MoodsAndColors

We Have the Power 

At the onset of a New Year we at school start planning the Republic day celebrations. This year is no exception.  Suddenly the heart is full of patriotic beats. Heroic Freedom fighters and deplorable British are at the centre stage of any activity. We eulogize our great heroes, sing patriotic songs and then finally forget all about it immersing ourselves into the examination fervor. Students also forget all about the Constitution, Freedom Struggle and the sacrifices of our ancestors.

This year, it should change. We thought of suggesting some solutions. Whatever path we want our young generation to tread on, let’s usher them to its threshold. No doubt, we are going to talk about our freedom fighters, no doubt, we are going to glorify our past as we always do. That has to be done if we want our youngsters to be rooted and proud optimist Indians. But we will go a step further.

We are going to suggest that if our fighters had laid their precious lives for freedom the least we can do is to maintain that freedom. We are going to suggest, not to look at others for solutions. Let’s be solutions ourselves. We are going to suggest, to take responsibility, instead of blaming others. We are going to talk about how each of us can do so much. We are going to try to let our little ones recognize their potential. The focus of our presentation will not be how we were freed but how to value that freedom and build upon it.

We teachers at school are a privileged lot. We have the luxury of dreaming and actualizing our dreams through the younger ones. We are going to expose them to their own power. Even if a small percentage of our students get stirred a movement begins.

Recently Dove was interviewed by an environment magazine for her work done in the field of ‘school and environment’. I was the privileged mother to be interviewed for Dove’s influence on us. Being the focal point of her parents’ life, she does have the power to mould us. No crackers on Diwali, water conservation and various other decisions are forcefully thrust on us. We comply because we know she is right.  One of the questions, a very pertinent one was how her approach to issues is different from mine. I was candid. We, the elders have a scholastic, academic approach to issues. But thankfully she has a very pragmatic and action oriented approach. It’s more practical and forceful than ours.

I pay tribute to her school for showing her the way. It started with Diwali Without Crackers campaign, some five years ago. And she has taken me along. I strive to create many more Doves to take flight to a free, prosperous, open and wonderful sky of a land called India. That’s how we are going to celebrate Republic day this year.

19.1.09 19:05