Happy Teacher's Day..................

Well....I did not have a plan to write about teacher's day....But thenI got a mail which was the address of our former president APJ Abdul Kalam on the eve of Teacher's Day broadcasted on All India Radio.Just thought of sharing it with you....I have always thought teaching as a noble job. And all my teachers always have a very special place in my heart...When I was asked what would you become when you grow up, my immediate answer was to be a teacher though I am not one now. We have heard of the relationship between Drona and Arjuna in which the teacher loved his student more than his own son.But today neither the teachers nor the students have a cherishable relationship leave aside teachers considering their students as their own children. The whole education system has become a business. Teaching has become just another job. The one people prefers when they can't get any other job. They don't have the passion or commitment.However to all the teachers including my mom who have played a major role in shaping me the way I am, wish a very happy teacher's day.

Following is the Full text of the former Indian President's A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM address on the eve of Teachers' Day.
Dear listeners of All India Radio and teachers, my greetings to all of you.
I am talking to you on the special occasion of Teachers' Day. On this day, we gratefully remember the great educationist Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, whose dream was that "Teachers should be the best minds in the country". Hence, Teachers' Day is very important for all our people, for our students and even for all the parents, as the teachers lay the foundation for creating enlightened citizens for the nation. On this day, I would like to recall three teachers who helped me in shaping my life.
To begin with I am going to talk to you about my father Janab Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen, as a teacher. My father taught me a great lesson when I was a young boy. What was that lesson? It was just after India got Independence. At that time Panchayat board elections took place at Rameswaram. My father was elected Panchayat Board member and on the same day he was also elected the president of the Rameswaram Panchayat Board. Rameswaram Island was a beautiful place with 30,000 populations. At that time they elected my father as Panchayat Board president not because he belonged to a particular religion or a particular caste or spoke a particular language or for his economic status. He was elected only on the basis of his nobility of mind and for being a good human being. Dear listeners, I would like to narrate one incident that took place on the day he was elected president of the Panchayat Board.
I was at that time studying in school. Those days we did not have electricity and we used to study under ration kerosene lamps. I was reading the lessons loudly and I heard a knock at the door. We never used to lock the door in Rameswaram in those days. Somebody opened the door, came in and asked me where my father was? I told him that father had gone for the evening namaz. Then he said, I have brought something for him, can I keep it here? Since my father had gone for namaz, I shouted for my mother to get her permission to receive the item. Since she was also on the namaz there was no response. I asked the person to leave the item on the cot. After that I continued my studies.
I used to learn by reading aloud in my younger days. I was reading loud and fully concentrating on my studies. At that time my father came in and saw a tambalum kept in the cot. He asked me "What is this? Who has given that?" I told him, "Somebody came and has kept this for you". He opened the cover of the tambalum and found there was a costly dhoti, angawastram, some fruits and some sweets and he could see the slip that the person had left behind. I was the youngest child of my father, he really loved me and I also loved him a lot. He was upset at the sight of the tambalum and gifts.
That was the first time I saw him very angry and also that was the first time I had got a thorough beating from him. I got frightened and started weeping. My mother embraced and consoled me. Then my father came and touched my shoulder lovingly with affection and advised me not to receive any gift without his permission. He quoted an Islamic Hadith, which states that, "When the Almighty appoints a person to a position, He takes care of his provision. If a person takes anything beyond that, it is an illegal gain." Then he told me that it is not a good habit. A gift is always accompanied by some purpose and a gift is a dangerous thing. It is like touching a snake and getting the poison in turn. This lesson stands out always in my mind even when I am in my seventies. This incident, taught me a very valuable lesson for my life. It is deeply embedded in my mind.
I would like also to mention the writings in Manu Smriti which states that "By accepting gifts the divine light in the person gets extinguished". Manu warns every individual against accepting gifts for the reason that it places the acceptor under an obligation in favour of the person who gave the gift and ultimately it results in making a person to do things which are not permitted according to law.
I am sharing this thought, with all of you, particularly the young ones, do not be carried away by any gift which comes with a purpose and through which one loses his personality greatly. Do you think, you can follow this in your life? I will be very happy if you can practice this sincerely.
When I think of my second teacher, I am reminded of my childhood days when I was studying in 8th class at the age of 13. I had a teacher, Shri Siva Subramania Iyer. He was one of the very good teachers in our school. All of us loved to attend his class and hear him. One day he was teaching about a bird's flight. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard depicting the wings, tail and the body structure with the head. He explained how birds create the lift and fly. He also explained to us how they change direction while flying. For nearly 25 minutes he gave the lecture with various information such as lift, drag, how the birds fly in a formation of 10, 20 or 30. At the end of the class, he wanted to know whether we understood how birds fly. I said, I did not understand. When I said this, the teacher asked the other students whether they understood or not. Many students said that they also did not understand. He did not get upset by our response since he was a committed teacher.
Our teacher said that he would take all of us to the sea shore. That evening the whole class was at the sea shore of Rameswaram. We enjoyed the roaring sea waves knocking at the sandy hills in the pleasant evening. Birds were flying with sweet chirping voice. He showed the sea birds in formations of 10 to 20 numbers. We saw the marvelous formations of birds with a purpose and we were all amazed. He showed us the birds and asked us to see that when the birds fly, what they looked like. We saw the wings flapping. He asked us to look at the tail portion with the combination of flapping wings and twisting tail. We noticed closely and found that the birds in that condition flew in the direction they desired. Then he asked us a question, "Where the engine is and how it is powered"?
The bird is powered by its own life and the motivation of what it wants. All these things were explained to us within fifteen minutes. We all understood the dynamics from this practical example. How nice it was. Our teacher was a great teacher; he could give us a theoretical lesson coupled with a live practical example available in nature. This is real teaching. I am sure many of the teachers in schools and colleges will follow this example.
For me, it was not merely an understanding of how a bird flies. The bird's flight entered into me and created a special feeling. From that evening, I thought that my future study has to be with reference to flight and flight systems. I am saying this because my teacher's teaching and the event that I witnessed decided my future career. Then one evening after the classes, I asked the teacher, "Sir, please tell me, how to progress further in learning all about flight." He patiently explained to me that I should complete 8th class, and then go to high school, and then I should go to engineering college that may lead to education on flight. If I complete all my education with excellence, I might do something connected with flight sciences. This advice and the bird flying exercise given by my teacher, really gave me a goal and a mission for my life. When I went to college, I took physics. When I went to engineering in Madras Institute of Technology, I took aeronautical engineering.
Thus my life was transformed as a rocket engineer, aerospace engineer and technologist. That one incident of my teacher teaching the lesson, showing the visual live example proved to be a turning point in my life which eventually shaped my profession.
A student during his school life upto 10+2 spends 25,000 hours in the school campus. His life is, more influenced by the teachers and the school environment. Therefore, the school must have the best of teachers with ability to, teach and love teaching and build moral qualities. Teachers should become role models. Similarly, the student must be alert to build himself with best of qualities and to get ignited with a vision for his or her future life.
I would like to share with you another experience with my teacher Prof. Satish Dhawan. First, I worked in Delhi with the Ministry of Defence. Later I joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in 1958 at the Aeronautical Development Establishment at Bangalore. There with the advice of the Director, I took up the development of hovercraft. Hovercraft design needed the development of a ducted contra-rotating propeller for creating a smooth flow balancing the torques. I did not know how to design a contra-rotating propeller though I knew how to design a conventional propeller. Some of my friends told me that I could approach Prof. Satish Dhawan of the Indian Institute of Science, who was well known for his aeronautical research, for help.
I took permission from my Director Dr Mediratta and went to Prof Dhawan who was sitting in a small room in the Indian Institute of Science with a lot of books in the background and a blackboard on the wall. Prof Dhawan asked me what the problem was that I wanted to discuss. I explained the problem.. He told me that it was really a challenging task and he would teach me the design if I attended his classes in IISc between 2 pm to 3 pm on all Saturdays for the next six weeks.
He was a visionary teacher. He prepared the schedule for the entire course and wrote it on the black board. He also gave me the reference material and books I should read before I start attending the course. I considered, this as a great opportunity and I started attending the discussion and started meeting him regularly. Before commencing each meeting, he would ask critical questions and assess my understanding of the subject. That was for the first time that I realized how a good teacher prepares himself for teaching with meticulous planning and prepares the student for acquisition of knowledge. This process continued for the next six weeks. I got the capability for designing the contra-rotating propeller. Prof Dhawan told me that I was ready for developing the contra-rotating propeller for a given hovercraft configuration. That was the time I realized that Prof Dhawan was not only a teacher but also a fantastic development engineer of aeronautical systems.
Later during the critical phases of testing, Prof Dhawan was with me to witness the test and find solutions to the problems. After reaching the smooth test phase, the contra-rotating propeller went through 50 hours of continuous testing. Prof Dhawan witnessed the test himself and congratulated me. That was a great day for me when I saw the contra rotating propeller designed by my team performing to the mission requirement in the hovercraft. However, at that time, I did not realize that Prof Dhawan would become chairman, ISRO and that I would get the opportunity to work with him as a project director in the development of the satellite launch vehicle SLV-3 for injecting the Rohini satellite into the orbit. Nature has its own way to link the student's dream and real life later.
This was the first design in my career which gave me the confidence to design many complex aerospace systems in future. The hovercraft could fly just above the ground level carrying two passengers. I was the first pilot for this hovercraft and I could control and maneuver the vehicle in any direction. Through this project I learnt the techniques of designing and developing the contra-rotating propeller. Above all, I learnt that in a project, problems will always crop up; we should not allow problems to be our masters but we should defeat the problems. Then successes will sparkle.
The three teachers in my life; what did they give me? In an integrated way it can be said, that any enlightened human being can be created by three unique characteristics. One is moral value system. That I got from my father the hard way. Secondly, the teacher becoming a role model. Not only does the student learn, but the teacher shapes his life with great dreams and aims. Finally, the education and learning process has to culminate in the creation of professional capability leading to confidence and will power to make a design, to make a product, to make a system, bravely combating many problems. What a fortune and blessing I had from my three teachers.
Among the listeners, there may be many parents, many teachers and a large number of students. Every one of us in this planet creates a page in human history irrespective of who he/she is. I realize my experience is a small dot in human life, but that dot has a life and light. This light let it light many lamps.
My best wishes to all of you on this occasion of Teachers' Day. Thank you.

I am alive!!!!!!!!

Yes..I am still alive..Its been almost three months since my last post...There were some valid or invalid reasons for me being absconded from the scene.Anyway now I am back. A lot of changes happened in the past few months. Some are very drastic some are not. One main thing is that I am no more a Chennaite and I do miss Chennai very badly. I never realised I had such a strong bonding with that city and with those people whom I have befriended, met or no connection at all. Its strange.I visited Chennai after vacating there. And let me tell you, to my own surprise the kind of comfortableness I had as soon as I stepped in Chennai was incredible. It was beyond my belief and I could express with words. It was just like its my own city. So that's one thing.I miss Chennai too badly. And to rub the salt on the wound, the new city where I am now is far beyond the standards. At least I feel so. On top of it the people are so unfriendly and fraud.

One good thing is that I started cooking. That was so unexpected in my life at this point of time. I was never prepared for that. But I had to since my PG does not provide food. The very first time I cooked I saluted my mom in mind for making those tasty foods in early mornings and whenever we want without complaining not even once. But it eats up almost all my time and I am not doing anything except for cooking and going to office. Even nowadays I sleep too less which I never foresee. Though cooking takes time I can't really blame it for eating up my time. Started watching TV lot too much especially late night movies. That's one reason for the deprivation of sleep.Still enjoying the food which we prepare without any complaints.

I think I wrote a whole lot which is too boring...Let me put a pause now to resume it soon...Till then bye..

P.S. Was this in my drafts for quite a long time....Just publishing it now as we have some movies which are being released after a long time of its production and making.:P

Infidelity among men and women

Today morning,in radio the topic for debate was "Is infidelity a territory of men?" Though always I wanted to listen to these debates most of the time it would be my breakfast time. So I won't be able to listen it. But today I decided to listen it at any cost. Sure, I missed some part of it still it turned out to be good. There were three panelists. A lady who is a counsellor, an IT professional who is also a member of All India Men's Welfare Association(I never knew such an association existed) and a psychiartist. The lady panelist told the men are more prone to infidelity than women. She quoted from history the stories like Kannaki. The IT professional told that in India the punishment for infidelity is only for men(Section 97) not for women.i.e. evn if a husband same to know that his wife is unloyal to him the person getting punishment will be the other man not his wife although she is also involved in it. Wow...I think when our frist law commission drafted IPC they would have never imagined Indian women will never be unfaithful to their men. Anyway today we know how the situation is and that debate ended with the conclusion that in the case of infidelity both men and women are equally responsible for a man is unloyal to his wife 'coz of another woman unless and otherwise he is a gay. Still all were happy for the fact that in the insitution of marriage Indian marriage is the most trust worthy than anyone else' in this world.I remember reading a survey conducted by a magazine which reveals appalling number of extra marital affairs in Indian metros a few years before.May be its a small minority but still that is the reality. We also have movies and daily soaps which endorses this and the TRP rate for all these we all know how high.So as the number of divorces increases day by day and trying to emulate all which is Western or American I wonder how long we can boast about the institution of marriage in India.

Raining in Chennai

Seems like Chennai is gonna get wet though the down pour is not yet started.Thanks to Laila, the cyclone which has been formed in Bay of Bengal and is geeting intensified further. After Katrina, Nisha, Aila and now its Laila. I don't know why the scientists always name all these destructive cyclones with girls' names? May be they are different faces of mother nature.Yesterday itself I heard its raining heavily in other parts of Tamil Nadu. But in this season its a miracle for Chennai to get drenched. Atleast one day we can sleep peacefully without cursing the extreme summer heat.Anyway I hope this cyclone won't turn out to be a villain just like Aila in the last year which sucked all the moisture in atmosphere and caused shortage of rainfall throghout the country.
Update:I overheard one of my colleague saying that its raining outside.Cool.When you are inside your so called office you will never know its day or night outside let alone raining.

Random Thoughts

Today is May 17. More than half the month is gone. Feel like time nowadays moves very fast. May be in the speed of light. Though it is little exaggerated.But its true. Once Monday comes within no time Friday also comes and two days which you call as weekend. On those two days you just wonder what shall I do or how can I spend this weekend. Before you reach on some conclusion its sunday night and you are opening your eyes on another Monday morning. And my weekend was also not so different from this. I too wasted my weekend with plans and thoughts but not putting anything in practice. Let me talk about something seems to be useful than just blabbering about how futile my weekend was.

May is the month in which lots of results are announced, the ones which may change your future upside down. Tenth and plus two results are out. I think CBSE results are yet to come.I am not much aware of CBSE happenings since I did all my schooling under state board. Now when I look back those were the days when you eagerly waited for the rank holders who scored the highest and stars among their friends.I used to read all the interviews given by the toppers though everytime they used to tell the same winning strategies, motivations and their goals in different voices with different faces.But now the authority has scrapped ranking system saying the ranking system contributes a lot of pressure to the student community and leads even to suicides. I really don't know how by just removing the ranking system we can reduce the pressure on students especially in the current scenario where the parents want their wards to secure first place among everywhere not only in studies but in extra curricular activities also. Today summer holidays are no more holidays but an opportuinity to train the kids for next standard or in some other activities with skilled trainers in all the fields. It has a schedule just like your school. So what's the use of having vaccation if you can't play and have fun or just chill and relax in the "hot sun"?But you can't turn your back from the reality then you will be behind this rat race. The motto of today's world is survival of the fittest and if you want to survive there is no other choice left out. Cool.. When I started writing I didn't have any idea what am I going to write, just started. But now feel good.And one question to you? Do you support ranking system? If you ask me I ll say I like ranking because it exists in all ways of our life whether you like it or not in some or other form. Then why can't you prepare for it from childhood.Ofcourse I oppose the blind competition without any concern for the fellow beings. But a healthy competition is always good for all.

The Meeting I attended

Just now I came back after attending an address by one of our top leaders in company. I don't have to explain how it would be right after you had a grand lunch. The leader came and talked something. Initially for a few minutes I stood but when my eyes couldn't stand anymore I decided to sit in a nearby seat. I was not able to see the person who was trying to inspire in vain when I sat. I thought I can rest give rest to my eyes as I do usually. But surprisingly I din't. Instead I tried to listen each and every word uttered by him.The reason?The person who was talking got a great voice.I was just enchanted by it. Well now this is the only thing which got my attention after all the speech and doubts clarifying session he had.
The conclusion: Sometimes lectures or speech can also be interesting if the speaker has got a captivating voice.

Train Journey - Onward

The past weekend was not so bad except for the train journey. It was a feast for eyes when I reached home seeing the flowers bloomed and full of greenery.

As usual I went home without preplanning. So obviously there were no tickets. I managed to get a WL ticket and went with one of my friends. But there were already two people coming with her. So it was like four of us travelling with one confirmed seat. Three of them sat on the upper birth which was confirmed. I sat on lower birth at the edge of it which was someone else' confirmed seat. It belonged to a tamil family visiting Kerala for vaccation. Now I wonder what's there to see in Kerala.
And because of all these people we are not getting tickets to go home. I sat there and get acquainted with the children. I didn't talk much for kids its difficult to understand my Tamil. I just asked what was tehir names and where they were going to. The answer for where they were going to was an open answer.They told Kerala.Now I don't know what shall I understand from it. I repeated the question for a few more times then gave up.So everything was going happily. Then came the villain. He asked my friend who has confirmed tiket to change her seat. Though she had agreed initially to change after the ticket checking later she had a change of mind. She said since three are sharing a single birth it was convenient to stretch the legs because in the opposite birth the small boy in the tamil family was sleeping. The answer obviously made this villain angry and he poured that on poor me who was sitting on lower birth. The villain knows this family. So he asked me why was I sitting there, wasn't that a disturbance for the lady who happened to be the
mom of these kids. I got up saying its no big deal and stood there. After he left that akka who was lying there told me that I could sit there instead of standing. I went and sat. By the time I got offers of help from other births also like I could keep my bag there and all.But I declined it politely. This akka adjusted so that I could sleep also. It was raining outside then. I tried to sleep in some weird positions and after sometime I went to upper birth and sat there where the small boy was sleeping. When the train reached palakkad he went down and I slept till my station reached. When I was getting down I smiled at the akka who was sleeping properly only then because of me. When I got down my friend came and lied there.

I thought that was vey hectic journey. but I changed that opinion when I travelled back to Chennai.Will post it as a new one.