Shyam Sudan
No doubt Bharat Bhumi has always been a congenial habitat for knowledge seekers and curious people since time immemorial. It has been such a land where many great souls have guided common man with their knowledge and right direction. In the field of education, we used to have special identity at world platform. There is no doubt India is a multilingual, multi-religious and multi cultural landscape in Asia subcontinent. Despite having great diversity in different walks of life people generally stood united against any kind of aggression and external divisive tactics by invaders. Our cultural fabric is always woven around spirit of patriotism and nationalism. At the time of independence and during any kind of external aggression this virtue can be easily visible across the entire nation. Even the preamble of our constitution start with the beautiful phrase ‘We the people of India’ which indicates the uniqueness, nationalistic and patriotic spirit of this great land. For centuries many patriotic personalities and great sons of soil had dreamed of Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat. Now at present time it is the dream vision of our government. Our government is working on every possible measure to inculcate this unique spirit and ideology among masses. But only government measures are not enough to give acceleration to this ideology. It will not be wrong to say that with the help of correct and accurate education system, we can reinforce this feeling in minds of people. Education is the only medium through which we can organize thinking of people and put a strong feeling of unity and integrity of nation. Through education, especially from beginning, we can give detailed information to our children about our country and its rich heritage and culture, so that every child when it become grown up must be well aware about his country and its rich heritage. Now the question is that how can we inculcate the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat’ through education in the minds of people.
Even after independence, we have been adopting the foreign education system and the path given by it. In the name of woods and hunter we have confronted with many commissions and education reports. It has been our irony that we gave preference to that foreign education which never gave us any information about making the country proud. It is our irony that we dependent on the education system of those people who thought that we should never overcome as a superior nation. It is for first time after our independence that we got our own full-fledged education policy after the brainstorming of several educationist and learned scholars. No doubt in this education policy the prime focus of the government is on skill and vocational education across the country. But a lot of things are needed on ground level to inculcate the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat. Earlier in different education policies and drafts our focus was on foreign language and ways of living. Now we are feeling uncomfortable with the burden of that exotic knowledge and start giving priority to our own rich culture and heritage. No doubt ours is one of the oldest civilizations of the world. We are the descendent of learned Aryans on this landscape. Our is the only land where our forefathers had compiled the knowledgeable Vedas and many important books. We were the great exponents of the philosophy of ‘Vasudev Katumbkum’ which believe that entire globe is our beautiful habitat. Many such things have been done in our history by the great people of our history, whom we should be proud of. But it has been our irony that we have not been told the history of our country properly. Rather a distorted history was presented in a planned way in our curriculum. Not only were we deprived by our glorious history, but we were also weakened as a nation. Now the time has come for us to brainstorm on how we can strengthen the spirit of better India in minds of generations to come through our education policy. Only through medium of proper education we can achieve our target. How we can develop the spirit of Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat through education, there are lot of ways and methods for this. Lets see an elaboration of these ways:
- Need to give recognition to word Bharat: Firstly there is an urgent need to give recognition to our country’s name as Bharat instead of India or Hindustan, because with only this meaningful name we can inculcate the spirit of proud among the denizens of this landscape. Today many names of our country are in vogue. With these different names viz India, Hindustan, Bharat Varsh, Bharat it is very cumbersome to develop the sense of unity and integrity in the minds of people. When different invaders who came from outside, deposited their authority over this country, they gave this country a meaningless name. Because we can easily defame the image and culture of any nation by giving it a redundant and meaningless name. In our country in different parts people call it differently. Some says it Bharat, some say it India and remaining call it as Bharat-Varsh. With this culture of multi-name we cannot inculcate the spirit of oneness for our nation in the minds of people. If from very beginning, there is a mention in our curriculum that our country has a meaningful single name, then a good and clear cut message goes out in people thinking. The formula of one nation one name gives a strong and powerful message to the inhabitants of it.
- Awareness of National symbols: National symbols are the identity of any nation. We should give information of National symbols of our country to all children of every state through education. These national symbols play a very pivotal role in bringing the feeling of oneness in the minds of children. Our books must be compiled in such a way that it reflects the images of these symbols on their cover pages. When all the children of the country will see the glimpses of these symbols in their books a feeling of oneness and integrity automatically imbibes in their mind. Also there must be a provision of a common pledge for all throughout the entire schools of the country. During morning assembly when all the children of the country take that pledge, a positive and common feeling nourishes in their minds. No doubt there is problem of language barriers in our country. At a distance of every ten miles we can find a different language but we can provide this common pledge in different languages as well as per the suitability of that area. As there is a provision of a common national anthem and song for the entire country. These national symbols connect us with our mother land and culture.
- Common uniform code: There should be a common dress code for all the children of the country. No doubt topographically our mainland has different kind of climate in country, but at least we can select the common colours for all school uniforms. If they wear same kind and colour of uniform in schools, a feeling of oneness automatically imbibes in their mind. It can also reduce gap between different sections and segments of our society. Because we generally see that in our private institutions children came with costly and attractive uniforms as compared to Government schools. It creates a gap and inferiority complex in the minds of children of poor and downtrodden families. In a small region we generally see a wide gap in dressing and life-style of students. If entire country has the same kind of dress code, then the feeling of being a resident of the same country will be strengthened in minds of the children.
- Encourage culture amalgamation: We can see a great cultural diversity in our country. Every state has its unique cultural diversity and identity. During Republic day parade at Delhi. We see the tableau of culture and diversity of different states. From the event of that single day we don’t get so much information about the culture of the people of other states. Provision should be made to arrange such kind of events in more numbers. In different states and schools we can organised such kind of mini-events with possible resources to give information to the children about the different diversity of our states. Every states has its own history and literature. Our country has such a vast topography that we don’t know about the depth of our literature which is in different language. Our books should be design in such a way that they describe the history and literature of other states as well. By reading the history and literature of other states we can easily understand the vivid culture of our country. By this practice a mutual respect and fellow feeling came in the minds of people. Otherwise sometime in ignorance we ridicule the culture, language and diversity of other parts of our country. We can also organise inter states dance, art and recipe making competition in our schools on simulated way. If a Punjabi school boy will imitate the dance of a state in South, it will bring a sense of respect to that state and its rich culture. Similarly if a students from southern part of our country imitate the art of our northern states school, it will create a mutual respect in their minds and behaviour. Such kind of cultural activities and amalgamation of culture is very mandatory to bring close to the people of different states and religion. No doubt it was the dream vision of our forefathers and secular figure of our nation. Syama Prasad Mookherji fought for this throughout his entire life. When there was provision of Articles 370 and 35A in J&K, people generally feel disintegrated and aloof from rest of the country. With abrogation of Articles 370 and 35a now the people are feeling comfortable and confident because by this historic step we are on path of our vision of Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat. Even the role of our freedom fighter Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel can’t be underestimated and ignored. He played a very unique and exemplary role in the unification of different states of our country at the time of partition. Through our curriculum and books we can give information to our children about their vision and sacrifices. Recently our government installed a great statue in the name of the great son of soil. It is the world’s tallest statue popularly known as Statue of Unity. We should give information to children about this historic statue and the role played by this great personality for our country. The biography of such great personalities should be given place in all the curriculum of the country so that the children know more deeply about their country. Such things are very mandatory to inculcate spirit of Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat.
- Celebration of National festivals with enthusiasm & zeal: No doubt our national festivals play a unique role for the integrity of our country, but at some places people generally take these festivals as casual, which must be avoided at any cost. There are some anti-national elements which generally create panic and disturbance during such occasion. We should involve our children at the beginning of their life in such festivals with enthusiasm and zeal. Through well designed curriculum and books we can bring a sense of respect to these festivals in minds of children. Apart from national festivals, we can make children aware of the customs and festivals of other states if they will be included in our curriculum. It has been an irony of our country that we have been told the broken and distorted history of our country by our political parties. Some political parties due to their petty interest and pleasure generally create gap between different regions of our country on the basis of caste, color and creed. These things create dilemma and chaos in the minds of people. It is a stigma for our vision of Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat. The theme of one nation one constitution, one nation one ration card ,one nation one election are very mandatory to inculcate the spirit oneness. Games and sports plays their pivotal role in bringing the feeling of oneness and integrity for a nation. We should focus on such events at regional platform. The organisation of sports event increases cooperation among states and also entertains. There is also an opportunity to understand the culture of two different states through such events. Business also grows and the dream of developed India also gets encouraged. Provision should be made to put national flag on every education institutions across the country. This will create the sense of unity and integrity in the minds of children and people.
All the states and UTs in India should be paired for an entire year. These paired states and UTs have prepared an academic calendar through mutual consultation, paving way for year long process. Such interactions between the teachers, students and others would generate the vibrancy of cultural understanding and forge mutual respect for others. In order to strengthen the bond of mutual respect among states these intra-states interactions are very mandatory and need of the hour. In this modern age of media and information, we can easily achieve our target of Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat spirit. We can organise various webinars, zoom meetings and use other social media platforms to give information to our children at remotest corner. Expert teachers of different subjects like language, history and literature can give their online lectures at other parts of the country and aware the children about the hidden cultural diversity of their states. Students can also interact in such programmes and take benefit of these expertise faculties. Students can also interact with their classmates at other states of the country. We can also play various kinds of documentaries in our schools which gives the information of vivid culture of other state .By organizing such events and online programme at digital platform we can compare and understand the beauty of art, dance ,customs ,rituals ,dress pattern and languages of different part of our country. Through this, children get a chance to know each other. Also affection and brotherhood grow among each other which is the most important thing for a nation. Through education and well designed curriculum we can give information to our children about the heritage of our ancient culture and civilization in a very simple and lucid language of our country. After independence we have been placing more emphasis on English language. No doubt English is considered as the window to the outdoor world. But many developed nations who got advancement did not use this language as their prime language. We can take the example of China and France at world platform.
It is a ripe time to give focus on our own indigenous languages .if we give priority to our mother tongue and national language, a spirit of belongingness and dignity automatically imbibes in the minds of people of the great nation.
If we really interested in inculcating the spirit of Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat in every Indian, then we must avoid the naming culture of our education institutions on the name of religious and orthodox leaders. Such thing creates disintegration and communal tension among the people of different religions.
In our country children of different religions are getting education without any discrimination and disparity. Our curriculum must be designed in such a way that it reflects the secular nature of our country without creating trouble for others, who should get right for reservations and how long it should be considered, is a debatable issue for everyone. We can only move forward as a best nation if no one is ignored and no special status given to anyone.
When we equally treat everyone under the provision of same constitution and design a common policy of education for all, a feeling of oneness automatically came in the minds of people. There is no doubt that India is the country full of diversity. We can’t change the culture religion and appearance of people, but we can change the mindset and spirit of people with the help of righteous education.
Due to influence of foreign education policies and drafts we are forgetting to provide the moral based education to our children.
Moral education is the main strength of our culture and incredible India. Only with the help of moral education we can develop a sense of belongingness for a nation in the minds of people, because our morality advocates the philosophy of affection and care for the nation where we born. We generally call our nation as our Matarbhumi. We had the great importance of Gurukuls and Gurudakshina in our traditional system of education. When we explain these things in our books our children automatically feel proud and dignified, as a result the spirit of Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat originate in their minds. In simple words we can say that education is the only tool by which we can achieve our target and dream of Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat.