From inside jail, Sisodia writes: Easier to throw political opponents in jail than giving quality education to children

The full text of the note:

“While working as the Education Minister of Delhi, the question of why leaders who came to power in the country and states did not make arrangements for good schools and colleges for every child of the country arose many times.

If, for once, the whole political establishment had got involved wholeheartedly in the field of education, then every child in our country would have had the best schools like in developed countries. Why, then, has successful politics always kept education on the margins? Today, when I have been in jail for a few days, I am finding the answers to these questions.

I can see that when success in politics is being achieved by running a jail, why would anyone feel the need to run it on the foundation of education.

It is easier to silence people who speak against the establishment, either by sending them to jail or threatening them with jail, than by creating excellent schools and colleges and administering them.

When the leaders in Uttar Pradesh took exception to the folk song of a singer, they threatened her by sending a police notice to her. When a Congress spokesperson made a mistake while naming Prime Minister Modi ji, the police from two states detained him dramatically, like a dreaded criminal.

The crime of Arvind Kejriwal ji is so big that today he has created a model of alternative politics against Modi ji’s politics. Because of this, today two ministers of the Kejriwal government are in jail. The picture is clear. Jail politics is making the leader sitting in power bigger and more powerful. The problem with the politics of education is that it makes the country bigger, not the leader. When even a child from the weakest family becomes a strong citizen because of education, the country becomes strong.

The good thing is that this time, the politics of jail and education are face to face as the country observes Amrit Kaal Manthan of Independence. The country can clearly see who is doing politics to make themselves big and who is doing politics to make the country big. It is certain that the politics of education is not an easy task. At least it is not a shortcut to political success. The road to motivate so many children, parents and especially teachers, for education is a long one. In prison politics, can just pressurise four officials of investigating agencies to ensure success. It is not so in the politics of education. Today, by putting pressure on the investigating agencies, you can send anyone to jail, but in the politics of education, you cannot force and threaten a single teacher to any work. Teachers work because of respect and love. You can only make them do good work only by your conduct and work ethic. They cannot perform their duty under pressure, unlike in investigating agencies. That’s why our leaders have always found jail politics easier and fruitful, unlike education politics.

This easy success of jail politics has marginalised education in politics. But the one good sign is that education politics is now getting popular among the voters of the country. Influenced by Delhi’s education model, the voters of Punjab voted for good education and good government schools. The good thing is that several non-BJP, non-Congress state governments have risen above politics and are learning from each other’s good work. Schools may be like junkyards in BJP-run states, but their Chief Ministers have also been forced to give five-minute advertisements on TV about education. They also know that once the politics of education reaches the political horizon, the politics of jail will not only be marginalised, jails too will start to shut.

Today, jail politics may seem successful, but India’s future lies in politics of schools, politics of education. India will become a world leader not because of the strength of its jails but because of the power wielded by its education system. In today’s politics in India, the politics of jail may be heavier on the scales, but tomorrow belongs to the politics of education.”