those beats, and she realized something has affected her so strongly, after a really long time. Something, she didn't know what, but it had completely changed her perspective about everything. Something had slowly stepped on all the negativity and crushed it in a way that she saw no trace of it to come to life again. Something, that she did not know if exists, had arrived, late, but so early that it felt this is the right time to live and dream, hope and walk on the perfectly right path.

She saw the world in front of her, lit up with lights, she could see life in each of those windows, and she wanted to go out there, after she was done enjoying in here, to explore in those lights. As the music changes its pace, as it changes its notes, as it changes its beats, the world she saw went upside down, and she felt the power inside her, to control her world. There was energy, she didn't know. It was creepy, but as soon as it touched her skin, she felt empowered.

The practical her had vanished, and here she stood, unable to believe herself, unable to come to terms with the happiness that exists inside her. She smiled and looked around, and every person she looked at made her feel happier, she saw the world lit up in front of her. She did not bother to understand what had affected her, because whatever it was, it was powerful, and she was confident that it will only bring positivity. She was standing at a point, where she could feel the stability that had arrived. She had left her past far behind, and she was walking ahead, with no trace of regret, just smiling to herself, relating her life to all the things around, making it into a surreal movie.

Her mind was her slave now, she had the remote-control of her emotions in her hand, and she exactly knew where her life was heading. She had conquered herself!