C- The spirit of Pune Alma Mater

I attended the program of Alma mater (Pune) for 3000 teachers. I was new to the city and therefore new to the fraternity of Pune Alma mater. I got down from the car with Bharti bhabi and started walking towards the venue, as I was walking I stopped midway, I was dumbstruck to see the spectacular sight- From the gates to the auditorium there were volunteers in white and white and a maroon dupatta , celebrating,  loudly wishing each teacher Happy morning ….not being affected whether they are wished or not. There was no age bar or sex bar for volunteers, the only bar was – Sad face.  In that atmosphere even the gloomiest person in this world would have smiled….   I don’t know what drove this volunteers to stand from 6.30 in the morning to 8.55 (the event began at 9.), none of their faces had a frown, nor was there a single argument, everybody was the boss. There were people at each point. Parking, entry, registration, each one smiling, celebrating and not missing their Happy Morning….

At 9 the speaker –Naren, started the program and he said – “I feel like a film star “. I don’t know what does it feel to stand in front of 3000 teachers and a few 100 volunteers and say “Happy Morning”.( never ever have done , always stood in front of a single teacher ) . Naren indeed is a star, he is bigger than a film star, cause film stars only entertain, but Naren   creates people and in the process of creation he also entertains. The 2 hour program was filled with laughter, peace and learning. All Naren’s programs have the above elements.

Naren is a brilliant speaker and in the program he emphasized that there are 5 Cs which should always be a part of our life and should be inculcated to the next gen too. Naren being the trainer of Pune Alma mater has surely witnessed these 5 cs in the fraternity on the very morning of the event.

The Cs ….

Compete with yourself – All volunteers always won by competing within their best, they would have been a little soft in their celebrations, but the instant realization of the same, made them loud, clear and full of happiness and cheer … OH! What a sight …. Wish all welcomes were always this way … then every individual attending any program would always smile …

The next C- Co-operation. Naren shared beautiful stories through the program and thought the teachers- Lessons of life. He insisted that if we corporate with the world around and can work successfully in a team then we would create miracles … He expanded TEAM as Together we achieve miracles … Oh! How right he was …. Together we indeed achieve miracles… did we not see it in Chak de India and Lagan. But , I was lucky to witness  Miracles cause of co- operation … It was all the activities which were involved in the event, where seating arrangement was concerned , nobody would shout out and say “ hey there is one place here, send someone”… Rather they would just hold placards displaying the number of seats vacant and the others would quietly direct the rest. An event of such a massive scale all organized by people who were volunteers and not members of the organization ,  some who were associated with the organization for years together and some who were setting their feet , some who knew Marathi and some who didn’t understand it, some school students and some who  had been to their schools 20 years ago.  Nothing affected the event, the smile on each ones face and the glitter in their eyes for the success of the event was indeed a miracle- So many people being happy at the same time for the same reason…. Wow.

Courage- The absence of it suppresses you and the presence makes you a Hero and helps you live your life on your terms. You must be wondering what the volunteers did to display courage… As you read, you will smile and feel so proud to know that such selfless people still exist (most in the fraternity are like this).

A young teacher and his mother who was also a teacher (remember this program is for teachers) had entered the auditorium gates and were heading towards parking and suddenly the son got an epileptic attack and he fell off the bike. There was no noise or commotion or crowd allowed to gather, it was handled with a lot of calmness. The bike was parked by an almanite ( the members of the fraternity )  and  3 almanities took him to the hospital, paid the medical bills , waited for him to recover and dropped the duo ( Mom and son) home and then came to venue … Unfortunately, by the time they reached the venue, the program was over… It was the most happening and talked about event in the city... They had worked for 15 days relentlessly for it and still they couldn’t watch it…. I felt terrible that they missed it, but the Dr. (one of the 3) who narrated the incident to me was so calm and composed and there was not a bit of regret on her face about missing the event. She just said “He is fine, we dropped him home”.    It was brilliant the way the situation was handled. It would have been easy to put them in an auto and then call up and check, but they ( I assume ) must have felt  “he is come for our program … we should take care of him” and proved what our ancestors taught us – Adhiti Devo Bhava

Creativity- Naren had given examples and told teachers very explicitly how each of the C could be inculcated in their life and also how it can be taken to class, but this C , the C of creativity Naren didn’t say much…That’s Naren he wanted all of us ( the audience ) to be creative and think how to be creative in everything we do. Naren displayed that to us in the two hours by his jokes, his lessons and also by making us realize “To be happy, you need to do nothing “. His volunteers – Unfair if I say his, cause of all them did it for themselves, for them the event and the organization was bigger than anything … They indeed were creative  in their welcome in their placards for vacant seats, their uniform, their parking … everything was such that people would stop and appreciate, it was so simple yet so beautiful. It was the simplest of creativity at its best.

 The last but the most important of Cs… The C of composure. If we can have this C as a part of us forever, then nothing in our life will trouble the muscles of forehead for a frown, there will be less things destroyed, there will be more relationships maintained, there will be less fights and more smiles… All with just this one C… It is one of the most difficult things, but once a part will always remain a part… Live example of Composure is Naren himself and what I hear about the volunteers who led the event indicates that composure is no big deal in this fraternity.  If at 12.30 in the night, an important piece of work goes hay wire, we would kill the person who did it and raise hell… But here at 12.30 the most important part of their stage’s work (the frame in which they had to keep the banner) was not done properly, the volunteer walked up to the man who was in charge of it and asked – “Did u have a tough day?”…. Wowww 12.30 in the night, you can still not scream your head out knowing its a few hours in hand and still care about the other person’s view (OPV) …. Brilliant, now is that not what Composure is all about???

After the event got over , the volunteers seemed like school children playing music, clicking pictures, cheering hip hip hip hurray, doing all what I last did in my college days

It may all sound philosophical, but it’s just not literature or some dream which is written, it is all real which I and 3000+ people have witnessed it in city of Pune on the 27 of July. This fraternity has left a deep impact on me.

Before I bid adieu, I would just like to add - all the Cs which the speaker mentioned would enhance our life multifold, so instead of saying “Wish I also was there “ to witness this piece of art.  Inculcate the 5 Cs and you will be not only there but on Top of the world forever J  

A dedication

When we are kids everything we do: be it winning a competition or looking pretty, everybody gives the credit to our parents and tell them how smart their kid is or how well they have inculcated discipline in the child. I would like to tell you all about Poorvi, my niece, my little colouring champion. Every coloring competition she wins, everybody congratulates her parents. I understand there are two reasons to it, the first one that Poorvi is too small to understand what congratulations means and after all it is her parents who have been instrumental in creating this little artist.

As Poorvi grows up and starts understanding the world around her, things will change. At college level if she wins a competition or is appreciated for some quality she possesses, all the compliments she gets will be for her and her alone. I again see two reasons here, the first being that Poorvi will be mature enough to understand the appreciation and also, most people, would see Poorvi for who she is today and believe she is instrumental to what she is today. Very few would think of parents or teachers at this point - they will say, "Woow, Poorvi you are truly a talented artist" forgetting all those people along the way who have created and nurtured this young artist. Even if there are some people who understand that the parents and the teachers play their role in creating the person we are, very few would acknowledge these roles, which have created us. 

Once this little one, grows and achieves her success and is known for all the good things and all what she becomes, the world will know only her name, "Poorvi". People forget to even think about who has been instrumental in creating this wonder. Don't most of do that, we may get introduced to our role model's parents, and in our mind we may think, "Oh he is so lucky to have such a talented son" or "Wow, what it must be to be such a legends mother". However, have we stopped to think that if not for the parents - the son may never have become a legend. If not for the teacher - the student may never have become exceptional. We all know Sachin Tendulkar - but how many of us know of the coach who created him? We know of a Kiran Bedi - but do we even know her parents names? Undoubdetdly to become something in life, an individual would have put in tremendous efforts. It is their personal efforts - but shouldn't some credit go to the parents, mentors, teachers of these exceptional humans who helped them realise their own extra-ordinariness?

Let's do something - lets not just look at the fruit and say, "Wow, so sweet". Lets go to the root level and understand what has made this person what he is. This will not only make us look at his or her seemingly ordinary parents and teachers in a new light but also help us realise how many people, in how many ways are helping us become what we want to. We too are being shaped. And moulded. And we shouldnt forget, at the time of our greatness, that if not for that helping hand, if not for that encouraging smile, if not for that "I love you", we may never have come where we have.

Thank your best friend's parents for your friend. Feel grateful to your guru's wife, children and parents and realise how much they must be sacrificing so that your guru can focus on your growth. In fact, if you are a married woman, please do start seeing you in laws in a new light and realise that your husband, who means so much to you, is what he is because of his parents. It would mean so much to any of these people to be recognized for creating a wonder. It would mean so much to them, if they are told that someone, at least someone, realises their role in creating this legend.

How wonderful it would be if we could thank parents and teachers, not only ours, but of all those who are making such a significant difference to our lives. Let's not wait for any particular day, any day can become special if we can make a difference to at least one person. Let's create a few special days to all the special parents and teachers.

This is a dedication to my parents and teachers. And also to Megha Bajaj's parents - who gave me a precious friend and teacher who helps me in writing. Without her parents, and her, I would not be speaking and sharing my innermost feelings and profound realizations through this article with you.