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Chairman's Corner
Chairman's Corner
All Rise!
All Rise!
Ravi Ramakantan
Ravi Ramakantan
I cannot believe GS traditions can change so fast….
I cannot believe GS traditions can change so fast….
Not since school days , do I remember standing up when a teacher walked into a lecture hall; surely, not during my two years at Ruia, not the five years at GS and of course not after joining radiology.
Not since school days , do I remember standing up when a teacher walked into a lecture hall; surely, not during my two years at Ruia, not the five years at GS and of course not after joining radiology.
May be in those yesteryears we were more concerned with truly having respect that just showing it.
May be in those yesteryears we were more concerned with truly having respect that just showing it.
But, these are different times…
But, these are different times…
When the Dean walks in for a meeting, most faculty and Chiefs stand up and this percolates all the way down along the line to our students. But, I steadfastly refuse to - even ignoring Nalini’s stern disapproving glance .. not because I do not respect Deans, but simply because, I do not see any reason to demonstrate that publicly. The only GSites who seem to blissfully unaware of the hierarchy are the native-bread, dyed in the wool, GSite packs of dogs. They respect only the hands that feed them and can be even trained to bark loudly and run after the Dean’s (new) car..
When the Dean walks in for a meeting, most faculty and Chiefs stand up and this percolates all the way down along the line to our students. But, I steadfastly refuse to - even ignoring Nalini’s stern disapproving glance .. not because I do not respect Deans, but simply because, I do not see any reason to demonstrate that publicly. The only GSites who seem to blissfully unaware of the hierarchy are the native-bread, dyed in the wool, GSite packs of dogs. They respect only the hands that feed them and can be even trained to bark loudly and run after the Dean’s (new) car..
What? Do you want GS to got to the dogs?... – literally - should they set the tone for such disrespectful behaviour; they better stand to attention with heads bowed in veneration!
What? Do you want GS to got to the dogs?... – literally - should they set the tone for such disrespectful behaviour; they better stand to attention with heads bowed in veneration!
I do not think so, I do not think, standing up when some one senior walks in is a true show of respect.. may be a show, but not necessarily a true show… may be respect, but, not necessarily true respect. And, I should know .. what with the under-the-breath expletives that are uttered even as my colleagues rise to a senior faculty or administrator.
I do not think so, I do not think, standing up when some one senior walks in is a true show of respect.. may be a show, but not necessarily a true show… may be respect, but, not necessarily true respect. And, I should know .. what with the under-the-breath expletives that are uttered even as my colleagues rise to a senior faculty or administrator.
So, I find it exasperating when people stand up when I walk into our conference room for a lecture, or into the lecture theater for the occasional UG lecture I give. Thank God, they do not follow it up with a “Good Morning teacher…”
So, I find it exasperating when people stand up when I walk into our conference room for a lecture, or into the lecture theater for the occasional UG lecture I give. Thank God, they do not follow it up with a “Good Morning teacher…”
Students and residents standing up….. may be… just about may be OK, but what is most embarrassing is this.. You see, we have these inter-departmental clinical meetings several times a week. We have senior faculty from various departments coming into our conference room to discuss cases and teach. And. it embarrasses me no end, when they too stand up when I enter the room… and then their poor residents have no option but to follow suit..
Students and residents standing up….. may be… just about may be OK, but what is most embarrassing is this.. You see, we have these inter-departmental clinical meetings several times a week. We have senior faculty from various departments coming into our conference room to discuss cases and teach. And. it embarrasses me no end, when they too stand up when I enter the room… and then their poor residents have no option but to follow suit..
Why do I loathe this so much.. why do I not feel good when another professor calls me “Sir” and stands up in respect for me. About senior faculty I do not know. No amount of persuasion seems to work; whereas some have changed to “Dr. Ravi” or “Ravi” over the years, others whom I consider great colleagues and respect a lot – some of them the finest faculty and we have on the campus today - insist and continue to call me “Sir”.
Why do I loathe this so much.. why do I not feel good when another professor calls me “Sir” and stands up in respect for me. About senior faculty I do not know. No amount of persuasion seems to work; whereas some have changed to “Dr. Ravi” or “Ravi” over the years, others whom I consider great colleagues and respect a lot – some of them the finest faculty and we have on the campus today - insist and continue to call me “Sir”.
One particular one is very candid and says” I do not care what you say Sir, but, I will continue to call you 'Sir' Sir”! So, after a while, I leave these folks alone and admire their honesty and candidness at what they feel, say and do..
One particular one is very candid and says” I do not care what you say Sir, but, I will continue to call you 'Sir' Sir”! So, after a while, I leave these folks alone and admire their honesty and candidness at what they feel, say and do..
But what about the kids, the UG and PG ones?
But what about the kids, the UG and PG ones?
I would like to believe that they really respect their teachers,, I would like to believe that their teachers live up to their expectations and deserve the veneration that students seem to shower on them; but sometimes, I wonder if all that they do is just lip … err leg service as they “All Rise”
I would like to believe that they really respect their teachers,, I would like to believe that their teachers live up to their expectations and deserve the veneration that students seem to shower on them; but sometimes, I wonder if all that they do is just lip … err leg service as they “All Rise”
I do not know if you have noticed it lately, but the new generation of kids seems to have no qualms about rushing into lifts, or sit all across the steps of the college stairs or walk 5 across along our long corridors blissfully ignorant of the inconvenience that they are causing others – junior or senior; high or low. I do not know about you, I have but rarely seen these kids, make way for others or for that matter even sick patients.. surely there may be exceptions to this.. but that is not “as a rule” as it ought to be. And , of course, it was not like this during our times. Maybe we did not stand up when professors walked into our classes, but we never hogged the staircases, the corridors or the lifts.
I do not know if you have noticed it lately, but the new generation of kids seems to have no qualms about rushing into lifts, or sit all across the steps of the college stairs or walk 5 across along our long corridors blissfully ignorant of the inconvenience that they are causing others – junior or senior; high or low. I do not know about you, I have but rarely seen these kids, make way for others or for that matter even sick patients.. surely there may be exceptions to this.. but that is not “as a rule” as it ought to be. And , of course, it was not like this during our times. Maybe we did not stand up when professors walked into our classes, but we never hogged the staircases, the corridors or the lifts.
But as I never tire of saying this.. I am sure it is not the fault of the kids.. they have never been taught otherwise. They have never been told that true respect is respect for any fellow human being whether it is a poor patient in tattered clothes or the Dean in his starched white apron. It is important to see who really needs respect. For making way for a sick patient, or a ward-boy with a heavy load with him or a patient on a wheelchair is the true demonstration of caring, courtesy and hence respect. A way to show that we truly care…
But as I never tire of saying this.. I am sure it is not the fault of the kids.. they have never been taught otherwise. They have never been told that true respect is respect for any fellow human being whether it is a poor patient in tattered clothes or the Dean in his starched white apron. It is important to see who really needs respect. For making way for a sick patient, or a ward-boy with a heavy load with him or a patient on a wheelchair is the true demonstration of caring, courtesy and hence respect. A way to show that we truly care…
So, show true respect by making way for a patient for the elevator, a trolley on the corridor or a ward boy with a heavy load. Let’s respect people for what they are rather than for what the signages outsides their offices or the name tags on the apron pockets proclaim them to be….
So, show true respect by making way for a patient for the elevator, a trolley on the corridor or a ward boy with a heavy load. Let’s respect people for what they are rather than for what the signages outsides their offices or the name tags on the apron pockets proclaim them to be….
Let’s “All Rise” to people for what they are rather than to their titles that denote their “importance.”
Let’s “All Rise” to people for what they are rather than to their titles that denote their “importance.”
So the next time any one stands up when I enter our conference room, he/she is doing it at his/her own risk of having to continue to stand ; for, you will never again hear a “Please be seated" from me!
So the next time any one stands up when I enter our conference room, he/she is doing it at his/her own risk of having to continue to stand ; for, you will never again hear a “Please be seated" from me!
(This essay is inspired by Subroto Bagchi’s “The Missing I” )
(This essay is inspired by Subroto Bagchi’s “The Missing I” )
July 2008.
July 2008.
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