1. Education is fundamental for achieving full human potential, says the New Education Policy (NEP 20) and for “developing an equitable and just society”, “promoting national development”, “developing and maximizing our country’s rich talents and resources for the good of the individual, the society, the country, and the world”.
A way forward towards Naitik and Viksit Bharat has been given by the GOI in its vision of “Nagarik devo bhava”; “Kartavya Bhavan”; “public servants as Karma Yogi” and “One World. One Family. One Future.”
2. Some Features of NEP 20: To promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Less content, and more towards learning about how to think critically and solve problems…. Education must build character, enable learners to be ethical, rational, compassionate, and caring. Development of the creative potential of each individual. Social, ethical, and emotional capacities and dispositions…
- The rich heritage of ancient and eternal Indian knowledge and thought has been a guiding light for this policy. The pursuit of knowledge (Jnan), wisdom (Pragyaa), and truth (Satya) was always considered in Indian thought and philosophy as the highest human goal.
- The aim of education in ancient India was not just the acquisition of knowledge as preparation for life in this world, or life beyond schooling, but for the complete realization and liberation of the self. Indian culture and philosophy have had a strong influence on the world.
3. We cannot complete the ‘jigsaw puzzle of work & life’ without a picture of the whole! “Dharma-Artha-Kama-Moksha” is the whole! Dharma here implies firstly, righteous conduct, selflessness, etc. And secondly, fulfilment of our respective responsibilities and duties in work and life (Kartavya-palan, Swadharma). Thus, all our daily work, chores and duties themselves can become our ‘worship’! In Indian culture, the tradition is to first get a healthy, holistic picture, worldview of reality, an overview of work-life itself, before we discuss the parts. Unless we first have a clear idea of the total picture, we will not know how the jig-saw puzzle fits.
Man is body enlivened by LIFE, Consciousness (aka god!). Indian wisdom asks those who are PROTECTORS of society (governance, academia) to reflect, explore the idea of LIFE, where is it, where it is not, from where it comes, where it goes, how to catch hold of life and know, observe, explore what Life is all about.
The paradox is that while our ‘composite culture’ promotes the spirit of oneness, harmony, excellence, commitment to duties, love for all equally, etc., there are no plans to ensure that we inspire citizens to imbibe and then identify the few as mentors of society, who sincerely strive to selflessly fulfil their duties for long-term good of all.
4. The Supreme Court has observed that the past five decades after independence have witnessed constant erosion of essential social, moral and spiritual values and an increase in cynicism at all levels:
Schools can and must strive to restore and sustain the universal and eternal values oriented towards unity and integration of people and their moral and spiritual growth enabling them to realize the ‘treasure within’ (UNESCO Pillars of Education).
Education is not for imparting religious instructions, but students can be given awareness that the essence of every ‘religion’ is common, only practices differ and to ensure that no prejudices or narrow-minded perceptions are allowed, and dogmas should not be propagated in name of education about ‘religion’. It is wrong to presume that knowledge of different religions would bring disharmony in society. On the contrary knowledge of various religious philosophies is material for bringing communal harmony as ignorance breeds hatred because of wrong notions, assumption, preaching and propaganda by misguided interested persons”.
What is sought to be imparted is from Fundamental Duties, Art. 51 A. e. i.e. “to promote harmony and spirit of common brotherhood transcending religious and other diversities”; “And to see that universal values, truth, righteous conduct, peace, love, non-violence be the foundation of education”. “Let us have a Secularist democracy where even a weak man hopes to prevail over a very strong man (having post, power or property) on the strength of rule of law by proper understanding of duties towards society”.
“Value based education is likely to help the nation fight against all kinds of prevailing fanaticism, ill-will, violence, dishonesty, corruption, exploitation and drug abuse”. “Education to be designed to enable the learner acquire knowledge and to be aimed at self-discipline, courage, love for social justice, righteous conduct (Dharma), etc. which are core universal values and cannot be achieved without knowledge of moral sanction behind it. There should not be room for narrow-mindedness, blind faith and dogma”. “For this purpose, if basic tenets of all religions are learnt it cannot be said that Secularism would not survive”.
“Dharma is for the stability of society, maintenance of social order, general well-being and progress of society. Whatever conduces to fulfilment of these objectives is Dharma. the state can only be preserved by dharma, rule of law”.
“What are the signs and symptoms of dharma? That which has no room for narrow-mindedness, sectarianism, blind faith, and dogma”. “The purity of dharma cannot be compromised with sectarianism. A sectarianism religion is open to a limited group of people whereas dharma embraces all and excludes none. This is the core of dharma”.
Secularism is neither anti-God nor pro-God; it treats alike the devout, agnostic, atheist. Vivekananda and Gandhiji were greatest Hindus, yet their entire life and teachings embodied the essence of secularism. From Gandhiji we learn real meaning of secular, “sarva-dharma-sambhava”, ‘equal treatment, respect of all religions’, not negation of religions.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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