INTERACTION WITH SOUMITRA BHATT

Some clicks

These are some of the pics I clicked during our photography course, which had theme as texture.

Coromandel Fishers

ILLUSTRATION:
Rise, brothers, rise; the wakening skies pray to the morning light,
The wind lies asleep in the arms of the dawn like a child that has cried all night.
Come, let us gather our nets from the shore and set our catamarans free,
To capture the leaping wealth of the tide, for we are the kings of the sea!

No longer delay, let us hasten away in the track of the sea gull's call,
The sea is our mother, the cloud is our brother, the waves are our comrades all.
What though we toss at the fall of the sun where the hand of the sea-god drives?
He who holds the storm by the hair, will hide in his breast our lives.

Sweet is the shade of the cocoanut glade, and the scent of the mango grove,
And sweet are the sands at the full o' the moon with the sound of the voices we love;
But sweeter, O brothers, the kiss of the spray and the dance of the wild foam's glee;
Row, brothers, row to the edge of the verge, where the low sky mates with the sea.

Ever wondered, the plane on which you are travelling has a pilot, who is not even qualified to be one. Well, if you ask me, my answer will be a blank 'NO'. Its because we blindly trust our country's examination systems.

One of my dad's colleague's son got 40 % in his 12th board examination, and he wants to be a doctor. He almost passed in biology. But his dad wants to see him become a doctor, so that he gets settled. I wondered, whether his dad would even consult him if he needs a doctor. I feel pity for the patients who would consult him. But the most amazing part his that his dad's dream have come true. Yes! HE IS BECOMING A DOCTOR. I didn't even bothered to ask what type of doctor he is going to be ( it hardly matters). This is just one incident I have shared. I am sure there would be many.

I am just shocked to acknowledge that our country's future is going to such hands. True that our technology in all respects is getting advanced but at the same time our human intelligence is deteriorating day by day. What is the use of such development. No wonder people are so right when they say, in the near future machines are going to have a control on us.

This is one of the reasons why India lacks in research development area in such fields. This also affects our technology and our development. Just take the example of the above guy. Just think he becomes a doctor. The way he has gained the degree, just by the same way (just by showing a bunch of green valuable leaves), he would become a doctor in one of the recognised hospitals. What then? Getting a nice handsome salary would be the sole aim for him (his dad's wish). He would be totally unaware of the recent happenings in the medical world. This is infact would harm our country. Its like we are digging our own graves.

While writing the blog, I Just recognised what is the use of telling these problems? Most of the ''educated" people will be knowing about this and the consequences. What can we do to have a stop on this or at-least curb this to as small level as possible? After thinking for a while, I just came to conclusion that we cant control anyone's actions, but we can change or influence the mindsets of the people. All we need to do is create awareness among people regarding this type of foolishness. The blog is one of the attempt to create awareness. Hope the people reading this would show some concern.

Jack Nicholson from the movie- China town.

FAITH

You don't worship God daily nowadays as you used to do earlier, my dad said to me. I didnt have any answer. I just looked back to those days when I used to daily worship the god at 7'o clock after I used to come from play. I questioned to myself. Suddenly my dad asked, have you lost faith in god? I just didnt know what to say. Because somewhere within, even I knew that, I dint lose faith in god, it was just that I lost interest. Somehow I just couldnt tell this to him.

Whole night I thought, is it a sin to lose interest in god. Many thoughts came. Some made sense and some dint. But then I just tried to remember the time or an incident which made me lose interest or what now think as faith. But I couldnt find any. Maybe it just slowly crept in. Then I thought:

Why do we worship god? Why do we have faith in him? Its maybe because when we are in danger or when we need help...we think of him...and we gain strength...we feel there is someone behind you. This is faith. Trusting someone. But then I realised that this doesnt give me that much strength when I think of god.

When I am struck somewhere or I am scared, I think of my idols. I think, the way they have come out of their adversity and reached the top, same way I would do. It gives me more strengths. Because they ( different idols for different people), are the living legend. We know their life and the struggle to the position they are right now.

So, I feel its not necessary to worship or have faith just in god. Its upto you, whom you believe. And who knows, maybe those legends are just the other faces of god, for those who are too scared to say that they dont believe in god.

Wise or Lumbered...

India can never be a tiger. It is an elephant and will always be. It will keep on lumbering.

-gurucharan das in his book-ÏNDIA UNBOUND.

A buddhist excerpt says, Elephant is the most wise animal. It always remembers the past and learns from it. It progresses slowly but with its charm intact.

What kind of an elephant India is- lumbered or wise?

I somehow believe the former statement true. India is a lumbered elephant. And one of the major factor is sense of discipline. I wont take heavy words such as corruption, poverty because they all are indirectly related to discipline. And I believe corruption is one of the most easiest excuse. Discipline, organised- these are the perhaps the most irritating words used by our parents or our teachers. But it has a deep meaning inside it. And there comes a time when we realise it, but the only problem is its sometimes too late. In Germany, almost every citizen has to compulsory get military education after 12th std for 2yrs. It not only teaches you to how to use weapons or fight your enemies, it does a lot more than that, it creates a sense of discipline. And after reading the blog of one of my friend, gaurav ogale where he described how members of the committee were fighting and shouting at the top of their voice, I feel there is an urgent need of discipline in people. I used the word people, because even we behave in such way in some situations in some or the way. We feel no harm in bribing the policemen when they catch us for license or helmets. Once we pay the whole amount, we will know the value of that money and from the next time we will obey those rules. Its simple, its just that we need to take an initiative.

While reading the book- India Unbound, one point was constantly stressed upon and that was, that no matter what, we are always at the top, because the tradition and the customs we have, no other country has. This reminded me of the scene from Swades. It was rightly said that whenever we fall behind in the competition, we take support of these traditions and customs. But its totally unfair to take support of all these things. We cant say that our customs are the best, because they (Americans, Germans) have their own traditions, and they have built themselves upon it. We really need to come out of the closet and stop playing this blame game.

If we really work upon it and really look forward to this as a grave issue, maybe in the future we will be wise elephant.