Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Right balance of Indian and Western education necessary for Indians' that was published in Newsband

Right balance of Indian and Western education necessary for Indians

Efforts are being made by some Indians to “Indianise” education. The support of educationists sympathetic to the Hindutva political project is being sought for this purpose. Efforts are also being made to push through an ahistorical, eclectic version of Indian nationalism that is seen as inseparable from Hindu civilization in the name of Vedic Mathematics, Value Education, and Integral Humanism. These forces are trying to influence government policy on education and culture. RSS too supports the idea that Indian values should be taught to schoolchildren.

The new Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre appears is intent on bringing in educational reforms. It is left to be seen whether the government will manage to inculcate scientific temper and human values in schoolchildren.

‘Indianising education’ if imparted in right way may not be a bad idea. But historically Christian missionaries have believed that moral education can only be granted through Christian education. Many who have benefited considerably from Westernised form of education question whether a start for Indianisation of education is the right step, whether the Indianisation of education would improve the competitiveness of students in a globalising workplace? Would the services industry in which India excels at today benefit from it? India increasingly finds the likes of the Philippines, China, Thailand, Sri Lanka etc. breathing down its neck. Would Indians want to give up one of the few areas wherein the country has a competitive advantage due to English, a liberal and non-parochial education?

Is creating "Hindu madrasas" the right thing to do? Isn’t the project to 'Indianise' education by rejecting accepted scientific history and facts without a proper debate and evidence dangerous and needs to be rejected?

Every religion, including atheism, has something to teach if the mind is open. Swamy Vivekananda said in his speech that we should learn science and discipline from the Western world and in return we should teach them spirituality. Here spirituality means pure enlightenment. That is why India is the most sought after destination for spirituality for Western world. The spirituality and science co-existed in our ancient culture and they were inseparable. But, unfortunately we had lost that culture in due course of time. Since the time has changed since then now we need a balanced approach without hurting the sentiments of others.

Westernised education, in fact, has led to the emancipation of hundreds of millions of people from the exercise of blind faith and fears of superstition and has contributed to their education and the enrichment of their lives. Secular humanism has provided an impetus for humans to solve their problems with intelligence and perseverance, to conquer geographic and social frontiers, and to extend the range of human exploration and adventure. So a proper balance of Indianised and Westernised form of education system is the right thing for India to adopt today.