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November 4, 1998
ELECTIONS '98
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How Readers responded to Dilip D'Souza's last column
Date sent: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 10:11:50
That was a well-written and timely article. It is true that no political party cares for education. Murli Manohar Joshi is probably the best education minister since Independence. But the sad part is that he is also the one with the worst agenda. When the whole world is moving towards programming languages, our education minister wants us to study outdated Sanskrit! But what else can you expect from a party who knows nothing but fanatacism?
Zaigham A Kazmi
Date sent: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 23:29:41 +0530
Verbal jugglery is what Dilip employs to practise his favourite theme of Hindu bashing. The underlying is a veiled attack on Saraswati Vandana, though on the face, it appears otherwise. He and his kind, brought up on a diet of Hindu bashing and on how to convert, every week right from their childhood days, cannot be expected to do any better. If at all there is a dead language, it is Latin. Not Sanskrit, the mother of all languages. It has literature that outscores that in all other languages put together. And if one objects to it, it is only out of disrespect to the great history and culture of this country. If D'Souza objects to learning Sanskrit let him study Latin. Can he answer why the students in the US and UK are forced to learn the dead language? Education can really develop only when reservations go and minority institutions are governed by the same rules as majority institutions. Ranjit
Date sent: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 11:19:54 -0500
The facts illuminate the sorry plight of primary education and illiteracy among the masses in India 50+ years after Independence. But how on earth could one blame that on the doings of a government that has been in place for just 6 months and whose hands are tied by a potpourri of selfish coalition partners? May I ask, is India illiterate today because its children spent too much time learning Vedas, Upanishads, Sanskrit and other such "irrelevancies" as you view them? Is the current educational malaise due to the fact that Indians were reciting Saraswati Vandana -- "the Hindu song" -- under the gun of some religious fanatic? If I may say so, respectfully, Mr D'Souza ought to know better. I would like to proffer that learning to read, write and understand rudimentary arithmetic is important, but elementary education is not an end in itself. The desperate need for basic learning should not mean we ought to stop airing the inherent contradictions and disagreements in a diverse and huge population of a continent sized nation. Are we not to know and debate India's history, culture, philosophy, religion and heritage? I, and many urban Indians like me, are the product of an educational system that sent us through elite institutions to acquire mastery in alphabetic, numeral and logical knowledge, but without a single classroom word about the Vedas. Upon graduating, I knew more about western history and lifestyle than about my own. The bits and pieces I knew about my own tradition and inheritance was from family and through informal interactions in society. Should educating India be just about alphabets and numbers? Now that might satisfy D'Souza's criteria of education, but what kind of society are we Indians going to be if we were to feel shameful and guilty about learning and practising own beliefs and history? Quite the opposite, some of us feel the shame of not knowing enough about the great Indian heritage because we were not required to do so. Tarun Seam
Date sent: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 10:47:13 -0500
An excellent article. He has hit the nail right on the head.
Date sent: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 13:29:02 -0500
Dear Mr Dilip D'Souza, When most writers would like to write on emotive topics, you seem to pick the essential ones. We need a change, a major change in our political system and political hierarchy. I remember a small two-line piece in Tamil about politicians: "If this country has to progress, it is not enough to cleanse their hearts; their blood needs to be cleansed" Keep writing please. There are people in this planet who still think we can change and would like to read your writings! Balan PS: By the way, that quote was mine and got published in a Tamil magazine in the early 80s.
Date sent: Thu, 29 Oct 98 13:10:48 -0500
Hi Dilip, I liked your article. But I think the press is equally responsible for the government's apathy. You journalists are always interested in sensational stuff. Did you ever try to carry a sustained campaign on education in India except an article or two a year? I'm sure if the press keeps on bringing up the issue again and again, and not spend time in criticising the education minister on small issues, public opinion can be built. The government really treats the education ministry as a low profile. Ministers just go on making announcements and don't do anything worthwhile. I really hope the government starts treating education with the same urgency with which it treats ministries like finance. This will be a greater investment into building a resurgent India. Thanks, Anup
Date sent: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 09:43:12 -0500
This column is Extremely Good. I suggest copies of such articles be send to the education ministers all over India. I don't see India making any progress with such political ministers at the helm of affairs. And without having educated citizens I can only see such corrupt ministers at the helm. I do feel introducing Sanskrit in schools is a good move. We need a common language to identify as Indians. Having a common language in all states will reduce many problems in management. English is a foreign language and although it cannot be eliminated in a day it can be slowly phased out. Sanskrit is a more easier language to study and more accurate. It is considered to be the best language for computers today. But if we Indians don't want Sanskrit, if we want to westernise ourselves, how can we expect the world to think of Sanskrit? Praful M Shenoy
Date sent: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 00:47:14 -0700
The first column I read from you was about 'meaningless cricket in Toronto' and I refused to agree since that defied basic logic. You do not cut the legs of one child if the other is crippled! Just like that, cricket can't be pulled down if other games do not progress! Thankfully, you've started rendering your articles in a better way. I feel that Sanskrit will do no good for us. It is important to get the blackboards and teachers in first. It is really sad that the education in India is not up to the mark and I am grateful that your article has brought some shocking statistics to the readers. It is too bad that we care about the songs! Mohit Bhargava
Date sent: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 11:10:54 +0800
I agree with Mr D'Souza's analysis. I believe by learning Sanskrit, Upanishads etc we are not going to solve the basis of problems that face our students today. Someone sensible, who is not biased on the basis of religion, and who understands the basis of education, has to lead us all in overcoming this problem. It is a paradox that I cannot accept -- in that we have an ex-Professor (Joshi) of Physics (if I am not wrong), who is going through the Religion route. I am not against religion, I am a Muslim, and I learnt Sanskrit, the shlokas of the Gita etc in school. But as D'Souza asks, HOW does that help the children in the villages, the budding geniuses in the smaller towns, who do not get the opportunity and end up not living up to their natural skills... all because they were not given a chance by the "Leaders" who could not see the actual problem (no schools, no teachers, etc) but were looking at an entirely different issue (learning of Sanskrit, learning Upanishads etc.). And PLEASE let us stop citing POPULATION as a deterrent. Look at China -- they are bigger, yet they have streamlined their education to ensure that they utilise their resources (people). And look at us. While every other nation seems to be going forward, we are busy going into the past -- creating barriers in religion, language (Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka etc)!!! Someone needs to revolutionise the way we look at the future and grab all of us by the scruffs of our necks and drag us along! Haja
Date sent: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 23:15:47 PST
Sir, Who do we present to our kids as ideal role models? LalooYadav? See, I am trying to find secular western heroes and failing. We should forget our roots, adopt another's and became westernised! That is the mentality of one who is ashamed of who they are. Are you ashamed of being an Indian, Mr D'Souza? Pranshu B Saxena
Date sent: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 16:41:53 -0500
The Indianisation of education has nothing to do with education just as the nuclear posturing, a few months ago, had nothing to do with defence; and just as the building of a couple of temples had nothing to do with Hinduism. What we have here is just one more example of realpolitik and with our politicos being the most skilled practitioners of this art in the world, I guess this will be one more issue about which a few of us will whimper for a few more days and then get on with our lives. Vinaasha kaala viparitha buddhi -- In no other period of our 3,000 year existence as a nation has this adage been more painfully true. The esteemed Mr Murli Manohar Joshi would probably be happy to know that Sanskrit is not totally dead. Ramkumar Viswanathan
Date sent: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 16:24:14 -0500
An excellent article! I fully agree with Dilip on all points he raised. In India Education is becoming a money-making business and with sub-standard quality at all levels. If Dr Murli Manohar Joshi is sincere about improving the quality of Indian education, let him consider the points raised by Dilip. Let's treat our education as Indian education, not as Hindu education.
Date sent: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 15:45:44 -0500
I enjoyed reading your columns. Writing columns is important, doing something preferable. The Indian government is not the source of all answers. Private individuals and organisations must do the majority of work. I challenge all who have read this column to donate US $100 or 100 of whatever currency they are earning in. If you can afford to read this column on your computer screen then you can afford to part with the amount. In the US approximately 2 % of all household income is spent on charity work. Most of this goes towards the education and betterment of children. How about you? Rgds, Milind
Date sent: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 15:21:26 -0500
Finally, a good reminder of where we are in trying to develop our human resources! One can only hope that someone in the human resources ministry is listening and realises the amount of planning that needs to be done in order to get going. I would recommend the ministry to come out with a paper every three months detailing the work done in the area of primary education. One hopes that the public is sensitive enough to these issues that they will put pressure on the ministry (by the effective means of protest marches and hunger-strikes) to perform and not just talk.
Prashant Sharma
Date sent: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 11:58:53 -0800
Dear Dilip D'Souza I wonder why this song and dance about Saraswati Vandana. You eloquently give statistics about how we rate among the world, and link with the mess in the priority, policy and government over the years. I agree with your concern, but you are gunning for the wrong people most of the time. You remind me of the nice guy, with a good for nothing approach. You choose to write as a journalist (in a language, which only few people know) and express your ideas and concerns to the society. Right. Now, what have you contributed to all those numbers you threw on us in your article? How many people does your article reach, and what difference does it make? Have you thought about it? I think you like many others of your kind choose only to weave around you a shell of ideas. Just copy what you see the West doing, and expect to reach the same results. The most important thing you miss is that India is a different country. You know how many languages are spoken here? If you see the countries where all the facilities are available for education, you see that mere statistics doesn't help. Think. Mere emphasis on the standard of LIVING in western philosophy has degenerated the society to the lowest level of existence. True happiness is found and measured in STANDARD OF LIFE. So, my friend, anything in education which helps and guides one to have the courage to face life on all its ups and downs is very important. Yes, I believe FAITH is an exercise of the mind to become strong (and you need that, especially in INDIA). Just like a gymnasium is for the body. A Saraswati Vandana would help people invoke such strength, and that's our culture. If you accept it, it's fine. I think imparting values of such RICH culture should be one of the main objective of the education ministry in India. I salute the minister and teachers who are involved in the process and wish them the best for future. Tarun
Date sent: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 17:29:31 -0500
Another act in our politicians' circus. And the present set of buffoons have made an art of conning us gullible Indians on frivolous issues. I can pretty much understand their strategy of whipping up all kinds of emotions to take care of their gaddi, but what I don't understand is how some -- or I should say many (based on replies to your columns) -- of us can be fooled time and time again. Forget about realising that they are still doing a con job, some of us vociferously support them, and call anybody who raises their bogey all kinds of names -- traitors, anti-nationals, unpatriotic, idiots... take your pick. Reminds me of a saying: ulta chor They crib about convents/private schools/missionaries giving "wrong" education. But would these very people dream of sending their kids to our famous 'government' school ? The fact is "government" education is meant for the poor, the illiterate, the forgotten, so that they remain the poor, the illiterate, the mass that can be taken for a ride ! And the 'nationalisation' of education provides them with another issue to milk for political games. They also now want their fingers in the non-government education pie. I have nothing against learning the Vedas, or Sanskrit or even reciting shlokas. In fact, I have done all that and more, having been educated in schools following the CBSE syllabus. Whatever our dear education minister may have us believe, this syllabus (specified by the NCERT) has most of what they are hitting each other on the head about. I have learnt Sanskrit which was of no practical use, read Ramayana and Mahabharatha , which was more like reading a novel at that age, and chanted shlokas in the morning without understanding a word. Not that I don't appreciate it, but it doesn't make sense unless education is given in a proper way, which brings us back to what Dilip wrote in his column. Good work, Dilip. We need somebody to give us a sanity check once in a while. Rajesh
Date sent: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 09:18:58 +0530
Dilip, Do you write anything other than bullshit? I really doubt. If the song is not an issue, why are you writing an article about it? Because you want to make it an issue? If the song is not an issue, why is it that in every school they sing the National Anthem? If singing Saraswati Vandana is wrong, what do you say for Christian schools, which force even Hindu kids to chant every morning 'JESUS YOU ARE GREAT?' Why didn't you raise your voice against that? Have you ever spoken out against that? You mean to say they are minorities & they have a right to do whatever they want? No Dilip, I am not leaving you this time. I need clarifications. Why didn't you raise your voice against Christian schools which forces everybody to sing Christian songs every morning? One of my friends refused to sing -- and they threatened to sack him from the school. Hope you have time to respond this. Raghu |
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