Author:
Publication: Organiser
Date: July 2, 2006
URL: http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=137&page=21
THE POLITICS AND CONSPIRACY BEHIND UPA'S DISTORTED
EDUCATION POLICY
Lies as facts, bias as comments and left ideology as academic toxin
EXPOSING THE PLOY TO MISLEAD YOUNG INDIA
By Dr J.S. Rajput
Even the universally respected and honoured
academics and scholars were not spared. The first and the most prioritised
innovation was thus being implemented as if the victimisation of individuals
and demoralisation of institutions were the only priorities before the education
system of India.
Never before, education in India was put to
such political siege as during the last two years. The ruling combine of the
political parties diametrically opposed to each other emerged on the basis
of the eternal political principle of 'power at any cost'. Those out of power
for nearly six years were impatient and had only one goal before them: to
return back to the coveted positions and towards that end, were willing to
sacrifice not only the professed principles but even their self-esteem. The
entire nation now watches how the stalwarts of the 'support from outside'
arm-twist the present alliance in power practically on daily basis. Education
and culture stand totally surrendered to the select group of ideologically
trusted academics who follow the 'party line'.
Revert back to May-June 2004. It appeared
that educational institutions were managed 'only' by undesirable elements
that had spoiled all the 'progressive' accomplishments of the earlier 50 years
when only 'saintly' individuals were at the helm of the affairs and consequently,
for all those years the entire education system was under the control of right-minded
(like-minded) luminaries. There were pronounced declarations that actions
and enquiries shall be instituted against the guilty and the system shall
be cleansed up without delay. True to the promises made, enquiries were instituted
regularly. Several of the retired yet committed bureaucrats were fruitfully
and gainfully re-employed to save (serve) the nation once again. Some of them
are functioning even now, practically on a regular basis. There is no dearth
of more enquiries. If one enquiry did not result in the desired outcome, another
and more followed it. It generated a climate of demoralisation and apprehensions
in the institutions. On the other side, several of the top-level functionaries
were seen running helter-skelter to establish new 'loyalties'. Most of them
were successful and were duly rewarded through continuation, extension and
other rewards. For the first time, change of government really 'stirred' the
system, as vendetta was visible all around. Governing bodies and other committees
of autonomous institutions were sacked without any reason and rhyme. Even
the universally respected and honoured academics and scholars were not spared.
The first and the most prioritised innovation was thus being implemented as
if the victimisation of individuals and demoralisation of institutions were
the only priorities before the education system of India.
There was more to the political agenda. Secularism
comes handy to most of the Indian politicians in their political machinations
and manoeuvres. The earlier government was headed by a political party, which
was voted to power by the people but remains an anathema to the 'secularist'
(not to be confused with secular individuals) and helps them to stick together.
No matter whether the previous government had really given desired priority
to educational reforms or not, they attacked all the changes of their predecessor
government as communal and anti-secular. An entirely new meaning was accorded
to the terms saffron and toxification. The frequency of the usage of the terms
like 'de-saffronisation', 'de-toxification' and even 'de-talibanisatin' shot
up exponentially for a couple of months. It came down after the common people
started asking questions: "What was toxified or saffronised and by whom?"
The query remains unanswered.
Yours truly was targeted for the curricular
changes in school education and the preparation of the new generation of textbooks.
Personally I am yet to discover what could be termed injurious to the next
generations of the Indians in the textbooks prepared during the period concerned.
Yes, the monopoly of the 'established' writers of textbooks, particularly
history textbooks was broken and for this, I received no instructions from
any one. As the head of the national institution mandated to update the curricula
at regular intervals, I led a team of dedicated academics from within the
organisation and with outside inputs to initiate and complete the process.
The protests should have come to an end after the Supreme Court of India,
in its judgment delivered on September 12, 2002, fully endorsed the recommendations
contained in the National Curriculum Framework for School Eucation-2000. Without
increasing the price of the textbooks, the sales increased from about 44 crore
per year to over 165 crore in three years. To me this was one of the modes
of assessing the national acceptance of the initiative. Combined with the
Supreme Court verdict, it constitutes the best of rewards one can hope for
in his professional career.
I assert the above based on my lectures, tours
and other widespread interactions throughout the country during the last two
years. In addition, I have regularly expressed my views in media. Tremendous
support comes from all the sections of the society for two major aspects that
are invariably dealt with in these lectures and media contributions. The first,
educational endeavour, its content, process and pedagogy must strive hard
to inculcate the values of truth, peace, non-violence, righteous conduct and
love. The other: basics of all the religions of the people of India must be
made known to children. They must know the commonalities and also learn to
respect differences wherever these exist. All religions must be treated on
equal footing and towards this end, teachers need to be specifically prepared.
What is needed is education about the basics of all the regions and not religious
education in schools.' Both of these were put forward only as a reiteration
of the recommendations of the Chavan Committee Report on Value Education submitted
to the both Houses of the Parliament of India in February 1999.
Indian State is secular but the Indian society
is religious and traditionally secular. The game plan carried out under the
garb of 'danger to secularism' is fast losing its relevance. People in general
and also teachers and other professionals and enlightened individuals are
asking each other: "Who is communal? Those who unhesitatingly exploit
religion and caste for political purposes or those who wish to strive for
social cohesion and religious harmony?" The projected achievements of
the Ministry of Human Resources Development as perceived by the masses is
limited to the flair for minorityism and the recent outburst of energy to
implement the OBC's quota in 'one go'! Often, I feel grateful to the MHRD
for having created conditions, one after another, which have made people sit
up and question the 'hidden agenda'. It, however, is now the most known secret
of the current times: Education for Vote, Vote and Vote! Education in India
now faces a disastrous syndrome under the cover of de-saffro-nisation, de-toxification,
minorityism and finally, casteism, which appear to be the most 'productive'
of the ingredients towards educational progress of India! Thankfully, people
now understand the 'game plan' and are ready to contribute their might to
redress the situation. This certainly is one positive achievement in education,
resulting out of sincere efforts of the concerned citizens and organisation
to generate public awareness and place the real facts before them.
I accept my role and responsibility for all
that was subsequently projected as saffronisation and toxification of education.
I am confident that some day, the views contained in the Supreme Court verdict
shall find currency and Indian education system shall be upgrading itself
in quality and credibility, with the support of academics and scholars, away
from the clutches of political aberrations.
(The author is former director, NCERT.)
