No dearth of chief ministerial candidates in Tamil Nadu

How many  chief minister candidates are available in Tamil Nadu? All sons of the leaders of different political and the cinema actors who have political ambitions seem to be not interested in just cleaning the systems which are corrupt or remove corruption totally from Tamil Nadu  through helping the people to elect a good government or identifying good candidates to contest elections to stop criminalisation of politics or a force behind some good and eminent citizens  who have an impeccable record of public service  . They  all seem to have an eye on the chief ministers post alone. It is very funny to think that, voters who have no knowledge of their real capacity or their real records in money matters  or their personal lives will readily help them to become chief ministers just based on their cinema dialogues or their reel characters  as heroes. Let them have some real analysis of the behavior of Tamil Nadu voters  .

Impact of civil service conduct rules on teachers and education

My letter published in The Hindu on 26.10.18

On the one hand, the government is worried that there are no Indian universities in the top 100 universities of the world; on the other, it shows a lack of understanding regarding the difference in the role played by teachers and other public sector employees (“An ‘anti-national’ regulation”, Oct. 25). University teachers are expected to teach students how to analyse critically, think logically and approach issues rationally so that they emerge as scholars, thinkers, writers, administrators, inventors and innovators. But if the teachers are subjected to civil service conduct rules and a suffocating atmosphere is created in universities as a result, what critical thinking training can possibly be given to the students? It looks like educational reforms are going in the reverse direction. After the implementation of these rules, no teacher who is a public employee can engage in public discussions on government policies through lectures, articles, or even letters to the editor.

me too movement

The media, particularly the social media is covering extensively the new revelations of sexual harassment incidents of the past, ever since, “the me too movement “gathered momentum. A doubt comes in the minds of the readers regarding the personalities accused. Why only the celebrities and VIPs are accused and why the allegations are made after so many years? Anyhow leaving these doubts aside, we should feel happy that women power is at the peak now which has emboldened at least a minuscule percentage of women to break their silence over the assault on their dignity on the basis of the concept, “better late than never.” It is because; all along the history of women is “the history of silence”. But the affected women will not get justice o if the allegations are true through social media publications alone. If the empowered women are really serious about the logical conclusion to the injustice done to them, they should make use of the legal procedures available in India. Unless it is done, the social media will only help in tarnishing the image of the celebrities accused.  But, we have to admit that, the social media revelations might check the activities of the regular sexual offenders in higher positions who take women for granted. This would be the limited success achieved by the “me too movement.”  .

My Park watch programme

                                                   Prof. Dr. Rameeza.A.Rasheed

Ever since, the Chennai Corporation had upgraded several of the Chennai parks, created new ones and maintains them fairly, the Chennai civil society   has enthusiastically developed walking habit as an effective exercise suitable for all age groups.

My doctor   always advises me not to give up regular walking exercise. Though I have been following his advice all these years sincerely, a very bad fall resulting in knee injury had put a stop to my walking exercise. Yet, I go to the nearby park on alternative days in the evenings with a different purpose i.e., for “park watch”. This newly developed interest gives me mental peace and relaxes my mind immensely due to the movement of different types and ages of people around me with their various activities.  I imagine that,  the properly maintained grass patches, plants with colorful leaves and flowers , the humming butter flies , the  huge age old trees , chirping of  birds hurrying to their nests in groups ,  the cool air around  , the gentle  noise of water flow in the fountains , the light music played through a speaker in mild volume etc., are all extending me a warm welcome when I enter the park . The park scenario gives me peace of mind and cool my nerves heated up all through the day through the headlines of the print media and every minutes   breaking news of the electronic media covering mostly, all the unhappy incidents happening in our nation.

 First,  I get seated near the walking area. I watch obese middle aged men and women walking vigorously and profusely sweating with a hope of achieving their target in weight control,    elderly people walking slowly but, steadily to control geriatric problems, youngsters jogging to keep fit and the disabled elderly couples walking very slowly supporting each other by holding their hands conveying the companionship they enjoy in their sun set years. Every park is now filled with health conscious people except some pairs of lazy love birds who monopolise the stone benches with least compassion for the very elderly men and women who want to relax for some time chit chatting with familiar co walkers.

Then I move to the place where yoga is taught and skating is practiced by children. I listen to the lecture given by the yoga master regarding the advantages of each yoga pasture and register in my mind and practice them after I go home. The breathing techniques the park goers learn might be helping lot of people.

 

 Then, I go to my final destination, the play area. Here, some men are seated in the other benches and only through their loud talk I understood that, men also see television serials and indulge with interest gossiping about colleagues and neighbors. When women do it, that is called “back biting” when men do it, that is a “cultural discussion.”

I see in this area, that, the children are escorted by young mothers, or grand mother or father or house maids play happily using all the play things fitted there. There is always a greater demand for the swings. When the children use gliders the escorts go near them and watch them and warn them to be slow. Boys in the age group of 7-9 run freely around the parks and play hide seek happily and tirelessly. But alas! That freedom is not allowed for the girl children however, they pester their escorts to allow them to play all games the boys are playing. They are not even allowed to go on their own to buy ice cream from the vendor selling it outside the gates of the parks. They hold their hands tightly and take them out to get ice cream. This type of denial of freedom to the girls used to irritate me since, too much of gender equality of ideas are embedded in my mind. Are we in Stone Age or what I used to think?

 But, now I regret for such thoughts since, we read everyday news on sexual assault of girl children. Now I understand the families’ concern about their safety. Primarily the  girls should be alive and live with dignity   to enjoy freedom.  Safety of the daughters   is the priority now. In a nation where neither the relatives within homes, nor the  neighboring men, teachers in  schools, vehicle drivers , preachers, religious gurus,     and all types of service providers cannot be trusted with safety of girls what else the parents can do?   Has not the collective consciousness of the Chennai citizens shaken by the gruesome and prolonged sexual assault on a hearing impaired young girl by 18 men? I even wonder whether animals have such behavior. When India is announced as an  unsafe nation for women by other agencies or nations we get angry.  Do we have the right to get angry?

 My younger days in a village were not like this. We used to roam near  ponds , temple tanks , mango groves , go alone to shops and play in the streets until sun set . Schools and public places were safe and our service providers used to take good care of us when we have to go out of homes for various reasons. What a transformation from that India to this India?

 With these thoughts I return home and hope, the next day, I will be filled with pleasant observations during my “park watch programme”.

The judjement on sexual freedom of the married couples

The judgment on sexual  freedom for the married women has thrown  a bombshell on the culture dominated Indian society. In some religions adultery is a sin .  The institution of marriage remains solid in India compared to many nations. Indians believe that, marriage provides an opportunity to grow together   and live selflessly as we serve our spouse and children.  In India, marriage as social institution   is not only a physical union but also  a spiritual and emotional union. If, in  the name sexual freedom, unlimited liberty through legal sanction  is given to the spouses, what would be the environment in which the children would grow ? This judgment would result in more number marital conflicts and divorces due to damage done to  mutual trust among couples and the children would be the worst victims. let us not commit blunders in the name of women empowerment . This type of empowerment will take the process of empowerment in the reverse direction .

The smarter seniors

-Open page- September 30, 2018

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My article published in the Hindu

How the elderly are increasingly adapting to the changing realities of life and learning to manage on their own

It is often said that poverty in childhood and loneliness in old age are curses on human beings. Maybe this statement was made during the years when the situation of elders living alone was a rare occurrence. In the olden days the joint family system existed in India. This beautiful social institution took care of elders, the orphaned children, destitutes and widows. But in today’s global village scenario, when the children are more often than not settled elsewhere in the globe, the elders are left alone. It may be due to the children’s inability to take them along with them or due to the desire of the elders themselves to stay alone in India. The result is that a growing number of elders are managing their lives alone. A casual conversation with such seniors reveal fascinating real-life stories. Most of them are women, maybe because women outlive men in the prevalent demographic pattern in India.

One such living-alone senior woman said she is now happy to be able to give full attention to her basic needs related to food, health, sleep and rest, after decades of giving preference to the needs of the family members all the time at the expense of her physical, mental and emotional needs.

Another such woman, basically a spiritual person, had never found adequate time for her religious duties. But now she is immensely happy that during her sunset years she is able to spend more time in the company of god. Moreover, she has realised late in life that the proper way of thanking god and pleasing him is to help the less-privileged living around her. Ever since this realisation came, she is more into community service and derives peace of mind through it.

Another woman who retired from a hectic career of 30 years said that during her roller-coaster life of managing her children and her career, she never found the time to pursue her passions, such as writing, reading, painting and gardening. Now she is contented since she has plenty of time to spend on them.

A 74-year-old said he was not counting on his children to help even in emergencies since they live thousands of miles away. He is banking on the neighbours or concerned relatives for immediate help during such times. He said the availability of such help depends on the cordiality we maintain with relatives and neighbours. He has achieved this by maintaining regular contact with them and volunteering to help them whenever they needed his assistance.

A couple who are in a senior citizens’ home said they are happy to have such an arrangement as all their basic needs, such as food, medical facilities, shelter and security, are available on the campus. For the childless or those without relatives, even terminal illness and last rites are taken care of. Hence they have no fear about their last days. The belief that they will not die in loneliness as an orphan in an empty house or will not be murdered by some stranger, gives them mental peace. They are happy to feel the proximity of so many aged persons with common problems and needs and have developed friendship with like-minded inmates of the home. They enjoy companionship to the full and are thus saved from any depression caused by loneliness.

Another living-alone woman who is 66, manages her food requirements through catering. She is happy about this arrangement because she is totally free from kitchen management tasks after nearly four decades. The time thus saved is used to satisfy the needs of her creative mind, which were totally discarded during her productive age due to heavy family responsibilities. At present, she is into counselling cancer patients, painting and teaching music. She trains some neighbourhood children in the fine arts. The feeling that she is fulfilling her heart’s desires and spending time usefully gives her satisfaction. The word “boredom” is not in her dictionary anymore.

Another man, who is 83, will make anyone wonder how he had opted to live alone at his age in an apartment. He says it is no big deal because he has good neighbours and relatives who check on his well-being now and then. His food requirements are taken care of by a caterer and the household work by a maid. He says books, television, music records, smartphone and computer, and his passion for crossword puzzles, occupy him without boredom. In addition, he is a news addict and the 24x7 news channels engage him mainly. It is life without responsibilities after a few decades of hectic family and professional responsibilities, and he is now living without racing against time, no more a sleep or leisure-deprived person. He considers the prevailing peace in his life and the calm of mind as gifts of god.

The super-seniors (those above 80) struggle to manage their homes because of physical inability and failing memory. During their productive life their personal needs were totally taken care of by their wives and outside work by the husbands. Such seniors who have lost their life-partners are not frustrated over their present condition and make use of assisted-living facilities or engage home nurses. They use their leisure hours in various types of community activities despite health problems. Through membership in walkers’ clubs or humour clubs or senior associations they make newer friends and even undertake pleasure trips, and through them get assistance during emergencies.

Interaction with living-alone seniors reveals that today they are smarter in self-management skills and have risen above depression caused by the empty nest syndrome and geriatric and gerontology problems. They know how to empower themselves by renewing their driving licences, using laptops and smartphones. To drive away idleness some of them have taken up second careers or got involved in community welfare activities. They seem to enjoy their independence. They seem to live with the philosophy that “what cannot be cured has to be endured”.

That means they have understood the concepts and techniques of “active aging” or “healthy aging”, which is possible only through positive thinking. Such seniors are role models to the younger generation.