Can We do without English?

Points: The harmful slogan against English — Usefulness of English for modern science and technology — Its role in national integration.

             The cry of Angreji Hatao or “Drive English away” is a cry for putting the clock back. The inevitable result of downgrading English in parts of India has been a general decline of academic standards.
             Some of the Indian vernaculars have, no doubt, a rich and varied “literature of power” — poetry, novels, plays etc., but not “literature of knowledge”, books on Science, Technology, Law and Medicine etc. English at this stage is our only window to the world at large. It is through English that we keep track of all that is happening in Arts, Science, Technology, and in trade and commerce. In giving up English, we shall be, in fact, isolating ourselves from the advanced nations of the world; we shall lag behind modern science and modern civilization. That will mean stagnation and decay. The fanatics may scrap English? But that will give a blow to the unity and progress of the country.
             Without English we cannot keep our country one and united, we cannot communicate between one state and another. Without English we cannot communicate between one country and another, we cannot convene a non-aligned summit and have our deliberations. English is indispensable for a North-South dialogue within the country itself. We cannot simply do without English at this moment.

Discipline

Points: What it means — Examples from individuals and corporate lives — Its value.

             Discipline is the spirit of maintaining order. Discipline in human activities issues out of the discipline or control of the mind. In corporate life, the need for discipline is of primary importance. Standing in a queue, observing punctuality, maintaining order, helping women and children before helping oneself — all these are acts of discipline.
             In corporate life, where a large number of people live together, discipline is very much needed. Without it civilized life is impossible. If each and every car does not keep to the left, there will be road accidents all the time. Unless we respect a social code, we shall have the law of the jungle. The riots and street fights are the results of indiscipline on a large scale. An army is a fine example of the force of discipline. When a solider is shot down, another takes his place. If necessary an army will go on fighting to the last man. If, however, a rabble is fired upon, all the men will run away. It is the spirit of discipline which makes all the difference between an army and a rabble.
             True discipline, however, comes from a sense of dedication, not fear or compulsion. It adds grace and strength to our life.

Science a Friend or a Foe of Man?

Points: Negative role of science — Positive rote of science —Responsibility of man.

             We are living in a precarious world today. Atom bombs are being stockpiled by the two super-powers competing with each other. If there be any third world war, that will spell the total destruction of mankind. Science has given man the weapons to kill the entire human race within a short time. So there is a tendency to damn science as an enemy of man.
             But human civilization would hardly have been what it is today without the achievements of science. Television and wireless bring the world to our doors. There is hardly any disease which the doctors cannot cure today. And all this is due to science. Science by itself is neither a friend nor an enemy of man. If man is wise he can easily make this world a much better place to live in. Already the scientists are talking of “atoms for peace.” That is the most hopeful sign of our times. It shows that the enlightened sections of mankind are against using science for war or destruction.
             Man should not only have knowledge but also wisdom to make proper use of his knowledge of science. Our education should teach us values, not merely information. For it is the kind of man which will determine the kind of society and the kind of the world we have.

India in Space Age

Points: History of space flight — Indian advances in space technology — Achievement of mankind.

             ‘Twinkle twinkle little star/How I wonder what you are’. The nursery rhyme says that the stars and planets have been to us perpetual wonder and mystery. When Uri Gagarin’s ‘Vostok’  first shot out to move around the earth’s orbit in April 1961, the world gasped with wonder. Only in a month’s dine after that, Commander Shepherd of U.S.A. went into the orbit with his space-ship. In June 1963 a Russian lady Tereskova sailed through the outer space and exchanged talks with cosmonaut Bikovosky already in orbit. About the same time, Gordon Cooper circled the earth 22 times. Then man landed on the Moon. Since then attempts to probe Mars, Venus and other planets are continuing. 
             India is now making rapid advances in space technology. Our Haricota space centre is well equipped and is doing researches on satellites and space morning. In collaboration with Russia India is launching her own space-ships. A time will soon come when India will be self-sufficient in space science and use her own launching pad to put her space-ship into the orbit from Indian soil. Rakesh Sharma has already become the first Indian spaceman; we are proud of him.
             This great achievement belongs not to any particular nation but to mankind as a whole. H. G. Wells while writing his history, had a vision. With the earth as his foot-stool, he dreamt, man would one day reach out his hand among the stars. Space flight is indeed mankind’s flight into the future.

Student-life

Points: Preparation for life — A student’s debt to society — Years of idealism.

             There is a saying in Sanskrit that a student should concentrate wholly on studies. But in the modern age the old principle no longer holds good and a hook-worm is not regarded as an ideal student. A student-life is, after all, an apprenticeship of life itself. Books alone cannot give us the knowledge we need for future life.
             Harmonious development of body, mind and spirit—that is true education, and this should be the aim of every student. He should show interest for sports and athletics, arts and music, social service and charity. In our country where a large number of people are poor and illiterate, every student has to do something for others. A student may join N.C.C. or N.S.S. just as he may join Boy Scouts or Bratachari. He should work for the betterment of the community. Every student should bear in mind that he owes a debt to his or her society.
             Students should read the country’s history and visit places of historical interest. They will thus acquire a sense of patriotism. A student ought to be imbued with idealism. Idealism alone can help him rise above all pettiness. A student will, of course, think of his career. But he should not be self-centered.

The Wonders of Electricity

Points: We owe heavily to electricity — Its gifts to urban life — Its gifts to rural life.

             Electricity is the miracle that has modernized our life. It serves us at all hours. It gives us light cooks our food, cools our room in the summer and keeps it warm in the winter. In fact, modern civilization is mainly a gift of electricity. One needs only to switch it on or off; the rest is done by electricity, in the twinkling of an eye. Electricity is like Aladdin’s lamp. A hundred years ago people had to depend for light, heat or cower on candle, wood, coal and beasts of burden. Benjamin Franklin, we are sure, never dreamt that his kite-flying in a storm would lead to such a revolution one day.
             No industrial development is possible without electricity. Electric razors, carpet cleaners, toasters, driers, grinders washing machines, refrigerators, elevators, escalators, electric typewriters, calculating machines, and hundreds of tools and gadgets are coming into daily use. The traffic signals, radio, television, telephone, everything owes its existence to electricity. And so also do the electric trains and tramcars.
             When we talk of modernization of villages we call it ‘rural electrification’. Pump-sets in fields are now being operated by electricity. As a result, peasants are getting the benefit of irrigation. Formerly, crops would be harvested only once or at best twice a year. Now crops are being raised thrice. Electricity is giving ‘shock treatment’ to our sick villages and bringing them up. Electricity is, in fact, the soul of our civilization.

Choice of Companions

Points: Influence of companions — Choice not always possible — Common bonds.

             A man is known by the company he keeps. We should be cautious, therefore, in choosing our friends. We cannot escape their influence for good or for evil, when they are most of the time around us. Upon the minds of young men, such influence is bound to be very strong.
             We cannot, however, always choose our company. At school or college or elsewhere in life, we are likely to come across people whom we may not like. We have to get on with such people as best as we can. Our best defence in any company is our own innate decency and dignity of character. Besides, we are likely to find in most places a few good souls who are refined and companionable.  We can form our own circle with such people. Those who are extremely selfish or self-centred cannot be good companions. Man is by nature social. That is why he hankers after friendship and company. But the company he chooses may determine his own character and Life-style.
             “Birds of a feather,” it is said, “flock together.” No doubt when people are of like taste and temperament, they naturally come close together. A hobby or common pursuit may serve as a common bond for a life-long friendship. But it is not necessary that friends should always share each other’s views or tastes or even the way of life. Rabindranath, for example, was a poet and Jagadish Chand a scientist — each the greatest of his kind— and both remained life-long friends.