Between the ânew normalâ of digital learning, prolonged isolation and an environment of constant uncertainty and stress, youâd think children are going through enough. Not according to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), it seems, which wants the learning of the English alphabet to be âIndianisedâ. To this end, the organisation has prepared a chart, which has, instead of âA for apple, B for ballâŚâ, religious and historical figures corresponding to each letter. The new alphabet speaks more of the VHPâs ideological zeal than what 3-5-year-olds need.
Pedagogy in India has long been a victim of politics. A change in government, or âhurt sentimentsâ, has often led to texts being unceremoniously dropped from university syllabi or textbooks being changed ahead of crucial board exams. So far, though, the desire to control how the young think didnât start till at least middle school. The alphabet is among the first things children learn when they have barely emerged from toddler-hood. Even the most committed ideologue, one would have thought, would let little kids be.
This editorial first appeared in the print edition on January 14, 2022 under the title âLet kids beâ.
