Hon. Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi,
Sir, you are going to
address the nation on September 5, on the occasion of the Teacher’s Day.
For the first time it is so happening that the prime minister of India is going
to address the nation and this is really a sweet shock. This is also aimed at
honouring teachers and therefore I welcome the move and hearty congratulations.
The whole nation is
eagerly awaiting your message, but the instructions issued by the Central Government
compelling students to listen to the prime minister are distressing. What is
the need of compelling students? And again the timing is 3.00 PM to 4.45 PM –
quite inconvenient.
The Fatwa issued by
the Central Government instructs schools to have television sets on hire. From
where they would bring so many television sets – one for each class and again
they would be compelled to pay the rent. In Maharashtra schools have not
received non-salary grants for past ten years. The backlog is huge. There are
hardly any funds to repair dilapidated school buildings and the schools are
finding it difficult to pay electricity bills. The central government’s Fatwa
further instructs the schools to have an internet connection. However, there is
no continuous electricity supply in half the villages across India, then how
the internet is going to work. A photograph of children from Chhote Udepur
village in your own state, Gujrat, was published recently in newspapers. 125
students from a tribal hamlet are required to cross river to reach their
school. There is neither any bridge for them nor boats for them to cross the
river, they are compelled to swim across it. But, it is most likely that there
would be a cable connection for these tribal children to listen the prime
minister’s address to the nation. In several villages voting machines are
required to be taken on donkeys and probably this time we will also see
photographs of donkeys carrying televisions sets to schools.
There would be a major
event in the country on September 5, so is the eagerness.
But, Mr. Prime
Minister, I have four questions:
1) Finance
minister, Mr. Arun Jaitley, presented your government’s first budget in the
Parliament. While delivering budgetary speech he clearly said that now there is
no need to spend more on education. He has not allocated a rupee more on
education. How would education sector grow and reach every one, if the
allocation is not at all enhanced. On September 5, I would like to hear
your reasoning behind this decision.
2) This
obviously means that the education would be further privatized. Privatization
and commercialization of education has rendered education inaccessible to
common people. Now, common people cannot afford to become doctors or engineers,
as it requires huge amount, anywhere between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 40 lakh. The
children from poor household cannot even dream of becoming either doctor or an
engineer. From where would they bring such huge amounts? Will you please
address this issue in your address? The country is eagerly awaiting the answer.
3) Teachers
are being exploited through the process of contract in education. In
Maharashtra they are called Shikshan Sevak (now, teachers on probation), while
in Gujrat they are known as Vidya Sahayyak. In Gujrat they are drawing meager
salary of Rs 2,500. In terms of Hon. High court, this amounts to bonded labour.
This governmental exploitation began during the first term of NDA. The first
experiment was carried out in Gujrat. Will there be a declaration of ending
this exploitation through your address to the nation? Teachers across the
country are eagerly awaiting to know.
4) In
Gujrat, Dinanath Batra has started a new experiment in education. This
“renowned” educationist believes that the modern values are destroying the
fabric of our society. He has, therefore, prepared textbooks based on
Eighteenth century values. He has created completely new stories in the name of
Swami Vivekanand, who gave the call for humanity by starting with “my brothers
and sisters” in the religious conference at Chicago. The textbooks also contain
untold (and also unheard of) stories of Dr. Radhakrishnan. What the prime
minister of the country in store to say about this Batra experiment that is
seeking to introduce the poison of division on the basis of caste, creed,
religion and language at the school level itself? The country is eagerly
awaiting to hear you.
Honorable Prime
Ministerji, these are not the questions asked by Vetal to Vikram. Our teachers
working in rural areas by crossing huge hurdles and shaping the new generation
are simple in nature. The Farmaan of your address has already reached them and
they have began preparations for making arrangements so as to ensure that the
school children listen to you. They hardly had any time to put forth questions,
and you have added burden to that by instructing them to arrange for television
sets, cable connections etc. That would take at least two more days. Not an
issue. But, they are happy that they are being remembered at least on the
Teacher’s Day. Mr. Prime Minister, they would be a lot happier, if they get
answers to these four questions.
Thanking you.
Yours sincerely,
Kapil Patil, MLC.
President, Lok Bharati
kapilhpatil@gmail.com
Date : September 1,
2014
A1
ReplyDeleteI hope these type of questions only from you my dear friend. Hats off you Kapilji
ReplyDelete