Memorabilia 2016 from
Dilip Barad
None of the monks can teach concentration better than the
cat-family-animal-in-wait-for-prey. The task to edit this Memorabilia 2016 is
not even an iota less than this.
 |
| The Concentration of the Cat is worth learning. |
It requires similar sort of concentration, and
that too for quite a prolonged time. The persistence and perseverance with
which Bhumi Joshi and Pritiba Gohil have worked is amazing. Not only the number
of pages has crossed 100 but also the richness of content speaks for the
dedication of both of them. A special thanks to Ravi Bhaliya and Milan Parmar
for organizing content and printing this Memorabilia.
Having birds-eye view of this Memorabilia is like walking
back on the memory lane. Not all revisits of memory are traumatic. There are
sweet fragrance of flowery incidents and event which are yet not grown into
anecdotes. Not even it is true to say that for teachers, the batches of
students is like a rock rolled over the mountain by Sisyphus, just to see that
it rolled down, again and again. The journey of walking with various batches of
students is like pilgrim’s progress. The journey may not be strictly religious
or spiritual, or may be it is quite opposite of it, but it is surely academic,
intellectual and enlightening. The ‘progression’ of thoughts, the widening of
mental horizons, understanding the universality of ideas are some of the key
things which remain as a memory of teaching various batches.
Same is true about batch 2014-16. It was yet another
enriching experience. One of the best experiences was to see Vanita Tadha
gaining tremendous confidence to perform in Daily Schedule as well as in
project work. Along with her, the way Asmita Gond, Sonal Baraiya, Neha Mehta
and Jayshree Solanki improved their level of academic involvement which got
manifested in their project on Reading Habit is the real gain of education.
Vanita Baldania and Daya Gohel’s participating in
Mountaineering tracking at Junagadh was quite unique. Both of them shall be
commended for this. I do not recall in last 7-8 years if any girl-student has participated
in such ‘so-called-tough’ adventure sport events. The best of the human
character is displayed when one stands with other human in their down moments.
Vanita Baldania has displayed this unique aspect of human character. I hope the
Department will see many such participation in coming years. This surely will
be an example to be shared with upcoming batches to inspire them to participate
in adventure sports. Such events play very important role in building human of
great character and indomitable spirit.
It was great to have creative poems from Ravi Bhaliya which
enlivened Daily Schedule on several occasions. It would be great to see all
poems compiled and published in book form. He along with Nikunj Bhatti, Kishan
Kubavat and Sagar Ladhva has taken very good care of Laptop bank and all
matters related to ICT. Their hard work shall be remembered by all as they took
extra care for internet connectivity for other students and also managed things
on public holidays.
Every year, we are fortunate to have a few students who take
care of Library books with utmost care. If we get the student who really loves
the books, we need not worry about library. This year, Nimesh Dave and his team
managed library with extra care and consideration.
Daily Schedule is yet another very important feature of life
at Department. Urvi Dave and her team, this year, looked after it with great
affection. Baring a few days, the daily schedule was full of wonderful
presentations.
Ranjan Velari and Urvi worked on very interesting projects
also. They participated in Global Conference and presented their research. It
is such researches and participation of students in academic events that give
academic acknowledgement to the Department as the hub of academic activities.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of other students, there are
many who silently worked for others. They are always ready to help the needy.
They help and do not expect any recognition. I would like to put Radha
Ghevariay, Devikaba Gohil, Vaishali Jasolia, Krupali Lewade, Pritiba Gohil,
Nidhi Jasani (her winning position in Youth Festival for Mimicry was unique as
it only she who got rank in this Rajatrang 2015) and Deepika Vaza in this type of students.
This is not insignificant or trivial thing to have. Normally, people crave for
recognition even if they have done nothing. To help and not to crave for
recognition is ‘something’ really great.
We can’t forget beautiful identity cards for which Sagar
Ladhwa and his team worked very hard. Sagar should also be remembered for
enriching general knowledge in Daily Schedule on new schemes of Government of
India. That is something very important.
Looking back in the memory gives some moments of regrets as
well. It is remorseful when some students with talent do not perform owing to
circumstances beyond their control or sometimes they themselves are the biggest
hurdle for them, Jankiba Rana was toubled by her health and her mother’s and
that resisted her from performing at her level best. Praful, Mayuri, Nisha and
Hitesh should have been actively and willingly involved in academic and
co-curricular activities. Even a single student left out unmotivated and not
involved in academic activity is a failure of a teacher, in particular and of
academic institute, in general.
Well, the golden moments of any education system is live
interaction of students with teachers. Though the class did not have many
students who participated in discussions or raised disturbing questions, yet
the contribution of Nimesh Dave, Dipti Vaghela, Milan Parmar and Bhumi Joshi
cannot be ignored. They were ready to respond to the questions tossed in the
class or were ready to ask the questions which were deeply inquisitive in nature
and displayed curiosity of an ideal learner.
Bhumi Joshi needs special mention for her participation is
co-curricular activities, performing at her best in these activities, winning a
few laurels and earning good name of the Department and leading with great
conviction. She proved that the ‘leaders never complain’, leader see to it that
the tasks on hand, however, difficult it may sound, must be completed. Along
with it, her presence in classroom, active participation in discussion also
makes stand apart, and well ahead of others.
The real education is the one which stands by this stanza
from Brihadaranyaka Upanishads (1.3.28):
असतोमा सद्गमय । From
ignorance, lead me to truth
तमसोमा ज्योतिर् गमय
। From darkness, lead me to light.
The mark of such an enlightened and truthful mind, the educated mind (in real sense), is the mind that stands nor for but against hegemony, against power, against privilege positions. The mind which is not ignorant and as such not in metaphorical darkness, is the mind which stands for powerless, poor and the underprivileged.
With
the sense of an ending of the journey of Batch 2014-16, I stand satisfied for,
if not in all, at least in a few of students, this has been realised.
Needless to say that
I wish for the better future of the students and it goes without saying that I
hope for the life full of restlessness and agitation, as it is in such
struggles that we enjoy the life, the most!
~ Dilip Barad
