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a comparison
Hi all. On May eight this year, came a special moment for all of us in the department of Political Science as we launched the first ever magazine of the department of Political Science Motilal Nehru College titled Vimarsh.
As I celebrate my success because I was able to get one of my articles published in the magazine, I must not forget the times when I did not write so impressively as in the present times.
The story goes as follows. It was the month of July and the year was 2019. Being a student of class 10, and 16 years old, one day I got an exciting news. There was a competition being held for the students who were between 15 to 18 years of age. I thought, this is the time to nail it. I began preparing for the competition. I was instructed by the class teacher to write the essay and when I will have written the essay, to send her for approval/editing. When I sent her the writeup, what I received was a message filled with hopelessness. She did all she could to edit the badly written essay but alass, all our efforts ended in failure as the writeup was rejected and with that rejection, I realized how bad my English was and that how desperately I needed to improve my language skills.
Today, as I get the fame and the respect I had been wanting for so long, there can be no better opportunity to compare the two writeups and assess my growth. Here are the two writeups as it is for assessment. Thereafter, I leave it upon my readers to judge me for both my writeups. Good, bad or ugly. All kinds of comments are accepted and welcome.
Is protecting our natural environment a priority? ESSAY
What will the ESSAY be all about?
It will be all about the topic whether protecting our natural environment is a priority for us or not
Why is it necessary to protect the environment?
As we all know that we have borrowed this earth from our previous generations they used the resources judiciously so that we have enough resources to meet are various needs but the way these days the population is growing on an alarming rate that calls for resource planning and although missions are being undertaken by the scientists to discover alternatives to the resources that we use in daily life such as petroleum, and natural gasses to meet our need of fuel for our vehicles. But what we are not able to understand is the danger that is stepping in so to reduce the risk of global warming is to make sure to reduce carbon emission in order to do that and ensure a safer future for our future generations we must adopt the following practices.
We must ensure that traffic on the roads is limited the way the number of vehicles is increasing per family has posed a threat to our environment by releasing various harmful greenhouse gasses in large numbers.
The government has taken some steps to get rid of this problem of pollution. Delhi government in November 2018 had introduced a scheme of odd and even in this the cars which had odd digits in the end of their number plates were given permission to run on roads on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Similarly those who had even numbers were permitted to go on the roads with their vehicles on the week days Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday so similar schemes should be implemented all across the country in order to reduce the risk of global warming
Besides odd and even Delhi government has undertaken a number of other practices to make sure that Delhi remains pollution free.
As we all know and have seen the destruction that takes place every year in November when the farmers of Hariyana and Punjab start burning the crop remains that are left while the rest of the crop has been harvested so in order to make the soil ready for sowing the fresh lot of crops they burn down the previous crop remains thus contributing in the increase of pollution levels in Delhi and on the other hand decreasing the fertility of the soil by using more and more fertilizers
Not only that we must also ensure that regularly water is sprinkled on the trees and on the roads so as to decrease the level of pollution. And the government should implement this law which would restrict the farmers to dispose the crop remains that are left after the crop has been harvested in an organized manner. Without depleating the soil fertility or burning down the crop remains which will contribute in the increase of pollution.
The second important subtopic that I would be talking about is the ground water table depletion:
As we all know water is an essential part of our lives and for farming most of the farmers either they depend on rain or on the ground water. Freeing the electricity for agricultural use has posed a problem farmers are using the ground water without any worries the farmers who have deeper tube wells still have access to the ground water but farmers who depend on rain or have tube wells that are not so deep are suffering because of lack of irrigation facilities
Pros:
The benefits of undertaking environmental friendly measures are as follows.
- Providing clean air to our future generations
- Making water available to the areas which are deficit in water resources
- Reducing global warming by planting trees wherever possible
- Making people aware of the harmful effects of open defecation and encouraging them to use public toilets for defecation
- Cons:
- If we do not pay attention towards global warming now we are headed towards a certern and sure disaster
- Conclusion:
- I would like to conclude my Essay by saying that it is high time that we act on a major issue of global warming if we want to give safe future to our future generations if we want to save human civilization on earth then we will have to adopt measures for it as soon as possible
- Word count: 728 words
- 26 july 2019
- Aryaman Singh
- Class 10th a
The Evolution of US Hegemony: From Marshall Plan to Present Challenges
Aryaman Singh
BA Political Science [HONS] second year
Introduction:
When discussing a country’s hegemony on the global stage, we refer to the dominance it wields over international affairs. This article delves into the dominance of the United States and its origins. Following the devastation of Western Europe post-World War II, the US, through initiatives like the Marshall Plan, spearheaded the reconstruction efforts, laying the foundation for its global influence.
Military hegemony
The formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949 marked a pivotal moment in post-war geopolitics. Initially aimed at countering the Soviet Union, eventually with time NATO expanded its membership and redefined its objectives, solidifying US military hegemony on a global scale. NATO served as a cornerstone of US-led collective defence efforts, providing a framework for military cooperation and interoperability among member states. This alliance not only bolstered the security of Western Europe but also extended US influence across the Atlantic and all over the world, establishing a network of strategic partnerships that reinforced American military hegemony in the post-war era.
An example can be the Iraq war.
Launched in 2003, it was a collective effort of countries like the US and the UK to oust Saddam Hussein the dictator of Iraq, over the false accusations of possessing weapons of mass destruction. Though in later investigations, no such proof was found proving that the sole aim of the US to launch this operation was to establish a friendly regime in Iraq which would help the US gain control over the oil fields within the country.
Structural Hegemony:
The concept of structural hegemony encompasses the US-centric understanding of the world economy, exemplified by the widespread recognition of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. This American innovation in business education has become universally accepted, granting the US a significant advantage in shaping global economic structures.
Cultural Hegemony:
Cultural dominance is a powerful tool in asserting influence over nations. Unable to overpower the Soviet Union militarily, the US leveraged its cultural appeal, epitomized by the allure of American consumer goods like blue jeans. The adoption of Western cultural symbols by the youth in the USSR underscored the potency of US cultural hegemony.
Challenges for the US in Present Times:
Despite its historical dominance, the US faces contemporary challenges, notably the trend of countries opting to de-dollarize their economies. India’s efforts to increase its gold reserves and promote bilateral trade in its local currency reflect a global shift away from reliance on the US dollar, posing a significant challenge to US economic hegemony.
Conclusion:
In summary, the United States’ ascent to global hegemony began with initiatives like the Marshall Plan, culminating in its military, structural, and cultural dominance. However, present challenges, such as the movement towards de-dollarization, highlight the evolving nature of global power dynamics. As the US navigates these challenges, its ability to adapt and maintain influence will shape the future of global politics and economics.
The decision now is in the hands of the readers of this blog. As I said, all kinds of comments are accepted. So comment freely.
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A quick note about life
Today I am not going to take much of my reader’s time, as I want to just give a short and quick note about what has been happening in my life since I published the year review of 2023 from my own perspective, on December 31 2023.
On March 14, just three days ago, there came a message on the group that the results had been declared. Upon hearing this, some students expressed their disbelief and began admonishing the person who posted the message but the girl, remained adament.
We to made multiple attempts at opening the portal and checking our result but all ended in failure because the website crashed given the trafic that it was hosting of anxious students who were willing to go to any lengths to check the result. After some time, I was finally able to generate and download my marksheet and a surprize awaited me. The blot of a failure from semester 1, had been cleared as the result had been updated from 7.36 SGPA to 7.73 SGPA taking the CGPA to 7.59 from 7.41. I would like to thank all my teachers at school, family members, friends and professors who stood by me in these difficult times and believed in me. No matter how many times I thank them, it is never going to be enough.
I just hope that never again I have to face such a situation where my brain stops working and I am unable to think of anything.
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2023 in review from my own point of view.
The anual report that you shall read hereafter, is a reflection on the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows that I have experienced in the passed year. The language used in the report, may not appeal to some for which, I would like to apologise in advance.
As several YouTube channels on my watch list have made videos marking an end to 2023, I thought that I should also get on with my plan of preparing the annual report. So here it is, I hope it will be an interesting read for all my readers.
Let’s start with the month of January.
The month started with our visit to Qutub Minar. It was a visit being undertaken by the students of History, those who had the subject as their Generic Elective. Since it was the majority of the class, it was certain that we were going for the trip since the trip was to be marked. Here came a catch 22 situation. On the same day as the trip, Radhika ma’am, the professor of Understanding Political Theory, kept a class test. Taking the class test and going for the trip, both were equally important, because both were to be marked. Now the onus was on us. Whether we wished to take the class test or go for the trip.
Here I used my intelligence and requested Radhika ma’am to talk to Ravindra sir the professor, who was accompanying us for the trip. The plan worked and ma’am postponed the test so that the History students could go for their trip to Qutub Minar.
After the negotiation was successful, on 27 January at 10 A.M., we were standing outside the gates of Qutub Minar. I was waiting for some more of my friends to arrive. After they came, we entered the complex and joined the group of students and professors in exploring the campus.
As we continued our exploration of the campus and were walking in formations of two or more students, I just casually asked one of my classmates ‘Hey are you prepared for tomorrow’s class test in Understanding Political Theory?’ ‘Don’t worry Aryaman, he said. The subject is at the back of my hand. I shall do brilliantly in the test.’ Seeing his overconfidence, I Began to doubt myself. Nevertheless, the trip lasted a few hours and just as we were about to leave the premises, as a souvenir of the visit, we decided to get some photos clicked with all the professors and students standing together and smiling. And after coming home, I sat to revise for the test the next day in which, two units. What is politics and theorising the political, were to be tested.
The next day when I reached college and in the room where the test was supposed to take place, all of my classmates were much tensed as if they had been asked to prepare for war with our neighbouring countries. When ma’am entered the class, the already tensed environment had become grim. As she started to dictate the questions, out of which we had to attempt only one, some of my classmates began to panic and one of them, in that state of panic said to ma’am. Excuse me ma’am? Could you please tell me my roll number? Is that my job? She asked in anger. Are you still in school or have you moved to college? When that day I had mentioned the entire procedure as to how could you check your roll numbers, May I know what were you doing at that point in time? Sleeping? And on top of that, the semester is about to end, it is just a matter of days now. To this day, you didn’t care to ask anyone the procedure to know your roll number? I don’t know what will you write, but I want the roll number written on the sheet or else, I will not accept the answer sheet. As simple as that. After many requests, he was told the mechanism, he was allowed to use the phone for a while, and this is how he was able to find his roll number and was saved from getting a zero in the test due to his silly mistake that he had unknowingly committed.
After the class test ended, there were discussions going on in the class group that we are all going to go to Rashtrapati Bhavan to pay a visit in the start of February and so we did.
On first of February we were all asked to come near gate number 37 as there we had to meet and after which, we were to go in together and embark on a journey of learning many things and rekindling old memories. The moment my friend arrived and came near my car, I got out and greeted him warmly. After waiting for a few more minutes, with two of our professors, we all went inside the presidential palace. There for the first time, we were shown the Darbar hall, the Ashoka Hall, and the dining area where the guests dine on their arrival. That memory was something that I will cherish my entire life. Each visit that you undertake with your friends and teachers, automatically becomes worthy, without you having to do much of a thing.
February as many of you would know, is my birthday month too. As soon as this visit to the Rashtrapati Bhavan ended, what began were the preparations for celebrating my birthday, since I was going to be 20 years old on 8th February 2023.
The day began with a surprise, as I was fed my favourite dish, the halwa that’s made out of flour. As sweets, I had Amul chocolates to distribute and knowing the nature of my newly made friends, my mother gave me 1000 rupees and also the instruction to spend each penny without any hesitation because it was my birthday and according to the manners inculcated in me, I was not supposed to upset anyone on such an auspicious day as this.
On sixth of February, two days before my birthday, I was given the news by Ravindra sir my professor of History that we would also be having a class test on the same day as my birthday. When he came to know that it was my birthday on the day of the class test, so he told me to relax and not mind the test, but considering my determination for the subject, I am sure he must have felt very good.
The test lasted for an hour, from 9:30 to 10:30 A.M. Out of the three questions written on the board, we had to attempt any one of our choice. After I took the test with utmost attention, sir celebrated my birthday with so much zeal, which was beyond my imagination. After a brief celebration and some photographs, I moved out of the classroom and towards the canteen, for a party with my friends. As we were hurtling towards the canteen, midway, we came across to Pawan sir who when came to know that it was my birthday, gave me a pen as a gift and loads of blessings that one day, he wishes to see me as an IAS (Indian Administrative Services) Officer and by the will of god, I will fulfil the promise made to him one day in the near future.
As we got started with the party, the amount that was spent, was well-below my expectations. I was hoping that out of the 1000 rupees that I was carrying, at least 800 rupees would be spent very easily. But alas! Only 200 rupees were spent and these fools, didn’t order anything to drink and Samosa was all that they ate. Any which ways, the party got over under one hour duration. And having distributed Samosas and sweets to all the guards of my college, we went for lunch in a restaurant in the campus that houses Taurus Canteen.
Upon reaching there, we sat for a while and started chatting. And as we were about to order snacks for ourselves, there came a family. The lady who also appeared to be the oldest among them, was of particular interest to me. The woman didn’t speak one language constantly. She would speak one sentence in Punjabi, another in Hindi and the third, in English as if she wanted to show to the world, her expertise in several languages. This is what I hate the most. If you are proficient at something or at multiple things, why can’t you keep it to yourself? What pleasure does flaunting the skill give you? Nonetheless, having endured the nonsense for a while, we ate our meal and drove away. As we were in the car, I got a call from one of my friend who wished me happy birthday thus, making my day extra special. There were also messages from my school friends and a teacher whose name I would like to specially mention here, Maitreyee Bhattacharya ma’am. Seeing her message, I got extremely emotional and thanked god that till date, there is someone from among my teachers at school, who remembers me amid a thousand students whom she would have taught in the past or a thousand more whom she would teach in the times to come.
After this emotional moment, the car stopped outside the building and having gone upstairs and sat in front of my laptop and opened it, I replied to all the messages that contained birthday wishes for me. At nearly six o clock in the evening, the doorbell rang loudly. Upon opening the door, I discovered that my brother was standing outside, he had taken the permission from his boss to leave early from office despite the fact that in a few days from my birthday, the world book fair was starting from 25th of February which was to last till the 5th of March, that is, for 10 days.
In the evening, having video graphed and photographed those precious moments of my life, we moved out for dinner, this time, to Drool Kitchen the restaurant, that is below the sector 10 Metro Station. Having eaten a delicious meal and gotten some more photos clicked, we returned home, with memories embedded forever in my heart.
Thereafter, I began preparing for my first semester exams, which were slated to begin from the 28th of February. Amid my preparation for tests, I received the news that till 18th of February 5:30 P.M. in the evening, we have to submit our examination forms. Since I didn’t know the procedure, so I called up my brother who logged into the portal and called me back to verify the subjects that I was studying as part of my curriculum in semester 1. It was here that mistakenly he chose the option of taking a writer in the form to write my exam. When I told this to one of the professors in the Political Science department of Motilal Nehru College, he asked a student to write an application to the principal, requesting for permission to take the exams on the computer and hurray! I was given the permission in just a few days of submitting the application.
From 28th February, what began was a phase of grinding in real. With Understanding Political Theory (UPT) being the first test of the seven that I had to appear for, I had begun feeling the heat of the tests in an undergraduate educational setting. The tests went fine till the 6th of March. That is, the day when I had my exam of Colonialism and Nationalism in India (CNI) the trouble started on the seventh of March. I don’t know what had happened to University Grants Commission that they had lined up papers before as well as after Holy.
On the seventh of March, was my paper of History titled: Delhi through the Ages: The Making of Its Early Modern History. Just like other papers, I prepared for the test with full focus and appeared for the test on the seventh of March. The staff at the college, even took the print of the exam so ideally speaking, there should not have been any problems in checking the paper. But unfortunately it didn’t happen as I had hoped. After all my exams got over on the 13th of March, seven days later from the 20th of March onwards, we started with our second semester. That was for the first time, that I was introduced to International Relations as a separate discipline. As we were studying through the semester and getting the feel of the gradually increasing workload, in the month of May this year, we were to bid farewell to the outgoing batch of Daljit Bhaiya and others. The date that was fixed for the function, was for the eighth of May. The decision was taken, in view of the availability of most of the professors of the Political Science Department.
The party was off to a good start, everything was going as per plan. I had decided that I would sing and play a song at the party and for which, I had also taken my Casio along with me to the college. But just as there are some aunties in every colony who don’t believe in the flawless execution of a plan, similarly in our college too, there were some students of BA Program, who came into the ground where the party was going on, with the sole intention to create trouble.
When those brash students arrived in the lawn and demanded that we vacate the lawn, we tried to explain to them politely that the lawn had been assigned to us for the party from the college and therefore the lawn was meant for our use until the party was going on. But as illiterate as they were, they did not listen to us and started to beat some of our seniors. In retaliation our seniors also fought back. The situation had become so tensed, that some idiot thought that this was a school that we were in, and asked someone to go and call the teachers from the staff room. Hearing his ludicrous suggestion, we all started to laugh and somehow, the problem was solved without much of a problem otherwise if the tension would have risen even a little, the party it was being feared, could have gotten cancelled and some of our seniors of the graduating batch, had not studied due to the excitement that they had thinking about the fun and frolic that they were going to experience at the party. This is as per one of the conversations that I had overheard, as I was sitting and waiting for the function to begin because, true to my word, I had reached the venue as early as 10:30 A.M. when the party actually began from 12 P.M.
After the fighting and my unsuccessful rendition of the song Kabhi Al Vida Na Kehna, which is otherwise a very good song but because of me lending my voice to the song, it had become a sort of a corrupt version of the song but overall, except me, all my fellow classmates as well as seniors, who were then in their second year, had performed absolutely brilliant.
After the party fever was over, it was now time for us to start writing our assignments and preparing for our oral viva examinations in the various subjects that we were studying in semester two. A thing that we were most tensed for and had asked our professors multiple times, besides the vivas and the pattern of the papers in semester 2, was that ‘Sir, when will we be getting our marks for the first semester exams?’ Because this was astonishing for every one of us that it was about to be four months since our first semester exams had gotten over in March but even till the end of June, we didn’t seem to have any idea as to when were the results scheduled to be released.
In the month of July, as we had begun losing hope, as a sliver of hope, came a news. On fourth of July, one of my classmates informed the entire class on the group that the marks for the first semester had been made available on the university portal and that, we may download the marks now and see the scores for ourselves.
In my excitement, I opened the website and the statement of marks, and began to sift my scores in various subjects. As soon as I examined my marks for History which I had as Generic elective in semester one, I was speechless because if the statement of marks was to be believed, so according to that, I had failed the theory exam in History which was indicative of the fact that I had been given a back in the semester in that particular paper and which now meant that I was required to take a re-examination of the said paper, if I wished to clear all the examinations and get a spotless degree.
Given my regularity in the class and the timely submission of my assignments, it could not be possible. Just to reconfirm, I sent it across to one of my friends who gave me the same news as I had suspected that ‘I am sorry bro, as per your statement of marks, you have failed the History paper and have been given a back.’ Heartbroken, I dialled my then professor of History. After hearing the entire story and the sad end of it, he was willing to help me. He asked me that was I coming the next day to college. To which I replied yes as I had to appear for some vivas and class tests. Then he said that ‘After I reach college, I shall give you a call and then, we shall get this matter sorted.’
The next day when I reached college, despite my friends asking me many a times about my marks, I didn’t say a word but at last, I said shyly. ‘Guys I have scored 7.36 Semester Grade Point Average.’ Having heard it, they started to congratulate me and ask me the cause of my worry. Considering, that the score was very nice. I told them that the score could have been slightly higher, had I not received a back in History. My classmates expressed their disbelief on the fact that I could fail any paper and encouraged me to challenge it for re-evaluation.
Cut to September 2023. Having done all the formalities and wasted sir’s birthday on the 5th of July, I got the application filled and the necessary documents attached and the application was then deposited to window number six, Examination Branch South Campus, University of Delhi, on Monday the 10th of July.
Post that, I began gearing up for the exams of semester two. One by one, I cleared all of them and on 12th of September, got the results. I was so happy to see that I had not failed any paper but that blot from semester one was still there, as it is.
As I was trying to figure out the mysteries of life, a bad news jolted me.
It was the 24th of September, only six days remained in the month’s end, and I was sitting and watching some shows in the evening as my mother slept in the bed room. I went to refill my water bottle as it had run out of water. When I came back, I saw a missed call from one of my juniors. I was terrified because the time at which he had called me, was not his usual time to call. I was alarmed and hence, I called him back. As soon as he picked the call, he uttered the following words. “Bhaiya, I have got a bad news from our beloved school to tell you. Ramdas Bhaiya is no more.” For those unversed, Ramdas Bhaiya was no ordinary person. Though he was just a guard. Someone at whom most of us or those around us often tend to get angry pretty soon and slap them, without realising their own mistake. But in Tagore International things were different. You couldn’t mistreat anyone. Not even the guard. So when I got the news of his untimely demise. Being a human, as my first reaction, I slammed my junior for having such a bad sense of humour but only when he sent me a message from one of the teachers working at the school, did I believe the news to be true.
The next day, I did not go to college, instead, went in the direction of Tagore International School, and paid homage to that great soul, who was the epitome of selfless service among all the people I have known or met till date.
After that sorrowful phase of my life, I got on with the preparations for my third semester assignments. The assignments got completed on time, so did the practicals. But what remained, was that very blot in History from semester one.
On 13th of this, month, was my brother’s birthday. Since nana ji couldn’t come on his birthday, so he came on the 14th of December, and we all began to have a discussion with him. As we were talking and guffaws of laughter echoed through the house, the cheerful environment was suddenly disrupted by the loud ringing noise of my mobile device. Having sustained the calls three times, I called back on the number from which I was getting calls repeatedly. On the other side of the phone, was one of the staff members from the college office. Aryaman? He said. Among the three semesters, which History paper you wanted to be re-examined? I said, semester one. It was for that paper that we had applied for revaluation back in July this year. I think, he continued, that we have encountered a problem in the process of revaluation. The university people are saying that the questions and answers, don’t seem to match. If possible, please come tomorrow, and help us locate your answersheet on the system on which you took the exam back then. When the call ended, I came out with a wry face. Everyone kept asking me the cause of worry, but I did not tell anything to anyone.
The next day, upon my arrival in college, I told them everything in detail such as, the system on which I had taken my examinations in semester one, the date when I had appeared for my History exam that semester, the time and everything. After a while, they came out of the laboratory and said. I think we have lost your answersheet of semester one, you will have to either take a re-examination, or ask one of your friends for the question paper and take the exam right now.
I called my friends one by one but as expected, they didn’t have the paper with them. Using the final weapon in my arsenal, I rang my professor. He picked up the call, despite the fact that it was 9:30 in the morning. He sent me the paper on What Sapp, I was dictated the questions to which I wrote the answers and it was after the printout was successfully taken and sent to the designated room, that I took a sigh of relief.
After that major hurdle was crossed, from the 20th of December, began my third semester exams. Three are done, four remain. I hope that next year, is full of joy for me and for everybody else in the world. I hope that all the challenges in my life, will be overcome in the coming year.
From next year onwards, I plan to read more and more books, and gain more knowledge and write a review of any book that I should find engaging.
With this, I wish all of you a happy and a prosperous new year! -
हिंदी कि कम होती महत्ता पर मेरे विचार।
मेरे सभी पाठकों को मेरा हारदिक अभिनंदं. आज हिंदी दिवस है. हम भले हि आज हिंदी दिवस मना रहे हों, परंतु आज का दिन हमारे लिे गहन चिंतन करने का दिन है। क्यूँकि, हमने कयी वर्षों से एक चलन देखा है। आजकल कि युवा पीढ़ी, जिसमें मैं भी शामिल हूँ, को अंग्रेजी में अपने विचार व्यक्त करने का एक चसका है। जिनहें यह लगता है कि, अगर किसी को अंग्रेजी नहीं आती या आती भी है तो टूटी-फूटी गलत अंग्रेजी, वैसे लोग सही मायनों में शिक्षित नहीं हैं। ऐसे लोगों का मत है कि यदि आपको अंग्रेजी बोलना, तथा अंग्रेजी पहनावे में रहना और अंग्रेजी खान-पान उतना पसंद नहीं है, तो आप असल जीवन जी ही नहीं रहे। जबकि मेरा मानना है कि, किसी भी भाषा को कौषल तक सीमित रहने दिया जाना चाहिए, कोी भी भाषा हमारी पहचान से बड़ी नहीं हो सकती। यदि ऐसा न होता तो 21 फ़रवरी को अंतराष्ट्रिय मात्रि भाषा दिवस क्यूँ मनाया जा रहा होता? यह सब और कुछ नहीं, हमारे लिे संकेत के समान है कि, अभी भी समय है, चेत जाओ. छोड़ दो अंग्रेजों से ज़्यादा अंग्रेज बनने कि प्रतिस्परधा। अच्छा होगा यदि हम अंग्रेजी के साथ-साथ, अपने द्वारा बोली जाने वाली विभिन्न भाषाओं का भी उतना हि प्रचार प्रसार करें जितना हम अंग्रेजी का करते हैं। इस उम्मीद के साथ, मैं आर्यमन आप सबसे अनुमति चाहूँगा। एक बार फिर, सभी को मेरी ओर से हिंदी दिवस कि ढेरों शुभकामनाें।
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Parenting as done in the east and the west.
Hello to all my readers. I hope you have been enjoying the headlines covering the details and the successful adoption of the leader’s declaration of the Group of 20 in New Delhi this past weekend.
In the mean time, as we were sitting at home and all the educational institutions were closed due to the fact that there were many world leaders coming to attend the summit in Delhi, I had plenty of time on my hands. When you have time, you do two things. Either you prefer having fun with your family or you choose to do some thinking, come up with an idea and write a blog. I did the latter, given how interested I am in writing blogs and expressing myself in front of my readers.
I thought for a while and after thinking for a few minutes, an idea came to my mind. Why not write a blog about the difference that I have noticed in the way parenting is done in the eastern part of the world and the western part of the world? So today’s blog is going to be all about my understanding of how is the style of parenting in the east and the west, as observed by me.
As my readers will already have known from my past write ups, that i was born in India’s Punjab’s Patiala city. Since my family background was that of the armed forces, discipline, dedication and punctuality were qualities that came naturally to me. Based on this, I can say for sure that in the east, parenting is largely about instilling in the child a sense of discipline, empathy and sensitivity. Most of the children with this kind of a parenting patten grow up to become indeviduals who believe that co-existance is the key to all-round development and progress. We have even been told in our childhood many a times that, parents are one’s first teachers. It is the parents who teach you values like sharing things with others, living with people in harmony, and respecting the feelings of others. To give you all an example, when I was a child, I was always told by my mother that no matter what, always learn to forgive people. Those who forgive, are the ones who succeed. Often, she would take me to temples and distribute sweets to the poor on occasions such as someone’s birthday in the family or her marriage anniversary. These values as taught by my mother, resonate with me to this day and due to which, I often pardon people even if they have said things to me that have caused me immense damage and can’t be undone. Besides this, I also love assisting people in every possible manner which is why, ever since I have entered college, I make it a point to help whosoever is in need of something that I can easily provide, so I should better provide the thing rather than regreting my actions later. Because when you help someone, the kind of satisfaction you get is beyond the speakable and beyond the explainable. On the other hand, one of my cousins, who is a product of the western style of parenting, is exactly opposite to me. He believes that he has every knowledge in the world, that he is the only person who can be right about each and every issue in the world. To help you better understand the context, let me take you all back into a flashback. The year was 2014 and he had come to visit us from Turkey which is now Turkiye. When he reached home, the boy wasted no time and started to complain about India. What was surprising to me was the very fact that despite all his lies, not once was he stopped and scolded by his parents rather, they kept encouraging him and after a point, it was me who had to indulge with him in a debate and clear all his misconceptions about India that he had in his mind. The likes of the fact that India’s History is no History as Karl Marx had once said, etc. I think that the children in the west are highly opinionated, intolerant and restless. Recently there was also a movie that showcased how an Indian couple fought the Norwegian government to get their children back who had been forcefully separated from their parents on false alligations of violating the children’s privacy, not giving them enough space to play and co-sleeping with them. The story does not end here. Even a few days ago in Germany, there was a similar case wherein a child was snatched from her parents and kept in a foster care because the German authorities believed that the parents tried assaulting the child which was in violation of the German laws. However, statistics tell a different story. More than 2000000 children in Germany have parents who are addicted to alcohol. More than 60000 kids have parents who are addicted to taking drugs. Should these children not be going to foster care? Rather than those who belong to Indian parents? In the west, all they know is how to fool you through their duplicity in which if prises were ever announced, the west would bag the first position for there is no country that is as hypocritical and a blatent liar as those in the west.
This was my take on the styles of parenting in both parts of the world. Wherein on one hand we have the orient that is considered to be mostly poor and underdeveloped and on the other hand, you have these western countries who maybe calling themselves developed and very rich, but the fact is that, they lack moral values because of which, there are shootouts almost every day. Sometimes it’s clubs, sometimes schools or even house-parties. This blog was an attempt to give my perspective on this very idea of parenting wherein, I have tried to explain, as best as I can, the distinct approach to parenting in the east and the west, which have been substantiated with appropriate and reasonable examples. If you have any comments or complains to make regarding the blog, feel free to drop a comment in the box below the blog. -
Flashback into my own college life so far, and some suggestions for the incoming batch.
Good evening, dear readers. I hope you are all in good health.
I know that I haven’t blogged in a few weeks since my last blog post. The fact that my exams were approaching, so naturally I thought it would be better to concentrate on my exams rather than blogging. Now that I am free from my exams, let me tell you about my experiences that I had while taking these exams.
For better clarity so that a good understanding can be developed, lets delve in some depth of what all I had to face when I as a freshman at college, sat to write my exams for the first time. That too, on my own on the system, without any writer being provided to me, upon my own request.
When I entered college and was about to sit for my exams in the first semester, the fear that was instilled in me by my seniors, taking exams seemed daunting. Especially considering the word limit that we had to write our answers in. Which could be, as my seniors told me, anywhere from in between 800 to 900 words, or even more than that.
But as I progressed with my classes in college and got to know my professors well and interacted closely with them, I learned that the professors in college are not as much concerned with how many words you write in your answersheets or in your assignments, as they are with how clearly you are able to write your answers and communicate your ideas through your ansers. Which gives the professor a new perspective and because of that, they give you good marks.
So I would like to give my juniors who will be joining college in a shortwhile from now, some suggestions. Never give importance to how many words others have written in their answersheets, but to the quality of answers you will be writing or the assignments you will be working on. Because professors at Delhi University give more importance to the quality of answers than the number of words in those answers.
Further in my blog, I will be talking about what I am doing currently: Having finished taking all my exams two of which were delayed and deferred due to the floods in Delhi from the month of July and extended into the month of August thus , making all of us angry. I am right now busy relaxing and preparing for the battle that awaits me in my second year.
As we progress with the blog, I have some good news to share with my readers. As I was about to finish my exams and was just left with one of my exams that of the practicals for Swachh Bharat on the third of August. One evening, I got a call from my friend. Who was elated to inform me that he had been successful in getting admission to one of the colleges of his dreams in the University of Delhi.
Truth be told, I was extremely happy for him. Because the college he had chosen was the same college which was once my dream college. But due to some inevitable circumstances and my mother’s condition that required her to make a tough decision, that of shifting to North Campus if I chose that college, made me relent and settle for a bit less than I desired. But since I have made such strong connections with all my professors and friends at college, that the college feels like my third home only after school and my house.
Having said that, I wish my friend best of luck for his college journey that he is yet to start from the 16th of August, and would like to advise him to strictly adhere to what professors will be saying in the class. Don’t put your mind on what your friends in your class might be saying. There might be some friends who will genuinly be wishing your good, but there will be some who will be a classic example for the English saying, a dog in the manger meaning those, who will not do good for themselves, but won’t let you succcede and get in the professor’s good books either. Because for them, college is more about fun than studies. Whereas it should be a mix of adventure, studies and fun. This is what, according to me is the recipe for a fun-filled and a healthy college life that is free of problems. -
An account of elaborate experiences.
Good evening to all my readers, I hope you all are fine.
So today, taking a break from the usual discription of my life and my personal tales, I would like to tell you something different.
This starts with my presentation that I delivered on Thursday in my class of History.
The presentation was about Delhi’s situation in the year 1947, when the city was mired by violence, arson and unrest. AS the British disided to partition India into two countries while they were leaving India, handing the rule over to us, thus herralding the end of the British Empire.
The way I was eulogised by my professor Ravindra Sir, it meant the world to me. But that commendation was not without help. The help that I was proffered by my teachers at Tagore International School, also proved to be one of the many reasons for the success of my presentation.
Many people think that as soon as they complete school, now they needn’t stay in touch with their teachers, sever all their contacts and be done with it. But according to me, this is not the right approach.
Teachers are always a tresure who are to be cherished. It is they who stand by you no matter what challenges the life may throw in front of you.
After this, I would also like to discuss about an incident that happened with me yesterday when I was in the mall, doing some shopping.
Yesterday, my family and I decided to go to the mall and do some purchasing. As we entered the mall and went to do the shopping, my mother told me to sit on one of the chairs and asked me not to let anyone be seated next to me as she was going somewhere and would be back in just a few minutes.
Now that I have a phone of my own, I put my earphones on, and started listening to music. Suddenly, my brother approached me and asked me about mother’s whereabouts. I told him the name of the shop and he went in that direction, which was just straight in front from where I was sitting.
As I immersed myself in the pleasures of music, two men came and started talking to me.
It was not that I was afraid speaking to them, but the way they started their conversation.
Technically speaking, they should have first asked me my name, and then should have carried on with their questions, whatever they had in mind.
Fun fact: Except my name, they asked me all. From how old I was, to which school have I been educated in? To which course I study. But the question which made me feel more infuriated was the question about the mode of the conduct of classes for me since, I am a visually challenged student.
I answered all of their questions with verve and as they were about to stretch their conversation further and ask me more intricate details, I was immediately taken away by my brother.
This encounter told me that, now that I want to become an Officer of the Indian Administrative Services, there will be all kinds of people inhabitting my district. From intellectuals, to mediocres, to below average and imbecile.
Which is why I am practicing restraint in any such circumstances. Because I know that there are going to be people who will question my qualification. There will also be people trying to be in a denial mode and refuse the results released by the Union Public Service Commission, claiming it to be forged, fake, fraudulent.
SO when I am planning to take up a role as challenging as this, I think it is only wise if I start taking the tribulations head on.
With this, it is time for me to sign off for the week, stay safe, healthy, sound, fit and fine, subscribe to my blog in large numbers, help me grow my subscriber base, etc. Basically do all that you can, to ensure that my subscribers increase.
This is what is my strength and gives me motivation to keep on doing this work.
As expressive writing is something that helps me release my pent-up emotions, helps me narrate the things I cannot do usually with that much eas, to my audience who are all very intelligent, understanding, caring and compassionate beings.
Your’s sincerely,
Aryaman Singh,
MLNC, University of Delhi. -
Lesser known facts about me, part 2.
Good afternoon to my readers, I hope you all are well, enjoying your lives to the maximum.
In the last part, we discussed what were the challenges that faced me the day I was born and made me into who I am, today.
When the news of my blindness reached the ears of my parents, they were aghast. They did not think this would happen and hence were hopeless. AS the clouds of dispare and gloom loomed over my life, it appeared as if everything would be shattered in a moment. But I was enrolled in an institution named National Association for the Blind which changed my life forever. AS there, I saw many of my fellow classmates who were in the same condition as myself but were driven by the desire to do better. Having spent three years learning brail over there, I was integrated in Tagore International School, a renowned institution, which gave me the opportunity to explore my talents and supported me in every possible way. After the integration, there was no looking back.
However, this was not always the case. When I had my eyesight and I saw the world like others, I had many dreams in my head. Some day I wished to become an air force officer, another day I aspired to become a pilot, some other day I wanted to become something else. I was basically in a dilemma which was cleared the moment I stepped in an institution as esteemed and respected as Tagore International School.
However, it would be pertinent to remind my readers that my journey to the school of my dreams was not as easy as some of you may think.
The school where I studied earlier, that is, the National Assosiation for the Blind, the teachers who taught me there, were real devils. I don’t say this without reason.
I won’t name them because calling names is something that I have not been taught, they were such that moodswings were common in their case. One minute they would be happy, the next minute, they’d start beating you with iron scales, chawks, slippers, to put it more simply, whatever came in their hands, they’d use it without even the slightest of remorse for their actions. One day, one of those teachers, while teaching us, went so far as to hit one of my friend with her slippers. The blow was so hard, that his nose started to bleed which was dismissed by her as mere drama, and he was told to focus on studies rather than trying to lure the teacher into believing his fairytale.
I was also not spared. One day, I was writing something on the Brail Slate. For those unversed, it is a wooden board, which comes with a styless which is a smallar version of a pencil with which we write and as we write, the dots that appear on the paper, are what brail consists of.
So as I told you that some of the teachers were quite moody there, one day, as I was writing something that was in accordance to what was being dictated by ma’am to me. I soon ran out of paper and had to insert another sheet in order to continue. As I tried putting the paper in, the paper got a bit crooked. Logically speaking, what should her approach have been now? To explain me the right way of inserting the sheet and tell me not to repeat the mistake again and be mindful of the same? Instead what she did was, she took her scale, and charged at me. She beat me so much, that there were bruises all over my back. Even then she did not stop and even hit me on my hands, slapped me multiple times, undetered and unnoticed.
Somehow the day got over, I stepped out of the school, writhing in pain.
As mischievous as her driver was, he asked me. Hey! Aryaman, would you like to come with us to Gurgaon? I said nothing, and walked away nonchalantly as if I had not heard what he said.
The moment I reached home, my mother saw my injuries, she then informed my father when he came back from office in the evening. Together they both went to the school, indulged in an argument with the teacher. Warning her that “we send our child here to study, not to be hit. If he is unable to understand a concept or any procedure that he should be following while inserting the brail papers inside the brail slate, you should apprise him about the same and not start being violent with him.”
From that day, the teacher was a bit cooled down though her ire did not decrease. All the years that I was there, I had to experience the ire of her colleagues and herself, making me feel that I was inept at times.
But when I entered Tagore International School, there was no looking back. It was here that I got to learn that without being violent and abusive, children can be trained and be made into responsible citizens.
In the next blog, I will tell you some of the interesting instances from my school life at Tagore International School. How I broke two dustbins because I was running and they came in my way, to how I was violent in classes sixth to eighth and how I was helped and my anger curtailed.
With this, I would like to bring my writing to a fruition over here, with a promise to meet you all next week.
In the mean time, stay safe, stay healthy and take good care of yourselves.
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The journey of a blind boy. 