My Mother
My dear Mother Kasturi Baliga is no more but her thoughts and guidance will be with us throughout.
I am the eldest of the four children of hers. We were named Meenakshi, Prashant,Premila or Vasuda and Sharmila. I was actually named Priya but since my father was posted in Madurai just after I was born and the eldest in the family be it a boy or girl was named Meenakshi after the goddess there my name was changed to Meenakshi. She had four children in the span of four years. Imagine the trouble she would have had in bringing up such small children in a nuclear family with no major help except a maid who would do small household chores like washing vessels and cleaning the house. My father was travelling a lot because of his job and most of the time our mother used to take care of us all alone. She used to be irritated because of that and at that age we would not understand as to why she was behaving like that.
She was efficient and hard working lady who would give importance to her children and their education at the cost of her own socialising and entertainment. She devoted all her life for us four kids with all selflessness and dedication which is a rarity in this age and time. She stressed on the moral values in us as well as god fearing nature. Our behaviour was noticed by her at all times even when she was busy in her own chores of cooking etc. Sometimes I used to wonder how she could manage to do all that. But now that I am a mother myself though of only child I could well imagine how she could do so much. She would admonish us if we went away even slightly from the accepted normal behaviour of hers. So we would never dare to hurt her in any way.
She was brilliant in her own way in academics too though she was not educated much. She was educated till the sslc(class 10 level). But she had good knowledge of astrology and vedic studies. She used to guide us in our studies when we were kids till about her class 7 level. I have never ever seen her lying down because of any sickness.
I remember the variety of snacks she used to prepare during janmashtami and diwali single handedly with all pleasure and no hint of tiredness and boredom. I salute her for that. No outside food was avaliable during those days for festivals and father insisted on home made sweets and snacks and especially made by mother as she was a wonderful cook. She used to make variety of pickles without using mixies even idli batter was ground manually and the taste was superb so to say. As I grew up I started helping her around in the grinding part but not much. She was good at music too. She used to teach us malayalam alphabets during summer vacation and also some bhajans and shlokas of God because of which I can read malayalam language today and also understand most of the words if not all!!
Thanks to her for that.
Though my father was from Karnataka we could not get the advantage of learning Kannada alphabet though I wanted tolearn it as he did not have much time and interest to spend time with us for that purpose. My mother learnt that language on her own while she was there in Mangalore for around 9 months for my younger sister's birth. That is creditable indeed She had mastered Konkani(our mother tongue), Malayalam as she was brought up in Kerala, Hindi her third language in Kerala and English her second language as well as Kannada. That too with us small kids. She could have achieved much if she was more educated and got more opportunities.
She was ambitious in a way. Though she could not achieve much academically in her life she wanted us to be academically sound and prosper in life. She did everything in her capacity to make us get good education. She never stopped us from buying extra books or getting magazines which increases our knowledge.
Apart from that she would singlehandedly serve the guests who would pour in off and on with full dedication and care at the same time seeing to it that all her children are well taken care of.
I was married off at the age of 25 years and she was the happiest for me. I never thought that anything will happen to her. Even the thought of my parents death would bring tears into my eyes. I was imagining my parents playing with their grandchildren and relaxing and seeing them grow in front of their eyes. My mother took good care of me during my pregnance as it was a custom to have a first born in the maternal house Shewould see that I had proper diet and nutrition She would accompany me to all my visits to doctors and diagnostic centres. When my daughter was born she was by my side day and night taking care of her while I used to sleep because of medication. This was in October 1994. My sister Vasuda was also supposed to get married in December 1994 the same year. My mother was very happy for both of us. But in Mid November she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer which had to be operated toavoid complications. It was a stage IVcancer I believe. I was totally shattered and could not digest the fact.
Her further treatment was to take place after her marriage. I had also to leave after that with my husband. My sister Sharmila and brother Prashant was there to take care of her then. They had to take her for chemos and radiation therapies on and off and she got cured in a years time and started doing her normal chores slowly due to her weak health condition. Everyone was happy that she had become physically fit as doctors had declared her fit. But in May 1996 she got brain tumour which had metastatised from the breast and that being secondary cancer took a toll on her life. Her walk and lower part of the body got affected because of that. She was admitted in mid May and was there till her death on July 15, 1996. I was thinking why she what sin she had committed to deserve this? She had only sacrificed herself for the sake of her four children. Let Good Lord give her peace and rest wherever she is.
Even now I feel she is guiding me in all that I do.
We miss her a lot though today even after almost 15 years of her passing away.
Love you Mother
Monday, July 11, 2011
Monday, November 23, 2009
Free TV sets for people below poverty line by the Tamil Nadu Government
The Tamil Nadu Government had given free TV sets for people below poverty line. This will not benefit them in any way as there is no power in villages and remote places most of the time. Moreover, their valuable time in fields and workplace will be affected by their watching useless soap operas which is addictive and gives only negative impact on the psyche of people
Instead, the government should have provided free seeds or technology tothem tobetter their harvest or given them training in some vocation which would enable them to be self sufficient
Being populist is fine but do we know how much harm we make by doing such useless acts unknowingly in the long run. People become lazy their fields get neglected, they depend more onthe government for their day to day existence thereby becoming a bigger burden on the exchequer as also increasing their poverty. I was witness to a mid day meal scheme of the Tamil Nadu Government during the late MGR's time. I was passing by a corporation run school during luch time in chennai. I saw parents standing outside the school with their children and a plat or bowl intheir hands. the children just go inside the school get their share of lunch and give it to the parents waiting outside. This is repeated by the child till they felt the family's share of lunch is obtained including that of the parents. I felt very bad that day. Aren't we spoiling them by our very act of so called generosity. Instead of providing lunch, free they should have given some incentive to the child to get the lunch by way of regular presence in the school and good performance or keeping a tab on the greedy parents who want the share of their children's meal without doing any labour. Are we creating a society to our selfish benefit especially the politicians with an eye on their vote bank without realising how much long term burden they are causing on the government exchbequer. There are lots of ways in which the government can help the people by which the people also will benefit and the government also will not suffer. It is by making them earn their livelihood be it in cities or in rural areas. Make them accountablefor every paisa theyearn let them be given some training in some vocation like carpentry, electrician, weaving, etc if they are in cities or town and in agricultural technology and benefits if they are in villages. This way people will bless the government as also will increase the income of the government in the long run as they will not be perennially dependent on the government for their day to day existence. Hope the government of the day will come out of its selfishness and do the needful for the vast majority of the population thereby increasing the income of the country
Meenakshi Kamath
Instead, the government should have provided free seeds or technology tothem tobetter their harvest or given them training in some vocation which would enable them to be self sufficient
Being populist is fine but do we know how much harm we make by doing such useless acts unknowingly in the long run. People become lazy their fields get neglected, they depend more onthe government for their day to day existence thereby becoming a bigger burden on the exchequer as also increasing their poverty. I was witness to a mid day meal scheme of the Tamil Nadu Government during the late MGR's time. I was passing by a corporation run school during luch time in chennai. I saw parents standing outside the school with their children and a plat or bowl intheir hands. the children just go inside the school get their share of lunch and give it to the parents waiting outside. This is repeated by the child till they felt the family's share of lunch is obtained including that of the parents. I felt very bad that day. Aren't we spoiling them by our very act of so called generosity. Instead of providing lunch, free they should have given some incentive to the child to get the lunch by way of regular presence in the school and good performance or keeping a tab on the greedy parents who want the share of their children's meal without doing any labour. Are we creating a society to our selfish benefit especially the politicians with an eye on their vote bank without realising how much long term burden they are causing on the government exchbequer. There are lots of ways in which the government can help the people by which the people also will benefit and the government also will not suffer. It is by making them earn their livelihood be it in cities or in rural areas. Make them accountablefor every paisa theyearn let them be given some training in some vocation like carpentry, electrician, weaving, etc if they are in cities or town and in agricultural technology and benefits if they are in villages. This way people will bless the government as also will increase the income of the government in the long run as they will not be perennially dependent on the government for their day to day existence. Hope the government of the day will come out of its selfishness and do the needful for the vast majority of the population thereby increasing the income of the country
Meenakshi Kamath
Monday, May 18, 2009
standard of education today
standard of education has increased considerably in india in the last decade or so with computerisation and implmentation of computer aided teaching in the schools. Children enjoy the methods today which is partly audio-visual and partly conventional using what is known as smart class which is a web based white board and another is blackboard which has been used down the ages.
But the moot question is are the children able to perform in their exams where hours of written work and recollection of notes and ideas is a must.
Somestimes I feel the conventional method of teaching is a must for the primary classes upto class 5 wherein they learn the concepts of the subject in the traditional manner which has been carried forward down the ages and it has been successful also. How then shall we explain the number of IAS officers and other government exams are cleared by the students of the rural areas and from government schools rather than by the students of the public schools? One the students of rural areas and government schools are known to live in adverse circumstances and learn to adjust anywhere while those of the public schools are lacking in it and hence are unable to put in the hard work required to pass such tough exams though exceptions do exist.
Through web based education and computer aided teaching intellect do develop for it to materialise into a full fledged academic success is a distant dream if not very distant. Unless the government will come out with changes in the examination pattern in the near future. with all the save paper save tree slogan rummomg the ground maybe that will also be possible. Until then let us stick to both the methods of teaching in our schools which will benefit the students to face the practical realities of life much better.
Meenakshi
But the moot question is are the children able to perform in their exams where hours of written work and recollection of notes and ideas is a must.
Somestimes I feel the conventional method of teaching is a must for the primary classes upto class 5 wherein they learn the concepts of the subject in the traditional manner which has been carried forward down the ages and it has been successful also. How then shall we explain the number of IAS officers and other government exams are cleared by the students of the rural areas and from government schools rather than by the students of the public schools? One the students of rural areas and government schools are known to live in adverse circumstances and learn to adjust anywhere while those of the public schools are lacking in it and hence are unable to put in the hard work required to pass such tough exams though exceptions do exist.
Through web based education and computer aided teaching intellect do develop for it to materialise into a full fledged academic success is a distant dream if not very distant. Unless the government will come out with changes in the examination pattern in the near future. with all the save paper save tree slogan rummomg the ground maybe that will also be possible. Until then let us stick to both the methods of teaching in our schools which will benefit the students to face the practical realities of life much better.
Meenakshi
Girls Education in rural areas
18/5/09
It gives me immense pleasure to read the newspapers about increase in girls going to schools in the rural areas especially in states like Bihar and UP where there is severe discrimination against girls and women.
Are the women still contented with what they get or achieve. Partly women are getting or started getting empowered thanks to government's various schemes to that effect. Solid example of this is of a girl of a small town in Sehore, M.P. who got through the IAS in her very first attempt even though from a very poor family. I hope her clans increase in the days to come.
We need to use more self reliant measures to empower women in rural areas by using the locally available resources to good effect like jute, bamboo, wool, milk etc., so that they can use their talent to earn their livelihood apart from the farm or poultry products in their vicinity. They can also become health care professionals with a little help from the government or some doctors in the area who can guide them on basics of hygiene and sanitation.
We need to go a long way before they become truly self-reliant.
Meenakshi Kamath
It gives me immense pleasure to read the newspapers about increase in girls going to schools in the rural areas especially in states like Bihar and UP where there is severe discrimination against girls and women.
Are the women still contented with what they get or achieve. Partly women are getting or started getting empowered thanks to government's various schemes to that effect. Solid example of this is of a girl of a small town in Sehore, M.P. who got through the IAS in her very first attempt even though from a very poor family. I hope her clans increase in the days to come.
We need to use more self reliant measures to empower women in rural areas by using the locally available resources to good effect like jute, bamboo, wool, milk etc., so that they can use their talent to earn their livelihood apart from the farm or poultry products in their vicinity. They can also become health care professionals with a little help from the government or some doctors in the area who can guide them on basics of hygiene and sanitation.
We need to go a long way before they become truly self-reliant.
Meenakshi Kamath
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