Even although we’re a democracy, many people really feel that our voices are rarely heard besides after we be part of forces and make it a degree to get heard by the powers that be. Otherwise, it’s only the voices of the political leaders which can be heard advert nauseam

Today, evidently now we have forgotten the right way to pay attention. Strangely, expertise has contributed to this phenomenon. Students say that they discover it tough to give attention to dry lectures. They have gotten too accustomed to watching vibrant pictures on the display together with daring captions and temporary explanations. The voice of the speaker is fortunately ignored.
As time marches on, I really feel that we should always make a particular effort to each pay attention and to be heard. This can occur provided that we’re concerned with what the opposite individual is saying. In faculty debates I’ve noticed that audio system are solely concerned with their very own factors of view and in ridiculing their opponents with scathing witticisms. Rarely can we hear effectively thought by means of counter arguments.
In social gatherings too, one witnesses individuals entering into arguments (we Indians simply love arguing) and every one is busy out-shouting the opposite. And no person concedes just because no person is concerned with what the opposite individual has to say.
I really feel that we don’t actually hearken to what young children say. We could be stunned to find the sort of knowledge that they show at occasions. We lecturers simply wait to listen to the “right” solutions. Listening to youngsters rigorously is extraordinarily enriching.
Recently, I performed an interactive session for lecturers which I named, “Your Views Matter”. Of course, I needed to elicit their views on a number of matters earlier than I might give my very own factors of view. I used to be disillusioned that extra lecturers didn’t give opposing views throughout the ground. However, it was heartening to look at that many lecturers had been keen to precise their particular person views. Generally, everybody was listening however that was as a result of they knew that they could be questioned on what was being mentioned.
One attention-grabbing case examine on the identical session threw up an sudden response. I positioned earlier than the trainer attendees a situation in my faculty the place there was a single Muslim lady within the class and on one event I occurred to ask her if her classmates ever made her really feel “different”.
I requested the lecturers whether or not I ought to have posed such a query. One trainer was in no way snug about my query. “You should have asked the rest of the class!” she exclaimed. (In different phrases, why make the lone lady self-conscious?)
Incidentally, the remainder of the scholars had been upset with me; their view was that there was no must rake up a delicate challenge when every thing was going peacefully.
Well, I imagine that there’s something significantly unsuitable should you can’t discuss it and that is why we should pay attention additional rigorously. My responsibility, I felt, was to hearken to all.
In our nation, totally different voices are positively not heard and lots of hesitate to voice their opinions. We are weary of listening to get together spokespersons across the clock in addition to to these speaking heads on the tv display each night. Political leaders, particularly, should have their ear to the bottom to grasp the heartbeat of the individuals, their trials and tribulations and, importantly, what they need.
Our Prime Minister broadcasts his “Mann ki Baat” recurrently. He has even revealed a e book titled Examination Warriors to assist younger examination candidates “conquer” examinations. (Sometimes I’m wondering why one has to “fight” exams. Well ready college students ought to take assessments and exams of their stride — and imagine it or not, some even take pleasure in them!)
My query is: can we ever give younger individuals a correct platform to precise their ideas or opinions? Why should adults solely impose their views and beliefs on them?
As talked about earlier than, youngsters’s knowledge can usually go away you feeling insufficient!
Also, the best way a few of them can get out of a sticky state of affairs, is nothing wanting sheer ingenuity. I keep in mind an incident many moons in the past. My principal had despatched me to Class 3 to fill in for a Bengali trainer who was absent that day. So, I requested a scholar to recite the poem whereas I illustrated it on the blackboard. Suddenly I heard some murmurs and I finished what I used to be doing and requested the category what the disturbance was about. One distressed baby piped up saying with a horrified expression: “Ma’am, Lalita is saying that her drawing teacher draws much better than you!” The mentioned Lalita was unfazed, and she or he mentioned: “My drawing master draws all day. He gets plenty of practice. For a history teacher you draw quite well.” Frankly, I used to be fairly speechless on the tactful and logical manner during which she deflected an ungainly state of affairs. I thanked Lalita for her praise however the lady who had complained nonetheless regarded indignant. I really feel good that as an alternative of silencing them I listened to each the scholars.
In the context of youngsters, I’ve observed that they usually make philosophical pronouncements that are astonishing. I imagine a baby informed his buddy that he had used a phrase which he had simply made up. And his buddy’s response was: “All words were made up sometime.”
Our lecturers stored telling us to not discuss a lot, and so they didn’t tire of repeating the adage: “God gave us two ears but only one mouth for a reason. Think about it.”
Let us pay attention extra not solely to one another but in addition to the rhythm of life and nature and to totally different voices.