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Insensitive government
By simultaneously and steeply increasing the prices
of several essential commodities and services in one stroke,
the government of Tamilnadu has created considerable economic
strain for the lower and middle income group in the state.
To balance their family budget after such increase, several
of the families would find that they have to drastically reduce
travel and consumption levels or resort to borrowing. Several
of them would find it extremely difficult to have any savings,
as the cost of travel and essential commodities has almost
doubled in several cases.
The argument of the government that it has to resort to such
severe measures to prevent the government treasury from becoming
insolvent is totally unacceptable. Obviously, the government
has sought to overcome the problem by passing on the burden
to the citizens caused by its own extravaganza, inefficiency
and lack of forward planning.
— N S Venkataraman, on e-mail
Focus on education
It is heartening to note that our Parliament has taken a landmark
decision by amending the Constitution for making education
a fundamental right. This will make our planners to allocate
separate budget for education. In fact illiteracy has put
the country into serious problems for ensuring smooth working
of democracy. To ensure quality education to every child up
to 14 years of age, government has to plan for financing it
without burdening the citizens. Government should avoid wasteful
expenditure in its activities, and also taxes must be collected
promptly especially from habitual rich defaulters. It is also
heartening to note that free education to girls up to graduation
is also under consideration of the ministry. As a matter of
fact prior to Independence, there was the system of free studentships,
half free studentships and so on to encourage education. Besides
this, girls had to pay only half the fees applicable to boys,
and also there was no caste prejudice or bias like what is
being done, and also teachers were eager to help students
without expecting any remuneration. People from villages used
to walk miles together without transport to study. The nation
can progress only with good quality educated people, and corruption-free
governance. This should be emphasised while recruiting teachers.
— B S Ganesh, on e-mail
II
If education has suddenly hogged the limelight, it has more
to do with an ongoing political struggle between two ideologies—one
trying to see to it that its ideology continues to be preached
and practised, and the other trying to supposedly muscle in
with its own ideology into education under the so-called pretext
of correcting the wrongs perpetuated for decades.
In the whole process the child’s mind is sought to be developed
on sectarian and parochial lines, so that it grows up as a
Hindu or a Muslim, Sikh, etc. and not as an Indian. None of
our leaders has tried to see to it that the changes that are
sought to be introduced into education would facilitate the
children to become better human beings, and practising humanitarians.
India has mastered satellite technology and with proliferation
of low earth orbit satellites, its services can be utilised
to wire rural schools. These may herald the next generation
of the educational revolution and we ought to focus on this
aspect.
— Nalin Rai, on e-mail |
