DIGITAL INDIA

•  DIGITAL INDIA:-

v  Last week, I got opportunity to interact with school children of my village. and from them I came to know many things about "Mid Day Meal".

v  Every day in News paper and other social media, we  read  something problematic about Mid Day Meal in school. though it is one of the best programme of Govt. of India, something is not right with it. contractors, intermediaries are not doing their job sincerely and as a result poor, innocent little school  children’s have to suffer a lot.

v  Many time we  read in newspaper that children are hospitalized because of poor quality of food of Mid Day Meal at school . finding cockroaches and other small insects in  meal is also common in news.

v  there is inspection team of Govt to prevent this but inspection is not happening regularly. at the same time it is time, energy and money consuming also. And there is also scope for corruption.

v  so what is solution?????

  Definitely Technology !!!!!!!

v  Earlier, where there was no technology, so we can understand that it is difficult to keep watch over person. But now we have medium, then why don’t we use them??

v  In 21st century technology can be important tool to prevent corruption.

v  what I think is that Govt. have to use technological gadgets like CCTV camera, whatsapp, face book and other social media.

v  it is rule  in school that menu is different everyday. but contractor does that on paper only. And surprisingly teachers are also silent over this matter. they should be sensitive towards this issue.

v  Everybody has mobile now a day. So Government can make rule for contractor that take photographs and video of everyday and send it to Govt. before given time. you can also take small 2/3 minutes interview of teachers and students describing quality, quantity, punctuality and variety of Mid Day Meal.

v  If contractor of Mid Day Meal is uneducated then teachers can help them.

v  it is also possible that School prepare their own face book Page, and post photographs everyday.

v  Govt. can make zone as per need at Taluka level or district level. A single person by sitting in his office can check schools of entire district. ELECTRONIC FOOT PRINTS ARE DIFFICULT TO RUB. one can easily access information of many months or years and if anyone does corruption in this they he/she may be easily caught.

v  I think, this kinds of smaller steps will make  true  our dream of DIGITAL INDIA.

Movie review of "Midnight's Children"

Movie review about the Midnight’s Children and The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

The Midnight’s Children is the movie adapted from the novel of  the same title by   Salman Rushdie. The novel is so long so it looks difficult to compile into a movie version. The technique used in this movie is of Magic Realism. Directed by Deepa  Mehta, the movie tries to compile story of three generation which looks too long. The movie has rather allegorical  political meaning.  The narrator of this movie is Saleem Sinai. And he starts telling story from his grandfather, then father and  his life’s journey, so it becomes difficult to remember and also looks unnecessary in the movie. Movie could have been much better if it only tries to cover life of Saleem Sinai. Or just little information through flashback technique would be fine. Even the representation of Indian slum area, streets, fighting, riots during independence movement, blood shed and mass killing looks like pre- conceived notion about India or say stereotypical image of India. Rushdie himself lives in Europe since many years, so we can say that he is also looking at India like Western people looks.

The movie has a very traditional beginning like I was born in Bombay  'Once upon a Time....'
#  scene of Miah Sahib killed in the beginning of the movie by telling that you Kafir can't prevent partition is appropriate to show the ugly face of partition.

# When the world will sleep, India will awake- is very significant.
Nurse's changing of child plays vital role in the plot of the movie.

There is also a scene in which lift were pulled by ropes, which presents appropriate picture of contemporary India.

# Messenger technique:  Rather than showing blood shed and mass killing Film maker brilliantly makes use of old technique ( messenger   comes on the stage and informs that this happens outside)
that Mary's husband comes and tells that outside people are killing eachother.Hindu killing Muslim and Muslim killing Hindu.

#Magic Realism presented very well in the movie. A scene where Saleem calls other Midnight's  Children and introduces  their  gifts that is wonderful.
Shiva always fights and Saleem always tries to make them realise the reason why they are there....
# birth of children symbolically means birth of Nation. For example Shiva and Saleem - India and Pakistan. And later on birth of Adam Sinai ( son of Parvati) also symbolically attached with birth of Bangladesh.

#'India is the Prime Minister, Prime Minister is India'- a statement in the novel/movie is very controversial.
Decision to destroy slum by Indira, Emergency as a black spot in the history of democracy,... is a serious attack on the politics of India.

#After the end of the 1971 war, camera captures the scene of corpses lying here and there and there is even no one to buried them, shows the dehumanization and terrific effect of war. India and Pakistan makes treaty with each other. Then what is the use of war? What about those who have lost their lives for the sake of war? Govt. has nothing to do with either soldiers or common people. So it tries to give voice to them.

# there is also a scene in the movie in which crow was sitting on the grave, which symbolically means ....there is no one to remember who pass away.

Traditional way of looking towards India:- In the movie at the time of 1971 war, there is scene when an old man called Picture-ji has so many snakes with and around him. Which proves image of India as a land of snake charmers.

# it is Parvati-the witch who saves Saleem Sinai during war and brings him back to India through his magic tricks - Abaraka dabra. And the same word speaks Adam sinai at the end of the movie.

#at the  near end of the movie Emergency is over and

 camera captures scene of sunrise which  suggests new beginning, new hope and birth of country.

Ø 

Does Literature Lie ????

Does literature lie???

Does literature lie or it expresses universal truth?, that is the question arise in my mind while studying literature.

          I want to put forward my arguments with the books like Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Dr, Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, a story that is in the 12^th English and even Paradise Lost by John Milton.

                                                                               Let me start by Dr. Faustus – a play by Christopher Marlowe. Setting of this play is in Renaissance era. Very impressive description description is given in the first monologue.  He is the scholar from the university from of Wittenberg. He has acquired all the knowledge available at that time, like history, economics, medicine, law, physics and many other fields. I can say that he has acquired such a large quantity of knowledge in 16^th century that may not have common people of 21^st century. Dr. Faustus was synonym of knowledge.

                                                                               But then even he was not satisfied with the knowledge he has!!!!!!!! He was still hungry for more knowledge.

And then to gain more knowledge he makes contract with Mephistopheles- a devil, that Mephistopheles will give him power and after 24 years  Faustus will give her soul to devil. Dr. Faustus willingly accepts this!!!!!!!!!

                                                                               And Ultimately, Faustus in last monologue regrets and suffers a lot and dies   a tragic death.

I

                                                                               Now my point is that why knowledge is portrayed in negative  shade by writer. The question in my mind is that whether writers know universal- ultimate truth or they (writers) are also biased? Is knowledge really destroy person or writer portrays it like this because the contemporary society believed so?

If we glance in the field  of science and technology then we come to know that knowledge of anything is becoming boon for mankind. Edison, Newton, Einstein etc scientist were also hungry  for more knowledge, and it is because of their thrust for knowledge we ‘ve  electricity, technological gadgets, mobiles, heavy machinery, mobiles, engines, transportation, progress in aeronautics (space), internet etc.  all these things are essential part of our day to day life.

                                                                               If these things won’t be there then we are still like cave men. what  is the difference between them and us.

Modern progress and development became possible only possible because of basic human nature- desire to know more.

                                                                               now  if one tries to get knowledge what is wrong in that – that  he is portrayed in negative way and given tragic end to his life.

Person like Faustus and Victor Frankenstein are like candle. they burn themselves and  give light to others. It is only because of their sacrifice  personal lives and hard work, we enjoy all the privileges of our lives.

Another example is  victor Frankenstein- a protagonist of the novel ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley.

                                                                               He was an eccentric scientist, who wants to know the secret of life. He gives so many years of his lives to the research that  it is possible to make dead person alive by electricity.  And after a dedicated, determined hard work of  long time he did so. He joints the different parts of the corpse and creates a monster- life into a  dead one!!!!!!!!!

And then the novel is full of suffering and pain of victor. He loses all his near and dear- father, mother, brother and even his beloved Elizabeth. (all killed by monster) and ultimately victor dies a tragic death.

                                                                               Now again the question comes into my mind is that why Mary Shelley gave tragic end to Victor? Why gaining a secrets of life- knowledge is curse rather than boon in the novel?

Is this the warning to the 21^st century people ( or any living being)  that don’t run behind knowledge otherwise  you will also suffer like Victor!!!!!!! Is any writer can see what we common people cannot see? Or is it true that “ Knowledge is unhappiness and Ignorance is bliss ?

 Or writers are also biased ? or  they have done injustice to their character. Because they cannot think beyond social norms.

Renaissance and Romanticism was a time when people were slowly and steadily coming out from from dark age towards light. People have started to develop scientific approach in their life. Rather than religion science was predominating every spheres of life.

If writer is universal genius then why he prefers religion over science?   To please few groups of people?  To earn money? Or to threat people?

Even the same case with the Paradise Lost by John Milton. Where God punishes Adam and Eve for eating  a fruit of knowledge. But why???? What is wrong in that???

In developed countries like U.S, Japan and many others have prepared  highly modern robots. Slowly we are moving into the era of robotic culture. Recently I have read in newspaper that Robots are used as a waiters in restaurant. Recently there was soccer competition of robots, which was won by Australia. NASA is also sending robots into  space. List is long……………

My point for talking about the role of robots in 21^st century  is that  IN ONE OR THE ANOTHER WAY

ROBOTS ARE ALSO EQUAL TO THE MONSTER OF FRANKENSTEIN.  Basic idea to create like into dead one  by electricity is taken from. Traces of this idea is into the mind of Victor Frankenstein.

                                                                               It  (Robots) is becoming boon for for us then why Monster becomes curse for Victor??  Or because of that era writer don’t realize its importance.

Should  we think in this way or it  is indication  (like movie Robot) that this artificial intelligence will one day create problem for its creator???

One more example that I give that is a story from 12^th English.

                                                                               The setting of  this story is 2094- in future and in this  story technology is portrayed as villainous.

It is a story of a school girl who don’t like her mechanical teacher. ( mechanical teacher means computer) there was a computer in her room where she used to study  whole day. There was some error in her mechanical teacher , so that girl was relaxed- felling happy. But  her mother calls technician and makes computer functioning well. Then  her grandfather gives her book about school but that girl hates even name of school. It was a printed book. She has never seen printed book in her life. She was surprised to see stable words on book. This school girl considers  it stupid that what is the use of this printed book once after  it read. She has so many books on her computer screen.

But then her grandfather tells her that IT IS A BOOK ABOUT THE SCHOOL THEY HAD.

Then her grandfather tells her story – once there were TEACHERS  ( HUMAN BEING) to teach children. Then girl speaks beautiful  sentence that HOW CAN A MAN BE A TEACHER? ( because of high technological  era she was taught only by the computers.)

The girl exclaimed that I will not allow  any unknown person to enter into my ho use. At that time her grandfather laughed and replied that teachers do not come home to teach you.

                                                                               There was separate rooms and buildings for students. All boys and girls were going there to study. It was a place called school. Then there is wonderful description of REAL SCHOOL. The girl lost into the stories of her grandfather &  thinks about the days THEY HAD.- A DAY OF REAL SCHOOL. Where every one was studying, laughing, playing, enjoying together.( helping each other in homework, going school on bicycle, a time when teachers were real man)  REALLY EDUCATION-SCHOOL WAS NOT MONOTONOUS AS IT IS NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

This story, like many other stories is an futuristic vision of writer, that what kind of schools will be there in the days to come. That school will be in your  drawing room. Teachers will be replaced by the computers and lifeless, dull, monotonous teaching –learning will be there. Education won’t be interesting as it is now. Computers can give you knowledge but it can’t  give you love, affection and sympathy which teacher can. If teachers  will be replaced by the computers then it  will kill the basic spirit of children.

This is the thing I think writer wants to tell through this story.

                                                                               Now the question comes in my mind is that why educational technology is shown as harmful ? as I have asked in earlier parts , that same question can be ask here again also.

( as generally it is said and believed in literature) if writers are extraordinary human being with futuristic insight  then will it be true what he is telling in his story? Is it a prediction for human race or HE IS A TRADITIONAL, ORTHODOX PERSON WHO CANNOT THINK BEYOND SOMETHING.                                                      

I have read and observed  that new things (invented) are not easily accepted by the people. You will be surprised to  know that when electricity was invented, most of the people were protesting it, rather than supporting it. Now can you live today without electricity??? ( it means that contemporary people were wrong) so writers are also part of that society who don’t realize the importance of new thing.

During Industrial Revolution heavy machinery was invented.  At that time also people were protesting it- that it will replace human being.

There are still some people who prefer bullock cart over tractors in agriculture ( farming)

My point is that every new things faces problems initially. Contemporary people with traditional, orthodox mentality faces problems in accepting new things.

IS THIS THE SAME CASE IN THIS STORY???????

EVERY coin has two side. I am not denying negative parts of any. My point particularly about this story is that – think about the  positive changes technology can bring in teaching- learning process. Audio, video, images and internet can give far better learning experience which only teacher and ‘chalk and talk method’ can’t.

Teacher, even though efficient , master and specialist in his subject cannot explain the  outside world really as it is. By sitting in your classroom you cannot explain the glory of the African  Jungle, but you can do that easily by showing video.

You can neither go in space nor explain  SPACE ( stars, galaxy, planets) but you can show images and videos about that to do it in better way.

It is proved through research that  Audio- Visual teaching aids creates better understanding as well as this points goes into long term memory of student.

                                                                               Volcano, flood, earthquake, water- air pollution, internal body mechanism, historically important places, rivers, wonders of the world………etc… for students it is not possible to visit but technology is boon that you can show anything through  video or images as per need. It saves time and money too.

Then why writer of that story focuses only on  negative aspects of that?

So what do you think……..???? may I ask you a question      DOES LITERATURE   LIE  ????   ……OR ….????

interpretation of hindi poem with the help of Practical Criticism (verbal study)of I.A.Richards

Introduction

In this blog I have try to interpret the Hindi poem Vidroh  by Kedarnath Sinh with a point of view of I.A. Richard’s  Practical Criticism- Verbal and close study of the text. I.A. Richards says that meaning of the poem lies within the poem, within its structure. There is no need to go outside the text. This criticism has also its limitation that it denies to take help of other fields ( history, biography etc)  and because of this some time it becomes difficult to understand the meaning of the poem properly

.
I.A. Richards notes that language of poetry is Figurative/ metaphorical/ symbolical and personified one.  Language of poetry is connotative , not denotative. Meaning lies in the context. So while reading the poetry reader should be aware about this things  otherwise there is possibility of Over- literal/ scientific reading,  which may lead the reader to the totally different meaning than the intended one of the poem.

So lets illustrate one poem with the perspective of the Practical criticism( verbal study of figurative language) of I.A. Richards. First of all we will do scientific/ over literal reading of the poem, and then the poetical, literal reading of the poem. And interestingly we will see how our reading creates problem in understanding the poetry.

केदार नाथ सिंह की एक बेहतरीन कविता- विद्रोह

आज घर में घुसा

तो वहां अजब दृश्य था

सुनिये- मेरे बिस्तर ने कहा-

यह रहा मेरा इस्तीफ़ा

मैं अपने कपास के भीतर

वापस जाना चाहता हूं

उधर कुर्सी और मेज़ का

एक संयुक्त मोर्चा था

दोनों तड़पकर बोले-

जी- अब बहुत हो चुका

आपको सहते-सहते

हमें बेतरह याद आ रहे हैं

हमारे पेड़

और उनके भीतर का वह

ज़िंदा द्रव

जिसकी हत्या कर दी है

आपने

उधर आलमारी में बंद

किताबें चिल्ला रही थीं

खोल दो-हमें खोल दो

हम जाना चाहती हैं अपने

बांस के जंगल

और मिलना चाहती हैं

अपने बिच्छुओं के डंक

और सांपों के चुंबन से

पर सबसे अधिक नाराज़ थी

वह शॉल

जिसे अभी कुछ दिन पहले कुल्लू से ख़रीद लाया था

बोली- साहब!

आप तो बड़े साहब निकले

मेरा दुम्बा भेड़ा मुझे कब से

पुकार रहा है

और आप हैं कि अपनी देह

की क़ैद में

लपेटे हुए हैं मुझे

उधर टी.वी. और फोन का

बुरा हाल था

ज़ोर-ज़ोर से कुछ कह रहे थे

वे

पर उनकी भाषा

मेरी समझ से परे थी

-कि तभी

नल से टपकता पानी तड़पा-

अब तो हद हो गई साहब!

अगर सुन सकें तो सुन

लीजिए

इन बूंदों की आवाज़-

कि अब हम

यानी आपके सारे के सारे

क़ैदी

आदमी की जेल से

मुक्त होना चाहते हैं

अब जा कहां रहे हैं-

मेरा दरवाज़ा कड़का

जब मैं बाहर निकल रहा था.

  Over-literal / scientific reading of poem:-

In the first stanza of the poem the ‘Bistar’( Bed) is giving his resignation to the poet and wants to turn/return to/into cotton again, now  Bed is not an Employee that he is giving his resignation. And it is not possible for Bed to turn into cotton again.
In the second stanza Table and Chair are revolting against the poet and remembering the trees from which they’ve made. How  a table and chair can revolt against man???. How can it speak??????. We have never seen table and chair speaking !!!!  table and chair have no sense, then how can they remember trees??? This is the big  mistake of the poet!!!
In the third stanza books are screaming for return to jungle. But we have never seen books screaming!!!. Books have no desire at all then how is it possible that they want to return to jungle? It is problematic that why books want kiss of snakes and painful stung of scorpion?
In the fourth stanza -     shawl  is lifeless(dead) thing, then how can it be unhappy? Shawl is listening to the voice of the lamb  but it is impossible. And how can it complain??
In the next stanza T.V. Telephone and Water speaks that they want to be free from the jail of the humans. But again how can dead things speak?? And at the same time how human being can understand their speech? Human have prepare no jail for them then which jail they are talking about? They ( t.v. phone etc) are not our prisoners at all. And why they want to free from human being?
This poem is problematic. Poet has made many serious mistakes in it. In this poem poet has shown that lifeless, dead things are speaking, complaining and desiring something but it is quite impossible. All this things cannot speak so at the same time poet also can not listen / understand their language!!!!! And all this have no meaning, no message at all. There is nothing fruitful in this poem. Poem is not giving aesthetic delight.



Literal/ poetical reading of the poem:-


Now we will analyze this poem from different perspective.
Language of poetry is different from the language of science one should   not forget while reading the poem. This poem falls under the category of Eco-criticism. It is about Nature versus civilization.
Poet has given voice to the all natural objects metaphorically. Bed, Table, Chair, Books, Shawl, T.V, Telephone, Water, Door all are mere VEHICLE ,metaphors, personifications  to convey what he actually wanted to say. Personifying natural objects and giving it human quality adds the poetic beauty in this poem. And so we as a reader have to take their literal meaning rather than scientific or over literal meaning.
 We have put man at the centre and Nature in periphery, But actually it is not right. On the name of development and civilization we have destroyed, harmed Nature and natural objects.
So this poem criticizes our control of natural resources. We have controlled water by making Dams, we have destroyed jungles for making furniture and books etc,  we are killing animals for their skins, wool etc. so in this sense this poem gives voice to the Nature and criticizes our so called civilization. Human beings are the colonizers of the Nature.
We all know that all this above mentioned things can’t speak, but it is poetry. Poet has that freedom of expression in which tells through paradoxical, metaphorical and figurative language. If poet directly say all this things then no one will listen or we will not call it poem also. But it is the language used by poet that is interesting, metaphorical and symbolical that we have to keep in mind.
Thus, we can study I.A. Richards views on the verbal study of poetry, that reader must be well aware while reading poetry. Don’t take dictionary meaning of the text but go deeper and deeper to bring out the meaning of the poetry.