One of the foremost thinkers of this country with regard to education in its all compassing perspective is Mahakavi Subramania Bharathiar. He had a clear vision regarding what comes first in respect of a proper education which should bring about a cultured citizenry.
The individual first has to be a responsible person within the family, then be conscious of the society and its needs. Towards that one has to obtain knowledge of the history of one's own roots, culture and the geographical facts and life of people around. Then one has to be groomed in scientific facts concerning the five primary elements (pancha boothas). With this scientific outlook and the grooming with cultural understanding alone education will full fill its objective. This was his vision.
Towards achieving it he emphasized on strengthening one’s own language (mother tongue). In his famous poem, ‘Thamizh Thai’, he has clearly emphasized what is to be done if the language has to live –
“Thanthai arulvaliyalum – munbu
sandra pulavar thava valialum
Indhakkanam mattum Kaalan – Ennai
Erittupparkavum Anji yirundan.
Indroruru sollininai ketten – Ini
Yedhu seiven? Yenadaruiyir makkal !
Kondridal Pooloru vaarthai – Ingu
Koorthakathavan koorinan kandeer!
“Putham podiya kalaikal – panja
poothacheyalkalin nutpangal koorum;
Metha valaruthu merke – antha
Menmaikkalikal thamizhinil illai.
Sollavum kooduvathillai – avai
Sollunthiramai thamiszh mozhikkillai
Mellathamizhini sakum – andha
Merkku mozhikal puvimisai yongum”
Endrandha pedhai uraithan – Ah!
Indha vasai enkeithidalamo ?
Sendriduveer ettuthikkum – kalai
Selvangal yavum konarndhingu serpeer!
What a pathetic plea he had made! And yet after decades of rule in the name of the great language, very little has been achieved towards fulfilling it.
The other fundamental point he emphasized was to have neighborhood schools - in every village and settlement. But successive governments by abdicating their responsibility towards providing the fundamental need of education, have allowed proliferation of business oriented private school education and a market economy whereby children are forced to travel miles to get to know ABCD.
How distant those dreams appear, even on this 130th Birth anniversary of the great visionary.
A discussion Bharathiar had with his daughther Yadugiri as quoted by Yadugiriammal is extracted below:
(The discussion is said to have taken place in the year 1914-15)Bharathi: Just because your peers go to school, it doesn't make them any better than you, Yadugiri. Why should it matter if you don't get to know the names of the rivers and lakes in the english countryside? Study Tamizh even more eagerly! Going to those schools sometimes tend to introduce girls to unwanted trends in fashions which are worthless. Honestly, I don't see much benefit in your learning English.
Yadugiri: Do you mean to say that other parents want to send their girls to school because it's useless to do so? I mean, is it because they're foolish--and we are smart?
Chellamma: Yadugiri, you don't need to go to work! Then, why do you need an English education? My father says, girls need to be literate only to the extent of being able to write a letter, and for keeping household accounts. Nowadays, we women read epics, poetry and stories. To learn the languages of our own land is important. We can learn Sanskrit, Telugu, KannaDam and Hindi. Only men need English for their work, to read letters, the newspapers and meaningless stories!
Yadugiri: The problem is, most things are written in English! Not that I do not love Tamizh. When my grandmother says: telugu tETa, KannaDa kastUri, aravam advAnam (Telugu is honey, KannaDa precious and Tamizh is useless), I fight with her by saying that literary works in Tamizh are the best!
Bharathi: Your grandmother has a point. No need to get upset with what she says. Just as you seem to want to get an English education, many in tamizh nADu are crazy about the English language. I see new works of translations in Kannada and Telugu from other languages. Tamizh used to ride high once. Now it is at its nadir. That's why we are being teased.
Yadugiri: Why has this happened to Tamizh?
Bharathi: The Tamizh people are not as resolute. After reading works in English, they develop a disrespect for Tamizh literature. There is very little patronage for our language among the public.The Bengalis are prepared to give generously for the betterment of their language whereas our people, even the wealthy ones, do not like to spend a paisa for the good of our language. The poor also want to spend whatever they can on giving an English education to their sons hoping that they can get a good job to support the extended family. When the sons do get a job, they don't have enough to support their own families! How can they help their parents and siblings? In all this, where do they have the care or means to see if their language is alive or dead? If a few among us speak up about it, we get to be the enemies and traitors of this deprived society!
Yadugiri: Do you mean to say that other parents want to send their girls to school because it's useless to do so? I mean, is it because they're foolish--and we are smart?
Chellamma: Yadugiri, you don't need to go to work! Then, why do you need an English education? My father says, girls need to be literate only to the extent of being able to write a letter, and for keeping household accounts. Nowadays, we women read epics, poetry and stories. To learn the languages of our own land is important. We can learn Sanskrit, Telugu, KannaDam and Hindi. Only men need English for their work, to read letters, the newspapers and meaningless stories!
Yadugiri: The problem is, most things are written in English! Not that I do not love Tamizh. When my grandmother says: telugu tETa, KannaDa kastUri, aravam advAnam (Telugu is honey, KannaDa precious and Tamizh is useless), I fight with her by saying that literary works in Tamizh are the best!
Bharathi: Your grandmother has a point. No need to get upset with what she says. Just as you seem to want to get an English education, many in tamizh nADu are crazy about the English language. I see new works of translations in Kannada and Telugu from other languages. Tamizh used to ride high once. Now it is at its nadir. That's why we are being teased.
Yadugiri: Why has this happened to Tamizh?
Bharathi: The Tamizh people are not as resolute. After reading works in English, they develop a disrespect for Tamizh literature. There is very little patronage for our language among the public.The Bengalis are prepared to give generously for the betterment of their language whereas our people, even the wealthy ones, do not like to spend a paisa for the good of our language. The poor also want to spend whatever they can on giving an English education to their sons hoping that they can get a good job to support the extended family. When the sons do get a job, they don't have enough to support their own families! How can they help their parents and siblings? In all this, where do they have the care or means to see if their language is alive or dead? If a few among us speak up about it, we get to be the enemies and traitors of this deprived society!
