The Mock Drill

The last few days provoked many thoughts in my mind. A detailed plan for a mock drill was underway ‎to sensitise the official machinery, the manpower and the people at large for the disaster  of earthquake (God forbid!). The momentum had been building up gradually and reached a crescendo on the day of the disaster and check preparedness of emergency response, calamity casualty and catastrophe management as a part of the mock drill. 

 

The table top exercise just a day prior to the D day laid real time situation of an earthquake of 6.2 Reichter scale occurring followed by second and third tremors besides heavy downpour causing total disruption of all communication and rumours being rife with each passing hour on number of casualties, injured etc etc. On the stipulated day of the drill, the feel of catastrophe having already occurred literally made me concerned  with the dire necessity to gather my brains as if on receipt of an exhortation like God's very own: 'uttishthat Parth' to a befallen Arjuna to get going . So I rushed to the Emergency operation Centre with available means of transport and no mode of operational communication; taking stock of situation with a satellite phone and gather all resources, equipments, manpower, machinery.

Amidst the hush hush of sullen evacuees of the office and rush of officers gathering at the EOC, the anxiety was mounting as was the hustle bustle in the staging area from the rescue operations and assessment of the aftermath of the calamity was to be taken care of. There was a seriousness in the whole opearation down to the sites chosen for conduct of this mock drill. The volunteers carrying the mock injured or carcasses, providing first aid to the needy, clearing the mock debris, extinguishing the mock fire and reporting with documentation at the end on facts and figures.

Rest was a routine. The contemplation on the learnings, the black and grey spots in the operation, the frail links amongst the teams, the knowledge dissemination ‎and sharing of experience as a whole in the debriefing session.

Are we really ever prepared for the ‎catastrophe that we are told is going to befall us? Are we geared up for the management of resources left with us to cope with the damper that the havoc is likely to cast on us? Do we really ' believe' in our own ability to overcome what the aftermath of a calamity -man made or natural -has i.e. the capacity to incapacitate? 

Struggling with answers to these questions starring at me I was heading for a school function. 

In contrast to the mock drill of calamity and the dance of death I saw the tiny tots dancing‎ to the tune of 'llife, love,peace and harmony' and 'we shall overcome/deep in our heart/we do believe..' It was like a resurgence, a waking up to a world of positivity symbolising that 'things fall apart and are built again...' and that life moves on as long as Sun is in the sky and shining above us. With lump in my throat I thanked God, for we are blessed and all that we look upon is blessed and also for the drill that was a 'mock' drill and silently prayed: may we learn to face calamities without them actually  befalling or leading to  catastrophes!!

The Seoul Spirit

It was so exciting a thought to ‎ visit  Seoul on  Foreign Study Tour (FST) as part of 119th Induction Training course for the IAS. Had only heard of South Korea as success story in nation building, in creation of smart cities,  enviable public spaces,   establishment of International economic city and all this in short span of five decades! The country that was the poorest in 1960s has risen to have the highest per capita income of $30k in 2010!  South Korea came into existence in 1945 -almost with India. It was ravaged by Korean war in 1950-1953. How come that such a small country with small geographical presence and limited human and natural resources could rise to be a power to reckon with! What makes Seoul a coveted place? What after all is their strength that the world stands amazed at? These were a few of the questions that my mind was grappling with besides the excitement of visiting foreign land when our group of 62 officers from various parts of India landed at Seoul. ‎ We were greeted by the Korean Development Institute (KDI) team on the airport who briefly explained the groups and supporting persons who, with group A , B plaques in their hands,gestured us to follow for boarding the designated buses. We were taken straight to the Seoul CityTower to feel the aura of Seoul spaces, greenery and the huge ,tall ,state -of -the- art structures symbolic of their stature amongst the developed countries. It also bespoke of the professional time management of the KDI to enable participants have glimpse of the City before even the check in ! It was only later that we realised that the City Tower stood taller than all other skyscrapers and could be seen from every nook and corner of Seoul!

What interested me was the people. In the very first presentation made by the Dean of KDI answered my query regarding the role of people when  the Korean spirit was described as unanimously iterating: 'Failure was not an option..'. After that it was presentation after presentation which reaffirmed the dictum how the mob, the mass, the crowd, the People of this great country held afloat the beacon of prosperity and richness not just at the physical economic  level but also for the cultural, health, education and above all the cleanliness and hygiene.

The City abounds in flyovers and underpasses and the strong public transportation is a marvel unmatched by many a developed countries. The leadership of the country was largely supported by the people, hence the pace of development was swift and sustainable. 

There was little fascination for the English language amongst Koreans but nevertheless they were helpful- especially the young people everyone of whom could be seen with their faces stuck on the mobile screens . But they would lift their head and try to understand the query, ask us to spell on the screen what was wanted, search for it and then gently would lift their hand to say: follow me! This gesture was so very commonplace and this supportive spirit to tread a few steps and show strangers a passage or a venue showed abundant human kindness. Even in hotel or Seoul Station their slight discomfiture on not registering the language we would communicate with was visible but so was their intention to help. 

Noticeably, the faces of korean on streets and alleys or shops and restaurants did not reveal conspicuously the 'happiness index' . The solemnity, seriousness, matter -of- fact or businesslike approach was pervasive which was actually saddening as was the horrifying data regarding    South Korea having the highest suicide rate and every third Korean having a mental health problem. It is hoped that the Governments and professionals must be working on these aspects as prosperity and development ought to bring peace and happiness too. 

So Young Lin, the manager of our group in a way symbolised the Korean spirit with all her patience, jovial ness, care and concern,compassion and her ability to hide the hurt. She and her team mates were excellent communicators with their little knowledge of English but ample empathy to understand and help others find the answers. The small gesture of the group to gift them was hugely appreciated as the support team displayed proudly the gift the next day as a mark of gratitude. 

Seoul would always be remembered and the memories of Seoul cherished‎ as it was great learning experience visiting there with challenges of availability of vegetarian . Besides, limitations of communication and strict sense of discipline reminded me of Tagore's 'Wrong Man in Workers' Paradise' where the spirit, zeal and commitment to work overshadowed the gaiety de vivre.

But Seoul, we will visit again!

Ah, LBSNAA!

 2nd July 2017 when I started from the Holy City to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of ‎Administration, Mussoorie it was the mix of childlike joy and excitement and solemnity and serenity of my age that I carried along the rain soaked terrain. Memories of my father who had nurtured the dream of his daughters becoming leaders, his exhortations for officer-like-qualities and his handing over of this vision of training as an IAS at  LBSNAA, Mussoorie; the childhood reminisces of my mother accompanying my eldest sister Neelam Kataria to this place in 1974; the blurred black and white images of this place with beautifully written letters by our mentor sis to us-all this was choking me when suddenly the cool whiff from queen of hills startled me the moment I opened the window of the car and my heart leaped with gratitude to Him  when I entered precincts of ‎LBSNAA.

From the time of registration when room key was handed with the rucksack containing first of the four weeks schedule from 3rd July 2017, one thing got engraved instantaneously that there wasn't going to be anything casual or routine and the tough regime that we were briefed to follow seemed at the outset unpalatable. But the touch of professionalism in first 24 hours laid bare the nuances (the word favourite of Mr Mansoor H. Khan, the Course Coordinator!) of Induction training as a serious business which called for no lackadaisical approach! Naturally, the 'fear'  (real real) of lest- I-sleep-in-class or hope- I -wake -up -at 5 am -dot gripped initially. All the 62 colleagues who had gathered from 18 States and UTs of the country had served their respective states in varied capacities from 15 to 25 years were all surprisingly smartly inclined to follow the tough schedule in letter and spirit!

It felt strangely (and unbelievably) elating in the beginning being amidst the beautiful natural cool surroundings, refreshing breeze and mesmerizing monsoon rains in the hills away from the din of work place call bells and incessant buzz of phones. Naturally, when the Yoga instructor exhorted to repeat with him: 'Thank you, God I am healthy positive and perfect', the choral thanks exuded spontaneity and honest gratitude. 

The methodical approach, the meticulous planning of academic and group activities, the immense variety of experience sharing by the seasoned speakers and the richness of their content ‎made me marvel at my blessedness to be recipient and listener of  the best quality oratory and knowledge sharing. There is so much to learn and do and use in our day to day working in order to realize Tagore's dream of a country 'where the world is not broken into narrow domestic walls/where knowledge is free/ where head is held high and mind without fear' and also to pledge ourselves renewedly to realize 'the tryst with destiny' as Nehru pointed out in his maiden speech when India gained independence 70 years ago. The pioneer training institution LBSNAA is definitely the best in the country During the course of training I often wondered as to why the State Training institutions not design their course contents as professionally and qualitatively as LBSNAA. Is it dearth of money? Manpower? Will? Zeal and enthusiasm to emulate ? Or is it plain indifference and lethargic unprofessionalism?

The sensitivity with which the activities apart from intellectual inputs were planned bespoke of LBSNAA forte to take care of trainees' cultural and partying needs. The full- throated singing by the band during welcome dinner didn't let anyone hold back from the dancing floor! Who can forget the bliss of soulful sufi singing followed by a walk along the beautifully lit LBSNAA campus lanes? The engrossing performance by Zuber Hashmi was the treat we would always cherish.  

The shuffling of groups' seating and engagement through experiential learning modules on leadership, gender sensitization, negotiation ensured all participants' interaction with the co -trainees. The hard work and diligence of long hours and days in planning of the Induction course was evident. Salute to the training Coordinator! The mentors do not always need to speak or express their views but their invisible presence and watchfulness also imparts immense learning- true of the magnificent personality of the Director Ms Upma Chawdhry. I must confess that the scheduled exam caused a lot of restlessness and many of us missed dinner on eve of the final test for sincere and serious preparation.

The Bharat Darshan and Foreign Study Tour to Seoul, South Korea call for separate sharing being out of world (while being in thick of it!) experience.

On the eve of Valedictory, the informal get together which witnessed unprovoked expression of singing, dancing, mimicry ('of whom' is anybody's guess!) talent of the ‘dynamic eight’ put forth the curious mix of Tamil, Maharashtrian, Haryanvi,Hindi and Punjabi tidbits which lured laughter that was pure and the joy that was common! 

Thank you, LBSNAA, for everything.

Homecoming

'Country roads,take me home,to the place I belong...' ( A song sung by John Denever)‎

Home. It denotes a complete feeling‎; feeling of totality. No word is as positive and  beautiful as Home.

Home imbibes a place that one belongs to, that one has a longing for, that one looks forward to be in, a place one can so rightfully barge in, that one does not need to knock the door at nor ring the bell of, a place like sanctum sanctorum of worship where one can cry or be at peace  without an asking, a place that equates all the wealth of the world and a place that all the riches cannot buy. 

Home also means the presence or feel of persons whom one loves and belongs to as a matter of course. It is usually the persons who have the ability to instil the feel of 'at home' or homeliness; they enrich the place, make it a home and their affection, love, care and concern, protection and security exude the feel of a home.

I have been ruminating over ‎it since I started my journey to reach Abohar yesterday,the 20th May, 2017 for release of a short documentary on my parents: Gazab Ke Log. 

The release had been planned without much notice due to the scheduled departure of my sister Mridu for Germany. Thanks to whatsapp and mobile and to the affectionate Rajat, Amit who took on themselves the responsibility for all arrangements.  The Arodvansh Sabha President Mr Ashok Munjal liberally offered the premises of Sabha, a Community Hall saying: 'oh taan mere massiji see' . The media of Abohar had created a welcome environment with enthusiastic pre-event coverage.  We reached there just at the nick of time for the release of the film before the audience of two hundred people consisting of family, friends, teachers and relatives and Aboharians who had been associated with Mammi and Pitaji as parents of seven daughters living in street no. 7. It was like journey back home with parents who loved this place and would often say: East of West, Home is the Best!

Thanks to Parveen Sharma and Keshav Mehta who captured the spirit that Gazab Ke Log imbibed and sensitively delineated the ‎essence in 25 odd minutes! And yes, it felt great to be recognised as children of Gazab ke Log in the land of their and our belonging: Abohar (Punjab). The emotional receiving of the short film was overwhelming indeed. 

Its Homecoming with a difference!