Column | Window Seat

Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee

O Barabati!

I am not at all surprised at the unruly behaviour of a large section of people at Barabati Stadium during the Second T-20 cricket match, throwing water bottles and creating ruckus as Indian team collapsed like the proverbial pack of cards. This only reflects our desire to succeed at any cost. In real life we are not prepared to put that effort to succeed. We want somebody else to succeed for us. We assign that responsibility to Indian Cricket Team. When they fail, we feel aggrieved personally. Personal grief finds fuel when others also feel the same way. Then we become enraged and feel betrayed. And we want to do something... anything to give vent to our anger at having been let down. So we shout expletives, throw water bottles or any other article that we can lay our hands on, damage public property, if we can.
We fail to take a defeat in sports field sportingly because we are not winning in other fields. Because, we feel this is our best bet at winning. As a nation, we tend to outsource winning to somebody else on our behalf. When that happens, a cricket team wins, or a girl is crowned Miss World we take it as our personal victory. When that does not happen we feel let down.

The Barabati incident showed us our warts under media glare. That’s it.

College Elections

I am disturbed and dismayed as violence in student election is spreading to more and more colleges in Odisha, considered by many as a relatively peaceful state. Bombs are hurled inside colleges including a  Women’s University premises. College properties are vandalised. Roads are blocked. Traffic is disrupted almost daily in many places. Normal life is being disturbed.

I am told the same situation prevails in West Bengal too.

What is happening in the education sector? 

A teacher friend of mine asks: Whom do we teach? What do we teach? Where do we teach?
Colleges have turned into battle fields of lumpen elements. Local politicians are out to recruit party workers from colleges who would lend muscle power.

Is this how Odisha will prosper? Is this how India will graduate into a knowledge society?
I am disturbed.

Hope

Prof. Dhaneswar Sahoo, retd HOD of Philosophy , BJB College and Academy Award winner litterateur has set an example by donating the body of his mother for medical purpose. As his mother breathed her last he took her body and gave it over.
Here is a great, unassumingly simple man who walks the talk. He does what he preaches. 
In a society crowded with hypocrites, self seekers and downright goons, we need more people like Prof. Sahu amidst us to keep our faith on humanity.

Tailpiece

One beautiful girl on morning walk can improve the health of ten men.

(Courtesy: Facebook posting)

Mrinal Chatterjee a journalist turned media academician lives in Dhenkanal, Odisha. He can be contacted at mrinalchatterjee@ymail.com

Posted in www.orissadiary.com 8.9.2015