EDUCATION: CONSTRUED FOR GRANTED

The thought of defining education amuses my mind. Defining it is conceivably beyond the scope of the most astute people. But the purpose of education also varies, not only with different individuals, but also the same individual in different stages of life. After a lot of observations, delving into the matter I see a serious disorder in people who are privileged with this blessing in India. The psychology in Indian parents regarding education is very remarkable, with one common motive- Establishment. They say that they want their brood to reach a certain level of Respect in the society. The idea in itself is not flawed, but the conformist assumptions that are forced on their children are at times gaffe. For instance, they never educate their children to develop a fervent approach towards it. They impose certain fixed surmises like science and math without letting the intellect of the child widen. How many of us even wonder whether cheap Hindi and regional commercial movies like Bodyguard impede our pondering aptitude permanently? Have you observed that most Indian movies today hardly relate to the situations where the songs are compellingly put? Have you observed that the Lord of the rings, Amadeus or Inception are movies of the Hollywood, and that we are almost 50 years behind enjoying Ra one?

Survey says that an average Indian youngster has the most poorly developed common sense and gesticulations. No Indian can even dream of building a facebook or google, or if they do at all, they are exceptional genii. We are not only devoid of infrastructure to bring about revolutionary technological changes, but also we never ponder deeply against conventional approaches. So we perhaps need to be updated with certain central global doctrines that should be developed at a very early age of life, when we are lithe enough to be molded into the required ‘Icon’ of the society. One colossal change that can be observed in contemporary India is that we have become very cognizant about our ‘image’, in a very complex manner. But the worst part is that the muddle of orthodox credence and mimicking the west ensuing slavery to the rulers has given rise to a huddle of Hypocrites. They have conflicting ideals, and often fail to preach what they pretend to teach. The simplicity of thoughts is corrupted with an outlandish apprehension, a fear of confusion. Keeping our houses clean and sullying public places is an archetypal attribute of us Indians. Are we not taught that these are improper signs of actions? Why do senior officials of the govt. provided with free electricity benefits misuse it? Why do elected officials blame modernization as the primary reason for rapes? 

        Education should be able to remove such barriers and augment the intelligence of man. Education should educate people, create awareness in them. It should foster human values, build us to become judgmental not based on following what is being taught, but by challenging the facts, questioning and developing newer insight. Change is inevitable. If innovation were absent (which in our country is a reality), technology would stagnate, and everything would fester. So transformations have to happen.  But to our misfortune, education itself in our country is peripherally besieged by Political hedges. There are these legislators who themselves are chameleons. If norms regulate the market, the fate is similar to the Sovereign debt of the Europe. They want to exploit by not letting people modernize. Modernizing is a major part of learning and contravene with inapt and expired principles. Challenging also means lack of slavery. The lawmakers will lose clout. People will stop forgetting rape cases, start behaving in a mature manner instead of putting up arms against the cops. It is our duty to sermonize basic responsiveness to the lesser privileged. I recall once I had a heated argument with an elderly rural person regarding littering on the railway station platform. Finally, it ended when he spit on the platform again and I put water on it. Culpability impinged on him and he apologized. Not everyone will be the same. Some people have deceased conscience. But as long as there is a will, there is a way. The youth must be interested in politics and current affair. They should be alert and motivated. The languid and carefree generation needs to build a lot of fortitude in and around them. It feels excruciating to let go off the immense efforts of our young revolutionaries, who died for our country. I see CRY coming to our college, but the locality in which I live, I see children working in mills, their parents forcing them to earn something rather than going to schools. If Satyamev Jayate affected the way certain corrupt practices function, what are we doing on our part? Do we ever wonder what conditions actually give birth to criminals? Are we doing anything to improve such condition? If it depends only on the 2% who are literate (I won’t say educated), it is our responsibility to educate others (post educating ourselves). Google taught us to think beyond the conservative belief of keeping certain special skills surreptitiously under cover.

        I leave all the questions unanswered, provoking some thoughts and ideas to develop.

Sankalp Banerjee