A prized possession or a person whom one likes very much is sometimes referred to as ‘the apple of one’s eye’. It’s an odd expression considering it is next to impossible to lodge a fruit the size of an apple in one’s eye. The very thought of attempting to squeeze one through the socket sends a shudder down the spine, doesn’t it? Before you let your imagination take flight, let me quickly add that the ‘apple’ in the idiom doesn’t refer to the fruit, but the ‘pupil’ in one’s eye. Several hundred years ago, people were of the opinion that the shape of the pupil was similar to that of an apple’s. In fact, for quite some time the word ‘aeppel’ was used to refer to both the eye and the fruit. The pupil, as we know, is a priceless possession because without it we would be in the dark: we would be blind. Since vision is something that all human beings value, the expression ‘apple of one’s eye’ came to mean something that is greatly valued or treasured.

Like the Brits, the Americans too are extremely fond of this fruit: after all, what can be more American than apple pie! The expression that Americans use to describe something when everything has been neatly arranged and things are in their proper place is ‘apple pie order’. Scholars believe the idiom is a corruption of the French ‘nappe plie’, meaning ‘folded linen’. But the popular story doing the rounds is that it was the actions of Colonial (that’s what the Yankees were called before they got their independence) housewife who lived in New England, which gave rise to this idiom. The story goes that this lady was in the habit of baking seven apple pies every Sunday – one pie for every day of the coming week. Once the pies had been baked and cooled, she proceeded to place them on different shelves. The pie that was to be eaten on Monday was placed on the first shelf, the one to be eaten on Tuesday on the shelf next to it, and so on and so forth. The lady was so meticulous, that she made sure that all the pies were lined up just right. It’s interesting to note that while everyone commented on the arrangement of the pies, there is no mention of how good the pies actually tasted. The proof of the pudding, after all, is in the eating!

Apples, as we know, come in various colours, shapes and sizes. Some are big, some are small, and some believe or not are the size of New York City! The term ‘Big Apple’ has been used to refer to New York, since the 1920s. There are many theories as to how this ‘city that never sleeps’ came to be named after a fruit that gives doctors a run for their money. According to one theory, African American stable boys working in the racetracks of New Orleans were the first to refer to New York as ‘Big Apple’. Many of the important horse races were held in this city, and it was the dream of most jockeys and boys working in stables to be there. If one managed to make it to New York City, one had arrived; one had made it ‘big’. A sports reporter, John Fitzgerald, heard about the term, and liked it so much that he called his popular racing column, ‘Around the Big Apple’. In his introduction to the column on 18 February 1924, he wrote, “The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There’s only one Big Apple. That’s New York.”

The fruit isn’t always associated with something good of course. When you say that something is the ‘apple of discord’, you mean it is the cause of dispute; it is the bone of contention between two parties. If the legend is to be believed, when Thetis and Peleus got married, they invited all the Greek gods, except the god of Discord, Eris, to their wedding. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Nobody wants a disagreement or a quarrel during a wedding. Eris was angry she hadn’t been invited, and decided to ruin the ceremony by tossing a golden apple among the guests. On the apple were written the words, ‘For the fairest’.

Three goddesses, Hera, Athene, and Aphrodite fought for the apple because each believed that she was the fairest of them all. Since they didn’t have a magic mirror, which could tell them who among them was the fairest, they requested Paris, the Prince of Troy, to decide the matter for them. Like the politicians in our country, each goddess tried to bribe Paris to cast his vote in her favour; Hera promised him all of Asia, and Athene promised him glory in war. Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, knew what a young man with raging hormones desired; she made him an offer which he just couldn’t refuse. She promised Paris the most beautiful woman in the world; a woman whose face was capable of launching a thousand ships. Like any man who has been deprived of his senses, young Paris handed over the apple to Aphrodite, and in return he got the beautiful Helen. Hera and Athene, as expected, were extremely angry with Paris and they plotted his ruin. The beautiful city of Troy was destroyed because of a silly apple!

S Upendran teaches at The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. He can be reached at supendran@gmail.com.

You probably groan every time you hear tattlers. On some days, it is likely that you only ‘hear’ them and not ‘listen’ to them!

What is tattling and when does it start?

Tattling starts very early in life, occasionally taking the class (and the teacher) by storm. Children who tattle or ‘tell on others’ do so to inform the adult that someone is doing something wrong. They are also very clear in proclaiming that they have had no role to play in the state of affairs other than that of being a disinterested informer. What they expect in return is appreciation, attention or sometimes a solution to the problem.

However, dealing with a chronic tattletale can be tricky. The child probably has a low self-esteem and hence is ‘telling’ on someone; she is also trying to prove her importance by showing that she is in possession of vital information. Tattling makes some children think that they are in control. In such cases, the child must be given importance at other times, like when she is doing her class work. Special mention must be made of the person:

Do you see how quickly Arpita is able to complete her task?

Good job, Sharan. Keep it up!

Give such children an opportunity to display their leadership qualities in class by assigning them work such as collecting homework notebooks, helping you make charts with the help of other volunteers, putting up charts, etc. Leadership skills have to be channelised in a positive manner.

For example, Arun may complain, “Meena won’t let me play on the swing.” Some teachers may consider this a nuisance because this is reporting something that has happened on the playground. According to the teacher, it is not an emergency because no one has been physically harmed. Yet, Arun probably suffers from a mental scar. He does not fight with Meena because he does not deem it right. Instead, he wants the teacher ‘to set things right’ for him.

The best solution here is to have Arun and Meena talk to each other on the issue, but alone. They need to come to a mutual consensus on how to resolve the problem in a friendly manner. Once the discussion is over, the teacher can ask them if they have come to some kind of understanding. If they have, then they shake hands. Otherwise they continue their discussion, perhaps this time in the presence of the teacher. This is a way of developing good interpersonal relationship, something that we rely on very much in adulthood.

Sometimes the tattling is meant to get others into trouble:
Martha didn’t do her homework!
Maink hasn’t brought his textbook!

Tell the student that while you appreciate his power of observation and reporting, you would rather that he takes note of the good things done by a person. This should be done seriously but gently. This gentle reprimand will teach children the fine art of giving feedback as they grow older. This will enable them to think before they pass harsh judgments like That wasn’t a very good presentation as soon as someone does their job.

Discuss with students the fact that there are two kinds of tattling: one is meant to help those in danger; the other is meant to get someone in trouble!

Encourage children to see the effect of tattling. Have an enjoyable game with the fairly smaller students. You need to be playful here and become a child yourself. Tell the children that you are a child now and ask them to categorise the tattling into Reporting/emergency or Just telling on someone. Now whine like a child, move around and say:
Ravi is not giving me the ball!

Children will be delighted as they shout out, “Telling on someone!”
Next, whine:
Megha has fallen down from the slide!

Children ought to identify this one as an emergency.

Here are other situations that you could call out:
Neeraja has fallen down from the swing.
Danny won’t let me play.
James tripped me.
Rahul has a knife.
Sangita jumped the line.

You will find your class roaring with laughter while at the same time they will be able to differentiate between what can be reported to someone and what they can deal with themselves.

For example, you explain that if Danny won’t let you play, then you tell Danny how bad it makes you feel and also ask him why he isn’t letting you play.

By exposing children constantly to such learning, older children will then be able to handle situations of telling their partners not to copy, instead of complaining to the teacher. By managing these tattlers, teachers are actually helping children improve their interpersonal relationships and negotiation skills.

Astute teachers have used this negative trait to get students to improve their writing/handwriting skills. Teachers have experimented with a tattle box. Students who have complaints are expected to write their complaints on a piece of paper and drop it into the box. The result is that many children have given up tattling when it is about inconsequential things! Children think twice before they take the trouble of writing!

Students stop tattling early on when teachers talk about the negative impact it has on the victim. Talk about the hurt and the harm that the victim experiences and get children to relate to that hurt in situations when they have been the victims themselves.

The right kind of tattling (reporting) may be encouraged because teachers are laying the foundation for team building skills.
What should be avoided is to bring in an element of ambiguity. Many of us do this by acknowledging the information given by the child to correct another child, but we also inform the informant not to be a tattletale. This confuses children!

For many, tattling begins as developing the distinction between the right and the wrong action. Use your adult judgment to comfort the ‘tattler’ when there is a serious issue. Don’t dismiss tattlers all the time!

The author is a teacher educator and language trainer based in Chennai. She can be reached at manaswinisridhar@gmail.com.

The influence of education in grooming people is extremely significant. On the one hand it has moulded responsible world leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Abdul Kalam, Bhagat Singh, Rabindranath Tagore, Dr. Rajendra Pachuri and Mother Teresa. But on the other hand there are several issues:

• At the level of the individual – purposelessness or disclarity about what to do, disinterest in learning, lack of curiosity, boredom, escape to TV and gaming, self-centeredness and disregard for others, inactive lifestyle, overweight and other health problems, substance abuse and risk-taking, depression, psychological disorders, suicide, stress, insecurity, loneliness.
• At the level of the family – the all consuming pursuit of money often by any means, peer pressure, competition, shrinking circle of people to be cared for while exploiting everyone/everything beyond it, disconnect from parents and siblings, breaking-up of families, mistrust and insecurity in relationships, divorce, family feuds, incest, legal suits.
• At the level of the society – teasing, ragging, little engagement with social systems, feeling of mistrust in systems, migration from villages to metros, exploitation of man by man, corrupt governance, growing incidences of violence, terrorism, naxalism, rising communalism, spreading casteism, racial and ethnic struggle, wars between nations, attempts of genocide, fear of biological, nuclear and genetic warfare.
• At the level of nature – feeling of helplessness, inevitable destruction of nature, non-involvement with nature, cruelty to animals, global warming, water scarcity and pollution, air, soil, noise pollution, resource depletion of minerals and mineral oils, sizeable deforestations, loss of fertility of soil.

Many educational institutions are doing seminal work; education is reaching more people today than ever before. However, more needs to be done, something different, something fundamental. Education must help students find a meaningful direction for their life in addition to developing competence for a profession. Education must reinforce human goals in every student, by ensuring:

1. Right thinking, i.e., ability to discriminate between superficial and valuable, to work out meaningful goals in line with human aspirations, recognise one’s responsibility and follow through with freedom and courage.
2. Understanding and feeling of responsibility for mutually fulfilling relationships with other human beings, i.e., behaviour that ensures the continuity of trust, respect for and inclusion of all.
3. Understanding and committing to a system of mutually enriching work, i.e., ensuring prosperity for human beings and for the rest of nature.

Like a seed is to a tree, education is to human beings. People develop in the direction provided by their education (shiksha) and the net of their experience (sanskaar). One type of education can lead to self-centric behaviour and nature-depleting work, while the right education could lead to human-centric behaviour and nature-enriching work. It is therefore crucial to ensure an education that helps individuals develop a holistic perspective that can guide their effort into the direction of understanding and fulfillment of human goals. The education needs to be based on universal human values and a pedagogy that encourages exploration and discussion.

An Introduction to Excellence is a one-day programme to introduce the concepts of human excellence through dialogue and interaction. The aim is to facilitate the development of a holistic perspective towards life. Such a holistic perspective forms the basis of value-based living in a natural way, in terms of ethical human conduct, trustful and mutually satisfying human behaviour and mutually enriching interaction with nature.

A programme on excellence was conducted for all 130 teachers of Pallavi Model School, Hyderabad over two days in June 2009. The first day was for 70 primary teachers; the second was for 60 secondary teachers. The principal Ms. Manju Gupta, vice-principal Ms. Simi Nagi, headmistress Ms. Padma Singh and primary incharge Ms. Deepa Arun were among those who enthusiastically attended the workshop. We look forward to Pallavi Model School taking these learnings into action.

The seven specific takeaways of the participants during these two days were:

1. Happiness is a key human goal. We want continuity of happiness. It can be achieved only by creating happiness for others and by doing that we ensure right feelings in the self, i.e., with right understanding and fulfilling relationships.
2. Prosperity is a feeling of having more than one requires. We used to think prosperity meant having lots of money, but now we know it means determining what is really required and then having more than that. It also means things are meaningfully utilised and left over things are shared. Excellence is to help the other to come to your level; opposition is to stop the other from reaching your level. Excellence is to understand and to live in harmony, with no contradictions, at all six levels (self, body, family, society, nature and existence) of our being. The discussion on opposition vs. excellence made it clear that excellence is absolute and not relative, i.e., it is possible for all to be in harmony, like in nature, plants and animals are already in harmony. Excellence is the aspiration of all human beings.



3. Importance of human education. Learning never stops – we learnt so much that we thought we already knew.
4. Meaning of co-existence. We can readily observe that soil and trees have a symbiotic, mutually enriching relationship. The underlying principle is that everything that exists is related in a mutually enriching manner. It is clear that this principle is natural in all relationships.
5. Importance of human relationships. Each of the nine feelings/expectations was clearly defined. Trust is a feeling of assurance that the other intends my happiness. We understood the difference between intention and competence. Respect is right evaluation. We will accept others as they are, with no pre-suppositions. Listening is very important. Listening is to understand what the other is saying without judging, which we can do after listening to the whole point.
6. Natural acceptance is in every human being and it can help to decide what is right. We used to think only a few people can decide and we have to follow, but now we are more confident. We can decide ourself what is right, based on natural acceptance.

The workshop helps focus on what a human being is, what are purposeful human goals and a path to achieve these aims. Embedded in nature, human beings interact at several levels – in the workshop we discuss the role of a responsible human being at the level of individual, family, society and nature.

Simply put, the human goal is the continuity of happiness in every individual, prosperity in every family, fearlessness in society and co-existence in nature. With this clarity, one is able to see the meaning in life and becomes committed to fulfill that meaning. The satisfaction obtained out of the fulfillment of purpose, gives one a feeling of self confidence from within. Individuals need to have this confidence in order to be able to proactively set their own goals. When goals are set proactively, without ‘peer’ pressure the motivation for action comes from within. The rest follows, in terms of commitment and effort leading to fulfillment of purpose.

The workshop is conducted as a dialogue, free from any dogma, value prescriptions or dos and don’ts. Self-exploration also enables them to evaluate their pre-conditioning, present beliefs and be able to differentiate between what is naturally acceptable or intention and what is their current ability or competence, thus setting the stage for developing mutual competence.

According to Dr. Abdul Kalam, “self-knowledge would promote a learning atmosphere, where this whole movement of inquiry into knowledge, into oneself, into the possibility of something beyond knowledge would bring about naturally a psychological revolution. From this comes inevitably a totally different order in human relationship and therefore society as a whole. The intelligent understanding of this process itself can bring about a profound change in the consciousness of mankind”.

In closing, we feel education is still the most significant lever in transforming ours to a humane society.

The author is an independent consultant on Human Values & Ethics, a member of the academic council IIIT – Hyderabad and former global head of Satyam Learning Centre. He can be reached at rajul_asthana@yahoo.co.uk.

What the teachers say

The workshop on excellence for teachers had a different connotation for all who participated in it. For some, it meant achieving perfection, for others it simply meant being outstanding in one’s chosen sphere of work. None however had even the remotest idea that all these ideas and definitions of excellence would change for them after attending the workshop.

With four months gone by since the workshop was held, Teacher Plus decided to quiz some of the teachers who participated about how far their key takeaways from the workshop influenced them, and change, if any, had really happened, consciously or otherwise.

According to the principal, Ms. Manju Gupta, “it was indeed a wonderful workshop and the takeaways have influenced us to think differently. Rajul Asthana has helped the teachers to “raise the bar” (Our theme for this year) through introspection and self-analysis. Personally, I have gained immensely and I am sure the same holds good for all my teachers. These kind of workshops and seminars provide food for thought and help us to rejuvenate and rethink our priorities in life and place them in proper perspective. If our takeaways can help others to think positively, we will definitely feel elated”.

Anjali said the workshop taught her the meaning of prosperity. Being prosperous had nothing to do with wealth, but it had everything to do with the richness in one’s heart. “It made me more introspective, I began to question myself, my responses, and tried hard to bring about behavioural changes in myself and in my dealings with children. I am still trying”

Sunita was forthright and admitted to being impatient with her daughter and in the classroom. “I did not realise that I had everything in terms of possessions. I used to crib for little things. I did not even listen to my daughter’s stories. But the workshop helped me see things in perspective. I understood that having expectations from others meant that I was not satisfied with other people’s attitudes and I wanted them to change. However, now, the workshop was an eye-opener, and I am more accepting of people and more patient with my daughter. It has made me a happier person,”

Shubhra teaches Chemistry and is extremely passionate about the subject. She has keenly resolved to stop buying plastic, to organise herself, but agrees that she has to still fight her biggest enemy, which is her temper. “There are actually six levels which we need to understand and tackle. Yes, the workshop was rich in terms of information. To implement all of these is a continuous process and it is happening.”

An important outcome was that most teachers felt that excellence was not about performance in your work space but about progress — in attitudes, in behaviour, in dealing with parents and children and in relationships with other teachers. The manner in which a teacher saw herself and how others related to her would ultimately extend to the way she handled children.

Mallika Rao felt that this kind of reflection meant spending time with oneself on a daily basis, only then can change happen in small ways. “I don’t judge now. I neither condemn, nor praise and I am consciously trying to see the positive side.”

“I have learnt the power of I” said Priscilla. ‘All along, we were given to understand that ‘We’ is important, but I know now that without ‘I’, there can be no ‘We ’. It is only when each of us contribute, that we can make things better for ourselves”. And she added, “At school, I was a different person, accommodative and understanding, but at home, I was not a nice person to live with. This workshop has given me the courage to contemplate and face certain truths. I used to take Nature for granted, but now, I am keen to conserve it so that I can live more harmoniously.”

Teachers are primarily motivated if they are rewarded by a feeling of accomplishment, self-respect and responsibility and workshops such as these help them to excel, to recharge their batteries and carry forward their goals. Motivation, by itself is psychologically very complex, and involves satisfaction at both external and internal levels. There can be no argument about the fact that it is at the internal level that motivation can bring in the most satisfaction. And for teachers, that ultimate sense of satisfaction comes when they are able to affect students. For them, that is the true yardstick of their personal worth.

Finally, as each teacher, as each individual, works more, loves more, and cares more, there is a greater sense of harmony, and where can all this be nurtured, except in a place called the school.

You will find my ‘A-Z of classroom management and relationships’ on the opposite page. This is a list of tips which I use on teacher training courses to help trainees to manage their classrooms and to build productive classroom relationships with their students. In CELTA (Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults) courses, which usually last around four to six weeks, I present the list in one of the early sessions of the course after an input session on teacher/learner styles and after the trainees have taught their first lessons.

Having said that, I see no reason why it could not be used for or by more experienced teachers as some kind of revision, reference or in-service teacher training tool. I think it also has potential to be used for observation purposes, perhaps preceding or following a continuing professional development tutorial. Trainers could focus on a different letter or group of letters for individual observations/teachers: ‘Today we’re going to be looking at letters A to E or letters BRIAN (a BRIAN lesson).’ The choice of letters could be made by the observer or by the observee.

An A-Z of classroom management and relationships

Simon Brown has taught in France, Spain and the UK< and he is now a freelance teacher, CELTA tutor/trainer and assessor, he is interested in the welfare and motivation of CELTA candidates as they progress through their intensive training, and he is an enthusiastic advocate to teachers as humanists rather than linguistic technicians. He can be reached at snickolas2002@yahoo.co.uk

This article has been reprinted from English Teaching Professional, India with permission of Keyways Publishing UK, Macmillan Publishers India Pvt Ltd and the British Council. For information about how to subscribe to this magazine, please contact Macmillan Publishers India Ltd, 2/10, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110 002
Phone: 2327 3814, 2327 3624, 2326 3969, 2328 9442, 2328 9443

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In 105 AD a nobleman named Ts’ai-Lun, from Lei-yang in China, was resourceful enough to combine bamboo and mulberry, to create what we know today as paper. It was the most versatile writing surface until then. It was made from easily available natural raw materials. It was smooth, lightweight and easy to make.

The author is a freelance writer based in Hyderabad. She can be reached at sujata117@yahoo.co.uk.

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Let’s look at musical chairs with respect to multiple intelligences and how its variations can help us develop the eight intelligences.

The authors run Geniekids, a learning centre in Bangalore that works with children. To know more about their work visit www.geniekids.com.

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There is a new hierarchy that has slowly but surely entrenched itself in India’s urban reality. It is not really articulated in that light, but it is an experience that any resident of our cities could not have missed. Get on to the roads of your city as a pedestrian or a cyclist and you know instantly that you are a second class citizen. Zooming cars and two-wheelers, blaring horns, billowing smoke, narrower footpaths, fewer trees – it is increasingly a punishment to get out on to the city roads if you don’t have a personalised mode of motor transport.

More vehicles on our roads
Vehicles are being added to city roads like there is no tomorrow and the introduction of newer and cheaper cars like TATA’s Nano is only going to add to the unyielding rush. While the average human population in six of our biggest metros increased by a factor 1.8 between 1981 and 2001, vehicle numbers increased by over six times. Last year, Bangalore recorded the highest vehicle growth rate in the country with 14 per cent against a national average of 10, and 1000 cars are being added to the roads of New Delhi every day. A crisis awaits us around the corner, if it is not upon us already.

The author is an independent journalist and photographer and is associated with the environmental action group, Kalpavriksh. He can be reached at psekhsaria@gmail.com.

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“Michael Jackson is dead, ma’am. They said his coffin is made of gold.” That’s Rohit.
“He was a big rock star, ma’am. And he danced. We saw on TV,” says Anirudh.
“We saw it on TV, Anirudh,” I respond.
“Yes, ma’am. We saw it on TV. We saw his children also, ma’am.”
“He had a palace, ma’am. He called it Neverland. Why did he call it Neverland?”
“Have you heard that before? … Neverland?”
“Yes, ma’am… Peter Pan!”

I take lessons for children, 7-10 year olds, in grammar and writing. I find them more interested in happenings in their own lives, and things happening around them. I do not take formal lessons, but we talk, discuss, analyse… and, with a little direction, the necessary learning happens. That particular day, we talked for a little while about Michael Jackson, and each of us kept adding information. The children then wrote a paragraph about him, and we discussed the order in which the sentences should appear. We could also identify successfully, from their own words, the parts of speech that they had used. (We had learned, in some of the previous sessions, to identify words as belonging to a certain part of speech depending on their usage.) All in all, it was a successful lesson.

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My mind flicks back to the events of recent weeks. A staircase stampede in a Delhi school. Girls complaining of being “felt up” by boys in their cohort. Panic, and a tragic accident. Yes, the staircase was too narrow, and yes, there were no other means of reaching the next floor. Issues of safe construction are no doubt key here. But so is the issue of some boys – no more than children – treating their peers as objects to be used at will.

Some of us may feel that issues of objectification and exploitation are not topics for classroom conversation. That children need to discover social and sexual equations for themselves, or that it is their parents’ business to sensitise them to such things. But increasingly, all of us, and particularly children, are exposed to a multiplicity of messages that seem to validate the idea that it’s okay to use the image of a woman to sell anything, from motorcycles to deodorant to cement to engineering expertise. Not woman as consumer or expert, mind you, but woman as a reward and object of desire. Objectification is a process by which an entity (say, a person) becomes a “thing”, losing its identity as a person or a living being. It takes away the responsibility or the need to worry about the “thing’s” feelings and rights.

The classroom may not be the place to address all social ills, but certainly, it is a place to begin to get children to think about issues and their responses to them, to get them to recognise that how they think and behave has consequences and reasons. To get them to look at media products (ads, for instance) and challenge the assumptions they make and perpetuate. And to think about how these assumptions can have tragic consequences.

I have always loved the picturesque, bizarre yet beautiful balancing rocks of the Deccan. They are like the clouds… designed by nature, and open to many interpretations. They are as awe-inspiring as any other wondrous creation of nature – the sea, the river, or the snow-capped mountains or the rainforests.

Having grown up in Warangal and Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, I have always been surrounded by these rockscapes. The name Warangal itself comes from the word ‘Orugallu’, which means ‘single stone’. As children, when our parents drove us to Hyderabad and back, we always watched out for the balancing rocks of Madikonda just before Kazipet, and we knew we were home. My children do that now, each time we go to visit my parents. These balancing rocks stand there just as they did during my childhood, and during my father’s childhood, so he tells me.

As teenagers, my brother and I, with our cousins and friends, used to climb the rocks close to my home. There was something mysterious and exciting about the climb, and though fagged out, we felt free and happy afterward.

It was after a gap of several years that I re-discovered the joys of climbing rocks. Faced with depression and a minor (but seemingly major to my mind) health problem owing to the sudden death of my friend-philosopher-guide, I was searching for something that would help me get back to my state of well being. I decided to take up some physical activity, and so joined a group in Hyderabad that goes trekking on the rocks.

This time the rocks played a therapeutic role. It did me good to get away from the polluted city and breathe some fresh air; the climbing gave me much-needed confidence in my physical ability, and being with a group made me feel better emotionally. I slowly recovered from my ailment, and once again reached a stage when I could breathe deep and feel plain and simply happy at just standing there, on top of a rock or looking at wild flowers that I could never find in the best of parks in Hyderabad.

I began to feel close to nature again. On one walk we found peacock feathers, on another a porcupine quill, on yet another, we spotted a fox. Peacocks were common as also multi-hued chameleons thatalways seemed deep in thought! Sometimes we saw a snake or a rabbit or a strikingly patterned insect. The most recent thrill was when I spotted a red velvet mite (birba buddi, arudra purugu, often called “velvet boochies” by school children), an insect I had not seen for years. I was overwhelmed at this opportunity to show it to my children.

Apart from the flora and fauna, the rocks themselves were fascinating. The shapes were always different and the balancing rocks never ceased to amaze. I discovered the ‘mushroom rock’ in Central University, the ‘hamburger rock’ in Gachibowli, the ‘mother and child rock’ near Kaithlapur, the ‘tortoise rock’ in Jubiliee Hills, and many others.

And each time I was among the rocks, I felt humbled… like the rivers, the seas and the mountains, how much these rocks may have witnessed! Before them, we are but a speck of dust that is blown in the wind…

But you may be wondering, why this sentimental personal journey in a magazine for teachers?

It is because these rocks are now endangered – they represent excellent material for concrete, sought by the greedy and rapidly expanding real estate machinery. People in general, and teachers in particular, need to be sensitised to the beauty and importance of rocks so that they can in turn educate children.

On one of our recent walks to the rocks near Kaithlapur, off Sanathnagar, we found that the rocks were in the backyard of a construction site; nevertheless, we climbed up only to find the huge boulders drilled with holes. Dynamite would soon blow them up and these seemingly unconquerable, millions-of-years-old granite monoliths would give way to ugly dwellings for human beings. It was a tragic sight. This sight has become common on the outskirts of the city, as also around other cities that share a similar landscape – in Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. One often sees blasted rocks being processed by huge stone crushers.

I believe that a sensitive human being can make a difference to the world. And if one sensitive adult can make it her/his duty to influence even a few children, over the years there will be many more sensitive adults than there are now. We need to do something to preserve the gifts that nature has given us, or our children will be forced to live in gray-brown, tree-less and rock-less, car – and building-filled surroundings.

The Society to Save Rocks, with whom I go on treks, has been doing a lot of good work to protect these granite formations in and around Hyderabad. The Society was started in 1996. Anyone is welcome to join, participate in the efforts to preserve rocks, and go on nature treks to different rocky areas. The treks happen on the third Sunday of every month, and are usually held in the afternoon, and sometimes in the morning. Occasionally there is a whole-day trip, such as a very interesting trek I recently participated in, to Devarakonda in Nalagonda district.

The Society to Save Rocks also conducts treks on demand for school children (about 30 primary school children/45 high school children). So if your school is located in Hyderabad, or even if you are located in any other part of India but headed towards Hyderabad for an excursion, it would be a good idea to take the children on a rock trek (Tel. +91 40 23552923; E-Mail: fraukeq@excellmedia.net, frauke@saverocks.org; www.saverocks.org).

Now, don’t be apprehensive – this trek is not like the pictures you see in ads for adventure sports, where they climb steep rocks dangling from a rope. This is simpler and anyone can do it at their own pace…I always feel inspired by the senior citizens (70+ even!) who come on the toughest of treks.

So, put on your caps and shoes, gather together a bunch of kids, and head for the rocks.

As my children say, these balancing boulders… ROCK!

The author, writer and editor, also conducts natural studies activities for children. She can be reached at sadhana_bluepencil@yahoo.com

What you can do to preserve rocks

Every citizen can spread awareness about the beauty and antiquity of the Deccani rockscapes, and the need to preserve them. You will be surprised how many people have never had a good look at those intriguing formations!
You could:

• approach property owners, architects, service organisations and builders and make them aware of the possibility to incorporate rocks in housing colonies, house plans and gardens (our architects can give advice);
• become a member of the Society to Save Rocks and have access to all activities; contribute to the Society’s Newsletter;
• actively participate in identifying rock formations for preservation;
  promote Society action programmes that work with HUDA, the Municipal Corporation, the Revenue Department and Department of Mines and Geology, as well as other government agencies – in Hyderabad and elsewhere;
• help in organising the Society’s events like exhibitions, concerts, film screenings, lectures and awareness work in schools and colleges.

Please contact: Society to Save Rocks, 1236, Road No. 60, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad 500 033, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA; Tel. No. +91 40 23552923; E-Mail: fraukeq@excellmedia.net, frauke@saverocks.org; www.saverocks.org
(From: http://www.saverocks.org)

Working to save a geological heritage

Rock sites constitute a very important geological heritage of the Deccan-southern peninsular India. These rocks are observed to cover considerable areas of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and are amongst some of the oldest rocks in the world. Geologists estimate their age to be 2500 million years.

The rocks contribute to the interesting landscapes and serve an important ecological function. What fascinates the common person is the fantastic shapes which they have assumed and the peculiar position in which they sit on top of each other, or in mutual neighbourhood. They harbour flora and fauna and many are known to support water conservation by recharging the groundwater through subterranean passages. They are also responsible for the formation of lakes and other water bodies.

Unfortunately, most of them are threatened by quarrying for metal or stones for construction. Their destruction will mean not only loss of a rich heritage having intrinsic as well as recreational and tourist value, but also of national features having botanical, geological and zoological importance which may hold the key to our future environmental health and environmental programmes.

Some persons in Hyderabad concerned about the rapid destruction of this geological heritage formed the ‘Society to Save Rocks’ in 1996 (http://www.saverocks.org). Their aim was to protect these unusual and fascinating rocks, which, due to increasing construction activity, were falling victim to quarrying and blasting. They gave names to various rocks in the environs of their city depending on their shapes. The Society mobilised public opinion and moved the government against indiscriminate destruction of rocks. Apart from aesthetics, the role played by rocks in the ecology of the area was also stressed. As a result of these activities, the government declared nine rock formations as protected under the Hyderabad Urban Development Zonal Regulations. (From: Rock sites of Andhra Pradesh, Volume 1, published by Society to Save Rocks, 2004).

Note: In February 2009, another 15 rock sites have been notified by the government as Heritage Precincts, on the recommendation of the Society.

Some environmental issues

Other parts of India also have their unique landscapes – rocky and otherwise, and flora and fauna that play a very important role in maintaining the balance in the ecosystem. Encourage the children in your classrooms and homes to take note of how things are changing in their surroundings in response to the demands of urban spread and the growing population. Some examples of environmental concerns in other parts of India:

• Sparrows are disappearing from many places all over India.
• The pollution of river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh endangers people as also dolphins and many other fish that live in it.
• The Olive Ridley turtles in Orissa are being affected by pollution, nets, bright industrial lights and the building of the Dhamra Port near the beaches.
• Red pandas have disappeared from Sikkim because of tree-cutting.
• In the tiger sanctuaries of Madhya Pradesh (Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench), tiger numbers are dwindling.

Some success stories include Romulus Whitaker’s efforts to save the three endangered Indian crocodile species by setting up the Madras Crocodile Bank in 1976; another is that of the declaration, in 1984, of Silent Valley in Kerala into a national park, owing to efforts by conservationists who protested against the setting up of a hydroelectric project there; and the famous Chipko movement in Chamoli in Uttarakhand where women hugged trees to protect them from being felled.

These instances show that if common people make up their mind, a lot can be achieved.

(Information taken from: ‘Amazing India: a state by state guide’ by Anita Vachharajani and Amit Vachharajani; Scholastic India 2009)