My Ode to the grieving:
Do not grieve my dear;
for those who are near, will find a place
that is far better than the one they left,
and will continue to bestow their love upon you,
no matter what you believe or want to believe.
Why do people fear the truth so much? Is it overrated? Too real to handle? Sometimes, humans just want things to be in black and white- the right and wrong- just to make things simpler for us to understand. We seek this especially when we undergo some sort of tragedy or an emotional upheaval. Things like romance, religion and death can enhance this feeling.
For instance, death makes a person needy for simplistic answers to complicated questions in the world which now seems meaningless to them. I believe they already create some truths for themselves about the life of the dead, and all that they need now is confirmation, in order to keep their fabricated truths from shattering around them. We, as their loved ones, would do so, as any practical person would. After all, who are we to shatter their dreams? Some may argue that by lying, we do not do justice to the memory of the dead. But I am sure that the dead would have wanted their loved ones to be at peace with themselves and their death- and reconcile their life.
At times, individuals turn out to be madly in love with the one who died, and are still trying to come to terms with the tragedy- cornering them into a state of being on the brink of insanity.The truth in this case, though not overrated, would have just disturbed the living and be indifferent to the dead. After all, the truth is the truth, whether it is told or not.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
I know..
I know how it is to walk into a room packed with more than two hundred students from over fifteen countries around the world.
It's a beautiful collage of colour as each student is dressed in the traditional costume of his or her country. The number of butterflies in my stomach increase as I near the large oak doors leading to the dining area of the hotel. My anxiety heightens on hearing the low buzz of chatter on the other side of the enormous double doors. This would be the first cross- cultural experience in my seventeen year- old life.
Pushing the doors open, I hear the familiar voice of my best friend Radha, in my head, "Why would anyone, want to go half way around the world, live with complete strangers, eat at all the wrong times and do everything backwards for an entire year?" And I open the door to a burst of chatter and a riot of colour- a feast to my eyes! “For this moment... I would do anything Radha!"
As I enter, I look around the hall to see students of different nationalities in their vibrant costumes sitting around numerous tables. The seemingly mindless chatter grows louder as I pass between tables, making my way to table number 12, which is assigned to me.
I push my dupatta- a traditional Indian veil- over my shoulder as I sit down. Being the only Indian delegate at the table, I valiantly try to make conversation with a Ghanaian boy who seemed to be around my age. We used a few English words and a lot of sign language to communicate. We must have looked hilarious, because the other Ghanaians were laughing their heads off at us (or me!). The laughter was contagious, and before I realised it, I was laughing along with them. That set me thinking- laughter- a common expression that binds people; it is truly a universal language.
The confluence in this room was made possible by the efforts of a student exchange program called the American Field Service (AFS). This is a program through which I have come as an exchange student from India to America for the year.
I walked through that room in Washington DC, where we had a three day orientation program before heading off to live with our host families- who were no more than a group of strangers at that point. The two hundred of us were there on a specialised exchange program called the Youth Exchange and Study (YES). The program is started and funded by the US State Department after the 9/11 attacks to educate people and improve relations between America and countries that have significant Muslim population. India is considered as such a country, and therefore, though I am not a Muslim, I found myself as part of the program.
I am proud to have been given this opportunity to unfold my rich and deep-rooted culture for others, and to learn about their culture in turn. Though several experiences such as this, I have gradually come to realise the immense responsibility that rest on my shoulder as an ambassador of my country and my religion to most people I meet, if not all.
It's amazing to think that just a group of young people like us could bring about a change for the better by bridging differences between cultures and help make this world a better place to live in. This is my gift to the world. Now, where is that Ghanaian boy...
It's a beautiful collage of colour as each student is dressed in the traditional costume of his or her country. The number of butterflies in my stomach increase as I near the large oak doors leading to the dining area of the hotel. My anxiety heightens on hearing the low buzz of chatter on the other side of the enormous double doors. This would be the first cross- cultural experience in my seventeen year- old life.
Pushing the doors open, I hear the familiar voice of my best friend Radha, in my head, "Why would anyone, want to go half way around the world, live with complete strangers, eat at all the wrong times and do everything backwards for an entire year?" And I open the door to a burst of chatter and a riot of colour- a feast to my eyes! “For this moment... I would do anything Radha!"
As I enter, I look around the hall to see students of different nationalities in their vibrant costumes sitting around numerous tables. The seemingly mindless chatter grows louder as I pass between tables, making my way to table number 12, which is assigned to me.
I push my dupatta- a traditional Indian veil- over my shoulder as I sit down. Being the only Indian delegate at the table, I valiantly try to make conversation with a Ghanaian boy who seemed to be around my age. We used a few English words and a lot of sign language to communicate. We must have looked hilarious, because the other Ghanaians were laughing their heads off at us (or me!). The laughter was contagious, and before I realised it, I was laughing along with them. That set me thinking- laughter- a common expression that binds people; it is truly a universal language.
The confluence in this room was made possible by the efforts of a student exchange program called the American Field Service (AFS). This is a program through which I have come as an exchange student from India to America for the year.
I walked through that room in Washington DC, where we had a three day orientation program before heading off to live with our host families- who were no more than a group of strangers at that point. The two hundred of us were there on a specialised exchange program called the Youth Exchange and Study (YES). The program is started and funded by the US State Department after the 9/11 attacks to educate people and improve relations between America and countries that have significant Muslim population. India is considered as such a country, and therefore, though I am not a Muslim, I found myself as part of the program.
I am proud to have been given this opportunity to unfold my rich and deep-rooted culture for others, and to learn about their culture in turn. Though several experiences such as this, I have gradually come to realise the immense responsibility that rest on my shoulder as an ambassador of my country and my religion to most people I meet, if not all.
It's amazing to think that just a group of young people like us could bring about a change for the better by bridging differences between cultures and help make this world a better place to live in. This is my gift to the world. Now, where is that Ghanaian boy...
Der Kristall Tag! (Translates to: “The Crystal Day” in German*)
I took an Advance Placement (University Level) English course when I completed my 12th in Napa, California. Needless to say, it was one of the most grueling courses I’ve ever taken. But as you can see, I survived, and it has been three years since.
I stumbled upon this essay while studying for my exams (you know one has to ‘stumble’ upon these things, strangely, right in the middle of exams). It was one of the essays I wrote for the class. The topic given to us was to write a part-fiction, part-fact essay known as “Faction” (since we were reading a book, “The Things They Carried”, where the line between fact and fiction is foggy). That should explain the untrue facts I’ve blatantly written, fashionably called- creative license.
The sound of glass shattering was almost unbearable. A sound as sharp as that that is uncomfortably close to you when you least expect it, can turn out to be one of the most haunting memories of one’s life.
I was in 10th grade when it happened. In India, high school consists of the 8th, 9th and the 10th grade, while 11th and 12th grades are pre-college. In our school, we had four houses- Red, Green, Blue and Yellow. They are very similar to the houses in the Hogwarts School in the Harry Potter series. Our house points were awarded according to all our extra- curricular activities: including sports, school discipline, debates, singing, dancing and theater. In brief, any non- academic activity was considered for our house points.
I belonged to the ‘Green’ house. When I was in the tenth grade, I was elected by the student body to be the captain of ‘green’ house. I was going to be a part of the fifteen-member cabinet (student leaders) of our school. In order to officially perform our duties, the school would conduct a traditional investiture ceremony of its incoming school leaders. Our predecessors (the seniors who would be passing out that year) would dutifully grant their vested power to us, their successors.
It was a hot day in June, with the sun ruthlessly flinging its hot beams at the school glass windows. It was an exciting day for me as we were going to have the first practice for our investiture ceremony, but more importantly, we were all let off from attending classes that whole day for practice. The school grounds were almost parched and deserted except for the fifteen of us and a few teachers. The whole morning was spent in giving us our positions and going through the program orally for us. It took a good amount of time to get organized, so by the time we broke for lunch, the school's lunch break was over and everyone had gone back to their classes. We headed off in groups of two's and three's to the school canteen or rather- an apology of one. It is no more than a small tin box against one of the school walls. But none of us complain. Because, this is the first year our school has had a canteen at all. It doesn’t have much- just a few burgers and rolls; nevertheless we all crowd around it. Hungry and tired after spending all morning on the ground under the unforgiving sun, all I had in mind was a fulfilling meal under the blissful shade of our school building. I bought three rolls for two of my friends and me. As I was buying them, I noticed Sachu and Rohit, two classmates and friends of mine, having a light conversation about the latest action movie. While I waited for the shop keeper to give me change, I idly watched the two chatting animatedly about one of the scenes in particular and I vaguely remember something about a particular movement the actor executed while fighting. I guess Rohit was describing how the actor executes the movement perfectly- “ Man… the angle his body turns when he jumps into the bottomless crevasse…. Just like that dude!” Sachu was smiling passively. He was standing for the post of the treasurer. As a humble, subtle boy, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that he would win the post. He maintained his grade while taking part in many extra- curricular activities. Though he was an introvert by nature, he did not mind mingling with people. Presently, it seemed to be enjoying the conversation just to humor Rohit. I smiled at this thought.
Just then, the shop owner called out to me, cutting the conversation out of my head- “ Here you are ma’am, have a nice day!”, I smiled at him in return and picked up my plate. I was just turning around to go, when I heard a terrible noise like steel striking steel with tremendous force. Today, when I think back to that moment, I remember feeling that all hell had descended on us. My insides vanished in an instant and everything seemed to freeze. I remember my friend calling out to tell me, apparently to tell me to get away from the canteen. Her voice seemed to be coming from an unimaginably long distance, as if there was a divide between the universes she was in and the one I was standing in. All I could think of was the sound- no questions, no nothing. I slowly turned to see the petrified face of Sachu as he looked upwards at something falling towards him. And the next instant, it all came down. This is really when the damage occurred. It was one of the school’s glass- paned windows falling from a height of three stories. The first loud bang had been caused by the impact of the window hitting the roof of the canteen.
Coincidentally, the window was from our third floor classroom. The math teacher who was in there, had asked Aditya, who was sitting next to the window to open it and let some cool air inside the classroom. Incredibly, while opening the window, the hinges broke loose. The next thing he knew, he was supporting the weight of the dangling window with one hand. The weight was too much to bear, and, before anyone noticed what was happening, he let the window go- resulting in a three story drop!
After banging into the canteen’s roof, the now semi-shattered window bounced off and fell right next to where Sachu and Rohit were standing, showering glass pieces all over the place. While the rest of us managed to escape the pieces, either by dodging or just by pure luck, Sachu was hit by a particularly sharp piece. Presently, all I remember is the deafening sound of the window hitting the canteen’s roof, and then...utter chaos. I remember that I got a glimpse of Sachu being led away by a teacher. I can never forget that scene- the picture is stored in my memory vividly. There was blood running down Sachu’s forehead. He was trying to stop the flow with his hands. The expression on his face was pretty blank, if anything, he showed a slight hint of nervousness.
He was taken to the nearest hospital, where he was treated well in time for his injuries. Though there was a chance of complete recovery, he had to stay in the hospital foe a month in the least, as there was a possibility of concussions in head injuries like his.
Gradually, life came back to normal in the campus. The newspapers seem to have cottoned on to all the details of the accident pretty fast, putting the school’s management under great pressure to replace all the windows. The inauguration ceremony was postponed indefinitely- or until Sachu returned. Though I was really looking forward to the ceremony, I certainly would not want to take part in it without the presence of the whole ‘gang’. We visited Sachu as a class during his hospital stay. The patients in the neighboring beds must have thought that he was a celebrity, because they were at least thirty of us in the ward that day (much to the nurse’s discontent!). He seemed to me to be really relaxed and taken everything in his stride. He was propped up on bed, trying to go through all the school work he had been missing. Though he understood the importance of having to stay in the hospital for prolonged period of time, I think it frustrated him to spend so much time idle.
His first day of school after the day of the incident, the whole class was in high spirits. We had a mini-party just to welcome him back. The inauguration ceremony, which was held a few days after his return, was a great success.
Life went on, but now, whenever I go back to the canteen ( which is now progressed to being a small building), I can hear the sound of shattering glass in my head, and I think- “The difference between Sachu and the other students that day was the simple matter of coincidence- what right does life have, to make our fates according to something as simple as that?”
The incident is vividly etched in my memory to this day. It made me realize that life, so highly valued, is a fickle thing. It could be snatched away in a moment...
This is a true incident (at least most of it). It’s was selected as one of the favorite essays of the class by the students because they felt it was unique, understated and felt very real. But most importantly, most of them enjoyed it because they learned a lot about India and the kind of schools here.
*Der Kristall Tag: It’s a take on the Nazi incident where the Jews and Jewish establishments were attacked without warning one night, breaking windows and showering glass pieces throughout the city, taking numerous young Jews into custody and ultimately to their deaths. The night later came to be known as, “Der Kristall Nach” or “The Crystal Night”. I got it translated to “The Crystal Day” on the net.
I stumbled upon this essay while studying for my exams (you know one has to ‘stumble’ upon these things, strangely, right in the middle of exams). It was one of the essays I wrote for the class. The topic given to us was to write a part-fiction, part-fact essay known as “Faction” (since we were reading a book, “The Things They Carried”, where the line between fact and fiction is foggy). That should explain the untrue facts I’ve blatantly written, fashionably called- creative license.
The sound of glass shattering was almost unbearable. A sound as sharp as that that is uncomfortably close to you when you least expect it, can turn out to be one of the most haunting memories of one’s life.
I was in 10th grade when it happened. In India, high school consists of the 8th, 9th and the 10th grade, while 11th and 12th grades are pre-college. In our school, we had four houses- Red, Green, Blue and Yellow. They are very similar to the houses in the Hogwarts School in the Harry Potter series. Our house points were awarded according to all our extra- curricular activities: including sports, school discipline, debates, singing, dancing and theater. In brief, any non- academic activity was considered for our house points.
I belonged to the ‘Green’ house. When I was in the tenth grade, I was elected by the student body to be the captain of ‘green’ house. I was going to be a part of the fifteen-member cabinet (student leaders) of our school. In order to officially perform our duties, the school would conduct a traditional investiture ceremony of its incoming school leaders. Our predecessors (the seniors who would be passing out that year) would dutifully grant their vested power to us, their successors.
It was a hot day in June, with the sun ruthlessly flinging its hot beams at the school glass windows. It was an exciting day for me as we were going to have the first practice for our investiture ceremony, but more importantly, we were all let off from attending classes that whole day for practice. The school grounds were almost parched and deserted except for the fifteen of us and a few teachers. The whole morning was spent in giving us our positions and going through the program orally for us. It took a good amount of time to get organized, so by the time we broke for lunch, the school's lunch break was over and everyone had gone back to their classes. We headed off in groups of two's and three's to the school canteen or rather- an apology of one. It is no more than a small tin box against one of the school walls. But none of us complain. Because, this is the first year our school has had a canteen at all. It doesn’t have much- just a few burgers and rolls; nevertheless we all crowd around it. Hungry and tired after spending all morning on the ground under the unforgiving sun, all I had in mind was a fulfilling meal under the blissful shade of our school building. I bought three rolls for two of my friends and me. As I was buying them, I noticed Sachu and Rohit, two classmates and friends of mine, having a light conversation about the latest action movie. While I waited for the shop keeper to give me change, I idly watched the two chatting animatedly about one of the scenes in particular and I vaguely remember something about a particular movement the actor executed while fighting. I guess Rohit was describing how the actor executes the movement perfectly- “ Man… the angle his body turns when he jumps into the bottomless crevasse…. Just like that dude!” Sachu was smiling passively. He was standing for the post of the treasurer. As a humble, subtle boy, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that he would win the post. He maintained his grade while taking part in many extra- curricular activities. Though he was an introvert by nature, he did not mind mingling with people. Presently, it seemed to be enjoying the conversation just to humor Rohit. I smiled at this thought.
Just then, the shop owner called out to me, cutting the conversation out of my head- “ Here you are ma’am, have a nice day!”, I smiled at him in return and picked up my plate. I was just turning around to go, when I heard a terrible noise like steel striking steel with tremendous force. Today, when I think back to that moment, I remember feeling that all hell had descended on us. My insides vanished in an instant and everything seemed to freeze. I remember my friend calling out to tell me, apparently to tell me to get away from the canteen. Her voice seemed to be coming from an unimaginably long distance, as if there was a divide between the universes she was in and the one I was standing in. All I could think of was the sound- no questions, no nothing. I slowly turned to see the petrified face of Sachu as he looked upwards at something falling towards him. And the next instant, it all came down. This is really when the damage occurred. It was one of the school’s glass- paned windows falling from a height of three stories. The first loud bang had been caused by the impact of the window hitting the roof of the canteen.
Coincidentally, the window was from our third floor classroom. The math teacher who was in there, had asked Aditya, who was sitting next to the window to open it and let some cool air inside the classroom. Incredibly, while opening the window, the hinges broke loose. The next thing he knew, he was supporting the weight of the dangling window with one hand. The weight was too much to bear, and, before anyone noticed what was happening, he let the window go- resulting in a three story drop!
After banging into the canteen’s roof, the now semi-shattered window bounced off and fell right next to where Sachu and Rohit were standing, showering glass pieces all over the place. While the rest of us managed to escape the pieces, either by dodging or just by pure luck, Sachu was hit by a particularly sharp piece. Presently, all I remember is the deafening sound of the window hitting the canteen’s roof, and then...utter chaos. I remember that I got a glimpse of Sachu being led away by a teacher. I can never forget that scene- the picture is stored in my memory vividly. There was blood running down Sachu’s forehead. He was trying to stop the flow with his hands. The expression on his face was pretty blank, if anything, he showed a slight hint of nervousness.
He was taken to the nearest hospital, where he was treated well in time for his injuries. Though there was a chance of complete recovery, he had to stay in the hospital foe a month in the least, as there was a possibility of concussions in head injuries like his.
Gradually, life came back to normal in the campus. The newspapers seem to have cottoned on to all the details of the accident pretty fast, putting the school’s management under great pressure to replace all the windows. The inauguration ceremony was postponed indefinitely- or until Sachu returned. Though I was really looking forward to the ceremony, I certainly would not want to take part in it without the presence of the whole ‘gang’. We visited Sachu as a class during his hospital stay. The patients in the neighboring beds must have thought that he was a celebrity, because they were at least thirty of us in the ward that day (much to the nurse’s discontent!). He seemed to me to be really relaxed and taken everything in his stride. He was propped up on bed, trying to go through all the school work he had been missing. Though he understood the importance of having to stay in the hospital for prolonged period of time, I think it frustrated him to spend so much time idle.
His first day of school after the day of the incident, the whole class was in high spirits. We had a mini-party just to welcome him back. The inauguration ceremony, which was held a few days after his return, was a great success.
Life went on, but now, whenever I go back to the canteen ( which is now progressed to being a small building), I can hear the sound of shattering glass in my head, and I think- “The difference between Sachu and the other students that day was the simple matter of coincidence- what right does life have, to make our fates according to something as simple as that?”
The incident is vividly etched in my memory to this day. It made me realize that life, so highly valued, is a fickle thing. It could be snatched away in a moment...
This is a true incident (at least most of it). It’s was selected as one of the favorite essays of the class by the students because they felt it was unique, understated and felt very real. But most importantly, most of them enjoyed it because they learned a lot about India and the kind of schools here.
*Der Kristall Tag: It’s a take on the Nazi incident where the Jews and Jewish establishments were attacked without warning one night, breaking windows and showering glass pieces throughout the city, taking numerous young Jews into custody and ultimately to their deaths. The night later came to be known as, “Der Kristall Nach” or “The Crystal Night”. I got it translated to “The Crystal Day” on the net.
The effect of the 9/11 attacks on my generation
It finally got to the point where people automatically tuned out when any kind of news report on the September eleventh terrorist attack on the World Trade Center aired on television. That was how much coverage the attacks received by the media.
It is interesting to ponder if the impact this incident had on America and the world, satisfied the purpose that the terrorists in mind. But the one thing that the terrorists certainly did not aim for was the unity, patriotism and the feeling of oneness not only in the country but for the entire human kind- including people of every age group.
One of the attributes of humans is the want for an opposing force to be able to bond stronger with one's own kind- and precisely this was offered by the terrorists on a golden platter. Teens who once mocked the feelings of patriotism and standing up for oneself- now have a renewed faith and belief in oneness.
This incident hit the young generation deep due to the fact that they led a comfortable, sheltered life where terrorist attacks not unlike the one on the Twin Towers, were observed from a distance. The realisation of such a tragedy on themselves, jolted the youth from their slumber. Though the saddening reality remains that it took more than a thousand lost lives to see a generation come together, it stresses on the importance of unity now more than ever.
Remarkably, this generation of youngsters directed the sorrow incurred into many positive activities. People no longer stepped back and let others do the work, they took the initiative and acted. It taught them to reach out and help other people- there was an outpouring of kindness shown in many different ways. I believe that people have finally realised what a difference they can make to turn this world into a better place to live in.
9/11 was a tragedy turned into a cause for reflection and realisation for the betterment of the human kind.
It is interesting to ponder if the impact this incident had on America and the world, satisfied the purpose that the terrorists in mind. But the one thing that the terrorists certainly did not aim for was the unity, patriotism and the feeling of oneness not only in the country but for the entire human kind- including people of every age group.
One of the attributes of humans is the want for an opposing force to be able to bond stronger with one's own kind- and precisely this was offered by the terrorists on a golden platter. Teens who once mocked the feelings of patriotism and standing up for oneself- now have a renewed faith and belief in oneness.
This incident hit the young generation deep due to the fact that they led a comfortable, sheltered life where terrorist attacks not unlike the one on the Twin Towers, were observed from a distance. The realisation of such a tragedy on themselves, jolted the youth from their slumber. Though the saddening reality remains that it took more than a thousand lost lives to see a generation come together, it stresses on the importance of unity now more than ever.
Remarkably, this generation of youngsters directed the sorrow incurred into many positive activities. People no longer stepped back and let others do the work, they took the initiative and acted. It taught them to reach out and help other people- there was an outpouring of kindness shown in many different ways. I believe that people have finally realised what a difference they can make to turn this world into a better place to live in.
9/11 was a tragedy turned into a cause for reflection and realisation for the betterment of the human kind.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Should High School students in America require Community Service?
Until my eleventh grade, I did my schooling in India. In the Indian school system, it is not mandatory to perform community service. When I was in the ninth grade, we celebrated Diwali ( a Hindu festival) with the elderly in the city's old age home. As a class, we spent the whole day in the old age home- singing songs with them, having meals together, playing board games, viewing pictures of smiling faces of their grandchildren, but most importantly- just listening to them. It dawned on me that day that all they wanted was for someone to lend a ear, to acknowledge their presence and make them feel needed. All they wanted was to spend the last few years of their lives in peace- and if a group of students can provide happiness by just being there for them and spending a single day of our lives with them- then I think our time was spent well.
Yes, I am for the argument that high school students in America should require community service. The young people of the community have absolutely no inkling as to how much they owe the society and can bring back to it. Students are immensely valuable for all their capabilities of giving back back to the society.
Certainly, I acknowledge the fact that there are those who, for some reason, cannot or do not want to provide their service to the community, and that the need to provide service must come from within a person, voluntarily, and therefore cannot be mandated by schools. My counter argument would be that, though I agree that some service will be fruitful and well received only if it's given from the heart, there are times when one's action is more important than one's thoughts behind it. It's simply amazing to see how many people in this world are in need of a little help, encouragement and support. We have to live with the fact that this world we live in is an extremely unbalanced one. But just because we are individual beings on this earth, we can do our small bit to make it a better place to live in. And believe it or not, if we chip in our tiny bit, all the bits will come together to make the perfect larger picture.
The fact also remains that, if community service is made mandatory, not all students would do it just to get that credit in. There would be those who always wanted to do it, but just did'nt get the right opportunity. And in this way, they also get the credit for it. All said, one thing must be understood- no one in this whole world, especially a student, is too busy to give back to the community they grew up in.
Another valuable argument is that, proving a stranger with some kind of service encourages students to come out of their comfort zones and form lasting bonds. This interaction with the outside world, would give them invaluable experience for their future, and they would be better prepared when they become adults, to face the world. In a nutshell, this is a symbiotic process which would bring mutual happiness.
An alternative idea would be to make it mandatory, but provide the students with a wide range of options through which it is possible to provide community service- depending on each individual's personality.
As an Indian, I have seen enough suffering to know how much community service can help. Those who have, must give. I believe that these high school students from America have something special to offer their community- and they must be given the opportunity to do so.
Yes, I am for the argument that high school students in America should require community service. The young people of the community have absolutely no inkling as to how much they owe the society and can bring back to it. Students are immensely valuable for all their capabilities of giving back back to the society.
Certainly, I acknowledge the fact that there are those who, for some reason, cannot or do not want to provide their service to the community, and that the need to provide service must come from within a person, voluntarily, and therefore cannot be mandated by schools. My counter argument would be that, though I agree that some service will be fruitful and well received only if it's given from the heart, there are times when one's action is more important than one's thoughts behind it. It's simply amazing to see how many people in this world are in need of a little help, encouragement and support. We have to live with the fact that this world we live in is an extremely unbalanced one. But just because we are individual beings on this earth, we can do our small bit to make it a better place to live in. And believe it or not, if we chip in our tiny bit, all the bits will come together to make the perfect larger picture.
The fact also remains that, if community service is made mandatory, not all students would do it just to get that credit in. There would be those who always wanted to do it, but just did'nt get the right opportunity. And in this way, they also get the credit for it. All said, one thing must be understood- no one in this whole world, especially a student, is too busy to give back to the community they grew up in.
Another valuable argument is that, proving a stranger with some kind of service encourages students to come out of their comfort zones and form lasting bonds. This interaction with the outside world, would give them invaluable experience for their future, and they would be better prepared when they become adults, to face the world. In a nutshell, this is a symbiotic process which would bring mutual happiness.
An alternative idea would be to make it mandatory, but provide the students with a wide range of options through which it is possible to provide community service- depending on each individual's personality.
As an Indian, I have seen enough suffering to know how much community service can help. Those who have, must give. I believe that these high school students from America have something special to offer their community- and they must be given the opportunity to do so.
My Modest Proposal
Based on the satirical essay 'A Modest Proposal' by Jonathan Swift - This proposal, where he suggests that the Irish eat their own children, is one of his most drastic pieces.(http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html)
India is the fastest developing country in the world. While a certain part of the country is moving ahead at a brisk pace with ground- breaking technologies and a booming economy, the rest is left behind in dismal poverty, slums, lack of facilities for sanitation and educational purposes, severing the nation in two.
Though India is ahead of many countries in numerous ways and thought of as the world's next super power, a lot of impending issues of concern to our nation need looking into, such as basic food and shelter to a lot of rural areas. Public facilities like roads, bridges, drainage systems and public health care need attention too.
The gap between the rich and the poor is alarming, as is the population of our country- a baby is born every 1.25 seconds in India! These are peculiar problems that India has to find unique solutions to.
It seems that the country felt the urgency to keep up with the pace of the world when it emerged as a brand new democratic county, with fresh ideas and brilliant minds from under the British rule not more than sixty years ago. As a result, a lot of essential stages of learning and experience were skipped.
Now, my proposal would be to stop the development of the country altogether. Progress in any shape or form should be discouraged. This would be our only hope of bridging the gap between the haves and the have- nots.
Firstly, it is advisable to terminate any kind of communication between India and the outside world. This would ensure that India does not develop in parallel, along with the other countries. This includes similar restrictions to trade economically as well as goods and services. This would effectively stop the outsourcing of jobs to India from other countries ( a major industry in Bangalore). In fact, this has the double advantage of making India a self- efficient country out of necessity! Also, any contact with the outside world, including the NRI's (Non Indian Resident Indian) will have grave consequences.
Secondly, all scientists and other professionals who may be involved in groundbreaking fields may stop inventing, discovering and innovating. Their research would have to stop until the rest of the country has arrived at the same plane. In fact, this can be considered as a double- edged sword as well- the money that is saved from these researches can be employed into an equally good use by helping uplift the downtrodden in the country.
Thirdly, if the total worth of money in cash or goods, possessed by any individual, exceeds the limit of five crore in rupees, at any point in time, he or she is liable to receive a light sentence of punishment. In addition, the amount of cash exceeding the limit will be forfeited to the coffers of the Indian Government, which again can be used to advance the cause of the poor.
The Government should be critically scruitanised during this period not only by the media, but by every citizen of the nation, the people may as well be given the power to overthrow any political leader.
This entire system, in all its brilliance, can last until every Indian has access to basic necessities like quality food, shelter, education, health care, sanitation and public service. Then, and only then, can India be allowed to continue to develop- only this time, she takes every Indian along with her.
India is the fastest developing country in the world. While a certain part of the country is moving ahead at a brisk pace with ground- breaking technologies and a booming economy, the rest is left behind in dismal poverty, slums, lack of facilities for sanitation and educational purposes, severing the nation in two.
Though India is ahead of many countries in numerous ways and thought of as the world's next super power, a lot of impending issues of concern to our nation need looking into, such as basic food and shelter to a lot of rural areas. Public facilities like roads, bridges, drainage systems and public health care need attention too.
The gap between the rich and the poor is alarming, as is the population of our country- a baby is born every 1.25 seconds in India! These are peculiar problems that India has to find unique solutions to.
It seems that the country felt the urgency to keep up with the pace of the world when it emerged as a brand new democratic county, with fresh ideas and brilliant minds from under the British rule not more than sixty years ago. As a result, a lot of essential stages of learning and experience were skipped.
Now, my proposal would be to stop the development of the country altogether. Progress in any shape or form should be discouraged. This would be our only hope of bridging the gap between the haves and the have- nots.
Firstly, it is advisable to terminate any kind of communication between India and the outside world. This would ensure that India does not develop in parallel, along with the other countries. This includes similar restrictions to trade economically as well as goods and services. This would effectively stop the outsourcing of jobs to India from other countries ( a major industry in Bangalore). In fact, this has the double advantage of making India a self- efficient country out of necessity! Also, any contact with the outside world, including the NRI's (Non Indian Resident Indian) will have grave consequences.
Secondly, all scientists and other professionals who may be involved in groundbreaking fields may stop inventing, discovering and innovating. Their research would have to stop until the rest of the country has arrived at the same plane. In fact, this can be considered as a double- edged sword as well- the money that is saved from these researches can be employed into an equally good use by helping uplift the downtrodden in the country.
Thirdly, if the total worth of money in cash or goods, possessed by any individual, exceeds the limit of five crore in rupees, at any point in time, he or she is liable to receive a light sentence of punishment. In addition, the amount of cash exceeding the limit will be forfeited to the coffers of the Indian Government, which again can be used to advance the cause of the poor.
The Government should be critically scruitanised during this period not only by the media, but by every citizen of the nation, the people may as well be given the power to overthrow any political leader.
This entire system, in all its brilliance, can last until every Indian has access to basic necessities like quality food, shelter, education, health care, sanitation and public service. Then, and only then, can India be allowed to continue to develop- only this time, she takes every Indian along with her.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
"One Day.."
This is my very first blog. Being an avid reader of novels, books and pretty much anything I can lay my hands on, I have always loved the English language, creative writing and everything related to it. I realized a blog of my own was long overdue when, while giving an interview for my first potential job, it became apparent that my passion lay in writing. My interviewer asked the now obvious question with a piercing look from behind his pinz- nez glasses, 'So do you maintain a blog?' probably expecting me to go into a fantastical speech about how I started my own blog at an astonishingly young age and how completely addicted I am to it. Instead, I answered with my standard reply, 'No, not yet, but I would love to start one some day', desperately wishing that my hope for the future would be a satisfying reply.
Now if you are a fellow human being, you would understand this. Does the 'one day' really ever arrive? I didn't think so, until the middle- aged man gave me a puzzled look in reply, 'You should start one, young lady!' After similar advice from my next two interviewers, here I am- writing my very first blog. Much to their satisfaction.. and mine.
Now if you are a fellow human being, you would understand this. Does the 'one day' really ever arrive? I didn't think so, until the middle- aged man gave me a puzzled look in reply, 'You should start one, young lady!' After similar advice from my next two interviewers, here I am- writing my very first blog. Much to their satisfaction.. and mine.
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