A day with Kindergarten Students of Bishop Cotton Girls School, Bangalore.

I am really enjoying company of my grandniece, Ishika, in Bangalore. I have voluntarily taken up the responsibility to pick her up from Bishop Cotton Girls School, where she is a student of LKG.

My niece Rukmini who is a bigwig in a Corporate House and her domestic help were on their toes for last few days in making arrangements for Ishika's costume and what-not for a programme to be held in her school. I was getting perhaps a bit paranoid after watching their concern though we did, precisely the same when our children were in kindergarten.

Rukmini, we call her Doyel at home, asked me to accompany Ishika and herself on the D-Day as she wanted me to have a change and witness the feat of her daughter. The invitation was not required as I, myself, would have gone there even uninvited. I am sure, everybody accepts grandchildren as Interest accrued upon your Fixed Deposits. Ishika really made her grandparents proud with her solo recital of a beautiful poem on that occasion.

My purpose is not only to praise my darling but equally to laud the efforts of the Teachers, HOD of Kindergarten Section Ms. Johnson and the entire school establishment for introducing me to, what I call a total education.

I have never seen such well planned, well coordinated, well executed programme by the students of LKG & UKG. My every word looks small in front of their unrelenting effort to make a bright future of India.

Starting with the Stage Decoration till Vote of Thanks.......WOW!!!!!

I got something equally valuable, extra, during that programme. It was the speech of the Chief Guest, Mrs. Angella Roy. I believe, if we get 50 more such Angella Roy, the entire generation will grow to be a perfect world citizens. She knows how to make raising a child a real fun, a real creativity. I wish Mrs. Roy allows me to sit at her feet and let me learn from her.

Hello! School Administrations in my area! Are you ready to learn something more than making education a business? Please do come and interact with the Teachers at this lovely old school. I am sure, it will change your perception of teaching & education.

Why are we, the Common Man, toiling to get our legitimate rights as citizens of India?

During my, otherwise, painfully long journey to Bangalore(Oops....sorry again, I can't help it. I still ask rickshaw driver to take me Curzon Road or Wellingdon Hospital) from Nizamuddin, I realised many more thing. Even, I had a shock of my lifetime since arriving in Bangalore ( I resent.......the new spelling, it hardly makes any difference other than making the natives of the town more fundamentalists. Look what has happened to MUMBAI).

Hardly, there were any original Bangalorians in the train. Majority was of such diaspora of Indian origin who contributed most to make Bangalore what it is today.

You come out of the Railway Station/Airport, if you do not know Kannada you are doomed. No signage in any language that you are familiar with. I have been told, as I am staying with my 5 year old grand niece at Koramangala, that this is the area which is not on the priority list of Bangalore Administration. The reason of such apathy could not be more insulting to my country. As Koramangala is inhabited by immigrant people of non Kannada origin, all developments of civic amenities are delayed.

Anyway, I decided to tell you the incidents of my recent journey.( To your knowledge, my readers! I am not getting any younger. You have to bear with me for these diversions once in a while.)

I boarded the train at 8.50 PM and on the next lunch(in case, if you do not know......Railway has included the cost of your food, required during the journey, in your ticket) suddenly there was a stream of people from Pantry Car to the cubicle where I was. Reason? A young boy of 24/25 who recently joined a Delhi based company. He finished his studies from Bangalore, hails from UP and got a job in our national capital. He was coming back for only two days to collect his belongings.

Rest of us had no clue to such frantic movement to appease that boy. Finally I was told that he is the son of reasonably high profile Railway Officer, posted somewhere in UP. The boy in question was innocent, never boasted of his railway connection. He kept to himself from the moment he boarded the train. He was provided food with more variety in special crockery.

I presume, it was his Railway Officer Father who made no stone unturned to abuse his power to spoon feed his grown up son. This was not the only case of in that 2A coach. At one end of the same coach, there were some people who got that VIP treatment. Rest of us, the common man, received the a shabby food in microscopic quantity served in same old aluminum foil containers. At the end of the journey, the boys from Pantry started knocking everyone except those VIPs, for tips.

Man, you have got to see it to believe it! If you decline to accede to their request, they will give you such a glance that you would forced to remember Sita's end and wish earth to split.

Why this naked dance of abuse of power? Madam Railway Minister, do you have power and political courage to weed out this corruption brewing up between Railway Officials and such unscrupulous Businessmen? Hello! Hello!! Are you listening?

I travelled to Bangalore by Rajdhani

I was sitting at my Varanasi home doing, virtually, nothing. It's irritating, Man! I am not yet that old to retire from active life. I know I have enough to give to this world.

So, finally decided to temporarily settle down at Delhi to find some avenue to channelise my remaining energy ( believe me, I still have that source within me. No global warming could destroy it). In this course, I boarded 2430 Hazrat Nizamuddin-Bangalore(Bengaluru? I fear my sticking to older spellings may invite ire of Kannada People and I won't be surprised if they start burning my effigy at Koramangala!) Rajdhani Express.

I was waiting for the train to enter the platform at Nizamuddin Railway Station. I had a shock of lifetime when it entered. Perhaps, the coaches dates belong to pre-Buddha era. ( Madam Railway Minister, this is for you). It stinks, Man!