Love and Greed

When Love arose in heart and deed

To shower the world with great joy,

“What can She give me now?” said Greed,

For Greed thought to win some costly toy.

 

He rose, he ran, he stooped, he clutched,

And soon the Flowers, the Love let fall

In Greed’s clenched fist were smirched.

And Greed said, “Flowers! Can this be all?”

 

He flung them down and went his way,

He cared no jot for tulip or rose.

But boys and girls came out to play,

And some took these and some took those.

 

Red, blue, and white, and green and gold

And at their touch the dew returned,

All the flowers bloomed thousand-fold

And so crimson, so bright, the flowers burned!!

Idleness

As peace is the end of the war,

And night, always, isn’t from light too far.

To be idle is the only respite for the Busy

For our mind, from life’s labour, wants to be lazy

 

Who says idleness is a vice

A curse, a punishment for the wise

A rust that eats away one’s brains

Us, from success and wisdom, it refrains

 

Idleness bestows upon us leisure

Time to recount and peep into memory’s treasure

Time to observe and think out of the rut

It goads curiosity and feelings from the gut.

 

Idleness gives solace and peace from life’s Din

So, for the “Counter-wise” idleness is not a sin!!                 

 

She

She is beauty’s own dame

Of ethereal clouds and grace divine.

Worthy to drive most of men insane

Her eyes lit with resplendent shine.

Tinkers her voice with a sweet chime

In her tresses resides the darkest night

Her sweet frown can change all clime

And all that’s dark and bright

Meet in her face and her eyes

Mellowed to, in so tender a light

Which a sunny day despise

Like thousands a tulips bloom

When her lips brook a smile

A tint that wins, lightens all gloom.

Her brows of dark wisps

Conceal and guard her calm.

Her cheeks blushed of a rose’s kiss,

Lies with her, a heart which knows love & no Harm!!!!!

Lessons in Neglect

The primary education system in India reeks of gross negligence and incompetence on the part of the government. It is shocking that India spends a meagre 3.6% of GDP on education, notwithstanding the size of 290 million students to be taught. Despite the vociferous claims of the incumbent parties doing well on educational front; it just turns out to be hollow in the light of the fact that –India’s illiterate population equals the population of USA. India when compared to most of the developing countries like Brazil, Russia, South-Africa etc ranks far behind in the Human Development Report (HDR 2006-07) of UNDP. In order to be an economic power and a global player ---in the long-term—India just cannot ignore the potential of primary education system. No matter how much the government does to improve the higher education system in the country, with a near moribund primary education it would just turn out to be a wild goose chase. 9 out of 10 students in class 1 won’t get into colleges!!!! This hole in the education “bucket” needs to be plugged—sooner the better.

Looking forward what can be done to improve the whole educational milieu in the country. After reading a number of reports and articles I  believe certain bold and new steps could be taken by our policy-makers— at least to start with:

1)     Privatise primary education. By privatisation it shouldn’t mean exit of government from primary education. Operations like Mid-day meal scheme, Maintenance and teaching staffs etc can be taken care by the private players. While government’s role would comprise developing course curriculum and management. There are innumerable government primary and middle schools across the country. But most of them are in a dilapidated and neglected state. A Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) model can be envisaged. If railway can do a turnaround using a PPP model why not education system?

2)     The teaching staffs --which are already a few --are not performing well. Most of the schools today are understaffed --with 1 teacher per 120 students. Most of the teachers are reluctant to perform and are mostly truant from their work. The government must decentralise the primary education system. By this I mean, the teachers must be made directly answerable to the Village panchayat and the parents. The Panchayat should be given the authority to audit the performance and use of funds in the school. A monthly report and a performance appraisal of the teachers must be done. By doing this the teachers would be directly answerable to his “Customers”.

3)     Why should the Higher education be subsidised? A major portion of government’s education spend is lost in form of subsidies. Only a small fraction is left for primary education. In the first place why should students pay only $45 per month in IITs when students can easily pay $2000 for US universities? In India the higher you study the more subsidies you get!! Such anomalies must be addressed soon so that primary education is not left in lurch and dearth of funds.

4)     The problems of poor education quality will not go away by control but by decontrol. As of today education system still remains regulated by the government. Education system is perceived as “Not-for-Profit” domain. This has to change. Education too can be run as a profitable business and at the same time not hurting National interests. This sense of misplaced anxiety—a vestige of pre-liberalisation period--- must vanish. FDI must be allowed into higher education at least. Recently the government was mulling over this, let’s hope such progressive initiatives are expedited.

Come as I please....

Oh sweetest memories why don’t you tarry

Your sweet pricks torment and harry

Why don’t you come at a ripe time?

When my happiness and mood rhyme!

Too Solemn for day, too sweet for night

Come not in darkness, Come not in light

But do come in some twilight interim

When the gloom is soft and light dim!!!

Frienship

Men of golden hearts be treasured

Your company and charm will forever last

The depth of your love cannot be measured

Oh! Good days have gone by fast

We loafed endlessly under the sun

Exploring adolescence’s all colours

Experimenting with life’s newer sins

Chatting on subjects of beauty for hours

We ran together up the hills

Played tirelessly till twilight grew

Went through many a trails and thrills

Failed, cried and laughed all through

 

Those carefree days still dwell in my mind

Of happiness and pure mirth they remind!!!!

When we Parted....

In silence and tears

Was when we parted

A pain so deep and fierce

Left us half broken-hearted

 

Your vows are all broken

And light is thy fame

All our fondness forsaken

And I share them in shame

 

They name you before me

A knell to my ear

A thought runs through me

Why were you so dear?

 

They know not I knew thee,

Who indeed knew you so well?

For long shall I rue you

Too deeply to tell

 

If we should meet together

After so many a years

How should we greet each other?

With silence or with tears!!!!