Rural Uplift

             Gandhiji said that India lives primarily in villages. But when we talk of the country’s progress or achievement, we only think of India’s cities. The facilities that a townsman gets are beyond the dreams of an average villager— telephone, television, refrigerator, air-conditioned rooms, cars and what not. We can say that the cities are flourishing and the villages are going down day by day.
             Only very recently people have started realizing the anomaly of the situation. India needs village uplift, and planning for India’s economic progress means planning for the prosperity of rural India. Villages need, first of all, drinking water, good paths, primary and secondary education, training for agriculture and cottage industry.’ When the villagers are well off and healthy, India as a whole will prosper.
             Two important things in this respect are Village Panchayet and Rural Banking. Village panchayet gives the villagers their democratic rights. Through panchayet which the villagers themselves manage, the common people have the taste of power. They learn how to take the initiative in their own matters. Secondly, the banks in the rural areas free the poor villagers from the clutches of the money-lenders. The bank loans encourage the rural folk to be independent and to spend on fertilizer and pumpset and thus to modernize agriculture.

Television - Its Uses and Abuses

             The television is one of the wonders of modern science. With the invention of television we are on the threshold of a new era. Radio brought us voice hut television has added vision to it. It was invented by J. L. Baird, a British scientist in 1923 and the American scientist C.G. Jenkins, made great improvements on Baird’s instrument.

             The television may be called a mini-cinema. Like cinema it gives u both sights anti sounds simultaneously. It not only makes the distant objects visible but also helps to hear what sound they make. Thus brings us in close contact with the real world outside: On a T.V. set we can see the president presenting the Academy Award, Prime Minister receiving the foreign dignitaries, a batsman scoring a century amidst the applause of thousands of spectators or a cosmonaut flying in hi spacecraft.

             The utility of television is unlimited in modern life. Now we need not go out in sun and shower of witness a football match of a theatre at the risk of our life or limb. We can easily and comfortably enjoy them on a T.V. screen in our drawing room. Discussions are now held before our eyes by intellectuals and VIP’s. Thus the T.V. has brought the whole world into our drawing room.

             But T.V. has its evil effects too. It has become a status-symbol. It’s craze with the youngsters to attend regular T.V. programme. Excessive fondness for T.V. is injurious to eyesight. Young students are sometimes so much attracted to it that they waste their valuable time and neglect their studies. So we should better choose the T.V. programme and utilise the television in belier way.

The Two Foolish Cats

             One day, two cats were passing through the backyard of a large house. They found a big piece of cake lying there. They immediately took it and ran away. They were very happy to get the sweet cake for their lunch.
             They sat under a tree to enjoy the cake together. But both of them want to eat the bigger share of the cake. “I saw the cake first”, said one of the cats, “so I must get the bigger part of it.”
              “No”, protested the other cat,” I picked up the cake first and so I must get the bigger part.

Our National Characters

             Since the ancient time India bears a national character of its own. India is a sovereign democratic republic. So democracy is the main feature of its national character. India opted for such a government when she emerged free from the colonial rule. She is the largest democracy in the world. So a democratic constitution is formed which enables Indian masses to elect their representatives for forming a government of their own. In spite of the appalling ignorance and poverty of our mass, India has a structural order capable of evolutionary changes and developments. We have shown to the world our fervent faith in parliamentary democracy which taught us how to accept changes brought through the ballot box.
             The other side of India’s national character is religiousness. 
This religiousness contains purity, honesty and sacrifice. There are many monasteries in India where spiritual training is given. This spiritual character is the principle feature of Indian way of life.
             The basic religious concept comes from the belief in the Supreme God. To attain Him, the people must meditate with the spirit of purity, honesty and sacrifices in their heart. The purity makes our people soft tempered and the honesty of Indian people is well-known to the world.
This national character made India peace-loving and thus fraternity mainly determines India’s foreign policy. India’s religion of love, compassion and equality is spreading widely throughout the world. Even the Americans also became interested in the Vaishavism of India. Thus, from time immemorial courage, purity of mind, honesty of character and the spirit of sacrifice made us nationally integrated and India has become the symbol of love, brotherhood, equality and dedicated service for the suffering humanity. That is why, India was the main leading force behind the seventh non-aligned movement which was based on the spirit of Friendship, Unity and Co-operation.

The Fox and The Grapes

         One summer day a fox felt very hungry and thirsty. He was on the look out for something to eat. He came to a vineyard full of ripe grapes. But they were high up, hanging down a vine. He thought, “Oh, how nice and sweet are these! I must have some of them.” The fox stood upon his hind legs, but could not reach the grapes. He then jumped once, twice, thrice, but all in vain. Each jump was still too short. At last the fox felt sure that he could not get at the grapes by any means.
Just at the moment a friend of the fox came to the spot and said, “Brother, why don’t you try for the grapes? They are ripe and so sweet.”
The fox at once replied: “These grapes are very sour. It is not worth while trying to get them.” So saying he went away,

Moral: When a thing is beyond reach, attribution of sourness to it is the consolation.

Science and Superstition

              Can any country in the world, even the most advanced, say that their people do not have superstition about certain things? In one form or other, superstition seems to exist in even the most advanced countries. Even the advancement of science has not been able to eradicate this bane from the human society.
              Superstition comes in various forms. 13 is considered an unlucky number by most people. In certain parts of the world, a person stops in his track when someone sneezes behind him. A person is asked to sit down for a few moments someone calls him from behind just when he is about to Leave a place.
              But, it is a good sign that with the advancement of time superstition has gone down, if not drastically, at least to some extent. These days most people are not worried about what they cat before they start a journey. These days people are more concerned about the best available facilities one can avail of, rather than depend on the stars and planets to tell them about everything in life.
              Science has helped in getting over some wrong ideas. Previously the eclipse used to be treated as the works of an angry god, but these days it is taken for granted that it is a natural process. But in the villages this idea is still very much present. Recently there was an incident when a young child was sacrificed because the people thought that the sacrifice will make the god happy and will bring blessings in their daily life. One hopes that these sort of things will disappear very fast.

National Integration

          India, a multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-racial country, has always enjoyed the essential unity of cultured amidst diversity that has kept her people united. Great religious and social leaders have; by their preaching from time immemorial, enabled the masses of India to imbibe the spirit of brotherhood. But of late, narrow religious and regional feelings plague the country. Divisive forces are rampant in the Punjab, in the North East, region and in few other parts of the country. This is highly detrimental to the existence of India as a nation. This problem of dissension and disintegration can only be solved by subduing the regional and parochial feelings. Forces of disruption are fed by poverty, lack of education, economic distress and by the indiscriminate partiality of the Centre. To eradicate this, there is the need of alleviating economic distress of the people, but greater is the need of spreading education. Emotional integration of the country as of the highest importance. A genuine sense of oneness of India and a feeling of kinship between one Indian and another should be instilled, in the hearts of the people. This line of action should be started immediately so that the future generation can be taught in this line. Our smaller loyalty is to our states, to our languages, to our religion, doubt, — but our larger and inviolable loyalty is to our entire country— this should be the maxim of all Indians.

A Rainy Day

              The sky was overcast with clouds and I knew It was going to be a heavy rainy day. It was July, The month of rains and raincoats. I did not dare to stir out, but just then came my friend Suvro. He said he had with him two guest cards for a cultural show at the music hall. So we two must go I pointed out to the threatening clouds outside and tried to dissuade him, but to no use.
              I was a fool to put trust in his words. For no sooner had we reached the Street corner than it began to drip-drop. It developed soon into a downpour. We stood squeezed in a bus stand. The blasts of wind gave us a thorough drenching. It seemed the whole sky was melting into rain water and we had been back to the days of Noah’s ark. The road looked like a pool all along. Some paper boats were flowing down the water. Perhaps some children had put them on the flowing water for play. Some vehicles got stuck and looked helplessly around.
              I could see a lone bird that looked afraid, perching on a wayside veranda. I felt sympathy for this poor creature. My friend had lost his optimism by now, for it was still raining incessantly. The music of the rain was the sole substitute for the function at the music hull. I and my friend stood stranded for hours in that bus stop and cursed our lot.

Man and Trees

              Man and trees are inseparable. There is a long association between man and trees. Roth man and trees are dependent on each other and one cannot live without the other. Man exhales carbon die-oxide which trees inhale Trees give out Oxygen which man inhales. Trees maintain the eco-system.

              Trees give us wood, fruits, shelter and what not. From wood we made furniture, doors and windows, ships and so many things. Such things are of great economic value. Trees give shelter to animals, prevent soil erosion, attract rains and add to the beauty of nature. But missives deforestation all over the world is now polluting the environment and making the earth unfit for living. It is also causing much economic loss.

              Environmental pollution and economic losses have now alerted all the world. So massive programmes of Afforestation have been taken all over the world. Every year there is a day for tree plantation. Environmental pollution have become a thing of great concern in India today. So we have taken up programmes for tree plantation. Vano Mahotsava is now observed all over the country. Saplings are planted here and there beside the roads. People are urged to plant and protect trees. Our forests should also be preserved properly.

Obedience

              Obedience means: submission to superior authority or to follow unconditionally an acknowledged code of conduct. In a word, to do what a superior or senior asks us to do is obedience. Obedience, in fact, forms the basis of discipline in the family, at school, or in society.
              Obedience is one of the precious traits in human character. It does not originate from slavishness or fear of punishment. It has its roots in love and loyalty or gratitude and regard for sense of duty. In the family, obedience is always due to our parents or elders because we love them and feel grateful to them for what they do for us. A student at school obeys his teachers because he respects them for what they do to coach his mind and ford sis character. We obey the laws of society because that helps us to live together honorably and peacefully.
              Obedience has a great formative influence on character. It instills into us the qualities of co-operation, tolerance and selflessness. By obeying our parents or elders, teachers or seniors, superiors or the laws of the society, we only learn to control or drill our caprices. That is how we learn to live a co-operative life and grow up to be law-abiding, respectable citizens.
              The success or failure of a human organization certainly depends on two supplementary virtues, — discipline and obedience equally of the subordinates flout the seniors’ instructions, if a soldier challenges his commander’s orders, there will be a total collapse of the society or government. Every social institution or governmental organization needs somebody to give order and somebody to obey and thus human civilization survives and thrives collective.

Mass Literacy Campaign

             Illiteracy is the worst problem of a country. The illiterate people are the heaviest burden of the nations. No population with its major bulk of illiterate people can substantially help a country in its march ahead — however big the population may be. Illiteracy makes the people superstitious and back-dated in thoughts and beliefs. Illiterate persons cannot ably participate in the glorious task of nation-building. They alway tend to cause the socio-economic retardation of a country. It is, therefore, one of the most formidable problems a country can suffer from. 
             Illiteracy always stem from stark poverty, negligence of the rulers and also from lack of consciousness, both of the government and of the people. The government may at times will fully design to keep the major portion of the population in the darkness of illiteracy so that labour can be obtained at a cheap rate, and also for the reason that the people will not dare rise in anti-government movements. Sometimes, the policy of the government is such that the rules only safeguard the interests of the privileged classes throwing the backward classes to the wolves, illiteracy is a sure outcome of such governmental indifference and partiality.
             Spread of free education and foundation of schools in the countryside is one of the sure solutions to this problem. Of all the Indian states, our state government has been regularly allotting the biggest chunk of the annual budget for the propagation of education, especially, at the primary stage. They are already being conducted on the governmental level. Furthermore, a school for a village is the avowed policy of our government. The teacher, have been granted handsome salary so that they can fully dedicate themselves to the cause of propagating mass-education. The public charitable and the social welfare organizations have come forward with the free adult education schemes. The students also have come forward with their fullest cooperation in this realm of spreading literacy amongst the poor villagers and slum-dwellers.

Importance of Vernacular in Education

            Introduction of English as the most important medium of education in India came as a blessing as it promoted a nationalistic outlook of unity amongst the millions of Indians who were hitherto divided by diverse languages, religions and creeds. But, it was also a curse in disguise. It made people with English education look down upon their own folk who had not schooling in English. Education in vernacular was neglected. Western culture and thoughts predominated, in every phase of life. Sheer imitation of European way of life prevailed in Indian society.

            Knowledge of English was, and is, no doubt, still essential for the Indians. But its retention as the medium of instruction in post-Independence India has no meaning actually. Most countries of the world proudly and efficiently use vernacular as the medium of education. But in India, owing to its multilingualism and colonial past, a strong controversy still lingers over the rightful status of vernaculars as the medium of instruction. Even today, after sixty-six years of independence, English medium schools are mushrooming and a big section of our affluent people feels proud that their children study in English medium institutions.

            English, by history and tradition, occupies a very important and prestigious position in our social life. Yet, it should not and must not be the medium of education. The soul of a nation can never attain its highest development and brightest expression through an alien medium. It is essentially the mother tongue that our poets and literatures shall speak in while they invoke the new age. Our scientists shall explain new inventions in our mother tongue while it is in our vernacular that our thinkers shall pour out their precious knowledge. This alone can intake our study truly fruitful. Tender-aged students cannot study and learn easily through a foreign medium. Use of vernacular will infallibly grow greater hope and confidence in our people. And then, the age-old tumbling blocks of illiteracy ignorance, superstition and orthodoxy will automatically vanish forever.

Reading of Biographies

            A biography is a book on a celebrity written by a competent writer who knows his subject intimately and authoritatively. It is the written record of man. Hence a biography is always a memoir, a precious legacy handed down to the people. It is a valuable popular document to be investigated into. There is another type of biography, an autobiography. It is written by one about oneself. But both the types lead to the identical goal to furnish the readers with the authentic exposition of the self in the truest perspective of the contemporary society. So, the study of a biography or of an autobiography has twofold contributions — a thorough study of an entity, as well as, a vivid presentation of a contemporary society with its values, ethics and aesthetics.
            Biographies of all sorts are no mere diaries or chronicles. They possess intrinsic values — they interpret cultural norms of their societies in the light of the historical relevance of their own time-Spans. Biographies are not merely euphonic eulogies pronounced on their master-character, they practically embody the comprehensive explanations of the ‘self’ in relation to his pertinent phase of time. Hence, such records have epochal and epical contributions of forming the norms of perennial values. Such books contain connotative as well as denotative meanings. They always tend to possess the strength of ‘soul’ or ‘clean vital’ to ennoble the morality of the readers, to, imbue them with the spirit of deeper dedication and greater sacrifice for all.
            Biographies and autobiographies are integral part of literature. They are the real introductions of ‘selves’ to their readers. Autobiographies like ‘My Experiment with Truth’ (M. K. Gandhi), ‘Chhelebela’ (Rabindraiiath Tagore), ‘My Struggle’ (Hitler), or of Isadora Duncan, Pandit Ravi Sankar and of many other celebrities as well as Biographies of Ramkrishna Paramahansa (by Romain Holland or Achinta Kumar Sengupta), of P. B. Shelley (named Aerial), of Machiavelli (by many writers), ‘Memories’ (Lenin’s life by his wife), of Julias Fuchik (by many authors), of Ramkinkar Baij (by Samaresh Basu) and of many other personalities written by competent writers offer as happy reading as ennobling values and ideals. 
            The grown-ups as well as the young should cultivate the habit of reading biography and auto-biography. The readers will positively find in these books some ideologies to guide them, some vision to lead them and some morals to become their props and pivots to rely and rest upon in the moments of stress and struggle.

A Vision of India's Future and your Roll in it.

Points: Independence in 1947 — collective efforts needed — future India — Individual contribution.

            A gulf yawns between the India of today and the India of my dream. India was under the British rule for nearly two centuries and her growth as a nation was crippled by the subjugation. The political freedom achieved in 1947 opened the floodgates of progress and new possibilities. We began our journey then towards economic self-sufficiency and social justice. The march is still on and the goal still enticing. 
We are all creatures of history. But history is no accident, it is created by man — not by a single man but men taken collectively and every man has something to contribute to the common destiny. The individual effort contributes to the collective pool and the individual’s dream to the collective dream.
            I would like to see in near future my country make rapid progress and catch up with the advanced countries like USA, USSR and Japan. The India of my dream will be free from poverty, disease and superstition. It will ensure an egalitarian society of peace and amity. Its people will enjoy the latest benefits of modern science anti will also have a scientific attitude to everything. The dreams of Swami Vivekananda and Rabindranath will become a reality. India will be free from poor imitation of the West and free from false dogmas. The differences between towns and villages will go and men and women will become equal partners in all fields of life. Literacy will be universal and the country’s air and water will be pollutant-free. Solar energy will be, widely used like computer, and India will be a leading country in space researches. Science and culture will flourish equally in the India of my dream.
            My role in achieving the dream will be doing my best at whatever post I happen to be. I will contribute my mite and will expect others to do theirs. Just as drops of water make an ocean, so each individual effort, each act of honesty, integrity and patriotism will, I believe, bring my dream of a bright, happy and modern India to a living reality.

Student Unrest

Points: Unrest among students is symptomatic — The mayor causes — Teachers’ role to remove unrest.

            People talk about unrest among students. They complain that there is more indiscipline among students now than before. Students form the youngest section of our population. By nature, youths are full of vitality and activity. If that energy finds no normal outlet, they become restive.
            Students are not independent of the society they live in. If the society is full of anomalies, the students cannot but he affected by them. Poverty, injustice, corruption, unemployment, strike, immorality, opportunist politics, illiteracy, diseases — these have their evil effects on the young minds. They become attracted to violence and anarchy. They suffer from tension and often lose mental balance. The growing unrest among students is only a reflection of the growing disorder in the society itself. It has to be remedied there.
            The educational institutions should have their independence. Otherwise they will be overshadowed by politics and will become the hotbed of all the evils of politics. We need bold and upright teachers who alone can turn the tide and give a new leadership. The students need living examples before them. They need hope and encouragement and also some idealism. If they have these, there will be no unrest among students any longer.

Students and Politics

            In a democratic country like ours, it is the privilege of every citizen inlet he or she can do anything, can join any political party, is free to exercise his own opinion, has the right to cast his vote after he becomes an adult. These are our constitutional rights.

            Student-life is the proper time for developing one’s reasoning faculty. There is nothing wrong in being interested in politics when one is a student. A student should be aware of his rights and accordingly decide what he will do. Though a student must give his studies the foremost place, he may develop the political ideas in his student-life.

            But it is set off on the part of the political parties in our country to catch the students and enroll them as members, because in doing so, they are not helping the students in any way. In colleges it is generally found that students are literally coaxed or forced to join parties. This is not right. The students must not be led into active politics. On the other hand, it would be a healthy atmosphere if the students are allowed to develop their own outlook as well as to take part in any kind of social activities after their choice. The student-life is meant for acquiring knowledge through education. Education makes the personal outlook broader and it helps us to develop our concepts of values and integrity. But, for these achievements, discipline and character are two important things. Politics tends of pollute the immature reasoning of a student and thus ultimately spoil his education. Hence a student must never indulge in active politics. His primary duty is to devote himself to his studies. In his later life, he will have to take part in the formation of the government by exercising his voting rights according to his political views. The student-life being the formative stage of a civilized man’s life, a student can best learn the political theories of different poles, but should not participate in active politics.

Solitude

            For a city-bred man of the twenty-first century who is a prisoner of the mechanized life-style of hectic speed solitude may seem to be a blessing of peace that grants blissful relief, release and relaxation. But, at times solitude may pose to be a curse that burdens. One’s mind and heart with desolation, despair and dejection. Under its spell, to quote Robert Browning, ‘an instant made eternity’ deprives one of hope, fancy and fight. Solitude then appears to be hanging from one’s shoulder, like a twin of despondency.

            But, solitude is mostly blessing in disguise. Like William Wordsworth, the Nature-prophet or like John Keats, a prey to the doldrums of the ‘city pent’ like London, we flee away from the rigorous routines of daily life into the blissful cavern of solitude in Nature to enjoy the eye-feasting scenes and sights, to smile at the open sunny firmament overhead, to marvel at the freedom of the twittering birds in whimsical flight, to relish the maiden verdure all around and to wonder at the motherly kiss of the fragrant breezily on our cheeks. There, fully relishing the flavor of the ‘dolce for ninete’, as the Italians say to mean ‘pleasant idleness’, we, somehow, enter the world of mind and, unknown to ourselves, we start exploring the labyrinth of our mind in an unconscious endeavour to discover our inner-selves. Blissfully we lapse into reminiscing the past, how and why had something saddened us as well as how and why had something gladdened us!

            Solitude causes loneliness that offers us the chance of being with only ourselves. And those are the opportune moments for self-analysis, very rare moments at that. We lapse into introspection. We face ourselves, and through penetrative self-analysis, we can explain the myths of self and Soul. Then we can realize what is the spirit of solitude. And, then and then only, we come to identify ourselves with strange solitude and know our solitary entity even when we are surrounded by tile multitude.