The Maoist problem is gradually turning into a serious menace for India. And before it turns into a grave threat for our country, the government must nip the disease in the bud.
Instead of following a mainly reactive line of action (which it is seemingly following right now), the government must immediately espouse a proactive line of action. It should come down heavily on the rebels, crushing them in the way a mighty elephant tramples a helpless man lost in the jungle.
We must remember that Maoists are mindless people left completely brainwashed by their leaders. The only truth for them in this world is the order from the top brass, which they carry out without any question. In that sense they are no different from the foot soldiers of the Taliban. And so the only way to deal with them is extreme savageness.
There was a time when the Khalistan movement by some misguided Sikhs had created huge troubles for our country, leaving the government of the day terribly disturbed. However, after sucking the nation’s blood for few years, that movement ultimately came to an end. And that happened simply because of the ruthless way the problem was handled by K.P.S. Gill, one of the best counter-terrorism geniuses that our country has ever produced.
I had once read an interview of Mr. Gill, where he had discussed a certain aspect of his style of function while countering the Khalistan movement. And I really liked it. He said that he believed in “Uprooting and Annihilation” of the terrorists. He said that he preferred to kill a terrorist on the spot, rather than catching him alive and bringing him to the court of law. Because the court would not punish a terrorist if there were not enough evidence against him, and would leave him free. And he would resume his heinous activities with new enthusiasm.
I feel this is the policy that the government of India must embrace – just killing the bastards on the spot instead of involving legal institutions in the process. Yes, such a suggestion may appear to be a bit harsh. And it will definitely appear to be very offensive to the human rights enthusiasts and other intellectuals of the country, who are always obsessed with the concept of “civilized society”. But can they honestly deny this fact that savageness is the only way to deal with the savages whom we call Maoists? Moreover, is there at all any need to bother about the opinions of all these pseudo-intellectuals? These hypocrites take out huge processions and call press conferences when there is a single instance of a custodial death of an alleged terrorist, or something like that. But they never bother to visit the family of an innocent person who has been gunned down by the terrorists. And you will also never find them to express their condolences to the families of the police and security personnel killed in encounters with the terrorists. So there is absolutely no need to bother about what these so-called intellectuals feel or think. For them their “intellectual image” is more important than the law and order situation of their motherland, and let us just ignore them for good.
Brutality is the only medicine meant for the Maoist scoundrels, who have proved themselves to be nasty demons under the garb of human beings. Let us pounce on them in the same way they pounce on innocent people, and chop them off into thousand pieces.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Public Hooliganism In India In The Name Of Democracy
How long will we keep tolerating public hooliganism in the name of democracy? Isn’t it high time we understood that it is a disease that should simply be wiped out?
Just the other day a huge group of so-called “common people” created mayhem in the Hathras station, by putting five bogies of the Mahananda Express into fire. And the reason for their ire? Well, they were upset with the fact that a number of important trains do not stop at Hathras station. OK, there might have been some validity in their grievance. And in that case they had 100 per cent right to express their grievance. But was putting the bogies into fire the only way to display their displeasure?
It was by god’s grace that all the passengers escaped unhurt. But there was strong possibility of casualties, that too in huge numbers. The people who orchestrated that heinous attack must realize (provided they have brain) that by coming up with such a shameful act they actually humiliated their own grievance, which was probably a valid one.
India is a democratic country, and people always have the right to protest against any government decision or policy that they disagree with. But that protest must be in accordance with the norms of the civilized society. We must remember that our Constitution has given us the right to express our displeasure, and not the right to stoop to the level of hooliganism.
Before we could digest the Hathras incident, there came the incident of MNS high-handedness against newly released movie “Wake Up Sid”. And what is their complaint against this nice movie starring the two talented young bloods of Bollywood - Ranbir Kapoor and Kankona Sen Sharma? That in the movie the city Mumbai has been referred to as Bombay. Really, what a huge offense. What a terrible attack on the “Marathi sentiment”. No wonder, the dedicated MNS workers – the self-styled custodians of Marathi Manoos – immediately plunged into action by disrupting the screening of the movie. And eventually the producer, a film personality of the stature of Karan Johor, had to kowtow before them, “apologizing” for the “grave offense” that he has committed.
It is high time that we became strict of all these nonsense in the name of democracy and freedom of expression. 60 years have passed. India is no more a young democracy. Now it must learn how to behave like a matured democracy.
Finally, a message for Raj Thakre. Raj, please stop all your hooliganism in the name of safeguarding the so-called Marathi Manoos. The Marathi community is an educated and cultured community, which has produced so many respected personalities. Hooligans like you and your followers cannot be their true representatives. So please stop embarrassing them.
Just the other day a huge group of so-called “common people” created mayhem in the Hathras station, by putting five bogies of the Mahananda Express into fire. And the reason for their ire? Well, they were upset with the fact that a number of important trains do not stop at Hathras station. OK, there might have been some validity in their grievance. And in that case they had 100 per cent right to express their grievance. But was putting the bogies into fire the only way to display their displeasure?
It was by god’s grace that all the passengers escaped unhurt. But there was strong possibility of casualties, that too in huge numbers. The people who orchestrated that heinous attack must realize (provided they have brain) that by coming up with such a shameful act they actually humiliated their own grievance, which was probably a valid one.
India is a democratic country, and people always have the right to protest against any government decision or policy that they disagree with. But that protest must be in accordance with the norms of the civilized society. We must remember that our Constitution has given us the right to express our displeasure, and not the right to stoop to the level of hooliganism.
Before we could digest the Hathras incident, there came the incident of MNS high-handedness against newly released movie “Wake Up Sid”. And what is their complaint against this nice movie starring the two talented young bloods of Bollywood - Ranbir Kapoor and Kankona Sen Sharma? That in the movie the city Mumbai has been referred to as Bombay. Really, what a huge offense. What a terrible attack on the “Marathi sentiment”. No wonder, the dedicated MNS workers – the self-styled custodians of Marathi Manoos – immediately plunged into action by disrupting the screening of the movie. And eventually the producer, a film personality of the stature of Karan Johor, had to kowtow before them, “apologizing” for the “grave offense” that he has committed.
It is high time that we became strict of all these nonsense in the name of democracy and freedom of expression. 60 years have passed. India is no more a young democracy. Now it must learn how to behave like a matured democracy.
Finally, a message for Raj Thakre. Raj, please stop all your hooliganism in the name of safeguarding the so-called Marathi Manoos. The Marathi community is an educated and cultured community, which has produced so many respected personalities. Hooligans like you and your followers cannot be their true representatives. So please stop embarrassing them.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Congrats To ISRO For Detecting Water In Moon
The talented space scientists of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) have done a great service to the world – and have also made India so proud – by finding water in the Moon while conducting their now fabled Moon mission - Chandrayaan-1.
It is certainly one of the most significant scientific achievements in the recent human history. And it is a matter of great joy and pleasure for each and every Indian that our own ISRO has played such a crucial role in it.
ISRO is an organization which has been doing great works from the very beginning of its birth, thereby successfully carrying the legacy of the space science stalwarts like Vikram Sarabhai and Homi Bhabha.
Now the entire nation will eagerly wait for ISRO’s next Moon mission - Chandrayaan-2. And we all know that it will be a grand success, as well.
My heartfelt wishes and advanced congratulations to the ISRO scientists, the precious jewels of the great land named India.
It is certainly one of the most significant scientific achievements in the recent human history. And it is a matter of great joy and pleasure for each and every Indian that our own ISRO has played such a crucial role in it.
ISRO is an organization which has been doing great works from the very beginning of its birth, thereby successfully carrying the legacy of the space science stalwarts like Vikram Sarabhai and Homi Bhabha.
Now the entire nation will eagerly wait for ISRO’s next Moon mission - Chandrayaan-2. And we all know that it will be a grand success, as well.
My heartfelt wishes and advanced congratulations to the ISRO scientists, the precious jewels of the great land named India.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Satyadev Sharma – The “Bollywood” Hero From Real Life
It was a spine-chilling scene that any “action hero” from Bollywood would love to enact on screen (and certainly not in real life).
It is a scene that witnessed an unarmed police officer challenging a pistol toting criminal, and grabbing and overpowering the latter while braving bullets.
The incident took place in the night of 12th September, in Delhi’s satellite town of Noida. Sub-inspector (SI) Satyadev Sharma, the in-charge of Sector 62 “chowki” of the town, was in the duty of checking vehicles at Nawada village. It was at that time that he saw three men approaching on a bike. The moment he tried to stop them, the two pillion riders started firing at him.
However, the gutsy police officer with a commando training smartly ducked the bullets, and even caught hold of one of those guys by his clothes, and finally managed to pull him down. He was soon joined by a police party – that arrived just in time – and passersby, and the person got caught. However, the other two persons in the bike managed to flee.
The scoundrel who was caught was later identified as Pradeep Negi, a dreadful criminal who was wanted by police in 11 cases. He is actually a sharpshooter in the infamous Jadeja gang. He had in fact come to Noida with the “mission” of snatching vehicles.
It is really heartening to know that our police force has cops like Mr. Satyadev. As a resident of Noida, I am both proud and relieved that there is at least one officer like Mr. Satyadev in the police force that is responsible for the protection of the Noida residents.
Oh, by the way, there is one interesting thing to share. Has this question struck into your mind that why was a police officer on duty unarmed in the first place? Well, the answer is, most of the Sub-Inspectors in Noida Police do not have a pistol to defend themselves, as there are simply not enough firearms with the police force. So it is very common for the S.I.s of Noida Police to run after armed criminals while being unarmed themselves. What a great infrastructure, right?
News Courtesy: The Times of India (15th September, 2009), Delhi Edition.
It is a scene that witnessed an unarmed police officer challenging a pistol toting criminal, and grabbing and overpowering the latter while braving bullets.
The incident took place in the night of 12th September, in Delhi’s satellite town of Noida. Sub-inspector (SI) Satyadev Sharma, the in-charge of Sector 62 “chowki” of the town, was in the duty of checking vehicles at Nawada village. It was at that time that he saw three men approaching on a bike. The moment he tried to stop them, the two pillion riders started firing at him.
However, the gutsy police officer with a commando training smartly ducked the bullets, and even caught hold of one of those guys by his clothes, and finally managed to pull him down. He was soon joined by a police party – that arrived just in time – and passersby, and the person got caught. However, the other two persons in the bike managed to flee.
The scoundrel who was caught was later identified as Pradeep Negi, a dreadful criminal who was wanted by police in 11 cases. He is actually a sharpshooter in the infamous Jadeja gang. He had in fact come to Noida with the “mission” of snatching vehicles.
It is really heartening to know that our police force has cops like Mr. Satyadev. As a resident of Noida, I am both proud and relieved that there is at least one officer like Mr. Satyadev in the police force that is responsible for the protection of the Noida residents.
Oh, by the way, there is one interesting thing to share. Has this question struck into your mind that why was a police officer on duty unarmed in the first place? Well, the answer is, most of the Sub-Inspectors in Noida Police do not have a pistol to defend themselves, as there are simply not enough firearms with the police force. So it is very common for the S.I.s of Noida Police to run after armed criminals while being unarmed themselves. What a great infrastructure, right?
News Courtesy: The Times of India (15th September, 2009), Delhi Edition.
Jammu & Kashmir – The Paradise On Earth
Jammu & Kashmir – where snow-white mountains are immersed into deep meditation from pre-historic times
Jammu & Kashmir – where mountain streams are flowing with sweet sounds, as if little children are reciting their nursery rhymes.
Jammu & Kashmir – where green meadows, valleys of flowers and apple orchards are eagerly waiting to welcome you
Jammu & Kashmir – where you encounter experiences that are so unique and completely new.
Jammu & Kashmir – where you find colourful birds singing and chirping in dense green forests
Jammu & Kashmir – where you find local people to be always warm and smiling, looking gorgeous in their native dress.
Jammu & Kashmir – the place of magnificent Chinar trees, that stand so tall
Jammu & Kashmir – the land of Santoor (Indian musical instrument) and the world famous Pashmina shawl.
Jammu & Kashmir – the confluence of three great religions – Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam
Visit the place at least once, and get enamoured by its beauty, splendour and charm.
Jammu & Kashmir – where mountain streams are flowing with sweet sounds, as if little children are reciting their nursery rhymes.
Jammu & Kashmir – where green meadows, valleys of flowers and apple orchards are eagerly waiting to welcome you
Jammu & Kashmir – where you encounter experiences that are so unique and completely new.
Jammu & Kashmir – where you find colourful birds singing and chirping in dense green forests
Jammu & Kashmir – where you find local people to be always warm and smiling, looking gorgeous in their native dress.
Jammu & Kashmir – the place of magnificent Chinar trees, that stand so tall
Jammu & Kashmir – the land of Santoor (Indian musical instrument) and the world famous Pashmina shawl.
Jammu & Kashmir – the confluence of three great religions – Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam
Visit the place at least once, and get enamoured by its beauty, splendour and charm.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The Delhi Bloggers Meet # 31 – A fun-filled evening at Old Delhi
Yesterday (12th September, 2009) the “Delhi Bloggers Bloc” (DBB) had its 31st meet at the Jama Masjid of Old Delhi, followed by a solid meal at the “Al-Jawahar” restaurant in that area itself. And wow, what an experience it was!
We, the DBB members were also accompanied by the members of “Eating Out In Delhi” (EOID) – a group that visits or revisits various Delhi restaurants about twice a month, to “experience Delhi's offbeat eating joints, which are low on pretension and high on value for money and dining experience”.
Apart from the meet, last day’s evening will be memorable for me for other reasons, as well. Yesterday was the first day that I visited Jama Masjid. And yesterday was also the first day that I commuted Delhi Metro, after spending 8 years in Delhi.
I was picked up from a spot near “Prakash Hospital” – around 15 minutes walk from my home at Sector 22 of Noida – by my fellow DBB member Sachin Khosla, an energetic and lively Punjab da Puttar from Ludhiana (you talk to him for 2 minutes, and you will feel you know him for 2 years). Sachin, an IT professional, stays at Indirapuram at Ghaziabad, and said that he would pass that way, and could give me a lift. He was also having with him his friend Varun, another Punjab da Puttar (from Pathankot) and an IT professional as well.
We went to Yamuna Bank metro station, where we parked our car, and boarded the Delhi Metro (first time in my life) for the Rajiv Chowk (i.e. Connaught Place) station. The queue in front of the ticket counter, entering the platform, boarding the train, the electronic announcements, everything reminded me of the Metro Rail of my dear hometown Calcutta, and I realized that I was missing the Calcutta Metro Rail. However, the Delhi Metro is also great.
After reaching Rajiv Chowk station we had to change the train. As Sachin explained to me, we were changing from Blue Line to Yellow Line (I did not get it though). Now that train took us straight to Chawari Bazaar station, i.e. the station of Jama Masjid. We came out of the station to be welcomed by the unique ambience of Old Delhi, and stepped on the narrow lane that would take us to Jama Masjid. It was in front of the Jama Masjid that we were supposed to meet other members of our group.
God, I will never forget that short journey on that lane. It was so narrow, and yet so congested. There were two-wheelers, rickshaws, and of course people, and so on. I do not remember whether I noticed any car or auto, but the two-wheelers and rickshaws were enough to make that lane “jam-packed” and crowded. Only I know how “athletic” we had to be to move forward, without having any collision with anybody, whether rickshaws, two-wheelers or human beings.
Well, at last we reached the famous Jama Masjid, one of the landmarks of Old Delhi (rather Delhi as a whole). Our co-ordinator Priyanka Sachar (more famous as Twilight Fairy in the blogging circle) was already there, along with Sanjay, Manish, Sandip, etc. There were also two journalists from Indian Expres, including photojournalist Tashi Tobgyal, whom I later found to be a very interesting person with a bagful of interesting experiences. After some “Hello”/”High” we entered the Jama Masjid.
Entering into the Jama Masjid itself was a thrilling experience for me. It was the first time that I stepped inside a mosque, and at the very first time I entered India’s largest mosque, the one that I have read and heard so much about. And the thrill and pleasure got enhanced by the beautiful environment that I encountered there.
The first thing that impressed me was the beautifully constructed red-stone body of the shrine. If I am not wrong, I found some architectural similarity between Jama Masjid and Red Fort (I may be wrong). It was around 6 pm, and all the pious Muslim ladies and gentlemen had already assembled there for the evening prayer, which was to be followed by the meal to break the fast. There were nice lighting arrangements, which made the mosque look more beautiful and gorgeous. We all were chatting and relishing the grand architecture of the mosque – its dome, pillars, etc, while a few of us like Manish and Sanjay were constantly taking snaps.
I was chatting with Abdus Salam, a new DBB member whom I had just met, when we heard the sound of Azan. Immediately all the people sat down to offer prayers. Hitherto I had seen such scenes only in TV, movies, newspapers and magazines. It was the first time that I found so many Muslims offering prayers together (after all, it was my first visit to a mosque). And they were looking so nice. They were so disciplined. I loved the reflection of devotion on their faces.
After some time we left the mosque, and again set foot on the narrow lanes to go to “Al-Jawahar” restaurant in that locality, where the EOID gang members were waiting for us. We entered the restaurant that was filled up with the thrilling aroma of spicy Muslim dishes, and went upstairs to find the huge and sprightly EOID gang (led by Hemangshu) enjoying their meal.
Very soon we joined them, and were welcomed by a plethora of dishes, like Tanduri Chicken, Chicken Stew, Pakoda, soft drinks (Coke and Pepsi), etc. The ultra-enjoyable meal was spiced up by lively chats, with each of us making a new friend at every minute. In fact, it was probably the first time that I found myself with such a huge group, occupying such a huge portion of a restaurant.
I just do not know how 2 hrs passed. Then came the time to leave. However, there were many who accompanied us till the Metro Station, boarded the train, and came with us till the Rajiv Chowk station. And we made full utilization of the opportunity by retaining our chatting with full gusto, leaving all the co-passengers staring at us in the same manner the people at the restaurant did.
After reaching Rajiv Chowk we found that now it would be again only three of us – Sachin, Varun and myself, who would be going to Yamuna Bank station, while others who were accompanying us would take different routes. I was very busy in saying “bye” to Sandip and other people, only to realize that Sachin and Varun had already boarded the train to Yamuna bank (soooooooo bad!). Actually they did notice that I had not boarded the train with them. Anyways, I called up Sachin, and he said he would be waiting for me at the Yamuna Bank station. So I boarded the next train to Yamuna bank station, and went to Yamuna Bank, and that also became my first experience of traveling alone in Delhi Metro.
At Yamuna Bank Sachin and Varun were waiting for me. We boarded Sachin’s car, and he again dropped me near my home. And I came back home with a refreshed mind.
Thanks a lot for the fun-filled evening, DBB. I will always cherish the memory of this experience.
A special thanks to the EOID group, as well. The evening would not have been so much enjoyable but for their presence. And I liked them so much, and I found the concept of eating out at various Delhi restaurants to be so innovative. The concept of EOID exemplifies how small concepts can make our life much more enjoyable.
Photo Courtesy - Sachin Khosla (www.digimantra.com)
Friday, September 4, 2009
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.
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.
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