Remberging Gopal Krishna Gokhale

On His Centenary Year 2015

He spent last decade of his life to pursue for ‘Compulsory and Free Primary Education for All’ in India. He had to face opposition even at home. Finally, he succeeded to bring a law at Privy Council.

At early Twentieth Century, in his time, there were 2% educated people in India. In 1947, we were 400 millions. Today there are about 400 millions illiterate people. (I do not believe any statistics based on Sample Surveys.) I wonder those who are literate use their literacy in modern India?

I am sure my primary education at my native village in vernacular – Marathi – was possible by his efforts. I gratefully remember him now, and, whenever the issue of Education comes up.

He was mentor of Gandhiji; his mentor was Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade. What a great continuity! Gnadhiji introduced Basic Education... However, bureaucracy failed to implement it with relevance.

I learnt spinning and weaving during primary education, in Konkan where cotton is not produced. There Basic Education in Farming — Agriculture, Aquaculture and Horticulture or Forestry — should have been more appropriate. 

 Read More >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gopal_Krishna_Gokhale

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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Parenthood as Vocation! Any takers!!

Monkey and her baby, Image Source: Internet

Career oriented parents

In a faculty room, once a gossip was going on. I'm half attentive to their talk, while going through exercise papers. Someone, a married lady said, 'better take a baby from shelf'. It caught my attention, but I didn't move my head. It was an unfamiliar elite talk in fashion. There was a lump in my throat. A feeling of nausea was building up inside. At last, humans too are commodity now!

The statement, ‘Taking a baby from shelf’ is like taking ready food packets from a grocery shop; It is an occupation, not a profession, and not at all vocation; it is a labour unpaid-for.

It amounts to building up career, by default, if not design! What is the   motivation behind this temptation? If it is a newly found freedom by the elite, it amounts only falling in fire from frying pan! To understand this, we need to go beyond established rationale of our decadent, fragmented mass society.

Without going into details such as, single mother or single father, live-in relationship, contract marriage, family planning, population explosion, sperm donator, surrogate mother, child adoption etc. We go straight for the parenthood.

Propagation is a plan by Nature

Procreation or Propagation is directly related to the survival of species. It is one of the Five Autonomous Functions bestowed by Nature to all the living beings – plants and animals (human animals included). The other four autonomous functions are Work, Leisure, Learning and Health. These, of course, are facilitated by Nature's schema of Environment, Ecology and Energy for the survival of species.

For example, a cat shift her just born kittens (they are born blind) to safe places to protect them from male cat eating them. Birds – male and female parents – feed their chicks in the nests, until they learn to fly. A lamb, as soon as born, stands on four legs and starts jumping and running around. Fishes lay eggs or fries in shallow waters among reeds etc., in hundreds or more; their survival rate is unenviable.

A plant in summer

And plants! They are the most blessed species: they propagate in various ways. Some of them are pollination by birds, animals, insects who survive on them! Dormant seeds, in millions, germinate as soon as rains begin. If uninterrupted by humans, the plants could grow into wild forests. They could engulf mighty buildings, monuments such as, Angkor in Asia.

Perhaps the human infant faces most precarious conditions from the birth. S/he is fully dependent for their survival on others. Tarzan myth indeed is exemplary, about parenthood.

Formative Age and Learning

The most pertinent question remains. Can social institutions, such as schools, orphanages, hospitals, homes for the aged etc. compensate the need for parenthood?

Family is not an institution, it is basically a unit of a community — a cohesive collective — which gives identity to every individual. The Institutions such as schools, governments etc. are faceless enteritis, where an individual cannot have ethical or moral relationship. For this reason they offer titles and awards.

Formative Age

Family and Community, both, offer building up and flowering of the new born persons at their Formative Age, with culture, values, morality, character, altruism, life supporting skills. This is best illustrated among adivasi – tribal communities. This 'action of building and flowering' of a person is not possible for any school in 'mass education system', even if one may claim to be progressive! They produce 'graded stereotypes'.

Thus teaches Buddha

By our mass education system, designed by the experts who are brought up by the same system, we too think within the same system — within the box. This goes on and on for decades, except for few adjustments and readjustments.

Family or Household

Thankfully Industrialization has successfully turned traditional societies into homogenised mass society, split the joint family into nuclear families, and finally, ended the family too.

Now, a 'family' is popularly called 'household'. It is a unit in the 'Mass Society' not a Community’. Household could be anything: even a group of migrant youths or adults in search of skills, jobs in towns or cities. They have no identity other than their 'occupation'. It is variously called, for example, 'housewife', not mother or grandmother. There the matter ends for the purpose of various surveys; it is useful data for the managers of the country's affairs.

In a country like India, there is so much diversity because of disparity in access to education. It is not that the so-called masses are uneducated: they do sustain by their education, though unrecognized by the system or the government!

Who is supposed to think in such a scenario? Any person — a citizen, young or old — can use creative thinking going beyond the stereotypical daily actions and notions. Everyone is blessed by creativity and personal space; even while doing daily mimicry in occupation.

If everyone practices Creativity, then perhaps Democracy shall begin at grassroots, not at the top rungs of social hierarchies!

And the children! We make them carry heavy school bag packs, books, notebooks and the  subjects... added by the periodical whims of the educationists, and now gadgets such as mobile phones and computers. We want them to be better citizens, before they come of age! In return what do they receive? Chaos perennial!

Complexities of modern urban society pose many challenges to parents. By admitting children to schools at age of three, their social life begins even before they have developed many physical and mental faculties. They enter into an alien world. We hardly know how it influences their Formative Age. A child depends fully on exposure s/he gets, first, at the family and immediate neighbourhood (streets included), then follows the peer group. Later on their public life that begins in formal education which is ready to influence them!

Parenthood is Vocation, not an Occupation

We need to assess and re-asses social situation again and again in the present flux. It may vary for each person or family in each strata of society. The overall situation, however, creates Alienation and Identity Crisis. In such a situation, parenthood is not an occupation, but a vocation which calls for attention, thinking, and meditation; and to reach wise strategies; it may change with every child, and every parent!

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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Mumbai for Women by Women

Remi’s open thinking on the issue

 

We appreciate the initiative “Mumbai For Women” by The Times Of India and IndiBlogger. We, however, feel women should take the lead for the action; hence “By Women” is added.

Mumbai and its Centralized Power

Mumbai's area, population and its socio-demographic-economic diversity are mind-blowing or rather mind boggling. But above all of them is its magnitude of power, or of the centralized power above the regions far and wide.

We have heard that 'power breeds corruption'. Power in every possible aspect of public domain shows corruption, not only economic but even intellectual, which may appear in form of dogmas.

The powers, legally or illegally, cause atrocities on weaker sections. The apparent causes could be any ? land, water, language, region, caste, religion etc.; gender is one of them.

We have seen children are made to beg by gangsters. Women and children become soft targets for atrocities.

Here we are addressing an issue of atrocities on women. These may be prevalent in patriarchal societies across times and places with difference in degrees. We are familiar with names of Sita, Draupadi etc. There have been cases of Sati, child marriages etc. in some societies.

But now the scale of atrocities is unprecedented.

For example: SC slams govt for equating housewives with beggars (HT, July 24, 2010)
It (SC) has also taken strong exception to the government clubbing them with prostitutes, beggars and prisoners in the Census.

I had seen the Census Survey of India of 1980, which mentioned this category. It also categorizes women them as ‘non-workers’, while in reality their share of work larger than males. Perhaps this practice has been going on since British Raj. Hopefully it might have changed now.

We can certainly say this is an act of offense (even by oversight or negligence) by the Government of India.

Mumbai is mini-India / mini-Bharat

There are the First World India, Third World India and Fifth World India (of the displaced and marginalized), and also the Fourth World India (of Adivasi – aborigines).

The Fourth World India is living in the backyard of Mumbai. Their women visit Mumbai, almost daily to sale forest produce, so that they can earn some cash for the family. Aborigines never settle in urban areas.

Of course, they are also living in the National Park at Borivali, since ancient times, long before Gautama Buddha was born.

Hence, we could say the Fourth World India, too, is now in the jurisdiction of Metropolitan City of Mumbai, by Design or Default, to expand Mumbai’s centralized power. Their status, however, in the city is not defined, or is forgotten.

Mumbai's Grey land-use zone – slums – proliferated in urban areas

This is the fallout of legal actions taken by the successive governments since Nehru Era, or even earlier during British Raj, for the Industrial and Economic Development. This has been done without due Rehabilitation of the affected, which creates social, economic, regional imbalance, beyond doubt.

It has also created a class of neo-rich, who indulge in splurge, consumerism… and indulgences! One may take a walk in Mumbai and be an eyewitness to the overpowering disparity and despair.

This is an assault on the weaker sections of the society; by default it affects women.

What is the role of 'For Women'?

If we recall Mumbai’s role in shaping India's freedom, there are many events. Here we mention only one: 'Quit India' movement that started at August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai. We deliberately refer this to Mumbai.

This is part two: 'For Women'. Forget men. Women must take the lead 'For Women'. This is not an elite kitty party. But the kitty parties also may join in.
The last part ‘By Women’

The women should take initiative and start the action. This third part may need some input: 'Learning from the People'. Women in Mumbai, however, should decide their agenda and their course of action. This is not an activism, but it calls for “action” at a personal level, first!

Learning from People: Women in Rural India

1. Among the aborigine communities there is No Gender Discrimination, no prostitution, no female foeticide. Widows and divorces can remarry. The youth (males and females) receive instructions about sex and marriage from the elders.

Besides, no one in their communities suffer from ‘Identity Crisis’, as in the Industrial Societies.

2. We have heard about 'Chipko Movement' started by Chandiprasad Bhut. Women of Bishnoi tribe in Rajasthan practiced it long ago.

3. Sitayana, instead of Ramayana, is composed in 'Ovi' form of poetry in Marathi by peasant women in Maharashtra. They speak about the injustice done to Sita by Rama (compiled by Tara Bhavalkar).

They indeed go beyond popular faith and/or beliefs.

4. Other example: Peasant women forced to shut down the 'licensed' (Read, Legal) liquor shops in their villages, in many parts of the country. They were harassed by their liquor boozer men in their families.

Everything legal does not necessarily mean to give justice.

Urban women, irrespective of their social-economic-political status, must take the lead and run this movement.

Action Plan for the Authorities

 

The Formative Age

 Any adult may check how the formative age has influenced her/his personal course of life; and also find out about the others - known or well-known persons. 

The criminals should be clinically examined by the social and psychiatry scientists as an ongoing research. What more a sick and decadent society could do?

Each offender/criminal should also be treated as a mentally and physically sick / lunatic person. Each one should be treated as a case-study, as if rare / rarest offense.

The details of their Formative Age, work and leisure activities, their companions, family background, education, socio-economic conditions... should be investigated.

In short, find out what leads them to commit any crime/s against females in the society. May the criminals be young or old, irrespective of their status in the society, higher the status of the offender rigorous should be the investigations.

The findings and results should be made public.

Investigate Social Aspects in Multimedia

Multimedia, here, include the cinema, television, Information Technology outlets, such as Internet, games on computers. Most vulnerable exposure to violence (hand-in-hand with love) takes place in cinema and 24x7 television programmes.

Women, being familiar with TV programme, should investigate and evaluate the programmes – serials, news, advertisements etc. On the TV there is always a band running that appeals the viewers for their objections.

Finally, it is necessary to come out of UTOPIA as well as leave the Web of VIRTUAL REALITY, and come down ‘DOWN TO EARTH of Reality’.

What is most essential is one has to go beyond personal likes and dislikes, and look at the whole issue Holistically beyond personal, in the Collective Domain.

Remigius de Souza

Note:

'Heroine of the Desert' by Donya Al- Nahi - I am reading this book (in Marathi, translated by Shobhana Shiknis). It is Donya's own real life story of her mission to bring back the children to their mothers; this is an Action, not merely activism. It is an example what a woman can do for the justice to women in distress.

Read More >>
1. Emergence of The Fifth World India
2. Indian Schooling
3. Nature (Science weekly) has recently published a special issue, Women in Science: Women’s work. A special section of Nature finds that there is still much to do to achieve gender equality in science (06 March 2013).

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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.

Formative Age of a Person

Whose responsibility it is anyway?

"A child's feet are seen in the crib" (The feet show child's future) — How the child would lead life in future — a Marathi idiom. It indicates people's belief in fate. Isn't there any responsibility of the parents / guardians, teachers and society to help child's development? To say tradition is always best is merely a dogma.

Image-1

‘The Formative Age’ by Remigius de Souza, Mumbai, 2003

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Sapling in a Tree-pot

 In the tropics, light and moisture are enough for plants to live.

Even plants turn around in search of light for their growth. In crowded plants each finds its way; sometimes they grow straight up and higher, sometimes bend around, in the direction of light. There are no quarrels, fights, arguments! (If there are any, we do not understand their tongue.)

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Plant on a pavement in Mumbai - 1

This tree is on my usual walkway. During monsoon a beautiful creeper grew in the hollow of its trunk. One day found it vanished: Perhaps a dutiful street sweeper had removed it. At the same time new shoots grow from the trunk and roots.

Wherever there is natural thick tree cover, especially in the mountain ranges, there we get to see such a scene, also in a mass plantation. In cities, too, on the street pavements, the transplanted saplings (from nurseries) helped by watering, invariably grow in various directions.

Municipalities probably do not know the right "places and spaces" for the growth of various plants. Oh, those who don't know about the appropriate 'place and space' for the growth of humans, how could they have any concern for the plants?

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Plant on pavement in Mumbai - 2

Plants, too, wish to live despite various adversities, one of them is modern urban aesthetics (and ethics) about Life and Survival.

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Detail, Plant on pavement in Mumbai - 3

 On pavements of Mumbai/ two generations of the displaced and marginalized are born and grew up. Who knows where did they reach? How could the impotent know?

There is an idiom, 'under a great tree other plants don't grow'. However, it is applicable to plantation by humans. Actually, it refers to great persons, or humans, certainly not great trees.

In a natural forest, a great tree supports many a animal and plant species.
Cut down a great tree and see what happens. It not only destroys Life of so many species, but also, affects environmental balance, reduces ground water, causes desert to expand, droughts and famines begin...
But what is it to the egocentric, greedy power-mongers? No regrets or shame! If poor ryot starve, it is not a spicy news story!

Mother Nature, 'Srishti', provides resources (and autonomous functions) for the sustenance and protection to all the species — their body and mind — in their schema, may they be bacteria or human species. Her management is not at all like that of selfish, power-greedy civilized societies. Not even their gods (of human species) can interfere in Mother Nature's affairs.

Nature, here, isn't romantic greenery in poetry / fiction. Just as Mother Nature occupies all the known-unknown universes, so also is within us.
She does, so do we, want us to grow in body and mind, which requires appropriate 'place and space'. 

Here, 'place' is not area, i.e. sq ft/sq m area by government rule book. And 'space' is not 3D box/block in geometry.

 

 Two extreme examples

First example is of the collective, and second is of an individual. These are two far ends of recent examples from civilized society.

1st. In Vietnam a generation was born on the war field, grew up with gun and fought war with the US. The US lost the war.

2nd: Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of former Baroda State. His relations with British Raj are well known. His comprehensive development work for People is more eye-catching than his worldly wealth.
Who was Sayajirao? A boy, from a humble family, adopted in the royal family to be a king!
What is the use of mere wealth of a rich person without right formation? Truly he was 'Rajarshi', Sage-King or Sage-Statesman.

Between the two ends in the above two examples, it may be worth to examine a million cases. But the advance societies/experts stop short at sample surveys. In their tongue there is no idiom, 'as many persons that many characters'.
Otherwise they often publish reports, about Internet, TV, cell phone users etc.

There is a third example, outside civilized society. Here it is mentioned only for record though most important. Most people are not familiar about them. They are the aborigines, 'adivasi', communities in India and the world. Their communities and culture have beginning in the remote ancient times.
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Notes:
1.The poster was written while I was writing a number articles on education during past three decades.
2. This post is translated from the original post published on my Marathi blog: REMICHI MARATHI BOLI.
3.  I have written few notes about the aborigines in India. Some are published in print and on this blog.

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©Remigius de Souza, all rights reserved.