What is the identity of a Sikh?
I always thought a Sikh was a person who wore a turban and was the butt of many many jokes. Speaking of which, if one believes that there is truth behind every joke, wat does one conclude with regard to the multitude of such Sardar jokes?
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Tie game
After just watching the tie game between India and Pakistan, i couldn help but remember a similar situation i was in a couple of months ago. The gamewas snooker and the venuw was above Aishwarya Bakery. It was a doubles game and although i had a team mate who contributed only in negatives and was up against two others who were at the top of the game, i managed to draw the game at the last ball. It was at this point of time that i knew i was bound to win (as it was my shot next). Unfortunately, my opponent decided to quit while he was winning and left. I guess i was so shocked at such a lack of sportsmanship that i had no clue how to react. As i saw him leave the parlour, i couldn help but watch as my team mate decided it was an ample time to stab me in the back (not for the last time) and replace the cue as a means of acknowledging that the game had ended. Much to my chagrin, my team mate also tried to explain to me that i should let it go as it was the "ideal" situation. My opponent's team mate understandably stayed away from the conflict and watched the "fun" that was about to unfold.
As i had never in my life seen such gutless behaviour, i had no clue how to react. Rage getting the better of me (as it somehow always manages to do), i started screaming right from the parlour all the way back to campus "loser", "chicken" "come back and finish the game". The responses were brilliant and very apt (as always). "My ethics did not let me finish the game" and many other such well though out and brilliantly phrased statements in impeccable English. Upon reaching back, the fight continued and i ended up regressing as usual and taking it head on. As usual when the going got tough, the brilliance comes out in peculiar ways. A comment was made about my having sexual relations with my mother (which was very relevant to the fight of course). After making the statement, my illustrious opponent decided to leave as he thought he had won this as well or maybe it was just that he thought it was better to quit while winning (I believe the problem starts when my opponent tries to start thinking - clearly it is not something someone that smart needs to do on a regular basis). My team mate was confused as to where the loyalty should lie. After a lot of thinking, i am not quite sure as to the side which was picked. As usual (at least with this particular team mate), i ended up fighting alone after which i carefully withdrew myself as i realised it was neither intellectually stimulating (due to the extremely high level of responses) nor interesting (well both of them may be a lot of things, but interesting they are NOT).
I was wondering what would have happened if Pakistan (as they ended up losing) had decided to just walk away instead of playing the bowl out. Am sure such a lack of sportsmanship is impossible to come by nowadays. Everyone seems to have the courage to stand up for themselves. Well i can say i found a whole set of people who defy the norm. There has also been acceptance in this regard on numerous ocassions. At least they are comfortable with who they are (or what all they lack).
My only concern in this regard is the complete lack of sportsmanship. I decided then not to play with this opponent ever again. But that is beside the point. I mean, such behavious is the reson snooker is not taken seriously as a game. Some bad seeds end up ruining the game for everyone. If it was in my power such people would never play the game. I mean what is the point in playing if u cant even accept defeat? Such is the place of snooker in India as of today. It is not taken seriously as a game and it is seen as a pass time as people come to parlours to smoke pot (or god knows what this opponent of mine does there). It is clear that there is need for rethinking your opponents and just anyone who can hold a cue stick is not enough. A certain degree of maturity with regard to the game is expected and definitely wanted. The game could do with players with no skill but with integrity (rather than people who pretty much lack both).
As i had never in my life seen such gutless behaviour, i had no clue how to react. Rage getting the better of me (as it somehow always manages to do), i started screaming right from the parlour all the way back to campus "loser", "chicken" "come back and finish the game". The responses were brilliant and very apt (as always). "My ethics did not let me finish the game" and many other such well though out and brilliantly phrased statements in impeccable English. Upon reaching back, the fight continued and i ended up regressing as usual and taking it head on. As usual when the going got tough, the brilliance comes out in peculiar ways. A comment was made about my having sexual relations with my mother (which was very relevant to the fight of course). After making the statement, my illustrious opponent decided to leave as he thought he had won this as well or maybe it was just that he thought it was better to quit while winning (I believe the problem starts when my opponent tries to start thinking - clearly it is not something someone that smart needs to do on a regular basis). My team mate was confused as to where the loyalty should lie. After a lot of thinking, i am not quite sure as to the side which was picked. As usual (at least with this particular team mate), i ended up fighting alone after which i carefully withdrew myself as i realised it was neither intellectually stimulating (due to the extremely high level of responses) nor interesting (well both of them may be a lot of things, but interesting they are NOT).
I was wondering what would have happened if Pakistan (as they ended up losing) had decided to just walk away instead of playing the bowl out. Am sure such a lack of sportsmanship is impossible to come by nowadays. Everyone seems to have the courage to stand up for themselves. Well i can say i found a whole set of people who defy the norm. There has also been acceptance in this regard on numerous ocassions. At least they are comfortable with who they are (or what all they lack).
My only concern in this regard is the complete lack of sportsmanship. I decided then not to play with this opponent ever again. But that is beside the point. I mean, such behavious is the reson snooker is not taken seriously as a game. Some bad seeds end up ruining the game for everyone. If it was in my power such people would never play the game. I mean what is the point in playing if u cant even accept defeat? Such is the place of snooker in India as of today. It is not taken seriously as a game and it is seen as a pass time as people come to parlours to smoke pot (or god knows what this opponent of mine does there). It is clear that there is need for rethinking your opponents and just anyone who can hold a cue stick is not enough. A certain degree of maturity with regard to the game is expected and definitely wanted. The game could do with players with no skill but with integrity (rather than people who pretty much lack both).
Friday, September 14, 2007
Official Language Controversy
Looking at the war sparked off by the History teacher in class, we see that regionalism has always been present. The "beast" has just been awakened. Statements like "I do not want a South Indian identity just because i am dark" are very frequent. Some people just dont know how to take compliments (even if they are due to a mistake).
I seek to end this controversy once and for all (considering its so obvious - how can there have been so much heated debate? :) ) I list out the various options and explain why they are not adequate solutions to the problem.
The national language should clearly be Kannada. As a language, it is derived from Sanskrit, so it has some aspects close to Hindi. It is related to tamil (many words are identical or very similar) and is very similar to telugu. Most importantly, it is not imposed. We just hope that enlightenment would dawn on the whole country where they'll "realise" for themselves that this is so clearly the answer. This covers all the above concerns. It is not alien to India. It borrows from other many other languages and thereby keeps evolving. Most importantly, it relies on the self realisation of all the people in the country and is clearly not an imposition. So what possible rational objection could anyone possible have to this?
I seek to end this controversy once and for all (considering its so obvious - how can there have been so much heated debate? :) ) I list out the various options and explain why they are not adequate solutions to the problem.
- Hindi: Clearly it is unacceptable. The very fact that it has been chosen as the national language has resulted in a lot of bad blood. Clearly, we are unhappy with the present state of things. So we can safely say this is not the right solution.
- English: How can the official language be alien? How? It helps create a national identity and portrays unity. Considering, in the preamble to the Constitution, we feel that India is sovereign and we have thrown off all the "yokes of foreign rule", we cannot popssible have the creation of a national language which is not even within India. Also, hardly anyone from above the Vindhyas can converse properly in this language (as far as i have seen at least :) ). So English is ruled out.
- Tamil: What can i say? My cousins from Tamil Nadu have tried in vain for so long to get some little recognition for their language. It just does NOT happen, does it? Why is it so hard for them to get a hint? Clearly, considering how long they've tried, its about time they give up
- NO NATIONAL LANGUAGE: How devoid of self - identity should one be to even consider or think abt having NO national language? I mean come on, honestly. I am sure that such lack of integrity is very rare. Just say we cant settle on the plurality so we'll just NOT even try. The "We cant settle the dispute so we wont even try" attitude is startling. I mean where is the fighting spirit? This is obviously far from the solution as im sure our country is made up of millions of self respecting people and such suggestions are exceptions to the rule.
- Kannada: Although this is the best possible option as it is the proverbial perfect language, it has not been advocated very strongly as the people here are happy with their own identity and dont impose it on others. Within their confines, they ensure that self identity and the sense of values and language is advocated and followed to the letter. Imposition on unconnected third parties is seriously not worth bothering about.
- Bengali: "ARE YOU MAD?" Sums it up pretty much.
- Khasi (or some other North Eastern language): "According to the 1971 census there are about 220 languages spoken in these states" (http://www.iitg.ernet.in/rcilts/n_e.html). I think we'll just wait till they figure out among themselves which language to ask for as the national language.
The national language should clearly be Kannada. As a language, it is derived from Sanskrit, so it has some aspects close to Hindi. It is related to tamil (many words are identical or very similar) and is very similar to telugu. Most importantly, it is not imposed. We just hope that enlightenment would dawn on the whole country where they'll "realise" for themselves that this is so clearly the answer. This covers all the above concerns. It is not alien to India. It borrows from other many other languages and thereby keeps evolving. Most importantly, it relies on the self realisation of all the people in the country and is clearly not an imposition. So what possible rational objection could anyone possible have to this?
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Shawshank or NLS?
"These walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That's institutionalized."
I just watched the Shawshank redemption and couldn help but draw many parallels between "life" in NLS and life in Shawshank prison as portrayed by the movie. Dont read ahead if u haven seen the movie as ul be spoiling for urself a hell of a story. Its a brilliant movie that is not only fast moving and gripping, but also appeals to ur heart. I reached the conclusion that NLS is the mental incarceration equivalent of the physical equivalent in Shawshank. Since its mental, its far worse and takes around 1/10th the time to actually operate.
Starting right from the beginning, most of us did not CHOOSE to come here. We came here by chance. We just happened to write a good paper on that fateful day. We also happened to get through the interview without laughing or jeering at the people on the other end of the table. For these two "acts", we've been sentenced to two terms back to back. BA and LLB. We are now mwntally incarcerated as we cannot leave. Either due to external forces such as parents or due to internal forces making u realise u couldn live with urself if u left.
Right at the beginning, by the harsh treatments of those inmates already here, some people had to leave. They were so badly beaten (mentally - positive interaction) that nothing could save them. The earlier inmates take bets and see how they can make the fresh ones cry. Most importantly, the entire prison has people smoking throughout and cigarettes form the vein of the barter system. Something all of us should have already seen.
Upon entering, some people are silent and take a long time to open up to the inmates. You finally meet the dark man "who can get things" or in this case, the dark man "who bought you things". U end up becoming friends with such people, a bond that grows stonger over time. In the first few months, we are under a lot of pressure and lots of people find it difficult to adjust. There will be instances of mental sodomy by various gangs of inmates that u work hard to avoid, but put up a fight if u end up getting caught. The former knowledge and the fact that u are good with numbers helps u gain friends among the inmates. We make "friends" with the SDGM and they do the vigilante work of keeping away the evil sodomisers. Fines are levied and upon permanent damage to the wallet, the brutal attacks stop. The SDGM is clearly protecting us now.
Very soon we are called to forcibly work outside as interns to help "better" law students and give them a look at the outside world. We end up backing various scams (like classes for instance - barring constitutional law of course) and covering for them. We realise that the honest people we were (at least most of us and to a certain extent) turns completely inside out here and most of us tend to take the easy way out. While succumbing to the various vices, we see that most people lose hope of ever leaving. When they finally have to leave (after their term), they have nowhere to go and quite a few people decide to stay on ("Remnants"). They do anything it takes to stay back as they have been "institutionalised". Those few who actually make it out, dont know what to do and end up missing their time in the law school. It finally culminates in some dead end desk job in a firm and thereby mentally they commit suicide as there would remain no more intellectual stimulation.
Some of the new people who enter, are helped by us to cope and to learn. When they finally are forced to leave or are removed by circumstances, we feel the truth of the entire situation and the way one lives life being mentally incarcerated. We're sent back to mental seclusion. Solitary confinement with no idea what to do. When one finally emerges from the solitary state, and tends to open up, people all around seem to think uve lost it and when u ask for a rope (or go on to the terrace), there is only one assumption made. That the breaking point has been reached.
The end is something that is yet to happen. One thing is for sure. Hope is very important. We must all remember that we will not be here FOREVER. Maybe a long time, but NOT forever. Outside lies a better world. A world where we can actually feel free and liberated. Away from the faculty and the SDGM, all the scams and seclusion. HOPE. Most of the time, its ALL we have in such a place. Sometimes i feel hope is hidden right behind the meaning of the word itself. We just need to find OUR ray of hope to escape from the seclusion and depression that permeates the air.
I just watched the Shawshank redemption and couldn help but draw many parallels between "life" in NLS and life in Shawshank prison as portrayed by the movie. Dont read ahead if u haven seen the movie as ul be spoiling for urself a hell of a story. Its a brilliant movie that is not only fast moving and gripping, but also appeals to ur heart. I reached the conclusion that NLS is the mental incarceration equivalent of the physical equivalent in Shawshank. Since its mental, its far worse and takes around 1/10th the time to actually operate.
Starting right from the beginning, most of us did not CHOOSE to come here. We came here by chance. We just happened to write a good paper on that fateful day. We also happened to get through the interview without laughing or jeering at the people on the other end of the table. For these two "acts", we've been sentenced to two terms back to back. BA and LLB. We are now mwntally incarcerated as we cannot leave. Either due to external forces such as parents or due to internal forces making u realise u couldn live with urself if u left.
Right at the beginning, by the harsh treatments of those inmates already here, some people had to leave. They were so badly beaten (mentally - positive interaction) that nothing could save them. The earlier inmates take bets and see how they can make the fresh ones cry. Most importantly, the entire prison has people smoking throughout and cigarettes form the vein of the barter system. Something all of us should have already seen.
Upon entering, some people are silent and take a long time to open up to the inmates. You finally meet the dark man "who can get things" or in this case, the dark man "who bought you things". U end up becoming friends with such people, a bond that grows stonger over time. In the first few months, we are under a lot of pressure and lots of people find it difficult to adjust. There will be instances of mental sodomy by various gangs of inmates that u work hard to avoid, but put up a fight if u end up getting caught. The former knowledge and the fact that u are good with numbers helps u gain friends among the inmates. We make "friends" with the SDGM and they do the vigilante work of keeping away the evil sodomisers. Fines are levied and upon permanent damage to the wallet, the brutal attacks stop. The SDGM is clearly protecting us now.
Very soon we are called to forcibly work outside as interns to help "better" law students and give them a look at the outside world. We end up backing various scams (like classes for instance - barring constitutional law of course) and covering for them. We realise that the honest people we were (at least most of us and to a certain extent) turns completely inside out here and most of us tend to take the easy way out. While succumbing to the various vices, we see that most people lose hope of ever leaving. When they finally have to leave (after their term), they have nowhere to go and quite a few people decide to stay on ("Remnants"). They do anything it takes to stay back as they have been "institutionalised". Those few who actually make it out, dont know what to do and end up missing their time in the law school. It finally culminates in some dead end desk job in a firm and thereby mentally they commit suicide as there would remain no more intellectual stimulation.
Some of the new people who enter, are helped by us to cope and to learn. When they finally are forced to leave or are removed by circumstances, we feel the truth of the entire situation and the way one lives life being mentally incarcerated. We're sent back to mental seclusion. Solitary confinement with no idea what to do. When one finally emerges from the solitary state, and tends to open up, people all around seem to think uve lost it and when u ask for a rope (or go on to the terrace), there is only one assumption made. That the breaking point has been reached.
The end is something that is yet to happen. One thing is for sure. Hope is very important. We must all remember that we will not be here FOREVER. Maybe a long time, but NOT forever. Outside lies a better world. A world where we can actually feel free and liberated. Away from the faculty and the SDGM, all the scams and seclusion. HOPE. Most of the time, its ALL we have in such a place. Sometimes i feel hope is hidden right behind the meaning of the word itself. We just need to find OUR ray of hope to escape from the seclusion and depression that permeates the air.
Exorcism of Emily Rose
"Work out your own salvation through fear and trembling"
Very few movies outside the series have rivaled "SAW" (in my opinion) in being the most engaging and intellectually stimulating movie. This movie is right up there. Watching this movie has left me dazed with a lot more room for doubt than i already had in such matters. Being an agnostic, i could relate to Linney's character defending the priest. It is important to note that the FATHER was defended by an AGNOSTIC while the State (prosecuting the father for negligent homicide) was defended by a methodist.
Father Moore: Tell me your six names!
Emily Rose: [Possessed] We are the ones who dwell within.
Emily Rose: [in Hebrew language] I am the one who dwelt within CAIN!
Emily Rose: [in Latin language] I am the one who dwelt within NERO!
Emily Rose: [in Greek language] I once dwelt within JUDAS!
Emily Rose: [in German Language] I was with Legion
Emily Rose: [In Assyrian Neo-Aramaic language] I am Belial
Emily Rose: [possessed/English] and I am Lucifer, The devil in the flesh
(from imdb.com)
The brilliance of this movie is that it opens up the possibility of possession being true, while it does not state as a fact that it is. It lets the viewers decide for themselves. Personally, i do not know. The movie still has to sink in before i can actually give it thought, i guess.
Last but not least, BASED ON A TRUE STORY!
My suggestion is to watch it and as soon as possible (and obviously watch Saw - all three).
Very few movies outside the series have rivaled "SAW" (in my opinion) in being the most engaging and intellectually stimulating movie. This movie is right up there. Watching this movie has left me dazed with a lot more room for doubt than i already had in such matters. Being an agnostic, i could relate to Linney's character defending the priest. It is important to note that the FATHER was defended by an AGNOSTIC while the State (prosecuting the father for negligent homicide) was defended by a methodist.
Father Moore: Tell me your six names!
Emily Rose: [Possessed] We are the ones who dwell within.
Emily Rose: [in Hebrew language] I am the one who dwelt within CAIN!
Emily Rose: [in Latin language] I am the one who dwelt within NERO!
Emily Rose: [in Greek language] I once dwelt within JUDAS!
Emily Rose: [in German Language] I was with Legion
Emily Rose: [In Assyrian Neo-Aramaic language] I am Belial
Emily Rose: [possessed/English] and I am Lucifer, The devil in the flesh
(from imdb.com)
The brilliance of this movie is that it opens up the possibility of possession being true, while it does not state as a fact that it is. It lets the viewers decide for themselves. Personally, i do not know. The movie still has to sink in before i can actually give it thought, i guess.
Last but not least, BASED ON A TRUE STORY!
My suggestion is to watch it and as soon as possible (and obviously watch Saw - all three).
Saturday, September 8, 2007
As long as you love me
Switching through my playlist, i had the unfortunate pleasure of listening to this Backstreet Boys song "As long as you love me". I couldn't help but feel the song must probably be the WORST i have ever heard as far as the lyrics go. Am not commenting on the music (cos frankly i really dont need to. Its Backstreet Boys)
"I don't care who you are Where you're from What you did As long as you love me"
I couldn't help but think if i knew anyone, ANYONE who lived their life like this. I guess nothing really occured to me then cos i concluded it was far fetched and impossible for a person to rely on how the other person feels abt u rather than how u feel abt the other person. The very desperation of this statement filled me with so much of pathos that i decided i HAD to write about it. So the boys from Orlando dont mind any person as long as the person loves them. So in essence, as long as you love him, u could've been a serial killer who ate all her x boyfriends' livers.
Then again who ever said it had to be a her? The lyrics dont specify now, do they? Since nothing is mentioned, i guess him, her, it would make absolutely no difference as long as you love him. All i can say is such an attitude would definitely help some people i know. :)
"I don't care who you are Where you're from What you did As long as you love me"
I couldn't help but think if i knew anyone, ANYONE who lived their life like this. I guess nothing really occured to me then cos i concluded it was far fetched and impossible for a person to rely on how the other person feels abt u rather than how u feel abt the other person. The very desperation of this statement filled me with so much of pathos that i decided i HAD to write about it. So the boys from Orlando dont mind any person as long as the person loves them. So in essence, as long as you love him, u could've been a serial killer who ate all her x boyfriends' livers.
Then again who ever said it had to be a her? The lyrics dont specify now, do they? Since nothing is mentioned, i guess him, her, it would make absolutely no difference as long as you love him. All i can say is such an attitude would definitely help some people i know. :)
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
National Integration
Having never been domiciled outside Bangalore in my entire life, joining a National Law School resulted in a severe culture shock. The people i ended up meeting were very different and most of the time who or what they were was a reflection of where they came from. There are many exceptions to this. For example, a person born in Bihar, yet who lived and studied elsewhere would no identity as no community would probably want her. I am only generalising from what i have seen. It is purely my opinion. I have grouped this either geographically, by culture or by language (limited to Indians nationals only).
b) Noida - Normally "intriguing" people, but tend to be boisterous, self centred and irritating at times.
c) Lucknow - hmmmmm......
d) Bihar: Generally nice people, can be crude at times though.
2. Bongs - Bengali speaking people. Normally from West Bengal, but there are some migrants here and there. In the words of one of my learned friends, "Bongs are bongs". Pretty much sums it up actually. Hardly any exceptions.
3. Chinks - Nomenclauture due to the Chinese looking eyes, chinks originate from the NE part of India. I really should not comment on them for love of life and limb.
4. Bombayites - Lets just say "casual", shall we?
Coming to South Indians now,
5. Mallus - Ah Coconut oil. What else can i say? Very cunning, but nice people to hang out with. Being from an all Malyali college, lets just say "i have learnt - the hard way".
6. Gults - Telugu speaking people, normally from Andhra Pradesh. Associated with ulcers.
7. Tams - Tamilians. Normally dont gel with Choms very well. They're still bitter about the whole national language issue. Other than that, proud of their culture and secure in their surroundings.
8. Kannadigas - Last, but not least, we reach the cream of society. The pinnacle of evolution. Okay, you guessed right, i am a kannadiga and a proud one at that (hence the bias). Very laid back, relaxed (almost docile). But if irked, they can turn into violent beasts who have let their base instincts control them. This is seen frequently in Kannada movies. There is a great deal of pride involved in living in extremes.
- Choms: Choms are hindi speaking people. They are generally those people who are above the Vindhyas. It is mainly Delhi and the region surrounding it. They can be further divided by the place they originate from.
b) Noida - Normally "intriguing" people, but tend to be boisterous, self centred and irritating at times.
c) Lucknow - hmmmmm......
d) Bihar: Generally nice people, can be crude at times though.
2. Bongs - Bengali speaking people. Normally from West Bengal, but there are some migrants here and there. In the words of one of my learned friends, "Bongs are bongs". Pretty much sums it up actually. Hardly any exceptions.
3. Chinks - Nomenclauture due to the Chinese looking eyes, chinks originate from the NE part of India. I really should not comment on them for love of life and limb.
4. Bombayites - Lets just say "casual", shall we?
Coming to South Indians now,
5. Mallus - Ah Coconut oil. What else can i say? Very cunning, but nice people to hang out with. Being from an all Malyali college, lets just say "i have learnt - the hard way".
6. Gults - Telugu speaking people, normally from Andhra Pradesh. Associated with ulcers.
7. Tams - Tamilians. Normally dont gel with Choms very well. They're still bitter about the whole national language issue. Other than that, proud of their culture and secure in their surroundings.
8. Kannadigas - Last, but not least, we reach the cream of society. The pinnacle of evolution. Okay, you guessed right, i am a kannadiga and a proud one at that (hence the bias). Very laid back, relaxed (almost docile). But if irked, they can turn into violent beasts who have let their base instincts control them. This is seen frequently in Kannada movies. There is a great deal of pride involved in living in extremes.
Belum Caves
This is with regard to my recently concluded visit to a cave system in Andhra Pradesh. As i left the caves only one thought lingered in my head. A poem i had read when i was in school. A poem about "the only rabbit in England". It talks about the various technological advances of man resulting in the destruction of nature. The rabbit then burrows itself into the Earth instead of standing under the "neon lights" and nibbling "on the only patch of grass". The poem ends with the rabbit saying, "it wont be long, they are bound to come, they are bound to come and find me, even here."
The caves are supposedly a national heritage, hence the money poured into it. I wonder if the government were given enough money, would they actually air condition the whole cave and put in escalators for the "comfort" of the tourists. It is just one step away, considering they have put in "air blowers" already. The people with me (my parents included) were all enthralled and found the entire idea of the cave marvellous and awe inspiring. The people were of the opinion that the government (apparently running at a loss considering the "ticket" cost just 25 ruppees) had done a brilliant job in opening the place to the public.
The first thing one notices when one reaches the caves, is the giant Buddha statue and the "BELUM CAVES" written in big on a nearby hillock. As intriguing as this may seem, it is only an indicator of the "greatness" of man, which will be seen in much detail upon venturing further. After passing the ridiculuously overpriced snack bar, we made our way to the ticket counter. Upon buying the tickets, I was personally surprised at the system. It had a bar code and a bar code scanner, which controlled the metal arm which was to be rotated upon scanning the bar code in order to facilitate entry. The last thing i expected in this remote, out of the way place, was such technology. As we pass this point and descend some stairs, we see a gaping hole where there should have been shelter. We are intoduced to a guide who speaks decent English, yet repeats what can be seen or logically assumed by looking at the various "boards" drilled in the ground to ensure that tourists know exactly what they are looking at.
The generator is turned on and we see "soft" lighting all around. We walk into the cave and notice the ground paved. As i pass through the entire system i fail to understand how anyone could appreciate such a cave system. Looking at this cave was as good as looking at the Empire State Building insofar as the cave had been "conditioned" for the tourists. The natural beauty that the cave may have been is definitely no more. Artificial fountains and "waterfalls" are seen in the cave apparently to provide a better "ambience".
A cave so beautiful in itself has been destroyed and gets further sullied by the visit of every tourist.
The caves are supposedly a national heritage, hence the money poured into it. I wonder if the government were given enough money, would they actually air condition the whole cave and put in escalators for the "comfort" of the tourists. It is just one step away, considering they have put in "air blowers" already. The people with me (my parents included) were all enthralled and found the entire idea of the cave marvellous and awe inspiring. The people were of the opinion that the government (apparently running at a loss considering the "ticket" cost just 25 ruppees) had done a brilliant job in opening the place to the public.
The first thing one notices when one reaches the caves, is the giant Buddha statue and the "BELUM CAVES" written in big on a nearby hillock. As intriguing as this may seem, it is only an indicator of the "greatness" of man, which will be seen in much detail upon venturing further. After passing the ridiculuously overpriced snack bar, we made our way to the ticket counter. Upon buying the tickets, I was personally surprised at the system. It had a bar code and a bar code scanner, which controlled the metal arm which was to be rotated upon scanning the bar code in order to facilitate entry. The last thing i expected in this remote, out of the way place, was such technology. As we pass this point and descend some stairs, we see a gaping hole where there should have been shelter. We are intoduced to a guide who speaks decent English, yet repeats what can be seen or logically assumed by looking at the various "boards" drilled in the ground to ensure that tourists know exactly what they are looking at.
The generator is turned on and we see "soft" lighting all around. We walk into the cave and notice the ground paved. As i pass through the entire system i fail to understand how anyone could appreciate such a cave system. Looking at this cave was as good as looking at the Empire State Building insofar as the cave had been "conditioned" for the tourists. The natural beauty that the cave may have been is definitely no more. Artificial fountains and "waterfalls" are seen in the cave apparently to provide a better "ambience".
A cave so beautiful in itself has been destroyed and gets further sullied by the visit of every tourist.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Honesty and Integrity
After being a student of the law school for over a year, i find the serious lack of integrity in most of the people i have met. I have seniors and batchmates telling me "its all about giving the teachers what they want". In this competitive drive and spirit, we as students forget the few principles we ought to hold dear, namely honesty and integrity.
I have seen people often change their view on a topic or even their way of life depending on the teacher or situation. Most people find it scnadalous for a student to argue with a teacher or even put forward his point in any way which lacked the sugar coated tact. I do not know if it is just here that there is this complete lack of integrity, but i have noticed it a lot in here. Most people i know here would lie, manipulate and change their views and their personality just to achieve an end. I know this by experience, seeing people lying to my face. Some people take pride in such dishonesty while others feel it is an art to be fake.
I fail to understand how there can be such a lack of self identity just to achieve the end. The problem arises not merely in academics, but in every sphere of life. I have witnessed, first hand, manipulation and lies and in the most trivial of things. There have been instances where perfectly healthy students decide to claim they have typhoid and head back home missing an exam just in order to make sure they do not have a repeat and are hence still in the running for a gold medal. It might be stupid to sit and write the end term after a bad mid term but that does not mean one can lie to make sure that they can remain in the running for a gold medal. It amazes me day in and day out how such people live with themselves. It is lies, deceit and manipulation which form the vein of any activity here.
For instance, a student would look to speak in class even though he does not really have a point to make and dance all around the point without really making the point, which in itself would have taken hardly one tenth the time. Most teachers do not see through this and hence the students are able to use such means to impress the teachers. I feel that this means of garnering marks by using the teachers' biases is not something a person should do. I have heard of instances forst hand where teachers are to be impressed by behaving in a particular way in their classes. This not only shows the students in bad light, but the teachers who are just as easily fooled. I do not claim that the teahcers should not have biases. I only feel they should not be conscious. This seriously affects the merit of students studying in the institution.
This startling revelation is seen when a teacher is not at all vindictive and corrects on merit. The students who did well in the previous papers tend to suffer a lot more in these courses. To what length would students go to achieve their ends? I refer only to academics here. As far as the "extra curricular" activities, each person is unique. In my experience in law school , i have found that honesty is a rare virtue.
Getting back to the lack of integrity in students, this was pointed out by both our Constitutional LAw and the History professors. People write what they think the teacher wants to read. I was once told taht what i write in my answer papers and projects which put forward my view was "suicidal". Maybe in law school it is. But this does not mean one can compromise on one's integrity so easily and take to lying. Hoe people can lie and go to sleep liking themselves is something i will never understand. I guess there is always a time when a person is bound to get caught in a web of her own lies. I do not wish it to happen, but i feel law school and the world in general could use more integrity and honesty.
I have seen people often change their view on a topic or even their way of life depending on the teacher or situation. Most people find it scnadalous for a student to argue with a teacher or even put forward his point in any way which lacked the sugar coated tact. I do not know if it is just here that there is this complete lack of integrity, but i have noticed it a lot in here. Most people i know here would lie, manipulate and change their views and their personality just to achieve an end. I know this by experience, seeing people lying to my face. Some people take pride in such dishonesty while others feel it is an art to be fake.
I fail to understand how there can be such a lack of self identity just to achieve the end. The problem arises not merely in academics, but in every sphere of life. I have witnessed, first hand, manipulation and lies and in the most trivial of things. There have been instances where perfectly healthy students decide to claim they have typhoid and head back home missing an exam just in order to make sure they do not have a repeat and are hence still in the running for a gold medal. It might be stupid to sit and write the end term after a bad mid term but that does not mean one can lie to make sure that they can remain in the running for a gold medal. It amazes me day in and day out how such people live with themselves. It is lies, deceit and manipulation which form the vein of any activity here.
For instance, a student would look to speak in class even though he does not really have a point to make and dance all around the point without really making the point, which in itself would have taken hardly one tenth the time. Most teachers do not see through this and hence the students are able to use such means to impress the teachers. I feel that this means of garnering marks by using the teachers' biases is not something a person should do. I have heard of instances forst hand where teachers are to be impressed by behaving in a particular way in their classes. This not only shows the students in bad light, but the teachers who are just as easily fooled. I do not claim that the teahcers should not have biases. I only feel they should not be conscious. This seriously affects the merit of students studying in the institution.
This startling revelation is seen when a teacher is not at all vindictive and corrects on merit. The students who did well in the previous papers tend to suffer a lot more in these courses. To what length would students go to achieve their ends? I refer only to academics here. As far as the "extra curricular" activities, each person is unique. In my experience in law school , i have found that honesty is a rare virtue.
Getting back to the lack of integrity in students, this was pointed out by both our Constitutional LAw and the History professors. People write what they think the teacher wants to read. I was once told taht what i write in my answer papers and projects which put forward my view was "suicidal". Maybe in law school it is. But this does not mean one can compromise on one's integrity so easily and take to lying. Hoe people can lie and go to sleep liking themselves is something i will never understand. I guess there is always a time when a person is bound to get caught in a web of her own lies. I do not wish it to happen, but i feel law school and the world in general could use more integrity and honesty.
Land Laws
Subject: Land Law examination
Dear Sir,
In the recently written mid term on Land Laws, there has been no parity. The Bare Act which was promised numerous times before the examination was not provided on the day. At the time of the examination, after the bell had rung, we were told that no bare acts would be provided and any notes (bare acts, commentaries, class notes, articles etc) could be taken into the examination hall. This gave an unfair advantage to those students who had already carried commentaries and other such notes to the examination hall prior to the exanmination.
This is clearly a gross violation of the equality principle that we hold dear in our country and our institution. Certain students had a bare act, while some others had notes. However, there were certain students with absolutely no notes (class notes or commentaries). Unfortunately, i happened to be one of the unlucky students who happened to come to the examination hall with no notes. It was not mentioned till two minutes after the bell that we would be allowed to take any notes into the examination hall. In a state of complete disorder, there was a rush to the hostels in order to bring in the notes or bare acts. Living at the other end of the campus, it was not feasible for me to go to the hostel and return with the necessary notes. Doing so would have definitely delayed me to an extent where the notes would have anyway been redundant.
I request you to realise that this means of conducting an examination is totally unbecoming of an institution of such repute. An institution known as one of the premier law schools in the country could not and should not encourage such an exam and i am confident that remedial measures would be taken to ensure that parity is restored. My humble suggestion in this regard is to render the mid term examination nugatory.
Yours Sincerely,
Wronged and concerned.
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