[Reader-list] [arkitectindia] Re: Pondering and Wondering
arkitect95
arkitect95 at yahoo.co.in
Wed Jan 19 23:35:04 IST 2005
I am realy admire Shaheen's deep thought...
but even i have a question to raise (and i think a
valid one too)
how long we will continue blaming govt.???
how long we continue demanding a just society for
all???
what is it that we are doing to make our surrounding a
better place to live????
is it not that we should also introspect????
can anyone answer
ishita shruti
ishitashruti at yahoo.com
--- In arkitectindia at yahoogroups.com, "Vishwa Deepak"
<vishwadeepak at r...> wrote:
> Dear Shaheen
>
> Certainly this posting has made me ponder and wonder about the
priorities. I strongly feel that we are responsible for whatever has
been happening around! Education has not been priority or let me put
it in this way that the governmental education system has not been in
our minds and given an opportunity we all would have loved to study
in some flashy convent and public school without even thinking what
is happening to the children in the next house.
>
> We as citizens of India have never created pressure on the
government for quality by utilising its welfare services for which we
pay in way of taxes. The broken road, erratic power and water supply
all feature on front pages of the news papers the minute we face
major problem with it because it cuts through our veins and we make
noise. Noise makes it a priority issue that turns into action -
whether taken by government or by anyone else.
>
> Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan was announced in headlines of the news
papers when it was initiated and also the news read that it was
supported by the World Bank through soft loan to the country. Hardly
there was any talk as most of us are busy with our bread and how to
add little more butter and cheese on it. No one asked question that
what's the advantage of feeding an old and sick goat that is already
in death-bed. So called experts are happy since Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyaan brought them some more business, which as expert is their
priority.
>
> Who cares... is our attitude unless the knife is put on our throat.
we all are happy talking the issue since it is quite an stimulant.
How many of us are ready to send our children into a school run by
the government. Response to this question will also answer many
unanswered questions.
>
>
> Vishwa
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: shaheen ansari
> To: arkitectindia at yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 1:15 AM
> Subject: [arkitectindia] Pondering and Wondering
>
>
> Pondering and Wondering
>
>
>
> Sometime raising a right question is more important than a wrong
answer. It is in this process I raise some questions in the hope that
your responses will enhance my understanding.
>
>
>
> Think of these questions assuming India is a family and we are
its siblings. What should be the criteria of apportioning priority
to the different needs and demands of the various members of the
family?
>
>
>
> Do you think it is acceptable to go and buy a TV or home theatre
while one of your brothers or sisters is dying of hunger? Can anyone
indulge in anniversary celebrations leaving his/her children
suffering from some acute illness that demands immediate attention?
>
>
>
> I would like you to consider the following:
>
>
>
> 1. The disproportionate expenditure our country spends
on 'nice things', sports, recreation etc;
>
> 2. The disproportionate expenditure our government spends on
critical things, like educating its sons and daughters;
>
> 3. The exorbitant expenditure on post-colonial celebrations
like Independence Day and Republic Day etc;
>
> 4. Why there is such disparity in already scarce funds: 14 %
expenditure on defense versus a measly 3.2% of GDP on education.
>
> It seems that we cannot, or do not wish to, learn from history.
When Westerners were building Oxford, we were building the Taj Mahal.
When they were building airplanes we were founding the Muslim League
(1906 in Shimal) and Hindu Sabha (1908 in Punjab). There are hundreds
of such examples. And now when they are building space shuttles and
going to Mars and other planets we are busy in mobilizing and
dividing people into religions factions so they can gain 'access' to
heaven. I ask you: just where are we going?
>
>
>
> I have nothing against the Taj, or mosques or temples per se, I
simply do not understand the prime objective of our ruling class.
Where are the projects for the masses?
>
>
>
> The budget allocation for different sectors tells us that our
father and mother are clearly lethargic about educating us. This is
not acceptable, given the most critical change agent is in society is
EDUCATION.
>
>
>
> A question has been haunting me ever since I read two news items
in a magazine - one about death by hunger and about the exorbitant
price- more than Rs.100 crore- to get one Olympic silver medal. The
one event.
>
>
>
> Rs.100 crore was spent on organizing things for and in Athens.
Grooming sports people took months and years of preparation to reach
eligibility for entry to Athens Olympic Village. Think of other sport
events where so many rupees are being spent.
>
>
>
> If we dare to surf the web and do some pretty rudimentary
analysis of events in the year 2004 we can amass many mind-boggling
facts such as the one above.
>
>
>
> Don't get me wrong. I am not against sport. I have been a
basketball player and represented my school and university teams on
many occasions. But here with the help of arkitectindia group I am
trying to understand a very basic question.
>
>
>
> Where should a family head?
>
> How should our Mother and Father spend money specifically
allocated for its children?
>
> What are their priorities? And for whom?
>
>
>
> I think Mum and Dad have some favourites. Consider the following:
>
> · In West Bengal people were dying of hunger after eating
some roots of trees. The roots may be of poisonous in nature but they
had no option as there was no food supply. Why?
>
> · Several members of a tribal community in Orissa fell
sick after eating mango kernels and a few of them died. It was
reported that there was a shortage of food but mango kernels were the
only option left with them. NDTV reported that the grains were being
eaten by rats in the government godowns because of the lack of and
inefficiency of communication and transportation facilities. Why?
>
> · Thousands of farmers in Andhra Pradesh and adjoining
areas committed suicide. Why?
>
> · Every year we witness hundred and thousands of people
who die either of hot wind (loo) or cold breeze. Don't say that the
government does not know that every year summer comes, every year
winter comes and also every year rain comes. But still there is no
provision or programme to tackle this menace. Go out on the streets
of Delhi and you will find people lying on the pavements waiting for
the sun or death. But will the government built night shelters in
different parts of the city? It does not require much - just a
covered hall. It comes down to priorities: night shelters Vs. one
medal, or you could read it this way: unwanted poor lot Vs. elite
sportspersons. Is anybody listening right there in the sport
ministry?
>
> · We belong to a country whose government even can't
provide primary education to its children. What a shame! January 26th
is coming. There is a huge budget to celebrate Independence Day and
Republic Day. If we make it a simple affair and invest all the money
in building schools and industries the government can create lakhs of
job opportunities for its unemployed citizens every year. But again
it is a matter of priority. Who cares?
>
> · There is no commitment to provide adequate funds for
fulfilling the cumulative gap built up since the Education
Commissionâs recommendations in 1964-66 within a ten-year
timeframe. In case of elementary education, it was to fulfill this
cumulative gap that the Tapas Majumdar Committee (1999) recommended
an additional funding of Rs. 13,700 crores per year for the next ten
years which amounts to about 0.6% of the current level of GDP. This
investment will be required for bringing all out-of-school children
to formal school system. Is 0.6% of the GDP is too high to invest in
primary education?
>
> · We conducted a survey in Dhapo Colony Slum, New Delhi
where we were running an education centre there. One question
concerned patterns of expenditure. We were shocked to discover the
responses of sizeable numbers of respondents whose daily average
income was less than Rs75. For them, drink was an important item on
the shopping list. And any extra money would be spent on boozing or
other sorts of non-productive activities. But like the government of
India they also don't have money to send their children to school.
There is no concept of saving or investment. Of course there are some
exceptional mothers and fathers who think about the future of their
children. But not enough.
>
> · The government has introduced Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
(SSA) which provides low quality parallel educational streams. It is,
in the words of Prof. Anil Sadgopal, anti-child, anti-poor and anti-
education, for which we are paying for with a loan (remember it is a
LOAN) from the World Bank, a loan laden with their conditions. Is
there no shame in this? The fact that we cannot, will not, spend our
scarce financial resources on educating our children? Where is the
spirit 'development' in all this?
>
> · Do you think our government has the right to be such
frivolous conspicuous consumers? We are a republic, we're
independent, letâs throw a party! These are expensive, one-day PR
events, VIP soirees for the elite, and propaganda for the dumb masses
that we've got something to smile about, as tens of thousands of
children turned up to school the day before the party to find that
their teacher simply decided not to get out of bed.
>
> · Shall we demand the Government of India to stop these
celebrations till, at least, we are able to give the future of India
a decent education and employment to those who can and will work?
>
>
>
> God help us to change.
>
> To change ourselves and to change our world.
>
> To know the need for it.
>
> To deal with the pain of it.
>
> To feel the joy of it.
>
> To undertake "the journey without understanding the destination.
>
> The art of Gentle Revolution" (Michael Leunig)
>
>
>
> I ask members of this e-group to enlighten me, and others like
me, who can't understand the 'simple' logic of our Mother and Father
who leave some of us to die in one place and invests so much to
nurture others. I am confused between necessity and luxury. Kindly
throw some light on it - because I know darkness is nothing but the
absence of light.
>
>
>
> Thanks for patiently reading and considering.
>
> Kind Regards,
>
> Shaheen
>
> shaheen at m...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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