An elderly neighbour came over to ask me to fill in an application form to get an extra mobile connection with his landline. A simple chore, and of course I obliged.
What I reflected upon later was the incongruity between the fact that this gentleman, too scared to fill in an application form on his own, can give the most fiery and learned political lectures in public - I heard him going full blast during election time recently. What a miracle of indoctrination, to be sure. Like today's candidates for engineering entrance examinations, he can obviously perform very well without understanding, or bothering to understand, a word of what he is saying!
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8 comments:
Absolutely right sir.
A drama which unfolded itself to me recently- my co mates, weak in the science zone running for the WORLD OF FANTASY- hem sheela and DAV. As if just opting for science will make them great doctors and engeneers!!! A miracle of indoctrination passed down through the ages "science porchis? bah khoob bhalo... arts nili? e baba keno re?!"
Now that you do understand their silliness, Ria, I hope you will neither allow yourself to be tormented over and over again by thinking that you have missed doing something wonderful and essential by not going for science, nor allow any of your friends to suffer needlessly from the same 'I've missed the bus' syndrome. Believe me, except for the very best students, science no longer leads to good careers these days, whereas good students of the humanities are spoilt for choice: as will become apparent when you compare notes with your schoolmates twenty years from now.
Welcome to my blog. I hope you visit the other one frequently, too, and I shall look forward to more comments from you. I am always glad when my pupils are drawn to my blogs - this way they come to know me much better than if they merely attend my classes. It also speaks well of you that you have used your own name instead of hiding behind some silly pseudonym: it shows you have something rare, called character. Good for you!
Sir
Thank you sir.
Sir,
The condition of your neighbour is not much different from that of silly undergraduates of some eminent '3 letter institutes' who spend four years in mugging up a particular branch of "engineering" and then happily run after 'jobs' offered by companies , that does not remotely match with their fields of study !Civil engineers hired by the IT sector , bio-tech graduates 'grabbed' by some electronics firm and allotted jobs only on the basis of 6 or 7 months of training - baffling !
Dear Sir,
This reminds me of a brief encounter I had with a couple of Indian students in the University bar a few days ago. They were animatedly discussing current political affairs in India, heatedly commenting upon the fact that crooks disguised as politicians are collectively taking the country to the dogs. When I asked them what they intend to do about this, as in if they are even remotely interested in going back to the country in order to do some good to the society, they took umbrage over this question. I was questioned back whether I would be foolish enough to return back to that hell-hole again, and when I replied in the affirmative, they were shocked. Furthermore, when I told them that I want to be a teacher in India, they became sure that I was joking all along and laughed heartily. Speechless, I too joined in.
Thanks,
Joydeep
Sir,
This is again an aftermath of the marks given by the boards. For taking admission to a new institution one needs to produce his board mark-sheet(not the school report card). If one gets in 98 in maths but 94 in English,his/her 'educated parents' will surely get her admitted into the Science-stream without asking his/her wish.And once you go for Science, you are categorized a good student if you get into IITs(merely by learning tricks in coaching institutes), and a bad student if you go for science honors (to pursue your love for science).A miracle is required to change the views of people because most people forget what they see as soon as they come out from cinema-halls(very few really understand films like TAARE ZAMEEN PAR or 3 IDIOTS). Though everybody likes to see them, only few understand and act properly; others move with the tide.This is one of the main reasons why we have just one Rabindranath Tagore and one Mani Bhaumik.Though everyone is so proud of them, nobody tries to follow their way of acting differently form the vast majority.
Parijat.
Dear Sir,
I have come across such situations for a number of times now where some of my 'very learned' neighbours have come to my parents to get some application written saying "Ektu dekhe deben dada,apnara to esob bhalo bojhen tai....".However I have found these same people boasting of their boys studying in engineering colleges and also claiming"Amar chele to chotobela thekei khub bright chilo, class five obdhi to amii dekhtam!"
A few months back one of those people,a woman, asked me "science nie porchis to?"On my saying that I have taken up humanities she exclaimed"O tai?Tahole to tor chap onektai kom."What does one say to such a woman?I felt like pointing out to her that atleast I can write an official letter or an application myself!
Don't such remarks emphasize the saying 'Empty vessels sound much'?
Thanks for the pertinent comment, Sunandini. Your first on either of my blogs, isn't it? So welcome, and I shall look forward to many more comments, on whichever posts catch your eye...
Sir
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