Study of Social Studies

This is in continuation of the previous post referring to the controversial text book. My attempt is to bring forth some salient issues arising out of the arrival of the text in the Society.

The first important thing is that even those who never bothered about what is being taught in schools have suddenly become aware of what is happening there. The second thing is that the message of forcing issues through mass movement, covertly conveyed by the book, is really being practiced by different groups to protect, or protest against, their interests.

The extracts appearing in the first chapter to display the social situation that existed in Kerala are at least a hundred years old and have no current relevance. The first one about Koodalloor Mana is likely to create a hatred against the Namboothiri clan, though they had done a lot to preserve and promote many forms of the Arts and Literature of Kerala. . The situation described in the second extract to portray the plight of the farmers is far from what exists in Kerala now. Though it might be true that through the Agrarian Revolution and the Land Reforms Act sponsored by the 1957 Government, the Landlords lost their lands and the farmers became the owners, thereafter the farming lands were largely converted for other purposes because paddy cultivation became a hazardous endeavor. The involvement of political parties in organizing the unions of farm workers to protect their ‘rights’ dissuaded the ordinary farmer from paddy cultivation. Many of them turned to cash crops and sent their children to the Gulf for menial labor, which sustains the Kerala economy somewhat, rather than the reforms brought about by successive governments. The recent incident, of the farmers rendered unable to reap his harvest because of the hurdles created by the Marxist Unions will be fresh in the minds of the children.

The charges raised against the chapter on Religion are somewhat manipulated. The text does not contain anything against religion, but is cruelly selective about the extracts chosen. The names mentioned in the extracts that refer to Christianity and the Muslims are comparatively unknown and are praised as ‘the reformers’ of the evils that existed in those religions. The complaint of the protagonists of these religions is perhaps that the greatness of themselves or their religions is not properly highlighted. Similarly, the references to Channar Lahala, Vaikom Sathyagraham and Guruvayur Sathyagraham also project the highhandedness of the Upper Class in the society, which was properly settled through the mediation of the Mahatma. In short, all this is likely to create a divide between the upper and lower strata of society.

But the funniest thing noticeable in this chapter can best be likened to teaching animals to be ashamed of their nakedness. Children in schools are generally unaware of religious and caste differences. They don’t make friends and teams after confirming it. Now, when this controversy has been planted in the society, they have begun to inquire about the religions and castes their classmates belong to! This is a venom purposely inculcated in the society by the politicians for their own personal gains. No child is involved in the eruption of communal clashes; they just don’t understand why people kill their neighbors and why their friends are orphaned. The teacher in the class himself will have great difficulty in explaining terms like Channar, Dalithan, Avarnan and Savarnan. Why should we fill our children’s mind with some poison that they do not possess?

The lesson Mathamillatha Jeevan creates another problem. The parents postpone the decision about the child’s Religion to a later time. When he grows up, the child will curse his parents for not giving him a chance to get the benefits of Reservation under SC/ST/OBC quota, which he will not earn if the fact is not entered in the admission register. His position is worse still if he wants to contest the elections or become a minister! Under whose quota will he become eligible?

The chapter on Freedom Movement disregards many great men who strove hard to achieve Independence and in their place, some comparatively irrelevant individual struggles are mentioned. The quotation from Nehru itself is highly manipulated to serve some vested interests. You cannot show just the image of the elephant's tusks and say that it is a picture of the elephant and it is white in color!

The other serious charge raised by the antagonists is the attempt to spread Communism. This perhaps results from the ubiquitous thread of mass movement against the establishment running throughout the first three chapters. It appears that all extracts are poignantly selected to emphasize its effectiveness in all social issues. Rightly, the Opposition, the Clergy and other social organizations are resorting to this method to fight against the text, which they consider a stick provided by the present Government to beat it with!

In a State where every issue, whether it be price rise or lack of rain, is taken to the streets and ends up in hartal, what is right or wrong? The leftists are perhaps reaping the backlash of their own culture or are they making use of this as a hideout to cover their incapacity in governance? Let us not be surprised if there is a hartal in Kerala when the Americans land on the Mars for the first time!

Typical Kerala Culture

For the last one week or so, the streets of Kerala are agog with the agitation launched by the youth wings of the opposition parties. Khadi clad men run around pelting stones and the policemen make merry with sticks and teargas shells. Broken foreheads, bloodstained shirts, shouting young men fleeing from the police and the men in khaki wielding their wares in self-defense and in counter-attack, all steel the show in the visual media. The ruling and opposition parties blame one another for this calamity.

It all started with the introduction of a text book in the 7^th Class for Social Studies. The book is supposed to contain all modern thoughts meant to reform the students, according to the Education Minister and the party that supports him; the opposition comes from all those who are not in power – political parties, religious groups and some social organizations. More are threatening to join the fray. The youth wings of the ruling party are getting ready to defend the Government in their own way. The fun of the thing is that not many have seen or read the book; those who support or oppose the book generally act on hearsay. Nobody really knows the worth or ‘unworthiness’ of the book. The struggle will end only when the book is totally withdrawn, if we can believe what the agitators say.

I was fortunate enough to get the first three chapters of the book through internet. I have made a thorough study of the contents and, with my 32 years of teaching experience and more of the political atmosphere existing in Kerala, I am bound to say that this is a thoroughly unwanted controversy. For one thing, the book doesn’t fulfill any of the requirements of a teachable text; secondly, the presence of such a book in the State Curriculum in the 7^th Standard is not going to make much of a difference in the social atmosphere of Kerala or the academic brilliance of the student. This is especially true because he is assured of 100% pass up to the 9^th standard and in SSLC, one seldom fails!

The only effect that this book is likely to bring about is a major tear in the social fabric, a severe breakdown of law and order. Peace in the State will be terribly disturbed as the followers of Gandhi have discarded Sathyagraha and Ahimsa and have taken themselves to the streets; the followers of Marx are already famous for their militancy. Other groups who are more vociferous and villainous have offered to add fuel to the fire. The policy is to go to the street, attack the policemen, get beaten up and complain about police atrocities. How long will this continue and what will be the ultimate fallout? Not even God knows in God’s own Country!

Clash of Bureaucracy

It seems that the Government of Kerala is bent upon taking idiotic decisions and then resisting to correct themselves. It started with Munnar evacuation. Hailed as the most positive move even by the High Court, the attempt stumbled half way with the coalition partners taking drastically opposite stands. Similarly, many other moves of the Government to interfere with land acquisitions met with disastrous consequences, including the resignation of the Chief Secretary. The parties involved are adamant on not correcting themselves.

The latest in the row is the Golf Club issue. Now, some of the Government Secretaries are made pawns in the hands of the ruling political parties; they are made to give conflicting affidavits in the High Court on behalf of the Government! Paradoxically, one accuses the other of telling blatant lies. The spokespersons of the Government, including the Chief and other ministers, keep a studied silence – waiting for the Court to arrive at some decision! That too, at a time when there is such a hue and cry about the Judiciary overruling the Parliament!

Strange are the ways of the Political parties. One can only feel sorry for them. If the newspapers can be believed, the present LDF Government has driven away at least 35 IAS officers from the State within these two years, either discontented or incriminated. Those entrusted with power, by the people through an overwhelming majority, neither know how to rule, nor do they allow the experts to do that. What prospers in the State are the Hartals and strikes organized by the ruling parties, blaming the Central Government for the State’s incapacity to handle things.

Perhaps this is what happens when demolition experts are entrusted with the job of construction!

A Comeback Issue

It is almost a year since I published anything in this blog. I think I would revive my habit and try to post some hot issue pertaining to Kerala every week.
The rage of the season is about the fake saints that come up every now and then. I do not intend to mention any names, but I would insist on saying that the age-old practice of renunciation and acquiring knowledge through looking into oneself is totally negated; the present trend is to attract maximum number of people through some feigning and cheap tricks and make maximum money. The robe of the saint and long hair combined with something of a growth around the face might come in handy. The world is full of frustrated people who cannot wait before running to a new born trickster in search of a panacea.
The fun of the thing is that most of these tricksters get ample support and finance from the political bigwigs; their effort is well augmented by Government Officials and Police Authorities who also might have a lot to stow away from what they have looted from the public.
Whatever be the case, all the publicity, media coverage and the sham called investigations are about to prove only one thing - that is, nothing can be proved. Nobody will be convicted, nor will anyone proved guilty. The Government machinery is strong enough to achieve that.