The Unsung heroes

It was just another sunny day in Pune. Unable to bear the heatwave, we slipped into E-sqaure and booked tickets for the movie - Paan Singh Tomar. Well, I didn't even had the faintest thought of writing a review for this movie, until I saw the message at the end of the movie – “The movie is dedicated to the unsung heroes of Indian sports”.

The story revolves around the life of Paan Singh Tomar (played by Irfaan), who turns from an army man to a sportsperson to a famous rebel. Paan Singh is an innocent, straight-forward person, hailing from Morena district of Madhya Pradesh. Even though he owns land in his village, he joins the army with the sole purpose of serving the nation. Soon his commander realises his talent in sports and sends him to the training academy. 

Everyone including the coach was surprised at his energy and stamina as he wins the 5000m trial in the very first go. But, he ends up in 3000m steeplechase at the request of his coach, as his coach’s daughter is married to the family of his competitor in the 5000m event. He takes the new game sportively and proves his mettle by winning the National event, due to which he gets the nod to participate for the Asian championship in Japan. 

Though the movie revolves around his athletics, the director has taken his time to not to miss on the village romance between Paan Singh and Indra (played by Mahi Gill). May be, this is how romance still exist in village.

His love for the nation is seen from the fact that he argues with his commander to send him to the 1965 war, as army rules doesn’t allow a sportsperson to take part in war. But the fire inside him to serve the nation makes him to win the 1967 International steeplechase event.

Being an International champion, his life goes for a toss when the situation in his native worsens, as his relatives occupy his land. Having left with no choice, he resigns from the army to take care of his family. After seeing his son getting beaten very badly and his family being chased away by the relatives, with no support from the local police, the army man cum sportsperson turns a rebellion.

He creates his own group and trains them to fight against police or any intermediaries who come on their way. As every revenge movie would go, he takes his revenge by killing his relative. One of his famous dialogue in the movie – “Life is a race, whether you win or lose, you still got to complete the race”. This suits his life in the movie accordingly, as after becoming a rebel, he did not have the choice to lead the old life, but to continue the life of a rebel.

Slowly, his group started kidnapping people for ransom and he becomes very famous after the killing of policemen and his front page interview in a local newspaper. Whenever someone calls him a dacoit, he used to correct them saying, “Don’t call me a dacoit, am a rebel”. He is vigilant all the time, seen from the fact that he makes his servant to taste the food before consuming it.

Seems everything that has a beginning comes to an end someday. A new inspector takes charge, who goes on a day-night hunt for Paan Singh. Being betrayed by his group member, Paan Singh was finally shot down by the police, but he ensures the death of traitor before his. 

Just when the movie got over, a message appeared on the screen - "The movie is dedicated to the unsung heroes of Indian sports". This made me (hopefully everyone) to realize the true essence of the movie.

I wondered as how sportsperson leads their life?  Looking at the real scenarios in India, the movie is not completely wrong. Our country has changed in such a way that we bother only about the 11 players on the field. 

What about other sports?

The importance given to one sport has taken away all the credits that should have obtained to other sports. How many people amongst us are aware of the name of the sportsperson or even the sports other than that single game?

Whom to be blamed? 
Is this the incapability of the people or the government?

“Better late than never”. Its high time that our country recognizes other sports and provide facilities and develop personalities in various fields. 

Hope, in the future, our country creates Paan Singh Tomar as a sportsperson and not as a rebellion!!!!!

My Dear friend, This is India

This blog is a collection of events that happened during one of my longest train journeys.

I was waiting for the Nagarcoil express - 16351 (Mumbai to Nagarcoil via Pune via Trichy) at the Pune station, feeling irritated thinking of the long journey ahead. As the train arrived, I checked the charts eagerly to see any female companion of my age near my seat. 

Having been disappointed again, I cursed my luck, boarded the train and arranged my luggage. 

The train started at 5.00 PM and within minutes of start of the train, a family approached me and requested  me to shift to the other 3AC coach, as they had got tickets split in both of the 3AC coaches. Thought lazy to change the coach, I still felt happy as I realized that there might be a chance to meet a female companion next to my seat. Seems unlucky guys are always unlucky, as the scenario remained the same in other coach too.

It was 9PM in the night.

Having chatted with the family for a long time, I went out to stand near the door and was just listening to the chat between the coach attendants. Hope most of you know that 3AC coaches are accompanied by coach attendants, whose responsibility is to give the bedding items.

The lady from the family came out and asked the attendant for a bedsheet. As the bedsheet was handed over to her, she started arguing with the attendant to give a neat and clean bedsheet. It was a white bedsheet, but due to repeated usage, the colour has slightly faded from it. But it was fresh and neatly ironed; still she wanted a fresh white bedsheet, not like the faded one that has been given to her just now.

The lady passenger argued and added that she would complain to the TC (Ticket Checker) for not issuing a fresh one. By this time, the attendant lost his patience and told her to go ahead and complain. As the lady passenger realized that argument is of no use, she took the besheet and went to her seat.

Her actions took me by surprise, as while we were talking inside, she was complaining that it is difficult for India to develop because of unwanted behaviour of people and now she is doing exactly the same!!!!

Isn’t the lady passenger asking for too much of comfort when travelling in a public transport? She could have paid money for her travel, still she should not have argued, as this is the maximum care that the railways could provide. She could have easily taken the bedsheet and left the scene at the very first moment, rather than having an argument.

Oh man, now I realized. We are living in India and it is not an unusual thing, if people speak in one way, but behaves in a completely different manner.

As I entered the coach, a passenger approached me enquiring whether the plug point near my seat is working or not. Even though I didn’t use the plug point till that point of the journey, I assured him that it would work and plugged his charger. To my dismay, it didn’t work and told him to try charging in the next coach.

Instead, he called the attendant and asked him to repair the plug point. The facial expression of the attendant showed the shock he had just got by such a request. As the attendant was explaining that he do not know how to repair, the dissatisfied passenger immediately replied, “I am going to complain to the Ticket Checker (TC)”

This time, it was me who was shocked rather than the attendant. What on earth an attendant who deals with bedsheet has got to do with electric repairs. The person who was arguing with the attendant looked like an educated guy and doesn’t he have common sense to think that an attendant cannot deal with this electrician type works.

Just because we have paid money to travel, it doesn’t mean that we own the train and can complain about anyone, for whatsoever issues we have. Feeling exhausted on just looking at the two incidents, I just wondered at the plight of attendant as how many passengers he has to encounter in his train journeys. It seems he is used to it and takes everything as just another argument and moves on.

May be none of the passengers has really complained to the TC or even if they had complained, it didn’t bother him much!!!! 

I was curious and asked the attendant whether he is not irritated by these incidents. He smiled and replied , "My Dear friend, This is India"!!!!

I went to sleep, awaiting eagerly for the next day expecting some interesting incidents.

Day2

As I was listening to songs, the train halted at Tirupati. I got down the train to stretch a bit to get rid of laziness. 

People got down from the train hurriedly and swarmed the dosa shop on the platform like a swarm of flies around a fruit. Everyone was busy buying dosa and few of them told the vendor to pour additional sambar.

While the passengers carried the paper plate to the coach, sambar started spilling on the platform. Even though the passengers are aware of this, they just didn’t care about it and started walking away. It was not the case with few passengers, but with more than 75% of the passengers, who got down from the coach.

The way the people behaved made me to think whether they are trying to clean the platform with sambar.

If the same thing happened in their home, wouldn’t they clean the place immediately? Just because it’s a railway platform, it doesn’t mean that they have all the rights to dirty it.

Why don’t they understand, that they have equal responsibility in keeping public places clean? The looks given by the people around conveyed the message, "My Dear friend, This is India"!!!

As I was looking at the dirty platform, the train started moving again. I entered the train and took a paper and a pen and started scribbling the rough draft of this blog. I got down at trichy, feeling happy to have added one more blog to my kitty.

It took me two months after the train journey to convert the rough draft to a fair one, after looking at the competition (Around the World with Expedia!) conducted by Expedia (http://www.expedia.co.in/)  in Indiablogger.

திருமணம்

கதிரவன் மெதுவாக எட்டி பார்த்த வண்ணம் இருக்க

பறவைகள் இறை தேட கிளம்பிய வண்ணம் இருக்க

அமைதியின் உருவமாய் இருந்த அந்த வீதியையே 

உலுக்கி எழுப்பியது அந்த கல்யாண மண்டபம்!!!!

ஒரு பக்கமோ உற்றார் உறவினர் கூடிய வண்ணம் இருக்க

மறு பக்கமோ நண்பர்கள் கூடிய வண்ணம் இருக்க

மணமகளாக தங்கள் குழந்தையை பார்த்த 

பெற்றோரோ, எண்ணற்ற மகிழ்ச்சியுடன் நின்றிருந்தனர்!!!!

மேலத் தாளங்கள் முழங்கிய வண்ணம் இருக்க

கடிகாரமோ முஹுர்த்த நேரத்தை தொட்டிருக்க

கெட்டி மேளம் என ஐயர் குரல் எழுப்ப 

மன்னவன் அவள் கழுத்தில் மாங்கள்யம் கட்டினான்!!!!

As you like it!!!!!

Life is the most precious gift given to a human being. It depends upon the perception of the individual to make it easier or difficult to live in. Even though each individual has their own way of pursuing his/her life, the competition of survival plays a spoilsport upon these thoughts. We try to imitate others or live the life of others, thereby making one’s own life miserable. 

The tagline “Survival of the Fittest” has taken deep roots in everyone’s mind and this act as a trigger in all the activities done by an individual. What has started as a healthy competition is slowly affecting the individual psychologically, which automatically increases the already existing mechanical life.

Every second that got over just now becomes past. It is good to remember the past but bad to live life thinking about the past. Life is full of challenges that include both positive and negative sides. Accept the negative feedback and work upon them to make them positive and try to capitalize upon the positive feedback. Think of the future. By future, I mean the very next second. Does anyone know as what is going to happen in the future? Does anyone have control over the future? None other than the maker can control it.

It is time for each individual to take a break and think about their life. Every individual is the owner of their respective life and responsible for his/her well being. 

Who else is better to judge an individual other than the self? Rather than living a life by thinking about the past or by thinking about the future, the essence of life can best be understood by living the present in the way he/she likes it.

Be optimistic. Accept the failures and weakness. Accepting the weakness is in itself an added strength. Never allow criticism to affect your mind. Be ready to face criticism. Be yourself. Every individual has a unique quality which can best be understood by behaving in their own, rather than imitating others. We are waging a war against time, by sacrificing the happiness in one’s life. Before acting upon others advice, analyse whether the change is worth taking.

It’s our life. Making it good or bad depends upon our reaction towards various situations. Do not live for others. Live the life as you like it. 

Education over the years in TN - Part 2

Click Part - 1 to read the first part, before continuing with Part-2.

The education system changed, but did it really meet our expectations?

As years passed by, the first change came in the form of removal of entrance examinations for the admission to colleges (medical and engineering). 

I was really shocked, as entrance exams are a means to test the competitive ability of the students and the system wants to kill the competitive spirit at the very beginning of the student’s career.

The worst part about the selection criteria is, when two or more students have the same criteria in every qualification (cut-off marks for the various subjects as prescribed) which the system expects, the allocation of seat is done on the basis of Date of Birth.

Is this a criterion to decide on the future of a student? Is it a sin that student2 was born after Student1?

As usual protests erupted to reinstate the entrance exam. The system had its counter-argument stating that the rural students do not get the opportunity and same education as that of urban students and this is the better way to create equal opportunities for them.

Whose mistake is this, if students in urban area gets more opportunity than rural?

Just because few people in the system are lazy and do not want to take efforts to develop rural areas, will they start adopting backward integration?


The protest fell on deaf ears as the entrance exam pattern was completely abolished.


Is this a positive change??? Never, not even in the slightest of my dreams. 

The odds did not stop at the entrance exams. As years rolled by, change was brought in the syllabus being suggested to school children from 1^st standard to 12^th standard. The syllabus was decreased when compared to the previous years, thus impairing the roots of education.

This consideration was done based on the fact that equal education should be provided across the state, whether it be rural or urban area. 
If equal opportunity has to be provided, why not the infrastructure be provided to rural areas and improve the quality of education being provided to them? This shows the inconsistency of the system to function properly. 


This has taken away the opportunity for the students to learn the basics in their respective subjects. Even though people know that these drastic steps decrease the quality of education than improving, still they do not give a damn to it.

The worst part of this type of education is the lack of practical knowledge. Our students have bookish knowledge and the question papers are nothing but a repetitive of questions, which has been taught in class. Even a slight deviation or twist in the questions, would make the students to score less marks or even fail, which indicates how the education has ruined the thinking capabilities of the students.

The fundamentals should be instilled in the minds right from the young age itself. Not all people are born creative. It is their environment that makes them to think creative. One part of this environment is the education. 
Our education system is framed in such a way that “Out of the box thinking” is discouraged right from their childhood.

I am not against the upliftment of education in rural areas. I am here to support the improvements that need to be done in rural areas to catch up with the urban areas. The system should think of ways to implement an improved education system in rural areas in a phased manner, rather than degrading the quality of the education as a whole.

With an education system as such existing in the state, can we expect the future of the students to be good enough to cope up with the challenges?

Education over the years in TN - Part 1

Having seen the change in education system over the years in Tamil Nadu, I got that inner urge to write this blog.

It was the year 2002. We have completed 12^th standard and there were a bunch of guys (including me), who wanted to pursue their career in medicine. We prepared for our Tamil Nadu entrance exams and due to additional awareness, we got to know about the existence of medical colleges across India such as AFMC, AIMS, JIPMER. As any other aspirants would do, we applied for those exams and even bought books to prepare for those exams.

We were very confident enough to excel well in those exams, as we considered the syllabus for biology in our education system to be vast. 

To our dismay, we were not even able to answer 10% of the questions mentioned in those books. The syllabus given in those books looked like French & German to us, as the biology syllabus in those books was way ahead of what we studied in our state syllabus.

There, we realized the difference between the real (education outside TN) and imaginary (education in TN) world. What we consider as too much of syllabus in TN is nothing but a meagre syllabus for a student outside TN. Still we prepared and wrote those exams, but never cleared any of those, as “hinky pinky ponky” technique never helps you in the real world.

In marketing, we have a famous term named “Moment of Truth” – The time when the customer forms his opinion about the firm, when he interacts with the products of the firm. Moment of Truth for us is the interaction with the medical exams of the real world and we realized that we were “Kinathu thavalai (Frog in a well – A frog inside a well thinks that there doesn’t exist a world beyond the well)” till then.

Once the results for the entrance exams were out, we faced the truth that it is time to change the ambition of your life. This, not only happened with us, but with many other fellow students, who appear for 12^th standard exams every year. We did not had the guts to study for an additional year to prepare for the exams again, as it is considered a curse, as every other person whom you can find, whether educated or not, would advice you saying that you have wasted a year. 

We expected the mindset of the people to change over the years, thereby giving rays of hope to the education system.

As expected our education system changed, but ………..


Click Part-2 to read the continuation.

கண்ணாலனே!!!!!!

அந்தி மாலை பொழுது
கதிரவன் தன் பிம்பங்களை உள்ளிழுத்த பொழுது
வெள்ளை சட்டை போட்ட உருவமாக சந்திரன் எட்டி பார்த்த பொழுது
தலைவி தன் முகம் வாடி கடல் நோக்கி அமர்ந்திருந்தாள்...


கடமை தனை வா என அழைக்க
மறுக்க முடியாத மன்னவனோ, கடல் தாண்டி சென்றுள்ளான்....


உடலோ இக்கறை இருக்க
மனமோ அக்கறை இருந்த வண்ணம்
எங்கோ அடித்த மணிக்கு
தன் தொலைபேசியோ என ஏக்கத்துடன் பார்த்தாள் தலைவி!!!!!!