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.