I, Me, My Thoughts

My School & Corporal Punishment

2010-06-15T14:31:00.003+05:30

11, Loudon Street Kolkata, had been my second home, for close 16 years from the age of three till I turned an adult. This is the address of my school La Martiniere for Boys Kolkata, the last time I saw my school name in the news papers was when it had ranked fourth amongst school in India, today my school is making headlines for all the wrong reasons, teacher asking for bribes, principal and other teacher blamed for a students suicide. People in Kolkata are talking about this incident, as well as criticizing the management it gives me a lot of pain to hear bad words about my school. A school is a place where a child spends his formatives years, the lessons (apart from academics) learnt in school last for a lifetime. For me and most of us school is a place where we developed our identity, individuality, make friends, build trust, give respect and lastly learn all of it what makes us what we are today.

School memories are the most special memories; they last along with our school life’s learning. Like everything a student faces good times along with bad times in school. In good times friends are always there and probably in some bad times friends might not be there. For example when a teacher picks on an individual and gives him a trashing, the other friends for sometime sympathies with the friend who has got a trashing and eventually it becomes as a joke. When these incidents takes place in school life the child is not happy as he has got a thrashing and on the same time becomes a laughing stock in his class or at times in school. One has to grow over the momentary sorrow, as he has to learn to laugh with his friends. I have individually been beaten up by my teachers on several occasions, there is one trashing I got in which my class teacher beat me up till he got tired, thrashing would be a humble term for the kind of beating I got. The beating made me feel ashamed of myself, as not only did I get the physical pain, but there was a greater scar which was created by others around me, my friends who laughed when I was standing outside class after being beaten, it was humiliating. Now I am over the momentary humiliation which I faced when I was in class 7 and today I am proud that I got that beating, that incidents tickles people sense of humor when I narrate the story to them, how it happened, why it happened, who beat me up by the end of the story everyone is chuckling including me. We all have gone through various bad times in school, the beating, the shouting and at times humiliation, but after time flies by they are all adventure stories.

Now after I was beaten red and blue by my class teacher in style by two wooden rules, I was angry at the same time felt humiliated. I had two options, go and complain to my parents or keep quite. There were people in my class who told how can you take this, he does not have any right to hit you, you should complain, your parents should talk to the principal, so I had made my mind to tell my parents and wanted them to complain against my class teacher. At that time came in my friends who till date narrate this story, they said you should not complain as this will create a bad blood between you and the class teacher, he will be warned and then every time he will pick on you, he has the power to fail you as well. After hearing to both sides I said let me live with this beating and learn to laugh with it.

Sometimes I wonder how would it be if I would have complained, would my parents believe in me to go and fight, probably they would have said that I deserve it I should not be so naughty. Then what would I do. But things have changed in 12 years or more, children are much more mature at the same time get full cooperation from parents. Today if a child is even slapped the protective parents will first go and fight it out with teacher rather than asking the child why did the teacher slap him up.

Corporal punishment is not a way to teach a student a lesson; it generates fear, aggression, and humiliation in a student, at the same time it cannot be done away with as it maintains discipline. Children today are more indiscipline as they know their parents will fight it out for them. A man should take punishment in stride, learn lessons and laugh it out.

Today’s children, corporal punishment cannot be used as they are more protected and are more sensitive towards punishments. The teacher who are blamed for the suicide taught me during my school days, they were great guides who disciplined me as well as my friends, their style of discipline was fear and they managed create the fear to discipline boys, there is a change which is required that is to be a friends with the students to discipline them. Teachers should talk instead of using their hands all children are not the same and times have changed.

Women Empowerment

2010-03-17T00:47:00.003+05:30

Had a very relaxing weekend saw three movies Hurt Locker, The Blind Side and An Education. All three movies were very women centric movies, Hurt locker is based on the Iraq war directed by a lady, as we all know she has created history by being the first women to win the Oscar for direction. Ironically the Oscars were held on 7th March, and 8th is the International Women’s Day. On the same day the UPA government (Sonia Gandhi) had decided to get the Women reservation in parliament bill to be passed in the Upper House and present to the women of India an everlasting empowerment. Unfortunately the bill could not be passed on the same day the bill was passed the next day. The economic times headlines when the bill was passed read “A small step for man a leap for Women of India”. It felt good that now the women occupancy will increase three folds in Parliament of India from appx 54 to 180 odd. At the same time a question lingered my mind do the women of this country really need this reservation, is it the right way to empower them?

Coming back to my relaxing weekend and three movies, I would like to pick up two movie i.e An Education and The Blind side and just write how the women made a difference, by the way both actress of the movies respectively were nominated for the best actress at 82nd Oscars. Carey Mulligan (Jenny) was nominated for ‘An education’ whereas Sandra Bullock (Leigh) for ‘The Blind side’. Later on the big evening Sandra grabbed the award. Now back to the movies and specially the ladies, Jenny in An education is a sixteen year old who does not really know what she wants what she wants to do, her parents want her to go to Oxford and that becomes her aim. She is 16 years old who likes French, plays, outings and things her age should like, but can never do them as she is preparing for the Oxford. Now comes in picture David who is 30 odd years old, he takes her around shows her places, takes her to Paris, where she gives into him her virginity (that was the plan of Paris), David starts liking Jenny proposes her for marriage. Jenny and her parents readily accept it as David is rich who will be able to give her all the comfort her parents had desired for her. Towards the end Jenny comes to know David is already married and calls off her marriage with him, in the mean time she has been chucked out of school and has nowhere to go. She prepares well and gets into Oxford as she had dreamt of getting there. The movie is set in the 1960’s in London, Jenny’s parents in the first place wanted her to go to Oxford so that she can be self sustainable and do well for herself in other words be empowered they changed their mind when David proposes marriage as they think he will be able to empower her with his money. My point here is that a women’s empowerment is completely up to women themselves. Men like David are only there to empower women to even be determined to achieve their goals.

Sandra Bullock in the Blind side is a lady in her forties with a happy go lucky family. She plays a role of a foster parent to a huge black guy called Mike (Big Mike) who later goes on to become a big NFL star (Michael Oher). Ms Bullock in the movie is a sensible lady; she could only do this by the support of her family and specially her husband. Without her husband’s support she would not have been able to become a legal parent of Mike.

Men and women complement each other in empowerment, instead of really going in for the Women reservation in Parliament, the government should go deep down into the problems of the women, infanticide, child marriage, domestic violence, rape are some of the problems faced by them, the list can go on. The reservation will be merely used as a political weapon for the politicians to place their wives and daughters in the parliament; the bill will not empower women but politicians. In my view the women of the country do not need such reservation, what they need is education to empower them, by passing such reservations we are only creating a greater divide between men and women.

Who am I?

2010-03-05T17:16:00.003+05:30

One of my course instructors for a HR course in My B-School asked us to write about one’s self as an assignment and she did point out that it is a difficult task. I believe if you know yourself you know it all, I like to be surprised by myself. So it was a indeed a very difficult assignment, I have cracked number, valued companies, studied brand perception of companies, but writing 1500 words about myself was the most difficult assignment. Eventually I did not take that course so did not have to write the assignment, now I have taken up the task to ask myself who am I and just generally write.

This is the most frequently asked question in life, who are you? Whenever you meet someone new (stranger) they look into your eyes and there face says who are you, and to which I answer “Hi I am Yatharth”. People call me Yatharth, Yathu, Bachchan, naatu, and I am pretty sure in a few more years will get a few more nick names. By the way these days mobile numbers have also become ones identity (have not changed it since 7 years). So with 5 different names or identity who am I? This question rattles me often.

Ok let me make it simple, when I go for interviews they ask me tell me something about yourself, the question is just an ice breaker. To which I answer –
I am Yatharth Bhuwalka born and brought in Kolkata, come from a joint family from where I have learnt sharing and caring (so that the interviewer know I can work in a team). Went to La Martiniere For Boys for schooling, finished school in commerce, went on to do my Bcom from St Xaviers college, did my MBA in Finance from Praxis Business School (was actually better in marketing). Currently I am working for PwC as a consultant in their advisory line of service. My role in my work is to help the finance leadership to develop system which helps them in reporting, support a system pan PwC which is back bone of the company……… I like to read and watch movies……go on and on if the interviewer does not interrupt me to ask another question.

In the back of my mind I think am I really this, all of which I have said speaks about what I have studied, what I like etc etc. This is not me, ME is not even 5% what I have said to the interviewer. I am Micheal Angelio of my life, I have a paint brush in my hand and stroke my life with different shades I change colors and strokes according to my mood. I am creating a master piece as I truly believe thoughts become things.

I love whiskey and off late have started liking red wine too. I like to read, write, watch movies have started watching soaps lately. There is more to me I have reached 6-7% to know myself and with time I guess I will get to know myself better. Btw off late I want to talk, give gyan and later when I am self sustainable want to be a Politician.