My Woes

Hi my friends.

I think, I am going to become an extinct species in the world of blogging. I am slowly getting disconnected. There is no denial that my work is keeping me busy but certain other factors prevent me from sitting at the computer. However much I wish to spend time here, I cannot.The reason is simple but grave.We have erractic power cuts  stretching up to 8-10 hours per day which drains  my computer UPS . My batteries are also drained because I am unable to work , I laze more and lethargy sets in. I want to share the power cuts  scheduled in a day for us here. Apart from the scheduled ones, we have unscheduled powercuts too. That, one cannot say when it will appear and it loves us so much and stays for long…..Apart from these ,we have maintenance of our substations on a regular basis that means ,the power is off from morning 9-6 .I wonder what  is the meaning of maintenance  here. I have stayed in many cities but shutting down for the whole day is a new and different experience here. Is it an excuse to impose power cuts? Our scheduled power cuts start early morning 5 am – 5.45 am. Then there is a breather , just to show that there is power in our state.. 🙂

Now I understand why staying in smaller towns are disadvantageous. When people in  big cities enjoy power, people in small towns bear the brunt of power deficit and are discriminated.Why it cannot be shared equally by all.  I am ashamed to say we are staying in a developing ? country which is boasting of getting a super power symbol soon.

I run around to complete my laundry and  running the mixer, checking my mails etc whenever there is power.We were going to have A Golden Rule and everything was hunky dory for 2 months , but honeymoon soon ended and the grind has started. Power cut schedules, work with clock like precision . we live today by not looking at the clock but by looking at the  fans and lights when they turn on and off. Power again is switched off between 9-12 , then between 3-6 pm   7.30 – 8.15 pm  . We cannot relax because there are 2 more cuts scheduled during  9.30 pm and 10.30 pm and 12-12.45. After that we drift off to sleep and only  God and the supply fellow  knows when the power is cut. Night schedules are only for smaller duration so that people in deep sleep are unaware of it.

I haven’t seen any one protesting.  I also do not know if  any  protest is happening .

I am just wondering about the poor farmers, the small industries whose businesses run into losses when their scheduled work does not happen in a day. I am also worried about students whose exams are scheduled for March- April. We are facing this problem for the last 3 years. Now it has become severe and erratic. I am not understanding why adequate steps have not been taken to solve the  woes of people. We are  suffering in a Free India for our basic necessities of life. My hobby keeps me sane, otherwise I don’t know how I would have survived. I think India is the best place to learn tolerance , May be we would soon move back to stone age:)

I am unable to visit any blogs , make posts and miss you all. Let the Power God shine, I will be back…for sure..

Even before I press the publish button I will be eaten by the demon Power Cut. God save our state.

Adieu!!!

TEACH THEM to LOVE

This post is a continuation of my earlier post “the flute story’. This has nothing to do with the flute, but the last Paragraph where I had mentioned about instilling good values in children. Today when I saw the article “Bullying and physical abuse rife among school students too” in The Hindu (dated 24th June), it prompted me to write some more on the same topic. Why are the children resorting to violence? Are they getting exposed to too much violence on TV and films? Children like to follow their action hero and perform a stunt or two and bash up their friends or siblings without knowing the implications. Children fail to understand the difference between the make believe world and reality.

Very often I come across mothers leaving young kids in front of the TV without keeping a tab on them as to what they are watching. The favorite cartoons in the genre of Tom & Jerry itself; though it amuses children a lot also teaches how they can perform stunts.

When real problems arises, it is a blame game between the school and the parents as each party feels that it is other party’s responsibility to teach good values to children. Children like clay can be molded when young, in any way we want them to be but we need to spend quality time and give loads of love and care.

There is a school right in front of my house and it is my hobby to watch the kids after the school hours, as they wait for their pick up vans. Every day I can see children fighting a la Rajni style making me wonder what influence the media is having on the kids. Sometimes the fun fights leads to serious ones and my mind really gets disturbed.

Parents play the primary role in the life of a youngster and the school comes second. Recently I was observing a mother and child in a vegetable shop. Mother was busy buying vegetables and the child picked up a lemon from the sack and started rolling in his hands. When the mother saw that her hand came forcibly down on the child’s hand and the lemon fell back into the sack. What a way to tell the child not to touch the thing! What are we teaching our children? Instead the mother could have communicated politely what she wanted .It resulted in the child whining with pain. Lesson for child is, if you make a mistake, you get beaten.

Another instance I want to share is, a mother and child were walking on the road and suddenly the child slipped and fell. Even before he got up mother’s hand went down beating him up “Ennada paathu nadakka kudatha elumbu odangidum. (Can’t you walk properly? Your bones will break)”. On one side he was in pain and on top of it mother also gifted him some more. She neither helped her child to his feet nor consoled him. Does she have common sense? Will any one fall just for the heck of it? Now just think who are the perpetrators of violence?

Though corporal punishment is banned in schools the stick still rules. I was conducting a few classes for 5th standard students few years back and was appalled to see every teacher had a cane in her hand along with the chalk piece when they attended duty. The little children asked why I was not carrying one . I told them I don’t need one as I believe that I can influence them in a far more effective way which many teachers failed to understand. I simply loved them and got affection in return and got better results in my subject but became a target of many barbs as all the children were flocking around me. The love for the teacher made them work harder. I have done this not once but many times and it should work for others as well. Love breeds love and violence breeds violence. It is our duty to stand by our children and we must set an example for them. Let the elders become their role models. Let’s stop using violence against them & we will have a better generation ahead where harmony and peace will co-exist.

Cheers!