When the Education System was
introduced in India
during the British era, it was designed to manufacture clerks to help the then
administrators. That is why it was kept devoid of the philosophy of the human
development in terms of self-respect, independence and more particularly,
traditional Indian cultural values. They succeeded and unfortunately, even
after political independence from the British Raj, the system was continued. In
course of time, the dirty politics entered into the educational institutes to
make the matter worse. Today, we find that majority of the students and the
teachers participate in active politics more interestingly than pursuing the
mission of their joining the institute.
Universities and colleges are always
considered as a source of wisdom and knowledge for the human development. They
are centres of hope, inspiration and research. Inventions and new discoveries in
all walks of life are expected to take place. But unfortunately, we miss the
environment suitable for such activities in majority of the Universities and
Colleges of today. The suicide of Research Student Rohit Vemula has raised an
opportunity for the discussion on the national level on the environment present
in such educational institutes. The suicide committed by him is the most
unfortunate and deplorable act. However, instead of making political statements,
it needs to be considered deeply in context with the circumstances and the
compulsions under which the student had to take this action. The political
parties did not go through the reasons but involved the caste factor in the
episode. Ousted from the main stream of the nation, the Congress and its Vice
President, Rahul Gandhi did not go beyond demanding resignation from the
Ministers of the Central Government. Even Trinmool Congress Party, silent over
the violent disruption gusting the public properties into fire by a particular
community in Malda District of West Bengal where it is ruling party, has turned
aggressive on the issue which took place in other State. Similarly, other
parties too have joined the band. It appears that they are willing to set the
scores with Bhartiya Janta Party against the defeat in 2014 in the Lok Sabha
Election. They are pursuing their narrow minded politics on the grave issue of
the suicide committed by a student out of some frustration in the environment.
No one is willing to give a little thought to the reasons of the frustration if
any which compelled him to such a serious action. Why did Rohit who is reported
to have been a promising Research Scholar opt for committing suicide instead of
fighting out against the disciplinary proceedings, whether they were correct or
wrong? Were not there other options available for him?
Patience and uninterrupted struggle
are always permanent options to get through any problem. Though this matter is
now being investigated at high level and the suspension of other students has
been revoked, the politics players are still on the traditional crease of
making allegations. Undoubtedly, some problems create disappointment. Some
time, a self-centric citizen can get disappointment from the society and the
Administration. But those people who have patience with positivity await for
good days and try untiringly for solution of the problems. But our Universities
and Educational Institutes do not have such environment which may inspire the
students to be optimistic with the future. They boast of having many types of
study disciplines within them. They do carry discussions in the seminars on the
social concerns and provide opportunities to understand thoughtful politics in
the country. It is good in national interest but when the universities and the
educational institutes become the centre of political activities, their way of
accomplishing the mission for which they are set up gets bewildered. It must be
stopped. It is worth that we carry on discussion on nationalism, Secularism,
Marxism, capitalism, Parliamentary System, democracy, election reforms etc. but
the universities must not be made centres for caste-conflictions or pseudo
political overtures. Sometime ago, in the campus of Hyderabad University, there
took place an agitation to oppose the capital punishment to Yakub Menon who was
convicted in the Mumbai Bomb Explosions. Right to express the opinions freely
can not be granted to express opposition to the judicial pronouncements and
sovereignty of the nation and such activities can not be called as general
activities in the campus of any educational institute or university. There was
some dispute between Ambedkar Students Association and All India Vidyarthi
Board. The matter is under consideration before the Court, University and
Police. In the meanwhile, Rohit committed suicide. He did not allege any
particular party, leader or any officer of the University for any wrong. But
the political parties and their leaders who are personally in opposition to the
Bhartiya Janta Party and its leaders, are targeting them and the Central
Government. It is true that the local MP and the Minister in the Central
Government Mr.Bandaroo Duttatrey had made some correspondence. It is not
unusual. Earlier, the Congress MP Mr. Hanumant Rao too made some correspondence
in 2014. Central Human Resource Minister wrote to the University and the
University too had taken appropriate action already. We can review about the
action taken on the merit basis. The disciplinary action was taken against
Rohit as a student on the same lines it was taken against other students. He
was never targeted if that belonged to any particular caste. There was no
particular consideration regarding Rohit’s individual caste factor for taking
action against him. Unfortunately our biased political parties are making the
issue of suicide as a caste-based issue to provoke social unrest disguisedly.
It is true that Indian Society has
got many castes and faced caste-wise differences. For some time, we are feeling
such differences to be reducing gradually. In the urban culture, they are
disappearing. Moreover, the educational institutes and the universities are
supposed to nurture the calibre without any discrimination. But due to vote
bank policy being followed by the political parties, particularly by the
regional parties, the caste impact is still there which is responsible to
ignore the basic problem. Whenever any remedial action is proposed to be taken,
the caste factor is put up to eliminate that remedial action. Why our
Universities and education institutes are not able to produce high calibre
students is due to the caste factor they have to follow under the political
pressures. A student fails to get an opportunity to advance because he does not
belong to any particular caste. His personal merit does not entitle him to have
that opportunity and that creates frustration. The policy of using the students
for political purposes is an old policy of the political parties. This policy
is not liked by the meritorious students. The political parties favour their
policy on the basis of getting good leaders like Arun Jaitely and Sita Ram
Yachuri from the university corridors but we find that the leaders like Atal
Bihari Bajpai does not have any such back ground. The Universities and
Educational Institutes do not owe any responsibility to give good political
leaders to the nation. They owe the duty to prepare dutiful and capable
citizens to the nation.
It is said that Rohit who committed
the suicide had never wished to become a Political leader. He was dreaming to
become a philosopher, a scientist like Carl Sagon or some writer. Carl Sagon
had intended to see the whole universe as a single entity. In opposition to his
dream of becoming a scientist like Carl Sagon, Rohit could not overcome the
pressures of the small world within his approach. He fainted down in the local
overtures only and committed suicide due to his own weaknesses.
We must endeavour to make our Universities and
Educational Institutes politics-free. The professional politicians take easy
the political pressures but the young students can not afford to bear such
pressures. We must ensure the Universities and Educational Institutes must not
entertain any political activity. They must not permit any Association or
Unions to develop or interfere in their affairs. Now, we must do everything
possible to ensure to enhance optimism in the students towards their original
mission of getting better education and how they become a source of wisdom and
knowledge for the human development again. Political activities should,
therefore, not be permitted within the Universities and Educational Institutes.
