It has been written about a lot. Because of a lot of adverse media attention, I had developed a particular perception of the sales promotion calls you get on your phone. I usually give a stern response and hang up, later regretting a little for having done so. There was one phone call that made me change my perception.
“Am I speaking with Ms. Raksha Kumar?”, came a husky voice with a strong Punjabi accent.
“Who’s this?”, asked I.
“I’m calling from *** bank, may I take some of your time?” she asked politely. Clearly, the lines were well rehearsed.
“Well….I was in the middle of something important” I wasn’t completely lying.
Sensing my hesitation, she nearly broke down, “ma’am, I have called 20 people since morning, with no positive responses. I have three brothers and two sisters. Please let me speak to you.”
Without knowing how to react, I said, “sure….go ahead.” The least I could do was to listen to her. For the next five minutes, she explained a new scheme her bank was launching. “…aap ka faida hi faida hai” she concluded. She seemed satisfied with her efforts.
After politely declining her offer, I hung up. Later that evening I thought of the difficulties faced by the poor sales people. There are kilometers and kilometers of newsprint devoted to tell us what a nuisance these people are and how their calls disturb us at all times, without much consideration about our needs and time…
I thought about what competition has done and how people would have to strive to live in this globalized world. What would the lady do to feed her brothers and sisters? Why do we have to be so preoccupied with our own worries? Surely we can listen to what they have to say if we are not into something important? But these thoughts didn’t last long.
The next morning I received another call. “May I talk to Ms. Raksha Kumar?”, said another well rehearsed voice. “Yes…that’s me?”, my manner was a lot more relaxed.
“Ma’am, I’m calling from ### bank and want to inform you about our new scheme.” , said he.
“Yes…”, said I, trying to infuse enthusiasm into my voice. Perhaps I was guilty about what I had done to the lady the previous day.
This time I counted. He took four and a half minutes. When I declined the offer, he said “aap ek aurat hai…please mera dard samajye.” And went on to narrate his dard, problems.
Now I was guarded. I sensed that he was trying to work me into buying his ‘new scheme’. Again it was time for me to think. Though I can’t be completely sure about how untrue the stories were, I realized that people may do anything to sell. Just anything.
I have vowed to be guarded since.
Raksha Kumar.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Tough decisions
There were eighteen young guests at home that Sunday evening. All of them from a charitable residential school run by a trust. Excited, my aunt was encouraging them to come forward and show their talents to the little gathering. For the next two hours they sang and danced and kept us entertained. One thing was certain: they housed vast talent pools. Whether their school is doing a good job of nurturing their talents, is yet to be judged.
These are children from weaker economic backgrounds. They are given many facilities, good education and a strict set of values. It need not be emphasized that values are subjective by nature. The young impressionable minds are preached ‘Hindu values’. They are encouraged to denounce western culture, dresses, food and ‘non-Hindu’ influences.
While such a stream of thought has a rightful claim to existence in the Indian society which swears by free speech, the question is should philanthropy function under certain conditions?
Is it right to preach certain ‘sectarian’ values to a group of children from various backgrounds, casts, sects and religions? The trust is doing a great service to the society by helping to raise 18 of its unfortunate kids. But the values inflicted on them need not be the ones they would learn if they were fortunate enough to live with their parents.
There are no easy answers to this. One way of answering it is by conceding that the charitable institute should be the sole decider of what its students should learn. After all, many schools are run by funds of temples and other religious organizations. Some might do it to spread awareness about their religion, but not all.
When the above argument is accepted, we are considering philanthropy to be a favor to the society. But when all the privileged in the society consider it their duty to help the less-fortunate, philanthropy acquires a new meaning. It will then be accountable to the society. We could point fingers at those not doing justice to their duties. Otherwise we will be happy with a school preaching, what are widely considered, divisive values. A verdict (not in black and white terms) will be needed soon.
In the wake of Bill Gates’s announcement that he’d quit Microsoft in two years and pledge his time to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Warren Buffet (currently the second richest man in the world) pledging 85% of his assets to the same foundation, we could perhaps assume that even the market-driven western world considers philanthropy an integral part of the society.
The incident that made me think about this debate that Sunday evening, also left me with sweet memories of those kids and their dance to the tune of ‘koi kahe kheta rahe…hum logo ki tokar mein hai yeh jamana…kis liye hichkichana……gayenge hum apne dilo ka fasana.”
Raksha Kumar
These are children from weaker economic backgrounds. They are given many facilities, good education and a strict set of values. It need not be emphasized that values are subjective by nature. The young impressionable minds are preached ‘Hindu values’. They are encouraged to denounce western culture, dresses, food and ‘non-Hindu’ influences.
While such a stream of thought has a rightful claim to existence in the Indian society which swears by free speech, the question is should philanthropy function under certain conditions?
Is it right to preach certain ‘sectarian’ values to a group of children from various backgrounds, casts, sects and religions? The trust is doing a great service to the society by helping to raise 18 of its unfortunate kids. But the values inflicted on them need not be the ones they would learn if they were fortunate enough to live with their parents.
There are no easy answers to this. One way of answering it is by conceding that the charitable institute should be the sole decider of what its students should learn. After all, many schools are run by funds of temples and other religious organizations. Some might do it to spread awareness about their religion, but not all.
When the above argument is accepted, we are considering philanthropy to be a favor to the society. But when all the privileged in the society consider it their duty to help the less-fortunate, philanthropy acquires a new meaning. It will then be accountable to the society. We could point fingers at those not doing justice to their duties. Otherwise we will be happy with a school preaching, what are widely considered, divisive values. A verdict (not in black and white terms) will be needed soon.
In the wake of Bill Gates’s announcement that he’d quit Microsoft in two years and pledge his time to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Warren Buffet (currently the second richest man in the world) pledging 85% of his assets to the same foundation, we could perhaps assume that even the market-driven western world considers philanthropy an integral part of the society.
The incident that made me think about this debate that Sunday evening, also left me with sweet memories of those kids and their dance to the tune of ‘koi kahe kheta rahe…hum logo ki tokar mein hai yeh jamana…kis liye hichkichana……gayenge hum apne dilo ka fasana.”
Raksha Kumar
Perceiving misperceptions.
I was walking into the premises. “Do you study here?”, I heard someone call out to me. The voice was tense and slightly anxious. When enquired further, the lady said that her daughter had applied in the prestigious Delhi University (DU) College we were standing in front of. A few seconds later a frail looking girl stepped out of the shadows. After about half hour of chatting with the two, I gathered the following facts: the girl had aced her class 12 marks after grueling 14-hour days for the whole year; had lost more than 25kgs! Her only aim: admission into the ‘best’ college.
Until this time I had thought that such students were focused and knew what they wanted from life. But that girl made me realize that she had worked hard, with dedication only to secure admissions in a college that would make her close circle of friends gasp and admire her. She had no idea of what course she wanted or what the course would have in store for her.
This brought my attention to perhaps another less-talked-of flaw in our education system.
By giving a divine status to some colleges, we are exerting unwanted pressure on our students.
Since I study in one of the widely acclaimed colleges, I agree that there are certain facilities that may put us in a privileged position. But my objection is to how education has become something that could be flaunted.
It is almost indisputable that education, in the right sense, gives us humility. It is ironic that students from the ‘best’ colleges are arrogant about their alma-maters. This creates invisible barriers among the student community. From my experience I could conclude that those arrogant will have an air of superiority around them (ultimately to their detriment), and this would make the others underestimate their capabilities. Surely, this is uncalled for.
Once, in a debate competition a student from a less-sought –after DU college had remarked that on the judges’ score sheet his college would start from a minus five where as I would start from a plus five, thanks to the name of my college. Whether that was true or not, the fact is that there is clear segregation and distinct grouping in the minds of people.
Part of the blame should also rest on the media which are bent on creating perceptions for us.
There are so many problems plaguing our education system which are an interconnected mess and they need immediate attention. In the beginning of a new academic year, we have got to realize that, we could do without creating more problems by fueling our egos and nurturing false notions.
Raksha Kumar
Until this time I had thought that such students were focused and knew what they wanted from life. But that girl made me realize that she had worked hard, with dedication only to secure admissions in a college that would make her close circle of friends gasp and admire her. She had no idea of what course she wanted or what the course would have in store for her.
This brought my attention to perhaps another less-talked-of flaw in our education system.
By giving a divine status to some colleges, we are exerting unwanted pressure on our students.
Since I study in one of the widely acclaimed colleges, I agree that there are certain facilities that may put us in a privileged position. But my objection is to how education has become something that could be flaunted.
It is almost indisputable that education, in the right sense, gives us humility. It is ironic that students from the ‘best’ colleges are arrogant about their alma-maters. This creates invisible barriers among the student community. From my experience I could conclude that those arrogant will have an air of superiority around them (ultimately to their detriment), and this would make the others underestimate their capabilities. Surely, this is uncalled for.
Once, in a debate competition a student from a less-sought –after DU college had remarked that on the judges’ score sheet his college would start from a minus five where as I would start from a plus five, thanks to the name of my college. Whether that was true or not, the fact is that there is clear segregation and distinct grouping in the minds of people.
Part of the blame should also rest on the media which are bent on creating perceptions for us.
There are so many problems plaguing our education system which are an interconnected mess and they need immediate attention. In the beginning of a new academic year, we have got to realize that, we could do without creating more problems by fueling our egos and nurturing false notions.
Raksha Kumar
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