Manipal to Melaka - One Year Later

 

The beautiful Melaka

One Year in Melaka

On this day, 3rd May, last year, we moved to Melaka.

This was after living for 20 years in Manipal, a place we had made our home.

It was always meant to be a tough call. I have not moved enough in life to make moving cities feel normal. When I was 17, I moved from a small town, Talcher, to Bangalore for graduation. After that, in 2005, it was Manipal for post-graduation.

And it was Manipal since then.

Leaving Manipal

The thought of changing workplace had been in the offing for some time, to be honest. And among the choices, Malaysia seemed the most appropriate one.

Appropriate because it was the parent program we were teaching. Appropriate because Malaysia is relatively closer to India. Also appropriate because there is no drastic cultural change.

But theory and practice are different, of course.

There was a certain ecosystem I had developed in Manipal. Friends cutting across all categories, colleagues, contacts, organizational work, the goodwill of a vast number of people, and the home that we built ourselves.

Our home in Manipal

In 17 years of working, and 3 years as a postgraduate student, there was a lot that Manipal meant.

It was not easy to leave it all behind.

Because moving is never just about changing a city or a workplace. It is also about stepping away from routines, familiar faces, old comforts, and the invisible support system that quietly holds daily life together.

Arriving in Melaka

When we landed after a tiring flight, it was a Saturday. We were lucky to have a few ex-colleagues who made moving in comfortable.

I joined Manipal University College Malaysia on 5th May. The Fourth was with us. :P

The initial few weeks were not easy. There was the usual uncertainty that comes with settling into a new place. New systems, new roads, new routines, new ways of getting things done.

But easing into Malaysia was eventually not that difficult.

Malaysia was welcoming.

The workplace and colleagues have been welcoming. Slowly, I eased into work. Thanks to the top management, I also got into a few organizational activities, something I cherish.

But essentially, I love teaching. That is something I will always find an opportunity to do to the best of my abilities. Student experience is something that, as a teacher, has always been and will always be my focus.

Work & Teaching 

In this one year, I started an innovative biochemistry learning drive in the department. Under it, we will hold a unique theater competition this week.

Our interest in Extended Reality also helped us do interesting things in Malaysia. It also got us invited to Monash University, one of Malaysia’s top universities, as guest speakers at their medical education conference.

These are the kinds of academic and organizational opportunities that make the transition meaningful.

MUCM comes with a 28-year legacy of medical education, and it feels special to become a small part of that continuing journey. To contribute to an institution with such a history, while also being part of its next phase of growth, is something I deeply value.

MUCM campus pic I took on 3rd May 2025

In many ways, work gave me rhythm. Teaching gave me familiarity. Students gave me purpose. And the possibility of building something new gave me the energy to look ahead.

Personal Side of Moving

In this one year, I also did the interesting thing of getting a driving license and a car. The driving license process was a real long and learning process. It warrants a separate blog post.

Car in Nov 2025

On the home front, the cancer diagnosis of my mother-in-law last year made things more complex.

In the past year, we have also connected with a couple of friends from early years, and that has been interesting.

Yes, it has not been easy for me.

As most NRIs will vouch, the big change is doing household chores by yourself. Washing utensils takes a lot of time. Lol.

There are small things that one learns only after moving. That comfort has to be rebuilt. That convenience has to be earned again. That a new place becomes familiar not suddenly, but slowly, through repeated acts of everyday living.

A Year Later

There is a lot more to discover in Melaka. The pace of the city, the quiet, does feel like Manipal sometimes.

There is also a lot to discover in Malaysia, and hopefully we will get to do it more.

One year later, the move still feels significant. But it no longer feels only like a disruption. It feels like a new chapter that has slowly started finding its own rhythm.

There is nostalgia for Manipal, and I think that will remain. It should remain. Twenty years cannot and should not disappear. 

But there is also gratitude now for the people who helped us settle in, for colleagues who made the workplace warm, for students who made teaching meaningful, and for the opportunities that came along the way.

Melaka has been kind in its own quiet way.

A year ago, we arrived with fatigue, uncertainty and many questions. Today, there is still much to figure out, but there is also a sense of beginning again. A sense that one can build, contribute, learn, and belong in a new place too.

Hopefully, the coming years will allow us to understand Melaka better, experience Malaysia more fully, and contribute meaningfully to the institution and community we are now part of.

For now, one year later, I can say this: the move was difficult, but it was worth taking

What is it really like turning 18.

I was 18 many moons ago. But this is not my reflection of life 23 years ago.

While 13 January happens to be my birthday; my birthday as a teacher, coincidentally falls a day prior. 

On a crisp January morning I had joined Kasturba Medical College International Center and began a journey that I have thoroughly cherished until now. I wrote a post in 2019 on completing a decade as a teacher (https://sambitspeak.blogspot.com/2019/01/a-decade-in-teaching-reflection.html) and ended it with "Next update could be at least 5 years down the line." But as you can see, it has taken couple of years more to pen this.

Stepping into the 18th year of teaching, becoming an adult in experience, what do I think?

I have had the unique opportunity to teach various programs.

I started with KMC-IC which was a USMLE based program with American Indians as the student cohort. I taught for 4 years in that program. After that I moved into Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC), with Malaysian (and later few Sri Lankans) MBBS students. I was posted to KMC Manipal for 6 months and taught the Indian MBBS program. During the MMMC stint I taught the Allied Health Science courses which had Indian students. Later, after MMMC was turned into Manipal University College Malaysia (MUCM) and moved to Melaka, I taught the BDS program at Manipal College of Dental Sciences (MCODS, Manipal) along with Manipal College of Nursing (MCON). Along with these I have also briefly taught biochemistry to Dietetics students of our hotel management school (WGSHA), Biotechnology students of our Life Sciences school (MSLS), pharmacy students of Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MCOPS). And then a few more... I moved to Melaka, Malaysia last year and currently teach MBBS & BDS programs at MUCM.

Change & Constant

Being a Millenial, I have seen that transition from chalk-&-talk to OHPs (people of a vintage will know) to PPTs to GPTs. I have also now seen students of two different generations (in policy we consider a minimum of 15 years as a generation). 

Having always been close to the student population, as I reflect on the change (and reams have been written about it) that is undergoing, I feel a lot remains the same. 

Technology might have advanced, the maturity levels of young adults might have advanced, the approach and interactions with teachers might have changed, but what essentially makes a students remain similar.

A class will always be filled with motivated and not-so-motivated students, a class will have chaos, a class will have overtly active students and massively passive students. The struggle for exams, the need for fun, the vagaries of late teen years, the experimentation with authority all remain similar through the years.

And therefore at the core of what remains as a function of a teacher is to care.

The care to go well-prepared into the class. The care to give hundred percent in the class and outside of it. The care to read the room. The care to correct where necessary. The care to lend a hand of help when needed. The care to go out of the way to understand. The care to chastise when appropriate. The care to stand up for students. The care to stay extra hours to explain a concept. The care to be passionate about the job. The care...

As famously our great teacher Dr Ramnarayan used to say of students, "They do not care how much you know, till they know how much you care".

I have come to understand that it is equally important to know too, for from that knowledge flows other things, but care should be at the heart of things.

And this concept of care is not at loggerheads with modern concepts of student care. In fact and contrary to the movement that is happening in that direction, teachers should be at the heart of student care, complemented or supported by trained non-teaching professionals. The needle has moved a lot on that front, but with experience I can say, higher education institutes must re-evaluate those priorities.

Personal Philosophy/Education Philosophy

It is said that one of the few most important things one must do when one teaches adult students is to understand oneself first. Our personal philosophies guiding our education philosophy matters a lot.

While a standardized approach is seen in higher education, what our core values are as teachers remain. That is why we see some lamenting that students must be sincere self learners, some believing that students will always not be interested and is fine if they scrape through, some believe that sage-on-the-stage is the best 

While we do not think about it overtly, it is sometimes good to reflect on what drives us internally. There are many resources and very simple ones at that, that might take a minute or two. Examples include Philosophies Held by Instructors of Lifelong-learner (PHIL), https://www.dovepress.com/teaching-philosophy-in-a-teaching-portfolio-domain-knowledge-and-guida-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-AMEP, etc. 

Our education philosophies also change with the passing of time. As I have written in my decade long journey essay, I was an "angry young man" when I started teaching. Growing up on being stickler for rules and discipline made me so, but now, on turning 18, I have changed that since many years. That has again come from a change in philosophy essentially.

It is not appropriate to call it mellowing down with age (not that I feel old or something). It is rather understanding that a classroom environment can be many things on many days and perhaps from this ability to have the focus of the class and having fun in the class, that does not necessitate being angry.

A lot of focus over the years has been around involving the students, more project based teaching, etc, but I feel it is important to know your audience. And which a lot of higher education centers are misreading. A MBBS student from US who joins medical school at the age of 30 cannot be compared to a 18 year old from India. The motivation level will be different, the ability to grasp concepts will be different, the approach, the knowing self will be different. And this I am just talking about MBBS students. Change the discipline and the story changes.

Therefore the teaching philosophy must factor in all variables. In being a service provider, a teacher, can only provide good service if she is aware and at peace with her core philosophies.

Be more to preach

We teachers are preachers. 

Not the charlatan kinds (well there are many but let's not talk about them).

When we come from a genuine place, we always want our students to do well. We want them not to do well just academically. 

In early years of teaching we are made to believe or understand that the true reflection of a teacher is how the students perform. The grade inflation issue that plagues higher education (primary too) comes from this place. Higher grades because of more objective than subjective, more continuous than summative assessment, is fine. But the massive inflation is not fine. It stems from the "jo dihkta hai wahi bikta hai/ what can be measured can only be improved" type of philosophy. 

I feel and have observed that there is a massive shortfall in skilling for the world because of this shift. Soft skills, non-verbal communication, co-curricular activities have been on a decline owing to various factors, including GenZ things.

Therefore, the only way for us teachers, to emphasize to our students the importance of all this is by doing it. Leading by example is never going to go old and happens to be the sure-shot way to make an impact.

I have always felt that my foray into organizational activities, public speaking, writing, taking student-facing initiatives, have helped me be a better teacher over the years. While it will be a minority of students that will see it and get inspired, I have come to believe it is always like that and it is worth it.

The road ahead

I did not talk about many other things that capture my thought space as a teacher. The exponential increase in research activities, output and expectation. The adapting to GenZ reliance on AI. The changing technology landscape. The psychological shift in youngsters. The commodification and corporatization of higher education. The quality of teachers and quality of students. And so on...

Perhaps I should write more and not just on work anniversary. I strongly believe writing clears the thoughts. Writing, and not academic alone, helps formulates thoughts. 

A teacher has so many things to say. Classroom makes us so.

As I have written earlier, I will state it again that classroom for me is a meditative space. 

So much has happened in life in all these years, and there have been umpteen unkind moments. But once inside a classroom, all outside noise dies for me. I am at complete peace. I am with the class. I am with my students. And that is a litmus test that I enjoy teaching more than ever.

And I am pretty sure I will love to continue be a teacher, continue do things that help students, find ways to make academics enjoyable, bring new technology to the youngsters, help gain more knowledge, all in the hope that they become complete professionals.

It is like these things and more on turning 18...

PS: Just as I was about to enter a class an hour back, a 2nd year MBBS student, who I have not taught came up to me and said she searched through my research work, especially in policy and gender and my newspaper writings and she was so impressed and she wants to come discuss about her work on these domain with UN Sec Gen office. These are the rewards a teacher lives for eventually!

Letter to Aindri on her 11th birthday

Dearest jhia, 

You are 11!

First things first, this is your first birthday outside of India.

Quite unique, isn't it? So yeah, this marks the most important change in the past year.

But rewind to your 10th birthday celebrations. We had it in Valley View (again) and you seemed to quite like that idea.  Mom painstakingly built a "Jasmine" themed cake. Fondant, butter cream, tiered, decoration, etc, the usual routine on 2nd Jan followed (while you went to school). All our friends of Manipal were in attendance. It was a large gathering of about 35 people. By that time, we were also anticipating our movement to Malaysia, so we were also seeing it as a large gathering before we leave. Anyway each of your birthday we have invited all our friends at Manipal and it has always been a lovely time.

A few days after your birthday, we went to Bangalore. Sweden folks had come down and we went to spend some time with them. By that time our final dates to move to Melaka were not final but it was in the offing. We also met Rishu, the cute little boy, during that trip. 

You had your school annual day a few days later. And you had always been very excited for it. This year you got to dance. As usual we were the excited parents coming to school early and taking the best seats. You danced very well and you were so happy that your Vice Principal Ms Jyothi Santhosh appreciated your performance. A few days later we also did a trip with Aadya Shetty and her family and drove to Mudigere and stayed there for a night. I think you enjoyed that trip.

Utsav came of course at the end of March. As usual the grind that had been happening for the last 10 years happened. It was to be my 10th and last as Secretary, CCC. You had been an integral part of all these right since your childhood. I guess one of the highlights was when Dr Ballal announced in the valedictory about my leaving, which stunned you (and a lot of people who did not know until that point)

Tough goodbyes

By now the dates were decided and we started packing and saying good byes to people at Manipal. You were of course not vey happy about it because Manipal was what you had seen and lived all the 10 years of your life. It was extremely tough for me too, to leave the place we had made home. But we did start meeting people, going to their houses, meeting for dinners, etc. We had received so much love and affection from people and it was hard to say bye, but it is important sometimes to move forward and that can involve moving away. Physical distance may increase but the love, the fondness does not change. They change their shapes yes and it can be tough to see that change happening, but it is an important phenomenon in life and one must accept that happily, mindfully, and move on. 

Leaving our home, which we built ourselves, in which we had the best of times was tough. You loved every part of our home, from your 'sundar' bedroom to the floor, to everything. But we were to make a move for something new and possibly better. 

Few weeks before we were to leave, Jema, Jepa, Trisha nani, Hitesh Fufa came over and we had a good time with all of them. We went to Hasta Shilpa village, the boat ride in Swarna river, restaurants, etc. 

Melaka in May

The day finally arrived. Shobha aunty & Ullas mama came home to say bye; your friends Aadya Vemala and Saanvi Bhat dropped as a surprise. It was a very emotional moment. We left from Mangalore to Bangalore and then to Kuala Lumpur and arrived in Melaka on 3rd May, a Saturday. A new place, we were received by former colleagues from Manipal and the sense of familiarity was a relief. Ganesh uncle, Anand uncle, Nagalakshmi aunty, they were all there in the morning.

We settled in in the staff quarters and as soon as Monday, 5th May came, we were filled with another worry - of leaving you alone at home. Something we had never done in all these years. I was suggesting we put cameras to see you, but Mummy said that wouldn't be required, as you were a very responsible girl. The office timings here were 8-5, though we could come home for lunch. That left you alone for a very long time at home. But you did well. Though your screen time increased with watching tab but you did well.

The next concern was school. We went to see a couple of schools though with our prior planning we had decided to send you to Melaka Expatriate School. Thankfully you liked it better than the other schools. However, the session was underway and we planned to send you at that start of the year (September 1 in this case).

This left you with nearly 4 months of being school-less! But it passed and passed well. You have in fact, though reluctantly, read 5-6 books in these months.

We were regularly going for shopping trips on Wednesday and Friday in the college vehicle, a routine you started loving. We explored many things at Melaka starting from Jonkers street, food joints, Mahakota mall, big Aeon, small Aeon, Mixue!, and other new things. You found new love in Kari Maggi, a change from the Indian maggi. You began to like these Sanrio things (rolls eyes) like Kuromi, Cinnamoroll, etc, etc and of course wanted all of them all the time.

New school - new beginnings

School started in September and we were worried how it will be. The curriculum, Cambridge curriculum, is pretty different from CBSE which you were used to. The approach of subjects is different, the books are presented differently and they are really good - as teachers of so many years we could see that. But it was not easy to pick as it demands different approach. 

Your class just had 10 kids, you were the 11th and that is a sea change from how it was in India. You started making new friends, maneuvering the school staircase, the teachers (Mr Morias), lunch time, and other things. It has just been 3 months and the journey has been fine. This December holiday you did say that you were bored and wanted to go to school. You have decided to have lunch provided at school. Which is also a testimony that you have taken to the food here.

Newer things

Among new things in Malaysia, we met Vinod uncle and family a few times in these months, you had a good time with Hari bhaiya. We also went to a Chinese wedding (of our former student Rachel) and it was a unique experience. We reconnected with Mummy's school friend, Anshul mama and their family which includes Snow the most well behaved dog. By the end of November we purchased the new car (you are calling it Aphro) 

The end of the year brought with it a heartbreak with Nani-ma being diagnosed with advanced cancer. You went with Mummy to Calcutta to see her. She is doing well in body and spirit until now but you know how difficult it can get. You were upset but having seen Nanu earlier as a kid, you have a very good understanding of these difficult health conditions, which has been, sadly, part of you since forever. But what is important is that it has not deterred anything. We have been strong and practical and resolute in dealing with these things. It gives you character and a unique strength to deal with things. It also tells you what priorities in life are. We do not know how this year is going to be for Nani but whatever it is we will deal with it and you will always have her love and blessings.

The world that was

The world in the past year was as crazy as it could get. There has been a sense of despondency overall. The Trump administration in America has been in news for all the wrong reason. There is a wave against good scientific temper in America (as well as in India), against immigrants. The wars in Ukraine and Gaza continues, and other small ones have popped up, and they have been normalized. There have only been pockets of uplifting initiatives. You are still studying Roman history and will need some time to understand these things.

Whatever it is, remember, kindness will move the world forward. You must be kind to yourself first, then to everyone around you. There is much value in goodness.

Technological advancements are on a rise. the quest for the space or Mars is continuing. Artificial Intelligence continues to be part of our everyday lives, though many think the bubble might burst soon. Australia banned social media for under 16 year olds, which has been lauded. You were very keen on having a phone for this birthday which was vetoed of course, and for good reason.

So, concluding...

The year 2025 has been a roller coaster. Moving countries is definitely not an usual thing, at least for us, and you did it and did it well. Looking back, you must be commended for your support, even though it was not easy for you. You are adapting to the new school and hope you do it well, sooner than later. You are desperately wanting to be a teen. 

You still love your songs, you have diversified into English and Korean (black pink et. al.,) and your dance (large part of the 4 months at home before school) and those stupid YouTube videos (watching which has drastically reduced) and your Mixue boba tea. And the birthday cake, which Mummy has to make. And which she has, despite not having oven yet. That said, you are a very understanding girl, much mature for your age.

I hope you keep your innocence. I hope you adapt to the world quickly because so many things are suddenly changing. I hope you continue to be the determined (for getting things, read material objects, that you want) girl that you are.

On that note, I love you the most!

Papa.

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Letter to Aindri on her 10th birthday

 Dearest jhia,

You are 10!

Reflecting on the chaotic, tense, on the tenterhooks morning that this day was a decade back, it seems like a long way; and yet it seems just like yesterday. The heaviness of having to handle a 1185 grams premature child made 10 years look eons away back then. But, here we are, today, on yet another milestone, of you having made 10 rounds around the sun!

Your constant, year long, infective (irritating too), effervescent enthusiasm for your birthday continues into this year as well. And it is a lovely thing to have. Never let it go. Never let the cynicisms of growing older take away from you this keenness, this desire, this self love.

The year began as usual for us on your 9th birthday; and this time Jema, Jepa were with us. We decided to go a little big this time and organized your birthday at Fortune Inn Valley View. The regular, dear friends were invited and everyone turned up - about 40 of them. The highlight, your birthday cake, as per your demand (and you are making a lot of them now) was a mermaid cake. Your mother baked a stunning looking and delicious tasting one. She spent the whole morning making the layered cake, with fondant work, a colorful one, which wowed everyone in the evening. You were happy for your friends had come in large numbers and all of you got a lot of space to play.

Jepa had his knee surgery after a few days and was recuperating at home for a long time. You were a good kid helping with stuff. Later in the same month, we went to Benaras to attend Shyamsundar mama's wedding. North of India in the chilling cold was a first for you. It was excruciatingly cold for us, but we had fun nevertheless. You met a lot of people, ad so did I, and for the first time in all these years, a lot of people from your mother's side. We went to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in wee hours, had kachori sabzi, malaiyo, etc. It was a fun trip.

After we got back, you fell ill. There was fever and it got exacerbated on taking the antibiotics. We were worried, you were running very high fever. It turned out you are allergic to sulfa antibiotics. This is something you need to remember going forward though. Well, March came and I got busy with Utsav as usual. But by now we had planned our second Europe trip.

This time the plan was to visit the Scandinavian countries. As usual, the planning had followed several weeks. We flew through Munich, Germany this time. The snow clad Alps as we descended to Munich was a sight to behold. We went to Stockholm then. This time we had decided to spend more time with family in Stockholm compared to the previous edition in 2022. 

The unique thing that was planned by Badda and Meshu was to have a cruise tour. We went to the beautiful capital of Estonia, Tallin. You had in fact, as preparation, learnt a song on Estonia. The cruise was interesting. Later we went to the beautiful Norway. First, we went to the capital Oslo and then to the breathtaking Bergen. The Oslo-Bergen train was a picturesque one - we saw so much snow for the first time. From Bergen we flew to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. Museums, palaces, canal tour - it was fun. Earlier in Skansen in Stockholm, where you enjoyed a lot, you had a new shoe which was not very comfortable and you had twisted your foot. That was an irritant throughout the rest of the trip.

The trip was loaded with good food, be it the delectable waffle just below the apartment or lunch at the Belgian restaurant in Tallin, or the fresh blueberries & strawberries. You needed Indian food, so did I, once in a while and we even had Biriyani from the Indian restaurant at Citybox Bergen. You purchased, was gifted, your requirement of stationery, etc, and thus ended the Europe trip.

We drove to Goa, another first, during the Independence Day holidays. We stayed at South Goa and it was a wonderful time - with a majority of time spent in the swimming pool, which you don't seem to get enough of. We went to Mumbai for Diwali and spent 3 days there. Nani ma went with us and we had fun visiting Filmcity there. We went to Odisha in December, with you missing classes even, but it was a fun trip. We went to Puri and you will remember the jostling for darshan there for quite some time to come. We went to Nandankanan where I guess seeing the White tiger, Melanistic Tiger, Royal Bengal Tiger were highlights. We spent a lot of time with Reet & Ronil kaka.

This year we repeated your MRI brain and EEG which you were very cooperative undergoing. Your many years of partner, Sanofi suddenly stopped production of Valparin and it was a tense few weeks before we switched to the pink color, and sweeter version by Abbott. You still aren't keen on takin tablets.

This year you continued watching increasing number of movies, thanks to Netflix & Prime. You are still watching, for the thousandth time, Bheem, Shin Chan, etc. Your love for potato chips & spicy food continue unabated. This year saw new people coming into our lives. Tingiya's kid, who you have named Rishu was born in September. You secured position in school in public speaking. 

The world in the past year has only been crazy. The Israel Palestine conflict has been continuing with Israel killing a lot of Palestinians. The US saw a regime change with Donald Trump coming back to power. The Russia-Ukraine war is still continuing. South Korea had an attempted coup. 

The use of Artificial Intelligence has been on a rise. You are now familiar with what is called as ChatGPT. This is a generative AI. There are scores more and they are growing each day, getting incorporated into everything. In a few years time, by the time you are in higher education, AI would have matured a lot. It may take various shapes, we don't know yet. It may replace people in jobs, it will change the nature of jobs, it will add new dimension to different professions. The robot revolution is also gaining pace and so is space exploration, thanks to SpaceX and other private companies.

You are much more mature this year. Your sense of humor is very nice, unlike mine, which is non existent. Your passion for singing continues (you met Kavita Krishnamurty outside visa office in Bangalore). You conversations with friends is very interesting and there is this shadow of teenage which is falling forward I see.

Ten years always seemed very far off. But here we are. It feels like an achievement almost.

But then, the journey of parents is forever.

We love you the most, jhia.

Papa

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Letter to Aindri on her 9th birthday

 My dearest jhia,

Today you turn 9!

The lovely thing about your birthday which is still going strong is your enthusiasm for it! You start pretty early in the year and it reaches the pinnacle as the year ends. I hope you continue having this excitement into your grown up years too!

For your 8^th birthday, we returned to normalcy, the normalcy of hosting friends at home. We did debate about hosting it outside somewhere but in the end we thought we can do it at our home. ‘Nani’ was there during your birthday. We had the regular set of friends and a couple of new ones who joined. You wore a blue-white dress, with a crown (rolls eyes). Your mother baked for you a beautiful cake which had one of your Barbie dolls fixed inside it (Barbie thusu cake as we called it).

For most part of the first half of the year, you were very happy with Nani being around; and as a massive change in the usual practice you started sleeping in the other room. The frequency increased gradually but in the end you liked it with Mummy Papa in ‘sundar bedroom’.

A Bangalore visit happened in late January to drop nani-ma there. We took our new car out to the beach a lot and to Mangalore more than we usually did. The Chinese restaurants (Hao Ming) became a favorite for few occasions and later so did the Rajasthani restaurant. My birthday and Mummy’s birthday arrived and we started going to Kyoto restaurant, which was a new addition to our eating places in 2023.

In mid-February we went for a very short stay to Uva meridian and the water park experience there was immensely fun! After our return from there, Budha Aja, Papa’s last surviving grandparent and one who have had a great influence on my life passed on. I went to Talcher later for the rituals. You would remember Budha Aja decently well. He loved you a lot and always said that this one is going to be a very “strong” lady. His excitement on your birth knew no bounds for his eldest grandson’s daughter is a big deal you see. We used to see him always whenever we went to Odisha so you will surely remember, or at least I hope so, few of those encounters.

Utsav happened next; you now know pretty well how it goes for me. Both Mummy and you cooperate a lot in the days leading to Utsav enabling me to work for it. You have started mimicking the phone calls, the regular people I talk to, the organizational quirks I have. Utsav 2023 was really smooth and the quality of events were top notch.

We went to Bangalore again in April. We met Tingiya that time briefly. After we were back you attended perhaps your first ever concert of a major popular singer – Shaan. It was held in KMC Greens and was a very enjoyable show. Your love for singing continued and your self-learning also continued over the year. Towards the later part of the year the use of Alexa, added a new dimension to this because now there was someone who attended the commands of playing songs.

We hosted Utsav gang people at home and were surprise visited by Suraj & Vandana, your reaction being noteworthy; you were howling on the floor at the surprise. In the month of May we went to Odisha, via Hyderabad. We went to the new home of Jepa & Jema at Vipul gardens in Bhubaneswar this time and it was lovely. It was the peak of summers and AC in all rooms were a constant feature. At this rate of global warming things are going to be very difficult. There is only one planet and I hope my generation does not spoil it beyond repair for yours.

Since it was summers there were the summer fruits and you enjoyed the mangoes and litchi a lot. Som bhaina’s thread ceremony was the major event that we had to attend and it was a first of its kind for you. You met a host of people on my side of the family. We also went to Talcher for a day in between. Cousins, food, short trips later we were back via Bangalore, getting nani-ma with us to Manipal. We came by train and you loved the experience as usual. Your detest for flights because of the smell and motion sickness continued this year too.

I had fewer trips to Bangalore last year which was greatly liked by you. Papa & Mummy got busy with their conference organization after that. It was Extended reality in healthcare and you came over and saw a bit of the virtual reality and mixed reality stuff that was around. You also liked the basic VR device last year Mummy gifted you for your birthday which requires the phone to go inside it. Well, digital natives, you all.

On Independence Day we took a road trip to Bekal Fort in Kerala. A few days later I had to go to Goa for work. Vivek uncle visited from Singapore and you were very happy to meet him. We went to Shobha aunty’s house for Ganesh Puja, a yearly ritual now.

Another first happened last year – watching circus. Rambo circus had set shop in Mangalore and we decided to go there, which was after you asked for it quite a few times. Parents, you see. Circus days I believed had long gone but the Rambo circus was a pleasant surprise which we all enjoyed.

In October, we planned a Kerala trip. After seeing off nani who headed to Kolkata, we went for a 7 day trip to Munnar, Thekkady, Aleppey/Kumarakom & Kochi. It was a good trip. While you disliked the travel through mountainous roads but the nice stay, the food (hogged at the buffets), the swimming pool were all greatly liked by you. From the hill station of Munnar with endless tea plants on hills to the great houseboat (completely for us) experience; the trip was unique.

Jema & Jepa visited shortly after and were there with us during Diwali. They left after a few weeks and we went for a short trip to Pondicherry. I think you liked it, though you surely did not like walking so much at Matri Mandir. You had pasta, and there was the amazing pink pasta at Café Coromandel, all the three nights we were at Pondy. Jema & jepa came back in the last week of December. We went out for lunch on New year’s eve and the new year day started in a not so nice way for you, with you falling off the bed and hurting your head. But you surprisingly braved it well.

The world in 2023 had its ups and downs as is the case with everything. India became the most populous country in the world. The popular narrative that it is a bad thing is not entirely correct. However we need more jobs and opportunities for the young. I hope things look up in another decade. The year was marked by great advancements in Artificial Intelligence. AI, or generative AI, is breaking barriers at a fast pace. Getting things written, getting images made, creating videos, health, entertainment, everything is seeing AI applications. By the time you are more grown up, this will become a default in many ways. It is important to understand it better and use it and use for the better.

The Israel-Palestine conflict took a very serious turn and lots of lives are still getting lost in it. If you take an interest in understanding it later in life, always remember to start from the basics, from credible books & resources and not off what just appears on the internet. In India Manipur continued to burn for large part of the year.

The world is becoming narrower in many aspects sadly. Narrower in thoughts and action. Bigotry, majoritarianism, protectionism, shutting doors, lay-offs are on the rise. One can only hope that things get better for the younger generations. This hope is also ‘from’ the younger generations who need to shed the narrowness. A short life that we all have is not worth the pettiness, the conflicts, even though they may look lucrative on the exterior. I hope you will understand this when you are older. It is dichotomous for on one had we are closer to space travel, closer to solutions to a lot of diseases yet on the other hand are held back by conflicts, of mind and on ground.

Anyway, you still continued not liking to go to school, but it got better than earlier. You are doing well academically, thanks to Mummy who is in charge for it majorly. You continued reading books though you still want me or Mummy to read them to you. I guess you are just pushing your luck. You have of late started pushing your luck about wearing shoes with higher heels. Not happening. You are growing tall. Your love for potato chips is unending.

You still have the carefree childhood in you; which sadly does not remain after a certain time (for most of us). I seriously hope you continue having a major strain of that. It is important.

I love you the most, and will always do so.

Papa.

Aja - an institution passes away.

“Once upon a time there was a king named Dasrath… King Dasrath had…”, the earliest memories of Aja is of his booming voice telling me this story on several sultry summer afternoons, lying on the thin mattress laid on the ground in his room. Living very close to Ajaghara, which contrary to the feeling it invokes, was a “quarter” of the coalfields, made for an interesting and very involved childhood. Having lost Aai 25 years back, Aja was always the grandparent whom I was close to. As I write a memoir, and I choose not to call it an obituary, I have beside me a diary he gave me about four years back and from which I try to glimpse into his life.

The intitial memories of Aja draws a picture of a man who was devoted to his routine. He would cycle back from work in the afternoon, change, sit on his broad pidha for lunch (during which I would compare what he got to eat and what I did earlier), and take a short nap. He would wake up after an hour and cycle back to office. The timing, the ritual, the routine was fixed. The shirt and pant, and there were just a few of them, neatly ironed; the hair, impeccably brushed; the big cycle, never dirty. Sometimes, the image of the shelf (built in the wall) of his room flashes in my mind. Each item, a radio, Kayam Churn, the torch, everything was placed exactly where they were supposed to be. Aja loved discipline.

As Aja has written in his own words, his forefathers came from Kannauj in Rajasthan and were Kanyakubja Brahmins. They came to Odisha and settled in Puri. On invitation of Raja of Talcher Gadjat they moved to Talcher and settled in the village Ramachandrapur (now known as Kandhal). Aja’s paternal great grandfather Gobinda Praharaj was gifted rent free land in the said village for their sustenance by Maharaj Ramachandra Dev of Talcher. Gobinda Praharaj’s son, Trilochan Mishra was a sankskrit scholar and royal ambassador of Talcher. As an ambassador he visited Bamra state and was conferred the title of “Dakhinabarta” for his eloquence in Sanskrit by Raja Sri Basudev Sudhal Dev, KCIE. Aja’s maternal grandfather Balakrushna Mishra was a Minister of Estate at Pallahara. Aja was the 4th child of Rudra Mohan Mishra and Krushna Priya Mishra. 

As a child I always saw that at Ajaghara there were always a lot of people. In fact the front tin shed room, where cycles and chappals, and sports equipment in a corner, and an almirah with books, later scooter rested at night was a meeting room of sorts. Every evening when I used to land at Ajaghara, there would be people huddled there. People who were largely labourers in coal mines. In mines that was underground, where pay was precariously low and threat to life astronomical; where mercy of the officer was an extension of the British Raj and where very few people would listen and help. And there was Aja, who would often be heard talking in the loudest voice, reprimanding, arguing; all of it to help those labourers fight for justice.

Constitutional law, industrial law, Mines Act were his interest areas. Since childhood I have seen these thick books in the cupboard, and Aja would read them, mark them with red, blue, purple, place bookmarks and make notes. Was he a lawyer? No. He was just interested and invested in them. So much so that the self-taught man went to courts and tribunals to fight for and gave relief to coal mine labourers. It is evident from his writing that he was very proud to head the team of trade unions that fought the pension case of workers under “National Coal development Corporation Rule” and won it in favor of the employees. Thousands of workers were benefited by the ruling who were granted pension under Coal Mines Provident Fund Act & Rules. Aja writes that he was inspired by famous trade union leader Dhuliswar Bastia of Rourkela, who established the Rourkela Mazdoor Sabha. 

If something was integral to Aja, it was his love for reading. Newspapers would fall short for him. Since resources were limited, there used to be subscription of one Odia newspaper. He would then ask us to get the English newspaper from our house, another Odia newspaper from the neighbor, someone would bring another and Aja would read all of them. Regularly, each day, without fail. He rarely read fiction. Non-fiction was his genre. He did not pursue higher studies, for situation at home never permitted so, but the erudition he achieved merely be reading, and reading rich text, be it good quality editorials, legalese in thick labour law books or anything that came his way, was exemplary. Very few well-read people of his generation and of that place would be able to write sentences that were coherent and impeccable. And that reading was a habit he carried on much late into his life. Perhaps the loneliness, of not having Aai by his side, triggered him to read more. How ingrained this habit of reading was in him is reflected in the fact that much later when he made less sense of what he was reading, he would still read the newspaper and underline (which he had a habit of), but this time the whole of the page.

If he read so much, he also wrote. He wrote poems, of a very high caliber. He wrote opinion pieces. More than a hundred for the newspaper “Khabara”, which incidentally was started by his father-in-law, Sambadika Gourab Dibakar Mishra and was revived after decades of going out of print. His poems have been translated and published. He has recited his poems in a few Kabi Sammilanis. All of these make more eminent sense when seen with the backdrop of the fact that there never has been a rich intellectual environment at Talcher. Aja never had that network that would prop him up to a bigger scene. And yet he kept up this habit of writing until he lost interest in any of it, in all of it.

If he read and wrote so much, his commitment and belief in bettering the education environment of Talcher was rock solid. As office-bearer of “Odisha Coal Mines Labour Federation (Hind Mazdoor Sabha)” he contributed his might in establishing the engineering college at Sarang where 60% reservation for coalmine employees was fixed back then. Aja was active in establishing of Nehru Shatabdi Central Hospital and was an Executive Member of “Central Hospital Advisory Committee”. But clearly his indelible mark is in establishing the “Deulbera Colliery Model High School” (now a nodal high school) in 1962, a school that served as an oasis of education. Aja was, for a long time, Secretary of Deulbera Colliery M E School (Middle English if you are wondering) and was instrumental in getting it into government fold. Another school which we was involved in establishing was Saraswati Sishu Mandir in 1993.

Aja loved being a public persona. The fearlessness he carried, the adherence to truth, the socialism in belief, all of it brought him to organize and be part of important movements. As Aja writes his most memorable moment was organizing a meeting of the great Jayprakash Narayan and associating himself with Acharya Binoba Bhave who came to Talcher during the Bhoodan movement. The list of leaders whom he hosted, associated and worked with is a long one. Dr Harekrushna Mahtab, Biju Patnaik, Madhu Dandavate, Pramila Dandavate, Samarendra Kundu, Bhagabata Behera (who was instrumental in arranging George Fernandes escape on the eve of Emergency; and there is a Talcher link there), Kamala Sinha, Nandini Satpathy, Devendra Satpathy, Surendranath Dwivedy, the list is long. I think Aja would have loved to be in active politics, but again, he was too upright, too truthful, too outspoken and too honest for the role. 

One can’t help but think that Aja deserved much more in life. For the passions he had, for the knowledge he possessed, for the acumen he showed, for the capabilities he displayed, in a fair world, Aja would have gone on to become a great lawyer specializing in constitutional law, or a political strategist advising the who’s who of Indian politics, or a writer of many anthologies of poems, or an op-ed writer sharing his views on television. Aja had a huge share of upheavals in his personal life. The struggle was a constant. That is a regret that would stay. But he perhaps believed in reincarnation, or so I hope for I have never found him to be deeply religious, and in that case, all the above would materialize in another life I hope.

There is a lot to learn from the life Aja led. For a self-made man, to provide for a big family of seven children and numerous relatives, to help the most downtrodden and faceless in the society, to associate actively with socialist movements, to keep the fire of reading and learning burning forever, to help build few major educational institutions in Talcher, to organize rallies and sports competitions and events, and all these at the face of grave challenges at home, with limited resources at disposal, without a conducive environment makes Aja’s resilience stand out. His accomplishments have been exemplary and grit enormous.

My Aja, Brahma Shankar Mishra was an institution. And he will be missed.

Letter to Aindri on her 8th birthday

 My darling jhia,

Today you turn 8 years old.

Your excitement for your birthday continues unabated and it is a lovely thing to have. I hope for you to continue having this excitement all your life long.

For your 7th birthday, since the COVID-19 pandemic was not well in control, we decided to do an outdoor birthday again. Remember, the 6h one was at the beach! We zeroed in on Tree Park, the one right beside TAPMI. The usual suspects were invited, your dear friend Tingia turned up from Bangalore, food was ordered to be delivered right at the park, and the theme of the birthday was the one thing you were obsessed with at that time - Elsa (of the Frozen fame). You had an Elsa dress to wear (with a cape and all), the decoration stuff were of that theme, and yes, your mother, continuing the tradition of baking your birthday cakes herself, made one with the Elsa theme. It was a good outing. You kids played a little bit post the celebration.

The year saw you going to school regularly as the shadow of Covid slowly dissipated. While academically you have been doing very good, a matter of deep concern was about your lunch. The slightly picky eater that you are (and I plead guilty on that count), your mother took on this task of catering to your demands and preparing wide variety of snacks and lunch. By the end of the year you started adapting to 'hot lunch' at school. Time shall tell how long that trend will continue.

We went to Odisha in April, braving the summer in Talcher. You fell ill with viral enteritis and it was a tough time. Later we watched a play (your first in fact), Ahe Nila Shaila in Bhubaneswar and you enjoyed the experience. We again went to Odisha in July, though just for three days, because your friend Tingia was getting married and no way we could miss it. Some relations, that we build ourselves, must be valued; and relationships take work to be maintained.

There was a lot of uncertainty going on about the fate of MMMC, where we work, and that occupied our thoughts for a large part of the year. But amidst all that we embarked on what would turn out as the highlight of 2022 - the Europe trip. We were very unsure, how it would go with you, for we had never travelled that long and that far earlier. The planning and preparation, which you witnessed closely, went on for months. We did it all by ourselves and with all the aspirations and aspersions undertook the journey on August 28.

We visited Stockholm where our family members live and had a great time there. We went to the gorgeous Amsterdam, to the beautiful Ghent & Bruges, then the tourist haven of Paris. You were super cooperative and walked on and on while we enjoyed these lovely European cities. You must be commended for that for in a day we used to hit more than 15k steps. You adjusted to the food too. It was a unique experience and to cherish it we have made an album of the photos and memorabilia collected. I hope you will remember the Louvre (which was a dream for me when I read the book by Dan Brown) and the Mona Lisa in it. I hope you will remember the thousands of cyclists and the beautiful canals in Amsterdam. I hope you will remember the city tour and metros of Stockholm and above all the good time spent with family. 

Your 'nani' came back from Stockholm with us and you have enjoyed the pampering of a grandparent of late. I can see that it has instilled in you the art of being demanding, but it is all fun. You started learning Karate this year and after a few sessions grew bored with it. You have started going to music classes recently. You want to join dance classes too. It is all good to try new things. Some things will stick others won't, but remember nothing will come easy. Play also needs a dedication like work for it to transform into a habit.

A lot happened in the world. Russia and Ukraine went into war and which disrupted many things. Lives were lost, economic downturn came about, geopolitical crisis continues as I write this. Wars are never good you see. Queen Elizabeth died, when we were in Stockholm. Football World Cup was won by Argentina and the g.o.a.t (not the animal) Messi got his due (though we didn't watch the WC). Countries like Iran saw women asking for their rights, and the protests continued for months. China saw protests as well and by the end of the year the Covid situation there worsened. The World started plating Wordle. Artificial Intelligence took an interesting turn with ChatGPT (I wonder how you kids will write assignments 8-10 years from now). The James Webb Space Telescope sent pictures back and we learnt so much about space and stars and galaxies.

After a break of two years, the last time when you danced to "Bhumro bhumro" and was also am emcee for the program, your school had the Annual Day in November. Endless practice (rolls eyes) for the dance-drama 'Punyakoti' ensued and you were pretty excited to be a cow. You were equally disappointed when you were replaced as an emcee this time. Showed how much you cared for it. Good thing. Perhaps will motivate you to try harder for things that matter to you.

The end of the year also brought an end to the long run we have had with the car! The car that was of your 'Nanu' and got passed on to your Ma. The car in which you came home from hospital after your month-and-a-half stint in NICU. The car in which we went to places we could - those tens of visits to beaches, restaurants, school-of-course. Material things do become a part of our life for they are associated with the memories we make. But material things are material things at the end of the day. We finally, and on the new year day, brought home a new car. I hope we get to create memories and much better ones in this one too.

As I write this letter, this year we are planning to have your birthday at home this time. The usual suspects have been invited. You have become tad bit greedy with wanting large number of gifts.

You are growing fast and growing tall! You are exhibiting a sense of humor which is a nice thing (I am bad at that anyway). Some teenagy behavior is also being observed which is, at least not yet, giving us sleepless nights. Your compassion and understanding of things continues to surprise us sometimes. Hope you keep that up. It is essential to be a good person, everything else comes next or rather follows.

Always remember, we love you the most.

Papa

Why media should not be allowed into schools

Creator: razihusin | Credit: Getty Images/iStockphot0

Following the airing of a new clip showing the inability of children of a government school in Dhenkanal district in answering few fundamental questions, education officers have directed school principals to not allow media personnel into school premises and even file police complaints if required to prevent entry without permission. While the issue of poor learning outcomes is a serious one and the government must be asked questions about the same, media personnel barging into schools and thrusting a mic on an unassuming child is surely not the way to go about it.

Highlighting the concern

That school education is an important pillar of any society is well known. Equally well known is the fact that school education in most parts of India is poor in quality as well as quantity. Despite the best of intentions, inadequate number of teachers, ill-trained teachers, curricular lacunae, pathetic infrastructure, etc, has marred school education, including that in Odisha. The responsibility of the fourth estate of the democracy lies in constantly questioning the government of the day about measures that are being taken to fill such gaps. Such reportage, highlighting the concerns have made people and powers that be sit up and take notice.

That said, the education quality, the achieving of learning outcomes cannot be tested by reporters and journalists by asking a random few questions to any school kid. There are several good reasons for it, the first being that there is a due statistical process to evaluate these outcomes and sampling by picking any random child won’t provide the true picture. Doing that would border on sensationalism to put it mildly. Secondly, there is the issue of ethics. Does the child, a minor, provide consent to be interviewed and for it to be aired? Would there be an easy way for the video to be taken off the internet if in future the child or her parents would demand so? Would the reporter ask similar question to, say a top bureaucrat’s child? Thirdly, school is meant to be a safe space. It is ideally meant to foster growth in a non-threatening environment. The presence of any third party encroaching that space does not augur well for children at large.

School education in Odisha

The Ministry of Education recently introduced the Performance Grading Index (PGI) for schools in the country which evaluates schools on five parameters – Learning Outcomes & Quality, Access, Infrastructure and Facilities, Equity and Governance Processes. For the year 2019-20, the latest which has been published, Odisha figured in Grade I along with states like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. There has been an increase in its grade from 2017-18. No guesses that following the 5T transformation of schools, the improvement has been in the infrastructure and facilities domain.

Odisha scored relatively low in learning outcomes & quality, the domain that deals with standard of students in language and mathematics (the bone of contention in the case) in standard 3, 5 and 8 in government and aided schools. In the PGI, average scores in both language and mathematics declined as the class progressed from 3 to 8.

As per Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) of 2021, student enrolment in Odisha in private schools is increasing; more and more children are taking private tuitions (nearly 15 % jump from 2020), a mere 36% household reported that they received learning material when schools were closed during the pandemic.  Earlier ASER report of 2018 showed that a mere 35% children in Standard III were able to read Standard II level text in government schools while it was 64.5% in private schools. When it comes to arithmetic, 23.8% children in Class V of government schools could do a division meant for Standard II while in private the percentage was 43.2.

Ask questions – the right ones

The issue of not making spectacle of poor learning outcomes applies to ministers and bureaucrats too. Only a few days ago, the concerned minister during a school visit directed deducting salary of a headmistress due to poor response by a student. The whole 'catching by surprise' plank does not augur well with children in a school. The disallowing media person into schools is also seen in Odisha in conjunction of them being kept out of the secretariat, SCB medical college, etc, the latter being highly condemnable; yet which cannot be conflated with the issue of minor school children.

Not allowing media personnel to enter schools should not deter them from raising issues about school education. There are several studies starting from ASER to NITI Aayog to Ministry of Education which regularly survey schools which provide information about state of affairs. Teacher shortage is a massive concern and media should highlight that. RTI tools should be employed to learn more about quality of teachers, appointments, irregularities, etc. Nothing stops media houses, number of which are mushrooming each day, from investigating multitude of issues that plague school education. That said, these are more effortful processes as compared to asking few questions of mathematics to the unassuming school children.

Mummy & School

Ever since we (speaking on behalf of my sister too) have gained sense of the world, Mummy and school has been conjoint words for us. My mother is a school teacher who retires today. After working for 39 years and 9 months. Retiring as Headmistress of a school where you started working would be special; and Mummy has had a unique stint. Joining as a teacher in a school which was established in 1977, and well before she was married, Deulbera Colliery Model Nodal High School (current name; else for us it has always been Model High School) has been an integral part of her life.

We stayed close to the school. In a Miners Quarter (MQ in short) allotted to teachers. We could hear the school bell ring (the piece of railway track iron with a hole made in it) at 10 in the morning, then the recess and so on. School, though we didn't study there, has been an integral part of our lives as well. 

My earliest memories involve being pampered by Mummy's colleagues, going on school trips, being around in umpteen number of school functions which would involve song preparation (In the karaoke days, those sessions don't happen, so iykyk), Ganesh puja & Saraswati puja at school, the sports days, etc. In summers there would be "bundles" of answer papers at home which Mummy would correct and sometimes I got to add the marks of. There would be morning school on Saturdays and in later years in scorching summers of Odisha.

39 years and 9 months is a long time. Mummy has seen up close the school transform from being a colliery school (Talcher is India's top coal producing city), to semi-govt status, to being accorded high school status and finally at the end of her career being "transformed" (infrastructure upgradation) as per an endeavour of the Odisha government.

Back in the day whenever Mummy's student would cross path on the road on a bicycle, whatever the speed, they would get down, to pay their respect. I found it very amusing and quite irksome. I hope they don't do it these days. From what I have learnt, Mummy has been quite a disciplinarian, something that she perhaps have taken from my grandfather and the early headmaster's she has worked under. Never one to physically punish students (something that was common many years back; remember 39 years), her no-nonsense attitude perhaps set the rules.

Through the years Mummy taught various subjects, originally from Sahitya (literature) to history, to Odia and more. The workload at school had only increased over the years and the last stretch of being Headmistress has been stressful for her. But she enjoyed her work. To get things at home done, get ready, wear that saree (earlier there was no uniform for teachers), grab the bag and walk to school (take the auto, later when we shifted house) has been a routine we have witnessed growing up.

Mummy not merely did her job, but her commitment to the school, the burning many midnight lamps (sometimes literally because we had a lot of power cuts) to prepare some or the other document (Hand written. People with good handwriting like her often get more work), to focus on moral values of students, to support (train actually) co-curricular activities of students, bring innovative ideas has contributed in making Model High School stand out among other schools. 

To not do that from tomorrow onwards will be surely different. A 39 years 9 month long routine builds a muscle memory of different kind. The psyche is attuned to that. Couple of generation of men and women have been her students now. Leaving all that, shifting to a new city later, will be challenging and will truly herald a second innings (however cliche the expression sounds). 

An almost four-decade long career, which she herself wonders how she pulled through, has come to a close today. It is time to reminiscence the days gone by, the fond associations, the moments of glory, the richness of service provided, the immense learning that has occurred, the innumerable lives touched. And through those thoughts look forward to better things.

For Model High School, Subhasree Mishra will be an integral part of its existence and growth. For hundreds of students, Mishra didi will have played some role in their lives. For us, Mummy and school will always be conjoint words.

Letter to Aindri on her 7th birthday

Dearest jhia,

You are 7 today. 

From where we started and with what, 7 seems surreal.. You are a tall girl. And you have now not seen the face of the school for 2 years! It will be something to remember. Back to the 6th birthday. The COVID-19 pandemic was on; even though there was a little reduction in the number of cases, we, your parents, being the extra cautious ones that we are (it is up for judgement whether that is a bad thing or good), decided that we should not have any celebration in a closed space and thus opted to do it -- at the beach. So, we packed food, cake, banners, balloons and headed to the beach. We invited just a few people, your friend Tingia made a surprise visit the previous day from Jaipur, and it ended up being a nice celebration at picturesque location. 

Your Mummy then went to Bangalore in February for the annual ritual for nanu; and you stayed back with me. Needless to mention, we lived on pizza and burgers for those two days. In March, after having been at home for one full year, we thought we should take you out and we went to Anejhari, the butterfly camp, which was a good 1-day break. The first quarter of the year passed like that and then the Delta wave (you might learn about that later) gripped India. One of the most devastating scenarios unfolded mid-year, where thousands of people died, hospital beds weren't enough, oxygen wasn't enough in hospitals. There was chaos. It was not a good place to be in; we were scared and for our families staying far away. We tried to help few people as much as possible by either donating some money or calling up people for hospital beds. 

All very small effort, but remember, in such times, even a little counts. A little can make a big difference in someone's life. Often we brush away things thinking it's insignificant, miniscule, unimportant, unworthy but you never know which of it would mean something else for a person. Therefore, help, whenever you can, in whichever way you can, in any measure that you can. 

A few people we know passed away in that brutal wave. We were largely safe, but then in May (19th to be precise), I was diagnosed positive for Covid-19. Though I had a very very mild disease, the scare, especially in the first two-three days was immense. I was at home in the 'sundar' bedroom for 14 long days and it is truly commendable of your mother and you to manage everything at home, with help from no one else. You were scared, but you held up really well. Am very proud of you.

Lockdowns were upon us and we were at home for weeks. When it got relaxed, we hit the beach once in a while. It rained a lot this year, just a lot. And it rained almost until end of November. In November your aunt had to be taken to Delhi for her visa work and we had to thus make a trip to Bangalore. Which we did, and by road (reason: already covered in the beginning; playing it safe, as air travel has more risk of getting infected). And we did that again, in December, when Nanima and Niti left for Sweden. So, in the first trip we discovered that you have motion sickness, you vomited all over me while we were getting back. But you did really well for a 6 year old to make those long trips. In the second iteration, we stayed for longer at Bangalore, helping in packing, etc. 

One of the most remarkable events of the year was your aunt leaving for Sweden to pursue her masters degree. No amount of words can describe her grit. For a quadriplegic, holed up in one room for nearly 10 years, to make a long journey to Sweden, to an ice cold climate, to pursue higher education after such a long gap; and all of it while being limited by the ability to do so many things, is what inspirational books are made of. I am sure you are quietly imbibing many things and we can see that your perspectives of ability/disability are so different and unique. Let no one in future tell you that these are 'woke' things. Those who say such are narrow minded people who have failed to evolve. Basic human decency, the ability to grow and change ones thinking, to be compassionate and to accept diversity are minimum things that we can and should do as a human being. 

This year, when the Covid cases were at the minimum we were also visited by Jema, Jepa, Trisha nani and Hitesh Fufa and it was a good family get-together at Manipal, albeit for just 2 days. It was certainly nice to see everyone. Since Jema is the principal of her school and a massive renovation work of the school is taking place, she could not afford more holidays. Trisha nani kept sending you gifts, and your obsession with 'long dress' doesn't seem to abate. And just prior to that Z uncle and R aunty had come over from Jodhpur and all of us went to Moodbidri for a couple of days; which you kids, Yash and you enjoyed immensely.

In 2021, you took to watching Paw Patrol a lot, Ninja Hattori again towards end of the year, sprinkled with Masha & the Bear, etc. You also took to watching stuff on OTT like Prime - Kalari kids, little bit of Malgudi days, etc. We watch the dance and music show on weekends and interestingly you impeccably remember the names of the participants. You took an online class for chess which you did learn a little. We have been having a lot of 'soup' dinners this year, without relenting on Mummy made delicacies which continues unabated. Few of the Saturdays you went to your best friends house, and then you had to skip your ritual afternoon nap. I would have liked you to make more friends, but that was not to be; I would have liked you to play more sports, but that was not to be; I would have liked you to travel to more places, at least Odisha, but that was not to be. But we have to do with what's dished out under trying circumstances.

Your school has been in an online mode this year largely. When it reopened in November, we decided not to send you; for multiple reasons' one that course was near complete, two that you are doing well academically, three that we are not sure. Frankly, it is important to go to school, not only for the learning part (luckily, we can take care of that at home too; not all can, and thus it is important to go to school. Huge number of kids have suffered learning in the pandemic) but for the socializing part. 

As I write this letter to you, a new variant of coronavirus, called Omicron, is set to spread in India. The cases are rising after a long lull. Things might get little bad in the next two months and this might make you stay more at home and postpone going to school. It is a difficult time to be a kid. I don't know how all of it is going to affect one later. It is challenging as a parent too to walk that line between allowing a free-range childhood (guess you never got one in ours, though for genuine reasons) and being careful.

The world has been chaotic the last year. Science made tremendous progress. Vaccine science, mutli-site drug trials grew manifold in and due to the pandemic. A large telescope James Webb Space Telescope was launched in December which will go very far and tell us so much more about the origins of human life. Edutech grew, albeit not in equitable fashion, exponentially. The US pulled out of Afghanistan creating a huge crisis, the Chinese are sitting on Indian borders, petrol prices hovered above Rs 100 this year, polarization seems to be increasing massively, getting unsafe for women, India included, and it is scary how the public discourse has been. It is worrying to think. Life is weird, it is sometimes the best of times and worst of times to be in.

However, we shall do the best we can. Isn't it? On 31st December, we went to the beach, the lovely one at Kodi, which you love a lot. This is becoming kind of a ritual (your first beach outing was on 31st Dec in 2015). You are super excited, as you rightly should be, for your birthday, which, yet again is going to be 'Elsa' themed. I hope you have a great one.

I love you the most.

Papa