On December 1, 1955, Rose Parks was seating on a bus-seat secluded for blacks. However, the driver demanded that she relinquish her seat to a white passenger. Parks refused and her subsequent arrest and trial for this act of civil disobedience triggered the Montgomery Bus Boycott, one of the largest and most successful mass movements against racial segregation in history, and launched Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the organizers of the boycott, to the forefront of the civil rights movement. Her role in American history earned her an iconic status in American culture, and her actions have left an enduring legacy for civil rights movements around the world.
On November 18, 2006, in Goa, Patricia Pinto stood firm in her resolve to save the unwarranted felling of trees. Very few rushed to her support and when the police threatened arrest, barring lawyer Satish Sonak, the others too moved away. The next day’s pictures carried pictures of a defiant and determined Patricia standing next to the trees. That image struck a chord in the collective consciousness of Goans. Stung by a sense of shame and indignation, people from all walks of life got together to take on the nefarious nexus between the corrupt politician and the avaricious land grabbers who had resorted to large scale cutting of mountains, mangroves and sand dunes, in blatant violation of the laws of the land. The “Save Goa” movement was born.
Too often, we insist that “an individual cannot make a difference”. And we ignore that in this land of ours walked a man called Mahatma Gandhi who did not wait for people to follow him. A person who had the courage to stand up for what he believed in. A leader who could move against the tide of what his followers believed in. However it is pertinent to note that he did not rest with his individual actions. He moved beyond to gather and consolidate a people’s movement and yet maintain his own vision and perspectives. Gandhi, Parks and Patricia have taught us a significant lesson: the power of one… the power of individual initiative. And when they become the fulcrum for connecting others the initiative becomes multi-dimensional.
The power of one does not remain a solitary intention
when people get together to “develop new dimensions”
Regards
Pravin
Monday, January 29, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
Super-30!
Every year, over 2,00,000 Indian youths appear for the intensely competitive entrance exam to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) -- the seven prestigious schools that train India's top-notch engineers and entrepreneurs. After the grueling test, only 5,000 students are offered a place in the IITs. Most come from middle-class backgrounds and prepare for the exams through private coaching. But in the past few years, a small group of desperately poor, talented students have made it into the IITs, thanks to the Ramanujan School of Mathematics.
The school, named after the famous Indian mathematician, is even more intense than the IITs themselves. Located in Patna, Bihar, one of India's least developed states; it trains just 30 students a year to take the IIT exam. Anand Kumar, a local mathematician, and Abhayanand, Patna's deputy director general of police and a lover of physics, founded the school in 2003 to help promising locals get ahead in the caste-based society. They searched Bihar's least privileged communities for 30 bright students to coach for the exam, providing free lessons and housing. They call their group the Super 30. In the first year, 16 of the group made it into the IITs. The next year, 22 made it.
Anand Kumar, himself, was hailed as a child prodigy and had an invitation from Cambridge but did not have the money to go. He ran from pillar to post for help but none came forward. He resolved to do his best to help the talented that were throttled by poverty. He was joined by Abhayanand who believed that "Intelligence is not birth-specific". Interestingly the students from less-privileged backgrounds who made it to the IITs thanks to nurturing from the now-famous Super-30 Institute, are now involved in talent-spotting among child labourers so that can be trained and prepared for IIT.
Through silent but significant actions, the Ramanujan School is involved in empowering our nation by making success accessible to those with potential by providing proactive motivation and guidance. Nations rise when citizens take on the responsibility to change the situation. Thinking about self is being one-dimensional; thinking about the other person is being two-dimensional, thinking about the larger picture… of the future of our nation is being truly multi-dimensional.
Talent is tempered with technique and temperament…
“develop new dimensions” to aid achievements
Regards
Pravin
22 January 2007, Goa.
The school, named after the famous Indian mathematician, is even more intense than the IITs themselves. Located in Patna, Bihar, one of India's least developed states; it trains just 30 students a year to take the IIT exam. Anand Kumar, a local mathematician, and Abhayanand, Patna's deputy director general of police and a lover of physics, founded the school in 2003 to help promising locals get ahead in the caste-based society. They searched Bihar's least privileged communities for 30 bright students to coach for the exam, providing free lessons and housing. They call their group the Super 30. In the first year, 16 of the group made it into the IITs. The next year, 22 made it.
Anand Kumar, himself, was hailed as a child prodigy and had an invitation from Cambridge but did not have the money to go. He ran from pillar to post for help but none came forward. He resolved to do his best to help the talented that were throttled by poverty. He was joined by Abhayanand who believed that "Intelligence is not birth-specific". Interestingly the students from less-privileged backgrounds who made it to the IITs thanks to nurturing from the now-famous Super-30 Institute, are now involved in talent-spotting among child labourers so that can be trained and prepared for IIT.
Through silent but significant actions, the Ramanujan School is involved in empowering our nation by making success accessible to those with potential by providing proactive motivation and guidance. Nations rise when citizens take on the responsibility to change the situation. Thinking about self is being one-dimensional; thinking about the other person is being two-dimensional, thinking about the larger picture… of the future of our nation is being truly multi-dimensional.
Talent is tempered with technique and temperament…
“develop new dimensions” to aid achievements
Regards
Pravin
22 January 2007, Goa.
Monday, January 15, 2007
CELEBRATING FAILURE
In Simla's DAV public school, students were promoted to class XI before the board exam results were declared. When they were announced, some boys were sent back to class X. Surely; a worse form of humiliation did not exist. However, Anupam was confident of scraping through in his class X exams.
One Friday, right in the middle of the class, his father suddenly arrived to take him to Balji's – a restaurant the family would visit once in six months. At Balji's, Anupam wondered about the reason for the party as his father ordered his favourite dishes. After lunch, his father confided, "Son, you have failed your class X. This celebration was to prepare you for failure so that you are never scared of it." This priceless nugget of wisdom was indelibly etched in young Anupam's mind. He worked on himself and vowed to be optimistic.
Eventually, it turned out that his father had seen the wrong roll number. Moreover, although the noted thespian, Anupam Kher managed was a mere 38 per cent for his degree, his life has by no means been a failure. He has made a success out of it not merely in terms of achievement of goals, but, more importantly, as a human being. For he believes, that happiness was the only way to live.
Failure has to be seen in a totally different dimension. Losers are not ones who fail… losers are ones who succumb to failure and give up. Actually, failures and failings are very much a matter of perception. Too often, we let everyone's opinion matter and herald the beginning of the end. Anupam says it so well, "My deep conviction is that everything turns out just right at the end, and if does not, then you can be sure it is not the end."
Celebrate your efforts, every time you crash,
"Develop new dimensions" to rise from the ash!
Regards
Pravin
One Friday, right in the middle of the class, his father suddenly arrived to take him to Balji's – a restaurant the family would visit once in six months. At Balji's, Anupam wondered about the reason for the party as his father ordered his favourite dishes. After lunch, his father confided, "Son, you have failed your class X. This celebration was to prepare you for failure so that you are never scared of it." This priceless nugget of wisdom was indelibly etched in young Anupam's mind. He worked on himself and vowed to be optimistic.
Eventually, it turned out that his father had seen the wrong roll number. Moreover, although the noted thespian, Anupam Kher managed was a mere 38 per cent for his degree, his life has by no means been a failure. He has made a success out of it not merely in terms of achievement of goals, but, more importantly, as a human being. For he believes, that happiness was the only way to live.
Failure has to be seen in a totally different dimension. Losers are not ones who fail… losers are ones who succumb to failure and give up. Actually, failures and failings are very much a matter of perception. Too often, we let everyone's opinion matter and herald the beginning of the end. Anupam says it so well, "My deep conviction is that everything turns out just right at the end, and if does not, then you can be sure it is not the end."
Celebrate your efforts, every time you crash,
"Develop new dimensions" to rise from the ash!
Regards
Pravin
Monday, January 8, 2007
OUT OF THE BOX
In Std IX, we encountered Professor JAM (short for J.A. Menezes) who threw us a mental challenge. If three points were to be placed at an equal distance from each other, they would have to be the nodes of an equilateral triangle. The professor’s query was: what geometric figure would make possible for four points to be at an equal distance from each other?
The solution was immediately blurted out – a square! The professor had a merry chuckle while pointing out that although the square had equal sides, the diagonals were not the same length. Hence, all the nodal points would not be at equal distance to each other! We kept on churning alternative answers: a circle, a rhombus, a parallelogram… the professor kept exposing the flaws in the answers. Just as we chose to give up, the professor taught us the lesson that I never forgot.
He said, “You are still moving around the two-dimensional plane of thought. Move out of the plane… think out of the box… Since X and Y-axis are not enough to solve the problem, use the Z-axis… go to the third dimension.” The riddle was unravelled easily, now… the four nodal points of a pyramid (with equilateral triangles as its sides) are at equal distance to each other.
Too often, we give up on finding solutions because we do not think out of the box. We live in a multi dimensional world and need to approach it in a multi dimensional way. We must “develop new dimensions” in terms of our beliefs, attitudes and approaches so that we can better adapt to new challenges.
Thinking out of the box will scale every obstacle
“Develop new dimensions” to solve every puzzle!
Regards
Pravin
08 January 2007, Goa.
The solution was immediately blurted out – a square! The professor had a merry chuckle while pointing out that although the square had equal sides, the diagonals were not the same length. Hence, all the nodal points would not be at equal distance to each other! We kept on churning alternative answers: a circle, a rhombus, a parallelogram… the professor kept exposing the flaws in the answers. Just as we chose to give up, the professor taught us the lesson that I never forgot.
He said, “You are still moving around the two-dimensional plane of thought. Move out of the plane… think out of the box… Since X and Y-axis are not enough to solve the problem, use the Z-axis… go to the third dimension.” The riddle was unravelled easily, now… the four nodal points of a pyramid (with equilateral triangles as its sides) are at equal distance to each other.
Too often, we give up on finding solutions because we do not think out of the box. We live in a multi dimensional world and need to approach it in a multi dimensional way. We must “develop new dimensions” in terms of our beliefs, attitudes and approaches so that we can better adapt to new challenges.
Thinking out of the box will scale every obstacle
“Develop new dimensions” to solve every puzzle!
Regards
Pravin
08 January 2007, Goa.
Monday, January 1, 2007
TODAY TAKE FLIGHT
“Subvert the paradigm” – C K Prahlad
In the late 1800s, a renowned bishop was on the move, speaking to religious and academic leaders. At one of his visits, he was invited to have dinner with the local leaders. During the dinner he was asked, “What do you think the future holds for us?” The bishop spoke, “The future is bleak, and in my opinion, we have discovered all there is to discover, created all there is to create, and invented all there is to invent.” One of the leaders commented, “I think someday, man shall learn to fly like the birds.” To this, the bishop replied, “You are mad; flight is only reserved for the angels.” With that statement he stormed out of the room.
It is interesting to note that the bishop’s last name was Wright! Years later, his two sons Orville and Wilbur who made possible the dream of man flying in the air. Never under rate your own idea or that of someone else. Those who ridicule and laugh at new ideas do so because they fail to connect to the new dimensions… the new paradigms. If you believe you can fly, you will!
We live in a world full of riches in terms of ideas… but more often than not, we fail to see them. We have to be open to the idea of change. What is needed to tap into the vast potential of this world are new and better “ideas”. We must develop fresh attitudes and approaches in terms of thought, technique and most importantly, temperament. We must unlearn the old paradigms and develop new dimensions. Yesterday you were poised for great things, today take flight!
New Year is when we go for new ideas and insights
“Develop new dimensions” to take a lofty flight!
Regards
Pravin
In the late 1800s, a renowned bishop was on the move, speaking to religious and academic leaders. At one of his visits, he was invited to have dinner with the local leaders. During the dinner he was asked, “What do you think the future holds for us?” The bishop spoke, “The future is bleak, and in my opinion, we have discovered all there is to discover, created all there is to create, and invented all there is to invent.” One of the leaders commented, “I think someday, man shall learn to fly like the birds.” To this, the bishop replied, “You are mad; flight is only reserved for the angels.” With that statement he stormed out of the room.
It is interesting to note that the bishop’s last name was Wright! Years later, his two sons Orville and Wilbur who made possible the dream of man flying in the air. Never under rate your own idea or that of someone else. Those who ridicule and laugh at new ideas do so because they fail to connect to the new dimensions… the new paradigms. If you believe you can fly, you will!
We live in a world full of riches in terms of ideas… but more often than not, we fail to see them. We have to be open to the idea of change. What is needed to tap into the vast potential of this world are new and better “ideas”. We must develop fresh attitudes and approaches in terms of thought, technique and most importantly, temperament. We must unlearn the old paradigms and develop new dimensions. Yesterday you were poised for great things, today take flight!
New Year is when we go for new ideas and insights
“Develop new dimensions” to take a lofty flight!
Regards
Pravin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
