Recognize Yourself

We were fortunate, we were humans. We were young, we followed everyone. We were a sport, we played a lot. We were eager, we learned a lot. We were loved, we loved. We were indulged in community, we were indulged in comfort. We enjoyed ourselves, we enjoyed companies. We loved self, we loved others. We thought we were great, we thought we thought big. We loved food, we loved life. The more we had the more we wanted. Now we are adults, we don't follow anybody, we are learned, and we are capable. We have a choice. We are still fortunate, we have resources. But we are doing the same we have been doing since our birth – struggling to rise above others.

We have cleared bachelor’s and we have cleared master’s and even we cleared doctor’s, and what we learned was life was about degrees and clearing. We accumulated nothing, we grabbed nothing, we retained nothing, and we swept clear everything that was to be held. We ran for degrees, we ran for numbers, we ran for grades and we forgot to learn. And we developed out of ourselves the breed that understands nothing but logic. And we have become so rational in our approach that we have forgotten imagination. We have forgotten life and have learned “imagination is such a waste of time”.

We have duplicated our own selves everywhere. Individualism is the thing of the past. Everywhere we look we find our replicas. We think the same, we read the same, we listen the same, we look the same. Yes this is globalization: Globalization of humans, where the differences are like the color of skin, hair and clothes; the kind of gadgets we possess, the kind of social community we have joined. Knowledge is dead and so is intellect.

Look at the things surrounding you. What are you reading? Gossip, fake news: where is wisdom? What are you discussing? What are you connecting for? Chats, sharing your routine; Do you believe in change? Do you think things should change?

A change is on the horizon, the individualism is back. The intellect is back.

Let you know yourself again. Let you imagine what have not been imagined, let you once again identify the objectives; let you diversify what you learn.

Why do we Wear Uniform in School?

My dear little ones, I know you are all rebels and you just don’t accept certain things in your schools and at your homes. You just hate some things. You love your jeans, shorts, jackets, belts, shirts, tops, skirts and all other accessories and you look great wearing them. Why would you wear the boring and common uniform at school? Some of you innovate your way to be different even with the common uniform. You fold your sleeves; some of you loosen your ties and such other things.

When I see you, I remember my childhood. I used to be the same. I used to question a lot – why? And I also questioned about the uniform. We were punished for not wearing the complete uniform. Though the methods of our teachers to make us wear the uniform were not right, the motive behind wearing a uniform is right.

So why do we have to wear uniform in schools? We wear uniform so that everybody looks, feels and be seen as the same. In a learning institution, we should be ready to learn and not show our social status or power. There are no rich, no poor, no beautiful or “un-beautiful” children. All are just students. To create this uniformity, a common dress code is given. A uniform also gives us an identity and relatedness to the entity or group we belong to. It inculcates a sense of unity and oneness in the individuals. We should feel proud to be students, to be learners. And uniform gives that identity to us.

SO WEAR FULL UNIFORM, TAKE PRIDE IN WEARING IT AND JUST ENJOY THE ONENESS DESPITE HAVING INDIVIDUAL IDENTITIES.

Why this Kolaveri ?

Kolaveri di is a cult today, they sing it with pride and laughter gay.

They consider it to be the story of their life,

They feel that song is an anthem for their lonely lives.

They play it in their cars and keep the volume high,

They think themselves to be the kings of the road but you
are left to sigh.

They can do whatever they want,

They can sing it loud and look at you with a murderous
glance.

They honk at you when you are walking on the road,

This earns them respect among the kinsmen and a better
abode.

They are the shining stars and consider household chores a
menial job,

But they cry when depressed and escape to drugs when they
sob.

They are so gullible that they simply follow the trend,

Be it kolaveri, corruption or Mr. Sibal, they say it without
a stand.

Do they know that the female who cleans their dishes is a
victim of domestic violence?

Have they ever noticed that their counterparts in villages
are so silent?

Do they know the plight of the women abandoned by their
families?

Have they ever seen the life existing under the flyover or
child living next to the tree?

Why are they so insensitive and why can’t they stand for the
less privileged?

Why do they need someone to tell them when they can see it
through our own aged eyes?

These questions pinch me everyday,

They tear me apart when I talk to the women in the village.

I stand next to them with my head held high,

I can feel the bruises on their body which they get everyday
from their guy.

This guy is the owner and he possesses their body form top to
bottom,

He is the one who writes her destiny and is no less than a
phantom.

He can leave her, beat her and at times she earns to feed
him,

But he has no respect for her and is neither afraid of her
kith nor kin.

When she tells me her story,

Only this line strikes me “Hand la glass, glass la scotch,
eyes-u full-aa tear-u”

She doesn’t know the
meaning of the song but it suits her,

It is meant for her and now it seems more meaningful to me.

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