After days of running around the Govt college management for skill development training for the students, I found that it was near approval.
Let me begin by introducing you to the college landscape first...
A huge stately board of the Govt college standing right on the main road appeals and instantly invites you. And
following the address pointers, one would reach the college. Walking towards the
college, one carries the imagination of the edifice, its architecture, its
stateliness…And once you reach the college, all your imagination goes into
ashes.
You find a huge heavy iron gate that was once black but now
turned into deep orange due to intense rusting. When you touch the gate to push
it open, your hands carry the orange tinge as a return gift.
And then you enter the college premises and find an appalling
reality that the cattle and stray animals have outnumbered the students of the
college.
You would encounter a dilapidated building, near a total collapse,
if the wind blew any stronger…..
You walk a little into the rooms you find students who look
half their ages, emaciated, uninterested, detached, life less, ignorant.
On the day of the final meeting for the approval , I found some Mr X , a faculty of the
college who spoke to me pointing to the
students and said “Madam, these are good for nothing ones, nothing good can
happen out of them. Every year students
get enrolled, some complete the course and the rest get dropped out in the mid
course. This is how this college is. They anyway arent the ones to get into Harvards and Oxfords. I suggest you madam, better you also come in the morning take the
attendance and write the topic on
the board and go madam. Just conduct one
exam on the last day madam and you can be sure of the fact that all of them are
only going to get a circle on their answer scripts and your job is done. ”
I was wondering if he was trying to rationalize his incompetence. 3 weeks into the college now, I haven’t seen him even once in the classroom.
Ever in the library, canteen, bank, everywhere except the classrooms.
Oh well, I haven’t yet told you about the first day of the Skill development training.
So it was a Friday that the management authorities asked me
to reach the college by 11:00 am and it
looked as though they had something important to talk to me.
Very promptly I reached the college 2 mins before 11:00 am
and I found the management staff walking into the campus then. The college
begins at 10:00 for students, but what time does it begin for faculty, I couldn’t
guess.
A freaky man with a super casual attitude walked past the
Principal and says” Oh so you have come. I wanted to tell you that a batch has
been formed and you may start the class
from Monday from 8:15 am to 10:00.Be here at sharp 8:15 am.Madam, don’t forget.”
I thanked him for the offer and walked back to resume my
day.
I was pondering that night, that these are the students who
really need the change and I vowed to myself that come what may, I would
deliver the best I can and help them fight their fears and walk along with them.
Not do anything just for the heck of it. The students would believe me so much and
making a joke out of their belief felt
like self raping BIG time.
I woke early the morning of my first class and was all set to kick
start the journey towards the excellence of my students.
I reached the college well before 8:15.I already found a
group of students waiting in the campus. We found the class rooms locked. I joined them in the waiting. One by one the
number of students grew. There still was a strong belief that at least when the
clock shows 8:30, the doors would be open. But no..the waiting continued. They
were discussing how the course would benefit them, how they are willing to
fight their fears out and stand successful.
Now, I was more worried about the enthu spirits of the students
that would dampen because of the callus indifferent
behavior of the faculty. And when it was 8:55, the mentor of the department,
slowly walked and looking at me waiting, looked at his watch and gave an “Oh
shit!” expression.
I met him with a bloody cold stare and he glared back at me
asking “Don’t you have my number. couldn't you have called me?”
I replied, "I did, but your number was not reachable"
“Oh! I actually forgot that we had a class today.” And without any ounce of regret he continued “You
see madam the college actually begins at 10:00.So why do you think I would have
to remember a day when the college gates should be opened at 8:30, vo bhi, just
for a couple of students! Anyway you now use this class.”
I walked into the class without wasting any further time, and
there were glass pieces all around. Clearing the glass pieces over my table I
asked “ What has happened, why are the glass pieces all around?” One of the students
volunteered to help me clear the glass pieces and said “On Saturday morning the
tube light broke mam.”
“Yahaan jisko acha na lage, ya jisko chube, wahi saaf
karleta hai mam!”. I ignored my boiling emotions and started my first class.
After the supposedly one and half hrs class, I rushed to the
mentors room screaming at him about the careless and callus attitude of the
management towards the students. He was such a man, I could believe.”Ye padh ke kon
sa Bill gates ya steve Jobbs banna hai. Sab ke sab to fail hona hi hai.Jasbati
na hoiye…un jasbaton ko kahin aur use Karen to aap tarakki karenge”
Was this called the Pruning of the students
or is this fizzling out in the process of chiseling?
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