A couple of days back I went to this event which was the grand finale of a 3 month long writing competition on Indian heritage. After a long time, being at this event gave me a chance to observe school students - 100's of them from over 20 schools from Delhi / NCR with their teachers at close quarters, for over four hours.
To encourage kids to interact with each other, since all were from different schools, it was decided that the students would form a group of five from different schools and one teacher would accompany each group. I decided to accompany this group and observe.
My learnings began as soon as the groups were being formed. I noticed one pretty lady teacher accompanied by two students who were keeping to themselves and did not become part of any group. I decided to keep track. Tasks were assigned to each group and this particular group of 2 students and one teacher did not get any assignment. They went to the event co-coordinator and asked for a task and were told to team up with existing groups. But they did not!
In the museum this group of 2 children and the teacher kept roaming about themselves with no tasks at hand. The tasks were given as a learning to the children, so that they could take back some knowledge. But this particular group had an air of "superiority" about them as if they knew it all!!! I couldn't resist and asked the teacher to which school did they belong. I already had a suspicion that they must be from one of the most elitist schools of the region.The response confirmed my suspicions as they were from a school which is at the top rung of the elitist institutions in the area.
I could only think of one thing: why do parents send their children to such schools? Frankly here the kids were not at fault, but the teacher herself had an attitude problem and did not encourage the students to mingle with others. My learnings did not stop there.
After brief introduction, the award ceremony began. But before that, I noted another interesting thing: Barring a couple of teachers from the not so well known schools, who spoke on the dais in Hindi, everybody spoke in English. The Chief Guest, a venerable old lady, though not very conversant in English also spoke in the same language.
One of the schools, which is not ranked amongst the "elite" won the 1st prize for their well-researched piece on Indian heritage. When they were called to the stage to collect their award and get a photo clicked with the Chief Guest, they bent and touched the Chief Guest's feet one by one. This was touching, as this was the true heritage of India where youngsters are taught to touch there elders feet as a mark of respect. I waited with baited breath to see if the students from teams of other schools would follow suit, but again no surprises, none did. And most of the awards went to students from the so called best schools of Delhi!
This bought me to the heading of my blog - Are the elite schools of India destroying our Traditions and Heritage?? If I look a the above observations, then the answer is obviously YES. My next question comes from my this answer - then why as Parents do we vie with each other and spend huge amounts as fees to send our children to these schools??
Is our Generation, with schools going kids, simply oblivious to this fact or is it simply that they do not care? In my interaction with Parents during school admission time over the years I am yet to come across one single set of Parents who can answer the reason why they want to send their children to a particular school except for the ELITIST TAG.
If this is the state of mind of this generation, then how can we as a nation trust them to protect our heritage, culture and traditions.
The education system is not helping either. I will give another example, a few years back I had gone to my cousins' just before Deepawali and I learnt that two of my nephews were not buying crackers on Diwali since they had given a pledge to their school not to do so, ostensibly to help in preventing noise and air pollution. Lighting Diyas was also being frowned upon! When questioned further they said they will light candles and celebrate Christmas. Interestingly, all schools today teach students carols to sing around Christmas and very few talk about our own Aartis or Bhajans!!!
This left me stunned and angry. What kind of a society were we trying to create - one where the children forget their own festivals and celebrate others? While I do not have any issues about learning about other cultures, but at the cost of your own - that is an unpalatable thing!
This brings me back to the question of what are we doing to preserve our traditions and heritage? It is time that we as a society woke up from our slumber and blind aping of the west, to take notice that our kids - our future is almost non-conversant with our own traditions and heritage.
The education system should also make teaching our Heritage and Culture as compulsory, in order to preserve and restore our heritage. India since the ancient ages was the land of great learning and spirituality and we need to rekindle this amongst our youth, throughout the nooks and corners of our country.
We as parents need to ask ourselves what is it that we are teaching our children? We as parents need to ask the schools what is it that they are teaching our children? It is time that we as parents dismantled this stereo-type approach to getting our kids into elitist schools. It is time that we as a society shunned the so-called best schools where value systems take a back seat.
Only if we rise up will we be able to force the system to change. And change it must for the better because only then can we rest assured that we will leave behind a better world for our children - because that is what we all ultimately desire to do.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Learnings from Mumbai, if any?
The blasts in Mumbai shocked everybody but frankly speaking: were they surprising? Sadly, the answer would be, not really. The answer stems from the fact that we see a general apathy to security all around. Disasters like this are waiting to happen around each corner of the country and all we can do is to hope to God that they do not happen.
Post the blasts, we have the same soundbytes from the politicians, the security agencies and the media. Everyone is playing "passing the buck". The people tend to blame the Government, the government in turn tries to make all the right noises and the security forces as usual, who are nowhere in the picture till the blasts occur, become omnipresent. Only everything will go back to their stupor once the heat on these blasts cool downs. This is the same cycle that is repeated with sickening similarity.
So what is one to do as a citizen? Are we not abdicating our duties by just blaming the government and the security agencies. True, it is their duty but then again we also know that if they have failed in the past, they may fail again in the future in performing this duty. So why can't we step in and contribute whatever we can to prevent these kind of tragedies.
Look at Zhaveri Bazaar in Mumbai which has been the target of terror attacks not once, not twice but thrice. This is the place where on any given day, millions of dollars worth of trading is conducted. If a physical body search was to be conducted of people in the area, you would find billions worth of diamonds. The affluence of the traders here is boundless. With such riches and so much at stake why can't the traders association voluntarily do something to tighten the security? Can't the traders spend a couple of million a year on security? This could be in the form of introducing restricted entry, high definition surveillance cameras, parking only for authorised vehicles, identity cards, more guards with strict surveillance and monitoring, etc. True this might not prevent future incidents, but still these security measures will act as major deterrents.
Let us think about ourselves as individuals and how we can contribute. Why cant we be more observant and vigilant of our surroundings? To give a small example, I have two parks in front of my house and whenever I see someone sitting in them, who is not familiar I make it a point to question them. Some of the other residents in the colony object to this, but at the cost of being unpopular, I still persist and this is a deterrent to any outsider. This is a simple duty that all of us owe to ourselves and our near and dear ones. Still we shirk away from this. Why?
Strong Communities and good societies are built when we not only do our own duties for our own selves, but take on extra duties for the benefit of others.
See what a courageous woman did in Gujarat. She spilt the beans on her husband who was making bombs and in the process not only helped the police nab him and his accomplices with their armaments but also prevented what could have been major tragedies had the bombs been used for terror activities. When this woman can go beyond her duties as a wife to perform her duties as a responsible member of the society, then why can't we all be inspired to do so.
The learning from these blasts is that we as Indians need to be more socially responsive especially in light of the failure of the Government machinery to tackle the menace of terror.
Post the blasts, we have the same soundbytes from the politicians, the security agencies and the media. Everyone is playing "passing the buck". The people tend to blame the Government, the government in turn tries to make all the right noises and the security forces as usual, who are nowhere in the picture till the blasts occur, become omnipresent. Only everything will go back to their stupor once the heat on these blasts cool downs. This is the same cycle that is repeated with sickening similarity.
So what is one to do as a citizen? Are we not abdicating our duties by just blaming the government and the security agencies. True, it is their duty but then again we also know that if they have failed in the past, they may fail again in the future in performing this duty. So why can't we step in and contribute whatever we can to prevent these kind of tragedies.
Look at Zhaveri Bazaar in Mumbai which has been the target of terror attacks not once, not twice but thrice. This is the place where on any given day, millions of dollars worth of trading is conducted. If a physical body search was to be conducted of people in the area, you would find billions worth of diamonds. The affluence of the traders here is boundless. With such riches and so much at stake why can't the traders association voluntarily do something to tighten the security? Can't the traders spend a couple of million a year on security? This could be in the form of introducing restricted entry, high definition surveillance cameras, parking only for authorised vehicles, identity cards, more guards with strict surveillance and monitoring, etc. True this might not prevent future incidents, but still these security measures will act as major deterrents.
Let us think about ourselves as individuals and how we can contribute. Why cant we be more observant and vigilant of our surroundings? To give a small example, I have two parks in front of my house and whenever I see someone sitting in them, who is not familiar I make it a point to question them. Some of the other residents in the colony object to this, but at the cost of being unpopular, I still persist and this is a deterrent to any outsider. This is a simple duty that all of us owe to ourselves and our near and dear ones. Still we shirk away from this. Why?
Strong Communities and good societies are built when we not only do our own duties for our own selves, but take on extra duties for the benefit of others.
See what a courageous woman did in Gujarat. She spilt the beans on her husband who was making bombs and in the process not only helped the police nab him and his accomplices with their armaments but also prevented what could have been major tragedies had the bombs been used for terror activities. When this woman can go beyond her duties as a wife to perform her duties as a responsible member of the society, then why can't we all be inspired to do so.
The learning from these blasts is that we as Indians need to be more socially responsive especially in light of the failure of the Government machinery to tackle the menace of terror.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Are CSR Campaigns being misused for Publicity Gains
Recently a coupon site snapdeal.com was in news for running a CSR campaign in a village and the village being renamed as snapdeal.com. I heard some of my colleagues in office discussing how this was a major PR coup and that the client must be so happy with its communication people.
This set me thinking as to what is the real purpose of CSR? Is CSR undertaken by corporates purely as a publicity gimmick, or is there more to it? Should we as PR professionals encourage the practice of undertaking CSR campaigns purely from a PR perspective.
When I posed this question to my colleagues stating that I was uncomfortable with a CSR initiative just to derive PR mileage, the response was enlightening. They said that by this initiative, snapdeal had installed 20 odd handpumps in the village where the villagers had to trek miles to get water, in the process providing them with water, which was a necessity that was required. If they in return derive some mileage, then what is the harm? It was also pointed out that when most of the stories that are carried in the media in India centre around crime, at least these types of stories can motivate others to make some positive contribution to the society. I must admit they have a valid reasoning in the sense that something is better than nothing, But I am still uncomfortable with this idea.
I still remember the time when we were handling this leading footwear brand and the Marketing Director approached us saying that there is a request from the Government of India to contribute shoes to the children who were being given the National Bravery awards and can we help generate media coverage over this saying how the company was socially conscious. We were aghast and shaken to the core and needless to say we dissuaded the client from the publicity aspect of it.
In India giving is a tradition and it is said that "when one gives, the left hand should not know what the right hand has given". This has also been followed by big Business Houses like Tatas, Birlas, Singhanias, etc. for decades. Having been bought up with such ethos and values, creating pure publicity blitzkrieg around CSR activities, makes me cringe.
What the PR agencies and others preach to justify their actions is that media exposure of Philanthropic acts only galvanizes others to contribute. However my take is, that one should set out to undertake charity and CSR programmes for the reason of giving back to the society which has helped them gain wealth in the first instance, and if there is media or other exposure of such acts then it is good, if there is none then it is better.
I do not have any problem with CSR programmes where the primary motive is to benefit the society and the secondary motive is to derive mileage. But when the primary motive becomes to derive mileage and the rest becomes secondary then there is a serious ethical issue.
In Snapdeal's case, this company is a start-up, still looking for funding, most probably still not profitable and this company undertakes a so called CSR initiative spending a paltry $5000 and tom toms it to the world. This is pure bull and I have objections to this kind of act being publicized by the media. I can already hear our clients asking us to devise such low cost CSR initiatives (so called) to gain maximum media mileage. What perfect nonsense???
This set me thinking as to what is the real purpose of CSR? Is CSR undertaken by corporates purely as a publicity gimmick, or is there more to it? Should we as PR professionals encourage the practice of undertaking CSR campaigns purely from a PR perspective.
When I posed this question to my colleagues stating that I was uncomfortable with a CSR initiative just to derive PR mileage, the response was enlightening. They said that by this initiative, snapdeal had installed 20 odd handpumps in the village where the villagers had to trek miles to get water, in the process providing them with water, which was a necessity that was required. If they in return derive some mileage, then what is the harm? It was also pointed out that when most of the stories that are carried in the media in India centre around crime, at least these types of stories can motivate others to make some positive contribution to the society. I must admit they have a valid reasoning in the sense that something is better than nothing, But I am still uncomfortable with this idea.
I still remember the time when we were handling this leading footwear brand and the Marketing Director approached us saying that there is a request from the Government of India to contribute shoes to the children who were being given the National Bravery awards and can we help generate media coverage over this saying how the company was socially conscious. We were aghast and shaken to the core and needless to say we dissuaded the client from the publicity aspect of it.
In India giving is a tradition and it is said that "when one gives, the left hand should not know what the right hand has given". This has also been followed by big Business Houses like Tatas, Birlas, Singhanias, etc. for decades. Having been bought up with such ethos and values, creating pure publicity blitzkrieg around CSR activities, makes me cringe.
What the PR agencies and others preach to justify their actions is that media exposure of Philanthropic acts only galvanizes others to contribute. However my take is, that one should set out to undertake charity and CSR programmes for the reason of giving back to the society which has helped them gain wealth in the first instance, and if there is media or other exposure of such acts then it is good, if there is none then it is better.
I do not have any problem with CSR programmes where the primary motive is to benefit the society and the secondary motive is to derive mileage. But when the primary motive becomes to derive mileage and the rest becomes secondary then there is a serious ethical issue.
In Snapdeal's case, this company is a start-up, still looking for funding, most probably still not profitable and this company undertakes a so called CSR initiative spending a paltry $5000 and tom toms it to the world. This is pure bull and I have objections to this kind of act being publicized by the media. I can already hear our clients asking us to devise such low cost CSR initiatives (so called) to gain maximum media mileage. What perfect nonsense???
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