INDIFFERENT OR TOO BUSY??

I write this piece at the risk of being called a nag. But what to do? It is over a month since the last event took place i.e, the 85' batch lunch. After that there has been nothing; not a blip on the radar. One wonders why? The Blog was launched on 21 Mar 09 and it did generate a lot of enthusiasm, but apparently it was rather temporary & localised. I have called up many of our esteemed alumni (no names, but they would know!!!) and told them about this effort. It is really surprising that although in our conversation it drew a positive response but most did not bother to even open the blog. May be in this era of Convent Education it requires a lot of courage to associate with modest past studying in a Govt. School. There has been some lip service too, without much result on ground. It is perplexing, frustrating and disappointing to find such an indifferent attitude to something which could have helped us all bond as alumni of an establishment that has been a cornerstone of our life.
We all are busy. We all are in the middle of daily grind of our respective careers. Some may be more busy than others but how much time does it take to post a comment ? Not more than reading a mail. What one expected was at least a positive response. This blog was started by someone who was sitting at an altitude of over 12000 ft in extreme weather conditions and less oxygen, with no electricity and a very very slow net connectivity. Still one has been able to make a beginning with whatever resources that were available. Numerous telephone calls, searching people through Google, BSNL telephone directories, even Electoral Rolls, making hit and trial calls to likely alumni, requesting friends for their class group photographs and contact informations of others so that they could be told about the blog, visits to school to click pictures so that friends who have not visited school in a long time could get a glimpse of their Alma Mater etc, etc, etc. All this required some effort and enthusiasm. But the same is petering out now. It is not that nobody has gained from the blog. People have reconnected and are reliving their school days. I have got messages and mails from my own batchmates and one keeps reading about similar efforts by some others to get in touch but it is much much below the expectations. I am carrying out my share of thinking and leave it upon all of you to do your share of thinking and introspection. This has to be a collective effort and we have to inspire each other. Agreed, we have all moved on in our lives, found new friends and groups, relocated to newer and may be greener pastures but forgetting the school that taught us our first step is like forgetting the mother who teaches the child how to walk. But then, this emotional perspective seems to be shared by only a few.

The blog needs new ideas and one brain can not generate innovative ideas to make the blog more interesting and interactive. Hopefully, together we will rejuvinate the blog.

THE NEXT STEP

I have moved down from the cool environs of 12000 plus altitude of Ladakh into the sweltering heat and dust of the plains of Punjab & Haryana, and that too in the month of May. Over the last 2-3 weeks while one was in transit and settling down, the 1985 batch get together took place on 23 May 2009. From the inputs I got from friends, it was a reasonably well attended "do", though basically a 1985 batch get together. The presence of our old teachers like Ms Nijhawan & Mr Chanchal Singh was the highlight of the lunch. As and when more information and snaps are made available they will be uploaded.

Now comes the question whether this lunch was a move forward from the past? I would say "No". A particular batch taking initiative in getting together should inspire others also to get in touch and meet up. We all at our respective batch level need to take initiative to pull our lazy batchmates out of their precious cocoons and shake them up a little bit!!!!!!!!!! We are going to love it when we meet again after soooo many years. But when?? No one knows. Let's hope some one from each batch will take initiative at least of getting their batchmates together at one place. This platform will do all it can to promote any such idea or to advertise any such initiative. Only after such efforts have borne fruits, can one take the initiative of organising a School level alumni get together.

The response to the blog has been quite encouraging so far. One only hopes that people are reconnecting to share a laugh remembering the days gone bye and catching up with old friends. The aim of the blog is to help old students locate their class fellows and not essentially to propagate methodology of staying in touch. I, for one, would definitely like to meet my old class fellows with whom once I shared good times but if others are following some other idea, they may like to share it with others on this blog. "If there are friends who would like to contribute to the blog by writing Posts" they can let me know and I would love to facilitate putting their thoughts & writings on the blog. As it is I am not much of a writer, being in the vocation that I am in and therefore can't carry on being the Lone Ranger.

A word on "Inputs about Batches". There is not much happening on that front. One has spent a lot of time and energy collecting, collating and putting up bits and pieces of information about Alumni in the form that you see. This forum thrives on inputs; be it about names, contact informations, photographs, current status and any news that can help people connect. Any stagnation on account of inputs will kill the Blog. So, please feel free to give inputs about your batchmates and friends even if it is unconfirmed.

PRIDE and/or EMBARESSMENT

It has been nearly 2 months since this blog was launched at spur of the moment. Managing this blog has been a roller coaster ride so far. Preoccupations of work, network problem in a very arduous area from where the blog has so far been written, and quite a few unwilling alumni have all helped in making the blog what it has turned out to be!!! But the positives have been far too many to bother about the negatives and so I have carried on and intend continuing, of course with the support and encouragement from friends. Mentioning some would undermine the contribution of others. So, thanks to everyone who has written even a word of encouragement. However, there is a niggling thought in my mind and I just want to share it.
We all human beings can compare ourselves with a TREE with Roots, Branches and Flowers & Fruits. Whatever fragrance or goodwill we are spreading is only because of the strength given to us by our roots and the kind of flowers that we have grown up to produce, by virtue of our qualification, profession and the position that we are in today. Can we, for even a moment, undermine the importance of any of these roots, branches or flowers while defining ourselves? I am sure the answer would be a big 'NO'. Then why does one get the feeling that may be some of the alumni are not too willing to associate themselves with the school (which is without doubt our Root) and idea of reconnecting with their school class fellows? While many of the old school fellows have shown such enthusiasm that can stir a revolution, there are some who have only given out negative vibes despite numerous calls and mails. Is it because of their incidental preoccupation over the last 60 odd days that they could not even go on to the blog and give a feedback, leave alone inputs? Some have doubted the very purpose of the blog and the blog master having some selfish designs!!!!! Why this hesitation or doubt?
One is not directing this query at anyone in particular as one need not bother about unwilling workers, but just wondering if there is anything worth feeling awkward about our Alma Mater. A school, which has produced a long list of Professionals, Civil Services Officers, Successful Managers, Entrepreneurs, Armed Forces Officers and so on, from within the batches from the initial stage of its inception; not to talk of the prestigious place it occupies in the list of Educational Institutions in Chandigarh today, is sure worth feeling proud of. This, despite the fact that it is a Govt. School that has functioned with scarcity of resources and has never encouraged its students to show off the financial prosperity of their parents and guardians. A school that has not got into “the business of imparting education” by organising fêtes, Car Rallies or other frivolous activities to gain popularity in media.
Many a times in our lives we get so embroiled in our day to day chores that our past begins to fade in our memory, something that needs to be cherished because I believe that when we become old and start tracing the path of our journey of life, it should not happen that the beginning itself appears blurred. The efforts to learn how to write an “A”, the cursive writing to form a word, the endless use of a pencil and eraser to draw a straight line, the favourite and the dreaded teachers, childhood sweetheart, the feeling on hearing the final bell indicating end of the school day; all these activities are still happening in our life but at a different level and we seem to be enjoying it today. So, what better way to cherish those days gone bye, than to sit with the people who shared your desk and class room and chat; a pleasure you can’t derive chatting with the wealthiest or the most powerful person in the world. I leave the thought open for all of you to dwell on. I may be over reacting or may be opening a channel of thought. But I am doing loud thinking and the thoughts are all mine.