Education For Samajdharana: The Pillar of Societal Progress and Cultural Revival

SOCIETY AND THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

Society is a very complex phenomenon, it needs the support of various social systems to run smoothly. Every individual and variety of groups play their roles in helping society progress and create the ecosystem to allow every entity to grow well as per the needs and potential of everyone. It is a continuous process. Generations after generations individuals get knowledge and get trained to perform and contribute to the development of society,the system of education takes the responsibility of providing suitable human resources. Individuals and groups are trained as per the changing needs, a society is not a stagnant phenomenon, it is a dynamic entity.

Deendayal Ji described it as a living organism where all the limbs and even small entities like cells have a specific function. Every unit has to work precisely, all the systems have to function in coherence. No role is small or inferior to any other. The disposition of every system or cell is such that it is suitable for a particular kind of task. It may be expected by every component to perform its duty as per the role assigned.

EDUCATION AND PROGRESS OF A SOCIETY

The development of a formal education system in a society is an indicator of progress no doubt. It has to grow horizontally as well as vertically. Its spread and ability to render quality education, in a way, provides the strong foundation that any society needs.

FOREIGN RULES AND OUR SYSTEMS

The state ( as an institution ) is supposed to look after the education system for the stability of society. We were under foreign rule for many centuries, first under Mughal rule then under British ruled. They had not come to Bharat to help it grow or to prosper. They aimed to establish a rule that would strengthen their hold and reap benefits. Mughal aggressors looted and plundered Bharat which had a very sound economy and was a prosperous nation ( a developed nation, to use the modern terminology). They certainly tried to convert the citizens using brutal force. They tried smothering the original systems, the treasure of knowledge, and even every symbol that reminded them of the glorious Hindu culture. Temples were destroyed, mosques were built on the same piece of land to humiliate the people, and libraries were burnt to annihilate the fountainhead of knowledge. Universities and schools were closed or denied all the facilities. All these things are recorded in our history.

British rule focused on the things that helped prosper their economy. Of course, conversion was also one of the cardinal objectives. Everything indigenous and somehow escaped destruction, was ridiculed. Our way of life ( not the religion ), our institutions, crafts, and every system that existed or rather escaped Mughal attention was demeaned. The original manufacturing class was destroyed and the capital was transferred to Europe and the earlier period was often described as the era of darkness. It was ensured that every social system would disintegrate sooner or later. We stand testimony to the falling of systems.

As the Mughals tried to devastate the original structure of the vernacular languages and replace it with the language of their choice or understanding, the British too attempted to replace it with English. Right from science everything that was Western was preferred or thrust upon us. Gradually our mindset too started changing, though regretable, is a fact.

THE NEED POST INDEPENDENCE

After independence obviously, this needs to be changed. Deendayal Ji always expressed that our systems have to manifest and maintain our soul, he used the term ' Chiti '. His thoughts were totally ingrained in the Sanatan Dharma, and Bharatiya schools of thought.

He could see that the educational models used by Western countries evolved over the period and the context of the history and culture of the society played an important role in shaping it. They were sculpted by the need of the society,it is certainly not logical to just replicate it in any other country.

THE EXAMPLE OF MEXICO

It is essential to customise any model as per the changing needs and scenarios. Our country had its own educational model. Of course, with time it has to be changed to match the challenges, with the time requirements and preferences taking a different shape. The features that are not needed any more, need to be dropped and substituted by the relevant ones. This is a natural process. When some model is imposed without any such consideration, it leads to nothing but a disaster.

Ivan Illich famous author,( History of Needs, Medical Nemesis, Tools for conviviality, and De-schooling society are some of his well-known books ) described the Mexican experience and the experiment. The Western model of development culminated in some scary effects like erosion of means of subsistence and traditional skills, loss of self-reliance and dignity, displacement from the traditional environment, shift from self-reliant communities to the cash economy, cultural rootlessness and ultimately corruption in politics. The price paid is very high compared to the benefits if any. Thus it was described as sub-desarollo ( a Spanish expression that means under development or backwardness, here it has an economic background also ). The author did not mince the words,' the development that promises enrichment, but it has always meant the progressive modernisation of their poverty '. He described the development model as a myth, it caused a crisis in Mexico.
OUR NEED

We also have adopted the Western model of development and education. The results can be experienced to a great extent.

Of course, it is not expected to replace the present model with the old model of education. We definitely can seek some guidance from the Sanatan Dharma. It is accepted now that Dharma is not a religion, they are the principles that hold the existence of any society. Our country has a rich cultural background, our education system has to reflect it.

Everything that is Western need not be rejected totally or accepted fully. Western experience can be used to accommodate relevant aspects, even the experience of all the other societies can be analysed and scrutinized, and useful features ought to be assimilated. Western model is not essentially universal in nature, it cannot be expected to experience the same stages of development in our country which has a diverse socioeconomic and cultural background. These factors influence the course of development of any country. The problems too differ in nature, the solutions used elsewhere would not solve the riddle if replicated in some other country.

The Western social theories certainly fall short of explaining the social phenomenon in our country and obviously, the solutions need to suit our challenges. Blind imitation would not help. Deendayal Ji explained that problems like inequality or exploitation need to be described using our terms ( the terms have cultural connotations, and can be well understood in the particular socio-cultural context ) and the solution should be designed differently. The diversity that has many forms of expression needs to be dealt with effectively. The socio-economic conditions of the Western nations are not similar to ours, thus, we need to carve a separate path to solve the problems in the light of our traditions and requirements.

A society as we know treated to be a living organism. Social systems are the limbs of society.

EDUCATION SYSTEM

Education system in any society has to play a remarkable role in the progress of a society. If such a system deteriorates, it weakens the soul of the society. When the limbs of an organism become feeble or ineffective, society suffers. The education system, if designed on some model which doesn't suit the ethos or the culture of the society, it gradually loses its utility value. It may even become harmful to society. This doesn't mean that we have to adopt the old model. Any social institution has to change with time, space and circumstances. The needs of society and the objectives of the system have to be mutually complementary, and the sense of unity has to be enhanced. This is the only maxim that helps to judge the value of any decision-making.

As all the systems are limbs of society they are essentially interdependent and mutually accommodating, Deendayal Ji stated. They have to be inclusive, they cannot be conflicting or opposite to other systems. An organism can survive well when there is no internal tussle, no systems contradict other systems.

He was aware that if social systems become ineffective, all the powers get centralised in the State. He knew that the state is not the sole representative of any society. Society continues even after the foreign rules. The nation still exists, it doesn't depend on the state, though the state is an important institution. Deendayal Ji referred to the great Saint Ramdas Swami, he asked Chhatrapati Shivaji to establish his kingdom,( a state), but it was not the supreme authority. ' Bharat always treated Dharm Dand ( the rule of Dharma )as The supreme authority, the king or ruling class represents it. 'The watchman is not more important than the treasure he is supposed to protect ', he described.
The state has to translate the ideals of society into reality.

Chiti used the term for the soul, the laws that help manifest and maintain Chiti is Dharma. A state is described as a Dharma Rajya, it is not a theocratic state. All have to abide by the laws that sustain any society. It is not confined to temples. No doubt it is one of the effective mediums to educate people about the Dharma or rather the temples played the role of an institution that had multiple roles in our society. What we see today is not what they were meant to be. Similarly, schools or the education system too does not constitute knowledge, just attendance is not sufficient to make one educated.

THE ROLE OF EDUCATION

These systems help in sustaining society, the education system is an instrument that has a key role to play in any society. It keeps supplying the trained Human Resources to society by timely identifying the needs of society and developing the institutional structure for it. Such institutions or systems are to be dynamic, they need to keep sensing the demands of the future and change themselves accordingly.

A society ought to create a situation to enables every individual to carry out one's obligations to society by providing necessary education. Educating everyone is in the interest of society, along with education, culture also plays a role in making one a responsible member of society. This is essential for any society. A country has to maintain and protect its people.

Deendayal Ji felt expenditure on education is ultimately in the interest of society. Due to the inability to pay if some are left without education, would society be able to endure the loss for a long time? ( Probably with the same thought many social reformers have been emphasising the necessity of education for women. They cannot be left out of the system and society deprived of their potential to create wealth for society) Investment in education helps a society to reap fruits, and educated people serve society well. The society has to bear the cost of educating the members. ( Probably he had free education for all in his mind. He mentioned some princely states which used to provide free education at all levels. )

An example of Pune is worth mentioning at this point. Probably till 1975 there existed a system to take care of the food of the students. Many could not afford education, the situation was really difficult. Means of earning were very limited, and students had a tough time, but there was a tradition of Madhukari in Pune. Though all faced similar situations, food for one person used to be spared by many families, students used to either dine at one home or get freshly cooked food once a week. One family would provide for one day of a week, this probably took care of food throughout the week. Many used to come to Pune for education. As a child, many who belong to that generation, remember many individuals who achieved the great feat in future, had many times openly and honestly acknowledged the help of this system with gratitude.

Probably this was the way society found to bear the cost of educating struggling students. Thus one can acquire skills to contribute to society and progress as an individual also.

At the same time Deendayal Ji emphasised the fact that the education system is not static, he in a way did not approve status quo mentality. He knew that with time new ideas and institutions have to yield place to new institutions.

Though he expected the reconstruction of the education system after the independence,it was not for clinging to past ideas, institutions and traditions that had outlived their utility. It was not supposed to be clouded by prejudices and the old inheritance. The aim was and has to be, according to him, revitalization of our culture, there was no place for institutions that could obstruct this process. Our system was expected to rekindle our spirit. The self-centred and selfish attitude is to be replaced by a strong desire to serve the nation. This thought has gained importance in the present scenario. When the nation survives all survive, we learned this lesson after undergoing foreign rule for centuries. Individual progress is not supposed to be at the cost of society or conflict with social good. One can find many examples of educational institutions that were established even before independence with the aim of national education and igniting the minds. Our social leaders founded such institutions throughout the country. They wanted the energy of our youth to be invested in the development of society.

Our education system is not supposed to be a shadow of our distant past, nor is it supposed to be an imitation of the education system of any other country.

FOREIGN RULES

We definitely need not be indebted to the British for the system of formal education and English. Every foreign ruler wanted an education system which would strengthen their rule, and so did the Mughals and British. Everything which existed in our country was destroyed, our icons were treated to be inferior. Our deities were described as sinners, evildoers, licentious, and corrupt. They were supposed to be examples of lust, greed, obstinacy and pride. Devotees were reduced to sinners and ignorant. Knowledge and science were supposed to be impossible without the aid of Christianity and in a way education was used as a tool for conversion also. So British replaced the original structure of various social institutions by imposing new structures. Our society was portrayed as without any system to educate people, but it is a fact that our country had a robust education system in place. Our educated class seems to have fallen into the trap of the deceptive narrative. We still find people agreeing with the theory of British rulers.
The native schools were replaced by new schools. When the education system was weaned successfully of the support, the institutions were in a way compelled to beg the government or philanthropists. We can still witness a similar situation in our country to some extent.

Deendayal Ji expected society to take responsibility for education for all as Education influences every aspect of social life. The formal education system is an indicator of social progress also. It ought to expand our culture, we need to make informed decisions in this field. Our national policy of education is a right step in this direction, it offers sufficient flexibility to accommodate the diversity of our country.