11 reasons to celebrate 10 successful years of IPL

A Decade of Success

Music, Money, Dance, Drama, Celebrities, Colored clothing, Tears and Squabbles. These are the words that we generally associate with The Big Fat Indian Wedding. But I for once is definitely not talking about the great Indian soap opera that hits Indian families during the cooler months of Indian calendar. Strangely, these words have also got deeply intertwined with a sport which once used to be popular as “The Gentlemen’s game” aka Cricket. The summer slugfest called the IPL which now enters tenth year of its existence has become more than being a mere sports league. It has evolved into something bigger of which we Indians are proud of. A game that British once invented has been redefined by Indians.

Purists and naysayers say that IPL has ruined cricket. IPL has had its own share of controversies but let us for once keep those altercations aside and look glass as half full rather than being half empty.  IPL has benefited us in more ways than we could have ever imagined.

So here are the 11 reasons to celebrate 10 successful years of IPL.

1. “Yatra Pratibiha Avsara Prapnotihi” are the words inscribed on the IPL trophy. It literally means  “where talent meets opportunity”. IPL truly has been a blessing for the talented cricketers who earlier lacked that stage to showcase their potential.  Who would have ever thought that a cricketer from Saurashtra playing for Rajasthan Royals would one day rule ICC test charts. Ravindra Jadeja is now No 1 in Test Blowers ranking and No 2 in Test All Rounder ranking. Ain’t any better example than him. 

A stage to showcase talent 

2. IPL has added more words to cricket vocabulary thus making cricket a more refreshing sport to watch. We now have a “Dil-Scoop”, a “Helicopter”, a pedal sweep, a Sling ball, a knuckle ball which keeps us hooked in front of our TV sets.   

Mr 360 ABD

3.       IPL has made Indian cricket competitive and strong. Is it a co incidence that India’s grand success on international stage (Read: ICC World Cup, ICC Champions trophy and No. 1 Test ranking) have only come after the kick start of the league.

Conquering the world-Team India

4.       IPL has inspired governing bodies of other sports like Badminton, Hockey, Wrestling, Kabbadi and Football to launch their own respective leagues. The sports have started benefiting from these leagues and it is only improving India’s claim as a multi-sport nation.

Inspiring many leagues

5.      IPL has given smaller cricketing nations like Afghanistan a reason to believe that they can stand tall amongst big boys of cricket. Rise of Afghanistan as a cricketing nation has truly been a phenomenal one and demands altogether a narrative of its own.  

Rise of a Nation

6.     The money has made dreams of many poor aspiring cricketers come true. It has given new leash of life to their families whose member toiled hard to fulfill the dreams of their sons. The sons in return are now filling the coffers. Likes of Mohammed Siraj would forever remain grateful towards IPL.

Fulfilling a Million Dreams 

7.       IPL or T-20 cricket has made test cricket more meaningful. More test matches these days are not ending in a draw. Something that purist should make a note of.

Adding meaning to test cricket

8.      It had happened occasionally before this, Lagaan is the only previous that I can think of, but IPL brought Cricket and Bollywood together like never before. All of a sudden we had girls, boys, uncles and aunties, grandpa and granny pouring into the stadiums.      

Melting pot of Bollywood and Cricket

9.       IPL has become a platform of cultural exchange. Foreign players like never before are learning Indian languages, wearing kurtas and Pajymas and eating tandoori chicken and dal makhni. It is happening other way as well, as Indian players are adopting to foreign ways of life.

Bridging the cultures

10.  IPL made India the land of opportunity. Corporate world hugged India tightly. Foreigners saw India in a new light and quotes like “It has been a dream playing in India”, “Playing in India has been a surreal experience” started emerging out of press rooms.

Making India a land of Opportunities 

11.  And to top it all had it not been for IPL we would never had witnessed a Sachin-Pointing partnership, a Kohli-ABD cameo, Symo-Bhaji duet, a Gayle storm, Yuvraj doing a Jonty and many such epic moments. IPL was and still is  entertainment ka baap 

Memories  Galore! 

Here is wishing the upcoming season of IPL season a grand success!!!  

The Master of Many Moods: A R Rahman

Quick question. What is common between theme music of NDTV India, the music that is played to NDTV’s Hindi speaking viewers and “Muqabala Muqabala”, the iconic song of 90s which made moves of Prabhudeva legendary?

Answer: The man behind both these recognizable tunes is the same. Legendary music composer Mr. A. R. Rahman.

Now that we have an idea the vast genres of music Rahaman masters, let us dwell into the awards and accolades on his curriculum vitae.

A R Rahman boasts of Academy, Grammys, BAFTA, Golden globe, Nationals and a countless of other rewards and recognitions. In totality the musician has 125 awards and 139 nominations against his name .FYI, Wikipedia has a separate page titled “List of awards and nominations received by A. R. Rahman”.

Achievers don’t have things easy. Same was with Rahman. Born in a Hindu Tamil family Rahman started playing music by a tender age of 5 and it was only after his father’s demise that his mother decided to give wings to Rahman’s talent. Flair was always there, all it needed was that little push.

During his formative years Rahman listened from Jim Reevs to Naushad Ali and everything in between. Such was and still is his penchant for music. Might be this is the reason that his music appeals to a nonagenarian and a teen alike. His carving for music led him to put together a band before he took off for Trinity college of Music, London to study western classical music.

The year is 1992 and a movie made around the issue of militancy in Kashmir, Roja, hits Indian theaters. Originally made in Tamil the Hindi dubbed version makes critics and viewers sit up and take notice of a young music composer. The man was none other than Rahman. His work in Roja made him win a plethora of awards. Such was the melody in his compositions that even after 24 years songs “Ye Haseen Vadiyaan” and “Dil hai chota sa” still make their way in many people’s playlists.  A great composer in making? Arguably yes, as years later Times magazine dubbed him as “Mozart of Madras”.

The Master of Many Moods: A R Rahman 

Life changed for good as Raham shot to fame churning out one melody after another. Of the numerous national projects that he has worked on Rangeela, Bombay, Dil se, Lagaan, Swades, Rang de Basanti and Jodha Akhbar deserves special mention. Again each project vastly different from the previous one highlighting his knack in mixing and experimenting with music.

Internationally he has been involved in various capacities for projects like 127 Hours, Million Dollar Arm, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Slumdog Millionaire, Muhammad: The messenger of God, Pele: Birth of a legend and countless more. Of all these Slumdog Millionaire remains the milestone event of his career as it brought to him 2 Academy awards, 2 Grammy awards and one each of BAFTA and Golden Globe award. 127 Hours was not that successful a venture in terms of awards but nevertheless equally impressive one. Acknowledging his stunning International success, Songlines named his as one of “Tomorrow’s World Music Icon” in August 2011.  Rahman is now an international brand in himself but he remains ever so patriotic to his motherland. His composition “Vande Maatram” is a testimony to the fact. 

Awards, recognitions, honors, money and fame tends to get into the heads of artists and celebrities who then tend to get swayed by all this and get derailed from their artistic and creative pursuits. Rahman though is a human being on another level. He still remains humble and firmly rooted to ground. The musician credits his simplicity to Islam, the religion which he adopted at the age of 23. A certain Dileep Kumar became more known to the world as Allah Rakha Rahman or simply A R Rahman. In his interview to The Guardian Rahman had this to say:

“What appealed to me about Islam was that this is a religion based on unconditional love and a belief in one god and one love, and I was especially drawn to Sufism which has a rich musical tradition. I never skip prayers. I find it releases me from tension and gives me hope and confidence that Allah is with me, that this is not the only world”    

His philanthropic venture The A R Rahamn foundation, music single ‘Pray for me brother’ and services to The United Nations speaks volume about the innate nature of the person.  

His international tours and concerts attracts people from all across the globe. Sell outs is a word that Rahman has grown used to. When he plays or sings the world holds its breath in anticipation of something epic and Rahman never disappoints.

Rahman has now given more than half of his life to Indian music Industry. He has tried, tested mixed genres like Indian classical music, electronic music world music and traditional orchestra. In the process he has taken Indian music to new heights and to the corners of the world where it earlier did not exist. His contributions has given the world of music a much needed facelift.

The world of music and Indian music in particular will forever remain indebted to the superstar called A R Rahman. From “Lukka Chippi” to “Loose Control” Rahman has done it all.

For once let us all say a resounding Jai Ho to A R Rahman The Master of Many Moods.

Street Food of Mumbai

 “I’ve been on diet for two weeks and all I have lost is two weeks”

One of things in life that I love to do is to eat. A first look at me and one will realize how much I love to keep my taste buds happy. From "maa ke haath ki roti" to Fondue there are few dishes that I don't like. I try to derive taste from everything I eat. I am no food blogger that I describe the tastes in details but yeah I relish on everything I eat. My crazy eating habits makes my mother worried as my BMI takes a beating, but hell I care. My expressions when I dwell on Gulab Jamun are like a junkie snorting cocaine.

During my graduation years I was put up in a hostel in Noida. There used to be days when the hostel food used to suck and I used to venture out of my hostel with friends to satisfy the hungry belly. It was but natural that for 5 years that I was in hostel I grew up on a diet of Parathe,GolGappe,Aloo ki tikki, Chole Bhature,Dahi Bhalle,aachari chaap,jaleebi and moong dal ka halwa. Ok I need to stop here or else I will be forced to book my tickets for the capital city, which at the moment I can ill afford to.   

Life moved on and I shifted from Noida to Mumbai .I had got so used to the street food of Delhi that I found adjusting in Mumbai difficult. I just could not connect to what was being served street side. It is only recently that I have developed my taste in Mumbai's fast food. As my tongue became more accustomed to Mumbai's fast food I started having a ball.

It is about time that I write a ballad in praise of the food that has kept me going in such a competitive city. So, here is a list of delicacies that streets of Mumbai have to offer:

1. Cutting chai:

Cutting chai is the fuel on which Mumbai runs. Having tea at home and having cutting chai served street side are experiences as different as chalk and cheese. Black tea mixed with creamy full fat milk an extra pinch of sugar and a mix of cardamom, Tulsi and ginger this beverage is sure to melt your day's stress away. One can notice people puffing cigarette and sipping cutting chai by streets of Mumbai. There are few experiences as romantic as Mumbai rains and cutting chai. Chembur to Churchgate the chai maintains its consistency throughout Mumbai.

2. Vada-Paav:

Mumbai's burger is how we can define Vada-Paav. Vada-Paav has a fan following across the length and breadth of the city that will put the likes of McDonalds and Burger King to shame. A potato patty (vada) stuffed in a bun (paav) then served with deep fried green chilies and grainy chuttney (thecha) is a delight any day. A bite of vada-paav and you will have salty, minty and spicy flavors in your mouth making you go wow!! While every Vaada Paav vendor in whole of Mumbai has almost the same kind of Vada-Paav on offer, drop by the Central Telegraph Office area at Fountain in South Mumbai to taste one of Mumbai’s best (and safest) vada pavs.

3. Bun Maska:

Found outside almost all local stations Bun Maska is a sweet bun served with melted butter. This snack is light and can be had at any time. Bun maska goes well with cutting chai. Simplicity is the USP of the dish. It takes a grand total of 5 minutes for it to reach from tava to tummy. Qutuz near Infiniti Malad, a round the clock Iranian joint is an absolute must for Bun Maska and Iranian chai.

  

4. Pani-Puri:

Puchka of Bengal, GolGappa of Delhi becomes Pani Puri of Mumbai. Pani Puri rules Indian hearts. Pani Puri is refreshing and fun to eat. A small puri is filled with chickpea,potatoes,onions spices and lots of flavored water. Put the puri in your mouth and let this bomb of a dish explode in your mouth. It is spicy, it is sweet,pani-puri is difficult to beat. Elco, a pani puri center in Bandra west is widely considered as melting pot for Pani Puri aficionados. 

5. Paav Bhaji:

Giving Vada Paav a run for its money is Paav Bhaaji. The bhaaji is a mashed up puree of potato,tomato and spices. Once prepared, bhajji is served with a crispy Paav. The butter on the top of the bhaaji adds to the taste. The dish is spicy and fulfilling. Paav-Bhaaji is Mumbai's subzi-roti. Sardar refreshment, a tiny restaurant located at Tardeo road junction is heaven for those who love to have Paav-Bhaji. Juhu Chowpati is not a bad option either to have authentic Paav Bhaaji of Mumbai.

6. Missal-Paav:

Pav Bhaji’s near cousin is Missal Paav. A scrumptious mix of savoury and sprouts. The wholesome spouts are cooked in a tangy tomato and pungent onion puree with lots of spices in the mix. The mouthwatering gravy is served with crispy farsaan and soft warm paavs. Dip the paav in the gravy and put it in your mouth. That’s it! Let the dish do the rest. Maamledaar in Thane west serves the best and most authentic Missal-Paav in whole of Mumbai. Word of caution: The place serves really spicy Misal Paav.

7. Bhel-Puri:

Bhel Puri has found its abode in the beaches of Mumbai. A crunchy snack made out of puffed rice Bhel Puri could taste anything from spicy hot to sugary sweet. Essence of BhelPuri is mashed potatoes, finely chopped tomatoes and onions, minted chutneys, lemons and dressing of coriander. Most vendors will dish out their own variations of BhelPuri to you. Apart from Jaalsa,Janak and Prateeksha if there is anything that Juhu is famous for it is surely Bhel-Puri.  

8. Dosa:

Dosa highlights the business mindset of Mumbai. A dish originally from southern India, street vendors of Mumbai have started minting money out of dosa by serving their own creative versions of it,"Chimmney Dosa" take that !A fermented batter of rice and dal goes on a hot plate till the batter becomes crispy and golden. The traditional masala dosa is served with potato masala and coconut chutney and sambhar. Anand stall, a small eatery under a tree bang opposite Mithibai College, Parle west, has made its name for serving tastiest and most creative Dosas in whole of Mumbai.  

9. Sandwich:

Sandwich is foreign to India but streets of Mumbai have their own versions of it. Basic dish calls for mashed potatoes and sliced veggies like onion, cucumber, tomatoes and beet root stuffed between two layers of bread. The best way to have to sandwich is get it toasted. Once ready Sandwich is served in a typical Mumbai way by having lots of sev and butter on top of it. Not a very big shop but Sandwizza in Sanatacruz west,has now been making its presence felt in Sandwich business.

When in Mumbai these dishes are an absolute must. These dishes will make you see the whole of Mumbai and know its people better. Hungry already??

Stories

As I approach my 5^th of the 6 creative writing classes, there is a sense of unease within me. A twist in the stomach when someone is going to miss something or someone; that is exactly how I am feeling at the moment.

“BUT WHY?” the looming question worsens the felling.

 Is it because of my submissions that are a bit behind the schedule or is it because that I now judge my writings critically more than I ever used to.

”Have I made the most of these classes?” I ask myself.

Even after much contemplation I am still unable to calm the unease in me. 

“Why Prakhar why”. My nerves have now started to get better of me.  I close my eyes and lay on my cot.

For past 1 month now I have not felt the mid-week blues. On the contrary Thursday became most sought after days of the week even more than a Saturday or a Sunday. For someone caught in a maddening corporate world this would be a crazy thing to confess.   So what happened in last one month that gave my “Thursdays” a whole new meaning?

When I first checked the course details for the creative writing classes at Xaviers Institute of Communication that I had so wanted to be a part of I was little demoralized. 6 sessions 2 hours each seemed manageable. What did not seem manageable was that classes were planned on Thursdays and that too in the evening. My energy sapping office life won’t let me enjoy the classes. I would turn for the classes exhausted and frustrated after a long office and even longer travel. By the time the class would start I would be in my dreamland. I had my inhibitions. For once I kept my inhibitions aside and got myself enrolled for the classes.  Little did I know then that what was in store for me.

As the classes began, I found my instant liking for them.

Reason?

Stories. Growing up I used to read books before going to bed. Sometimes my granny used to narrate a story or two before I used to get lost in my dream land. Needless to say reading or listening to stories became a deep part of my persona.

As far classes are concerned became  yet another platform for me to hear and read about 100s of otherwise unknown stories. Stories of my classmates. Stories which came up either randomly or through some specific discussions. I did pay attention to the details of how to polish my writing skills and nothing that my faculty said ever skipped me, but it was the stories of others that caught my attention the most. For someone who loves to read, this was all those stories coming to life. Journalists love stories. The aspiring journalist in me now had a platform to hear and read so many of them.

The story of a woman who was so shamelessly dismissed by hospital management just because she wore a hijab during her working hours. The story of a girl who through a lot of hard work and determination overcame her long standing nemesis in a game of chess. The story of a boy who misses her grandmother as she now resides in her heavenly abode. The story of a girl who was harassed by her tutor as a child, as she now tries to find the lost innocence. The story of a boy who suffered because the government decided to take few harsh steps. The story of a lady who finds it no wrong for her son to learn household chores because she is all against gender stereotyping. The story of a boy who fulfilled his dream of playing a guitar in a packed house. Stories,so many of them! 

Different People, Different Stories

Stories happy and sad. Stories of hope and inspiration .Every story that I came across left an impact on me.Some overwhelmed me, some made me think. Some answered a few of my longstanding questions while some made me come up with more questions. Somewhere in all those stories is my story in parts.

The classes will be over, people will disappear, the faces that I had become familiar to will slowly start becoming a thing of past. I might still be in touch with a few but what remains behind with me are the stories that I came across over past several weeks. They will surely stick with me where ever I go. For when the classes are over I won’t get new stories to read and hear.

I open my eyes. The unease persists but at least I have an answer to “BUT WHY?”

Pastime: Reading

Reading is my favorite pastime. “An activity that someone does regularly for enjoyment rather than work; a hobby” is how oxford dictionary defines the word “Pastime”. Reading for me ticks all the boxes and fits perfectly as a pastime. A deeper introspection though reveals that reading for me is much more than a pastime and “enjoyment” is a weak word to describe the effect that reading has on me.

Reading for me is vital. As much as I love to dwell on a lip smacking preparation, or watch a gripping game of football, I hold high regards for a compulsive book. Not a day passes when I don’t read. Reading consumes majority of my waking hours. My day starts with reading and it also ends in pretty much the same way. I remember the days when anxiety used to get better of me if the morning newspaper used to get delayed even by minutes. Bedroom to door, door to bedroom I used to pace relentlessly before the sight of Newspaper boy emerging from the gate with the paper neatly folded his hand calmed my nerves. From Champak to The Panama papers it has been some journey.

Sight that soothes the eyes 

I have no shame in accepting that I read greedily until my brain’s thirst for knowledge and wisdom is satiated. It helps to boost my self-confidence. Reading also soothes the pleasure points of my brain which in return helps me in coping with stressful situations. Being a sports aficionado my mind wanders from Manchester to Madrid. My meager salary doesn’t permit me to visit the inner sanctums of coliseums like Wankhade or SW19, but books have surely helped me paint a picture of them in my head.  

I try to contemplate on reasons behind my avid reading. As I made my mother read the first draft of this essay an interesting chat followed.

“As a college going girl, I used to sit for hours in the college library. By the time my college ended I had read all the fictions.”  Mother said.

“That’s interesting”.  I am impressed. For all that I know about my mother, this is something I come across for the first time.

“My Nanaji was also a very passionate reader as well”. Mother takes the conversation ahead. 

By now I am lost in my thoughts about a book that I spot on the table.

Anyway, the chat only made me realize that the habit of reading runs in my family. Both of my parents read. Analysis of my ancestry reveals that my maternal grandparents read. In her days my paternal grandmother was a zealous reader herself. My maternal great grandfather boasted of having a huge library of his own and my paternal great grandmother spent most of her time reading as well. Reading runs in my genes. The bio-technologist in me is compelling to be a bit cliched here.   

Reading takes me places. I travel the world through books. I might not have managed to go New York in person, but in my mind I surely have an idea what being at Times square feels like.

The many characters of my books, living or fictitious help me experience human emotions closely. Their loss is my loss, their victory is my victory. I live the life of a Prince; I live life of a pauper. In this regard I can only appreciate the words of the grand old author Georeg R.R Martin “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one”.

Reading also keeps my inner will in check.  When I read the stories of extra ordinary achievements, stories where people have defied the odds to reach the summit, my faith in hard work, determination and perseverance is only strengthened.

For the introverted person that I am, I don’t mix with people much. It is how I have grown as a person. The void created by absence of people is duly filled by books. Presence of people or their absence I am never bored, because in my books I have one steady companion. I have spent more time in company of my books than I have spent it with people. All the wisdom that people generally draw by their interaction with other people, I have drawn it from books.  Be it a memoir or a fiction, I learn the lessons of life from what I read.

Reading is not all that people aversely thing for me as well. For when I read I share my thoughts with people. It connects me with other readers. It is through reading that my thoughts are metamorphosed into words and my words help me in connecting with people. Reading helps my mind to open to new arrays of ideas. Because of reading I understand different layers of human emotions. As French novelist Honoré de Balzac aptly puts “Reading brings us unknown friends”.

I conclude by quoting Roberto Bolaño “Reading is like thinking , like praying, like talking to a friend , like expressing your ideas, like listening to other people’s ideas, like listening to music like looking at the view, like taking a walk on the beach”. These lines perfectly sum up essence of reading for me.

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Technology, “Hereditary-Genes”

Prakhar Sachdeo

My brother and I bind together on many things.  A good book, a Federer-Nadal match, a game of football and mum made food are a few of them. But, there is one sphere of our lives where we are as different as chalk and cheese.  Technology.

 Since our childhood, my brother has always found technology easy to cope with while I forever struggled with it. As a baby, my brother used to crawl around the house in search of his favorite toy, torchlight. I never minded his playful acts as I used to be  busy with my books .Once in his hand the torchlight used get reduced into its finer components, which used to be littered all over our house then . As he hit double-digit he started watching videos on this website peculiarly named as “YouTube”.  I was once shocked when at the age of 13 he told me that he had formatted our personal computer. The joy of getting your favorite book delivered at your doorsteps is inexplicable. Well, my brother started putting “Flipkart” to good effect much before than I had even heard of it .

Needless to say, the pattern has remained pretty much the same over the years. I still find incorporating technical jargons like GB, RAM, and Apps et all difficult in my lexicon while my brother hacks our neighbor’s Wi-Fi connection with surgical precision. I still stick to paperback or hardbound edition of books while a close pal of mine has got accustomed to the Kindle editions of the same. I carry the print outs of the essays that are to be discussed in the creative writing classes that I recently joined. My classmates though carry the so-called “softcopies” in their mobile phones .

I will always remain a bit old-school when it comes to the use of technology. However, question that has irked me over the years is “Why?”. “Why is my brother so good at technology and I  so inept in keeping pace with this modern way of life?” The question has stayed with me for long .

Over the weekend, my parents were out of the town. In their absence, I had the responsibility of taking care of our house. I did all the household chores that my parents do on a daily basis. Both leading a retired life now, they find joys in these small things. I on my part needed to convince them for the last time, that I am no more a “baby” and have honed all the skills to live all alone. I did my level best as I washed dishes, watered the plants and cooked for myself.

The following Monday morning my parents started evaluating my performance. My father visited our balcony first. I was getting ready for my office.

“On Saturday, I watered the plants. It was the first thing that I did that day,” I said trying to impress my father.

“I also sprayed leaves with medicine”. I added further.

“Yes, good. I can see. The soil is still wet”. My father seemed impressed.

“I also wanted to add manure. But I left it for some other day”. I now wanted to build on the momentum.

“I will buy a book on gardening.”  Father adds. His recently developed liking for gardening was visible in his eyes.

“Why buy books? There is a mobile phone and an internet connection for everything”. My mother who had been a mute spectator until then joined in.

 I was surprised.

“Books are bulky. Mobile phones are portable,” Mother said, throwing her weight behind technology. I was surprised even more.

“There is only limited information that will be available in a book. Using internet we can have all our questions answered. ” She said

At this point, I was bemused as now I was questioning my own surprise.

The two sentences that my mother had spoken in favor of technology had sealed the deal. Nowhere was she wrong and she had my father and myself pretty much convinced. 

“She is absolutely right. Technology is portable. Technology is flexible.”  I said to myself. Ready for the office I was about to leave.

As I moved towards the door, I had a jolt. A moment of reckoning had hit me.  My eureka moment had finally arrived. A silly smile got plastered all over my face. All these years it was in front of me and I had missed it. The small family meeting that had just concluded answered my long-standing question. The question that had me irked. “Hereditary-Genes” the two words that had occurred so frequently all through my graduation years, now buried in some part of my brain came storming back on the surface hitting me hard

I realized that my brother is so my mother and I am so my father.

I opened the door and left for the office, happy and content for my long-standing curiosity had been finally put to rest.

---

Being Teacher 

My mother is a teacher. Although, she is now leading a retired life but the art of teaching still has not abated her.  Doing household chores is mundane for her and she still plans to pursue her lifelong passion of teaching. “A mother is a child’s first teacher”, it is said. So, in my case this stands doubly true. Having a few “teaching” genes and seeing life of a teacher at close quarters, I have developed immense respect for teachers. All teachers, kindergarten to college professors, deserve a pat on the back. For me, they have picked up the noblest of professions.  In being a teacher they enlighten a life. In being a teacher they bridge the gap between dreams and reality. In being a teacher they are an inspiration to someone.

A teacher can do worlds of good to his student.  A student can rise from nothingness and achieve great heights of success if he is blessed with a great teacher.  From learning the basics of a subject to starting to construct his future, teacher plays a pivotal role in every stage of his student’s life. As Philip Wylie rightly says “One good teacher in a lifetime may sometimes change delinquent into a solid citizen”.

I have been a teacher for some time now. Being a volunteer at an NGO “The Candle Project” I am expected to teach English to some of the less fortunate kids of our society. I may not be a teacher by profession but the students of my class make me feel no less than a college professor. The respect my pupils has for me is reflected in their mannerism. Obeying my instructions, mutual respect for classmates, and a desire to learn is now drilled in their persona. On my part, I always enter my class with a sense of responsibility. Never in the past 20 months have I felt that responsibility as a burden. I enjoy my class. Those 4 hours are probably the most beautiful hours of my week. That feeling when I am able to solve a problem for someone from my class can just not be put in words. Right form teaching my kids niche of English grammar to explaining the mysteries of extra-terrestrial life,everything is discussed.  It is the heart to heart connection between me and my students that makes me wait for my class all through the week.

I treat my class as a social laboratory .Each week there is a different experiment to be performed. My students and I being the subjects. At times the experiment is about how to communicate well, while at other times it is about how well silence can be maintained within the four walls of the classroom. At the end,it is not only the kids who learn  but I too benefit  from the process by learning something new each time.

Like every other teacher I  want my students to learn their subjects well and have good grades. But I expect something else from my students as well. I want them to develop the ability to make good use of the space between the ears. I want them to grow into individuals who can think. Ability to think rationally takes you distance. We might have had a proper schooling, but if we are not rational we haven’t achieved much in life.  I want them to learn how to handle the small keys of life. The keys that open big doors of opportunity. Being a passionate about sports, “Never say die” is part of my psyche and I want my pupils to follow the suit. I want my kids to learn to stand for themselves and to have faith in their dreams. Also I want them to never stop learning, because the day you stop learning is the day to stop to grow.

In achieving my desired goals I try all sorts of things. I try to be soft. I try to be strict.  I sometimes be funny, I sometimes become all serious.  I am still learning the algebra of being a perfect teacher. I still don’t know what the exact formula of being a good teacher is. 1+1=2, is what I have learnt so far as I pursue to master dx/dt.

At the end of it all,if a kid remembers me  for the  grammar I taught  her, if a kid remembers me for the time I consoled him when he was all in tears , kid remembers me for the time I made them laugh and they remember me  for time we spent together in the class,I will then believe then that I did my part. I would be a happy and content man that day.

Prakhar Sachdeo