Gerald D'Cunha

  “If a man is to shed the light of the sun on other men, he must, first of all, have it within himself.” Romain Rolland   L ast evening, I was talking to (over the phone) one of my very old students, now a dear friend. He is in his mid-fifties and, for many years, he has been working and living in Singapore. “Sir, I am heading the risk-management team in this global bank. But, every time I address my subordinates, I remind them this: ‘Your fundamentals matter... be them subject-related, or be them values-related.” When I asked him if he was in touch with his schoolmates and friends, my friend said, that he was in touch with all of them for a long time till the emergence of social media platforms. But, when he saw how they – once his close friends - started venting out publicly their polarizing, hate-filled views in the WhatsApp and other social-media groups, he decided to stay away from all social-media groups. “Many of them have so hardened, that they are best le...

  “We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools.” Martin Luther King Jr.   W e cannot be aware of everything and everyone around us… Some things and some people – yes, we, always, can. Like, if I told you about the language and culture I grew up with, the food habits, the worship and customs I was accustomed to, the local music that I adored – yes, you may not be aware of any of these. Likewise, I may not be aware of yours. So, in a way, our respective exposure will, always, be limited… Even with all the social media explosion on our faces every second of the day, and even if you and I do a hundred round trips around the globe, let me tell you this: we wouldn’t be able to know it all… Every corner of our own country is blessed with its own music, culture, cuisine, clothes, language, worship and unique tradition and custom. And, to say, that my country should have a single language, single deity, single food and attire – come on, it’s beyond...

“How can people trust the harvest unless they see it sown?” -      Anonymous T oday is Class 12 (CBSE) Accountancy Board exam. A while ago, I received a phone call from my student, Utsav… “Sir, I am going for my exam!” That’s all… The rest was implied! I had taught Utsav, both, in his Class 11 and 12. He is a very intelligent and well-informed kid, very articulate and strong-headed. He had a good hold on the Accountancy concepts and I had no complaints about him at all. So, every time, his school teachers would nag him or his parents about his inefficiencies, I would try to keep up his morale… His mother, particularly, was very stressed about his exams. I had tried my best to keep up her morale, too… So, today, when Utsav called me up and said, “Sir, I am going for my exam,” I knew what more he wanted to say… “Sir, I have done my best… I am leaving to God the rest… Pray for me, wish me well…” Which, obviously, I did… ...