The author of this book is
an authority on studies of languages in India.
His scholarship and contributions are in the fields of fighting for the
rights of people who are speaking langages that are fast disappearing or in danger
of becoming extinct. He considers that
with the disappearance of each language a whole range of knowledge, lifestyles
and a part of human civilization disappear.
These can never be retrieved. He
has been instrumental in conducting and publishing a Linguistic Survey of
India, a fifty volume series. He continues to be an activist, for Tribal
rights, their language rights and, in the fields of education.
In this book he deals with
the concept of Knowledge and Education in India. He traces these concepts from the Vedas
through the British rule and unto the present times. Each of the statements made in this book is
based on his knowledge, existing records and texts. Like an investigator, he goes on building up
his arguments on the basis of facts, available data published by appropriate
authorities and arrives at the reality.
G.N. Devy initiates his
discussion with the redefining of knowledge after the arrival of colonial
masters. They focused entirely on the
texts in Sanskrit and Persian. Often in India,
Max Mueller is quoted for praising Indian (read Sanskrit) literature. Devy states that Max Mueller was in the
minority amongst the European contemperories and Administrators. European Administrators had the idea that
they are here for ‘civilizing’ India.
Their views influenced contemparory Indians. Indians were excited about modern English
education and simultaneously dismissed Indian forms of knowledge that was
common among native literate class.
Devy quotes Gandhi ‘When
British came to india, instead of taking hold of things as they were, began to
root them out”. Then they killed the
tree of knowledge. The british cared
about paraphernalia, building,
Class room etc. Indian system of
education was not reckoned as school education.
Gandhi threw the challenge that, if education is thus redefined
nobody would be abale to fulfil a programme of compulsory primary education of
the masses within a century”. We can
only wonder how correct he was.
Indians have either entirely
dismissed all that we had cultivated as Knowledge or tend to glorify that
imagined past. Thus we have lost
critical appreciation. Here comes the
question of Indian past ‘where various theological schools inscribed
‘discrimination as a social norm in india’. Thus three things, 1) Caste
discrimination 2) Colonial Cultural domination and 3) continued knowledge
imperialism of the west, had reduced education to a severe mockery of the idiea
of education.
In ancient periods,
education was respected as a repository of collective memory. Then it became training of minds. However, during the last few centuries, “education
has become a scrutiny regime that a young person must imbibe in order to be
socially acceptable, economically productive and be approved as politically
non-volatile”.
Other factors that affected education were 1) Withdrawal of State from
education and 2) Artificial Intelligence.
With the privatization of education comes the idea of ‘knolwledge for
profit’. It was forgotten that
‘education’ was a cultural product for creation of which a large number of
selfless individuals had given their all.
Their vision and creation cannot be made to suit the disinvestment for
the benefit of economy.
He points out that ‘the idea
of producing Engineer and Doctors as manpower for economic development gained
ground and all secondary eduction got bogged down under its crushing
pressure’. All in all, we now have
millions of children who simply drop out because there is nothing in school that
can retain them. Those who continue
have to study in a manner such that their ability to think originally is
systematically curtained
At an early age. The college level institution too defines
success in terms of placement for jobs and how much the graduates can draw a
their first salary. What about
knowledge, thinking, questioning, reasoning, quest, research and persuit of
truth?
Teacher and student
relationship has been turned into one of an arid clientalism, a paisa vasool
model, good for bargaining in second hand shops but a misfit for a world of
values.
Despite a large number of
institutions coming into existence rapidly, in 2014-15 only 24.3 percent (All
India figure – Tamil Nadu is 46.9 percent one of the highest in India) eligible
persons had been able to gain admission in them. Budget allocation for higher education remained
very low, (0.26 percent), a little over one fourth of one percent of GDP. There is further a glaring disadvantage for
girls in the system. The decay and
decline of the knowledge institution is worsened by frequent intimidation and
brow-beating of institutions that still care to produce thought and raise
challenging questions. This show of raw
strength matches the show of unmasked affection for the like minded or the
kinship based, when it comes to academic positions. The principle is simple, if we pay for you,
you must play the tune of our choice.
The point is that academic excellence does not appear to be the primary
goalpost of education.
This small book very clearly
establishes the links between Vedic education and our modern rote education
which give importance only to memorizing and not questioning. I feel that concept still continues to
operate in the educational system, though everyone knows that and does nothing
about it. Further, in the name of
withdrawal of state, private entities are allowed to make unlimited profits.
Knowledge is reduced to producing workers and not thinkers.
We have a long way to go
before India becomes a knowledge society, the words which are often quoted and not
thought about or sought after. Very depressing
scene indeed.
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