Aniruddha Gupta – The Best English Teacher That One Can Have

Circa 1987. A middle-aged businessman of Calcutta – Mr. Tapan Kumar Basu – was frantically looking for a good English teacher for his only son. The boy, a student at a reputed English medium school of Calcutta, was extremely weak in English. He would fail in the subject – with shocking numbers – in every terminal test, and could somehow barely achieve the pass marks in the annual exams. Any essay written by him – on any topic – would become very enjoyable for the class teacher and his classmates, as it was sure to display a genuinely funny species of English with scanty respect for grammar, accompanied by mind-boggling use of words. And he was so innovative and inventive, forming words like “bedalized” for “bed ridden”, which would leave people absolutely speechless.

Equally “impressive” was his spoken English. Despite being a student of a top English medium school of Calcutta, the boy would regularly find himself at a loss for words while communicating with somebody, leading to sentences with “errrr….”, “ummm….”, etc. And his fluency? Well, the lesser one talks about it, the better. No wonder that the boy would always try to escape any gathering where he was supposed to speak in English. He would even feel uncomfortable in the company of his cousin sisters, whom he was actually so fond of, as they would always converse in English.

Mr. Basu was sure that his son would never be good in the language, which was a must in today’s world. He just wanted the boy to be able to grab the pass marks. That’s all. And so he “launched” a “teacher hunting campaign” looking for a suitable person, who could ensure that the boy could develop the basic command of the English language, just the basic command.

Ultimately he got to know about one such teacher, through his brother-in-law (his wife’s cousin). So who was this gentleman? Was he a teacher of English at a reputed school, with a glossy “M.A. in English” degree under his belt? No, far from that. This 50-plus gentleman, Mr. Aniruddha Gupta, was just a government clerk, working for a crucial department of the West Bengal government. And his qualification? Well, B.A. in English. And that’s all. So what is his credential? Well, he has been in the field of private tuition for a long time, and is known for changing the lives of many a student.

So one fine morning Mr Basu went to Mr Gupta’s office, with his brother-in-law (whom Mr Gupta knew), shared his problem, and sought help.

- “You know, my son Raja is so weak in English….. In the last terminal test he has not only failed, but has scored such a low marks….. I am so worried, Sir, he is so bad in English…. I have heard a lot about you. You have changed the lives of so many students. Please ensure that Raja can secure at least the pass marks. That is all that I want……Please teach him the basic English, Sir.”

- “Mr. Basu, a teacher never teaches something to his students.” Came the calm reply. “In fact, no body can teach something to somebody. A person cannot be taught anything. He learns. I will never teach English to your son. I will just generate a love and passion for the language in his mind. The rest will fall in place.”

Within days Mr. Aniruddha Gupta took the charge of that boy. He started teaching him twice a week, and within days the boy realized the subtle difference in the teaching style of his tutor. Mr Aniruddha did not try to “thrust” the knowledge of the language on his student simply through dry and insipid discussions on grammar and sentence construction (though they were certainly a part of his teaching). His main objective was to generate in his student’s mind a genuine love and interest for English, by enabling the boy to realize the pleasure of writing and communicating in this rich and sweet language.

He introduced the boy to the world of world literatures – the beautiful world of Wodehouse, O’Henry, Mark Twain, Maupassant, and so on. He even encouraged him to read good comics, like Tintin, which is a fun-filled way to learn spoken English. He noticed the boy’s interest in global affairs, and got him to read superb coverage of the same in top English language newspapers and magazines. The boy used to read those editorials on topics that he would like, and would unknowingly get exposed to high quality English writing.

Mr. Aniruddha enthused (and not forced) the boy to consult the dictionary whenever he came across a new word, thus enriching his vocabulary by learning the meaning of the word. And the objective was not only to ensure that the boy could score marks by using that word during a class test. Rather, Mr. Aniruddha wanted his student to be always able to communicate – even in social gatherings – in a way that would be known not only for its content, but also for the quality of the language. Mr Aniruddha wanted his student to be a communicator par excellence, both in written as well as spoken English.

Very soon the boy fell in love with the language, the same language that had hitherto been his nightmare. Whenever he would get time he would explore the language. No, not out of any “determination” or “dedication” to strengthen the knowledge of English for academic reasons, but simply to enjoy the pleasure and thrill of hobnobbing with the mesmerizing language that he had misunderstood so far. He was now completely lost among all the gems based on this language - ranging from classic novels (Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Jules Verne, Ernest Hemingway, Robert Lous Stevenson) and short stories (O'Henry, Anton Chekov, Maupassant) to old and modern thrillers (Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Jeffrey Archer), old and modern racy works (ranging from Wodehouse to James Headley Chase), science fictions (like that of Issac Asimov), teenage thrillers (like Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew), comics (like Tintin), autobiographies and biographies (of statesmen, cricketers, entertainers, etc), motivational and relationship books (like How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie), management books, travelogues, and so on. The boy also completely discarded Bengali newspapers, and developed the use of reading only English newspapers and following the national and global affairs through the same.

Needless to say that all these habits resulted in an appreciable level of command of the English language, with the boy now being pretty confident in writing in English. And that certainly had a positive reflection in the English language tests, as well, with now his marks in those tests showing an upward trend. He also developed, again as per the suggestion of his beloved tutor, a habit of talking to himself in English, using all the new words that he would learn. He would also try to interact mainly with friends and cousins who were English speaking. And this eventually resulted in a fluency in his spoken English, as well. And this made him much more confident in social gatherings, where he could now find himself freely interacting with English speaking crowds without any nervousness or inferiority complex. And this helped him to have new friends as well, who were really smart and interaction with whom taught the boy several new things about this world.

In a nutshell, the boy simply experienced a complete transformation of his overall personality.


Today that boy is a 30 plus communications professional. He earns his livelihood by preparing communications materials that not only require to be in impeccable English, but also need to display in-depth understanding and use of the various nuances of the English language. In fact, while preparing a document, he needs to play with the language, that5 too in style. And the person, who was once so weak in English, is not doing very bad.

He is also pursuing a host of hobbies – such as discussing various current issues (political, economic, social, etc.) in his blog, writing poems for poetry web sites, making friends across the world through online chatting, and so on. But he would not have been able to pursue any of these hobbies, if he had not been able to develop the more-or-less good command of English that he enjoys today, the command that was once a distant dream for him.

Whether he is preparing communications materials at office, or preparing a blog posting or poem at home, or having an exciting discussion or debate on current issues with his English speaking friends, at every moment the person realizes how indebted he is to his former tutor. That tutor, who was called to enable him to just grab pass marks in English tests, and who ended up with enabling his student to have a satisfactory command of the English language, which eventually opened so many beautiful sides of life for that fortunate boy.

Sir, I am really so lucky that I had a teacher like you. I am grateful to you. And I am also so proud, that I have been your student. Whatever I am today, it is only because of you.

Why Is Congress So Prone To Dynastic Politics?

Even before just 24 hours could pass after the formal announcement of the unfortunate death of Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), the Congress party had already been caught by an ugly wave of succession war. Though the state finance minister K Rosaiah has been made the acting CM, it is clearly just a stop-gap arrangement. The party High Command is soon to decide whether Mr. Rosaiah is to retain the position or is to be replaced by a more suitable candidate.

There have been quite a number of contenders, including three Union Ministers, who have been waiting for the High Command's decision with their fingers crossed.

However, there is nothing shocking about all this. These things are very natural developments and are bound to happen after the sudden demise of the CM of a state. But what leaves me (and I suppose many) very disturbed is the emergence of YSR's son Jagan Reddy as a contender.

Sorry if I sound rude. But isn't it utterly nonsense that a person with just 100 days of political experience is being considered for the position of CM, simply because he is the son of the late CM? Isn't it a terribly naked show of dynastic and feudal mindset, smacking of a shocking level of political immaturity simply not expected from the politicos of the world's largest democracy? Is the CM's position equivalent to that of a club president, that it can be filled up by anybody whose only credential is that he or she is the son or daughter of the past president?

Jagan Reddy is a smart and energetic person, and we all know that he will prove himself to be a great administrator, and an asset for this country. But he must be given due time to prepare himself, instead of leaving him crippled with such a tough responsibility when he is just a political greenhorn. Being the son of an astute politician does not establish that you have inherited your father's political acumen, and therefore you cannot straightway inherit his position. First prove yourself, and the position will spontaneously run after you.

Let Jagan first prove his mettle (which he will certainly be able to do), before making him the CM just to carry on the "legacy" of dynastic politics. The Congress party must look at those contenders who have the established credentials, and choose one from them as YSR's successor.

Media Freedom Thrashed in Sri Lanka

The picturesque Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka witnessed a blatant attack on the freedom of media, when the Colombo High Court sentenced the country's noted journalist J.S. Tissainayagam to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.

So what is his fault? Well, there are two. Firstly, this Tamil columnist has been found guilty of threatening country's ethnic harmony, as he has written two articles which the Court has found to be detrimental for the same. Secondly, (this is highly controversial) he has reportedly confessed to (in custody, to be precise) raising funds for supporting terrorist activities.

However, what the media fraternity feels (rather, it is sanguine) that all the charges brought against Tissainayagam are pure absurd. Actually he has highlighted the harassment of innocent Tamils of Sri Lanka in the hands of the government agencies, and has criticized the government for the same. And it is this "audacity" that the Sri Lankan government has been unable to digest.

The media fraternity also feels that by getting Tissainayagam imprisoned the Sri Lankan government has also tried to intimidate the other journalists, so that they do not dare to criticize the government on any issues.

We all appreciated the Rajapakshe government's ruthless campaign against LTTE terrorists, who had become a cancer for the beautiful island nation. However, the government is well advised not to show the same ruthlessness against the freedom of expression. The government must realize that it is responsible for providing the Sri Lankan people with a civilized society, and no society can be termed civilized if it lacks freedom of expression, which is one of the pillars of the same.

We all hope that better sense will prevail, and Tissainayagam will be freed as soon as possible. Let's hope for the best.

Pakistan - The Country That Cheats Her Own People

It had been suspected by the Indian intelligence agencies for a long time. And now their suspicion has been corroborated by the US government.

Pakistan has been preparing to use those weapons against India that she has received from the USA for fighting against Taliban activists on her own soil. This has come into light with Pakistan's alleged modification of Harpoon missile - received from the USA - on 23rd April this year. Harpoon is an anti-ship missile that the USA has given to Pakistan to help the latter in her fight against Taliban. However, through the alleged modification (that violates US Arms Control Exports Act) Pakistan has prepared the missile for use against land targets, for potential use against India.

The US government must have been upset that Pakistan has taken it for a ride. The Islamic Republic has taken so many high-powered weapons from the USA in the pretext of fighting against Taliban, and in reality she has used the same to strengthen her military potential vis-a-vis that of India. The Obama administration should seriously think that whether it would continue supplying the Pakistan government with high-powered weapons for fighting against Taliban, when there is no guarantee that those weapons will be used for the right purpose.

However, what I feel is that if the Pakistani government is actually cheating somebody, then it is her own people. The cultured and decent people of Pakistan (who must not be confused with their government) are terribly irritated with Taliban and other radical Islamic groups, and they want their beautiful country to get rid off those nuisance. The Pakistan government is trying to convince them that it is taking strong steps to wipe out those elements, but in reality it is doing pretty nothing to that effect.

Pakistan is probably the only country in the world that cheats her own people even in matters related to internal security. Really, what a country it is!

Change of Guard in Japan – After 50 Years

A historic political change took place in the Asian neighbourhood, when Japan’s main opposition party Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) overthrew the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the recent general election, after an almost unbroken rule by LDP for half a century.

For quite some time the Japanese voters had been highly displeased with the ruling party for the strong economic crisis that Japan has been going through for around 20 years, witnessing high level of unemployment and other unpleasant factors that accompany a struggling economy. Moreover, there was no sign of any improvement in the near future, which could encourage the common people to retain faith on LDP. Therefore there is nothing surprising that the Japanese voters got LDP ousted. Rather what may be surprising is how they could tolerate LDP for such a long time.

However, DPJ has no time to cherish the elusive victory that they have at last managed to grab. They are now responsible for bringing back the country’s failing economy back on its feet. They must realize that actually it was not their victory, but the loss of LDP. The actual objective of common people was not to bring DPJ to power, but to get LDP out of power. So, instead of patting their own back for the electoral results, they should swing into action immediately. At the same time they must remember that there should not be any over-enthusiasm, no desperation to bring a sudden improvement in the economy. Any hasty act can result in further worsening of the situation. Rather, they should first make a proper, all-round study of the scenario, identify the loopholes and draw backs, and chalk out a roadmap, and then proceed.

We all know about the resilience of our Japanese friends. The way they bounced back after being demolished by US atom bombs is almost like folklore. And we all believe that the Sun of economic prosperity will again rise in this “Land of the Rising Sun”.

Photo Courtesy - www.newsweek.com

Goodbye Ted

So Edward Kennedy is no more? When I got the news, it was not that I was depressed (after all, he was not exactly a great leader, and certainly not a world leader). But yes, I of course felt a sort of vacuum. After all, who can deny this fact that the phrase "Kennedy Family" rings a music in our ears (though Kennedys, including J.F.K., did have their share of draw backs)? And therefore it was certainly sad to know that an old guard of the family - a legacy - was gone.

Edward Kennedy may have failed to hold the highest political office of his country (except in the Jeffrey Archer novel Shall We Tell The President?, where he was portrayed as the US President). But it must be acknowledged that he proved himself to be a worthy successor of the legacy left behind by J.F. Kennedy (and Robert Kennedy, to some extent), and established himself as one of the most successful Senators that the US Congress has ever had. And that was not a low achievement.

May his soul rest in peace.

Photo Courtesy - www.topnews.in

Dalai Lama's Proposed Visit To Taiwan - Who Is China To Oppose It?

The Chinese government is upset with His Holiness Dalai Lama's proposed visit to Taiwan. The spokesperson of the Chinese government has openly conveyed his government's displeasure to the global media, saying that his government "resolutely opposes" Dalai Lama's proposed visit to Taiwan (the country which China considers to be a part of its own).

Now, what locus standi does the Chinese government have in opposing Dalai Lama's visit to Taiwan? Taiwan is a sovereign country (no matter what China thinks about it), and it has full right to invite any person on its soil. And Dalai Lama is also by no means answerable to the Chinese government for his actions. Then from where does China get the right to express displeasure over the issue, in the first place?