The Neutrality of Balaram

In the great epic The Mahabharata, Balaram, the elder brother of Lord Krishna, plays a curious role. When the two clans, Kauravas and Pandavas prepare to fight the great battle, Krishna joins the Pandavas, but Balaram, to whom both Duryodhan and Arjuna are dear, decides not to join any side. Instead, he goes off to pilgrimage during that period.

Was Balaram right in not choosing one of the sides? What would the course of the war been had he sided with Kauravas or even the Pandavas? The battle of dharma that Mahabharata was, poses various dilemmas, including, the neutrality of Balaram. The similar dilemma extends to everyday life when one has to choose among conflicting narratives.

What does one do when one has to choose? Choose anything.

Every choice we make gets our mind to evaluate pros and cons, ease and difficulty, dharma and adharma, cost and benefit and many such factors. We get conditioned fast and deeply and then these evaluations becomes mundane for things that do not affect us much. It is only when the situation poses a challenge, when the conditioning is at loggerheads with new set of thoughts that conflict arises.

So, does being neutral take away the burden of making a choice? And in doing so, does it absolve oneself of the conflicts?

There are no easy answers to that.

Think about the numerous battles of narratives that are fought, as an extension, in the social media. There is a constant pressure on one to choose, to take a side. Is neutrality an option available though?

Yes, perhaps neutrality is an option available when one is faced with situations where there is a conflict between ideology depicted in a movie, where there is a fight over origin of a food item, about a certain depiction of history, etc.

But there are certain situations where the line gets drawn.

When it comes to neutrality, parts of Nobel laureate Elie Weisel's famous acceptance speech is often quoted. And in those beautiful lines are defined those situations where neutrality ceases to become an option. (many people I know, know nothing about Holocaust. If you, the reader is one of them, I plead you to read about it)

His famous lines are part of a story. Excerpt from his Nobel Prize speech:

"I remember: it happened yesterday, or eternities ago. A young Jewish boy discovered the Kingdom of Night. I remember his bewilderment, I remember his anguish. It all happened so fast. The ghetto. The deportation. The sealed cattle car. The fiery altar upon which the history of our people and the future of mankind were meant to be sacrificed.

I remember he asked his father: “Can this be true? This is the twentieth century, not the Middle Ages. Who would allow such crimes to be committed? How could the world remain silent?”

And now the boy is turning to me. “Tell me,” he asks, “what have you done with my future, what have you done with your life?” And I tell him that I have tried. That I have tried to keep memory alive, that I have tried to fight those who would forget. Because if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices.

And then I explain to him how naïve we were, that the world did know and remained silent. And that is why I swore never to be silent whenever wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe."

So was Balaram, the "centrist", erroneous in his choice? To be a centrist is all right, to be a fence sitter is all right. That can as well be someones moral compass. Not everyone, especially in the public (real or media) appreciates confrontation. It is for the competing narratives to sway the centrist. Arjuna could not do that to Balaram, Duryodhan could not do that to Balaram.

Would participation of Balaram saved many more lives? Would the war have ended earlier had he sided with Pandavas? Would he have persuaded Duryodhan to end the battle earlier? There are no answers for these questions, but the possibilities are aplenty.

To be or not to be neutral. That is the question (h/t Shakespeare). To sum it, I feel, it is all right for someone to be neutral about many issues. In a networked society, constantly outraging, one can choose ones peace of mind over chaos. But when it comes to issues of injustice, of oppression, of stifling of freedom, neutrality would not confer high moral ground to the individual. The luxury to be Balaram may not always be there.

Medicine on phone

Last week I was under the weather. And the week prior, the rest two in the family. High grade fever, throat infection, etc bogged us all down. Situation sometimes warranted immediate advice regarding what should be done, whether a medicine had to be changed, whether it was time to start antibiotics, if it was required to see a doctor. And to give that much needed advice, all I had to do was pick the phone and text, or if situation was too emergent, to call. We weathered the two weeks.

I was able to  do so perhaps because I teach in a medical school, I have the fortune of knowing some good doctors, to have a good rapport with them. But how many have that privilege? May be only the socially active individuals would have a doctor in their phone list whom they can call or text seeking advice.

There arise umpteen health issues which needs advice. It could be a mental health issue, menstrual health issue, simple viral fever, gait issue, etc. But where does one go to seeking simple information, advice?

Internet, of course.

But internet suffers from the peculiar problem of plenty. There is so much information, misdirected that one will get lost more often than not.

There would be nothing like a person on the other side of the phone, listening with empathy, possessing adequate knowledge to address basic queries, direct, follow up.

In a country where healthcare is in a mess, plagued by severe shortage of doctors, tele medicine could serve as a panacea.

With increased mobile phone penetration, especially in rural India where gaps in healthcare is glaring, a toll free number which would help clarify simple questions about health, would be welcome.

One would think, what happens currently? For basic queries one who can't access or cave afford ends up with a quack or the nearest pharmacy, both places which are unlikely to give the right advice.

In such conditions to be able to talk to a health care professional would be beneficial and it has numerous positive fallouts.

The onus for developing such an enabling architecture should lay with the government for the positive externalities are plenty. The system could employ MBBS interns who would volunteer to retired doctors to other qualified healthcare professionals. CSR funds may also be channelized for the realization of such a scheme.

The challenges would be to find professionals who already are less in number, to provide solution givers in local languages, to ensure quality being maintained. The scheme can be piloted in few districts to iron out these issues before rolling it at the national level.

Health literacy is abysmal in India and issues like antibiotic resistance plague us. A tele medicine service can help in addressing many of these issues.

It is time such a scheme is given serious thought and experimented with.

A decade in teaching - a reflection

Reams of paper, red pen, big lesson plan charts, books, evaluation, I have seen them all since the time I did not understand what they were. A teacher mother brings all that to home. As a student, there was lot to emulate. The earliest memory of role reversal goes to 1999 when on Teacher’s Day, 5^th September in India; we as class 9 students at Saint Lawrence School, were to teach junior classes. The seniors gave me a ‘most well dressed young teacher’ prize in the function that followed. 

Little did I know then that I will eventually become a ‘real’ teacher ten years later and then be at it for another ten years. Today, the 12^th of January marks a decade being a teacher.

Angry young man

I joined Kasturba Medical College International Center, KMCIC, often called just IC, after a brief teaching stint at an allied health science college in Bangalore. I always wanted to come back to Manipal and the opportune moment arrived in the cool January of 2009.

As a 25 year old, with a post graduate degree in medical biochemistry, fresh with knowledge of various aspects of the subject, supported by public speaking skills gathered over years, the change in power equation cemented by stereotypes, the angry young man mode marked the beginning.

Exacerbated by the fact that the students were just a few years junior, all non resident Indians having brought up in a different classroom culture, alien to the Indian conception, a couple of walk outs from the class, reprimands, marked the first few months. In hindsight it stemmed from that need of decorum and discipline, almost military like, in a classroom which quintessentially equates to students paying respect to teacher. Crappy theory, one realizes later.

But then it became better. The realization that an unruly class, more often than not, is a failure of the teacher, that insulting an adult to shut him off is only going to alienate him further, that the various personality traits make for various reactions, that power cannot and should not be misused dawned slowly.

I could feel and see change in about a year or two.

In 2013 January, after a very enriching stint in IC teaching biochemistry and genetics, I moved to Melaka Manipal Medical College to continue teaching biochemistry.

I have taught a wide range of courses in these ten years. Mainly the MBBS program, interestingly one that is ratified by Malaysian Qualifying Agency, the former was by American Board. Apart than that allied health science, dentistry, biotechnology, dietary and nutrition, nursing and a few others. I have enjoyed teaching all these courses and I have never discriminated with students based on discipline, sadly a phenomenon widely seen.

 Mentoring

Teaching is not just about the classroom. It is mentorship which affects students. The number may vary but I strongly feel that if a teacher can influence just one student positively, it has a butterfly effect. A drug addict, who had been in and out of rehab, a guy whose mental health made him involve in dangerous practices, a girl from a broken family having relationship issues, someone who had trouble concentrating on anything, one who just wanted to share her stories, someone who would lock him up in hostel room, one who would not come back to hostel, there are scores of such stories that I remember vividly.

Exasperating as it may be at that point in time to deal with such kind of trouble, I realized pretty early in my career that showing some support, listening to them, or just being there can make a sea change in people. Of the examples cited above, many of them are successful doctors in the US today, something that was unthinkable back then.

It is a very happy feeling for a teacher to see their students do well. There might be little or no role of the teacher in that success story, yet the mere feeling that you knew the person, interacted with her, tried to impart some knowledge, some skill, and that the person is seemingly doing well is a satisfying feeling.

The lure of the classroom

The one thing that has stood out in this past decade as a teacher for me is the lure of a classroom. There is nothing more exciting that being in a class. It is there amidst students, young men and women, eager to learn, to listen, where all worries vanish.

Unkind situations have led me to points where I have returned from an MRI scan of my one and half year daughter at 2 am in the morning only to take a class at 8 in the morning and it is in that class of an hour where the mind has not fleeted to the hospital. And that is just one example; there have been umpteen such situations.

What is it about the classroom then? It is perhaps the eagerness to share information, to engage with students, the urge to be effective which predominate all worry that the mind has been preoccupied with. It is blissful to be in a classroom taking class.

Teaching is not a job, it is a calling?

I have wondered about this statement often. Teaching has a calling component to it certainly, but it also needs a rigor that a job, even if boring, is associated with. To show up early in the morning, to have a class late in the afternoon, and with enthusiasm, with passion, needs one to like the work they do.

There is one thing about the teaching job that I greatly appreciate and am thankful for - the freshness of it. Every year sees one or two new batch of new students and brings with it the newness that is much required in any vocation. Each batch has its own dynamics, its own challenges, and its own energy. Teaching, for me, never gets boring.

I feel it is important to stay relevant. With each passing year the students change. A cultural shift, a generational shift, an attitudinal shift is all part of the game and sooner a teacher realizes that it is better for her. We cannot be using old techniques for new age students. Yes, a chalk and talk might be relevant for many decades to come but for example using technology to enhance learning should be accepted at a greater level.

Not just a teacher

I have had the privilege to do much more than teaching and some amount of science and medical education research in this past decade. As secretary of the university cultural coordination committee, the organization of inter collegiate fest, as emcee in umpteen formal and informal programs, as writer of numerous reports and yearbooks, as hostel warden for five years, as resource person facilitating sessions on soft skills, winning sports events and other awards, as coordinator for internationalization to website to disciplinary committee to more, these leadership positions at university and college level, these organizational activities have imparted rich experience.

Being in a private university like Manipal is a boon for a teacher for there is a lot of leeway and especially in my college, Melaka Manipal Medical College, which is not under the archaic medical Council of India, one can try new things, the curriculum has flexibility, innovation is appreciated and the overall work environment is relaxing.

Questions

A constant question that hits me after every module is ‘how effective have I been?’ I guess it has to do with ones teaching philosophy too. Mine is to leave the student with something that makes her search for more. I believe a classroom also is a room for discussing, with time permitting, issues beyond academics. In my decade long experience, I can vouch it inspires many students. Much has been written, lot of training is imparted on how to be effective and one must enroll in those and learn. But at the end of the day, if there is goodness that you want to share, aiming at enriching an individual’s repertoire of knowledge, skills and attitude, it will motivate you to be a good teacher.

Reflection

Despite having my own set of disappointment about what I could have achieved in this last decade, I am largely satisfied with my evolution as a teacher. It is not necessary to win excellence in teaching awards to be content. It is rather the path to excellence that is important. And I am on it. I am involved in projects which aim at enhancing learning using technology and I am passionate about psychology and science of learning.

I want to empower my students, not feed them with ready to serve information. I want my student to be inquisitive, not content with whatever is served. I want my student to question all that comes her way, not accept authority in the way it comes.

Sometimes I like reading the few messages on cards, photographs, mementos that students have left behind in these years. They are a source of inspiration on a bad day.

At this point in life, I feel I can be a teacher all my life.

PS: Next update could be at least 5 years down the line.

Letter to Aindri on her 4th birthday

Darling Chimpu,

First things first, I love you the most!

Am happy that you too have been saying 'i love you' a lot of late.

The year 2018 in which you transitioned from your 3rd to 4th year was a very tough one. Very could as well be an understatement.

Early in the year your maternal grandfather, Nanu, fell ill and then very ill with an excruciating treatment regime. When you grow up you will understand what this thing called cancer is. Your mother was down with back pain in the first half of the year. You will learn later what slip disc is. And then, you my child, were also not well on two occasions this last year. Very soon, we will explain you about this thing called epilepsy.

While these things preoccupied all of us for the greater part of the year, it is not these matters of ill health that remain as highlights in our life. It is rather the grit shown at the face of these eventualities that mark the character of human beings. And grit shown was aplenty.

Nanu fought well and fought brave and has been winning battles.You have seen and are seeing how near normal he is with you. Decades of discipline has helped him in this course. I hope you imbibe that quality of his, a hallmark of great individuals. Your mother started exercising, all by herself and at home and which has helped her fix this back issue to a very large extent. Steadfastness and the headstrong attitude if you can learn from her will help you go a long way. And you, in your capacity, have been so cooperative amidst all these hardships that we could not have asked for more.

We did manage to sneak a Goa trip, two trips to Odisha and a few trips to Bangalore this year. Though we would have wanted to take you to more places, but the year was not particularly helpful. The way you enjoy Goa, possibly because that is one place you have already been thrice in 4 years of your life, makes me wonder if a long term goal in life should be to buy a property there.

A lot is happening in the world to which you are oblivious at this age, but when you grow up and are ever interested in history and/or politics, which i secretly hope you do, you will see back in time that the world was getting embroiled in narrow nationalism, climate change becoming more visible and threatening, rise in protectionism, changing global order, etc. At the same time the advancement of humankind in terms of science and technology is set at a fast pace with machine learning, artificial intelligence being set to transform the way things have been done until now. Forget the world, as of now, more about you..

Remarkably, you went to school in 2018. Nursery in Madhav Kripa School, Manipal, has been an important landmark. When you won 1st prize in singing, which you really do have a penchant for, and 2nd prize in dancing, you made us very happy. Please remember, we would be equally happy had you not won anything. When we watched you dance in your annual day we teared up. Surprisingly and very impressively you have taken to identifying cars as they move on road very well. You identify models and makes with ease and this has surprised people to no end.

So, we celebrated your birthday with our 'regular' fried circle of nearly 40 people coming home, your mother baking a Spongebob cake, which you demanded and you getting loads of gift which worryingly includes 8 new clothes (how many can you have!?). Hope you enjoyed it and will remember it for some time to come.

Wish you a great year ahead, filled importantly with good health and peace.

Love

Papa

PS: IF you notice in the last year I have written only 2 posts in my blog, (i have been writing more for popular press) one being a letter on your 3rd birthday. This year i plan to write more here including things that you might like reading later.