Page 90 - EducationWorld January 2023

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future and how it im- ignore it for in Kumar’s
pinges on her education words, “that education ECONOMIST GANDHI: THE
— desire to be educated which allows us to stay ROOTS & THE RELEVANCE OF
coupled with the deter- indifferent to violence and THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF
mination to pursue it. war is no education at all”. THE MAHATMA
He cites examples from On the contrary, peace and Jaithirth Rao
outside and inside school non-violence should be PENGUIN PORTFOLIO
classrooms to explain core components of school Rs.599 Pages 256
the tragic implications of curriculums for children
gendering that a young to understand and engage
girl faces. Such examples with it critically.
are peppered throughout Indeed, no debate, no
the text. Some of them are conflict in education is too story is an alluring and The centrepiece of
noteworthy and stand out insignificant to escape the rare tale of the triumph of the book is a radical
for the social harshness attention of Prof. Kumar’s human will over seemingly re-evaluation of
they portray. Incidents critical lens. These short insurmountable odds. the crucial concept
related to a headmistress illuminating analyses It reminds one of Albert of trusteeship,
refusing admission to girl examine the deep fissures Einstein’s famous tribute which according to
students because they are inherent in Indian educa- to Gandhi: “Generations to Rao contests the
child brides, and of four tion and society — the come, it may well be, will conventional view
adolescent girls jumping death of Gandhi’s Basic scarce believe that such that Gandhi was
into a well because they Education, the duality of a man as this one ever in opposed to capitalism
had been scolded by their Nehru’s India, urban-rural flesh and blood walked
teacher for poor academic polarity, Kerala’s progress upon this Earth.”
performance. These inci- in literacy but its lack of One might even suggest of the world and whatever
dents are deeply evocative pedagogic modernism, are that Gandhi’s life was could have remained hid-
of the bleak reality of be- adroitly brought out. an allegory, his death a den, he revealed it himself
ing caste/cast as a woman Smaller Citizens: Writ- metaphor, and his afterlife by way of his letters,
in the Indian context. ings on the Making of an unsettled debate. Argu- speeches, and voluminous
The author also turns Indian Citizens is a clarion ably, no other person in writings, including private
his attention to peace and call for all engaged with recent memory has been correspondence, that he
the need for children to education and welfare of so minutely evaluated left behind for poster-
experience it in their daily the child. Let’s take charge as Gandhi. As a result, ity in almost a hundred
lives at school. Since the of changing the direction Gandhi has become, in volumes.
early 20th century, peace and content of education. large measure, a subject of The fact that Gandhi
education programmes VEENA KAPOOR (The hermeneutical delight; an continues to evince abid-
around the world have Book Review) open book, lending him- ing interest is also in part
represented a spectrum of self to ready investigation because he — in his life,
themes, including nucle- Trusteeship and exegesis. Each aspect thought and action — be-
arism, environmental of his life is closely exam- came a curious synthesis
responsibility, interna- ined, each word weighed of disparate tendencies
tional understanding, philosophy with care, every action that were ascendant in
non-violence, conflict measured with precision, India during the 20th cen-
resolution, democracy, revisited every secret is rummaged tury. Tagore’s humanism,
tolerance of diversity through with diligence, Ambedkar’s egalitarian-
and coexistence. In the AHATMA and even his silences are ism, Nehru’s materialism
context of India’s freedom Gandhi is pos- sought to be interpreted and Savarkar’s Hindutva,
struggle, its psychological Msibly the greatest by authors, commentators, are all subsumed in Gan-
dimensions and Gandhi’s and most remembered critics and admirers alike. dhi’s eclectic world view
interpretation of it, peace Indian to have lived since This is in part because by a somewhat Hegelian-
education acquires a wider Buddha. His greatness, — unlike many of his con- esque dialectic. This
and deeper connotation. however, was not in his in- temporaries — Gandhi did explains why Gandhi has
Schools and colleges vulnerability — but in his not distinguish between so successfully endeared
socialise the young to struggle to overcome his the private and public. He himself to all political ide-
either fear the world or many frailties. Gandhi’s led his life under the glare ologies as there is some-

90 EDUCATIONWORLD JANUARY 2023