Each
time I hear the argument that people had to leave this country because
of the limited opportunities here, and greater creative possibilities
abroad I gasp at the irrelevence of the comment.
The point is that a country and the poor farmers and others nurtured us, and with our privileges we need to serve now. If the country is corrupt, we need to work at that. If its mired in paperwork we need to work at that. Not pack up bags and leave !
Gayathri Nair I wholly agree with the sentiment. We need our quality citizens to serve on the ground.
The point is that a country and the poor farmers and others nurtured us, and with our privileges we need to serve now. If the country is corrupt, we need to work at that. If its mired in paperwork we need to work at that. Not pack up bags and leave !
Gayathri Nair I wholly agree with the sentiment. We need our quality citizens to serve on the ground.
Aparna Krishnan i
differ slightly. The quality people i have known are the ones living in
villages - usually illiterate. But the 'educated' need to repay their
debt to the poor and to their country.
Gayathri Nair I
don't believe I suggested that quality was a function of education, not
even an inverse one, Aparna. So I agree that we do differ slightly.
Aparna Krishnan It
is inverse. Modern education damages in many ways, and also alienates
from the soil. Each and every person it touches, to differing degrees.
Aparna Krishnan The
'quality citizens' you are saying need to serve on the ground - well,
the poor villager is certianly already serving on the ground.
Gayathri Nair I
think that with a broader interpretation of my remarks, there would be
no reason to disagree. I agree that conventional education is damaging
in many ways. However, there are many kinds of education, and there
seems to me no reason to be prejudiced against
education in principle. The learned too must think it worthy to live
and serve here, which may be likelier to happen if society widely
endorses the notion that there is great opportunity for
self-actualization in service. I agree also that conventional education
often fails its higher purpose.
Aparna Krishnan i
am simply saying that the schooled also get alienated from the broader
society, and also get more self centred. that is part and parcel of
schooling. in a wider sense the farmer, the potter, the thatcher, the
housewife all are educators.
Suraj Kumar Gayathri Nair
"The learned too must think it worthy to live and serve here, which may
be likelier to happen if society widely endorses the notion that there
is great opportunity for self-actualization in service.", which, you
realize, is not what school teaches,
right? It is an entirely material narrative devoid of even mentioning
emotions... forget even spirituality ("self actualization", etc., - not
gonna happen that way).
I was taught in school that after science's advent, all these old cultures, where we used to go by "bullock cart" or used to rear cattle, are painted as inferior things to do (given we have "superior" ways of doing the same through industrialization). So, how can an educated person EVER look at a person from a village with respect? At best there could be "pity". But not respect.
Then the BIGGEST LIE OF ALL: uneducated people breed like rabbits and that population is a growing problem that can be controlled through education. It turns out even rabbits don't breed like rabbits.
I was taught in school that after science's advent, all these old cultures, where we used to go by "bullock cart" or used to rear cattle, are painted as inferior things to do (given we have "superior" ways of doing the same through industrialization). So, how can an educated person EVER look at a person from a village with respect? At best there could be "pity". But not respect.
Then the BIGGEST LIE OF ALL: uneducated people breed like rabbits and that population is a growing problem that can be controlled through education. It turns out even rabbits don't breed like rabbits.
Gayathri Nair Aparna, Suraj,
I have not implied that housewives and potters are not educators. I
don't equate conventional school to education and do indeed live by that
principle. However, I do believe in the value of right education and
right learning, and I don't believe that
every kind of learning corrupts. I think it was hasty to judge my views
of what comprises quality and value in education from my remark that
citizens of quality ought to serve this country, which was consistent
with your view that their duty is towards this land.
Gayathri Nair Aparna, Suraj,
I have not implied that housewives and potters are not educators. I
don't equate conventional school to right education and do indeed live
by that principle. However, I do believe in the value of right education
and right learning, and I don't believe
that every kind of learning corrupts. I think it was hasty to judge my
views of what comprises quality and value in education from my remark
that citizens of quality ought to serve this country, which was
consistent with your view that their duty is towards this land.
Aparna Krishnan yes,
the potter's son learning at the potters wheel, and the student of
vedas learning at the guruikula, and the farmer's boy learning at the
field - the real and sustainable and necessary skills empower. modern
education alienates and bestows arrogance.
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