DO something!!

DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam 's Speech in Hyderabad when he was President of India.

Why is the media here so negative?Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?We are the first in milk production. We are number one in Remote sensing satellites. We are the second largest producer of wheat.We are the second largest producer of rice.Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.

I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the dayafter a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of aJewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary.

It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in thenewspaper, buried among other news.In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture,when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation. Do you have 10 minutes? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.

YOU say that our government is inefficient.YOU say that our laws are too old. YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage. YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke, The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits. YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of MahimCauseway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore youdon't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai . YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah . YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds ( Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop,'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and NewZealand .Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be thesame here in India ?

We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage allover the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food andtoiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related towomen, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego mysons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system? What does a system consist of ? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and thegovernment. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run toEngland . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a greatdeal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F. Kennedy 's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....

'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIAAND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

Learning thru TV! - An intellectual initiative

India's first curriculum-based TV channel

Greycells18 Media on Monday announced the launch of India's first curriculum-based education TV channel 'Topper' which is a part of the "Topper Integrated Learning System".

From the moment this headline of the article caught my eyes, a series of thoughts went around in my mind.
1.How can this be used as a medium in the first place?
2.How can such a channel make its presence felt amid glittering dance, comedy and other reality shows?
3.How much of help will this be to our country's children? and many more questions...

The article says "The educational channel being launched in English will be accessible to viewers through digital television and Internet, and will initially cater to higher secondary classes." In this hi-fi age of advanced telecommunications & internet facilities, DTH operators (TATA SKY & DishTV) have come up with interactive games that enable children to have fun while at the same time improving their IQ. Given the increase in the number of subscribers to DTH , the difficulty in one-dimensional education, increase in the tuition costs and shrinking free-time of children, more parents would definitely want their children to improve IQ while at the same time enjoying respite from the hectic schedule they are expected to undergo. Also "Statistics show that there are approximately 300 million kids who enrolled in schools across India. Thus there is a significant opportunity to supplement the existing school system for children to make the best of their secondary education". Therefore, I feel that this medium has a great potential and scope in the next 5-10 years. Though there is a mention that the Topper TV will "initially cater to higher secondary classes" we nee to wait and watch how the rural children would be able to take advantage of such an offer!!


The article also mentions "The channel will telecast six fresh episodes daily, with four episodes based on the regular course and two episodes on the exam specials, pertaining to the upcoming board exams." This means that the programmes would be designed to meet the educational needs of the students and anything, which the students can relate to, that can help them achieve higher success in education has an opportunity to sideline the reality shows. But, an important strategy that the founders of this initiative should keep in mind is that the courses should combine education and entertainment (something like an infotainment) in the proper ratio if they wish to really help the children and succeed in this venture.


"Topper will provide validated curriculum-based content that will comply with CBSE and other related state boards." says another line. Relevance, as I said earlier, is going to be the key factor and if the Indian students are offered courses that they learn in schools, then the need for those special classes and tuition would be reduced greatly. This would save a lot of money and the time spent by the students.

Some of my concerns apart from those expressed in between the paragraphs above:

1. Learning at home can be fun, but for younger children and those children who require personalized attention, this does not seem to be a promising option to improve their learning unless the parents are educated enough or have sufficient time to spend with the kids!
2. Different kids have to be explained the concepts in different ways! - with a course content and presentation that is unchanging there could be a difficulty in this aspect!
3. Last and the most important concern - I have a strong feeling that the students located in major cities already have access to the best of supporting courses to supplement their classroom coaching. It is the rural mass that is yet to see the best of teaching techniques and learning resources. Hence there is a long way to go before this "new medium of education" can be termed a milestone in Indian education society!!

Nevertheless I should give full credit to the founders who have come up with such a great idea!

For those interested in knowing more about this; please log on to : www.topperlearning.com

Signing off

Shaaz!

Lion of the desert - A great movie!

When I switched on the TV just up from my nap, this noon, I found some unusual movie being screened in one of the tamil channels....it was the movie "Lion of the desert"(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081059/)....

Since I have affinity towards offbeat movies and documentaries, I sat on the couch staring at the TV screen....trying to figure out what the movie was all about....!!

To my surprise, the movie started with the disclaimer
"All the characters in this film are based on REAL characters. The movie is based on historical facts"!.....yes...this was the disclaimer(?!!) that caught me by surprise...and hence i decided to watch this movie...The movie was set in the 1930's and started with Mussolini posting orders to one of his colonels "Graziani"(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodolfo_Graziani) to suppress the rebel leaders in LIBYA (which was under the Rome's iron-fisted rule).....in particular to arrest or even kill OMAR MUKHTAR, leader of one of the rebel unuions, which has been successfully fighting the Italian forces for close to 20 long years!!!

The following reels of the movie bring out the struggle of Omar mukhtar and his band of men to prevent the Italian army from taking over Libya.....and also show us the fight between these two forces...it is really hard to believe that a teacher-turned-rebel(Omar) forced 5-6 Rome appointed governors to go back with shame.....! As you watch this film, you develop a sense of admiration for Omar Mukhtar for his confidence, determination, tactical prowess, dignity and intelligence. You would also sympathize for the lacs and lacs of native libyans who were denied rights in their own land and killed just to scare others...

The movie has been sculpted.....the sheer devotion of the director can been seen in the way the barbarian acts of the Italian forces are depicted! People killed in masses.....women kidnapped in front of their fathers and brothers to work as slaves, all the grocery burnt because the local people helping Omar Mukhtar......everything has a sense of naturality attached to it.....be it locations,people or costume....though the movie was dubbed in Tamil, the emotions displayed by Anthony Quinn (as Omar Mukhtar) and Oliver Reed(as Graziani) are more powerful than the dialogues....

I wished that Omar Mukhtar won the battle of rights.....but predictably...he is hanged in full public view..!!

A must watch....I loved it..!! A great movie after a long time....

Long wait is over!

Had a great cuppa tea and was thinking of my to-do's for the evening when I remembered that I have waited long enough to open a blogging account!!

So here's the one...

Hoping to contribute to the blogging community....