Darjeeling – A US based non-resident Indian (NRI) has taken up the mission of paying back to society by spending his annual vacation and home visit giving motivational lectures. He has been doing this for the past 34 years.
“I do not do it for the money. It is my way of paying back to society for the many blessings which I have received over the years,” confessed Dr. George Kallingal a Professor Emeritus at University of Guam (USA) who is on a lecture tour of 10 colleges and schools North Bengal spending18 days from July 12-30.
“Dr Kallingal who is past 74 years never seems to tire even though he has an average of two or three speaking sessions a day,” says coordinator of the program Vice-Principal Salesian College Siliguri Dr George Chempakathinal who drove him up to Sonada over 60 km from Siliguri.
During his 3 days of stay at Salesian College Sonada (SCS), 18-20 July Klalingal had two sessions each day with two hour-long presentations which combined academic achievement, spirituality, and realities of young people into sharp perspective.
Addressing a batch of some 100 plus first year BA Honors students at SCS Darjeeling Professor of Clinical Psychology Kallingal encouraged them to cope with life using KSD formula in which ‘K’ means knowledge, ‘S’ means skills and ‘D’ means disposition (attitude).
“In college you get information which needs to be processed by the mind to become knowledge,” said Kallingal citing example from Shakespeare’s play Macbeth which depicts Lady Macbeth as a woman consumed by jealousy and bent on violence which destroys both her and others. “From that lesson we learn for life that we don’t want to be Lady Macbeth.”
Addressing an evening session for 66 students of philosophy in their journey to priesthood Kallingal spoke of “Metacognition’ which should help in conflict resolution.
Metacognition he said is “cognition about cognition”, “thinking about thinking”, or “knowing about knowing”. It comes from the root word “meta”, meaning beyond. It includes knowledge about when and how to use particular strategies for learning or for problem solving.
On the second day, speaking to a group of some 100 plus BA General first year students Dr Kallingal showed how simple Algebra equations could help solve daily problems.
He told the students how a basic Alegbra formula (x + y)2 = x2 + 2xy + y2 (x – y)2 = x2 – 2xy + y2 could be applied to a boy girl relationship.
Kalligal explained, let ‘x’ be a girl who could be nagging and ‘y’ be a boy who lacks sensitivity and putting them together as per Alegbra equation learned in class could help work out a relationship where the girl could be less nagging and the boy more sensitive to make a perfect equation.”
Third day Kalligal a former student of SCS hosted a working lunch for 40 faculty members prior to a session with them. “Being present with you,” he said, “is enervating experience and rejuvenation for me.”
“We are inspired by your unbounded energy and unwavering dedication to give the maximum to students and faculty,” said The SCS Vice Principal Fr Noby George thanking Kallingal.
Prior to his arrival in Sonada, the land of perennial mist, Kallingal had four days at Don Bosco School Siliguri where he had four sessions covering some 2,000 parents.