Speech for Posterity

I hate examinations.

Exams always remind me of the fact that I’m not intelligent. Anyway not intelligent enough. I only have sporadic outbursts of intelligence… which are too insignificant to be counted on any scale. And that doesn’t help in exams.

Why do we even need exams?

I have a dream. [This speech is to be recorded and played on every Republic Day or Independence Day]

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out its true meaning without conducting any examinations.

I have a dream that one day on the green hills of Ponmudi the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood without being asked how much marks they scored in the exams.

I have a dream that one day the state of Kerala, a state sweltering with the heat of the sun, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice, where no exams are held.

I have a dream that little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the number of exams they have passed but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Palayam, little brown boys and brown girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers without having to write any exams.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when everyone, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, Hindus and Muslims will be able to join hands and sing, "Free at last! Free at last! No more exams! Thank God Almighty, no more exams! We are free at last!"

[Incidentally son of Martin Luther King, who gave the original “I have a dream” speech, is coming to Kerala today, the 23^rd]

The Present Continuous

Following is a conversation that took place between a student in our class [“C”] and our English teacher teaching tenses.

Teacher: Another e.g. for present continuous - C - are you reading a novel now?

C: Yes I am reading a novel now.

Teacher: Now? No you are not reading a novel now. You are sitting in the class now.

C: Oh! But I am reading a novel at home. So can I say I am reading a novel now?

Teacher: You cannot say you are reading a novel now but you can say you are reading a novel.

C: So I can say I’m reading a novel when I’m actually not reading a novel.

Teacher: But you are reading a novel?

C: No I’m sitting in the class now.

Teacher: No, I mean, not now, but you are reading a novel?

C: Yes I am reading a novel.

Teacher: So you can say that.

C: Say what?

Teacher: That you are reading a novel.

C: Now?

Teacher: No, not now.

C: You mean, I should not say ‘now’.

Teacher: Say what now?

C: Not say I’m reading a novel now.

Teacher: But you said you are reading a novel.

C: No…err…Yes.

Teacher: So now it’s ok?

C: ‘Now’ is ok?

Teacher: No! ‘Now’ is not ok.

C: Oh! Ok

Teacher: Let‘s go on to the next topic - the Simple Present. Any more doubts.

Hand goes up

Teacher: Yes?

C: So I can say I am reading a novel … even though I am not reading a novel … which means…

[By this time the rest of the class had entirely lost it and I happily fell asleep so I had no idea how it ended.]