Express your voice

• Tavleen Singh’s contention that our children must know the Indian civilisation (Why we need to Indianise our educational system,...

• Tavleen Singh’s contention that our children must know the Indian civilisation (Why we need to Indianise our educational system, July 25) is correct. In fact, this must form the basis of education in their formative years. However, while it is essential for children to be able to speak the native language fluently, knowledge of English language is equally essential. Confining education to the Indian perspective would have limited advantage. This would blunt the interest among the children to know more of what the language is all about. However, to end the dichotomy in the present day education system and as a precursor to future reforms, educationists, and not politicians, must decide what our children should study.
— V P Damodar

• Tavleen Singh has rightly raised some pertinent questions about our tendency to display so much ‘‘love for Western culture’’ and not caring much to learn about our own heritage and culture which is quite rich and widely acclaimed the world over. I fully endorse her views when she asks ‘‘When will we allow Indian children to learn about a heritage that is theirs by right?’’. I also agree with her when she questions the act of the Education Minister ‘‘to see even the process of learning through the prism of secularism and communalism’’ alone.
— S K GUPTA

• Tavleen Singh’s gradual transformation from an objective critical writer to one subscribing to soft Hindutva has been interesting to watch. For example, in her column on 25th July she tells us that, ‘‘Indian children need to learn not just about ancient India but about modern India as well’’. She conveniently forgets that we had medieval India also, and our children must know about it as well. Her euphoria about Vedas is equality misplaced; and constant harping back on Vedas encourages a regressive, dogmatic mindset. In order to exonerate Murli Manohar Joshi, she also conveniently forgets the blatant Hinduisation of not only all the Indian Councils of Research from history to philosophy, but also the establishment of full-fledged centres of astrology in various universities. Vedas and Sanskrit were the staple diets of all Joshi’s educational reforms. If to believe that India was perfect a few thousands years ago, and further progress in knowledge is not needed, and that astrology would provide solutions to all our problems is what Indianisation of education means, then I do not want my children to learn it.
— Dr Saral Jhingran

• Commenting on the Bombay HC verdict ordering the Shiv Sena and BJP to pay compensation for holding a bandh, CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat said ‘‘any curb on democratic protest is against the country’s democratic system’’ (Sunday Express, July 25). Karat doesn’t think there is anything wrong if the Sena or Bajrang Dal hooligans smash windowpanes and furniture of theatres as a moral excuse. Destruction of public and private property is now the birthright of CPI(M) cadres in Kerala. CPI(M) top leaders like Karat and Sitaram Yechury, who too were student leaders, must have led agitations, but not such murderous and irresponsible ones. Both of them stood first in their courses in their schools and colleges. Have they ever tried to find out how many of the present student leaders attend classes, not to speak of standing first?
— N Kunju

— Write to yourvoice@expressindia.com

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