3 Idiots - 3 Views of a System

I came out of the theater after watching 3 Idiots with a thought in mind. A thought regarding the Higher Education System that we currently have. Not that this was the first time I was thinking about it in fact I myself have been a part of this system earlier. However having watched the movie I feel it has has helped me understand my thoughts much better. They have become more real than abstract.

The entrance exams conducted by these institutes are one of the toughest to crack. Undoubtedly the best brains enter these institutes. They are also taken through a rigorous course while at the institute. All this leaves us with a couple of questions. Are these brains ever given a choice to choose their destiny themselves? Are we aware of the goal we want to achieve in doing so?

The entire exercise which is no doubt a very tough one seems to be going wrong somewhere. I firmly believe that the system itself is not at fault. On the contrary it is we who fail to understand the goal of the system thereby rendering the system useless (read as not being used for its intended purpose). The system I am sure would have been an easier one to change.

I also happened to read the book 5 Point Someone, which is in news these days on to what extent the movie is based on the book. Not going into the extent to which the scenes are similar or congruent as this is not what I want to bring up right now, I was not left with any thoughts after reading the book. It seemed to be more like an amalgamation of incidents which could at best leave you nostalgic remembering your college days. The movie on the other hand used the incidents to give my thoughts on the Higher Education System a direction. The three protagonists (3 idiots) are used metamorphically to look at the system in three different ways. All again the best brains with differences though. The first one has a brain which is suited absolutely well for the system. He is not only at the right place but also is aware of the misunderstanding of others about the system. The second one is not meant to be a part of this system, but has cannot do much because people who made this choice on his behalf failed to understand the system. The third one is meant to be a part of the system, but does not understand it well. He is too afraid of it to not misconstrue it.

The Kala Bandar (Black Monkey)

I recently watched the new Hindi Movie Delhi 6. I liked the director’s earlier movie, Rang De Basanti a lot. Rang De Basanti redefined patriotism. Delhi 6 attempts at getting to the root cause of the evils affecting our society. The style of narration is metamorphic.
The movie shows people frantically looking for the Kala Bandar (Black Monkey) that has terrified everyone. It is supposed to harm people and create havoc. It is perceived to be an evil to society. Everyone wants to get rid of the Kala Bandar. In the process, however people get disoriented. Something within them overpowers themselves. It is actually the evil in every one of them. It does not allow them to think and act rationally. It does not let good sense prevail. It is actually the Kala Bandar in each one of them. There is one in fact in each one of us. In addition, this one is the most difficult to find and to do away with. This holds true for the characters in the movie who find it very difficult to identify the Kala Bandar in each one of them, which is actually the cause of the problems affecting the society. This Kala Bandar not only makes them fight against each other but also robs them of their rationality. The movie is a great attempt at making us identify this Kala Bandar in us and inspiring us to fight against it for the sake of humanity and a good society.

Back after a hiatus

Work has kept me busy for the last couple of weeks so have not been able to pen down anything here. But now that I have some time I thought of writing down something. A lot of things keep happening around us everyday, but do we really stop to ponder about it and to devote some time of our lives to see if we can contribute in some way or the other. Probably not.

The recent bombings in Jaipur has been in news for some time. But how many of us have thought about this incident, about the people who have suffered because of this. Isn't this just another news for most of us? I know the obvious reaction to it will be, what can I do. What we miss here is the fact that it is we who make the society. Every individual is as important as any other in building this society. Each one of us has a role to play. It is not only wrong to turn a blind eye to such issues but also criminal. The onus lies on each one of us. It should be everyones resolve to make the society free of such threats and fear and ensure that we play our role in making this happen.

Globalization?

Globalization – Regionalism – The two extremes. Each trying to neutralize the other. It is difficult to imagine both of them to co-exist. We talk of Globalization in almost all aspects of our lives. We also hear of the incidents inspired by regionalism. The irony of the situation does make it difficult to explain. There goes an age old adage, there isn’t smoke without fire or to put it more literally, there is no effect without cause.
It would be cliché to say that Globalization has become the order of the day. This phenomenon would have been impossible but for the human endeavors resulting in technology advancements. Irrespective of ones location on Earth, one can not only be in touch with the entire world but also identify himself being a part of it. We have been able to do away with the geographical boundaries for a lot of things. Efforts are on to make such boundaries invisible for all practical purposes. At the other extreme is the feeling of regionalism - a feeling which does not help people identify with their roots but compels them to be intolerant to others (with different roots). I do feel that identification with ones root is important but this identification by no means should generate a feeling of intolerance for anyone. To sum it up an era of globalization will arrive in true sense when we are tolerant enough to co-exist without loosing the identification with ones root and play our role in this ever-going process of advancement.

Liberal

“We are more liberal than others” – A thought which the entire literati and glitterati can not only identify with but also feel proud to be associated with. The literal meaning of liberal is open-mindedness. A “liberal” mind should be open to all types of thoughts and ideas. It should be free to think whatever it wants to and a “liberal” one does so. But shouldn’t it also let other minds think whatever they want to without any bias or prejudice? Is the “liberal” mind liberal if it compartmentalizes minds? Shouldn’t it treat all minds to be part of a big pool of minds and let everyone think whatever it wishes to instead of having bias against it? I myself am not justified if I claim to be liberal because of my prejudice against people who call themselves so and still are not ready to accept others thoughts and ideas. But then I do not want to claim any such thing. However I do wish is that we get rid of such bias because its effect does not stop at minds only but leads to the society being divided and eventually the entire humanity falling victim to it.

Civic Sense

Last evening while I was walking up the staircase of my apartment back from work, I found an empty chips packet thrown on the stairs. Not that this was the first of its kind occurrence for me, but such things have become an order of the day. People driving the costliest car and yet opening the window of it to throw trash on road, people consuming packed food and water and then not bothering to dispose the empty containers in the right way; such things have become a part and parcel of our lives. However, I fail to understand the urge to litter our surroundings. Is this what our education teaches us? Why do we then grow up calling Earth as Dharti Mata? Aren’t we educated enough to maintain cleanliness by ensuring that waste reaches the appropriate destination so that it can be disposed of in the right way?

United we stand divided we fall

Individual excellence does not necessitate team excellence. The two being entirely different ballgames. This has been very well dealt with in the latest release chak de India. Each of the sixteen women hockey players, with distinct capabilities is a star in herself, but they are a big disappointment as a team. The base line of this incoherence is the unwillingness of the team members to work in cohesion, a phenomenon omnipresent in our country. The irony of the situation being that all of us memorize the following adage “United we stand divided we fall” since our childhood. But we somehow completely miss the essence of it. United here does not only imply unity in the so called diversity inherent in our country, but it also implies oneness in whatever we do. There comes the cliché team-effort.

Each of us has great potential and can achieve the unachievable, a fact which has been recognized by the world also. But I am sure most of us will at the same time agree with the fact that we lack the will to work as One. Working together can do wonders, very rightly conveyed in Chak de. A group of extra ordinary players can defeat the invincible, when each individual works as a part of the team: a lesson which should be learnt, not just memorized by us.