Tuesday, 9 October 2018

Sunday Reading - Gujarati Short Stories by Mahendrasinh Parmar

     This task has been given to the students to cultivate the habit of imagination / interpretation.
    
    # Intellectual Indubhai and # ISI no hath are the Short Stories from the  " Polytechnic " - A collection of Short Stories. Which was published in 2016 by Mahendrasinh Parmar. 




    
      Here we can see the importance of literature in society. How literature unfolds the pitfalls of society.  If one has read the essay calls "Tradition and Individual Talent"  by T. S. Eliot, where we find the term # Historical Sense. Which is must required in contemporary time.

# Intellectual Indubhai : 

          In this story we find a person whose name is Indubhai. An intelligent  teacher by  the designation and a benevolent person. Who teaches not only the subject knowledge but humanity too. In a way he plants the seed for the better civilization. He uses the references of Camus, Kafka, Freud, Nietzsche, Eliot, Premanand, Narsinh, Meera, Darwin and Milton in his teaching. Which shows his wide reading and knowledge. But one day some of the troops starts burning the houses and suddenly whole region turns into fire. In that repercussion Indubhai's whole thing vanished. Amidst this he sees his students in that troops. Which puts him in misery. He says to his students that this is what I  have taught you...? After loosing everything he starts criticising the western thinkers.



 # Real life Event :

         When we read the story we can identify the historical context of it. Which tells the story of Post- Godhra riots. How whole state turned into violence. People were killing each other. And this majority -minority groups were the reason behind it. Mass raped of women, train burning and so many other things happened.



# Other interpretations :

         The title it self suggests so many new things. In contemporary time intellectual people has to suffer a lot. It becomes necessary to read about the above mentioned thinkers. Which shows the wide reading of writer too. Here one question arises in our mind is that by not using the surname writer wants to hide the identity or tries to break the concept of casteism...? After reading further, Can we say that if person is not an intellectual one then he / she may suffer from distinctiveness....?
              While moving further we finds a bitter but real satire on students. So many times we hear the news that some students are caught with weapons in examination. They threatens the teacher for not allowing  cheating in the exam. Same thing happens with Indubhai when he spot his students in that troops.
                  Another interesting thing we finds is that how humanities is dying. We can see the hypocrisy of the people. They thinks that they all have virtues because they all have studied  the " Gujarat no Nath ," " Krishnanu Jivansangit, " "Satyana Prayogo ," etc. But suddenly they all becomes violator. In recent time we sees the attack on Hindi- speaking workers in the state.
          So many time we find peoples who denies to support  because of the invisible  threat of # Monty. Same way in story also Dr. refuses to help.

# ISI no Hath : 

        It is a fabulous story to read. Which shows the skillfulness of the writer. In this story we finds that somebody has attacked on the temple. And within 24 hours all victims are caught. After the interrogation we came to know that they all are the local citizens of the town. First one is Ishwar Dabhi - a " Sanitary Engineer," Second one is Sharad Joshi - "a caterer," and the third one is Indrajit Dholakiya - " a professor. "
            Now the whole case is in the hand of S. P. Shinge. Somehow he shows empathy towards them and tries to give fair judgement. Meanwhile we get the news that they attacked on temple because this temple is the reason of their unemployment. The end of the story is very interesting. Because it has not the usual ending. All three person are now works in that temple who had great hatred for it. And suddenly S.P. Shinge disappears and media tries to find him.



# Real life Event : 
     
    It gives the picture of Aksharwadi Temple,  Bhavnagar. It has been famous for the encroachment. They have started so many boarding houses and tavern kind of things for their hidden motif. In a way it has stolen the customer of others. Day by day people are becoming sheeples.

# Other interpretations :
 
     We can say that Title of the story is very significant. Whenever we hears about ISI that time our mind always thinks about a terrorist group. But here this ISI is different. It is an acronym of these three victim. We can say that there are so many peoples who lives around us are more dangerous than terrorist. Or we can say that it describes the theory of Orientalism by Edward Said. 

     One more historical context we can give to this story is the attack on Akshardham Temple,  Gandhinagar. Another interesting thing we find is the danger of privatisation in every institution.

       When we see the end it describes the selfish motives of people. How easily people can be driven by the political power, that thing we can see in it.  And people like Shinge who tries to resist they suddenly vanish from the sight.




             Altogether we can say that how literature helps us in unfolding the evil. In a way it shows the insight of writer. Who has fearlessly portrayed the bitter but real image of society.

# Thank you...
# Courtesy...
 



       

Tuesday, 2 October 2018

Thinking Activity on Existentialism


     This task has been given to the students as an understanding of absurdity and of existentialism. For more details Click Here.
     Here are the some points which I like the most from the videos. 

V-1 : Individuality 

Yes, Existentialism begin with the philosophical thinking of an individuals. Thinking about individuality, passion and freedom remains in the center. By staying away from the herd we might get more understanding about it. A conjecture in God is not an answer of the struggle. One must should possess the understanding of absurdity. Theme like death, despair, absurdity and suicide makes this theory more attractive.

       
V-2 : Absurd Reasoning 

People often thinks of suicide because they never find any meaning of life. According to them life is absurd. And this is it what Camus calls philosophical problem. But longing for death is not an answer of it. One must should perceive hope as a survival. Further he replies that what he suggests is the source of  replacement.

V- 3 : Philosophical Suicide & Absurd mind 

What Camus says about Philosophical Suicide is that it is like an escapism from the struggle. The whole notion of desire is the consequences of the human beings. Do grapple with the struggle in total absence of hope. For absurd mind reason is useless and there is nothing beyond reason. But existentialist tries to put faith as a solution and ultimately it becomes escapism. Sometime taking leap also becomes risk.

V - 4 : Dadaism /Change 

A creative  change is always necessary. Dadaism was an art movement. It was all against the war. Most of the time old values creates chaos in the society. It was a great movement to be free from the obstacles.

V -5 : Existentialism -Rescue & Cure 

So many time it becomes difficult to find the meaning of life. This inner turmoil like despair, anxiety and absurdity never seems to leave. But existentialism gives the rationale sense of life. It was post war movement. Above mentioned inner turmoils were in every corner of an individuals. As a response of it existentialism stand up to rescue and cure. It tells to choose your  own meaning and take responsibility of it.


V-7 : Existentialism - Philosophical Movement


It is not a Philosophical system nor set of doctrine. But it is a movement which gives the meaning of life in the absurdity. In existentialism there were questions like problem of life as a human being. What is human condition. It stresses more on human perspective compare to divine perspective. And yes there is a difference between nihilism and existentialism. Because nihilism means nothing where's existentialism means to create something in life by accepting the fact.


V-8 : Do it at your own 

Nobody likes rules. According to Nietzsche why one behaves in certain ways? There is no need to believe in this rules. Because we can make our own rules. For that he gives the example of Ubermensch. Whatever you want you can do freely. Just get out from the chain. And whatever you want to do,  Do it at your own.

V-9 : Why I like Existentialism 

There is Two main sides of it. It appeals to our mind and heart. To understand it one must should possess an intellectual quality. An average person can not be an existentialist. It helps in expressing the darker side of life. One can accept own self. It develops rebellious thinking. Most of the time existentialism becomes the reason of refreshment too. Many time it affects every day life like in laughing, in intelligence, and also it makes compassionate. After pondering over it one can read the pain and never sees suffering as an enemy. By reading the existentialism one can live the moment of life with reality.




V-10 : Meaning of life 

Altogether what existentialism tries to say is that find a meaning of life. Because essence of life is necessary. No one can give meaning of life to you. One must should think  on his/her own.

• Video number 9 I like the most. Because it helps a lot in developing the personality of existentialist. It makes us broader thinker. We see life as a pragmatic things. We feel unconstrained.


• Obviously yes, This Flipped learning is like  a boon for so many students. It helped me a lot in understanding. It has widened my perception towards the Existentialism. By watching these videos I came to know about some another knowledge too.

                                                 Thank you...