Title: Further discussion regarding ‘Saffronisation’ of education initiated by Shri Somnath Chatterjee on 16.8.2001. (Concluded)
MR. CHAIRMAN : Now, the House will take up item no.21. Shri P.H. Pandiyan – not present
Shri S.S. Palanimanickam.
(THANJAVUR): Hon. Chairman Sir, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak on behalf of my party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. I am now participating in this discussion under rule 193 taken up at the behest of my colleagues belonging to the left front and Congress Benches, expressing their apprehensions about this Government’s alleged move to convert our education system to a saffronised one.
As for education, our country holds 115th position among 165 countries of the world. The illiterate masses of our India form about 38% of the population. We spend just 3.8% of our GDP towards education. The developed countries allocate more than 9 to 10% of their GDP for education aiming at progress linked to it. In our country we also witness a pathetic situation where about 40% of the primary schools function without roofed structures. In many High Schools and Higher Secondary Schools the basic amenities are lacking. Not even a single toilet is there in some girls’ schools even in schools where more than thousand girls are studying. This disgraceful plight continues even today. In many of our States all over the country we find the perennial problem of staff shortage especially in many of the Government schools. There are many primary schools without even a black board. Drinking water problem is there in almost every educational institution. All the Governments that were there all these years have been trying to attend to these problems. Our Government too must continue its efforts to provide basic amenities while ensuring basic infrastructure. Instead of addressing to these fundamental needs, every successive Government tries to make a mark by way of harping on course content and curriculum announcing educational policies.
What kind of education is given to our children in our education system today? What kind of students are shaped and produced by these institutions? There
is much to be desired both in the system and the structure especially in the imparting and evaluating methods. A student who resorts to copying is penalised. But at the same time a student who has merely mugged up and reproduced like a parrot whatever he had memorised is richly rewarded. We appreciate them giving away prizes.
Only in India we find more number of suicides committed by students when they fail in exams. Our education must prepare our younger generation to face challenges boldly. It must prepare them for life and handle various situations. It must enable them to live life with a cultivated mind. We have failed in this and it is reflected in these suicidal deaths.
Time and again National Education Policies are evolved. Attempts are made to design a common and uniform educational curriculum and content. In my opinion national education policy is an attempt to suppress the proud rich cultural traditions of various national races. Various language based cultural traditions are made to clash with a notional one called a national culture. The strength of our nation and nationhood lies in the independent growth of all national races.
Kothari Commission which was constituted in 1964 elicited the views of great educationists, experts and renowned professors around the country for about 2 years. It came out with a laudable document, a blue print for the academic excellence and a viable education system to be implemented in the country.
Secularism, Socialism and Democracy were the three guiding principles of the Kothari Commission’s Report. It suggested viable means and methods to improve the standard of education in the country. But unfortunately the report was put in the cold storage. I would like to reiterate that it is relevant even today.
Late Smt. Indira Gandhi had a socialistic fervour. But still she shelved that report. It is still a question as to why she put in the back burner that report though she was professing secularism, socialism and democratic principles.
What were the plans envisaged in that Report? universalisation of education ensuring education to all education based on cultural traditions and scientific temper bringing together various social groups and communities with a spirit of unity to usher in a new social order imparting education through mother tongue cultivating a noble, humane and humanitarian outlook based on the ideals of French revolution, Karl Marx and European Renaissance combined with our rich cultural traditions without any compromise.These were the aims and objectives of that report. We may add scientific temper to it considering the needs of the day. That report which is relevant even today was not acted upon. In 1986, a new education policy was evolved. Navodaya Scheme was contemplated. New Centres of learning were started in several parts of the country with a liberal and huge allocation funds. Those institutions with better facilities and infrastructure served a particular section of the society. Because of its lop sided approach it met with criticisms too. Some States including Tamil Nadu could not implement that Navodaya Scheme. As a result, in 1992 a new education policy was framed. That too was not far removed from Macaulay’s system of education.
Today, in the light of the evolving new education policy of this Government, a circular has been sent to all the Universities by UGC at the instance of the HRD Ministry of this Government. The circular wants the Universities to start new courses in several new fields. Universities are directed to conceive and devise new courses relevant to modern day needs. It also encourages the Universities to start fresh courses in astrology and the study of a particular religion’s rituals and rites.
In order to uproot the deep rooted misbeliefs and superstitious belief from our society, great leaders and reformers like Thanthai EVR Periyar, great scholar Perignar Anna, our able leader who brought us to the fore Kalaignar, spread the spirit of reformism and rationalism. Shri Naryana Guru in Kerala and Raja Ram Mohan Roy in West Bengal were the great men who dedicated their lives for uprooting superstitions and discriminations in the society. Today we are pained to see and left with an apprehension that the reform zeal cultivated by them would get wiped out. I would like to point out that scientists of the world have advanced several arguments that astrology is not based on scientific facts. It is yet to be proved whether astrology can be recognised as a science at all. As such it is based on certain hypothesis and some superstitious beliefs. What is it based on? It varies. How is my horoscope determined? It is based on the time of one’s birth. What is happening today in child berths? Many of the mothers, I may kindly be excused, do not have natural deliveries. They consult astrologers, fix an auspicious time and get admitted in hospitals and nursing homes. They prefer to deliver babies at a prefixed time resorting to ceasarean method. Surgical deliveries are resorted to in connivance with astrologers. Whether they can accomplish what they want is still a question. The basic question as to which almanac can be followed and which school of astrology is absolutely correct is yet to be proved beyond doubt. Superstition must not be mixed with scientific temper.
A study which has not been accepted as a science by scientists’ community is sought to be introduced in a country which has 38% of its population as illiterate masses. Lack of education has deprived this vast number of people the capability to distinguish between faith and superstition. This comes into conflict with their day to day life. This results in ignorant and innocent people being cheated and exploited as gullible masses. In the name of religion and shastras, public are taken for a ride, cheated and exploited.
MR CHAIRMAN: Please conclude. Please come to the main point.
SHRI S.S. PALANIMANICKAM: Sir, I rarely participate in discussion. I am coming to it. I am concluding.
How people are cheated and exploited due to superstitious beliefs is well known. Almost everyday newspapers carry such stories about people being duped, cheated and exploited. But still the number of people cheated and exploited is also on the increase. The Government is supposed to address to the basic problems and needs. But there is a vain attempt by this Government venturing into misplaced priorities. There are private institutions and centres to propagate astrology and study of religious rituals and rites. So far they have not been included in the Government aided institutions and are not part of our curriculum and are not taught as educational courses in our universities. Have they all perished just because they were not part of our public education system?
I am a student of philosophy. It is only when I was doing my MA degree course that I got a kind of maturity to understand the contents of philosophy.
If religious views are sought to be imparted to youth at this impressionable age and if the teachers and students remain a mismatch, then there could be negative results contrary to the desired ones. That must be borne in mind. If there is a defect either in the teacher or in the student, religious study may give rise to a conflicting situation. That may not help to bring out a youth who could contribute to the development of the country. Our Government must concentrate only on evolving plans and schemes for social development.
We should not put the clock back and take the future generation back to the Middle Ages. We must march ahead and concentrate on to progress and development. We must not do anything that will wipe out the spirit of enquiry and rational outlook inculcated by great thinkers of this country down the centuries. We must not do anything that will undermine the self-analytical skill and self-respect of individuals. We must avoid harping on contentious issues and questionable pursuits. We all know that superstitious beliefs and even astrology were challenged by the rational thinkers of this country. All the efforts of great thinkers must not go in vain and the clock should not be put back taking us back to the Middle Ages.
Hence I urge upon the Government to initiate measures to withdraw the controversial circular issued to all the Universities of the country. On behalf of DMK I appeal to the Government to take back the circular. With this, I conclude
*English Translation of the speech originally delivered in Tamil.
श्री शंकर प्रसाद जायसवाल (वाराणसी):महोदय, उधर के माननीय सदस्य खड़े होकर तालियां बजा रहे हैं, आप इन्हें रोकिए।…( व्यवधान)
सभापति महोदय : कृपया आप अपना स्थान ग्रहण कीजिए।…( व्यवधान)
सभापति महोदय :जायसवाल जी, आप बैठे-बैठे मत बोलिए। सदन का संचालन हम कर रहे हैं, आप संचालन न करिए।
(वैशाली):सभापति महोदय, देश के मशहूर पार्लियामेंटेरियन, श्री सोमनाथ चटर्जी द्वारा प्रस्तुत नियम १९३ के आधीन शिक्षा के भगवाकरण पर यहां माननीय सदस्य बहस कर रहे हैं। इस पर विपक्ष की नेता श्रीमती सोनिया गांधी जी और मणिशंकर जी जैसे विद्वान सांसदों का भी बयान आ चुका है, उसी संदर्भ में मैं भी कुछ बोलना चाहता हूं। शिक्षा का भगवाकरण, मतलब शिक्षा में साम्प्दायिकता को लाने का काम १९९८ से हो रहा है। सन् १९९८ में देश भर के शिक्षा मंत्रियों का सम्मेलन हुआ। उसमें आरएसएस के किसी संगठन विद्या भारती द्वारा एक नोट प्रस्तुत किया गया, जिसमें कहा गया था कि संविधान में जो अल्पसंख्यक और भाषाई अल्पसंख्यक लोगों को आर्टीकल २९ और ३० के अंदर जो संरक्षण और प्रोत्साहन दिया गया है, उसमें संशोधन करके अल्पसंख्यक के बदले नागरिक लिख दिया जाए। यह साजिश हो रही है कि संविधान में संशोधन कर दिया जाए और किसी तरह से अल्पसंख्यक लोगों की मदद, सहयोग, प्रोटेक्शन, उनकी भाषा, शिक्षा, जो अल्पसंख्यक भाषाई लोग हैं, उन्हें जो संविधान निर्माताओं ने प्रोटेक्शन दिया है, उसे तोड़ने-मरोड़ने की साजिश है। इससे बढ़ कर भगवाकरण क्या हो सकता है। इस पर यहां हंगामा हुआ, लेकिन उस हंगामे पर देश के बहुसंख्यक राज्यों के शिक्षा मंत्रियों ने उसका विरोध एवं प्रतिवाद किया। हाल ही में नौ राज्यों के शिक्षा मंत्रियों ने दिल्ली में आकर रेजोल्यूशन दिया है कि जो नया पाठयक्रम जोड़ने की बात है, उसमें जो साम्प्रदायिक तत्व नैतिक शिक्षा के नाम पर लाए जा रहे हैं, उसे वापस लिया जाए, नहीं तो वे विरोध करें।
महोदय, केन्द्र और राज्य, दोनों के मालूम है कि समवर्ती सूची में शिक्षा है। मैं सवाल उठाना चाहता हूं कि क्यों नहीं राज्य सरकारों से परामर्श किया गया। आरएसएस चलाने वालो या अन्य किसी के कहने पर एनसीईआरटी के पाठयक्रम में जो संशोधन करने की बात हो रही है, उसके लिए राज्य सरकारों से राय क्यों नहीं ली गई – उसके क्या कारण है?