HOW I ENJOYED A RAINY DAY

I was brought up in a disciplined way by my parents. I had freedom in diet, clothing etc. But I was not permitted to play freely, or to run in the hot sun or to drench in rain. The fear that I may fall ill made my parents to behave in such a way.

One day there was a cool climate. Clouds were seen in the sky here and there. In some places it was raining. The news bulletin announced low depression in sea and it might rain now and then the rain may occur incessantly.

Everyday I used to walk about two kilometers to reach my school. On this particular day also I had been to school in proper time. When I entered the school it began to drizzle. Then it began to rain heavily. Due to the incessant rain the school declared a holiday. I and my friends taking our book and umbrella started to return home. But we took a round about route to our house as we wanted to drench fully and to enjoy the fun of the rain. About 12 noon, I reached my house where my parents were anxiously waiting. Then they helped me dry myself but scolded me like anything. As I enjoyed the day I didn’t fear for the angry words of them.

POPULATION GROWTH AND CONTROL

The control of birth was introduced in many parts of the world and also in India. Various measures had been taken to control the population. In India, a large percentage of people realized this problem. The more children means large sum of money needs to take care of them. The more money has to be earned. Both wife and husband should earn to compensate the economic crisis in the family. More savings are needed.
To have birth control, a family planning section is functioning in almost all hospitals and health centers. A large amount of money is spent towards this. People are induced to have vasectomy operation-removal of part for sterilization of patient. Family control devices were introduced and supplied free of cost. Side by side advances in farming have made the country productive enough to feed the present population. This is called green revolution. Population growth means there will be more hands to work and more brains to think. At the same time there will be more mouth to feed too. Hence the population growth is a great problem and the government takes all measures to control it. This will have success only when people realize the seriousness of the problem and co-operate with the government reforms in this.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

It is something connected with ‘civic sense’. The other day I commended the curtsey by the postman as he thanked me when I stepped out and walked to the gate to receive my letter. He said “I should have stepped in to deliver the letter, but you have taken pains to save my labour”. Such occasions of being polite are rare these days. A few days ago I witnessed a scuffle in the bank premises between a customer and the cashier. Crudity in behavior is witnessed almost in every field of public activity as well as social gathering. Politeness is, like tolerance, a passive virtue. The television, the newspaper and other mass media feed all minds, young and old, with heavy does of sensation violence, swaying music and hot rhythms are different versions of stimulating sensation. Orderliness, courteous exchange and smooth dealings are passive expressions of decent social behavior.

Somehow, men in public develop a craving for being heard or seen. That is why the assertion of self esteem causes outbursts of anger and impatience. In public officers, persons on both sides of the counter seem to be itching for confrontation. What is awfully lacking is the warmth of courtesy that needs only a positive attitude to life.

SPORTS AND SPORTSMANSHIP

There was recently a news item about a mad rush of spectators causing a stampede. That happened because their favorite goal –keeper was knocked down by an opponent team’s player. The stampede resulted in the death of a foot-ball fan in the gallery. This news item brings one to ponder over the state of sports now corrupted by the evil of mindless prejudice.

All activities of human race are value- based. Even wars were fought without violating certain codes of conduct. A retreating fighter should not be hounded out and attacked. Battling should cease after sunset. Several such regulations were honored and observed in war- fields. In sports too, competition is the key-motive. Champions strive to win, to achieve glory and to celebrate their triumph. The main spring of action in play- field is the motive to win over the opponent. Yet we all know that there are elaborate rules and regulations governing each game’s match or tournament. There are referees r umpires whose verdict is supreme.

The spectators are a vital part of sports network. The players have every reason to be pepped up by enthusiastic fans. Just as competition is an impetus for perseverance and better performance, adoration and cheering from spectators stimulate zeal to excel. Yet crowed behavior very often defeats the purpose of holding sports events.

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LIVING DANGEROUSLY

Kindling in the young minds a spirit of adventure is my aim, because we feel excited after our experience of trekking in a mountain or wandering in the forest. “Without the instinct for adventuring young man” says professor Traveling, “any civilization however enlightened, any state however well-ordered must wilt and wither”. This great quote must persuade most of our young men or women whose lives are spent in dull indoor jobs. For adventures they need not undertake tough tasks like going to Antarctic or climbing Mount Everest. At least they can sail a boat in the Indian Ocean or roam about in a mountainous region and get a tremendous sense of achievement and self-confidence. An element of danger is essential to life. Recently some snake men have demonstrated that they can live in the midst of poisonous snakes for days together running the risk of being bitten by any deadly poisonous snake. Of course some had bitter experience of being bitten but immediate medical attention bestowed on them relieved them and they were saved. All these men prove to the world that god never created different species for harming human beings. If by chance the snake’s sense of security is impaired, it attacks. Even if the attack is fatal, the casualties’ chance is little compared to fatal accidents taking place on the roads of India, especially of Tamilnadu where the rat rac3e automobiles’ plying is common.

REACHING OUT IN A SOCIAL SET UP

I had an occasion to witness a heart-warning scene near the entrance to a temple. I stood a few meters away watching people leave their foot wears. What moved me was the sight of a young boy pouring water at the feet of each devotee stepping into the temple. I was told that this boy could be seen doing this service every Friday. He told me that he did this with no intention to please anyone. “There is water in the nearby well. I have some time to spare and no one grudges it” he said further.

This reminds me of the woeful lack of awareness about the need for the pleasant interaction with others whom we may not know. Young boys and girls do render social service through organizations like scouts, Red Cross, N.S.S., and the like. We have reports about student volunteers donating blood, regulating traffic, entertaining inmates of prisons and orphanages and cleaning temple areas. I would like to stress one aspect of civilized behaviour. Young men had better reach out to people with offer of help. The poet Wordsworth put it beautifully that he always cherished” littler unremembered acts of kindness and of love”. Such actions involve both and are twice blessed” They delight those who serve and benefit those who are helped.

Acts of bravery and adventure are beyond the reach of majority. Supposing you see a chain snatcher, you may not be able to chase him, but there are people who chase the thief and catch him. Hats off to such helpful souls! But all can render simple services. One can guide an old pedestrian to cross the road.

CIVIC SENSE

As regards conducting one self in public, we notice that old values like restraint in speech and action are fast giving way to aggressive show of intolerance. In this fast moving world there is more panic, haste and intemperance among people at work or in the highway. That is why civic sense, very often fails to dawn on them. On the road the traffic policeman seems to irritate the speeding motorists. The long queue returns home without polling. Everywhere there is a clam our for pushing ahead of others, either through short cuts or some big brother’s backing or bribing. It is a rare sight of a long line of people waiting for their turn without the police or the guards wielding power to regulate them. Civic sense is a mark of civilized behavior. The orderliness of a cluster of people in public places adds grace to the atmosphere. The utter abuse of privileges in offices, bus-stops, parks, theatres and restaurants is also lack of civic sense. The officinal leisurely sipping his tea, or talking to his chum when the customer keeps waiting to claim his attention, is also against the rule of civic sense. How many of us care to drop litters in the kept in public places. Even the best kept theatres cannot boast of stench free toilet rooms since many do not care to flush the closets. To make matters worse the call nuisance has wrenched civic sense is committed by hundreds of cell users. Do they want the victims in the nearby regions to share their private going-on? The government has done the right thing in forbidding the use of cell phones in schools premises. Only a sense of civic behavior and self-rest can minimize this menace of public cell- talk! Spitting in public places especially by ‘pan’ chewers, flighty language by anti-social elements do contribute to victimization of those endowed with civic sense. Though we ape the west in our life style, we are yet to learn lessons from the developed nations in this regard.