Reflections

“The highest result of education is tolerance.” Hellen Keller My reflections for this month is based on my observations of the society where so called highly educated people openly exhibit insensitivity and intolerance towards their own neighbors and fellow human beings. Whatsapp chats of housing society groups will give one the best example of human behaviour and intolerance. On observing them I was reminded of an incident which I would like to share with you all. In a special athletics event, all the contestants lined up at the starting point. It was a special race as its contestants were the physically and mentally challenged. At the blow of the whistle all the contestants began running, all except one boy who stumbled twice and fell. When he fell the third time he began to cry, hearing which all the other 8 participants who had proceeded ahead stopped and came back to lift this boy and gently encourage him to run with them. All 9 contestants linked hands and together reached ...

Debates whether in the classroom or on popular TV shows have always been my favourite. The war of words by the participants and the anchor is a wonderful lesson in human behavior and communication. If we look around we would find each one of us constantly exhibiting a similar behavior with ourselves and with others. I often wonder how the world would be if people did not have arguments, difference of opinions or ego clashes with each other. It indeed would be a dull and insipid world with silence all around. This silence will not result in peace but will result in turmoil in individuals and between individuals. No human being would like to live in such a world. So, where do we enjoy living??? We human beings enjoy a world of communication and clashes. We cherish the peace that comes after a storm within our own selves or with people with whom we are interacting. In ancient times as depicted in the different mythologies of the world, the major conflict was to establish good over evi...

As a child Tuesday afternoons in my Kolkatta home was fascinating for me, because the local transgender group would visit our locality and would sing songs and attract everyone's attention. I would be very curious about them and would watch them through our window and would have many questions about their life but never asked anyone about the same. After two decades, one afternoon in Surat the doorbell rang and there was lot of noise in the corridor. I was little scared but opened the door and was astonished to see my neighbours happily chatting with the transgender group who had come to take Diwali gifts and money from the entire building. Since, I was pregnant with my first child, they showered extra blessings on me and left saying they would come when the baby will be home. After they left, I learnt one of the best lessons of life from my neighbours who said these people were very good and come only to bless us and there is absolutely nothing to fear about them. Truly, that afte...