The Second Term

The first semester at the Asian College of Journalism ended on septembe the 30. We were relived as there were no more assignments on the prowl to haunt and hunt us. After one week's vaccation all of us have come back now from our respective hometowns. A few of them have brought with them sweets prepared and sold countyr's most famous sweet makers, many of them after cutting down on theri travel expenses have brought confectioneries which are much more sweeter than the sweets. The sweets offered by one of my friends who happpens to be a girl created a warm feeling and increased the so called enmity among ourselves. This enmity only exists only during the time when we are unable to cater to each other demands like bringing a cup of coffe from the tea stall. It also reaches its hight when someone demands an ice cream and the fellow student refuses to fetch that. I remembeme one such occasion when there was a near war like situation when one of us became outrageous only because someone hooted while a girl was entering the gates of the coveted college. The matter was solved with a timely intervention of our beloved dean. These are the samll skirmishes that happen time and again. Humans nees oxygen. We at Asian College of Jouranlism need heated exchanges, skirmishes, quarrels and hate campaigns among ourselves to survive. Many say that all the above play a dividing role when it comes to humans living together. But in our case, note that the Asian College of Jurnalism is a microcosm of the pluralistic Indian society, it is mandatory for every one to indulge in at least a fight per month. This is an incredible phenomenon that no body would believe untill or unless he or she visits our college and witnesses it. I aometimes wonder why people fight in the name of religion, caste, creed or any other quality that identifies we humans. The more we fight the more is the vigour with which we hug each other. A torrent of affection comes crashing down on every waring individual from both the camps. I wonder why India faces riot after riot when Muslims donate bloods to save lives of Hindus whenever a catastrophe or an act of cowardice takes place. I wonder why people burn houses of their fellow humans and theri fellow human beings, men, women and children when Hindus offer shelter to the frightened Muslims who were chased after by the violent rioters. I wonder why Hindus and Muslims are at loggerheads when Hindus and Muslims rush to the circumstances of any apocalyptic event and work shoulder to shoulder to help the victims. the answer lies in our secular and sentimental values. Those hate mongers can never see that the majority of our people still believes in the secular values. The values that the architects of our country like Jawahar Lal Nehru and Maulan Abul Kalam Azad had instilled in us. The values which the aggressive freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and his companions instilled in us. I really can't even to think to forget the moments I am spending at Asian College of Juranlism. Only the earthly matters like the wall built with brick, cemnet and lime divideds our body when we are fast asleep. But our minds are always together. There's not a single manly force in the world that can damage our unity. We cry when ACJ cries. We laugh when ACJ laughs. And the ACJ cries or laughs when something bad and good happens to its students. The first term ended last month. the first week of second term passed like nothing. And the second term seems would end soon. Nothing in this fleeting world is permanent. There's nothins that is constant. People move. Their fate or destiny also shifts position. People reach their destination or point of earning his or her bread and butter. We also will move one day. o the unendeing journey. the journey of cultivating a good career. Life moves on. The first term moved. I pray the atmosphere at ACJ never moves. This is the symbol of secular and tolerent India. A ray of hope in the darkness of hatred, communal violence and killings in the name of religions. For a person like me the second term doesn't matter if it moves or not. But the secular values of ACJ matters the most. Lets pray the second tem ends happily and the culture at ACJ remains the same.