2S) POE 2nd A Term Paper (22-05-2017) Bharghava Shyam (C)
Admission Number: MAE15007 (22-May-2017)
Introduction
Gandhiji is the political leader of the
country during the freedom movement. And is also a spiritual leader for many
people. With His ideology of Truth and Non-violence India got freedom from
British rule. Gandhiji wrote some books called My Experiments with Truth, Hind
Swaraj, Harijan, Young India, etc. He is popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi and
he is the Father of the Nation (India).
Nai-talim means New Education or Basic
Education mainly it focus agriculture and craft education.
Gandhiji started his Nai-talim in South
Africa itself in the name of Tolstoy farm of education for more than 30 years,
in India he started his Nai-talim in 1937, in India it may be new, but for
Gandhiji it’s not new. Gandhiji got this Nai-talim idea by many mediums (Here I
am mentioning only books and authors Names) like Tolstoy’s “The Kingdom of god
is within you”, Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden’ Particularly Civil disobedience
article”, Edwin Arnold’s “Light of Asia”, John Ruskin’s “Unto this Last”.
Bhagwat Gita, Quran, Bible, etc. are the influencing factors for Gandhiji.
(WHY I CHOSEN THIS)
Based on my interest and curiosity I
selected this topic. From my childhood onwards I was very much interest on
Mahatma Gandhi and also by his truth and non-violence principles by that only
we got freedom from British. This interest came very naturally to me. After
joining in my post-graduation only for the 1st time I heard about
Gandhi’s Nai-talim and his Swaraj Ideology. Already I have interest on him, by
hearing and reading this new things “Swaraj & Nai-talim” {new things for me
only} I am Fascinated by Gandhi and his ideology, I am clearing my vagueness
regarding Gandhi’s activities and ideologies. And this gave me a one more
chance to know more deep about Gandhiji and his ideologies and philosophies.
(HOW THIS WILL HELP ME)
From my childhood onwards I am not that
much attracted towards modernity (technology, money etc.) and modern education
(I got errors so many times in exams up to my 12th standard) I don’t
know the clear reason why this is happening to me, when I am reading and
hearing about Gandhi, Tagore, Aurobindo, Rousseau and John Dewey’s philosophies
and ideologies I got (getting) some more clear ideas why this happening.
Particularly I am understanding myself (Self-realization is happening in me
through this mediums particularly by Gandhi, Tagore and Aurobindo
philosophies). Till my graduation time I thought that I am fit that much fit
for this education, I use to blame myself a lot, I have inferiority complex in
my mind, by hearing and reading this ideologies and philosophies, I understand (understanding)
the faults in Modernity and as well as in me also. This gave a chance to critique
the faults in the modernity as well as in society also, this helping me to
revolt instead of bearing the faults.
This Gandhi’s Nai-talim is helping me for
my self-realization. By all these I am understanding that I am not that much
suitable for this modernity.
Gandhi’s Nai-talim
Gandhiji was fed-up with the English
modern education because it focus on production of wealth and machine with help
of literacy training with symbolic learning (Ex. Giving Bangalore Map book as
substitute for Bangalore trip experience), Gandhi felt that modern schools
filled children with discontent (Discontent is civilization) which made us to
born and die as a slave and dependent on machines. This civilization became
more Anthropocentric and harming others living and society a lot. (By
developing mobile signal towers we are harming birds a lot). Gandhiji called
following western education (Which focus on machine and wealth) as an
imitation, it is giving frustration because of competition with others and
comparison between others. (Ex. I have laptop and you don’t have laptop so bad
of you)
And Gandhiji started focusing on Living
beings and Nature. Gandhiji mostly focused on human beings with the true
relationship with nature and to do service to all living beings because humans
have a surplus (Self-knowledge) to modify themselves to help themselves and as
well as Nature, but machines and wealth does not have this surplus
(Self-knowledge) to modify themselves to help themselves. Example: Bad human
can become a good human with his self-knowledge by realizing his/her own
mistakes, but a car doesn’t modify its millage while it is using, it have fixed
millage and later that millage will decrease when it becoming old. (Krishna
Kumar called this as Man {Human} versus Machine)
In this Nai-talim education Gandhiji tried
to relate the humans through truth and Non-violence without any competition and
comparison which gives hope in life (This is true and Natural relationship),
but not tried to relate humans through the commodity, wealth and machine (It is
the false and artificial relationship). Truth and non-violence are connected
through his agriculture and craft education in which students have to do
service & sacrifice which helps in maintaining relationships with humans
and as well as immediate surroundings (Nature). And this service and sacrifice will
help in following truth and non-violence and that will help in maintain true
relationship.
(Service-Doing something to other without
any expectations; sacrifice- Not Driven by self, you need to dedicate yourself
to others; Truth- Voluntary suffering to know the reality of the situation;
Non-violence- Looks for truth in all beings)
Gandhiji bring these Truth, Non-violence,
Service and Sacrifice principles through Swaraj Ideology (He Got this Ideology
my several mediums). This Swaraj is the main theme in Nai-talim (Basic &
New Education)
Swaraj:
It means self-rule, the pedagogy of this
Swaraj is fearless action and suffering for the welfare of all. The aim of this
Swaraj is very village have to be self-sufficient. And this Swaraj is rested in
these three principles.
1) Swadesh:
Swadesh implies hominess, Swadesh is a sprit in us which restrict us to use of
our own immediate surroundings most possibly and to do service to our immediate
surroundings without any expectations.
2) Sarvodaya:
Sarvodaya means welfare and upliftment of
all through Ahimsa. Ahimsa looks for truth of all living beings. It will focus
on all living beings centered through Ahimsa, Sarvodaya wants Non-violence.
(Ahimsa means Non-Violence).
3) Satyagraha: Satyagraha means grasping of truth and asking
for truth. For this we need voluntary and self-suffering, that can be done with
courage without with fear.
In Nai-talim we can internalize the
education through bodily activities with help of mind and soul participation
also (Not by only body, only mind and only soul participation) that can help
this body in fulfilling its responsibilities that will develop our health also.
We can internalize education through Head, Hand and Heart coordination (3H
Coordination) activities. The coordination activities are like cycling,
swimming, pottery, spinning, carpentry, cultivation, etc. gives comprehensive
knowledge, and through bodily activities. Mostly we never forget our
internalized education. It’s empirically proven for you also (Ex. Driving,
swimming etc.). But you can forget mind activities what I learnt in 10th
class physics that I can’t remember now without any medium, but I can remember
cycling which I learnt in 6th class. Nai-talim is mostly focus on
activity based learning than symbolic/abstract learning.
For attaining this basic education (The
notion of craft education) we need incredible patience. The foundation for
Nai-talim education is Patience through which we can get 3H coordination (Head,
Hand and Heart coordination).
This Nai-talim will help us in building
our character. Character Building help us in dealing the situations nicely and
carefully. In this Gandhiji explains supremacy of Body over Mind. He say that
the ultimate supreme intellect thing in this world is our body than mind, because
the body does not have an ego, only the mind will stick to ego for that we need
train our senses through the bodily activities that restrict our mind in
controlling the unwanted desires like more sleeping, eating, etc. The body
never forgets its responsibility like heart beating, blood circulation,
digesting the food, etc. but mind forgets its responsibility. In this Nai-talim
it focus on charter building which is beyond ego that happen through bodily
activities.
In Nai-talim the teacher is the better
student than student (Teachers are better learners). Nai-talim is free from
state control, it have to maintained by local people only. The school have to
be self-sufficient only, through by this craft.
Gandhi’s Nai-talim will give hope in life
to humans as well as other beings, but modern education will give frustration
in life to humans as well as for nature. This happens because In Nai-talim you
are self-dependent on you and on your immediate surroundings with you natural
relationships, by making pots, by cultivating rice in field, with some
carpentry work you can learn and leave happily. It gives hope because of your
self-dependence. In Modern education focus on wealth and machine these are the
outside things in this you are dependent on others. If you have money you get
the food, if food not available to you, you feel frustrate, if lift is working
also you feel frustrate to climb steps, because artificial relationship.
Interventions
Gandhi’s Nai-talim is related to Knowledge
by acquaintance in this he / she gets knowledge by all senses not by only one
sense. Gandhi’s Nai-talim focus on training of senses to obtain craft education
(True Education)
When I heard about Gandhi, Tagore,
Aurobindo, John Dewey and Rousseau’s ideologies through my teachers and friends
in my post-graduation period I was fascinated by these Ideologies, all
ideologies are interlinked with each other at some point. In except Gandhiji
ideology all these other ideologies are saying more or less saying same about
unique, innate, characteristics, nature of child in learning, These all saying
mostly about how to teach the child (Pedagogy techniques), but not particularly
focusing only what to teach.
But in Gandhiji ideology (Nai-talim) it is
mostly saying about what to teach (Agriculture & Craft Education- Craft
education includes geography, history, asthmatics- which is based on 3H- Head,
Hand and Heart coordination principle), how to operate and manage schools and
also about how to teach. Gandhi’s Nai-talim is mostly focused on paradigm of
“Swaraj” instead of focusing on paradigm of “Production of Wealth and Machine”.
And Gandhiji mostly told about significance of what to teach in education not
more about how to teach.
I felt I am getting a hope in my life that
how to lead my life. I got some vague/rough map (Pre-figurative Map) to lead my
life through this Swaraj model. I am trying to mold myself in this Swaraj
model, because it showed (Showing) the way for true education to me for my
emancipation.
Without car, laptop, etc. also I can live,
but without the basic need we can’t live this Nai-talim is focus on our basic
needs and also focusing on to stay happy with all living beings. I like this
ideology because I felt this is permanent for living beings till death. By this
Nai-talim (By implementing and following) we can get emancipation without
hurting others. I also want to follow this ideology in my own way.
I am not that much satisfied by modern
education system which the institution taught to me, that gave me tag as a
duller in my institution days (Up to 12th class Pre- Graduation
days). Those institutions gave me more frustration than hope in my life. I felt
I am not that much suitable for this education, I felt this because I am
getting less marks, I got frustration because of competition among us,
Comparison in schools between us, English supremacy over my mother tongue
Telugu gave me so much frustration to me in life, how I can live in this world
without education. Frustration is the achievement of modern education that I
experienced there in my school days through competition and comparison.
But my parents supported me in all times
by giving some hope (Without any comparison and competition between me and my sister)
which is related to Gandhi’s Nai-talim. My Parents motivation gave me hope in
my life, without good marks also you can leave, you need to maintain good
character and this Hope is the achievement in Nai-talim that hope came from my
parents.
When I entered into my graduation I learnt
so many things by bodily activities (With help of Mind & Soul participation
also) which gave me experienced based learning (Pragmatic Learning) through the
field works (Practicum Visits), project works, presentations etc. I went to so
many organizations for participating in service to people without any that much
expectations (Service to others). I use to talk with many people like
bureaucrats, labors, general public, employers, etc. this happened in my degree
college and as well as in University. This bodily activity based, service
based, Satyagraha based (In grasping the truth of others) happened in mostly in
graduation and post-graduation days it also related to Gandhi’s Nai-talim.
Limitations
For attaining Basic or New Education is
very slow process, for attaining this we need to work hard with lots of
patience & practice which is mostly never ending process. Most of the
people including me is culturally conditioned with the money, it is very
difficult us go beyond this money and machine now. Gandhi’s Nai-talim is in
holistic model it is very difficult to achieve.
Conclusion
We can see some of this Gandhi’s Nai-talim
activities in our daily life also ex. Agriculture by farmers, cycling,
carpentry work by carpenters etc. and we are also learning something by Head
(Mind), Hand (Body), Heart (Soul) coordination, example cycling, painting etc.
mostly in a sub-conscious way if we are conscious about your coordination
learning it will come under Nai-talim only.
Gandhi’s Nai-talim is best solution for
Humans Blissfulness, but for this we need to work hard with patience.
References:
Basic Education by M.K. Gandhi
(Translated) 1962
Towards New Education by M.K. Gandhi and
Edited by Bharatan Kumarappa
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi by Krishna
Kumar 1999
A Gandhian Perspective by George Pattery
Comments
Post a Comment