Age of Innocence,Stage of Pretence.
I was itching to play some 'gully' cricket.The kind of cricket with a tennis ball where you are very conscious about your shot selection, playing test match type shots straight off the coaching manual to ensure your shot doesn't raise above the standard compound wall to hit the windows at silly point and forward short leg or the car's windshield at mid-off. I had just seen my neighbour, all of 13 years of age and studying in the eighth standard get back from school.I gave him the customary ten minutes it took me when i was in school to fling my uniform away,put on the most nondescriptive clothes available,gulp down the boost/bournvita and run out to join the pack for sporting action.I called out to him and asked him if he'd like to play for a while.But i was left flabbergasted by his answer.
He had to go for selection to get into IIT coaching,commencing from the next academic session at a premier coaching centre in Bangalore.For a few minutes I wasn't able to comprehend his answer.Back in 1996 when i was about to appear for my ICSE exam i still had no idea of where i wanted to go next.I knew PUC would follow,after which we would go to college, IIT or otherwise.I was no muck in studies, but even my friends who were rather brilliant pretty much waited for things to happen rather than set their sights so far away as IIT from the eighth standard itself.
Stung into a reality check, i spoke casually to the boy and parents separately.Turns out that the boys wants to be something else and is getting into the coaching only because his parents feel that an early start is needed to spur interest in the boy towards an Education at IIT.The parents have wisdom and the boy is obedient, so i left it at that.At around the same time as this came the news of suicides of an 11 year old girl and a 12 year old boy. One for not being allowed to participate in a reality dance show and one for faring poorly in the exams.Instances such as these, should have governments and parents sit up and take immediate measures to stem the ebb of mirth in childhood.
There have been too many debates about our Education system, so i'll not venture there. However there has not been much debate in India our the regulating the usage of children in the media or advertising.An ad for a paint brand, which shows a father seeing paint peeling off his newly painted "california orange " wall to which the child remarks that the wall has turned from "california orange" to "nagpur orange". For that kid and kids his age, the message being driven home is that Nagpur Oranges are inferior to California Oranges.Or watch a commercial break during anything on television including the news, children will feature prominently in almost 60 percent of the time for products ranging from toothpaste to mobile phones.Reality talent shows of song and dance featuring children are mushrooming on Television with the children trying to display adult maturity with parents egging on their children towards the Mega bucks that come for winners. Beauty Pageants and Fashion shows have now entered the sub-junior age group.
I feel really lucky that i did not have so many distractions when i passed through that age.The Innocence I had let me recklessly experience the vagaries of adolescent life without being hijacked by parental pressure , talent shows or the thoughts of wanting to escape all the misery that came along in life. We are supposed to be a young nation, but our children seem to be aging fast.
He had to go for selection to get into IIT coaching,commencing from the next academic session at a premier coaching centre in Bangalore.For a few minutes I wasn't able to comprehend his answer.Back in 1996 when i was about to appear for my ICSE exam i still had no idea of where i wanted to go next.I knew PUC would follow,after which we would go to college, IIT or otherwise.I was no muck in studies, but even my friends who were rather brilliant pretty much waited for things to happen rather than set their sights so far away as IIT from the eighth standard itself.
Stung into a reality check, i spoke casually to the boy and parents separately.Turns out that the boys wants to be something else and is getting into the coaching only because his parents feel that an early start is needed to spur interest in the boy towards an Education at IIT.The parents have wisdom and the boy is obedient, so i left it at that.At around the same time as this came the news of suicides of an 11 year old girl and a 12 year old boy. One for not being allowed to participate in a reality dance show and one for faring poorly in the exams.Instances such as these, should have governments and parents sit up and take immediate measures to stem the ebb of mirth in childhood.
There have been too many debates about our Education system, so i'll not venture there. However there has not been much debate in India our the regulating the usage of children in the media or advertising.An ad for a paint brand, which shows a father seeing paint peeling off his newly painted "california orange " wall to which the child remarks that the wall has turned from "california orange" to "nagpur orange". For that kid and kids his age, the message being driven home is that Nagpur Oranges are inferior to California Oranges.Or watch a commercial break during anything on television including the news, children will feature prominently in almost 60 percent of the time for products ranging from toothpaste to mobile phones.Reality talent shows of song and dance featuring children are mushrooming on Television with the children trying to display adult maturity with parents egging on their children towards the Mega bucks that come for winners. Beauty Pageants and Fashion shows have now entered the sub-junior age group.
I feel really lucky that i did not have so many distractions when i passed through that age.The Innocence I had let me recklessly experience the vagaries of adolescent life without being hijacked by parental pressure , talent shows or the thoughts of wanting to escape all the misery that came along in life. We are supposed to be a young nation, but our children seem to be aging fast.
dude i still remember the chitrahaar that used to come every saturday, used to wait anxiously.play in the mud and not go to any spacial class on and off like crazy. I like you wont comment on the education system of india but i feel that innocence has become a tradable commodity. no wonder we see so many kids. poor kids.
ReplyDeleteThose days are really gone sharath. My days with you in Basavangudi are still afresh in my memory. Only a few parents in India let their children to live at their will. To me that is good and bad as well. It is an inevitable fact that the parents should be a guide and show them the success path but not at the cost of their freedom of decision making with respect to their career.
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