Monday, 28 May 2012

The Madness – It was not only about “Studies”




I was Average, I was Stupid, I was Idiot and I was Mad.

Finally I was Happy... J

OMG.. I am struggling with the content of my blog, writing, deleting & rewriting every now & then, thinking about the title of this post from so many days. Am I looking for perfection or I am confused? Am I becoming possessive about my blog or my mind stop giving me right content? I don’t know what it is but now I am enjoying each & every post of my blog. It’s something which I have never thought I would be into. It was never been my area nor mine interest. It was never been my idea nor my capabilities, this idea given by someone to whom I admire a lot & I don’t think anyone can better motivate me for this other than the person I respect a lot. Now whatever I am writing well or worst, exciting or boring, I am living each & every post; it’s now part of my life. “Today I am completing 1 year of my blog, & still finding out the ways to improve my writing.

Before I start, let me first ask you one basic question “What is Education meant for you – Career or Learning?

The student life overloaded with full of “Expectations” to bring good marks in the examinations. The examination is made to measure how much you have learnt from your studies & the results from this examination decides your future & your career..!!!!!!

If we remove the examination from our education it’s a simple learning. But to cross check what has been taught & what has been learnt by a student it is very necessary to conduct examination.

It’s good to check the learning & development of the student by conducting the proper exam but I don’t agree if you say that the examination results only talks about the future & career.

Expectations not stop in good marks; it’s then converted in to the ranks 1st, 2nd or 3rd.  The more pressure starts building to the little brain. The little brain starts searching for shortcuts. Then the study patterns which makes the difference.

“Let them enjoy the learning rather making it a burden for them.”

Education is a journey that starts from your birth & never ends till your death. There is two type of education one is the “Formal Education” & another one is the “Informal Education”. Here I am trying to refer what you got inside the school & collages and what you got out side school & collages. The only difference between two is that the first one come up with official certification to certify you as educated & another don’t have the physical proof but reflecting on your various activities.

Formal Education” has a proper structure. The basic is the schooling from the class KG-I to Higher Secondary & then in college from Graduation to Post Graduation. The piece of paper called Mark Sheets/Degree Certificate which has the real value in the market projects you as educated.

Informal Education” in other hand has no proper structure. It’s come to us in form of various life events. You can call it the experience of life. When in childhood you start speaking, walking, puzzled yourself with lots of toys, understand the relationships, and build emotions inside you, expressing your feeling, making friends, build loyalty in the friendship, understanding what is good & what is bad, understanding the religion & culture, it’s all part of informal education which starts far before than your formal education starts. Later how you build your Creativity, Objective, Interest, Ethics, Attitude, Aptitude & Logical Reasoning is a part of informal education, this cannot be taught in your text books.

Let’s now talk about the life & life events. Each life events required a proper planning in advance apart from you birth & the childhood. The very 1st decision you have to take is about your profession, your career to ensure regular income during the age of 25 to 49. If you have start earning say about in the age of 23 to 25 then by which age you should start thinking about your career?

Till the 13 years of age, I don’t think it’s the right time to start thinking about your career. We don’t mature enough by that time to think what will be the right profession for us. I think the real time starts only after the age of 13 because by that time we could at least start knowing about our interest & capabilities.

Now come back to the education. It’s not that our Formal Education is incomplete. It has everything but are we really justifying it? The best part of formal education is that we are at least bound to learn the basics.

To live the simple life we should know at least one language which we can read & write. We should know the numbers & at least some mathematical calculations like Addition, Subtraction, Multiplications, Division, Average and Percentage. We should be then aware of our culture, our history, our nation, our geography, our civilization, our right, our constitution & as we are using lots & lots of technologies from a bulb to the personal computer, so we should also aware of basic level of science. For this era of globalization we should also know one language which is internationally accepted & currently it is English. That is what it has been taught to us from a very basic level in our schools.

I have no doubt that the structure of our “Formal Education” is one of the best to learning & development of a premature brain. It’s neither the toughest nor be the difficult if we start enjoying it. It’s becoming tough & difficult for the little brains when the same has been forced to them, pressurized them to perform in terms of exams results.   

Study is a practice of what you have learnt. Practice makes us perfect & exam force us to study hard. That is good. But the pressure to pass with good marks results in “Misuse of Brain Memory”. Students on pressure start memorizing the things rather than understanding it properly.

Does it really good to expect from little brains in the age of 3 to 13? Sorry dear this is not the age of expectations. We are killing their creativity. It’s a learning period. Let them learn. Learn from free mind. Let them explore the world without any compulsion. This is not the age to expecting good performance in the examination.

The bare minimum expectations which we should expect from the little brain to be at least not perform below Average level. If the little brain performing below averages in the examination then its required attention otherwise any results average or above average should be satisfactory. If the little brain is performing above average without any pressure then he or she is genius, that good.

Every human being has the capabilities to build the “Sense of Completion” by their own. Do not force them the competition let them enjoy building Sense of Competition by their own.

As I have already mentioned “Expecting” extraordinary performance in the examination from the little brains till the age of 13 is the killer of the “Internal Creativity”. Expecting balanced growth of little brains, satisfying with the average results in the examination facilitate “Freedom to Little Brain” & allow them to explore the world apart from the “Formal Education”.  

I remember one of my childhood best friends Kishor Choudhary who has the excellent creative brain, one day with the our National Flag, one Bamboo, one Rope & with few ancillaries item organized to manage by himself to “Unfurling the National Flag” in front of his house when he was hardly 11 year old. Who has given him this Idea, No One? It was his creativity. What a “Creativity” my friend, “Hats off to you Kishor”. Later I copied his Idea & implement it as well. That is something can be done only by a brain that has not been forced or pressurized to perform.

Being an “Average Performer” in my School Days, I have enjoyed the “Freedom of my Little Brain” till the age of 13. My parents never expected any extraordinary performance from me. They just wanted to complete my basic education. They did interfere only whenever my performance went below Average. Their only expectations from me were to produce at least Average results & that was never been a difficult task for any little brain if you enjoy education as learning.

The major areas in which my father has worked for me is my mathematics, general knowledge & awareness, development of my aptitude & logical reasoning skills till the age of 13. He was quite happy with my performance outside my formal education & just expected to clear the examination at least with average marks.

I have enjoyed being Average in my studies throughout my student life. The only expectations have been building after the age of 13 which was obvious indeed as by that time we become capable enough to face the challenges of this professional world.   

As there were no such big expectations from me & no such pressure to perform extra ordinary made me remain satisfied with “Average Results” in my studies. That has given me free mind to think apart from my studies. This has given me the good chance to explore the things outside my studies.

I was Average & I was Happy to be Average J

I have attempted my 1st board examination when I was in 8th standard. My parents as usual praying for me that at least I should clear the exam... J I remember those days we could not afford to make any extra expenditure not even the daily news paper. I was really very possessive about “News Papers” those days. During my final exam, when I should study hard, Each day I was just waiting for my father to go out for the shop in the morning & then secretly I used to get out from home & go to the nearest “Tea Shop/Pan Shop” to read the news paper in the morning & then start my studies. That was my stupidity & I got 52% in my exam.

I was Stupid & I was Happy to be Stupid J

We had completed our Middle School & were entering in to the High School. In the farewell ceremony for us organized by our juniors, they have awarded one title to each & every seniors. The title given to me was “Subah-Subah Jab Murga Bola, Rupesh Ne Apna Muh Khola” lolzzzzzzz.. There is no doubt in my mind that this title has been suggested by my teachers & the obvious reason was that I was irritating them for each & every simple & silly doubts every now & then.  It was an “Idiotic Behaviour” when others understand easily, what an idiot I am, couldn’t understand the simple things as well. I didn’t know about others but I didn’t ever care about my reputation in the class even though for a simple thing which I couldn’t understand. I did never hesitate to ask even “Idiotic & Silly” questions in the middle of the class.

I was Idiot & I was Happy to be Idiot J

I have never touched the 75% marks throughout my studies from KGI to MBA. But I never gone below 60% from 9th onward.... J... Ohhh sorry I am really very sorry there was one year when I gone below 60% & that was B.Sc. 2nd year. Any ways I was aware that it was the aggregate percentage from 3 years of B.Sc., which will be counted. In the 1st year I had some 61.XX% & in 2nd year I had some   59.XX%, so the aggregate percentage was still above 60%.  In the B.Sc. Final Year, it was then my necessity to maintain the 60% level. Even my silly mistakes can through me out from the 60% group. My parents were little upset, & there was a reason for that my other activities apart from my studies.

Mathematics was my favourite subject throughout my studies & most of my favourite teachers were from mathematics & Kapoor Madam was among them. She lived in Seoni our district place 25 K.M. away from Barghat. We used to travel daily from Barghat to Seoni daily for our graduation.  She was my Mathematics teacher in my B.Sc. She is my role model, guide & true guru (Light) & always cares for me. She is my best teacher in my life & I was among her favourite students.

During my B.Sc. final year one day our land line phone ringed up, I think mummy has picked up the phone & “The Caller was Kapoor Madam”. She never used to call to parents of her students. But she called to my parents.

She said that “I am little worried about Rupesh’s interest on studies now a days, He is doing many other things outside his Studies, how he will manage to get good marks in Final Year which is crucial for his career indeed.”

And that one call was an atom bomb in my home. Everyone was upset. My mummy started crying.. L My father was also upset.. L My parents asked me to stop all other activities other than studies. I was defending myself like anything. That was the last day when my father slapped me because of my stubborn attitude for “My Madness”... J J J J

And the reason behind “The Madness” was “The Friends Club, Barghat”. We the group of school friends including some 5 to 10 friends all aged from 17 to 20 come together & formed a Club to do some “Extra Curriculum Activities”  apart from our studies. We wanted to organize some social events etc. and unexpectedly we did lots of things in 2 years.

Mr. Sidhhu, Barghat TI (Town Inspector) of that time heard about us from Mr. Raj Bahadur Singh Thakur (Senior Journalist, Barghat) & one day called us to meet.

“I remember in my childhood I used to start walking & stop running whenever I was passing from Police Station. My fear was that if any police man observed me running he might think I am a criminal... lolzzzzzzz”

Finally we met him, he asked us to organize one open competition to create awareness about the “History of Our National Flag”. That was a government initiative & the campaigned was named as “Jhanda Uncha Rahe Hamara”. We successfully organized the whole competition from preparing the question paper to distributing in to the schools, struggling with the shortage of question papers, struggling for reprinting of another few hundred question paper with the shortage of time, collecting the question papers from all the schools, checking of question paper announcing the results & distributing the awards on 26th January during the annual function organized by Nagar Panchayat Barghat.

In one of our initiative we have distributed few hundred pamphlets to raise the concern of poor road conditions of Seoni-Barghat road to that time Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mr. Digvijay Singh, who was in fact first time visiting to Barghat after his 10 years of tenure as CM. The title of the pamphlets was à

Kuch Dino Se Gambhir Roop Se Ghayal Seoni-Barghat Sadak
Koma Me Gayi....
Jo Bhi Rajneta iske liye Doctor Dhundhega
Use Vote Roopi Inaam se Nawaza Jayega
Kyonki Sadak Nahi to Vikas Nahi – Aapki Aam Janta

In one of our casual meetings we discussed how we have been impacted just due to lack of knowledge about the future career options after our higher secondary (12th) & we just thought à

“Why not we can do some R & D?”
“Why not we can gather information about future career options after 12th?”
“Why not we should collect all the information & publish something which can guide our 12th students from Barghat to think about the multiple options?”

Initially we have planned to publish News Paper Size edition with 4 pages due to the financial conditions of the club. We have started working on the concept. Gradually we started getting advertisements from local educations institutions from Seoni & Barghat, later we approached to some educational institution from our nearest district place. “The concept later results into a 32 pages magazine” & we have named it as “Disha..... Career ki or...” We have published some 1000 copies of that magazine & distributed to the 12th students, one of the greatest achievements of Friends Club Barghat.

Finally the biggest social event & probable was the last one we have organized, & that is for utilizing the “Power of Democracy”. The event has been named “Janta Ki Adalat”. It was in year 2003 assembly election of Madhya Pradesh, in which all the members of Friends Club Barghat was voting 1st time in life after being eligible for that.

The whole idea came up with the questions

Why we should listen to our candidates what they only want to communicate?
Why we cannot ask those questions publically before we choose them?

We have planned an event where we called all the candidates in one place & then ask the question to them in front of public & presence of all other candidates. We have planned to do the video recording of whole event & then telecast it through local cable operator.

The concept was really very “Over Ambitious”. Nobody was ready to believe that it is possible to bring all the candidates into one place during their busy campaigning schedule.

But as I told you “The Madness”, we met each & every candidates individually & convince them to come to our event. All said yes to us.

Before the show we went to various places of assembly area, recorded their views for the future MLA & government. We went to all the candidates, record their interviews & before the event telecast it on local cable. In the event day somebody told us that no candidates are coming to our show.. L L We woke up early in the morning of event day. Go to each & every candidate, somewhere sleeping, some were preparing for day & they all said we are coming tonight to your show.... J J J

Out of 7 candidates 5 candidates came to our event all from big parties BJP, Congress, SP, BSP, Shivsena. 2 candidates those who have not come were in the last 2 position in the election... J J J J

Janta Ki Adalat” itself a big journey & a separate story with all up & downs, the pressure for making the event successful & the pressure of consistent in the studies from parents... J J J J All has been recorded & stored in a collection of 5 Video CDs.

Guru Kushwaha, Naveen Awadhiya, Kishor Chaudhary, Md. Shamshuddin Qureshi, Neeraj Awadhiya, Sanjay Yadav, Alok Jain, our guide Mr. Raj Bahadur Singh Thakur, Mr. Sunil Agrawal & others who have helped us directly or indirectly, they all made this club a really very unique in nature. We did all the things seems impossible to others. We were dedicated, we were committed & we had the passion. We enjoyed each & every moment we spent together for our “Friends Club, Barghat”.

It was one of the greatest moments I have lived with “The Friends Club, Barghat”, I learn lots of things. We have explored many things. It was my Madness.

I was Mad & I was Happy to be Mad J

It was about try to do something different. It was about to exploring the internal creativity. It was about to knowing our social responsibility. It was about the caring. It was about the team work. It was about to organizing & managing. It was about the facing the up & downs. It was about to being strong from mind. It was about to become introduce yourself to world. It was about to making your own path. It was about the Individuality.

It was about
“The Madness”
&
“It was not only about “Studies””

Thanks a lot for reading... Take care & all the best...Hope you all not bored while reading that J


regards,
rupesh