TEMPLES OF LEARNING OR OF RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY

Temples of learning or of religious bigotry

Shobha Shukla

It has become fashionable and customary for our political parties fanatics to give a religious colour to one and everything and revel in creating communal disharmony for narrow partisan gains. It is so easy to whip up sentiments of hatred in the name of religion and so very difficult to douse the fire of fanatic violence.

This is what seems to have happened at St. Xavier’s School ( one of the oldest and most reputed school of Jaipur), whose principal Father Jose Jacob rightly suspended seven students of class XII for misconduct and indisciplined behaviour. These students were reportedly caught offering a mock puja to a poster of Lord Ganesha in their classroom, on the occasion of Ganesha Chaturthi, with the entire class joining in the revelry, shouting and laughing. They thus undermined the sanctity of their own religious festival by treating a sacred ceremony in a derogatory manner. It amounted to disrespecting Lord Ganesha, who is venerated by all as Vighna Harta—solver of all problems.

But the blue eyed activists of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) thought otherwise. They ransacked the school premises and accused the principal of hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindus. The city president of BJYM was naïve enough to demand the arrest of the principal.

It is common knowledge that our schools and universities have become dens of antisocial activities where learning has taken a backseat. Our political parties and dubious religious outfits are abetting the moral degeneration of the country’s youth.

It is high time for all right minded people to help teach our children some discipline and the real meaning of being religious. They need to learn to respect authority and not cock a snook at them .s Classrooms should be treated with respect and venerated as temples of learning and not vandalized at one’s free will. Students should not be applauded for taking the law in their hands. The parent of one of the students indirectly admitted to the wrong doing of his ward. He thought that instead of suspending the students, the principal should have taken a milder action.

If the behaviour of the BJYM activists is condoned it would send wrong signals to honest and upright principals of schools who are struggling to keep their schools free from the vitiated atmosphere of insolent and wayward behaviour, so rampant amongst our youth today. Communal frenzy needs to be stopped immediately, irrespective of the caste and the creed of perpetrator and the victim.

Shobha Shukla

The author teaches Physics at India's Loreto Convent and has been writing in English and Hindi newspapers since past 30 years. She serves as Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS).

Published in

TEMPLES OF LEARNING OR OF RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY

Temples of learning or of religious bigotry

Shobha Shukla

It has become fashionable and customary for our political parties fanatics to give a religious colour to one and everything and revel in creating communal disharmony for narrow partisan gains. It is so easy to whip up sentiments of hatred in the name of religion and so very difficult to douse the fire of fanatic violence.

This is what seems to have happened at St. Xavier’s School ( one of the oldest and most reputed school of Jaipur), whose principal Father Jose Jacob rightly suspended seven students of class XII for misconduct and indisciplined behaviour. These students were reportedly caught offering a mock puja to a poster of Lord Ganesha in their classroom, on the occasion of Ganesha Chaturthi, with the entire class joining in the revelry, shouting and laughing. They thus undermined the sanctity of their own religious festival by treating a sacred ceremony in a derogatory manner. It amounted to disrespecting Lord Ganesha, who is venerated by all as Vighna Harta—solver of all problems.

But the blue eyed activists of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) thought otherwise. They ransacked the school premises and accused the principal of hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindus. The city president of BJYM was naïve enough to demand the arrest of the principal.

It is common knowledge that our schools and universities have become dens of antisocial activities where learning has taken a backseat. Our political parties and dubious religious outfits are abetting the moral degeneration of the country’s youth.

It is high time for all right minded people to help teach our children some discipline and the real meaning of being religious. They need to learn to respect authority and not cock a snook at them .s Classrooms should be treated with respect and venerated as temples of learning and not vandalized at one’s free will. Students should not be applauded for taking the law in their hands. The parent of one of the students indirectly admitted to the wrong doing of his ward. He thought that instead of suspending the students, the principal should have taken a milder action.

If the behaviour of the BJYM activists is condoned it would send wrong signals to honest and upright principals of schools who are struggling to keep their schools free from the vitiated atmosphere of insolent and wayward behaviour, so rampant amongst our youth today. Communal frenzy needs to be stopped immediately, irrespective of the caste and the creed of perpetrator and the victim.

Shobha Shukla

The author teaches Physics at India's Loreto Convent and has been writing in English and Hindi newspapers since past 30 years. She serves as Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS).

Published in

TEACHERS' DAY: THE SACRIFICIAL GOAT

Teachers' Day: The Sacrificial Goat
Shobha Shukla

Once again the nation will gather dutifully this year on the 5th of September to pay tribute to the hard work put by the teachers all year long. Once again teachers will be exhorted to show exemplary competence, dedicated hard work and unwavering commitment in their onerous task of nation building.

Indian tradition compares a teacher to God. So like any other god she is installed on a pedestal and then best forgotten. Hers is a life meant only for selfless service to others. A good teacher should be able to stand high above her students and yet be on their level; she should be able to do 101 things other than teach her subject well; she needs to be tough and soft at the same time.

And God forbid if she expects anything in return---not even the respect/goodwill of the students( as the guru-shishya parampara has given way to the student being her paymaster), not even a modestly comfortable life style ( as that is not for godly beings like her).
The Kothari Commission had long recognized that there is nothing more important for a healthy educational system than having a sufficient number of highly qualified and motivated teachers. Yet education has remained the most neglected of subjects by central and state governments alike. Gone are the days when teachers commanded respect in society.

Teaching has now become a much denigrated profession with slow upward mobility and poor financial rewards. This has resulted in a dearth of quality teachers at all levels (especially at the middle school level in the science/maths streams.. A recent survey has revealed that less than 10% of the teaching work force is there for the sheer love of it. Even premier institutes like the IITs and IIMs are facing serious faculty crunch, what to talk of the primary and secondary education level schools. The condition of private school teachers ( including those of Christian missionary schools) is even more pathetic. These schools are like ‘education shops’. The teachers here have no access to government scales/facilities (which have improved recently, albeit marginally).

They are supposed to survive on salaries worse than that of an unskilled labourer and yet mould the character of their pupils with uncanny precision. They do not enjoy any medical/ pension benefits. The Pay Commission bonanzas are not for them. So teaching has become the last refuge of the incompetent. Talented youngsters are distancing themselves from this noble profession. They would rather join a call centre job given a choice.

All this does not auger well for a country which is poised to become a knowledge economy. It is the teachers who are to be credited with the academic progress which India has made and it is high time they get due recognition for their valuable services. I agree that there are a few black sheep/wolves( like politicians/businessmen owners of private institutes) who have made education a ‘sweat shop’ commodity. But by far and large, we teachers have only sacrificial goats in our fold.

In this age of money, economy and private enterprise , it is foolish to expect that teachers alone should rise above the spirits of time. Let there be sincere efforts to improve their dismal social status, frustrated hopes, poor salaries and deplorable working conditions, before expecting them to fulfil their noble duties. Till then, they will have to remain happy with the cards/ flowers/ prayer services and, perhaps, a lunch offered to them by children/ school authorities on this day.

A Very Happy Teachers’Day to all of us teachers.

( incidentally, Christian missionary schools have been directed not to celebrate Teachers' Day this year, in protest against the violence in Orissa against their community).

Shobha Shukla

The author teaches Physics at India's Loreto Convent and has been writing in English and Hindi newspapers since past 30 years. She serves as Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS).

Published in
News Blaze, USA
Media for freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
Pakistan Post, Karachi, Pakistan
News Track India, Delhi
My News, Delhi
Assam Times, Guwahati, Assam

Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh/ Chhattisgarh

The Seoul Times, Seoul, South Korea
Khabar Express, Bikaner, Rajasthan
Bihar Times, Patna, Bihar

TEACHERS' DAY: THE SACRIFICIAL GOAT

Teachers' Day: The Sacrificial Goat
Shobha Shukla

Once again the nation will gather dutifully this year on the 5th of September to pay tribute to the hard work put by the teachers all year long. Once again teachers will be exhorted to show exemplary competence, dedicated hard work and unwavering commitment in their onerous task of nation building.

Indian tradition compares a teacher to God. So like any other god she is installed on a pedestal and then best forgotten. Hers is a life meant only for selfless service to others. A good teacher should be able to stand high above her students and yet be on their level; she should be able to do 101 things other than teach her subject well; she needs to be tough and soft at the same time.

And God forbid if she expects anything in return---not even the respect/goodwill of the students( as the guru-shishya parampara has given way to the student being her paymaster), not even a modestly comfortable life style ( as that is not for godly beings like her).
The Kothari Commission had long recognized that there is nothing more important for a healthy educational system than having a sufficient number of highly qualified and motivated teachers. Yet education has remained the most neglected of subjects by central and state governments alike. Gone are the days when teachers commanded respect in society.

Teaching has now become a much denigrated profession with slow upward mobility and poor financial rewards. This has resulted in a dearth of quality teachers at all levels (especially at the middle school level in the science/maths streams.. A recent survey has revealed that less than 10% of the teaching work force is there for the sheer love of it. Even premier institutes like the IITs and IIMs are facing serious faculty crunch, what to talk of the primary and secondary education level schools. The condition of private school teachers ( including those of Christian missionary schools) is even more pathetic. These schools are like ‘education shops’. The teachers here have no access to government scales/facilities (which have improved recently, albeit marginally).

They are supposed to survive on salaries worse than that of an unskilled labourer and yet mould the character of their pupils with uncanny precision. They do not enjoy any medical/ pension benefits. The Pay Commission bonanzas are not for them. So teaching has become the last refuge of the incompetent. Talented youngsters are distancing themselves from this noble profession. They would rather join a call centre job given a choice.

All this does not auger well for a country which is poised to become a knowledge economy. It is the teachers who are to be credited with the academic progress which India has made and it is high time they get due recognition for their valuable services. I agree that there are a few black sheep/wolves( like politicians/businessmen owners of private institutes) who have made education a ‘sweat shop’ commodity. But by far and large, we teachers have only sacrificial goats in our fold.

In this age of money, economy and private enterprise , it is foolish to expect that teachers alone should rise above the spirits of time. Let there be sincere efforts to improve their dismal social status, frustrated hopes, poor salaries and deplorable working conditions, before expecting them to fulfil their noble duties. Till then, they will have to remain happy with the cards/ flowers/ prayer services and, perhaps, a lunch offered to them by children/ school authorities on this day.

A Very Happy Teachers’Day to all of us teachers.

( incidentally, Christian missionary schools have been directed not to celebrate Teachers' Day this year, in protest against the violence in Orissa against their community).

Shobha Shukla

The author teaches Physics at India's Loreto Convent and has been writing in English and Hindi newspapers since past 30 years. She serves as Editor of Citizen News Service (CNS).

Published in
News Blaze, USA
Media for freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal
Pakistan Post, Karachi, Pakistan
News Track India, Delhi
My News, Delhi
Assam Times, Guwahati, Assam

Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh/ Chhattisgarh

The Seoul Times, Seoul, South Korea
Khabar Express, Bikaner, Rajasthan
Bihar Times, Patna, Bihar

Oxfam ups the response to Bihar floods

Oxfam ups the response to Bihar floods

Amit Dwivedi

Senior Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) leader and Union Minister of State for Water Resources Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav accused the Bihar government of massive flood in the state by being "totally negligent" in taking preventive measures.

According to a media briefing on 3 Septemer 2008, Yadav alleged that Bihar State Water Resources Department, till August 17, kept on giving reports from the flood control cell that all the embankments under its jurisdiction were safe. However, when a breach in the east Kosi embankment at Kusaha in Nepal occurred on August 18, Yadav said, the Bihar Government came up with a report that erosions were taking place at the Kosi dam in Upper Nepal on Bahothan embankment for the past several days.

"This is how the government played with its own report to steer clear of its responsibility. This is not a hearsay disclosure but facts based on documents," Yadav said showing the copies of the Bihar Government reports to the reporters.

Regardless of who-so-ever may get the blame, the severity with which one of the worst floods in Bihar has devastated the lives of millions of people, will not diminish. Enormous rehabilitation and relief work, needs to be done. Many civil society organizations are rushing in to contribute towards the relief and rehabilitation work. One of them is Oxfam India. Oxfam has been working in India since the 1952 famine in Bihar and also undertakes long-term development work.

Oxfam India issued an appeal on Monday (1 September 2008) for funds to support its rescue and relief work in flood-hit Bihar. The money will be spent on delivering emergency shelter, food, hygiene items, clean drinking water and safe sanitation.

Oxfam and its local partner organisations have been rescuing people and responding to the crisis since August 18, when waters rushed into six eastern districts of Bihar from a 3 Km breach in River Kosi on the Nepal-India border. The worsening floods, with more rains predicted by the meteorological department, have already affected over 30 lakh people in 16 north-eastern districts of Bihar. The Prime Minister has declared the floods a national catastrophe.

Oxfam is using its motorboats to rescue stranded men, women and children from Supaul, the worst affected district. Contingency stocks of tarpaulin shelter sheets, water purification kits, buckets and Oral Rehydration Sachets (ORS), kept in readiness in flood prone districts, have also been moved to provide preliminary support to the affected. Staffers from Oxfam and two local organisations, Bihar Sewa Samiti and Abhigyan Disha, as well as trained volunteers, are working round the clock in Supaul.

"Oxfam is preparing to reach out, to being with atleast 20,000 families in Basantpur and Pratapganj, two of the worst affected blocks of Supaul," said Nisha Agrawal, CEO, Oxfam India. "We are scaling up our response on temporary shelter, food, water and sanitation. Women and children are particularly facing the brunt in cramped camps or are exposed to heat and the rains under the open sky. Pregnant and lactating mothers are not getting safe water and are forced to defecate in floodwaters. The need for hygiene and sanitation is imminent to prevent the spread of any water-borne epidemic."

Oxfam rapid assessment team toured the worst affected areas in the first few days and has recommended shelter, food and public health as the key needs. Oxfam is also coordinating from the start with other aid agencies and the government through the state-level Inter-Agency Coordination Group to ensure there is no duplication in response and that relief reaches all the needy people.

The public can donate to Oxfam by calling in on +91 11 46538000 or by sending a check in the name of Oxfam Trust, addressed to Oxfam India, Plot Number 1, 2nd Floor(above Sujan Mohinder Hospital), New Friends Colony, New Delhi - 110065 (www.oxfam.org).

A donation of Rs 2000 would give a shelter kit for a family; Rs 850 would give a hygiene kit for 5 families; and Rs 1000 would give a safe latrine to 2 families.

The hope that efforts of organizations like Oxfam will help the most affected communities, lives on.

Amit Dwivedi

(The author is a Special Correspondent to Citizen News Service (CNS) and can be contacted at: amit@citizen-news.org, website: www.citizen-news.org).

Published in

Bihar Times, Patna, Bihar

Scoop Independent News, New Zealand

Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal

Assam Times, Guwahati, Assam

Thai Indian News, Bangkok, Thailand

My News, Delhi

The Seoul Times, South Korea

Bihar and Jharkhand News Service (BJNS)
News Track India, Delhi
News Blaze, USA
Pakistan Post, Karachi, Pakistan

Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh/ Chhattisgarh

Oxfam ups the response to Bihar floods

Oxfam ups the response to Bihar floods

Amit Dwivedi

Senior Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) leader and Union Minister of State for Water Resources Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav accused the Bihar government of massive flood in the state by being "totally negligent" in taking preventive measures.

According to a media briefing on 3 Septemer 2008, Yadav alleged that Bihar State Water Resources Department, till August 17, kept on giving reports from the flood control cell that all the embankments under its jurisdiction were safe. However, when a breach in the east Kosi embankment at Kusaha in Nepal occurred on August 18, Yadav said, the Bihar Government came up with a report that erosions were taking place at the Kosi dam in Upper Nepal on Bahothan embankment for the past several days.

"This is how the government played with its own report to steer clear of its responsibility. This is not a hearsay disclosure but facts based on documents," Yadav said showing the copies of the Bihar Government reports to the reporters.

Regardless of who-so-ever may get the blame, the severity with which one of the worst floods in Bihar has devastated the lives of millions of people, will not diminish. Enormous rehabilitation and relief work, needs to be done. Many civil society organizations are rushing in to contribute towards the relief and rehabilitation work. One of them is Oxfam India. Oxfam has been working in India since the 1952 famine in Bihar and also undertakes long-term development work.

Oxfam India issued an appeal on Monday (1 September 2008) for funds to support its rescue and relief work in flood-hit Bihar. The money will be spent on delivering emergency shelter, food, hygiene items, clean drinking water and safe sanitation.

Oxfam and its local partner organisations have been rescuing people and responding to the crisis since August 18, when waters rushed into six eastern districts of Bihar from a 3 Km breach in River Kosi on the Nepal-India border. The worsening floods, with more rains predicted by the meteorological department, have already affected over 30 lakh people in 16 north-eastern districts of Bihar. The Prime Minister has declared the floods a national catastrophe.

Oxfam is using its motorboats to rescue stranded men, women and children from Supaul, the worst affected district. Contingency stocks of tarpaulin shelter sheets, water purification kits, buckets and Oral Rehydration Sachets (ORS), kept in readiness in flood prone districts, have also been moved to provide preliminary support to the affected. Staffers from Oxfam and two local organisations, Bihar Sewa Samiti and Abhigyan Disha, as well as trained volunteers, are working round the clock in Supaul.

"Oxfam is preparing to reach out, to being with atleast 20,000 families in Basantpur and Pratapganj, two of the worst affected blocks of Supaul," said Nisha Agrawal, CEO, Oxfam India. "We are scaling up our response on temporary shelter, food, water and sanitation. Women and children are particularly facing the brunt in cramped camps or are exposed to heat and the rains under the open sky. Pregnant and lactating mothers are not getting safe water and are forced to defecate in floodwaters. The need for hygiene and sanitation is imminent to prevent the spread of any water-borne epidemic."

Oxfam rapid assessment team toured the worst affected areas in the first few days and has recommended shelter, food and public health as the key needs. Oxfam is also coordinating from the start with other aid agencies and the government through the state-level Inter-Agency Coordination Group to ensure there is no duplication in response and that relief reaches all the needy people.

The public can donate to Oxfam by calling in on +91 11 46538000 or by sending a check in the name of Oxfam Trust, addressed to Oxfam India, Plot Number 1, 2nd Floor(above Sujan Mohinder Hospital), New Friends Colony, New Delhi - 110065 (www.oxfam.org).

A donation of Rs 2000 would give a shelter kit for a family; Rs 850 would give a hygiene kit for 5 families; and Rs 1000 would give a safe latrine to 2 families.

The hope that efforts of organizations like Oxfam will help the most affected communities, lives on.

Amit Dwivedi

(The author is a Special Correspondent to Citizen News Service (CNS) and can be contacted at: amit@citizen-news.org, website: www.citizen-news.org).

Published in

Bihar Times, Patna, Bihar

Scoop Independent News, New Zealand

Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal

Assam Times, Guwahati, Assam

Thai Indian News, Bangkok, Thailand

My News, Delhi

The Seoul Times, South Korea

Bihar and Jharkhand News Service (BJNS)
News Track India, Delhi
News Blaze, USA
Pakistan Post, Karachi, Pakistan

Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh/ Chhattisgarh

Oxfam India issues appeal; scales up response to Bihar floods

Oxfam India issues appeal:

Scales up response to Bihar floods

Oxfam India issued an appeal on Monday (1 September 2008) for funds to support its rescue and relief work in flood-hit Bihar. The money will be spent on delivering emergency shelter, food, hygiene items, clean drinking water and safe sanitation.

Oxfam and its local partner organisations have been rescuing people and responding to the crisis since August 18, when waters rushed into six eastern districts of Bihar from a 3 Km breach in River Kosi on the Nepal-India border. The worsening floods, with more rains predicted by the meteorological department, have already affected over 30 lakh people in 16 north-eastern districts of Bihar. The Prime Minister has declared the floods a national catastrophe.

Oxfam is using its motorboats to rescue stranded men, women and children from Supaul, the worst affected district. Contingency stocks of tarpaulin shelter sheets, water purification kits, buckets and Oral Rehydration Sachets (ORS), kept in readiness in flood prone districts, have also been moved to provide preliminary support to the affected. Staffers from Oxfam and two local organisations, Bihar Sewa Samiti and Abhigyan Disha, as well as trained volunteers, are working round the clock in Supaul.

“Oxfam is preparing to reach out, to being with atleast 20,000 families in Basantpur and Pratapganj, two of the worst affected blocks of Supaul,” said Nisha Agrawal, CEO, Oxfam India. “We are scaling up our response on temporary shelter, food, water and sanitation. Women and children are particularly facing the brunt in cramped camps or are exposed to heat and the rains under the open sky. Pregnant and lactating mothers are not getting safe water and are forced to defecate in floodwaters. The need for hygiene and sanitation is imminent to prevent the spread of any water-borne epidemic.”

Oxfam rapid assessment team toured the worst affected areas in the first few days and has recommended shelter, food and public health as the key needs. Oxfam is also coordinating from the start with other aid agencies and the government through the state-level Inter-Agency Coordination Group to ensure there is no duplication in response and that relief reaches all the needy people.

The public can donate to Oxfam by calling in on +91 11 46538000 or by sending a check in the name of Oxfam Trust, addressed to Oxfam India, Plot Number 1, 2nd Floor(above Sujan Mohinder Hospital), New Friends Colony, New Delhi – 110065 (www.oxfam.org).

A donation of Rs 2000 would give a shelter kit for a family; Rs 850 would give a hygiene kit for 5 families; and Rs 1000 would give a safe latrine to 2 families.

For further information and to make a donation please contact:
Pamela Srivastava( for donations) : 0091-11-465380000(extension 118)
Aditi Kapoor (for media enquiries): 0091-11-465380000, 9810306200 or aditi@oxfamindia.org; akapoor@oxfam.org.uk

Notes to editors:
Oxfam India is an Indian organisation with an Indian Board and is part of the larger Oxfam International family (www.oxfam.org). Oxfam has been working in India since the 1952 famine in Bihar and also undertakes long-term development work. Oxfam believes in equality and justice for all and works by empowering communities to fight for their rights.