The Sacchin Tendulkar Of Politics -Modi !!

I need not add to the adjectives that have been used to describe the speech of our Prime Minister .No words are enough .So lets get beyond that and move to what was the more substantitive part of what it did to all of us –at least to me .1. As a non resident Indian –it made me feel very very proud .When people phoned me up and told me that “your” Prime Minister rocks –it swelled my heart and chest .It is no secret that every non resident Indian is very emotional about his country .Never ,never has the National Anthem not given me goose bumps  like it did yesterday –even though Kavita Krisnamoorty sang it not too well .2. All od a sudden I realized what we as Indians had been missing for decades  –energy and optimism .Throughout Mr Modis speech ,I was imagining how Manmohan Singh would have looked like on that stage at the MSG .I could imagine a old scholar rambling with no strength in his arms and hands to wave and no timbre in his voice to make an impact .Would anyone have blown all those kisses to him ?3.The PM  outlined the vision in very very simple terms .While the rest of the world would be old by 2030 ,India would be young –we have 70 percent population below the age of 35 !! So the world is for our taking .We have huge markets that create demand .And boy I love the line when he said “Hum mouse ko bhagaate hain”!!.And of course when he said that in every state of America you will find every nationality of the world ,but you will find a Indian in every part of the world .4 .I loved the way how he accepted his background .” Mein chai peelaatein peelatein yahan tak pahunch gaya .Chotaa aadmi hun ,isleye chotti chotti cheezein ke baein meih soochtaa hun”!! So basic ,so grounded .There were many other highpoints of his speech –and he floored everyone .

One question remains –can he deliver ? He is a star .No two ways about that and if you don’t admit it –you are not seeing the obvious .But to get things in India moving requires more than a good ,brilliant speech .Amitabh Bacchan and Dilip Kumar are better speakers .And I would rate Atalji as a class apart as far as public speaking was concerned .Speeches are forgotten .At the end of the day work can be done only if it is first conceptualized  .Franklin Roosevelt wrote once

To reach a port we must set sail –
Sail,  not tie at anchor
Sail,  not drift.”

Many before Modi have have set sail .Many before him have remained tied to the harbor .Many have sailed –but drifted .Modi seems to have set sail and is not drifting !! As a Indian –I wish him good luck .He seems to be our Sacchin Tendulkar of politics .

Kulbhushan Kain

Namo -Start Batting Like Yuvraj And Not Pujara .!!

Every one should have a knowledge of history and economics .And of course political science .Its all the more important in a country like India which is a developing nation and needs to keep evolving all the time .It also helps us to understand the difference between hype and fact .

We all went ga ga over Namo .Here was a man who promised us the world .Here was a man who sold us a dream .Here was a man who could make you angry ,laugh or cry .(He even managed to do that to hard headed politicians like Ravi Shankar Prasad in his innaugral address to Parliament ).Was what he promised all hype ?

After 4 months of his government being  in office –I have no definite answer to the above question .But it does seem that a lot of his precious mandate has so far been wasted .Which party can you expect in the near future to come to power with such a huge mandate ? As I hit my 60s I doubt wheter any party   will  in my lifetime .He needs to do something real fast .What is he waiting for ? And what the hell is he doing by indulging in these foreign policy tasks ? SAARCH ,BHUTAN ,JAPAN ,CHINA ,USA ,BANGKLADESH ,-what has it got to do with India at the moment .Infact it’s a shame that he was talking to Xi when Chinese troops were sitting in our terrirory in the Chumar Sector .And then signing on a paper which showed Arunachal as a disputed territory .Can you imagine what would have happened if Man Mohan Singh would have done that ? Narendra Modi came to power by promising fast economic growth to create millions of jobs. So, it’s mysterious that he has spent so much time on foreign visits and receiving foreign dignitaries like Chinese president Xi Jinping. Foreign relations matter, but cannot create millions of jobs .It is true that he signed MOUs with the Chinese and the Japanese which ran into billions of dollars . Big foreign investments make big headlines. Yet India itself has a savings rate of 30% of GDP, and this once touched 37%. It is contributed mainly by households and unincorporated businesses. Foreign direct investment in India is barely 1-2% of GDP. This links India to global markets and technology, and so is disproportionately useful.But it is not the crucial driver of growth . That has to be local investment. Above all, it has to be investment by small and medium enterprises, which already contribute more to investment and growth than large corporations.Modi has not done anything as yet on that front .He may do it later –but better is if he had started it earlier .Months will just eat into the years and we will be back where we started .

And people may still be talking of acche din –because they will fall to the hype and because they don’t understand economics or history .However ,let me add one last line –he is still the best bet we have as a PM .!!

Kulbhushan Kain

The Power Of One -Vinod Rai

In the dismal political scenario that I  grew up  and lived in  ,I  have  often found myself  asking the question –is there nothing good about Indian political institutions ? How is it that politicians ,bureaucrats ,teachers and even Generals get away with everything  without punishment?

To be honest ,I did get a answer “yes”  to the question .Yes, there are some pillars that have stood up and got themselves counted .One is the Indian Judiciary at the highest level –Supreme  Court .The Indian judiciary has been guided by some brilliant men especially Justice HR Khanna  in the crucial years of our democracy .Later , Justice Verma ,Bhagwati ,and many more were some of the most honest men one could find anywhere in this planet .The second institution that one can be proud of is the Election Commission .Nobody ever thought how powerful it could be till TN Seshan a rather bull dog looking Brahmin from South India took over .We were lucky that he  had successors like Mr Lyndoh (whom Mr Modi very immaturely called “James Michael Lyndoh” in a very taunting way in a election  rally ) and Mr Rao (who took on the might of Lalu Yadav).Without their  intelligence ,the courage and the determination to bring about a change ,India would have been a failed state .

Another individual has now made a mark .And he is  Vinod Rai .The CAG Office  is the watchdog of the nation .It sees whether the money you and me pay as a tax to the government is being well spent or not .For years the office  was lying in limbo .It required the “power of one” to energize it and bring to the forefront the powers that the constitution bestows on it .Vinod Rai  has done a wonderful job .And it makes me feel doubly proud because he  is a very good friend of the family and the friendship goes back to the seventies .He and my brother are both from the same college (Hindu) and from the same batch of the IAS .We always knew about his honesty . I think he has given the CAG office enough courage to stand up and be counted .Notwithstanding the fact that people like Praful Patel or Sanjay Nirupam drag him to court .You cant beat a honest man .And you cant beat him in a system that has a Judiciary like we have in India .

I am hoping for the CBI to turn the bend .One Vinod Rai ,Seshan ,or a Justice Verma is needed .It all boils down to the “power of one” !!Yes in this case -one swallow does a summer make .!!

Kulbhushan Kain

Scotland -Searching For A Pub On the Royal Mile .!!

I was in Scotland about 3 years back  -albeit for a very short time –but enough to see Edingburh ,Glasgow and  Stirling Castle  .I was also able to take in the view of the beautiful,national park  and go on a ferry ride on Loch Lomond .Lochs (lakes ) are common in Scotland and some of them can be really big –you cant see where they end .I need not repeat but  everyone knows that Scotland is perhaps  one of the prettiest spots in the world .It is a part of the British Isles at the momemt –but awaits its tryst with destiny as people will vote on the 18 th whether they want to be independent of Britain .Its a touch and go agffair at the momemt with polls suggesting a wafer thin “ No “ to independence .But a aggressive campaing to swing the undecided voter to say “Yes” could mean the birth of a new nation .If that happens ,then the next time I go to Scotland (which I will ),I will need a visa to do so .For that reason –I wish and hope the Scots say “NO”to a separation from  Britain .

Scots are different frm the Brits –make no mistake about that .I am not going to go into those differences (and I have been a student of British and Scot History as a undergraduate in Delhi University ), but one thing you can expect in Scotland in a greater measure than in Britain –they love their whiskey .They produce the finest whiskey in the world  so much so that any whiskey that is good is always compared with the one produced in Scotland “ Bilkul Scotch jaise hai” people would say when passing judgement on a local brand .I want to recount a delightful experience with a semi drunk Scot .

The Royal Mile 

Every one who goes to Edinburgh goes to, the Royal Mile .The Royal Mile  is an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, pubs and visitor attractions .The thoroughfare, as the name suggests, is approximately one  mile long and runs downhill between two significant locations in the history of Scotland, namely Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace .The Edinburh Castle is the landmark of the city and breathtakingly beautiful .The Holyrood Palace is the official residence of the British Monarchs  when they visit Edinburgh .I walked the Royal Mile a couple of times during the day and even purchase  a sweater for my son and a jacket  wife .Besides I picked up a gift of small miniatures of the top brands of Scotch whiskey to gift to a friend in Ahmedabad .On my last day ,I decided to hit the pub on the Royal Mile .I had researched where I wanted to go and despite bad reviews settled for “The Ensign Ewart “ . It has the distinction of being the highest pub in Edinburgh. Consequently, it offers, that after a hard night in the pub, going home is all "downhill”.I was staying a couple of kms from the Royal Mile and “walking downhill” after a couple of drinks would help!!! .

It had got dark and I was finding it difficult to find the pub .Suddenly I found a Scot ambling towards me .I stopped him and after wishing him asked  

“I am looking for a pub by the name ……..” .He interrupted me and said

“ You want a drink ?”

“ Yes"  I said .

“ Here ,come and share with me .I am drinking good Scotch whiskey .You don’t mind having a swig from the hip flask ?”

Before I could say anything ,he had reached the inner pocket of his grey overcoat and brought out the hip flask

“ No ,no “ I pleaded “ I AM LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO SIT AND DRINK”

“ Ok .Come ,there is a bench just a few steps away . Come lets sit and drink.Where are you from ?“ he drawled with a very Celtic accent   as he walked towards a bench .

I was in a bind .He was a friendly soul and was obviously looking for company .But I wanted to have a drink at the bar .The drink would have been accompanied  with fish and chips .The pub also had a band which played music .I was in no mood to sit with someone on the Royal Mile in weather that was getting colder by the minute .What if the cops came and rounded us up .?I was blunt .

“ I want to drink at the Ewart Pub ,and I have a friend waiting for me there(I lied). Thank you very much .You are very kind .Do you know where is it located ? “, I asked  .

“ Oh , You have a friend waiting .You must not make the woman wait .You must go .But it’s a lousy place to take a woman to .”

Ha ha .So many presumptions .So many lies .So many judgements

I finally found the bar .As it turned out  it was really no place to take a woman to .The drinks were expensive –but the fish and chips were nice .But  the best part of it was –it was all downhill and it helps if you have taken in a lot of liquid .!!

Kulbhushan Kain

Divine Sea Food In Dubai .!!

We always eat out on a weekend .And we research well before we do that .This time we had a choice of eating either sizzlers at Kobe or Seafood .We have been eating north Indian food –butter chicken ,dal makni,pannier pasanda –quite a lot .And our last experience in Arabian Courtyard was bad .I can put myself down as a food critic and that’s because I cook more or less everyday .The moment I see the food ,I know whether its going to be good or not .The colour ,the aroma ,and the heat that emanates from its containers are enough indication of how the food is going to be before the first spoon goes to the tongue !!

We settled for Seafood and we decided to hit Mahesh Seafood restaurant in Karama .Yes it’s a branch of the same Mahesh in Mumbai which is legendary for its seafood .The traffic was chock a block as we winded our wy into one of Dubais most crowded localities –Karama .We had booked a table for ourselves and we barely made it in time .The ambience of the place was  nice .We asked the chef to suggest two dishes of fish without any bones .–one dry and one in gravy .He suggested Basa Malabar Tikas and Hammour Mallipuram fish gravy .We asked for appams (like small chappati sized  dosas ),rice and chappatis .

What we got was amazing .!!The tikkas were  wonderful and had such a aromatic  flavor to them ,and the fish gravy was out of the world .It was slightly thin and cooked in coconut milk .Like all south Indian dishes it had all the lovely ingredients –cardamom ,black pepper ,”daal cheeni”, “curry patta” .cumming seeds ,and what not .It was cooked as per our specifications –we wanted it to less spicy .While we waited we saw waiters flitting carrying live pieces of fish and showing it to the customers .Yes –they actually ask you to select a piece of your own choice which they cook subsequently .Of course one has the choice of depending on their choice –like we did .!!

It was a great weekend and if you are in Dubai and want to eat sea food  in a good restaurant which is not located within the confines of a 5 Star Hotel –then  go to Mahesh !! And before going –maybe you could down a glass of Red French Wine !!

Kulbhushan Kain

Fiddling While "Kashmir " Burns !!

In AD 64 for six days and seven nights the citizens of ancient Rome watched helplessly as their city burned. The great fire that engulfed Rome , spread quickly and savagely. After it was over, 70 percent of the city had been destroyed. According to the great historian Tacitus  "Of Rome's 14 districts, only four remained intact.”. Of the million-person population, an estimated half was made newly homeless .

As is usually seen in such mass tragedies, rumors began to wind through the devastated streets. Reports emerged that some men were seen fanning the flames claimed they were under orders. As a result of the tremendous losses, the Roman people, feeling the effects of paranoia, looked for someone who might be responsible for the fire. They blamed their emperor -- Nero.

In the light of the great tragedy in Kashmir –our good friends (led by the terrorist Hafiz Saeed) are blaming the Indian Government for the floods !! Of course that venomous idea of his , no one is going to buy (he used the word “water terrorism”!!). But perhaps the most interesting rumor that emerged from the great fire was that Nero (the Emperor ) had played his fiddle(violin /flute). while Rome burned .While the above is debated amongst historians bcoz the violin was invented 1500 years later ,the phrase “fiddling while Rome burnt “ has come to stay .In simple terms it means indulging in your favourite pastime while there is calamity all around you .Is Omar Abdullah fiddling while Rome is burning ? The way the Centre is involved  in the disaster ,and the way the separatists and the state govt are ABSENT  ,its safe to say “ yes – all  of them are ” fiddling while Rome is burning”!

Kulbhushan Kain

A Visit To The Gurudwara In Dubai .

I went to the magnificent Gurudwara in Dubai (Jebel Ali),some time back with a Principal friend of mine .While bending down to pay my obeisance my Ray Bans must have slipped out of my shirt pocket and fallen off .I was unaware of it .We went down to the "langar" and had a fantastic meal -black daal ,soya aloo ,kheer ,pulao and chappatis .We made our way out towards our car .Suddenly ,Sandhya ,the Principal friend of the family realized that she did not have her Samsung Smartphone .She had obviously left it behind in the Grudwara (i was still unaware of the loss of my Ray Bans !1).We rushed back ,only to be told by a a kind looking sikh gentleman that we should contact the office where things that are found unattended are deposited .We made our way and lo behold the old gentleman asked us " is this your phone " .Of course it was !! We were very relieved .But only for a short time !! I suddenly realized that my Ray Bans were missing !! So we made our way back to the Gurudwara .But this time the old gentleman who spoke in impeccable English told me that no one had come to deposit a pair of goggles ." Why dont you go to the prayer room and ask the sewadars .Sometimes they come back after their duties with things they find .Maybe its with one of them " .I made my way ,and sure enough got my goggles from a sewadar .!! Its amazing that the aam aadmi is so honest -and yet the "khaas aadmi " is so corrupt .The fight against corruption must be relentlessly pursued -and taken to its logical end .!!

Kulbhushan Kain

The Indian Army -We Are Proud Of You .

“Moriam Nessa (Monday, 11.09am): My sister is stranded in Srinagar. She is 9 months pregnant. We have been desperately trying to get through but nothing is working. She is stuck on the third floor of her house in Jawahar Nagar with others...three houses have collapsed in their neighbourhood...

Army (Monday, 3.24pm): Jawahar Nagar is heavily flooded. Rescue teams will be going there. So, don't worry, they will be all right. Indian Army is there.

Moriam (Tuesday, 8.27am): Thank you so much for your relief work and in helping out people. My sister has been rescued. All thanks to you and your team. They wouldn't have made it without you”.(Report from the Times of India between about a exchange of communication between the Army and a  distressed resident in Kashmir)

Its time to doff our caps once again to the Indian Army .Time and again –they have lfless proved how dependent we are on them .Brave ,selfless and undervalued by common citizens ,its time we applaud them with all the vigour in our body and passion in our hearts .The Chief ,Dalbir Singh is leading from the front –“we will not go back into the barracks till we have rescued each one of our citizens” he said .Brilliant –and he has walked the talk .In sharp contrast to the stone pelters and the separatists .Please do let me know if I am wrong if I write that not one of them has thanked the Army.Am I the only one who is offended by their stubborn and ill mannered stand to thank the Army for risking their livesto rescue the Kashmiris ?Shame on them for deserting the struggling people in their hour of need .But aren’t rats the first to leave the ship when they smell danger ?And don’t the tigers always hold fort ?The floods have been an eye openers –its brought out the who is who in Kashmir.

Kulbhushan Kain

Words Are Not Enough On Teachers Day.

Prime Minister Modi was at his best when he addressed school children on Teachers Day .He was charming ,did not ramble with his ideas ,and had the right answers  to questions that were obviously well rehearsed by the kids who asked them, and maybe given to him in advance to reflect upon. What was the end  result ? Firstly he got the entire student community excited –the last PM who gave children so much of importance was Nehru .You could see appreciation and admiration drip from each one of the kids faces .!! He impressed on them the importance of respect for teachers ,motivating and urging parents to send girls to school ,mastering and using technology ,developing the reading habbit and so on .He turned out to be fabulous teacher because like crores of Indians he addresses at his rallies  –he held them spell bound .

But what will all this lead to ?He spoke for 100 minutes which in most schools is equal to 3 periods .No matter how great a teacher one is -3 periods in a year is just not going to help.All schools repeat what he said on a daily basis –though with much less conviction and minus the force of power behind them  .!! So what am I saying he should have done ? Not spoken ? The answer is both Yes and No .He should have spoken –but on Childrens Day.And then too realize that speaking is never going to be enough .Because the future of children lies in the hands of the teachers and getting teachers energized on a regular basis depends on policies and legislation that governments make and follow .I hope his government  does that.I also hope he talks to the students on Childrens Day  and goes beyond the pettiness of avoiding it because J Nehru was the grandfather of his arch rival Rahul Gandhi.

But what is wrong you would ask ,if he addresses children on Teachers Day ? My answer is that on Teachers Day ,he should have spoken more about Teachers than children .Yes –he did talk about why children must treat teachers like Gods and Goddesses. In all honesty  Modi sought to confer on school Teachers a large measure of professional pride.I know that he has a feel for schools because he has one in Ahmedabad . But Teachers rightfully have a number of complaints.It is a silent community and is browbeaten by managements and arm twisted by everyone .They are a exploited lot and have to beg for something so fundamental as DA increases ,gratuity and earned leave .They are shouted at by parents and ripped apart by the Press when they call a child jocularly “foolish” .They will slap a case of mental harrasment against the teacher .Managements and Principals( collaborators at most time ,like the bureaucracy is with the politicians !!)   will try to defang them and pulverize them to submission and yet expect children to respect them .They are underpaid and have to work under conditions which God forbid fortunate people don’t have to .I am talking of a majority of private schools in India .I was a Principal for over two decades and have a birds eye view of the way the system worked .Teachers need to protected by legislation which makes sure that exploitation of any kind will be met by zero tolerance .The Managements will always make a issue about and try not to  give  the teachers their financial dues and that is something which demotivates them .It is no wonder that the best talent is no longer coming into the profession .And the catch 22 situation is that the  mediocre seldom have the guts to stand up and get counted and they are easily beaten into submission .And that is why we have a educational system that is in a mess .Having worked  in Dubai for a year now ,I see the difference between what happens in India and here   .Teachers and Principals here  are so confident and well paid (in comparison to India) because everything is in black and white .The result –one can concentrate on your job and not indulge in psychophancy because that works well  in India but not here . !!

The PM and the State Governments must address the major problems that confront school teachers in India .China got its priorities right .They invested in Education and Health Care before turning  to other things . Yes, teachers have a litany of complaints—some very  legitimate and others not so legitimate . The future of India will depend on how it treats its school teachers .Giving a 3 hour discourse is a good idea –but so was the movie Sholay .It had entertainment value but was far too removed from reality .We cant have a ostrich like approach . To successfully “Make in India”, we have to educate our youth well. Not just to be skilled workers, but to be smart and thinking individuals. That requires us to stick to first principles –look after the teachers well .!! We cant postpone the problems further .Otherwise it will consume us .Sooner than later .

Happy Teachers Day .

A very humble message written by me for the teachers of my school in Dubai on the occasion of Teachers Day ..Sharing it with all teachers  who have been my colleagues

 “Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well.”
― Aristotle
Dear Teachers .
Congratulations on being a teacher. I don’t think there needs to be a day for you  to be remembered –every minute is a tribute all should  pay to the greatest of all professions. Being a teacher myself, I have no hesitation in writing that the world is divided between the lucky ones who teach in a school and the not so lucky ones who do something else for a living. It is profession that gives immense satisfaction and  till your last breath you are able to hold on to that great  ingredient  of living –you retain a bit of the child in you .!!
It is by no means a easy profession .It does not have a mystique around it. It does not sound as complicated as a legal or medical profession, which are therefore challenged less. But I am sure you all realize how difficult it is to teach a child A or B ,1 ,2 or 3, or for that matter teach a child where the Czech Republic is or the value of  pie !! Everyone feels its simple because everyone knows the above. Therefore you are challenged on a day to day basis by people  not knowing that hardly anyone can teach those things to someone who  is coming to school as a young child. It takes hours and hours of patience and expertise to make the innocent mind aware of the basics of all subjects .It takes a lifetime to teach them what is right and wrong –the values .It requires hard work. It requires sacrificing family duties. It  requires the capacity to overcome disappointments. It requires the attitude to rise after a fall –to fall and rise yet again. Someone has to do that and who better than a teacher. You are the role models. It is rightly said that teachers affect eternity. Their work affects day to day living and lasts forever. That is why they are as  so precious. Children look up to you –they will dress like you, talk like you, walk like you and want to do everything like you. You teach them not just subjects –but as Aristotle has rightly said –the art of living well. You need to be very careful –because children look upto you as a God or a Goddess .
On the eve of Teachers Day ,I wish you all great happiness and satisfaction . I hope and am sure that as teachers you can teach what Rudyard Kipling had wanted his son to learn. I quote
“If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!
It is you all who can teach children to do all  what Kipling wrote .The future of not only the child –but the whole universe depends on you .May God give you strong shoulders to bear this onerous responsibility .My Good wishes are always with you .
HAPPY TEACHERS DAY
Kulbhushan Kain

Kulbhushan Kain's Blog: My School Days -Part 4

Kulbhushan Kain's Blog: My School Days -Part 4: I was in the “A”,section throughout my school career .It is a misnomer even now among parents that “A”,section is the best section in a c...

My School Days -Part 4

I was in the “A”,section throughout my school career .It is a misnomer even now among parents that “A”,section is the best section in a class .The feeling stems probably from the fact that people normally say things like “Yeh restaurant A class hai”,or stuff  like that .!Also ,maybe because of the fact that “A”,is the first alphabet in the language ,so it will be the best section –“First Class”!!.But this is not true at all .I remember 9 C having the brightest children of our class in it .But being in “A”,was not a disadvantage either and I made some   friends for life here .

I remember the name of my class teachers with great clarity .In 5^th it was Mr Thapa ,in the 6^th it was Miss Massey ,in the 7^th it was Mrs Collingwood ,in the 8^th (oh I can never forget her till my last breath!!),it was Mrs D’Zouza,in the 9^th (the neatest looking man I ever met in my life,infact so neat that I gave up trying to look neat because the ideal was so unattainable!! –oh so wonderfully organized ),Mr Rathke,in the 10^th Mr Chhetri ,and in the 11^th it was the the omnipotent,the omnipresent ,the ambi dexterous and the Jack of all trades and the master ofALL OF THEM –Mr D’zousa.There were  subject teachers who I remember very well (how can one ever forget teachers ?!).Mr Gaur ,Mr Chaturvedi ,Mr Padam Singh ,and the don of Hindi ,Mr Chhetri taught us Hindi .Since our family had migrated from Myanmar ,we were not good at Hindi,and we were allowed to take “Lower Hindi”-a very rudimentary form of Hindi .But the teachers were good and Mr Chhetri in particular was a genius .I still remember him teaching us Rahim and Tulsidas .He was a artist –he moved while he taught ,there was modulation in his voice .He would get angry and he would laugh .In short –he never taught like a machine –he was a dynamic soul and reflected every bit of it in his personality .Unfortunately ,he passed away a couple of years after we left school in Agra ,I  where he had gone to attend a conclave .

Maths was taught to me by Miss Massey in the junior classes (she was good at geometry ),and by Mrs D’Souza in the middle section and Mr D’Souza in the senior classes .They were the ultimate Maths teachers (they taught English as well!!).Mr D’Souza was a specialist in Additional Mathamatics (Trignometry ),and boy was he good .!!I cant even get down to explain  how brilliant he was at his job .I remember him as a man who appeared as if he was always in a hurry .He walked briskly ,was bald and was lovingly called “Daddoo”!(as in frog ,because of his name D’Souza).He knew that he was nicknamed so and one day, as I went looking for him and asked someone in the corridors “Have you seen Daddoo yaar”, prompt came the reply from behind me “Yes ,I am right behind you”.!!Great man –though prone to losing his temper and sometimes raising his hand .He also was a wonderful musician who played the accordion on every conceivable occasion,and he was also the one who initiated me into debating .I am not going to get distracted here –otherwise the blog will never end .He came from Goa and had two distinguished sons –Phillip and Richard D’Souza

Then there was the science department and the man who headed it was like a God –not only for me ,but for generations of Josesphites .Mr G.C. Gupta .!How does one introduce a God ?I feel so defeated even attempting it Sir .I feel so inadequate at it .He was the most unique human being one could ever meet in life .And I would say that the world consists of two sets of people –those who met Gupta Sir ,and those who did not .Always wearing a Kashmiri topi ,fair (leucoderma ),a bachelor ,and a celebrity –no one who lived in Dehradun could miss him .I still remember the power of his reach and status.I had gone with my father to Elloras (at that time called Milkmaids),and as usual it was crowded .A lot of people were buying the normal bread ,butter ,eggs ,pastries etc .People were actually queued up and there was a lot of noise and chatter .Then ,in walked Mr Gupta to buy something .The queue actually disintegrated ,and there was pin drop silence .Everyone just stood –some with folded hands ,and all with smiles –and did the honours by asking him to take buy his stuff . “No ,but why should I not wait for my turn”,he replied .He was so surprised as to why the offer was being made to him in the first place .And inspite of my father almost cajoling him  to break the queue (sorry Dad ,I am in no way trying to imply that you broke rules and conventions !!),Gupta Sir waited ,looking into the ceiling .A wonderful ,wonderful teacher ,he taught me Physics and Chemistry which I have not forgotten till today .He had written several books and he was a very energetic teacher .He was a man worthy of the respect and love that was bestowed on him .He lived with his mother near the Bindal Bridge .I was moved beyond words when I met his niece at a school reunion a couple of years back in Gurgaon .I asked her a lot of questions about his last days on earth which he strode like a colossus .When my Mom passed away ,he came home and embraced me .When my father passed away ,he embraced me at our house .When my brother got married and we gave a reception –he was there for it .!!He was like a father for all the Josephites .If the world deserved a bachelor –it was Mr G.C.Gupta .Because Gupta Sir could never be onwned by one woman ,or a set of children .He was the property of the world –just like the sun and the moon .!!

(To be Continued .I would like to add here ,that the views expressed on the blog are totally my personal views .I don’t expect everyone to agree with my perceptions .I also don’t want to enter into any debate .The blogs form a part of a book which is going to be released soon).