DISHARMONY

 DISHARMONY

Though I have started this item –it storms in me as to whether this should be discussed at all. For reasons of trying to get over such occurrences in life, I deem it necessary to ‘understand’ what it is all about. Is it that with advancing age, we tend to find too many incongruities around or is what meets the eye  real?  A hard to answer poser it is. Still, let us try to explore the undercurrents there in.

Practically, everywhere I recognize disharmony, for, what we relish and what we get to have are far removed from each other. If so, how to be at peace within and without? Honestly, it looks a hard task to live through such unforgiving men and matters. The most probable element causing these ripples ‘develop’ from a definite craving for importance for self [including our own dispositions-I mean].

The idea presented may be perceived better from our own places of work, be it office or construction sites, hospitals, Court rooms, Class rooms and to an extent even our own homes.   Most of these places do not offer ‘peace’ on a platter, in the sense that one has to fight for peace [Quite ironical indeed!]. Evidently, there is a paucity or paralysis of faith on those in our immediate vicinity. Everyone doubts the other as of being nearly un-reliable; there is deafening silence between persons though each of them nurtures a cauldron of hatred about most members around with a lurking fear that [s]he is all out to ruin my prospects in my office career; is it possible? Officially looks impossible but given the idiosyncrasies of persons who matter in these episodes, nothing can be ruled out as most administrations run on ‘grapevine’ than on facts per se. 

The issue turns worse or complex as the ‘higher ups’ never have an open dialogue on items of relevance, even with the members concerned. Their idiosyncrasies are shaped and trimmed by ‘irrelevant’ considerations. Only very few [negligibly small] who have had high quality grooming in homes, schools, Colleges read the state of affairs and draw the most accurate inferences; all others are guided by ‘interferences’ and not by inferences from sound logic. Reasons for such lopsided attitudes are not far to seek. Most of them [ the ‘higher-ups’] have themselves ascended thrones by crook than by hook and have a natural delight to entertain lesser mortals fearing that more intelligent minds around can spell ‘doom to my prospects’ by immaculate spade work. Such spade works never form the tools of the competent, for, they trust only straightforward attack or deal and not clandestine ‘behind the scene gimmicks’ of the incompetent. The incompetent can never understand this because dispassionate judgment alone can unravel truth, while misguided, fabricated narratives unfailingly land the system in a mess. Living in the marsh of a mess is the delight of the incompetent persons –as they are averse to face both truth and competence. Therefore, they breed disharmony in the system assuming that in peaceful settings, the incompetent cannot survive for long.

On the contrary, if we critically watch truly competent personnel in an  outfit, there is greater harmony, co-ordination and a sense of belonging bordering on pride of their genuine contribution to the system.

Quite a few political realities have helped, nurtured and bred incompetence as a helpful virtue and have stood by the incompetent for too long. It has taken the form of a vicious circle that the competent deem it fit to seek better places for peaceful life. Long hours of dealing with ‘disharmonious/ incompetent’ minds has shattered hopes of peace and men and women under duress [pressure] from such places of work practice ‘reticence’ even at home and the home too looks less harmonious though not disharmonious outright. Till such time that humans get to understand the value and merits of the competent, disharmony would stay large to the point of total collapse.

Prof. K. Raman

 

PRIVATE CONVEYANCE –A HUGE SHIFT

 PRIVATE CONVEYANCE –A HUGE SHIFT

Much of what comes may be amusing to the present day youth, as what we re-visit here are items unknown or unheard of  now in the Indian society for quite some time with no relics either to show them as evidence. Many have disappeared from our vicinity by sheer efflux of time. It looks that those are ‘not to return’ anytime in our life or society. Several of those items appear in our mind as ‘things of the past’.

Fuel-driven vehicles were few and far between. So, people were engaging animal-drawn carts, such as Bullocks/ Horse. A family of 4 or5 with their baggage were ferried between railway stations and houses or vice-versa. For a distance of 3-4 kms, those conveyance systems used to take 12- 20 minutes depending on the animal used. Those cart men had to get the municipal licence, paying annual tax to the local authority. The agency used to provide a metal plate [badge] bearing a regn. Number and and time over which the piece would be valid with an engraving ‘Hackney Driver’. Unless the badge was worn, the person [driver] was liable for punishment and confiscation of the badge , disqualifying him from any further operation  of such conveyance of men and material. There was seriousness about every system involving public activity. Police were all powerful and could not be brought to oblige our requirements. Even legislators would not ‘command’ them –unlike the norm now. In Chennai, man-drawn rickshaws were used to transport 1 or 2 persons over short distances of 2-3 kilometers. Chennai also had Tram services which used to run on rails laid along the centre of the road being used by cars buses, Taxis and other automobiles.

Interestingly, Taxis were in use even then; in Egmore railway station Taxis used to off load passengers on to platform 4. It was a convenient arrangement for passengers to get into train without mustering the services of Porters. Later it was discontinued.

In all other towns carts or  Cycle-rickshaws were a  popular option for local transit within the town and the animal-drawn carts were losing patronage as  town bus services to railway stations and bus terminals were introduced.

In select towns Southern Railway had an out Agency service whereby train passengers arriving to a town would be transported in to the town by a special facility called SR OA which used to collect a nominal amount with the railway ticket fare and issue a ticket which was accepted by the road transport agency. Such a service was available in Karaikkudi for train passengers; the buses would also entertain other commuters if there were vacancies in the bus. I remember the same facility did exist in select towns in Tamil Nadu. Slowly such passenger-friendly arrangements were withdrawn by the agencies concerned. Gradually, Cycle rickshaws were edged out by Auto rickshaws by virtue of the faster transit in the latter. Now all railway station premises have a menacing population of Auto rickshaws vying with one another to corner an opportunity to pick up passengers and do not even permit the passengers to weigh the option  of choosing a vehicle.

All the time, Taxis have been plying in all towns and cities; some 10-15 years ago taxis were mostly White Ambassador cars followed by Fiat. In Mumbai, for ages Fiat cars were the most popular Taxis; now all car brands operate as Taxis. Taxi services have witnessed advanced trends like using booked taxis operating under some trade names and based on the ‘distance to be travelled’ the agency fixes up an approximate fare and informs the commuter of the vehicle details, driver details and the approximate time of arrival to the address. Such services are quite popular across all towns and cities for avoiding protracted arguments.

In addition to these, some towns/ cities have two wheeler lending facility by which one can borrow a 2 wheeler and hand it over at an address near our destination by a mutual agreement. It helps single persons to reach destinations at a nominal cost and get quickly transported. We always have noticed complete elimination of certain modes of operation just by the new facility’s arrival or availability.                                     

Prof. K. Raman

MY TRAVEL

 MY TRAVEL

This happens to be the 300^th blog posting of mine. 

Confronted by what to say, I chose the present item as - one of looking back, with a purpose of recalling my own travel through times,  so that I manage TO RECALL the crux of this inconsequential title. How can my travel be of any relevance to others; I know that, yet I try my hand with this. Pardon me if it proves worthless at the end. Like all those of those times, I too began with a modest school education in Tamil medium- that too in a Corporation school at Raja Annamalaipuram, Chennai. The place was a huge coconut grove those days with a tiny building- The Corporation school. Ms Jasmine was our teacher who made learning a delight in that modest school. She taught us at levels I and II. At class III it was Mrs Emily another good teacher but not of the kid of the previous one.  That was just a brief stint, as I had to move to a new place /school, my father being on Railway Service; it was to Chingleput [the then spelling for Chengal pattu] to St. Joseph’s school for IV standard.

Then came another shift in place of duty for my father from chengalpattu to Karaikkudi. Curiously all his early transfers were Southward at least until my school education. At Karaikkudi it was one-teacher school, who by turns would teach different classes; it was a boon to Railway staff and children not to move out of railway colony. Such schools were among the recognized schools and the teacher’s affidavit was proof enough to admit wards to higher classes in Government-recognized schools. Completing my V standard at one-man school, I moved on to SMS HIGH SCHOOL in Karaikkudi town. Two years in one place! Railways moved the very office of my father from Karaikkudi to Sivaganga. Obviously, my journey followed suit and classes VII and VIII of mine were at Rajah’s High School, Sivaganga; If my English grammar is of some respectability, I entirely owe it to the then teachers at R H S, Sivaganga. An excellent foundation on English grammar was laid by Mr. K V Krishna Iyer and at VIII std by Mr. R P Asirvadham.

Where are such dedicated grammar teachers now? Nowhere-at least as far as I know.

Sensing that transfers would ruin studies, my dad left me in grandparents’ care at Srirangam for IX, X, XI standards named IV form, V form and VI form at Boys’ High School Srirangam which had some high caliber teachers; but my father was being moved from place to place [Sivangai →Manamadurai→ Mysore]. With my low score in SSLC Mathematics , colleges in Trichy, were out of reach for my PUC. My father’s presence at Mysore prompted our trying for PUC in Mysore. I managed a non-mathematics PCB entry and did my PU there. My entry to Biology was nearly foregone with no high scores in PU for Medicine. My studentship at St. Philomena’s college, Mysore proved quite a few things. The fire-brand teaching by Prof. TR Balakrishna at Mysore ignited in me the fire for excellence in teaching –having seen him perform to absolute delight of all students. Even in I Bsc., I decided to be a Lecturer [as if it was there for the asking]; sure I had the fire in me to go all out to be a lecturer. Mine is a case of how genuine teachers can truly transform spirits OF EVEN DULL STUDENTS AS ME, to strive for the desire. I should honestly submit that Mr. Krishna Iyer’s grammar and Prof. TR B’s diction and articulation really drove me mad to be a lecturer. A PG degree was the basic need to be a lecturer then; meanwhile my dad had been transferred from Mysore to Dindigul. My hunt for PG was again in TamilNadu and I landed at Annamalai University for PG 1965-67. Right after PG,  I opted to College teaching; but began as a Demonstrator in The Madura College Madurai from July 1967. I served in every rung of teaching in the same college until Sept. 2004; in the last 3 years of my career, I was the Principal in the same institution. I had the blessings of my Gurus in full measure but for which I could never have had a grand tenure as a teacher. Obviously, I kept myself abreast of all contemporary developments in the subject and the academy which witnessed conceptual revolutions like Autonomy, National Accreditation and related reforms there in. That in short was my travel through various institutions -9 in all, including two Universities of Southern India.

Prof. K. Raman  

 

 

LOOKS DO MATTER

 LOOKS DO MATTER

Yes, the topic looks queer; yet it tries to substantiate the intended idea. It is a matter of getting convinced for us to pursue a line of progress, however weak we are on matters of choice. To, have things clear, please read on. Consider the following situations, where in we need to arrive at a quick decision. You admit your son to a school, as you are a new comer to that town. In an attempt to ascertain the feasibility of the idea, would you not visit a couple of schools to see which of them is a better place?  How would you determine, the better of the two? The foremost consideration would be ‘presentation’ or the appearance of that school, its neatness, tidy upkeep or structural security and the buildings. Now, let us ask ourselves “Are good looking schools –good”? The second ‘good’ goes beyond the realms of ‘looks’. It tries to assess the human resource [Teachers/administrators] to help the child’s overall development. Human mind accords value to appearance / looks which spontaneously ‘impress’ the opinion. So, automatic preference is driven by looks except when criteria like long distance / or inexperienced faculty dampen the enthusiasm.

SITUATION-2

For a strange reason, we take ill in our new place. We have no idea about the place or the medical assistance thereof. We visit a nursing home for consultation/ medical attention. Before we stand a chance of getting cured, it is necessary that we develop confidence about the Physician who is to treat us. If the person happens to be ‘sickly looking’ and puny, we would have more hesitation to discuss any further with that physician - no matter how qualified the person’s name plate suggests. On the other hand a well built healthy, tall physician convinces of our having landed on the right source of help. Would we not be happy if we are rightly convinced of being under ‘right care’?

SITUATION- 3

Now, on to the class-room situation. Imagine the status of a student who has to learn from good teachers. Beginners in Schools /Colleges require to place faith on their teachers to steer them to comfort through methodic exposure of the subject. Just as the medical practitioner, a teacher ought to be convincing of his/her prowess to elegantly teach even intricate domains of the subject. Obviously, physical presentation of self holds the key to convince learners of the teacher’s ability to deliver the goods.  None can edit his/her genes to make self ‘appealing’. But, one can do a bit to ‘eliminate’ appalling looks by being neatly dressed [does not mean ‘rich’ dress], as presentation of intended seriousness. Tall persons among teachers readily win half the battle before it begins; the really meritorious sustain ‘such’ faith from learners. Persons of ‘not-so-convincing’ looks need to take extra care to enter the good books of listeners. Once the caliber of the teacher is recognized, students seldom pay attention/ heed to persons who are ‘merely good looking’.    Teachers have the natural advantage of ‘inherited accolade’ by batches of students who transmit the idea of the specific teachers being brilliant exponents of teaching/ presenting details in a delightful way. The general belief that ‘good looking’ are ‘good on the job’ is common faith though not true.

Prof. K. Raman

 

 

MIND, SLEEP, REST and THE REST

 MIND, SLEEP, REST and THE REST

 A very intricate relationship among the items listed above forms an ensemble. Indeed it is an enigma of sorts if we attempt to understand any of them in isolation. It is a circle-- in that where to begin, how to proceed or how to disconnect one from the other are all –aspects of personal preference with no order to proceed along. The intertwining of these products is perhaps exclusive to humans. I choose to call them products because each of them results from several reactions/ interactions that are mentally processed. Yes, it is the thought fabric that connects the factors and products which constitute our day-to-day variations in sleep or rest or loss of these.

  MIND

 A brief reference can clarify my line of thought. Mind is a faculty which has no shape or size or location to pinpoint a structure as the ‘mind’. Yet, it is the mind which rules our emotions and sustains the human element named ‘Alter Ego’. The ‘Alter Ego’ is the natural ‘regulator’ within to guide our actions , reactions and interactions based on a pattern  typical to a person groomed under specific criteria called values ; values together bundle themselves into an arrangement- the value system deciphering the innate quality of ‘Good’ or ‘Bad’ as per the habitual priorities of the individual. The ruling criteria determining those priorities are the ‘Means’ and the ‘End’; these two are prioritized as to which should justify the action based on the option: i.e., ‘means justifying the end’ or the ‘end justifying the means’.  For the same set of criteria, different minds use different options based the individual’s commitment. So, many determinants work for the mind.

 A crucial /cruel feature of the mind is that it doesn’t obey any guideline. No one can subjugate the mind to ‘stay quiet or remain static’ except by serious training.. The moment anyone wakes up from sleep, well before any other system activates, the mind begins its run, hops territories, runs through ‘fantasies of delight’ or despair and does not seek or need the person’s concurrence to begin ‘activity’. In fact, mind right away begins its work and tries to formulate the day’s agenda, no matter how rich or poor the person is. It runs riot, and switches ends endlessly and stays alert in its place and can deliver a ‘feedback’, at the right place and time.  N          o wonder, the faculty [mind] is equated with Horse for rapid movement through territory; some rate it for a ‘monkey’ as it hops territories until something urgent holds it down.  When thought predominates a person’s mind, the faculty for ‘sleep/ sleep-induction loses grip over the person’s need-based help. At other times, Sleep /staying awake are like a flip-flop change. Sleep-inducing controls open up when no serious thought occurs. Thus, sleep has certain controls which regulate the readiness or otherwise –as given by the gravity of thought in a given situation.

SLEEP

 Sleep is nature’s gift to living systems- big or small and has profound influence over health, especially for humans.  A sense of exhaustion overwhelms a person who has not had the right share of sleep for a day or two or more. With physical exhaustion, mind tends to lose focus and drifts; every other sense like ‘hearing’ or viewing becomes somewhat weak and literally the body begs for sleep. Just after a few hours of good sleep, the person feels rejuvenated and fit for work though the day. Sleep has a tonic effect over general alertness and suggests a state of fitness by mind and body, until the next quantum of rest [sleep] is due. Actually, sleep is the  best organized form of rest for the youngest to the oldest.

 REST and the rest

 Truly, rest signifies a peaceful state of body and mind for a few hours every day. The quantum or duration of sleep for a person depends on the volume of work carried out in the preceding few hours. Rest usually means doing no activity and keeping all faculties under some hibernation. At that phase all organs and systems become sedate and stay quiet with no movement or speech. Such peaceful hibernation helps our immune system to be alert and so sleep is a sign of good health. Ironically there is nothing of a rest without sleep; nothing of a sleep, without a thoughtless phase of the mind. There is no semblance of ‘MIND’ without thought process; thought process is served by memory and memory by observation.  This is what I had implied by the expression ‘Ensemble’ in the beginning of this topic. I hope, some idea about these faculties and facilities are presented here.

Prof. K. Raman

 

 

DISENCHANTMENT

 DISENCHANTMENT

 Disenchantment is a term to express human mind/ feeling, especially losing faith or interest or hope on things that were once promising or causing delight or any other positive response to an item or activity or event.

 Intriguing it is, to recognize that mind keeps losing the ‘value’ for things as a function of time. Indeed, it stands peculiar by its shifting / progressive loss of value for reasons not easy to fix by mere ‘reading’ of the item. There is more to one’s own attitude to the same item probably under the influence of ‘taste’ or preference. A few things in life can be recalled to show the ‘play’ of disenchantment; for instance at the early phase of life, items like chocolates or candy or some specific eatables draw our attention and preference to them. The same item may / may not be holding our preference now. Some of these can be dismissed as age-related change in value. Despite advancing age, certain things stay firmly anchored in us and seem to get integrated to us emotionally. While food items may have swinging fortune for enchantment or otherwise, items like friends , adoration of some cine songs/ singers, great respect for  brilliant teachers may stay deeply etched for the rest of our life. We are now at a crucial juncture to unravel why enchantment or disenchantment comes about in human life.

 Enchantment obviously relates itself to delightful experience. Anything that keeps delighting us stays deep rooted for abiding interest. Should such an item or person cause some discomfort by interaction, slowly disenchantment begins; any further loss of sheen or glamour or delight from that item or person is bound to amplify the scale of disenchantment.

 Viewing the undercurrent behind both states of mind reveals one thing. Enchantment or otherwise is not a foregone decision; it can get altered. Such a state of ‘revision’ implies that the disposition is a subject of review; therefore it is a matter of subjective considerations. All subjective items are not items of universal appeal or disapproval.

 Items that have managed near permanent Enchantment are not ‘reviewed’. It shows that a final place has already been won by those items in our perception. We tend to sustain for them   the places of pride we had earlier fixed them at. Also, we do not deem it necessary to reconsider their values, as their ‘values’ are quite dear to us.  Human mind is a vibrant but, structure-less entity of unknown location.

Prof. K. Raman.

IS INDIAN EDUCATION BAD?

 IS INDIAN EDUCATION BAD?

                 Too often people would nod in the affirmative, though they would not be able to substantiate or make plausible arguments thereof. Yet, they would be eagerly ready to chide our system of education. Some of them have their son or daughter in the software industry / biotech firm making designed drugs or in some University as a faculty in bio-medical engineering or Asia-Pacific geopolitical studies or a practising physician in Brooklyn or Massachusetts, not to ignore high tech positions in NASA by the way. Any or all these are high in the list of Asian candidates predominantly of Indians and only next to the Chinese. Let us consider as to why are we unhappy ourselves of our education. Understandably, we succumb to popular notions fielded liberally in the marketplace or parks or temple corridors, where some elder-looking citizens sow such seeds of disenchantment borne out of some misadventure in their life. The age of the person confers ‘erudition’ on to the [wo] man.

               Leaving aside such ‘make believe’ efforts, let us try to understand the system of education, in our country and what one needs to look for a critical appraisal instead of hearsay  interpretations. Ours is different from that of what the West practices.

              Though ours is criticized as a brain child of MACAULEY, as of generating a local task force to suit the then British needs in India, we can take note of its formal format different from that of traditional learning in the Indian context. What was oriented towards religious format for learning languages and its application through Astronomy, Astrology and the related mathematical regulations there in, the formal learning in schools was organized so as to develop connections with other cultural outfits through ‘language- based’ interactions, highly formalized and modeled on British lines. But, for ages we have had the recitation-learning of multiplication tables.  The process was a systematic daily exercise in the morning and in the evening respectively before opening and closing sessions. By repetitive utterance, pupils got into the habit of correct data retention. From primary level other subject territories of History, Geography Science and Civics were taught making the process of learning more comprehensive instead of being rigidly compartmentalized. Learning languages is continued through Graduation studies, though for graduation, a specific subject is learnt as the major item.

                Though specializing in a ‘major subject’, students learn contiguous territories as Ancillary or subsidiary subjects. This provides the necessary support in augmenting ideas about interrelationships among interactive knowledge territories. It is here that the Indian system makes learning more comprehensive and largely self-reliant, as every graduate has a sound base in Mathematics, related fields, English for liberal exchange of ideas. So, our graduates are ‘broad-based’ in study and application. This puts them in a state of advantage in pursuing Post-Graduate study and also smooth-sail into research.               

                Indian students from even average institutions/ Universities are ‘easy-fitting’ in research domains because they are fairly well –trained in calculations and formulations of required dosage of chemicals or enzymes for higher-level research. They are not baffled by language or tabulation of data / statistical data analysis having had a general balanced training in these domains.

                It is not my mission to say that ours is the best. But, we do have to develop a sense of equanimity to ascertain facts of reality. At the same time it is not fair to speak ill of our training system. Whoever raises the bogey of odd comparison with the West, let me politely remind you of the need to compare cost input if you wish quality parity. All our Universities are not financially sound with serious crunch for resources. Yet, we manage to deliver reasonable training and the correct orientation whereby our girls and boys learn to learn in any ambience and readily grasp the need to reorganize thought and effort to live up to.

                Ask yourselves the question: If our education system is no good, why would any Western university or research lab recruit our youth in their prestigious projects? How many of our Doctors are holding high profile responsibilities across the globe? Is it not a fact that teachers from India are among the sought after in US, UK, Australia and Germany? Are we not a proud Nation to have spontaneously extended the arm of warmth through Anti-CoVid medication and timely release of Vaccines? Obviously, our system of education cannot be bad if the indices of global acceptance are any indication. Remember –our cost effective Satellite-launch schemes float the satellites for any nation at the orbit of their choice. So, ours cannot be an arbitrary deal- right? Anything Indian need not be bad; we are flexible and adaptive to realities.

               Prof. K. Raman