Fr Dr P S Varghese
MGM College, Dimapur
“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” - AA Milne
We all knew Winnie-the-Pooh as a beloved teddy bear. It was designed by Alan Alexander Milne (1882-1956) and named by this English author. Milne is best known for his poems and books about bears. Even though Milne was an accomplished playwright, Pooh's huge success overshadowed many of his previous works. In addition to writing poetry and prose, he was a brave soldier, serving as a captain in the British Home Guard during World War II.
My mentors, your courage is greater than you realize, your strength is greater than you realize, and your intelligence is greater than you realize. Without passion, the mind becomes a fortress. Marcus Aurelius' words have inspired generations for centuries.
“The mind without passion is a fortress. No place is more secure.”
This is the 100th episode of "Proud to Be a Teacher."
During the lockdown days, it began. MGM teachers began with a humble step, called Thought for the Day, where teachers were to send a short message related to education. It has been very well received by all teachers. I reread the thought a few weeks later and all new ideas and thoughts popped into my head that I used to write in my diary. Over time, my diary pages filled, and I began typing and sending them as daily elaborated thoughts.
I came up with the caption 'Proud to be a Teacher' after thinking about it for a couple of weeks.
Today, on this special day, I would like to share some thoughts about my friend who is serving as an Indian Administrative Service officer in Nagaland cadre, Mr. Muhammad Ali Shihab IAS. His life is really an inspiration for many.
Even mountains can be shaken by willpower. A heart-wrenching autobiography titled 'Viralattam (Malayalam) means 'fingertip' was published in 2018 by D.C. Book, Kerala). I recommend reading this autobiography.
In an effort to overcome the obstacles with perfect willpower, he came from a cramped life in an orphanage to become a member of the Indian Administrative Service and now lives in Nagaland's capital city, Kohima, and is doing commendable work.
We first met in Dimapur, Nagaland. In June 2012, I became the vicar of the Mar Gregorios Orthodox church and the principal of the MGM Higher Secondary School in Dimapur.
Nagaland follows a calendar year starting in January and ending in December, unlike most other states in India. After the class started, he arrived a few months late. He wanted to find out if his child would be admitted during the middle of the school year.
Shihab's daughter Jewel was accepted to the school. Adv Thomas accompanied him when he came to meet me to complete the admission formalities.
At first glance, decades of experience and intimacy were evident. The friendship may have come about due to similar thoughts, perspectives, and experiences. The friendship has lasted to this day.
Shihab sir worked as a teacher in his hometown before getting into IAS. In his autobiography, he meticulously recollected those golden years.
An autobiography of a journey from a village to the topmost administrative service in India. It is the unshakeable message of this beautiful autobiography that willpower can change the mountains.
The book 'Siddhartha' by Hermann Hesse should be read by every mentor.
Which human capital is the best?
Kamashastrikal asked Sidhardha this question when he approached him about starting a business, earning worldly wealth, and marrying Kamala, the beautiful lady he met on his journey.
Here's the response from Sidhardha;
"I can wait
I can fast and I can pray."
He has replied to kamashastrikal. This is the best human capital. This is also the best reply which I had gone through such a type or similar question ever came to my mind.
If any mentor is having these capitals in his journey, he is a wise man/woman. If any mentor is able to pass this valuable advice to their students, you are a wise teacher; you are trying to change the world of your students.
Our capital is in our hands. There may be tremendous hardships, tests, challenges, and obstacles to attaining this capital. But never give up.
The autobiography ‘Viralattam’ or 'Finger Tips' testifies to the fact that it can influence the lives of many and become a source of irreplaceable wealth. The author is filled with these human capitals.
Yes, Sir Shihab waited, prayed, and fasted. He achieved the coveted post with his human capitals.
Educating the world is the greatest weapon of change, in the words of Nelson Mandela. Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, taught us that "education is the only thing that can change a person's life drastically".
What does this mean for education? Will it be subject to a lot of change?
We are greatly confused by the lack of imagination of contemporary relevance.
The 'ism' of colonialism suffocates once again. Except for a few experiments that have been tested and proven successful, it has not been transformed into a unique style.
Does education exist only for the purpose of getting good marks on a test and then forgetting about it afterward?
In India, British education was introduced based on the Western mentality of molding clerks they needed, disregarding martial arts and study methods.
'Macaulayism' is a term that indicates its aim. Even when it is said that the existing study methods are based on profit-seeking commercial interests, its trade-and-market expansion is suffocating us.
The new masters (natives) have re-traded in the vessels they left behind without compromising on ideas, and have swelled up the entire education sector.
New education programs will take the wind of change? It will be interesting to see how they work.
A country's progress should be measured by the quality of its education.
The real goal of the study is not only to develop intellectual capacity, but also to cultivate broad-mindedness, social commitment, and values. As long as students leave college with a good heart, they will be socially aware and act for the good of the world in a broader sense.
The educational phase of a person's life is important. Many of us take it for granted. We cannot be a good country until we change our education system. Until we change the education system that is capable of changing society over time, we won't be able to become owners of an education system with a strong and exemplary model.
The key to success is getting started, as Mark Twain said. You need to break your overwhelming tasks into small, manageable steps, and then start with the first one.
“The secret of getting success ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”
As I close this post, I would like to quote Sir Shihab. “I have learned that knowledge that can be learned and imparted is useful in complex times” (Viralattam. 2018. DC Books, Kottayam. p. 157).
