Fun party

 Cultural programs in primary schools are a blast. From the preparation of the event, the practice, the planning of the event, and the actual event, everything is very exciting. Don't ask for confusion.

First of all, when it was thought of doing a cultural program, a lot of problems were faced. Their clothes, other materials, fake jewelry, and even a bindi and bangles have to be collected. Parents have no involvement in this. The poor parents are working in the fields all day. Where are they? 

The preparation of children has to start in the evening. Because When the program starts, the preparations are complete. It's a real rush for kids to participate in multiple events. Because when their show is over, the children disappear into the crowd of spectators. Of course, they also want to watch the program. But finding the kids and lining them up backstage for the next show is important. Once all the children were prepared and seated properly, I gave them their program numbers. The Deepali dance takes place at the end. So all those groups were prepared and settled in a nearby house. Deepali is a dim girl. But she loves to dance. At the end, some girls did a simple dance. Deepali got ready and sat in front of the cupboard. There was a mirror in front. She sat, looking at her own reflection. Our run was on. There were sounds of applause, laughter, and songs. The program was going on for two hours. I was coming to the room to prepare the children. It started coming out. But Dipali did not move an inch from the spot. I called her teacher and asked her to observe Deepali. They were also shocked. Be it studies or any other work, Deepali could not do it carefully. But in the end, she also had a sense of self. She enjoyed looking at her own reflection in the mirror.

Preparations for the group dance were underway. The classroom door was on the west side. We used to practice, like dancing. children entering the door in a row. Actually, the stage was before the east entrance. Our beloved children followed the command to the letter. They came from the western direction and recited the entire dance to the audience. All the villagers were laughing and making noises. But not a single boy turned his face away. But I gestured from a corner. Kamalakar saw me. He understood. He turned alone. The rest were brave as well. I learned a lesson not to take children for granted, and that incident will stay with me forever.

The victory at Pratapgad won the title. Preparations were underway. Shivarai, Jijamata, Afzal Khan, Adil Shah, and Badi Begum were all cast. On the stage, Afzhal Khan was twirling in arrogance.

Chatrapati Shivarai came, and they embraced each other. So far, it's been a great start. Afzalkhana stabbed Chatrapati Shivraya in the back. Then Shivrai took out his beechwood and wanted to stab Afzal Khan's stomach. But nothing was coming out of Chatrapati Shivaaya's Bichwa. Afzal Khan is waiting poorly, and Chatrapati Shivraya's Bichwa is not getting any results. Finally, I went on stage and removed the bichawa. Chatrapati Shivaraya punched Bichwa in Afzalkhana's stomach. Afzal Khan fell down, screaming. The audience started clapping. But our Chatrapati Shivarai got scared because Afzal Khan collapsed. Jagruti was working for Chatrapati Shivaraya. The look of fear on her face brought laughter again. The next day, Afzal Khan The villagers appreciated the work of Afzkhana. .Jagruti became the subject of everyone's ridicule because of how scared Chatrapati Shivarai was.

Nandini was dancing in the group. There were many colored lights on the stage and artificial fog coming in between, creating a great atmosphere. As the fog spread on the stage, Nandini kept looking to see where the fog was coming from. After coming to consciousness, her dance started again. The show was more famous for Nandini's innocent discovery of fog than the girls' dancing.

As soon as Lakshmi stood on the stage, she started crying after seeing the audience. She played the role of a young man crying because he couldn't get married. The audience thought it was her performance. And the crying Lakshmi received appreciation and congratulations. So many such incidents happened, which, even if remembered today, automatically bring a smile to the face, and the mind revels in those times.

Above the God

 Aradhana was holding my right hand, and Radhika was walking with me, holding my left hand. Suddenly, Radhika said, "Madam, you are above God, right?" I don't understand. " What? Why do you ask that?"

"Ma'am, my mommy says, Ma'am, sir is above the God, so if they are slapped or punished, do not mind. They do it for our own good. They are above your parents, too.

I kept looking at Radhika. The school was closed for almost two and a half years due to Corona. Now the school has become regular, and small steps have turned to school again. But due to such big vacations, children lost their habit of going to school. Sitting still in school and studying meant that children felt punished. There are 100% tribal children in my school. Taking goats to graze during Corona, taking care of younger siblings, spending the time going to the fields, otherwise hunkering down all day. Then suddenly, the children could not sit in school and study all day long. Then, when they came to school, they would play the same tune for the whole day.

"Ma'am, I'm hungry. Can I have a can? Ma'am, water, Ma'am washroom, Ma'am, I'm getting bored, leave it at home".

As a solution to this, I started taking children for walks with me. The school grounds are very spacious, and there is a beautiful temple of Mahadev on the hill in front of the school. We also used to take children on temple trips. Now we started going to the temple every day so that the children could enjoy themselves. Today being Saturday, our students went to the temple after school. Leaving parents at school in the morning, after school, we teachers go to take them to the other side of the highway.

 The same thing happened today: We left thinking that we should take the children to the temple and let them cross the road from there. Of course, if I am alone, the children's minds are full of free chats. . The same pattern continued today. Some were running ahead, and some were behind. Radhika and Aradhana were walking, holding my hand. I looked at Radhika stunned for a moment when she called the teachers 'above the God'. All these children belong to tribal society, poverty, and ignorance. Connected to life. I was surprised at how pure their thinking is in such a situation. 

 "Ma'am, how much do we bother you?" "Aren't you angry with us?" Radhika continued talking. "No, I like you bothering me." Both of them were pleased with my answer and started to come closer to me.". But I was thinking. Whenever I ask children about their teachers in urban areas, I always get dry answers. Sometimes we go to CBSC, an international school, for meetings or training. Seeing the mechanical behavior of the students there towards their class teachers was a source of soreness in my mind. When children come to school, they should be happy and rooted in school. Teachers have the biggest involvement in this. The sweeter the relationship between student and teacher, the sooner children enjoy school.This relationship is getting stronger day by day. And it is through this that moral values and sanskar are firmly inculcated. My students are always pleasantly surprised by this. Devesh and Sheetal met once at the bus stand. 'Ma'am, we learned because of you." When they say this with tears in their eyes, our eyes water when we hear it. A mother-son bond is formed when Vikas tells a class friend's jokes while laughing in a crowded shop. Once Deepak and Yogita are seen together in a bank, Her mother came with her. Because of illiteracy, it is difficult to do bank transactions. Seeing their downcast faces, sir helped them all the time. I sat on the chair, and seeing me, Deepak and Yogita came and sat near... We had a great chat.Yogita is incommunicative in school. But here she was also talking freely. Of course, we were so engrossed in the chat that we forgot that we were sitting in the bank. Our chat stopped when Sir called.

 "Bless you! You used to chat everywhere. Leaving the hands of parents, even the children were chatting with you so freely. Everyone was watching with admiration. You had no idea."

 From the day I joined the new school, after school, Surekha used to sit near me and chat a lot. Of course, I did not understand her Pawari language. But she behaved like she was talking to her best friend. I just nodded. There was never any language barrier between me and any of my students. I always experience that affection and love are not bound by language.

We work as teachers with the feeling that it is our job and duty to make and teach students. But we do not know how an anonymous, sweet relationship is created from this. At such times, it feels good that we work in tribal and rural areas. There is no invisible wall between teachers and students. It is an intimate relationship that is "Above God.".

Destiny

 'Lalita Asaram Pawara'—I still remember the entire name. Because it is the same. Because of the strange events that happened in her young life. Sangeeta, Lalita, and Pinky were all three sisters studying at our school. Pinky is the youngest, and Sangeeta is the eldest. Middle Lalita in my class. She was very close to me, like other children. Telling the essence of the mind and then looking at me. She was a little older than the other girls, but innocent. She answered all my questions honestly. The government will distribute two uniforms to each student. So it was compulsory for every student to wear a uniform to school. On August 15, Independence Day, it was compulsory for every student to wear a uniform. But on this day too, Lalita came wearing a long skurt Polka. I got angry with her and asked her to come in uniform. The kid just ran and came dressed in uniform. The morning round started. In between, Lalita said, 'Madam, I am coming from home; I will come immediately",  she ran away. Lalita rejoined the rally as Prabhat Feri took a detour through the next lane and headed towards her residence. I asked her the reason for going back home. 

'Madam, I went to wear pants'. She simply said I didn't understand the meaning. When I asked her in detail, I found out that when she wears Parkar  polka, which she doesn't want to wear under garments. Used pants only when wearing school uniforms. . I did not understand the meaning of her words. 

"' Madam, I have only one panty." Her answer made me feel ashamed of myself.

Her reply to my question about why she doesn't wear uniforms every day was just as mind-numbing.

' My father said to keep the school clothes in a box. I used to use it when I went to the village. Because these clothes are new.'

Even today, whenever I see children in school uniform with their families, Lalita remembers. Her father was not ready to send his girls to school. But Lalitha likes school. One day in school, I had a fierce argument with her father in the office. But finally, Lalita got to come to school. After this incident, Lalita became closer. One day, Lalita was very happy. 'Madam Sangeeta got married. Her house is very good. There is a TV, and there is a mixer. She was saying it excitedly. A few days later, it was learned that there was a fight in her house, and her younger sister died in it. The incident was very bad. A year later, Lalitha also died. Both incidents were very heartbreaking. But she was born into a family where both birth and death are beyond emotions. So we swooshed for some time.After some days, I became engrossed in my life, as such was their fate. (2009/10)

Fallen

 It was very quiet in the school today. The principal had gone to the taluka. I was working in the office. At the same time, fellow teachers came running into the office. As the fourth-grade teacher was on leave,that class was assigned to him.

'Madam, Sangeeta is trying suicide. Look at the rope'. The fellow teacher was literally shaking. He had a coconut rope in his hand. 'I just asked her to sit in the classroom. She was walking outside on the verandah.' The teacher was still scared. Because the same thing happened in the school, teachers are responsible for that's thing's... I quickly ran to the classroom with the teacher. Sangeeta was standing and crying near the pillar. I took a rope from the teacher and tied it to the rafters of the roof. And I took Sangita by the hand.

'Do suicide now. Look, I have tied the rope. I said, giving her the rope in her hand. But now Sangeeta started crying loudly. I calmed her down. I turned my hand with love from her back. and sent her to class.

'Sir, don't worry. She is a little girl. She will not do anything'. Sir also explained, and I went to my class. Lalitha, Sangeetha's sister, was in my class. I asked her about Sangita, 'Why does she act like this??"

"Madam, She is the same. She doesn't like to say a single word. We don't say anything to her," Lalita was saying. But I decided to talk to Sangeeta once. After a while, it came to light that Sangeeta had run home. And that teacher followed her. Now I was sure that this girl would run the teacher after her for the whole day, and that's what happened. Sir returned to school after school was over.

'Ma'am, she was running across the village with the rope, and I was behind her. What a kid she is! If she had done something, I would have been stuck." Sir was saying this while wiping the sweat with a handkerchief. But I felt very sorry for you, sir. 

A few years after this incident, we were going to school. A car approached, and someone called out "ma'am" from the car. I looked and saw that Sangeeta was sitting in the car. I was very surprised. Ask, sir, to stop the car.

"Ma'am, do you recognize me? I am Sangeeta.” She looked very happy and excited. 

"Whose car is this?" I asked curiously. "Ma'am, my husband is the driver of this car," Sangeeta said. But I thought, "When you got married, your husband was working on the farm, wasn't he?" "Madam Me left him, and then I was living with a rich person in Pune. But now I am married to this one." Sangeeta was talking very easily, and I was shocked. She left. I just stared there, dumbfounded.

"That's what happens in their society. Don't you think so? Come on, we're late for school." I came to my senses with his voice. "Don't think unnecessarily. In their society, every man and woman have many marriages."

"But how young she is. Only twenty or twenty-two years old." I said it worriedly. "Boys and girls mature quickly among them," but I remained silent as Sir got angry. Two or three years passed in between. Sangeeta's parents left this village. Once, while going to school, a young woman wearing a flamboyant saree was waddling through a lane. I didn't see her face, but it was very strange to see her. I talked about this to a fellow teacher while studying at school. I was seeing this for the first time in rural areas. At exactly that time, that young lady came to the school. I could not look at her because of her flamboyant saree. She questioned the principal office. I pointed to the office and began to take part. In paripath After a short time, Sir dared to call. I went to the office.

'Did you recognize her?' Sir asked. I refused with my head. "Sangita,"  sir said, and I quickly looked at her in surprise. Even though the clothes and living conditions have changed, the face has the same innocent expression.

"Madam, don't you know me?' The same innocent tone.

"What is Sangita? What saree did you wear?"

"I like, madam, this saree; it shines beautifully." She said, "Madam, how much has our village changed?

"Dear village, not, you changed." I said it in my mind. 'Where is your car?' I suddenly asked.

"Now I am in Nashik, madam, and I left him. I want to do a sewing class, so I need a school certificate. I came to get him.” She was saying, and I was just listening. It was difficult for my middle-class mind to accept this essence. Sangeeta is gone. Sir was looking at my stunned face.

"See, this is a part of their daily lives. There is nothing too bad or wrong for them. Traditions change according to caste, religion, and country. . What is immoral to you may be moral to them. Don't overheat your head." Sir's words calmed me down a bit. However, it certainly seemed like it was time to change my definition of fallen. Both of Sangeet's sisters lost their lives due to their father's cruelty. But Sangita was living her life freely according to her will. Now I don't know whether to appreciate it or express sadness that, due to her fickleness, she has become like a cut kite wandering in the air.(2009/10)

 

dew drops

 Preparations for a cultural program were underway at the school. Dance practice was taken every afternoon in the office. Practice was going well. But for the last two days, Sangeeta was missing again and again. I made her angry. Sangeeta came near and said, "Madam, grandma has come to pick us up. There is a fair in Grandma's village."

"The program came in four days. Now it is not possible to produce another girl at the same time, and you don't want to go to the village at all. What was there at that fair? The fair comes every year," I said angrily. The face of Sangita came down. Madam refused permission; she was saddened by the thought that she would not be allowed to go. As a result, more mistakes were made in the dance.As I sat thinking one day, a fellow teacher approached and said, "Ma'am, these children have very few moments of joy in their lives. They wait for the fair all year. So let Sangeet go to the fair. I called the Sangita and asked, "Would you like to go to the fair?"? "Yes, ma'am," she exclaimed hopefully. "But what about the dance?" To my question, she quickly exclaimed, "Ma'am, Manisha is ready; she likes it little by little. And I will teach her at home."

 

Then we prepared Manisha. The day before the program, Sangeeta returned from the village and enthusiastically participated in the program with us. I still remember the joy on her face. The deaf-mute Divya always came near me. Midday, she bent over and slowly kissed me on the cheek as the rice grew. It was impossible to forget the happiness on her face and the expression in her eyes at that time. No need for words to express feelings. Sometimes when I went to her house to call the children to school, she would run from a distance and hug me around the waist. Again, hold my hand and come to school. The class was saying that drinking tea is bad; drink milk." The answer was that we drink milk. Then Poonam said, "Ma'am, we drink plain tea (without milk)."

"Why? " I asked, "Ma'am, we don't have money to buy milk. So we all drink black tea," but I was puzzled by her reply. And there are children who insist on not drinking milk. 

"Ma'am, we built toilets at our house too," Sapna was happily saying.

"Oh wow! Now you don't have to go up in the open."

"No, ma'am; my mother made it mori. (Bathroom for bathing) Now we bathe in the pore with the door closed," she said. Heartbroken. Where there is no closed bathroom for bathing, how useful is the expectation of having a toilet?.

Arjun was very happy. "What the hell happened?" He seemed to be waiting for my questions.

"Madam, tomorrow is our Diwali. We will kill the buck tomorrow. And eat the mutton and rice," he started excitedly. I stared at his happy face for a moment.

Anil was giving me the money he had brought for food. "Madam, I want to gift my aunt's son a cricket bat. Keep this money with you." Anil said. After collecting one and a half hundred rupees, he went to the market with Sir and bought the bat. 

"What did your aunt say when she saw the bat?"

'Madam, Aunty held me close, lovingly moved her hand over my head, and patted my cheek." Anil was happily saying. Although he was from a poor family, he saved money and gifted it to his brother. 

While working, I always realize that the needs of these poor tribal peoples are very few, and their happiness depends on very small things. And these dew drops of happiness are very rare in their lives. Although there is no break in the enthusiasm and stubbornness with which they live,.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theft

 It is a child's nature to take something they like, even if it belongs to someone else. It can be prevented from turning into a bad habit if it is curbed in time. Most children have such habits. Basically, they don't know that what they do is called theft. So I used to counsel such children without using the word theft. I was always successful." But once I failed, and that's still injecting in my mind. 

Kunal's mother wanted to celebrate his birthday very much. But because of his addicted father, it was not possible. Finally, it was decided to celebrate his birthday at school. Anil, Atul, Akshay, and Kunal are best friends. A box was placed in the cupboard of the classroom, and money was collected in it.Once the box is removed from the cupboard before the birthday, the money in the box disappears. Kunal and Atul started crying. "Madam, we used to pay money every day; 300 rupees were collected. Now it is only 100 rupees."

I inquired in class. Seen with love, with anger, with threats. But no one would confess. I did not agree to punish all the students by simply accusing them. Basically, who did you steal from?. It didn't feel right. Finally, I brought a cake for Kunal. Kunal and his mother were very happy. Everyone in the class celebrated the birthday with joy. But the thought that someone took the money did not leave my mind.

My purse was always hanging on a nail in the classroom. Students come and open my purses, take out pens and pencils, and keep the purses in place. It used to happen all the time. But now money has started disappearing from my wallet. I did not know who to blame. I loved my students so much, I couldn't blame them. Slowly, I started noticing that Aarti and Namrata were creeping into the class. They used to stay in the classroom for some time, be it during a lunch break, paripatha, or while playing. One day, I found my purse lying near the chair. Namrata and Aarti were also seated nearby. They picked up my purse. After school, I went to the petrol pump to put petrol in the scooter. 100 rupees disappeared before dawn. The next day, both were called to the office and questioned. Others should not know that these two are committing theft. Almost a thousand rupees were stolen without either of them confessing. It was even worse that the students' savings were stolen.

The next day, Aarti's parents were talking a lot in school, saying, 'Aarti will not steal; she has done it with Namrata; she is like that'. But I was sure that both of them did it. They had come to the demonstration. In the afternoon, Namrata's grandmother came and started threatening me. The girls in the office started complaining that Madam beat them. But now I have run out of patience. How many times will I help this grandmother financially in times of trouble?

After that, both of them started to be absent from time to time. All the efforts to break their bad habit were wasted. Poverty is worse than the perception that if parents feed their children's mistakes, how much worse can the result be? Did Namrata and Aarti fail, or did their parents fail? Am I the one who failed?(2017/18)

?

 

Who knows how?

 We always say that children are 'innocent, innocent, like the flowers of heaven'. But there were some flowers that came my way that really messed me up, of course, because it was all straight-minded, so I laughed at the incident.

My sweet student , Kishore, IV standard was absent one day. He was naughty. Students in the class informed me that Kishore is playing at home. I set out to transport him home with the intention of fetching him to the school. But there are a lot of thousands in my mind: 'What is the problem with coming to school regularly? Does not pay attention to the house. What to do?' I didn't know when I reached in front of Kishore's house with such a chatter in my mind. There was a crowd in front. I don't know anything. Meanwhile, Kishore's father came forward, seeing me. "Madam, Kishore will not come to school for a few days as my father died." He said. I nodded and returned. I was going to make myself laugh by trusting the children's slaps out of the mischievousness that only a Kishor should be punished. I was saved by his parents.

The exam was over, and the fee collection started. 5 rupee examination fee deposit and register those students. We should pay the fees of those who are able to collect the fees.Those who are not able to deposit the fee have to pay the fee. One day, while checking the list, it was realized that Kishore had not deposited the fee. I called him and asked about the fee. He said he had deposited the fee. 'But your name is not on the list, so you are lying.' I asked.'No, ma'am, I swear, I paid the fee'. Kishore say.I laughed. Swearing up and down is a favorite activity of children.' Swear to the person you love the most. But you know what happens when you swear falsely, don't you?" I asked jokingly."Yes, ma'am, the person who swears falsely dies," said the Kishor."Okay, who do you swear by.?" I asked. I was curious about his answer."Your oath, ma'am, I paid the fee"," said the Kishor innocently.But now I can't stop laughing. I don't know whether to appreciate his love for me or praise him for swearing and answering me.

Rushi and Rushali are my children, as well as my students. After listening to stories from the Ramayana, both of them asked me a question."Mom, why is Bibhishan so good and Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Shurpanakha so bad? Are they full siblings? So how is there such a difference?""Ravana's mother, Kekasi, was a demon, and his father was a sage, Vishravaya. Bibhishan acquired his father's qualities and became a devotee; the rest of the siblings went to the mother and became evil because they acquired demonic qualities." With my answer, Rushi thought for some time.""Mummy, I am lucky that; I'm going to like papa!" I was stunned for a moment when I heard him say that. How can children think the same? The smile that came to me after that has not stopped to this day. I still remember him exhaling and saying that.

 Harshal is a very mischievous yet sweet student. He always used to argue with the teachers who came for an internship. One day, the argument escalated, and Harshal said it angrily.""You don't listen to me; swear by the person you talk to on the phone all the time." A poor girl had recently gotten married. 

While in the second standard, Rushali asked, "Mummy, how was the baby born?" I was a little confused. Then I said, "I told God to give me sweet Pari, then DevBappa secretly placed you in my bosom.""Anyway, I know how babies are born." But now I really hit my head.

Pollination of flowers was taught in Class IV. Punam suddenly stood up and said, "Madam, how is the baby going in the mother's womb?"All the boys and girls started laughing. I silenced all of them.Ponam, dear, the baby is formed in the mother's womb. It is formed from the mother's flesh, cells, and bones. The baby eats what the mother eats. It is formed slowly in the mother's womb. The rest of the information is when you go to college."

Poetry was taught in the third standard. At the end, I started asking questions. There was a beautiful poem like 'Padgham Varati Tipri Padli'. The children were happily answering."Why do you think the old lady fills the sky? To my questions, Nandini said, "We don't feel anything like that. Only you do.""We know it is the voice of the clouds," said Anil. Now, what shall I say? I am very happy that my students don't just learn from books but think and answer for themselves. We always say that children know nothing, but children often say things that we can't even think of. Who knows how this thinking power suggests speaking?