IAS Diaries Part 27 - Project S.T.A.R

 As education lays the foundation of mostly everything, it is important that we do our best with the resources we already have. Project STAR aims to do just that. The acronym stands for School Transformation by Augmenting Resources and clearly states the objective. With whatever resources we have in the educational machinery as of today, we need to bring them together, train them better and facilitate a convergence model to get the best out of them. That is the whole philosophy behind project STAR.

There are several components to this Project but the fundamental value would remain to be the attempt to make the education process more intensive and inclusive. We need to expand the horizon which only deals with the syllabus as prescribed in the books. We need to showcase to students the various opportunity that open up after schools, the myriad disciplines they can choose for graduation and then how to achieve all this with the resources at their disposal. It would also be using a lot of volunteers and government servants who would want to contribute to improve the status of local government schools.

The Project can run under the overall guidance of the Deputy Commissioner/DM/Collector who would then involve other public servants who volunteer for this work. The offices of DSEO/SDSEO/Education Officer would be completely involved in various aspects of the implementation. Their presence is most crucial for ensuring faster communication with the students and teachers. The BRCs and CRCs would play a crucial role to monitor the implementation of this project. For closer monitoring of the project, few worst performing schools may be selected as sample and all the components of the project shall be deployed in these schools. The results shall be again taken after one full academic sessions to analyze the changes. 

Components of Project STAR – There are several components which needs to be dealt with separately by dedicated task forces. In this segment we will look at these components in a detailed manner. At the district level, different officers may be made responsible to look into one component

Career Counselling -  This is one of the most urgent aspect which needs to looked into as the students are not at all aware of the several options which are available these days in terms of variety of job and employment opportunities. As a result of this they are not able to understand the importance of the whole education system. Most of these students in rural areas are first generation learners and their parents and guardians are mostly engaged in agriculture activities and they did not go to school. Therefore, there is an immediate need to make these students aware the numerous opportunities that open up with good education.

In these Career Counselling sessions, various officers serving in different Line Departments may be called. As these officers will have different educational background and work experiences, it will definitely open up the minds of students to unknown oppurtunites. The Multifacility Centers (MFCs) present in all the blocks may be used as a venue. Schools which have large halls or rooms may be also used as cluster centres for conducting such workshops. The Public Information Offices across the districts may be involved to provide PA systems in the sessions.

But since the schools are scaterred all over the district, it is impossible to cover all the schools for such workshops. Here again, the need is to create clusters of several schools in the radius of 5 km and decide a venue for several activities under Project STAR. The education department already has that kind of division in form of school clusters and the respective CRC can be enhaged for the necessary coordination for these activities. These CRCs must be provided with latest Multimedia gadgets so that the power of pictures and videos can be fully tapped in to explain concepts to children. 

These charts will be provided to all the schools under Project STAR along with other educational posters and materials.Various other activities which can be undertaken to make aware children about all the career options are :

1. Exposure trips to various important cities and industries nearby.

2. Organization of a Career Related Seminar at the district level

3. Inviting guest speakers on different topics every month

4. Screening and broadcasting various documentaries related to science and technology

5. News reading and discussion on current affairs in the morning assembly

Teacher Training – Training is one process which is meant to be eternal. There used to be times when training was only imparted at the beginning of the job or profession and the nature of the training used to be very particular in terms of subject matter. Now if you see any institution, the trainings have been more diverse and recurring and rightly so. There are so many refresher training from time to time during the career progression of the employees. The same needs to be facilitated for the teachers. Knowing the contents of the syllabus is simply not enough as a Teacher must also possess mastery in communication skills. He must also understand the psychology of children to make the process of learning easy and fun. He must also be able to use the Multimedia aids to make the learning more effective and efficient. Moreover, following measures should be taken at the state and at the district level to ensure we improve upon the existing state of teacher training:

1. Ministry of HRD, Govt of India and other institutions working in the field of educational training have developed several platforms for the purpose of teacher training and resource collection. The teachers must be trained regarding the use of such online resource.

2. The teachers should also be provided with several refresher courses from time to time encapsulating the recent techniques of effective teaching.

3. Emphasis should also be given on imparting trainings regarding the use of ICT in the teaching process. Computer training should be made mandatory for all the teachers. In this age of information, this becomes all the more important. 

Personality Development -  Only getting a passing certificate from school is not enough these days. To get admission into colleges and other institutions, what is also required is a good personality. In the various visits made across the West Garo Hills District schools, it was ubiquitously observed that the children are only doing passive learning. Mostly they are sitting in the class listening to the teacher without any kind of participation from there end. They were not able to even give an introduction in English or Garo. The following activities may be undertaken by schools or clusters to ensure personality development :

1. Holding competitions like Poetry recitation, debates, elocution, essay writing etc at the school or cluster level

2. Public Speaking by students every day in the morning assembly

3. Role plays and Group Discussions to be held on various topics

4. Ensuring conduction of Sports and Games 

Innovation and Creativity -  There are several attempts made to inculcate creativity and to promote innovation among students. But most of these science exhibitions and competitions are organized in the urban schools and clusters. And most of Meghalaya being rural, the participation in such events is marginal and mostly is limited to the district headquarter schools across the state. That was, the rural and remote schools and the students studying there are missing out on these quintessential resources of learning. We must hence organize such competitions and seminars at the district and block level to make the learning process even more inclusive. Following measures may be taken to under this component:

1. Organization of District Level competitions for identifying and encouraging creativity and innovation.

2. Institution of District level and Cluster level awards.

3. Ensuring participation in State and National Level Science exhibitions and Olympiads.

4. Creation of at least one Science theme park at the district head quarter where exhibits from across the district can be displayed

Ethics – Education has several dimensions and one which is often neglected is the inculcation of several values and virtues through the institution of schools. One of the major objective of the whole Education Machinery is to create a good set of human beings who can make the world a better place by contributing in a constructive way. For that to happen it is important that we teach our children in the formative years of learning the relevance of certain virtues be it gender equality, compassion , integrity, discipline, team work etc.The students may be engaged in these following activities to introduce them to the world of ethics:

1. Engaging them in NSS or some kind of Social Service Society

2. Celebrating various important days across the year which symbolize various ethos. For e.g World Environment Day etc. 

3. Streaming movies and documentaries on certain topics

4. Special classes to be taken on gender equality, environment, social justice etc.

Adopt A School -  Public Participation is an essential element if any public movement is to be successful. And in a country like ours, where the numbers are so high for everything and the resources are getting scarce by day, nothing can be achieved without involving the people and without making it a pubic movement. One example is Swachh Bharat Mission(SBM) where the scale of achievement was only possible by the involvement of all citizens. We need the same to revive the educational institutions run by the government which serve the underprivileged majority.  By #AdoptASchool campaign, we put forward an appeal to the privileged ones to take ownership of one of the govt school nearby. Repair it, renovate it, beautify it, provide teaching tools, take counselling sessions or volunteer to teach the kids, do whatever you can to improve the current state of affair. Read more about this campaign, CLICK HERE. 

Survey and Assessment – Before any new steps are taken with certain objectives in mind, it is very important that we ascertain the ground conditions and understand in totality the present status. To understand the learning levels of children, small tests and assessments may be administered from a random sample. Based on the data received, an intensive study and analysis would give us the real picture of education in the sampled area and would throw some light on what interventions are to be made.

The following chronology may be adopted for the purposes of survey and assessment:

1. Firstly, the previous year’s results need to be collected and collated to understand the weaknesses and trends in the failure rates. The level of understanding of students can also thus be assessed.

2. Based on these results, a questionnaire may be prepared with clarity of what is being assessed by administering it. The same may be taken on one single day or in a phase wise manner through out the district.

3. The staff from DIETs and other education department staff may be engaged to administer this questionnaire.

4. Like in other states of Gujarat and Assam, “Gunotsav” may be organized wherein the staff  of line departments are sent to schools decided randomly for inspection and taking tests.

5. The results from these surveys may then be used to create special intervention Cluster wise, as the problems are always different in different areas and one single solution would not work everywhere.

Read more posts from IAS Diaries - CLICK HERE  

The aquatic symphony

From the five meter high watch tower, he threw a ball made of rice-flakes like a projectile off a canon. And as soon as the ball started it's free fall, the fishes seemed already aware that food was on the way. All of sudden, they were swirling around with unprecedented pace.

This is common sight across various fish sanctuaries in Garo Hills, places where the local communities have taken a resolve to conserve fishes. Yet another ball was in the air, and yet again they drifted in collaboration. Amidst the chaos of splashing sounds, you could see the creative confluence. As if, someone out there, was choreographing, this aquatic symphony!

Plastic Free Year

Last year when I came to Dadenggre, during my early days I saw overwhelming quantities of plastic and polythene bags mixing with the local streams. In such rural and remote areas, there is no municipal body or any other institution to process the garbage generated. Even at places where it is collected, most of it is dumped into landfills. Lately, there have been so many research articles on how marine life is getting critically endangered and environment is getting badly affected by the plastic menace. It was then that I decided to reduce my plastic footprint by following these:

1. When going to market, take a reusable Cloth bag along. Say NO to poly-bags.
2. Carry your own water, say NO to plastic water bottles.
3. Say NO to plastic straws.
4. Say NO to junk food. It is unhealthy and comes in plastic packaging.
5. Process your organic waste by home compost.
6. Buy natural fabric clothing. It feels good too.
7. Don't litter.

After one year, I feel proud of having adhered to all these pointers. And in 2019, I resolve to further reduce my plastic footprint. Will you join me ?

#BeatPlasticPollution #HappyNewYear #Resolution #GoGreen

Book Review- Invisible Cities

A collection of Marco Polo's travel diaries where he goes on describing cities endlessly. It is intriguing in the sense that how every city can have it's own story, it's own soul and a unique description. As if cities were persons. It is debatable whether he actually describes distinct cities or they are just random scribbles about Venice, at different places, in different times and while in different moods. The writings are perhaps too vintage for the contemporary readers. At times the repetitive element in the flow makes the affair humdrum. Perhaps a good read before or during  your travels to European cities. 

Book Review - Animal Farm

A classic that every one must read about the vicious cycle of rebellions and freedom. The story is setup in a farm where the animals are fed up of being slaves to the owner who is a human. They are fed up that the profits are cornered by the owner whereas they do all the hard word. And then, there comes a rebellion. They take over the farm and live happily but only for a while. One can relate it to events that happened several times in human history. A simplistic and amusing tale of how society evolves, with subtle shades of advice on how it could have.

At the end, these last few lines sum it up nicely. "Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question,now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which".

Book Review - Jugaad Innovation

A tremendous collection of examples from around the world of how creative and determined people have taken up a problem and resolved it by their innovations which are simple and affordable. The book without doubt is a strong case for an approach to look out for simple solutions to our day to day problems. A must read for the school kids and college youth as it enumerates zillions of examples of how several start-ups by youngsters around the world have pioneered solutions to complex problems.

The book itself has inspired several people and groups to start their own jugaad forums via which several innovative products have come through. A refreshing read on innovation with a spiritual theme that most solutions for life problems are 'simple'.

IAS Diaries Part 26 - Adopt A School

Education has always been my top priority. Fortunately during our stint at the Central Secretariat, I was attached to MHRD. It was indeed a great learning experience to observe the nuances of the education policy being deliberated. We were fortunate to visit Rajasthan and witness firsthand how they were improving their education sector so swiftly, the details of which you can read HERE. We also, as a batch, tried to cover as many Kendriya Vidyalayas as were possible for counselling sessions, more details HERE. And where ever I have been posted, I always went around covering as many schools and colleges as I could, for career counselling sessions.  When I joined as SDO(Civil) Dadenggre, the first thing I wanted to see, were the government schools. So every morning we would start early before office hours to inspect few schools. And after a month, the picture was pretty clear. But unfortunately very dismal.

The picture collage above is of Songadingre LP School in Dadenggre and the story of almost all the schools runs similar to this one. A typical LP school here would have 2-3 rooms at most, 2-3 teachers and around 30-40 children. Students of all classes are packed into one single room given the paucity of space and teachers. The ambiance is non-existent. The aesthetics are a foreign phenomenon. But the formality of education crawls forward. The word 'forward' really being debatable here. By the time I finished visiting most of the schools in the subdivision, we had completed a pilot project of making a Model Anganwadi center. You can read about it HERE. After few weeks we observed that the attendance had significantly improved, the kids were staying in the center for more time and the Anganwadi worker got highly motivated. We thought we should do the same for schools and from there came the idea of "Adopt A School". 

Under the able guidance of our Deputy Commissioner Shri Ram Singh, IAS, we were already in the process of conceptualizing a campaign to improve our education domain. We had named it as Project STAR (School Transformation by Augmenting Resources). As the name suggests, we had in mind a convergence platform wherein we pool in several resources already existing to enhance various strands of education vertical. One of the objectives under Project STAR is to improve the infrastructure of the government schools. Apart from the dovetailing of several other schemes to achieve this, we thought of crowd funding and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)  also. 

It was during this time that I came across the news that our Honorable Chief Minister Shri Conrad K Sangma donated his salary to renovate a school in Nongstoin. It was such an inspirational gesture with an appeal to others to follow suit. I decided that I would take up one school too by donating my two-month's salary. But the school I had in mind, needed severe repairs that would need additional funds. Also, there was an Anganwadi adjacent to it which was also in a terrible shape. So I initiated an online crowd funding campaign for school renovation at the time of Diwali. A lot many people from Meghalaya and across the country contributed in this campaign and made it successful. As soon as we had the funds, we initiated the renovation process. We engaged local artists to beautify the renovated rooms and wall. Here are few pictures for you to see....

The children seemed overwhelmed with joy to see their transformed school. But there are thousands of more such schools to be transformed and there are lakhs of such children waiting for it to happen. It's a gigantic task and to achieve it faster, we need support from all possible directions. Let's all come together and transform these institutions that are the key of empowering the future generations of Meghalaya. Let us, adopt a school!

P.S. To read other posts from IAS Diaries, CLICK HERE!

P.S.2. To read telegraph coverage of this CLICK HERE!

P.S. 3. Article in The Better India, CLICK HERE!

P.S.4. Article in The Logical Indian, CLICK HERE!

I am Malala - Book Review

An inspirational autobiography of a girl who stood up for the cause of education of girls in the Swat valley at times when Sharia was being enforced by the Taliban. Many people perhaps only know her from the assassination attempt but through this book you get to understand there was so much more to it. Her life and struggles before this incident must be read to understand the extent of her contribution.

And along with that, the resolute and stern father with a dream of educating all the children in the swat valley. His character had the greatest impact on how our Wonder girl shapes up in life. When your life is full of sacrifices, determination and perseverance, no matter how one writes it, it would turn out into something everyone must read. More power to such brave souls! 

The Creative High

Wall paintings are a great way to beautify a place and to simultaneously spread awareness on several issues. Just before one enters the subdivision, there is this really long boundary wall along side the road, I wanted it filled with such art work and hence asked around for some local artist who could. "There is only one person here who can, but he is always drunk", said my PSO.

Bringstar, the artist, was true to the reputation he owned. After somehow starting the work, he disappeared for days. Day or night, he would be found drunk. Unable to even walk, forget holding the brush. But even from the few strokes he could manage on the wall, I could see the talent within. Months of counselling ensued. Several art works were promised with the pre-requisite of sobriety. We involved his family too in the process. For now, he has distanced himself from alcohol. For now, recuperation is in order. For now, and hopefully for future, the creative high, will do.

Book Review-Why I am a Hindu

The book has been very categorically divided into three parts. The first one titled "My Hinduism" deals with the million facets of it's history and the 'my' emphasizes and rightly so, that every one has their own version and that this flexibility exists, has helped it to survive. The second part deals with the political dimensions. It puts across the facts of the case very bluntly and the reader then has the choice to go either way. It helps to understand the difference between several terms which are used interchangeably by several. And the last part discusses a possible redemption from all that has gone wrong. A wonderful read for an insight on what it means to be a Hindu and what is Hinduism. I close by quoting the author when he talks about wrongs of fundamentalism. 

"Survival is the best revenge, rather than reprisal; undoing the wrongs of a different era through new wrongs in a different context only compounds the original sin. Large, eclectic, agglomerative, the Hinduism that i know understands that faith is a matter of hearts and minds, not bricks and stone".

IAS Diaries Part 25 - Dadenggre Public Library

Libraries have always been a special place for me where ever I was. In school, it was a place where we grappled for the latest edition of Champak and other story books. They may not have been as enriching as various pictorial encyclopedias available today, but they surely opened up the creative sides. In college, it was a place to find some peace amidst the myriad susurations of the youthful crowd. For some it was a place to realize their untapped potential, something which was perhaps not possible in the mediocrity of classroom compulsions. Libraries have always been the ultimate storehouse of knowledge. Ergo, that was the first thing I asked about, when I joined in Dadenggre. There was none. And since then, it became a thing on my to-do list.

Dadenggre is a remote and rural subdivision in West Garo Hills in Meghalaya. The terrain is hilly and the population is scattered in habitation terms. Education has not really made a headway in the region and most of the students in the schools are first generation learners. And as a result, reading is mostly understood as going through school textbooks. Library, as a word, is mostly unheard here. After visiting numerous schools and testing the general learning outcomes, it became further clear, that a reading culture needs inception.   

The first challenge was to get a place. Here if you tour the schools in the area, you will find a typical Assam-type house building with few rooms which won't be enough to accommodate all the classes even, forget about an extra room for any other purpose. Moreover, the schools are mostly not connected to the grid, and hence the place would be of no use after sun-down. There wasn't any issue of getting land for a new library building but that would have meant a huge capital expenditure and the long gestation period involving the construction. And therefore, we started looking for abandoned or dilapidated government building which we can renovate at a small cost.

In the process of hopping around old and dilapidated structures of several governmental institutions, I realized this fact that, great many funds and efforts go into creation of assets with no plans or machinery on the proper usage and maintenance of the structures. And if that happens, capital expenditure becomes wasteful expenditure. This further reinforced my resolve to use already existing structures and it was not long before we found one. It had a huge room with two bathrooms constructed as youth activity center. Sadly, the only activity which was happening was the late night drinking sessions and littering thereupon. All this at a place, which was designed for uplifting the youth. Sigh.

The building was totally in ruins. There was no electricity connection, no internal wiring and no electrical equipment installed. There was no water connection and the existing toilets were out of order. To make it suitable for a library, a major overhaul was needed. Here, I would like to thank our Honorable Home Minister, Shri James K Sangma, who agreed to help out with the restoration as soon as he heard my plea. We started the resurrection process, one brick at a time. We decided to go for a stand alone Solar power unit to get rid of any recurring expenditure. Ergo, this library is totally off grid and with an installed capacity of 2 KW. This also goes in spirit with the fact that Dadenggre already has several solar installations. Various offices and hospitals are already fully solar powered. 

For the books, we got a grant from Office of Governor of Meghalaya for which I am grateful to all people involved. But of course, this wasn't enough as a library needs huge number of books. The social media post which I made asking for book donations proved to be a big help. I received several set of books from across the country and few from abroad even. Numerous locals also volunteered to collect books from several part of the district. Sarvahitey, an NGO working to establish several libraries in rural parts of India, has also volunteered to provide nearly thousand books as a part of their Project Paper Bridge.  The fact that so many people have come forward to help us in this process is truly heart warming to see. And this public library, stands as a beacon of cooperation from across the globe.

The same was inaugurated recently on 25th October, 2018 by Honorable Home Minister, Shri James K Sangma. During the inaugural, we wanted some local student to make a speech on Importance of library in English. For most of you, it would seem to be a fairly easy task. But in the last one year I have visited more than 100 local govt schools, and I share this with a heavy heart, even the students of senior classes were unable to express themselves in English, not even one paragraph. So, when this girl made a wonderful speech in English, I was pleasantly surprised. She had been practicing very hard, motivated by the prospect of a library, she told me.

By opening the library, we have come half way I feel. The second challenge would be to run it and sustain it for years down the line. For that, we have some ideas in mind. And I am hopeful, that with the participation of locals, we would realize the same. I hope this initiative succeeds to inculcate in the locals, a desire to read. So, a library in Dadendggre, check!

P.S. A news article in The Shillong Times covering the inaugural -- Click Here

Lucknow Boy- Book Review

An intriguing account of the most sacked Editor in the history of Indian journalism. Presents an honest depiction of how the Print media houses and governments dealt with each other in the 80s, 90s and thereafter. Indirectly you get a chronological account of how print media has evolved over the decades. The debates of freedom of press and cross-media ownership are well interwoven in his story. But there comes a point where the author loses track of the theme. It becomes more a political commentary than a memoir. Towards the end, one chapter deals with great insight on role of an editor, can prove to be useful for aspiring journalists. Overall it's pretty average a read, editors are not writers, not good ones perhaps.

Time lapse

Darkness was being chased away by the dawn. The cold breeze gushed across, as if to cover up the commotion. The ponds across the highway were adorned with the mystical confluences of haze. The golden rays breaking the clouds open, had lit up the landscape.

The transition from plain to hills was turbulent with the angry winds descending from above. Dreary clouds accompanied the hillocks, stood proudly at the vantage point. As if waiting. The passage through showcased a spectrum, from drizzle to hailstorm. At the top, it was all calm again. The white clouds seemingly provided a motherly embrace to the the lush green forest.

Guwahati to Dadenggre. NH 51. RE Thunderbird.
Five hours~Numerous seasons. Time lapse.

Sport and Excursion, builds character

Groups of students dressed in different colors marched forward in orderly formations. The drum beats were infusing euphoria all across. It was the inaugural of Sports week in Puri HS Govt School. "It happens no where here Sir, but I do it every year by myself. Sport builds character", said the proud Principal.

She offered those vanilla chocolates to every one in the staff room, proudly sharing her escapades during a recent trip abroad. She teaches English and simultaneously works for her doctoral thesis. She was recently selected for a study tour to UK based on her exemplary work. "It's an entirely different world out there. Now everyday I tell these kids stories from UK to inspire them, so that they start aspiring for more.Excursion builds character", said the talented teacher.

With such wonderful principals and teachers, we can do wonders in education. More power to them! 

The Cloud

One could see the entire spread of Garo hills from up there, a partially dilapidated watch tower on Tura Peak. The whimsical sunshine showing the love in certain pockets. The rest darkened in melancholy. The confluence, a lugubrious yet charming affair.

The panorama wasn't vanilla. At a distance, a bunch of Gibbons provided the much needed background score. Ah, the orchestra of mother nature. And just when you are on the verge of a picturesque deluge, a cloud passes through the tower. It embraces you. Engulfs you. If only you could dissolve into it, and move on.

Simply be there

"I want to do graduation in Arts and study further but my parents want me to become a doctor. What should I do?", she finally managed to voice her concern. It is a quite a challenge to get students to open up in these rural areas. They have become like one-way receivers of data. I profusely emphasized on the relevance of communication during the talk. Some more students opened up on how their parents had divergent views about career.

It's sad to see that parents still see children as a mode of realizing their own unrequited ambitions. Let the child find her\his own El Dorado. Simply be there, for the support. "Perhaps we need a counselling session for all your parents too!", I concluded. A wave of laughter broke out in affirmation.

You deserve the moon

Her eyes delightfully vibrant,
always searching something.
Her smile, enchanting,
elixir for everything.

A reflection, she was,
of her mother.
Little bundle of joy,
meant the world, to me.


She was 2, when she left,
tumor, they said.
We fought, we cried, we prayed.
Alas, fragile mortality won.

At the funeral, I stood frozen,
her little bracelet in my hand.
They lowered her, into the soil,
Our tears, went along.

It was her precious,
that white bracelet.
But I couldn't let go.
She deserved better.

For years, kept it close,
or perhaps, it kept me going,
can't really tell.
Eve of Apollo 11, they asked,
What would I take there?
I had always known.

Giant step for mankind,
truly magical moment.
I looked at the Earth,
where my girl rested.
I lowered that bracelet,
into a crater, O'my love,
you deserve the moon.


[It is believed that when Neil Armstrong went to the moon, he carried a bracelet of his daughter and left it there. She had died at a very young age. The whole episode had left an eternal vacuum in his life. The same has been portrayed excellently in the movie First Man. Yours truly was touched by the rendition]

Army of construction

"Strike against all ordinances and laws and institutions that continue the slaughter of peace and the butcheries of war. Strike against war, for without you no battles can be fought. Strike against manufacturing shrapnel and gas bombs and all other tools of murder. Strike against preparedness that means death and misery to millions of human beings. Be not dumb, obedient slaves in an army of destruction. Be heroes in an army of construction".

One of the many voices calling out against American involvement in WW I was that of Helen Keller. 100 years have passed by, the words still remain relevant. Hear hear, be heroes in an army of construction, she said.

And they listened

The temperature soared like never before. The sun dazzled like never before. The air went quite like never before. It was the final rehearsal for Independence day. An amazing display of talent and commitment by our kids in spite of nature playing the devil. Today morning when I woke up, I had only one prayer in mind.

May the Gods be kind to these little souls. May the wind take away their sweat. May the clouds embrace them all, like a shield from the crimson glare. And they listened, our beloved clouds. Happy Independence Day!

Potential footballers

Amidst the football game that morning, I spotted him sitting at a distance and watching keenly. Apparently he had been doing this for quite some time. He was walking up to the ground every morning, Cremuth, my driver. I drove to the ground myself thinking why to bother him this early every morning. Little did I know that he was a football mad, like myself.

That day, when I asked him why he was only watching and not joining all of us in the game, he told me it was because he had no proper football shoes. "I have always wanted to play, since childhood, never could, simply practiced alone barefoot at home", he added. I stood there in silence for a long time. How things as small as football shoes could become a lifelong regret. How many such people are out there who could have done wonders for Indian Football. How many such kids are still there, somewhere, sitting outside a football ground, and simply looking, for want of shoes. There are plenty in North East, I vouch for that.

Yesterday, I got him a pair of football boots. He played today. Way better control over the ball than mine. Sigh.

The joy of diversity

The venue was embraced by that divine fragrance of soil after a spell of synchronous rains. They say it is auspicious when it pours from the sky during your celebration. A new residential building for students was being inaugurated in the parish. A group of local young Garo girls were getting ready to perform in front of this large gathering. They wore these beautiful sarees which are rare to be seen in this region.

As they stood in formation and the background music ushered in, their teacher proudly announced that they were to perform Bharatanatyam. The girls throughout the performance were exuberant. The audience too, overwhelmed with joy. The joy of celebrating another culture. The joy of dancing to the beats of another language. The joy of diversity, the essence of the idea called, India!

What a kid

He had been standing near the cash counter for quite some time, perhaps waiting for his mother to finish her grocery shopping. He must have been around 10 years old, keenly observing the queue through his thick geeky glasses and making mind notes. Upon my turn, I kept all the stuff in my bag and made a move outwards.

"Here is a chocolate for you, Uncle", the little lad said, seemingly overwhelmed with joy. "Well, thank you, but that would be for what?", I asked. "For being the only one in the queue who brought a reusable bag and didn't take a poly bag", he almost shouted with exuberance. I asked him if he could convince others in the queue to bring a reusable bag next time to which he readily agreed. What a kid, I doubled him on that chocolate. It was his favorite.

It's the pursuit

I guess he was couple of yards ahead with a clear sight of the goal. The keeper wouldn't stand a chance. I galloped from behind believing that I could match his astounding pace. I couldn't though. The only slim chance was a clean tackle from behind. On a rough ground like that, it would surely mean scratching your knees all red. I did it anyway. He scored anyway.

But surprisingly the despair of conceding that goal was eclipsed by the joyful pursuit and the sedulous belief. The remnant scars signify the resolute ambition. It's never the destination. It's never the closure. It's always the pursuit that we relish. Football or life, all the same.

Unrully Hills

A blessing for those who want a well researched insight into the past of North East in general and Meghalaya in particular. Be it the distinctive political makeup of the local institutions or the traditional institutions in the form of Village Headmen, this books covers it all right from the inception. It also talks about various controversial issues pertaining to forests and mining rights in the region. It also presents a comprehensive overview of shifting cultivation over the decades and concisely portrays the ongoing debates in the region. Better understanding of the whole matrilineal societies of Meghalaya is another thing you gain out of it. A must read for public servants in the North Eastern states.

Speeches that shaped the modern World

It's hard to say if they were the watershed times that compelled these powerful words from all the orators across the world, or the other way around, powerful words giving rise to watershed moments, perhaps a mix of both. Nevertheless, a treat to the reader. As you go through the collection, you feel almost as if you are time travelling and stopping at these great moments, that shaped the world. Indulge and experience, the power of words! 

Italy Trip- Pizza, Gucci and much more!

When it comes to Euro Trips, what people essentially mean is that they would be doing some serious fast-paced hopping from one capital to another attempting to maximize their 'Score'. No no, by score I do not mean what you are thinking, you satyromaniac! I meant to cover as many countries as possible in those 7-10 days. After all, with a Schengen proudly stamped on their foreheads, they don't want to miss even San Marino. It would be sacrilege to go to only one country they said, its like you take a Fast Track ticket at Universal Studios and do only a single ride. Preposterous Signora!

But yours truly had something different in mind and that has always been the idea of travel for me. To spend enough time at one place and attempting to grasp some elements of their culture and values. Because what you get to see superficially is often far away from the truth. And its a vacation for crying out loud, not a marathon, although I don't hate that either. So which country then? As soon as that question popped into my head, for a while I almost forgot that my rights under Article 19 of the Constitution have been compromised. That happened the day I got married. Better half always wanted to travel Italy so that she could have the authentic and original pizzas and pastas. Although even Dominos makes her euphoric. Ergo, it was decided. 

When we landed in Milan via Kiev it was pretty late by then plus the airport was at Bergamo which is an hour drive from the central area. By the time we reached our Hotel it was around 2330 hrs which should not have been a problem as we had pre-booked the room. There was no one at the reception and we had to call the emergency number written on the notice outside. When someone finally came, they apprised us of the policy that late check-ins come with a penalty same as the room rent. Mama mia, what a start! And somehow it's more painful to pay extras as they were in euros and every time your brain starts multiplying that by the conversion factor. It hurts 80 times more! Next day we were on the move quite early and took a metro to Duomo Station located just below the Milan Cathedral. And as soon as you get out of the exit, you see this. 

Amazing, isn't it. The insides are even more. You can also chose to go upstairs to enjoy the view of entire Milan city. The stairs aren't many but you can also take the lift for extra euros. There are couple of museums around for the nerdy souls. The shopping complex is just next with the likes of Gucci, Zara, Bvlgari etc. But whenever you go to historic places in Italy especially during summer, you should book your tickets online before or take those passes which allow you to visit multiple such places skipping the regular line. And believe me, there are crazy lines everywhere. Or you could go during the siesta hours when you would find acceptable queues. 

In the evening we had our Frecciarossa (their high speed train) to Florence, a place which I was really excited about since Alfred told Bruce Wayne about his yearly trip to a cafe on the banks of Arno where he would have a Fernet Branca in The Dark Knight Rises. The Frecciarossa goes up to speeds of 300 kmph and is smoother than butter but of course all that comes with a heavy price tag. You can easily save a lot by travelling through the regional trains who also are pretty decent and can max out to 160 kmph. Florence is certainly a must-go destination as it is also the launch pad for Pisa and Cinque Terre. And not to mention, the magnificently bare, David.  

On the next day, we started early for Pisa, at least we tried. We had to catch a Bus to the train station and our Hostel guy told us that the tickets could also be purchased on the bus. We hopped on the public bus and asked the driver about it but of course he could not understand English. So we asked the people who showed us some app they use to buy tickets. The others had passes. So we gave up and waited for the conductor to come and fetch us tickets. Only that there is no conductor there. The driver only gives the tickets or mostly people buy from the shops near the bus stops. To our misfortune, two ticket checkers enter the bus. We try to explain them the situation. That it was our first time in a Public bus in Italy. That we tried but no one told us how. They fined us anyway and the fines there are pretty high for almost everything. There goes the money for all the Prada you wanted, I told my better half. Whereas I appreciate the strict implementation of rules but I also feel that they should at least here out the plea of tourists who have just landed and had so such intention. 

It took a while to get over all the Euros we lost there but hey, shit happens. Pisa is a cozy little settlement in the famous Tuscany region and is very well connected by trains from Florence. I would advice to reach there pretty early beating the crowd and then walk from the station to Pisa tower. That way you get to experience the beauty of small towns in Italy. And I am glad that my better half loves walking too and everyday we walked at least 15 kms traversing through cities and countryside. That's where you see the real country. That's where you find the best of authentic food. Pisa tower and the near by area is unique in itself. An engineering blunder turned into a marvel. And from Pisa, you get trains for Cinque Terre which you can explore in the second half of the day. 

Cinque Terre is a group of five ancient villages on the Italian coast which have been preserved and connected excellently via the rail network. Each village has it's own way of life and culture which is quite observable in the form of settlements they have created. You can also trek from one village to another. One of the villages is known for the vineyards and there are several wine-tasting shops where you can simply sit and sip the finest wines overlooking the majestic blue waters. For sure a day is not enough and you should plan to stay here at least for a couple of days. And while you are there don't forget to try the local fruits and berries. The taste doesn't get better. 

After a hectic day covering these two places and going back, we decided to give Florence two days and to explore the historic city in peace. In Florence we were staying in a hostel which was pretty much like a hotel only. The advantage of staying in hostels is that they offer good breakfast menu at a less cost and also you have to pay less city tax as compared to the hotels. This way you can end up saving a lot. And then of course, the college type feel, the music and the party ambiance. Everywhere in Florence, you get a feel that you are time travelling back to those ancient periods in the history. It's absolutely marvelous in terms of the architectural assets it has. And then of course, there is Arno. 

From Florence, we went to Rome which also has the grand Vatican City inside it. And you got to pre-book your tickets for the Vatican Museum. There is always a month long waiting for that, more so in summer time. You would not want to miss the opportunity to be inside the Sistine Chapel, would you? Robin Williams would not like that for sure. Then there is the grandeur of Colosseum and the remains near it where perhaps you can manage without the pre-book. If you are a person who would like to visit all the historic places and the museums, you should take the Roma-pass in advance. The next day we just strolled though Rome and discovered one marvel after the other. It's simply never ending. 

Next stop was Naples. The place where you would get the best of authentic pizza and the place where you would be warned to be most careful with your stuff. In general, you have to be careful about the pick pocketing in Italy, more so in Naples. And right on our first day there, a purse snatching attempt was made. Unsuccessfully though, you see, my wife comes from Punjab, I need not say more. Naples is must because there are lot many crucial day tours from here. On day one, we took a train to Pompei which is famous for preserving the remains of their ancient city which was once submerged under the ash of the adjoining volcano. And the other is Mount Vesuvius, around which they have developed a wonderful trek. From up there, you get the best view of Naples bay. 

The other day tour from Naples is for Island of Capri, more like Pandora from Avatar. The cruise from Naples is fantastic and once you reach there, make sure you do the complete Island tour and not just the Blue Grotto. You almost feel like you have made an Interstellar voyage to some other planet and have finally landed upon one which is serene and hospitable. Staying on that Island is freakishly costly but you can always take the last ferry to Naples and stay there the whole day. And its amazing that across Europe, the sundown is mostly around 9-10 pm. Another day tour from Naples can be a drive through the Amalfi coast. 

Next day was to explore Naples on foot. Make sure you stay near the bay area so that all the historic and good eating places are a Pizza's throw away from you. The area near the Naples Train station can be avoided as is too crowded and kind of not so safe. Naples is also good for street shopping where you can do some real crazy bargains on the replicas. From Naples we made a long journey to Venice. Now the thing is, we have been romanticizing Venice since long and ergo I would advice not to stay in Venice proper as its too costly and not worth. You can get down just one station before in the suburb of Venice and there is a camping site there named "Jolly". It has movable houses, pool, bar, sports facilities etc. A carnival of sorts all the time and they also offer shuttle service to Venice. We didn't like Venice much though, its heavily overrated, 'Dharavi of Europe' as my wife labelled it. The water canals only look good in the pictures I guess and they do stink at places. And do not fall for the overpriced water shuttles and boats, you can simply walk your way through bridges using Google Maps. 

We had couple of days left with us and we made an impromptu trip to a city called Verona. The city of Romeo and Juliet. And frankly, this is one of the best places there. A small and quite city having all the flavors of Italy. It also has a arena like the Colosseum which they presently use for opera. There is an ancient fort along the river where one could sit for ages. And for me, these unplanned and random places have been the high point of this trip. We were travelling light too with our respective backpacks. We simply decided where we wanted to go next, or to stay a bit longer. That's the way to dissolve yourself in a new setting. amidst new people and to have varied experiences. 

As the plane took off from Bergamo, 

It all came flashing back. 

Grandeur of the Duomo, 

Warmth of the Arno, 

Smell of the Sistine Chapel, 

the serenity of Capri, 

and the love in Verona. 

Italy, Grazie!