Editor,
A picture which I think has a multidimensional meaning has lately struck my mind. It shows a horse that has been tied to a small plastic chair with a rope. But strangely the horse is standing and still behaving as though the chair is too heavy for it to run with! Why? The caption of the picture rightly gives the answer – “When slavery becomes a habit, it makes one forget about one’s own power.” Indeed, the habit of the horse of not running when it is tied down to something makes it oblivious to the fact that it is now being tied to as light an object as that of a small plastic chair!
There is another dimension of the picture. A closer look reveals that the chair has been tied in a way that makes it difficult for the horse to run without hindrance. The chair is tied on the left side of the horse with a short rope. So, whenever the horse tries to run with it, the chair will start hitting the front left leg of the horse causing it much annoyance.
A horse can pull a heavy burden like a cart provided the cart is properly tied behind the horse. We can recall the meaning of, “putting the cart before the horse.” The wrong order of putting the cart in the front, makes it almost impossible for a horse to run whereas running becomes easy when the cart is behind.
Information and knowledge can move forward towards wisdom when the consciousness is foregrounded. But when information prejudices our minds then they stop the movement of our free thinking. Here lies the danger of the mechanical education system. When teachers give information to students and ask them to be “normal” and not to question those axioms, the students get programmed not to think outside the box and not to challenge the static knowledge.
The vertical “stand and deliver” teaching model discourages students from asking questions. Students are supposed to put the information in the front of them and remain confined within the boundary of that information. This makes them behave like the horse that does not dare to pull an object that has intentionally been put not behind it but in the wrong order.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Via email
Aggressive Iran
Editor,
Reprobate Iran flouting the international maritime rules seized on Friday a Britain-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. Eighteen Indian nationals are among the 23 crew members of the tanker named ‘Stena Impero’. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow sea route leading to the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman in the Indian Ocean. Many ships/tankers will have to visit ports of different countries lying along the Persian Gulf like UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and the eastern ports of Saudi Arabia and the western ports of Iran. Iran’s accusation is that the tanker has violated the international maritime rules and it collided with an Iranian fishing boat.
It is a fact that the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf are bounded on east by the sovereign state of Iran and they have been enjoying the sea from time immemorial. At the same time, this narrow strip of sea is highly important and it is the only sea route to more than half a dozen countries. So this sea route must not be lorded over by a domineering Iran.
The seized tanker has other crew members from Russia, Philippines,and Latvia. The captain of the tanker is an Indian. It is indeed good that the Indian government has reached out to the Iranian authorities in a bid to help release the Indian crew members on board. However, the seizure of the tanker has ramped up tensions in the Gulf regions with Britain and its western allies having called for the release of the vessel. So, it is better for Iran to shed their hostile and aggressive mentality towards others especially the western countries and they must look to the world with an optimistic approach. After all, nobody is going to annex or defeat it by sending a ship or tanker
Yours etc,.
TK Nandanan,
Via email
The air we breathe.
Editor,
I had the privilege of being part of the launch of, ‘Doctors for Clean Air’- Assam & North-East India Chapter on July 21, 2019 at the NEDFi House, Guwahati. Dr. Rashna Dass Hazarika, Director, Paediatrics, Health City Hospital Guwahati , is the Assam State Clean Air Champion. Air pollution is a silent killer, claiming the lives of millions of people in the country and causing many chronic health issues. We are paying the price of rapid unplanned urbanization and industrialization in the form of rapidly deteriorating Air Quality Index. The recent report by WHO ranks14 Indian cities in the list of most polluted cities in the world.
North East India in general and Meghalaya in particular are blessed with natural green cover and pleasant weather. It is the duty of citizens to preserve and protect natural resources for our own well being and that of the future generation. We also need to be concerned about indoor air pollution at homes, work places and schools. I would urge the State Pollution Control Board to be proactive towards continuous monitoring of the Air Quality Index (AQI) in various parts of the state and Shillong city in particular. It would be helpful for citizens if the AQI is displayed at prominent locations in the city. Let us all work towards a greener and cleaner Shillong.
Yours etc.,
Dr Sonali Shinde,
Via email