WHY THIS
KOLAVERI...Di...?
The song has become popular for more than one reason. It means, why do you have this murderous instinct, my dear?
The context of this song is LOVE, and the song in total, is a English-Tamil combination of some beautiful, Sweet nothings.
But, leave that aside. The murderous instincts in our children and youth are of course really growing. That is the unnerving situation today.
The other day, a school boy in Tamilnadu stabbed and
killed his school teacher.
In Delhi, small kids are being sexually exploited by
their seniors and others in a children’s home – says a report.
Ragging is a common feature in many colleges – even after
it has been banned.
We do get periodic reports of serious cases – though less
serious cases do not get reported.
We are becoming insensitive to violence. That is the impression
we get when we read all such juvenile and
youth crime reports in New Papers.
So what should be done?
In some TV
Channels, it was being suggested that psychological counseling must be
given to such children. Some say – counsel children on what is reality and what
is fiction. Beyond this – no other suggestions could be seen at all.
But, why is such serious crime getting implanted in
young brains? Finding the cause is important. If the cause is unknown, or,
known and ignored, then, there is no hope of a remedy.
One cause arises in the Family. Perpetual feuds between
mother and father and other elders is a cause for instigating violence on the
part of Children too, who are watching them frequently. If Parents can’t adjust
and live in peace and a loving atmosphere, children who see them quarrel frequently
will grow in a Psychologically impaired way. This cannot be avoided.
Drunken husbands and nagging wives are a reality in
many homes and are a big cause of unhappiness to themselves and to their
children.
Add to them, nagging mothers-in-law, rebellious and
non-adjusting daughters-in-law and others – the story grow thicker. These are
all causes for families becoming nuclear families now. All of them need
relationship education – not just counseling.
There is another paradox in India. Some families and
some communities are – proud of being branded as violent families and violent
communities! What do you do with them? There is no place for violence in a
democracy. But, who understands that?
Being courageous is different from being violent. This
needs to come from school education itself. The value of non-violence coupled
with Courage and strength needs to be taught at school.
But, if school is a breeding ground for violence – then
what? Some school authorities are averse to taking any action against Seniors
indulging in violent ragging. The Law should become much stricter and much more
effective on this aspect.
It was horrifying to see a video showing extreme
violence by some college students , some time back on a TV Channel.
Decades ago – Education used to signify culture. Now, it no more signifies any thing of that sort. No
morals, no values, no ideals, nothing seems to be taught in schools and
colleges – to make them GOOD CITIZENS.
Schools and Colleges must teach these – else, the Education without values – is
totally valueless.
We are tinkering with education, debating insignificant
questions like – whether marks are better or Grades are better etc – totally ignoring
the basic purpose of education for the country.
The profession of Teachers must be placed on a higher
pedestal than other professions. Teachers must be chosen for their values –
apart from their education. In any case, they must be models of GOOD CONDUCT.
In some schools in the south, some teachers used to call
their students as DOGS! Then, the practice picked up among students – who started calling each
other as DOGs. Then, they started calling their teachers as DOGS in their
private conversations. Sometime later, all of them were insensitive to the
indecency of all this. Whom to blame? Where to stem the rot?
When a Teacher punishes a student, he / she must know
the limit –and the stick must be reformative and not retributive. A teacher
must LOVE – even when punishing. If this attitude is there – I fully support
the old adage – spare the rod and spoil the child. If this attitude is missing
in the teacher, the rod certainly becomes a weapon of violence.
Teacher has every right to tell the Parent about the
performance of the Child – and the Parent must respond to it positively – by discussing
with the child and ensuring their reasonable progress. This right must be
available to teachers.
But then, everybody, especially the Parents, must
ensure that the child takes it in the right spirit. The teacher must also write
– in the right spirit. The motivation of the teacher must always be kept high.
I do not agree with Psychologists that an external
psychologist must do counseling for parents and students – and possibly for
teachers.
A good Teacher – is the best psychologist there is –
for the student. The teacher knows, and must know, the strengths and weaknesses of the student.
He or she must provide all possible motivation to the students to perform well.
But all said – as a society, we must always understand
that in any class, of say, 30 students, someone will be at number one and someone
will be at number thirty and others in-between. This will be so whether you are
in a village school or a premier school in a city.
This reality must always be accepted by the teachers, the
parents and the students. Our combined
attempt has to be – to raise each student level, to the best of HIS ABILITY –
and not competing with the number one or two.
Promoting friendship among students must be a conscious
activity of the schools and colleges. The number one and number thirty must be
friends – marks being immaterial. The spirit of friendship should not be
compromised by difference in Marks. Education has to aim at such ethics. Else,
it is no education at all.
Progress and Excellence must be the goal posts – not competition.
The next cause for violence – but by far, the most obnoxious
cause, in my opinion - is the beaming of
violent scenes of movies, TV serials in every TV channel, night and day, all
the time.
Violence and Obscenity are becoming an addiction for
the masses – for this one reason. People are becoming insensitive to violence
and obscenity – and crave for more and more bizarre varieties of them.
This trend must stop. It is frivolous to argue that
there is no proof for the violence outside
being inspired by violence in movies. There is TOO MUCH violence in our movies
and that is bad in itself. Worse is the FACT that it is now the HERO who
indulges in most of the violence, in most of the movies.
People tend to ape the Hero. Let there be no doubt
about it. Everybody does it at least in his imagination. When someone gets a
chance, they do in reality too.
We do not find a Hero reading, or researching, or being
honest in passing exams. This is very rare. But, he is adept in fighting scores
of people – even hundreds of people and killing them in the cruelest way. That’s
heroism.
Unless this sort of cruel Heroism stops – violence in
society is bound to grow. Violence among children especially will grow faster.
*
* * E
N D *
* *
The other day, a school boy in Tamilnadu stabbed and
killed his school teacher.
In Delhi, small kids are being sexually exploited by
their seniors and others in a children’s home – says a report.
Ragging is a common feature in many colleges – even after
it has been banned. We do get periodic reports of serious cases – though less
serious cases do not get reported.
We are becoming insensitive to violence. That is the impression
we get when we read all such juvenile and
youth crime reports in New Papers.
So what should be done?
In some TV
Channels, it was being suggested that psychological counseling must be
given to such children. Some say – counsel children on what is reality and what
is fiction. Beyond this – no other suggestions could be seen at all.
But, why is such serious crime getting implanted in
young brains? Finding the cause is important. If the cause is unknown, or,
known and ignored, then, there is no hope of a remedy.
One cause arises in the Family. Perpetual feuds between
mother and father and other elders is a cause for instigating violence on the
part of Children too, who are watching them frequently. If Parents can’t adjust
and live in peace and a loving atmosphere, children who see them quarrel frequently
will grow in a Psychologically impaired way. This cannot be avoided.
Drunken husbands and nagging wives are a reality in
many homes and are a big cause of unhappiness to themselves and to their
children.
Add to them, nagging mothers-in-law, rebellious and
non-adjusting daughters-in-law and others – the story grow thicker. These are
all causes for families becoming nuclear families now. All of them need
relationship education – not just counseling.
There is another paradox in India. Some families and
some communities are – proud of being branded as violent families and violent
communities! What do you do with them? There is no place for violence in a
democracy. But, who understands that?
Being courageous is different from being violent. This
needs to come from school education itself. The value of non-violence coupled
with Courage and strength needs to be taught at school.
But, if school is a breeding ground for violence – then
what? Some school authorities are averse to taking any action against Seniors
indulging in violent ragging. The Law should become much stricter and much more
effective on this aspect.
It was horrifying to see a video showing extreme
violence by some college students , some time back on a TV Channel.
Decades ago – Education used to signify culture. Now, it no more signifies any thing. No
morals, no values, no ideals, nothing seems to be taught in schools and
colleges – to make them GOOD CITIZENS.
Schools and Colleges must teach these – else, the Education without values – is
totally valueless.
We are tinkering with education, debating insignificant
questions like – whether marks are better or Grades are better etc – totally ignoring
the basic purpose of education for the country.
The profession of Teachers must be placed on a higher
pedestal than other professions. Teachers must be chosen for their values also –
apart from their education. In any case, they must be models of GOOD CONDUCT.
In some schools in the south, teachers used to call
students as DOGS! Then, it picked up among students – who started calling each
other as DOG. Then, they started calling their teachers as DOGS in their
private conversations. Sometime later, all of them were insensitive to the
indecency of all this. Whom to blame? Where to stem the rot?
When a Teacher punishes a student, he / she must know
the limit –and the stick must be reformative and not retributive. A teacher
must LOVE – even when punishing. If this attitude is there – I fully support
the old adage – spare the rod and spoil the child. If this attitude is missing
in the teacher, the rod certainly becomes a weapon of violence.
Teacher has every right to tell the Parent about the
performance of the Child – and the Parent must respond to it positively – by discussing
with the child and ensuring their reasonable progress. This right must be
available to teachers.
But then, everybody, especially the Parents, must
ensure that the child takes it in the right spirit. The teacher must also write
– in the right spirit. The motivation of the teacher must always be kept high.
I do not agree with Psychologists that an external
psychologist must do counseling for parents and students – and possibly for
teachers.
A good Teacher – is the best psychologist there is –
for the student. The teacher knows, and must know, the strengths and weaknesses of the student.
He or she must provide all possible motivation to the students to perform well.
But all said – as a society, we must always understand
that in any class, of say, 30 students, someone will be at number one and someone
will be at number thirty and others in-between. This will be so whether you are
in a village school or a premier school in a city.
This reality must always be accepted by the teachers, the
parents and the students. Our combined
attempt has to be – to raise each student level, to the best of HIS ABILITY –
and not competing with the number one or two.
Promoting friendship among students must be a conscious
activity of the schools and colleges. The number one and number thirty must be
friends – marks being immaterial. The spirit of friendship should not be
compromised by difference in Marks. Education has to aim at such ethics. Else,
it is no education at all.
Progress and Excellence must be the goal posts – not competition.
The next cause for violence – but by far, the most obnoxious
cause, in my opinion - is the beaming of
violent scenes of movies, TV serials in every TV channel, night and day, all
the time.
Violence and Obscenity are becoming an addiction for
the masses – for this one reason. People are becoming insensitive to violence
and obscenity – and crave for more and more bizarre varieties of them.
This trend must stop. It is frivolous to argue that
there is no proof for the violence outside
being inspired by violence in movies. There is TOO MUCH violence in our movies
and that is bad in itself. Worse is the FACT that it is now the HERO who
indulges in most of the violence, in most of the movies.
People tend to ape the Hero. Let there be no doubt
about it. Everybody does it at least in his imagination. When someone gets a
chance, they do in reality too.
We do not find a Hero reading, or researching, or being
honest in passing exams. This is very rare. But, he is adept in fighting scores
of people – even hundreds of people and killing them in the cruelest way. That’s
heroism.
Unless this sort of cruel Heroism stops – violence in
society is bound to grow. Violence among children especially will grow faster.
*
* * E
N D *
* *
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