If you are a mobile user and you haven’t traveled on Konkan Railway, I suggest that you should travel atleast once for there’s a lesson awaiting your attention. As your train sourced from Mumbai leaves Khed –Chiplun belt even a gadget allergic like me would desperately pull out his mobile and and check the network availability! A regular on the route knows that he is going to lose his network till he reaches Ratnagiri and it should not be surprising to find to find an entire compartment desperately checking the same!! It is only at Ratnagiri when the network is revived that he relents and probably thereafter never checks or even uses his mobile!
So are networks merely signals that keep you connected? Certainly not! Instances as these make you realize that networks are our psychological support system that subconconciously make us believe that we are in the league – connected, inducing a feeling of security. Loss of network or connectivity for a mere two hours is sufficient to evoke a feeling of insecurity or being left out!
Every person apart from his mobile network is a part of several networks but for the most of the time he is unaware of these networks around him. The office staff where you work, the society where you live, the social gatherings that you attend and the schools and colleges that you attended were and are networks that you are a part of consciously or subconsciously. Such networks especially those which are around for a long time like school or your work place are strong networks which play a vital role in the development of one's personality and he tends to rely heavily on them. They are not only your psychological support system but even an integral part of your individual identity. Such networks have great deal of potentials that lies largely unexplored and is evident at the time of crisis – be it a medical emergency or a financial crunch it is these networks which rush to your assistance or the assistance you seek first.
A school or more aptly a classroom network plays a key role in carving out every child’s self-image, at times boosting his morale and building his confidence. Every network in itself is a powerful entity possessing vast amounts of potential energies like a reservoir. It will be only after such vast energies are made to flow in a regulated manner along proper channels that will lead to the transformation of the same into kinetics before it is finally converted into electricity that will light up our roads, houses, offices, farms and factories. The onus of introducing a child to the existence of such networks around them and encourage them to be a part as well as to seek assistance from such entities entirely lies with the parents and the teachers. Those employed should also identify the networks around them and those with leadership qualities should attempt to channelize this vast potential for a purpose that is positively constructive. The role of virtual social networking sites in pulling down tyranny and nailing oppression is evident from the recent Arab Uprising. However, the role of the real human networks far from pulling down someone is to discover and promote true potentials. It serves not as much to nail someone as much as to liberate people thereby strengthening roots of a democratic set up. Hopefully, we all go networking for a better tomorrow!!
- Bhushan Sarmalkar (JAI)
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