Art Of Teaching

I saw the Kashmir Files and some scenes send goosebumps all over my body.

It was the last climax scene of the ruthless, vicious, atrocious assassination of the protagonist Sharada Pandit.  Even after a week of viewing the movie I still have that act intact in front of my eyes. Along with the bullet shot figure of Shiva, the young boy, the last frame of this movie, is manifested like an authentic autograph in my awareness.

 I researched and found out that the character of Sharda is grounded on two actual life characters.  One is the wife of Mr. B.K Ganjoo, who was an Engineer in Kashmir. He was killed by the ‘militants’ on being betrayed by his neighbor and when hiding in a rice drum. His wife was asked to eat the rice smeared with the blood of her husband. The second character is that of Girija Tickoo, who was working as a lab assistant at a government school in Kashmir. She was called under the pretext of collecting her salary, kidnapped, tortured, raped and cut into two pieces using a mechanical saw while still alive.

Women were treated so horribly throughout history.

This brought me to a question of the male gaze and I can firmly affirm that from time immortal it is the women folk who have to bear the brunt of aggressions, riots, genocides or whatever you may call it.

Even in the family sphere it was the patriarchal set up which saw domestic viciousness, widows being burnt on a funeral pyre, female femicide, female infanticide, women being made out castes because she was not able to bear a male child. She had no right to receive education, no right to make her own decisions, no right to vote either. Sexual attack on females were treated as the average normal with some ministers commenting that boys will be boys. Also, incidents of humiliation of victims, widows being made societal outcastes were normal.

Today in modern society women are objects of the male gaze and treated as dirt bags because of the monthly periods and object or property of the father, brother, thereafter the husband and finally of the son. Sadly, this remains in India even today especially in the villages and lower strata of society. Also in the higher castes we view incidents of bride burning and honor killings.

It is with this patriarchal mentality that even we were brought up but were fortunate to break the shackles of bondage. As a woman of position in a school I firmly believed in empowering the plight of the girls who came from mostly middle class and lower, middle-class families. Though we had scout guide in our school, arms training was not included .Selfless service and building up of resistance was a part of the Scout Guide training.

I was a NCC cadet in my college days and on passing out with a C certificate, I had developed skills in the three years of college which was enough to transform me into a disciplined fearless girl from a timid human being and it was reflected in my personality and daily life.

Let me tell you what NCC is. National Cadet Corps or NCC is an adolescence organization where young school & college students can join. NCC’s motto is “Unity and Discipline”. The main aim is to inculcate in the adolescence and youngsters the values of accord, team spirit, discipline, and turn them into dynamic boys and girls. The main idea is self-defenses for tomorrow, and to give them the basic training of using fire arms. Most important, it gives them confidence to face the world, be strong mentally and physically and be a part of a uniformed ​force.

After watching the Kashmir Files, I wish Girls NCC was made compulsory in all schools and colleges. It would give the girls a power to redeem themselves from the natural physical inequality compared to the males.

I had tried my level best to introduce Girls NCC in my school Shreerang Vidyalaya after coming to know that except J.K Singhania which had an Airforce wing and Thane College, no other schools had NCC cadet’s wing.

Getting a NCC unit was not an easy job, but I had a dedicated scout/ guide teacher who was as eager as me to usher in NCC Girls Wing and with the consent and eagerness of the then Management we sent a letter to the commanding officer of 5/ MAH/Girls Battalion, NCC building,Kala Ghoda, Fort on 27^th September, 2017 along with a resolution of the Management of Shreerang Education Society dated 19/8/2017 to proceed on the same.

Thereafter it was hectic preparation of nearly six months for the inspection which we passed successfully and it was a matter of time when the final orders were to be received, but unfortunately the Management changed hands and the management was running a private NCC wing with money collected from interested students, so was not at all keen to start NCC for Girls in spite of explaining that we could include Marathi medium also and it would be a batch of 60 girls only at present. Though we got a letter of sanction and were told to deposit the required amount in the treasury nobody seemed interested.

On 7^th February, 2018, we got a call from Madam Beena Sahi of Kala Ghoda NCC building and our school was honored to attend the 7th February, 2018 NCC day parade. We were told to send 50 girls in full school uniform as the NCC commander wanted to see which school was being given the unit for New Raising and what was their standard.

 In spite of sending letter to the Secretary, I was told orally on 22^nd January, 2018 through the same teacher that the Management was not interested in starting an NCC unit in the school and there was no need to attend any NCC day Parade and no need to transfer any money to the NCC unit for the same. The biggest drawback for Principals of private managements is that all orders are communicated orally so that no proofs can be given later. Refuse to accept dictates, then leave and get lost or suffer the consequences.

Just like the Kashmir Files – Convert, Leave or Die

Through this blog, I want to thank the previous Management who consented and the teacher who went to such lengths and hardships along with me to pass the inspection and come so close to starting a unit.

Every dream does not come true, but after seeing this movie I feel every female should be NCC trained from school level and the Government should make it compulsory in all schools and colleges. It also helps to develop a feeling of nationalism, patriotism and love and respect for the motherland. It helps us to realize the sacrifice of the armed forces for this country. It also trains the young generation to be in preparedness for any eventuality like in Ukraine where arms are being distributed to the citizens to fight the invaders.

 NCC ‘A ‘Certificate is provided at Junior level Schooling. (Below 10th class)

 Those eligible for certificate examination are:

1. Must have attended minimum of 75% of total training Parades.
2.  It is a must to attend one Annual Training Camp.
3. Must be in the second year of Training.
4. The break in NCC should not exceed 18 months.
5. NCC ‘C’ certificate is useful while joining NDA as students are awarded 15 marks,. Even in schools and colleges students are awarded plus marks for their NCC training.

I got 30 marks added to my overall total in my graduation for three years of NCC training in S.I.E.S college.

This was very beneficial to my overall average percentage.

Benefits of NCC: – (From my experience as an NCC cadet of S.I.E.S College, Sion)

• We are taught how to handle firearms..22, .303, SLR, LMG, MMG…
  We are taught how to dismantle, mantle, aim, fire and reload all of them.  We also come to know details about the bore, muzzle, grooves, caliber, etc.
•  We come to know perfect directions in day and night, also about how to read the map and night march chart.
• We learn to stand straight and walk straight as it becomes a habit, and does away with laziness of any kind.
• We are taught how to keep calm even in a panic situation .NCC trains you to be alert and positive at all times even when faced with the most negative of situations.
•  We are taught to be effective with our time management and resource management.
•  We come to know what is important at what time and what needs to be done to survive.  It is not that we will survive against all odds … but we become hundred percent sure that when the race begins, an NCC cadet will last longer than any normal civilian.
•  We are taught that when the time comes to serve the nation, we will be more of an asset to the country than the liability.
• Last but not the least, we are taught and trained to lead, to track, to tolerate the pain, handle the stress and know that this is not the end.
• Helps improving your personality, confidence and to be an outstanding leader
•  NCC teaches you what the word DISCIPLINE means, makes you more obedient, makes you a keen observer and a good listener
• NCC gives you the foretastes of the Military routine…that a non-combatant is unable to get. It enhances your love for your country, brings you a patriot for life time and makes you see Defence as a vocation at some point of your life.
• NCC makes you responsible towards your duties and makes you a good citizen.

NCC provides individuals with 3 types of Certificates namely

A, B & C

• A Certificate Exam – to be attended during final (2nd) year of NCC training at School level (junior division (jd – boys) and junior wing (jw- girls).
• B Certificate Exam – to be attended during 2nd year of NCC training at college level (Senior Division (SD Boys) and Senior Wing (SW Girls).
• C Certificate Exam – (coveted and worthy) to be attended during final (3rd) year of NCC training at college level (Senior Division (SD Boys) and Senior Wing (SW Girls).
• Please note that passed with A or B Grade in NCC C Certificate Exam, a NCC cadet can go for Direct Interview for Selection as Military / Army Officers (tough and luxurious life) without writing the preliminary written competitive exam.

 I end by saying that every Indian, especially the Girls of this country who are physically fit to join NCC should join and be an asset to the country, add more value to this life of ours and show the world that girls can stand up upright in the face of any aggression even if it is a genocide like shown in the Kashmir Files.

To the present Management of Shreerang, don’t feel I am personally targeting anyone. This are my views which were against your views and I was not ready to give in and that is why I am out of my job prematurely before retirement. Also, I feel it is vested interest when we provide training to a selected few including our children who can afford to pay huge fees for private NCC training. And as the head for nearly 30 years I felt, I had a say in the running of the school, but maybe I was wrong to be so emotionally attached to the extent of ruining my health and being stressed out to such a large extent.

But I still feel from the bottom of my heart that you start a girls NCC wing without taking any fees from the girls as a generosity to the society at large and empower the girls to fight their battles inside and outside their domain of existence.

This blog is my way of immortalizing my journey as a teacher and as a School and College head and nothing more. Maybe one day my students or my children will make these memories into a book when I shall cross over to the other side.