Of working men, working women and homemakers

Of working men, working women and homemakers ....

The 1st of May is celebrated every year as the International Workers' Day or Labour Day  by the labourers and the working classes to demonstrate the legal establishment of the 8-hour working day. This was the fallout of the trying conditions and long hours of work after the industrial revolution leading to a life devoid of dignity for labourers. The Labour Day gave the benchmark for limiting hours of work and today the official hours of work are defined specifically.
My curiosity made me explore the definition of work. To my surprise I found most of the dictionaries defined work as something one does to earn money. This meant that monetary remuneration was the sole criterion to define work.
Homemakers are a very important part of our society and family and they spend more than 12 hours a day working at home. Their "work" is neither quantified nor recognised. In fact their work is belittled at times by apologetic family members saying that she does nothing and is just at home. On the contrary working moms are held in high regard.
Homemakers often end up in not recognising their worth due to this predicament. They become victims of discontentment and remain dissatisfied forgetting the fact that their contribution in managing the homes is the most important factor for the success of every other “working” member of the family. If the hours of work contributed by the homemaker in doing all the daily chores like cooking, cleaning, teaching children, washing, buying groceries etc are calculated the family might end up in spending quite a lot on their services.
The social fabric of our society has been woven in such a manner that on the one hand the hearth is considered to be the woman's place and the man is considered to be the bread-winner. In fact in families where both husband and wife work, higher income or status of the man is a major concern. A woman earning more than her husband or holding a higher position makes the husband appear hen-pecked. Ridiculing such men using the wife's name is common. As a result even in this day and age the status of the spouses of working men and working women are different.
Another important aspect is the work- life balance of the working women. Despite having equal or long hours of work, working women also have to attend to domestic work including cooking, cleaning, washing, taking care of children. A very miniscule percentage of men are sympathetic towards their working wife and support them at home. It is common place for us to see men relishing a cup of tea catching up with news in the morning newspapers while the wife struggles to get things ready. This is the norm in any average middle class home. So working women become burdened with the task of being  super women. They also get saddled with guilt in case they are unable to be with their children due to work compulsions. The average male gets away with his absence without guilt.
Yardsticks to measure the work of working men, working women and homemakers are totally different.
Differences in the wage rate for men and women workers still exist except in n government schemes like MGNREGS. Also differences still exist in the type of works allocated to men and women. Till date work done by homemakers are not measured or quantified for fear of upsetting the social apple cart.
It is also a fact that the percentage of working women against men is also dwindling due allocation of particular kinds of work to women. A casual visit to the village will reveal that almost 80 percent of the agricultural activities are done by women yet women are rarely considered as farmers and also paid lesser. The government has several schemes for the empowerment of women. In programmes like the National Rural Livelihoods Mission, emphasis is on strengthening the households. This might facilitate in bringing about a change in the mind-set and giving women appropriate status as individuals whether working or not.
In an urban context also there is a dearth of women CEOs, women technicians, women film directors, women politicians etc. Career advancement and financial success are corollaries of self-esteem for men whereas women have to sacrifice their success for the sake of family or for other reasons. The struggle for gender equality still continues as also of respecting her dignity.
Occasions like the International Labour Day should be used for discussing and highlighting such complex subjects. Our stance and outlook towards working men, working women and homemakers have therefore to be seen in a manner which will bring about real social transformation. The fruits of our labour would be sweet only then.

Acharya's blessings....

Acharya's blessings...

My son Vishnuchittan, will be a teenager in a couple of months. He is studying in class 8 of the renowned Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School. His moorings are certainly right as he getting the best support in academics and extra- curricular activities.
Nestled among the lanes of Matunga in Mumbai is the Sri Vedanta Desika Sampradaya Sabha. Established in 1950s it propagates Vaishnava Sampradayam, especially the teachings of Sri Vedanta Desikan. It also strives to preserve and promote our ancient culture and traditions.
For the last 9 years the Desika Sabha has been organising a residential summer camp to initiate children into the teachings of Sri Vedanta Desikan and Vaishnavism.
Vishnu was enrolled in this camp for the first time 8 years ago. I still remember his discomfort and hesitation in going there and staying back by himself. He used to invent all kinds of child- like excuses as a means to escape from there. On our affectionate insistence he used to settle down within a few hours each day after I left. Such was the charisma of the guru Shri. U.Ve. E.S.Mukundachaariyaar as a mentor to the children. Simple, unassuming, full of enthusiasm totally devoted to the cause, it would be difficult to believe that he was once a professor in the College of Engineering at Shegaon in Maharashtra.
On retirement from teaching he has settled at Hyderabad and has devoted himself to the cause of propogating Vaishnavism in an interesting and scientific manner specially among children. It is he who popularised the concept of summer camps in order to inculcate values and keenness for ancient vedantic scripture and traditions. Though this may sound didactic , moralistic and heavy for children of that age, as a Guru, he is able to generate the interest and sustain the attention of children due to his innovative and endearing methods of imparting knowledge. He also has a team of enthusiastic aunts, uncles and students to keep the children's inquisitiveness engaged. Such is the charm that I now find Vishnu wanting to go there year after year for the last 8 years. His excuses have disappeared and to my surprise I found him willing to travel by himself today to the summer camp which is now in progress at Vashi. I wonder what has driven him. He had the option of going for a movie with his friend but he chose to go to to the guru which certainly portrays the level of interest generated by the guru. It also displays his desire to be with children who are younger than him at the satsang and mentor them into this learning.
The summer camp is open to all and not only for Tamilians or South Indians.
It's not about religion or community but about the teachings of Sri Vedanta Desikan who was one of the most brilliant gurus, philosopher, poet, devotee of Vaishnavism. He was the follower of Sri Ramanuja and lived a life of abstinence totally devoted to Lord Narayana. He knew several languages like Tamil, Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit and has composed over 100 works which include, 5 poetic works, 1 drama , 28 devotional poems, 13 philosophical works,
10 commentaries, 32 treatises on different subjects and 24 poems in Tamil.
His works have touched on all aspects of life and have been a source of inspiration to many.
The Sri Vedanta Desika Sampradaya Sabha has been instrumental in introducing many children like Vishnu to this great philosophy from which they have been able to imbibe the spirit of divinity. The methods of imparting knowledge used by Guru Mukundan include performing arts like story tellling , singing, performing skits and dance which kindle the creativity of the children. It is energizing to see the children sing and dance to devotional hymns and bhajans of vitthala. Children love the tempo and fervour. Outings to nearby parks and yoga are included to keep them fit and agile. They are also taught shlokas composed by various Acharyas which sharpens their diction and memory. The aura of the shlokas pulsates their being throughout the day bringing in positivity and countering negativity effectively and chanelising their thoughts. At the end of the camp it is extremely satisfying for parents to see how well their children have been groomed.
Indian philosophy has all elements providing strength for life and living beyond existentialism. It is for us to be torch-bearers for the future generations. Rather than becoming agnostic or ritualistic it is important for us to endeavour to fathom the teachings and philosophy of our revered acharyas.
In this day and age it is common place to idolise and lose the true essence of our rich culture and heritage. All our saints and seers have left behind great ideas and thoughts for posterity. It is for us to imbibe those noble thoughts into impressionable minds so that they derive strength from it.
Summer camps like these have been great enablers. My mind was filled with gratitude to God that we were a part of this glorious tradition, for Mukundan Swami and his team who are facilitating this noble cause and with love for those children whose minds were getting kindled and blessed by our Acharyas.....

P.S. The summer camp is now in progress till tomorrow 30th April 2018 at
BAPS Swaminarayan Kala Kendra , Juhunagar, 38, Frerol Rozario Marg, Sector 10, Vashi, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra 400703, Near mini seashore,
Land mark- Near Fortis Hospital
Link for kendra; https://g.co/kgs/BNjpr2

Instruments of change.... Civil Service Day Celebrations

Instruments of change....
Civil Service Day Celebrations

21st April is celebrated as Civil Services Day by civil servants every year to introspect, rededicate and recommit ourselves to the cause of the people. It also gives us the opportunity to think afresh about the future strategies and plan for the changing times.
Awards are rendered to officers of Central and State Governments on this day and they are honoured by the Hon"ble Prime Minister of India for Excellence in Public Administration.
The award includes a medal, scroll and a cash amount of ₹100,000. In case of a group, the total award money is ₹500,000  subject to a maximum of ₹100,000 per person. For an organisation the cash amount is limited to ₹500,000.
I had the opportunity to attend the Civil Services Day celebrations at the Office of Divisional Commissioner, Konkan Division thanks to the invitation by my colleague.
Twenty-five years ago, we had begun our journey together as civil servants with dreams in our eyes. We all were certainly awed immensely by the power and authority one's position could wield.
It was in the same hall that the then Divisonal Commissioner, revered and late Mr.Rameshchandra Kanade had introduced us to the lofty ideals of being in the service.
The world "civil servant" actually stood for serving the common man. Our task was to reach out to them, dedicate ourselves completely to their cause and do our best while ensuring transparency.
Our probation period in Sindhudurg made us realise the complexities of administration and grounded us. We realised that the various positions of powers came with responsibilities to accomplish the tasks assigned to us.
Much of the awe associated with the service was due to the British legacy of the ICS which being the premier service made officers consider themselves"burrah sahibs".
The Indian Civil Service as it was known then brings forth visuals of a sahib riding on a horse with breeches moving with their tents. The horses and breeches have dissapeared ( except at the LBSNAA) and also the beacon lights on the cars.
Civil servants continue to be the steel frame responsible for execution of policies.
The Civil Service Day celebrations was an opportunity to look back and savour the fruits of our labour as it was also the time for awarding the officers at the district, state and national level.
I had the opportunity to witness the live telecast of the Prime Minister's award for excellence in Public Administraion. The zeal and anticipated excitement of Vigyan Bhavan was reflecting on our faces too as two officers from our state were to receive the award. And so we waited with baited breathes.
The awards were for priority sectors of housing, insurance, skilling, digital payments, innovations and for ease of doing business. They highlighted the positive approach of the government and the efforts being made for the growth of India.
Homes for the homeless, along with toilets and a gas connection is the mission and vision of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana- Rural and Urban.
The award for PMAY-Rural was given to Kangra, Himachal Pradesh and Neemuch, MP and the PMAY Urban to Puducherry and Hyderabad for giving joy of constructing new homes to maximum people in the target group.
Agriculture is always vulnerable to vagaries of nature. Farmers have to face innumerable hardships on loss of crops .The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, is designed to insure crops against the vagaries of nature.
While West Tripura bagged an award for motivating farmers through IEC for crop insurance, DM Beed, Shri. Devendra Singh and his SAO received it for their excellent work in Maharashtra. The clipping played before the award flashed the joyful face of a farmer who had received an insured amount of Rs.10,000/- on failure of crop by paying a premium of Rs.256 only.
Skilling is the talisman of the day to ensure self-reliance, sustainable livelihood and prosperity. The Deendayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana- DDUGKY is one such scheme which provides state of art residential training to rural youth for employment. It lays emphasis on training and placement. Telangana and Assam bagged this award.
Ensuring transparency and enabling e-payments has been a dream of the government. Bishnupur district in Manipur received the award for promoting digital payments by using the Bhim app..
The cashless sabzi mandi in Sonipat, Haryana bagged the award for its exemplary work in using digital payments. The Union Territory of Daman also received the award for digital payments.
Bihar's Unnayan Banka -mobile app, Mera mobile, Mera Vidyalay which connected students with teachers and and added value to learning won the award for innovation.
Team GST received the award for innovative implementation of the GST. Marching along with the team came Mr.RajivJalota, Commissioner, Commercial Tax, Maharashtra bringing another laurel for the state.
It was a jubilous day for Maharashtra and we were all smiles.
In his presidential address the Hon"ble Prime Minister appreciated and congratulated the awardees. He took pride in the fact that the nation as a whole was reflecting positivity. Believing in the self and the country was the first step in taking the country forward. Appreciation of hard work and success was a must and the awards were a step in that direction. They would also be a motivation and inspiration for others. He also emphasised on introspection by civil servants, the progress made by them, and the support to the common man. It was within us to change the world. As individuals we had to channelise our energies and make significant efforts specially as human beings. Each one of us has some innate qualities and nobody was "nikkamma", or "good for nothing".
We needed to kindle the lamp within us and motivate ourselves to be leaders in our own way. His focus was on proper planning and all round development specially of the backward districts. The 115 aspirational districts were a step in that direction. They had to be nurtured with proper planning and would become growth centres for the entire nation.
He also stressed on public participation or jan bhaagidaari. He asserted on the use of technology for improving governance and felt it is important for civil servants to keep pace with emerging technologies worldwide. He said 2022, the seventy-fifth anniversary of independence, could inspire us for achieving the India of the dreams of our freedom fighters. 
To him civil servants were officers with great capability which could be used to garner benefits for the nation.
As his speech came to an end my heart was full.of emotions and mind with ideas. Each one of us had joined the civil service with aims and aspirations of being instruments of change. The song was one but the instruments used and the melody created were different. Every officer adds tangible substance to the innumerable schemes and programmes of the government but enthusiasm and positivity have to be the hallmarks. Our march towards the ultimate goal of development of the country is definitely dependant on us being the instruments of change.

Ready to take on the world with DDUGKY.....

Ready to take on the world with DDUGKY....

Skilling, life-skills, soft skills are familiar words now whether in the field of education and employment. Apart from conventional education a lot of emphasis is now being laid on acquiring vocational eduaction or skills which will facilitate youth to get employed or become entrepreneurs.
While formal education still remains at the forefront with children wanting to be engineers, management experts or doctors,  the informal sector has transformed itself by leaps and bounds to open several avenues for the less blessed. These are those who are unable to complete their formal education due to various reasons or are drop-outs or are simply not interested in formal education.
Taking note of the huge demand for different set of skills, the Government of India has designed a special programme for skilling by setting up the National Skill Mission and State Skill Missions.
The Ministry of Rural Development working for empowerment of women through self help groups under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission also designed a special programme for skilling of rural youth under the Deendayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana- DDUGKY.
This is essentially a programme with short term courses for three or six months or for a longer period of one year which skill youth through residential training, on job experience and placements.
Students from rural India are mobilised and trained through PIAs- Performance Implementation Agencies at their centres which have state of art facilities for acquiring skills in hospitality, voice BPO, bedside assiatant, retail business, electronic repair and 250 other trades.
The PIAs are selected through a very stringent process and have to follow standard opearting procedures to ensure highest standards are maintained in training as well as lodging, boarding and safety of students. DDUGKY has now become a benchmark for excellence in the skilling world.
While the scheme is reaping the fruits of its labour now, with over 1 lakh students trained and placed, a lot of effort has been put in designing the programme to ensure highest standards of quality are maintained in training and placements.
The government also endeavours to streamline the procedure and make it better.
It therefore took the support of Asian Development Bank and Ernst and Young to strategise methods for improving the implementation of DDUGKY. Funded by the JFPR, Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, the SOPs were analysed and downsized to curtail procedural delays and facilitate training. Special emphasis was laid on developing soft skills and IT skills with a massive programme of Training of the trainers.
The quality of trainers and training is pivotal to ensure that students get trained in the best possible manner. 400 trainers were trained under the programme and they in turn trained over 8000 students mostly women as ADB is committed to gender equity and has a gender policy since 1988. They believe in gender mainstreaming for the larger benefit of the society.
The Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction works for the welfare of persons in low income groups and for the deprived women
It therefore developed effective IEC material to facilitate behavioural change and to spread the message and reach out to the poor. It analysed 6 key industries for successful skilling, brought down the number of documents and number of hours required for screening PIAs, speed up fund release as well as improve the MIS.
It also devised a very useful app, Kaushal Panji for easy registration of beneficiaries interested in getting skilled. 53,400 women were surveyed and 19,000 samples were analysed to understand the gender perspective and collate willingness of women to migrate for getting skilled.
DDUGKY's role in transforming lives of rural youth is clearly evident. The scheme has bolstered a rural girl working in Cafe Cofee Day of Mumbai enough to represent India as International brew master in Mexico.
It has brought smiles to millions of families and satisfaction to the authorities for designing this programme.
At the final workshop for strengthening capacities and processes for gender equality,  trainers and trainess shared their experience under the programme.
It was heartening to watch them speak reflecting self-pride and confidence.
Ms.Deepali Awasthi, from a rural village of Mathura is a trainer who has trained over 100 girls.
Ms. Poonam also from Mathura, after completion of training is now employed at a Vaango food chain.
My moments of glory came on seeing two confident girls from Maharashtra, bubbly and full of life.
Ms.Priya Raut is a trainer at Avon Facilities Management Services from Nagpur. She underwent the Training of trainers programme in English speaking and IT skills conducted by ADB. She was intorduced to a new software for English language which helped her improve her training skills. The interactive sessions made learning extremely interesting for the students also. The audio-visual medium had a positive impact and made them more attentive. She was thankful for this opportunity and has trained 250 girls. She felt that DDUGKY was enabling girls to achieve their desires. Being fully aided it helped the poorest. She also found girls to be better performers.
Ms. Vishakha Dhamgaye, is from a poor family from Nagpur. She feels that DDUGKY has changed her life and made her independent. She had completed her 12th standard and was at home helping her mother who is a daily wages worker, when she came to know of DDUGKY. She immediately grasped the opportunity, completed her training and is now working in Westside. She dreams of becoming a Store Manager.
There are many many more students like her whose dreams have come true thanks to DDUGKY.
The future holds great hope for services like health care, geriatic care, hospitality which are in huge demand. The secret lies in moving in tandem with prospective growth and strengthening these skills.
Along with DDUGKY are the RSETI's which are Rural training centres for self-employment are also transforming lives of rural youth. Jobs might become scarce but business and self-enterprises are booming.
RSETIs are an ideal ground for training in entrepreneurship as they focus on small enterprise. Maharashtra RSETI was awarded the second prize in 2016-17 for training over 2 lakh entrepreneurs.
The Government is committed to provide support in skilling through DDUGKY, RSETIs and many other programmes. It is for the rural youth to be ready, to work hard for achieving their dreams and to take on the world.....

Heart over mind and the self....

Heart over Mind and the self....

Everyday morning thanks to watsap we receive a number of inspirational mesaages and write-ups showing us innumerable ways to improve ourselves. Some goad us to plan our day, others to become fit by walking or exercising and some others to do various acts to control our minds or improve the self.
What then is our self? Is it our essential being which makes us distinct from others, is it our personality, identity or our innermost feelings? Is it our mind which tells us what to do or our heart which makes us feel and act intuutively at times.?
It could be our individuality which makes each of us unique and different from the others making us behave differently or react differently under different circumstances.
Our upbringing and social norms may also have some influence.
Our minds are our cognitive consciousness, our perception , thoughts and judgement. The language we speak or the power of our memory or our imagination are linked to the mind. They in turn along with our heart shape our attitude and reponse.
Our feelings of joy, sadness, love, hatred, fear, anger and anxiety spring from our hearts and mind.
Mind is also very private as no one can really know exactly what we think. Our thoughts emanate from the brain and our rationality from the mind but it is the heart which holds our emotions and feelings.

My travel to the airport today made me understand this distinction. I had a flight at 12 noon and got stuck in the midst of one of the famous traffic jams of Mumbai. The traffic was bumper to bumper and the cars hardly moved beyond an inch. My mind started getting anxious about how long it would take. I was upset with the traffic, with my own self for not planning to leave with sufficient time in hand for such emergencies. I was upset with the ongoing construction work at several places which made the roads narrower slowing down the traffic. I started imagining that i would miss my flight.
Amidst all this mental turmoil I turned to my heart and said a small prayer. I found that it calmed me immediately. I realised that the traffic would move at its own pace and there was no point in getting upset. I diverted my thoughts positively to the belief that the car would find its way through this maze and I would reach on time. As a stand-by, I also called a friend who works at the airport for support in boarding at the last minute. Thereafter i just let go. I kept my thoughts positive, kept smiling and found myself telling the driver to relax too.
I wondered at my sudden sense of calm. Ultimately we managed to make it to the airport and I boarded the flight. I certainly am temperamental but this time I accepted the mesage of my heart and remained cool. As a result my nerves were calm and I felt good too.
Many times we find ourselves changing our minds, making up our minds and are often in two minds also. Our heart is softer so we tend to ignore it. Our minds speak loudly and makes us judgemental and react.
Listening to our heart needs patience and courage. It certainly asks us to let go, let go of our egos which often bind us in our one-upmanship. We ignore nobler thoughts of compassion, appreciation, kindness, calmness and serenity from the heart and let our minds wander ignoring our strength which comes from within.
Syncing of our hearts and minds can help us gain back the equilibrium in our lives. Instead of wasting our energies in judging ourselves and others we can explore our own potential, our own little world. Our positivity will help us to remain calm and composed, preserve our health and be the source of happiness to others. Helping our own selves would be the first step in that direction. The traffic jam in my own mind had certainly been cleared by today's travel....
To mind our self through our hearts and to mend our ways, is surely a matter of our own choice !!!

Chords.....

Chords.....

It was Tamil new year yesterday....Normally our day would begin with wishes from Appa and Amma.....Appa would greet in Tamil but Amma for some unkown reason preferred greeting in English!!! " Happy new year, many many many returns...." and i could almost see her beaming face on the phone followed by her  inimitable sound of laughter.
That was Amma....She loved talking, to her children, family, relatives, friends and acquaintances. She always wanted people around her. Despite staying in a joint family with her husband, the eldest son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, she was constantly seeking company of her other children who were staying away.
Luckily for me being at Mumbai, I managed to go and see her on most days though only for a short while due to official and family compulsions. She used to be waiting for me to speak about her heart's content and me to be fondled like a child.
She had dedicated 60 years of her life to our well-being, growth and development. She certainly was not as demanding before. In fact our conversations may have been minimalistic and mundane. Looking back at our childhood I realise she was totally non-interfering. Our father too let us be. It requires immense fortitude to trust your child and allow them to blossom. Such freedom and independence was probably based on trust and faith that we would never let them down.
Many of us from that generation may vouch for this. Our parents just let us be. They may have guided us occassionally when we needed them , with a loving push or prod, just enough to put us into momentum. And remember that many parents then had more than three or four children to handle.
In this day and age most parents are so involved in the minutest of details of day to day existence of their child. It is they who decide what the child does or even thinks. With the onset of watsap groups and social media every step of the child is followed. The child is perhaps not given the freedom to think ndependently and of their own. There maybe a few children who are self-dependent but the necesaary evil of social media make those parents also to start depending more on watsap mesaages rather than believing in the words of their child.
I feel fortunate to be a part of that generation which may not have been so advanced or bonded with technology but were moored securely through our personal bondings. I try to carry it forward as much as possible.
Missing Amma on new year was therefore natural. The chords of my heart reached out to her, to listen to those words at least in the mind. Over two months have passed since she left us but her presence pervades the very air I breathe making me feel she is just a call away. She would be back with her resonating sounds.  Special occassions like the new year make me realise that her blessings are an inseparable part of me. She may not be here physically but my heart flows with her love and the umbilical chord binds me with her, forever....

Of artists and mothers.....

Of artists and mothers.....

Colours are an inseparable part of our life.
Their vibrancy energises us. The serenity of white, the prosperity in green, the passionate reds, the cool blues, the spiritual yellow. Every aspect of our life is filled with beauty of colours. A rainbow in the sky never fails to attract us just like the beautiful colour of paintings.
It was therefore a great joy to go for an exhibition of paintings by talented children, gifted with creativity.
Appropriately titled " Taare Zameem Par" it had a collection of paintings made by children between the age of 9 to 16. As stated in the theme, "Art is harmony parallel with nature. Each child speaks to you through their paintings on what is closest to their hearts."
The theme was apt since all kids were akin to stars potraying their immense talent using different mediums. Some used water colours and oil paints while others used pencils and pens. Whatever was the medium the portrayal was beautiful. They displayed the beauty of nature whether through flowers, trees and animals or shapes and concrete forms. Some were abstract and some human or divine. Each painting expressed ideas or emotions using various shapes, lines, colours, tones and texture. Their bright little faces eager to explain the thoughts behind their creativity, the use of the varied mediums, their development as artists.
One student of Bombay Scottish also a badminton player made a painting representing P.V.Sindhu, her personal favourite, standing tall with her achievements, an inpspiration for all.
Amongst all these were exquisite paintings made by Janhavi Bhide using colour pencils. She is a student of the 9th Grade in Hillspring International School and has been painting since she was a child.
No wonder she has mastered the art.
Her nimble fingers have created paintings depicting artefacts like lamps, fruits and the like so very full of life. Simple and shy she said that it takes 3 to 5 hours to make a painting. She has been trained by her mentor Sandeep Sir.
Painting is not everyone's cup of tea. Using her skills and creativity she has transformed everyday objects into beautiful pieces of art. She also introduced me to the paintings of her friend Mahita Shah potraying a unique concept of peace using ink on canvas.
All the children displaying their art must have begun with scribbling on the walls in their home. The encouragement , love and support of their parents gave them wings to fly and reach for the sky. Among the beaming parents was Ashwini Bhide, Janhavi's mother valuing her achievements and the impression they were making on the visitors. Her daughter, Janhavi had given greater depth to art but as a mother, her own eyes reflected colours of love.

( The exhibition was held  on 14th & 15th April 2018 at Ravindra Natya Mandir, Prabhadevi, Mumbai )

The Joy of giving.....

The joy of giving….

The Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India has initiated many programmes for the welfare of the rural people. The National Rural Livelihoods Mission-NRLM is one such programme which facilitates sustainable development by establishing community institutions of the poor. The strength of the programme lies in creation of a community cadre which lead the programme and this makes it different from all the other programmes like the Integrated Rural Development Programme –IRDP or the Suvarnajayanti Gram Rozgaar Yojana SGSY.

Social inclusion, Financial Inclusion, Economic Inclusion and Sustainable Livelihoods are the four pillars of NRLM. The mission begins it work in villages by creation of self-help groups of women which typically is a group of 10 to 12 women. The SHGs later congregate into village organisations and cluster level federations. Their foundations are based on following the ten principles of Dashasutri which include, regular meetings, savings, internal lending, and repayment of loans and writing books of accounts which together are the Dhan Vyavahar or the financial codes of business. Added to these are the Mana Vyavahar or social codes of supporting health, nutrition and sanitation, education, participating in Panchayat Raj Institutions, taking benefit of all government schemes and promoting sustainable livelihoods. The goal of the mission is to ensure that every family is able to earn at least one lakh of rupees from two or three modes of livelihood.

The mission uses three effective methods to support sustainable livelihoods- 1) Enhancing productivity in agriculture by providing technological support to the community and by creation of a cadre 2) Supporting them with establishment of additional livelihoods supporting agriculture like goatery, poultry, fish-farming, vegetable cultivation etc.3) providing skills for alternate employment to at least one member of the family so that he or she is able to get employed or self-employed and support the family.

The skilling of individuals is done under the Deendayal Upadhyaay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana. Maharashtra also implements the scheme with the help of Programme Implementation Agencies – PIAs which has trained and placed over 6000 students till date.

Sonu Mandhre is one student. I happened to meet her during my recent visit to Wardha. Smartly attired, beaming and confident. She has been trained by Dhatri Foundation, an award winning PIA in Nagpur. 

Sonu was in the first year of BA when she was selected to do the three month course in BPO. She hails from a village near Butibori in Nagpur district. She has parents, four sisters and one brother. She says that her parents were always at the receiving end with people enquiring and almost commiserating about having four daughters. This used to bother her a lot. When the PIA came for mobilisation in her village, she was motivated and decided to do the course. She felt that through this she would achieve something and prove herself to the world.  She can converse in Hindi, Marathi and English. She completed the course with dedication and secured a placement in Megus Dialogue at Hyderabad, which is a BPO for Tata Sky. Her confidence is reflected in her willingness to go and work at Hyderabad, miles away from her home in Nagpur. Initially, she was given a salary of Rs.7, 000/- plus incentives. Within six months due her hard work her salary increased to Rs.10, 000/- plus incentives. She manages to earn Rs.20, 000/- and above now.

Her grit and determination are evident from the fact that she has taken a month’s leave to complete her graduation. She will be appearing for her B.A exams. Her employers have given her an offer to return despite the break.

On asking what does she do with her salary she said that she has saved money in the bank after supporting her parents. Her humaneness is reflected in the fact that she bought a motorbike for her brother.  Her sense of belonging and pride was evident on her face as she shared that her brother had always wanted a bike and she decided to give him a surprise by buying him a Bajaj Splendour Plus. Everything around felt like a big plus...plus plus....I was overwhelmed by her sweet gesture. A small little girl from a village, making an effort to study, successfully completing her course, getting employed to prove a point and caring so much for her family. I asked her why you didn’t buy anything for yourself. She said I wanted to make my brother happy. Two of her sisters are married. Another is also thinking of doing a course through DDUGKY.

As I watched her interacting with the current batch of students with joy and confidence I felt blessed to be a part of implementation of a scheme which can not only transform so many lives but also imbibe the spirit of selflessness and the joy of giving. Sonu filled my heart with joy. Surely giving is simply joyful.....

 

Twists and turns of winning, losing and IPL Mania....

Twists and turns of winning, losing and IPL Mania....

Mumbaiiiii....."are you ready for the magic?" screams the anchor....the crowd joins cheering loudly and says...."Yessss...." and the countdown begins....10, 9, 8, 7,6,5,4,3,2,1....the 11th IPL began on the 7th April revealing once again that Cricket is the biggest entertainer and show stealer. The Combination of the game with the glamorous world of films and film stars makes it magnetic. The craze for this version of the game hasn't waned but only seems to have doubled.
The inaugural ceremony began with performances by actors Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fermadez, Mika and Superstar Hrithik Roshan. The crowds cheering,singing, dancing and clapping made it the greatest live show.
The quick turnaround of the ground from.a stage to the cricket pitch was fascinating. It matched the nimbleness and quickfootedness of the dancers. Within minutes the ground was ready after the performances and the teams started practicing as we waited with baited breath in a jam-packed stadium for the first match of Chennai Super Kings- CSK against Mumbai Indians- MI to start.
The toss was won by CSK who decided to field. For someone like me who hardly understands cricket it didn't matter. My son, Vishnu who is an ardent follower of the game said that Dhoni is a strategist and having played at the Wankhede Stadium many times before knows that the pitch is hard. There are no uneven bounces even in the second innings. It would therefore be easier to chase the runs.
As the game progressed, I discovered that batting proved to be a challenge. Wickets fell quickly and Vishnu was forlorn that his team MI was not faring well. My task as ever was to pacify him and ask him to keep his sunny side up. What I dread most about live matches is the fear of his favourite team losing and his subsequent dejection. I have seen not only him but many others get extremely involved and upset over their favourite team losing. It does not remain a game where we win some and lose some. And so even i ended up keeping my fingers crossed for MI. They could manage to make a decent score of about 165.
Knowing CSK and Dhoni a target of 166 wasn't difficult. Nevertheless I kept pepping up Vishnu. Surprisngly CSK wickets fell quicker than MIs. Soon it was Dhoni's turn to bat at four down. The crowd was in a frenzy as he came on the pitch" Thalaivaa is back". But it wasn't his day too since his wicket was taken soon. It appeared that MI would be winning after all. However Bravo was the saviour and braveheart and kept the CSK flag high. It was his sustained batting which gave an edge to their team and ultimately led them to victory. The tables were suddenly turned against the MI team and they lost. I was pacifying Vishnu and myself too. After all, like any true Mumbaiite I love MI yet I couldn't help thinking about the ups and downs of the match.
So many times during the match MI appeared to be winning but ultimately lost and in contrast so many times CSK appeared to be losing but finally won. It may have been a miracle but the effort of a dream team with a cool captain who stood steadfastly led them to victory.
The match had all the twists and turns of a bollywood potboiler. Some people who had left the stadium at some point presuming MIs victory would have been shocked on hearing the final outcome.
Life is so much like a match full of ups and downs, thrills and debacles. The best of the players can end up losing a match due to wrong strategy and a losing team can win by just keeping it's cool. The inaugural match proved to be one such lesson. The pain of losing when one could have almost won and the joy of winning a match which was almost lost were pertinent. Some fans of MI didn't spare criticising the players when they started losing. The challenge of playing under such stressful conditions, their state of mind didn't matter to them. Some were sarcastic with their jibes. A few like Vishnu were totally upset.
For once I felt that George Bernard Shaw's famous quote of Cricket being a game played by 11 fools and watched by 1000s of fools acquired different connotations. It must have given so many lessons of wisdom not only to the team but also to those who watched whether in the stadium or in their homes. Playing and winning were an art and losing a part of life. Thinking positively under the worst circumstances is a must, cause after every storm there comes a calm morning.

Of Hiccups, "Hitchki" and Tourette's Syndrome

Of Hiccups, “Hitchki” and Tourette's Syndrome....

Every parent in this world desires to have and raise healthy, happy and emotionally secure children. One learns about this only after becoming a parent. Till then we are just unable to fathom the little nuances of raising children or the efforts put in by our parents in raising us. Times have changed so much now that in this day and age raising a normal child is extremely demanding. And if one's child is challenged in some way parenting becomes more of a challenge not only physically but also mentally since taking care of such children needs different skills.

The film “Hitchki”- (Hiccups) begins with a tale of one such girl from a broken family suffering from Tourette's syndrome.
Most of us wouldn't have heard of this ailment. As explained by the protagonist, Rani Mukherjee aka Ms.Naina Mathur, it is a neurological disorder wherein the wires of our brain are not connected properly and lead to emission of involuntary and uncontrolled sounds.
She is therefore unable to have a normal childhood as other children ridicule her. Her father is also unable to cope with the challenge and moves out after frequent disputes in the family which leaves her even more drained. She is also the cause of distraction in studies to other students in class and has to change 12 schools until a kind-hearted teacher. Mr.Khan accepts her as a student in St.Notker's where she excels in studies and continues to acquire many degrees.
She desires to become a teacher but her abnormal state is a hindrance. It gets aggravated in moments of tension especially when their father who leaves them due to ignominy of having such a child visits them and suggests her to become a banker. But the moral support from her mother and brother keep her going. After umpteen interviews where she declares upfront about her disorder and gets rejected she finally manages to get a teaching job due to a sudden vacancy in St.Notker's where she had studied. Her task is to teach a class of miscreants comprising of 14 students, who essentially are slum-dwellers. She learns that these 14 students in the class 9F from the nearby slum are the last batch under the Right to Education and that the Municipal School there had made an agreement with St.Notker’s for exchange of land on lease. Treated as outcastes by the teachers and other students of the school their delinquency and suppression suffocates them and creates a barrier between the world of haves and have-nots.
In effect, Naina has to teach a class of rebels including a bidi smoker, card gambler, and a girl with rats for pet and with all the 14 children having no desire to study. They learn that their new teacher stammers and make fun of her. They had driven out almost a dozen teachers before her so they presume driving out a teacher who stammers would be quite easy and so they wager a bet on it. Naina who happens to see all this knows her task is tough. She takes them head-on wagering Rs.100/- herself on her lasting as their teacher.
The initial struggle is typical with the kids playing various pranks including emptying petrol from her scooty, putting explosives in class, tinkering with the chalk to make it burst like a cracker to get rid of the new teacher and her surviving them all with elan. She also has to face the verbal barbs of an uppity colleague, Sir Wadia. Both have a point to prove, she that the 14 students of 9F are as good as those in 9A and all they need is to be given an equal opportunity so that they can also prove themselves and he that 9F is no good and can never be an equal to 9A.
Using innovative methods of teaching Naina initiates a love for studies among the children. A couple of students from other classes get fascinated with her teaching but are controlled by Sir Wadia who hurls his sarcasm at Naina but she continues undaunted.
The 14 kids begin to learn and show enough spark to suggest changes in the National Science Project or even discuss planks equation. However the snooty Class 9A humiliate them again and they plummet. Naina has to keep boosting their morale. She goes to each one's home when their parents don't come for the PTA and discovers their woes of living in slums, struggling for water and sanitation, working hard to make ends meet whether by selling vegetables or working as a mechanic in a cycle shop. Shagufta's father who is a loader in an airline company dreams of her becoming a pilot. All their parents hope their children will get a chance to do what they couldn't and achieve something.
Naina feels more responsible towards the children but their encounter with the class 9 A and their explosive revenge destroying the National Science Project using Aatish's material leads them to suspension from school.
Naina herself is disillusioned but the children full of remorse win back her heart and she starts teaching them outside school once again. The school peon leaks 2 question papers to them before the exam over which the group disagrees and only 2 among them see it. However the leaked paper is totally different from the paper which actually comes in the exam. All the 14 children not only attempt the exam but also get through it with two of them Oru and Archana topping. The trick of leaking the wrong papers was a vicious act by Ankush the student from 9A who chuckles to Mr.Wadia that he has avenged the wrong doings of 9F. Mr.Wadia is shocked to discover that the 14 kids were actually brilliant and had really put in efforts to get through. He is full of remorse that he has instilled wrong values in his students of 9A. He confesses that there are no bad students but only bad teachers. Oru and Akaansha get the prefect batch and the story ends on a happy note.
The film maker needs to be complemented for making such a socially relevant film which will certainly instil values among children. It will also be an inspiration for teachers as there is a lesson for them too to be committed to their job and remain rooted. Like Naina says a small change in our life can make a difference. The hiccups she faced in the real and literal sense and also in her professional world were temporary setbacks which she overcame. Her quest for fathoming the “why” for one’s inability to do something and turn it into a “why not” is a lesson by itself. The exercise where she makes the students write their fears and hatred and blow them off as rockets imbibing strength to overcome them is the beginning of their transformation. Spread your wings and see how high you soar is the message. True to their words all the 14 prove themselves worthy.

Thirteen years ago when I was expecting my child, a medical test indicated that there was a possibility of me having a child with Down’s syndrome. Going ahead with it was a tough decision. That I have a normal child by God’s grace and blessings is another story. However, the fact is that most of us take our normal body, intellect, smartness for granted and remain in a make-believe world oblivious to everyday truths of the world of the have-nots and of those who are physically and mentally challenged in some way. It is important to learn to be sensitive to the problems, issues and needs of the differently-abled. Watching the movie Hitchki will certainly take you a step forward in that direction.