Social

https://i0.wp.com/indiangirl.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/14131395525_98da49b084_z.jpg?resize=640%2C426 — photo credit: world bank photos

“So where do you send your child for tuitions?” “How much fee do you pay for it?” “How’s your child doing in studies?” “Is the tuition helping your child to do well in studies or not”? You all must be thinking what are these convos all about; right?? WELL by not creating much suspense let me tell you; these are some of the conversations that every parents have when they meet other people of the same age. Strange!! Yet true.. WITH the pace of time everything is changing whether say it’s our habits, mindsets, perception, or say our conscience!!!,…. everything.. just to survive in our “society”. ACTUALLY, that’s the excuse that we not only give to others but to ourselves as well. The truth is most of us are accepting the changes to get ourselves “adopted” by the society. But the fact is we have to emphasis more on “how to adapt” rather than “how to be adopted”. The very eminent example these days is the changing scenario of study pattern. Earlier people used to be more focussed on self-studies and were more sincere to the things that were being taught in school. The gurus (teachers) in the ancient period, were treated with due respect as they had the knowledge about each and every aspect of this universe and were the ultimate source who kept , spreading this knowledge in the GURUKULS of INDIA . They imparted this knowledge to others without any selfishness. If we will look into our Indian history; we will find many great scholars, philosophers, mathematicians & scientists who gave many remarkable contributions in the upgradation of Indian education system.Maharishi Valmiki – a great saint and a Sanskrit scholar; Ved Vyasa -who illustrated the original version of Vedas into 4 sub-parts named as Rigveda , Samveda , Yajurveda and Atharvveda ; Chanakya- a Sagacious Kingmaker ; ,Aryabhatta- A great mathematician and astronomer; Swami Vivekananda- A perennial source of inspiration ; Dr APJ Abdul Kalam – A great teacher, Scientist and a youth inspirer …….and many others are such examples.

https://i1.wp.com/indiangirl.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/chanakya.jpg?resize=192%2C160 — pic credit:-WORLD OF WISE

https://i1.wp.com/indiangirl.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/images.jpg?resize=140%2C196 — pic credit:- Swami Vivekananda photos

Maharishi Valmiki - A SAINT AND A GREAT SANSKRIT SCHOLAR — pic credit:- Jagran junction

This Enhanced level of education system;expanded the boundaries of competition level too” and with this came into the frame a new fad named as “COACHINGS“& “TUITIONS”. Today, each and Every person wants to send his/her child for tuitions and coaching classes. From toddlers( age group of 3 yrs. -8 yrs.) to teenagers(age group of 10 yrs -17 yrs.) and from a teenager to an adult( age group of 18-24 years); everyone is now a part of this“FAD”. Yes, a Fad (fashion); because earlier these private coachings and tuitions were meant only to act as a catalyst that helped in improvising the academic performance of students . But, now-A-days this scenario has been totally changed , now we have parents in our society; who Ironically, before deciding a suitable school instituitions for their child; opts to select a coaching instituition first!! Parents have taken this parallel education system concept really seriously.. but excess of anything always have an adverse scenario too!!! These coachings & tuitions has now become a “prestige issue of Indian parents” . Coachings and tuitions are now not only way to help the students to enhance their academic performance, but also a type measurement scale that measures the status of their parents in the society.

The level of competition is increasing day by day in every field and in order to survive in this ever increasing competition, one needs to do more hardwork & be more dedicated.That’s the reason that NOW-A-DAYS, every parents wants to send their child for private coachings and tuitions for their better future. They are ready to spend as much money as they are asked to pay as they want a bright future for their child. Though it’s not applicable for everyone but as their is a saying –” EVERY COIN HAS TWO SIDES” , I would like to bring your attention to that “other side” as well. In our Indian society unfortunately the status of a person is judged on the basis of the amount of money that he holds with him or he spends .The more he spends on expensive things the more prestigious he becomes in the society; obviously it’s just an assumption of our society. Money can definitely define your financial status but it can never define your potential status that you hold within yourself.

Let me give you a practical example, If you will just stand on your house balcony or outside your house at around 4:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.; you will definitely find students of almost every age group heading towards their tuitions and coachings along with their notebooks. Even if its a kindergarten student !!! you will see him as well going for his tuitions!! I seriously don’t understand , howcome such small kids needs extra tuitions???

Various vocational courses like Journalism,Architecture,Engineering, Web Designing, Fashion Designing, Hotel Management,Event Management,Beauty care,Catering management,Computerized accounting and financial decision making,Cosmetology,Food preservation/ production … and many more…..has been introduced ; that gave more options to the students to choose as per their interest. These areas obviously need extra focus if you want to make your career in it. But that should be totally one’s own choice and interest that simplifies its difficulty level. But nope… our society came up with new theory and has even categorized these subjects in two categories- A.) prestigious ones and the another B.) INFERIOR one. They started this discrimination right from our schools, when the students get the opportunity to choose their subjects mostly after 10th standard. Opting for Science stream is always given more priority than selecting Commerce and Humanities.

Why???? because Science is considered as more PRESTIGIOUS when compared to the other two. Education is all about gaining information and knowledge, no one can has got the right to divide it on the grounds of social aspects; atleast not in the case of education…. Knowledge is something that supports a person to keep him going on a successful path through which he can achieve his desired goal. NO social aspect holds the power of dominating the education or knowledge of a person; and it should not be considered as a determining element of PRESTIGE.

Prestige means – respect and admiration resulting from achievements of high quality… the adjectives “achievements ” and “high quality” used in the definition should be defined by yourself not by others. Sometimes Even small achievements can mean a lot to you , which might not be the same in the eyes others. But if you are pleased with what you have attained , then you need not to bother what others give tags to your achievement.

By the way, just parents do not have this prestige issue ; how can I forget to mention the Indian youths. Most of us are obsessed of being in the limelight so much; that we are even ready to do foolish acts too. YOU all must have heard of- “the herd walk” we tend to follow the same. IF our friends are going for IIT, we will go for the same, if our competitor is taking two more private tuitions we’ll go for the same …At that point of time; we never try to analyze our real potential and strength neither we will ask ourself the fact that do I REALLY want to make my future in it ??? All we see is the “more the crowd,definitely the right path”. THESE days our young generation is getting diverted from what potential and interest they possess, to what will bring them more prestige and popularity. WE totally need to understand that all we need is to look for our potential,qualities & interests first; when it comes to decide our better future.

Prestige should never be someone’s first priority.It is something that comes automatically when you are acting as per your self-interest. Try to find prestige in whatever the work you are involved in,when you will start respecting your own decisions there you will find PRESTIGE.

We are not here to let other people or the third party known as the “so called society” to judge and approve our decisions and actions.. right??. SO their opinions & views should never dominate our actions. Let’s re-define the meaning of PRESTIGE today. FEEL free to choose ,FREE to act,FREE to decide & FREE to achieve it. Set your goal as your priority, do what you really want to not what others force you for; This is exactly where you will find PRESTIGE……

Have you ever been bullied, seen anyone else bully or being bullied? What did you think of it? Was it just people being mean, or was it just people having fun? No, it wasn’t anything that can be described with the adjective ‘just’. While bullying in schools is more prevalent in Western cultures, ragging is what actually grips Indian college students. Bullying and ragging are basically different names of the same phenomenon, which is, in the simplest of words, repeated belligerent behavior towards a person, group of persons, usually as a means to satisfy personal need, resulting in prolonged psychological consequences to both the parties.

photo credit: PSA on Bullying - 30 Sec [HD] via photopin (license) — photo credit: PSA on Bullying – 30 Sec [HD] via photopin (license)

People who have been bullied or ragged, at those crucial moments can’t help asking themselves “why me?” thus contemplating whether it is in themselves where the problem is located; but it isn’t. It has nothing to do with the victims’ strength or weakness or the inability to ‘properly’ self-defend, but depends on their responses to general stressful situations. People who bully are the ones psychologically incompetent to deal with the insecurities or complexes inhabiting their mind. It can also be said that it is a form of paranoia, and the consequent tendency to identify threats where they don’t exist, that makes them be aggressive to fellow students, (colleagues or subordinates in case of office-bullying). A bully, whether a child, a teenager, or an adult would recognize an indifferent slip-up made by someone (say being accidentally pushed) as a form of intended aggression, and in guarding or avenging themselves from this misapprehended aggression, they become aggressors themselves. However these aggressors do not see themselves in the wrong, given that their initial perceptions of society are mistaken already; and since some of their supposedly harmless actions garner laughs, or any other sort of attention from others, they fail to understand what others actually think and how deep the effect of their actions might go. So basically, such behavior isn’t plain attention-seeking, thus ignoring is not the simple solution. If the victim does not resist, appears quieter, or physically weaker than the bully, and gives in, the latter singles the former out for future psychologically satisfying antagonism. It is interesting to note, that somebody who has once been a victim, can later on become a bully when in a different environment.

In India, a lot of people and cultures that take part in ragging/bullying activities will come to its defense on the reasoning that it is a tradition – which they want to keep alive, but in part it is because they have experienced it themselves and it is only fair that they shouldn’t be the only ones. The act of aggressive ragging/bullying is said to build character in students to face the ‘harsh world’ outside campus. Right now you would probably shake your head derisively at this argument, since it’s written down like this, but imagine yourselves as a part of that culture, when you are trying to be a part of your peer group, maybe it would be a nod then. The thing is that often, in colleges, seniors and juniors engage in ragging activities to bridge the gap between them, and as long as it stays in that playful limit, nobody is harmed. However, when it becomes a power play, when it is attempted ‘to show’ the ragged one ‘his/her place’, that’s when it becomes traumatic.

photo credit: Are you ok? via photopin (license)

In western countries, the scenario is different where teachers or professors, even if they know of the bullying activities, they just deem it ‘kids being kids’ incidents. Also, kids in western countries shy away from reporting such incidents because of the fear of being publicly ridiculed as a ‘tattletale’ or a ‘spoilsport’.

Be it India, or the West, the ragging/bullying behavior comes into critique only when death or severe trauma is involved. However, even if some ratio of victims did not commit suicide or were not mentally affected in an apparent manner, the trauma they underwent does not become any less serious. Nowadays bullying and ragging have their own social profile on the internet that is cyber bullying, so one doesn’t need to be in the same building with his/her bully anymore, he/she would be bullied 24X7 through cellphones and computers.

photo credit: Students empowered to change culture of bullying via photopin (license)

So what is the solution, i.e., if there is any? Bullying and ragging behavior has to be nipped in the bud by careful monitoring through adult guidance, namely parents or guardians of their children. There are ways to know if a child is a potential bully; such a child would show aggressive behavior at home too, would be interested in depictions of violence far advanced than its age. Similarly, it can be known if a child is submissive enough to be a victim. It would be prudent to introduce into children the healthy habit of talking about whatever is bothering their minds, and to make them understand the difference between needs and necessity. Bully behavior most commonly has roots in some sort of frustration, and attempting to know what it is and what can be done about it is definitely a way to prevent such antipathy.

Skip links

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: