Rural Education Scheme- Mahatma Gandhi

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar, Professor, Editor and Linguist

Gandhi International Study and Research Institute, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

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Rural Education Scheme- Mahatma Gandhi

 

Following the announcement of Shri Nagindas’s gift of rupees one lakh, he has been receiving letters concerning the gift and making suggestions. He has passed these on to me, and I, in turn, have handed them over to Kakasaheb Kalelkar. The reader will find published in this issue that part of Kakasaheb’s letter to Shri Nagindas which deals with the scheme itself and explains it, so that Gujaratis may not remain in the dark about how and in what manner that gift is going to be utilized. From this the reader will see that the scheme is divided into three parts.

1. In the first place, it consists in training some students to become teachers or workers who will be able to serve the people, or rather, educate them. It is obvious that such service, if it is to benefit the people, should necessarily be rural service.

2. Secondly, establishment through these teachers of rural schools, which would be mobile in the first instance and become permanent later on.

3. Thirdly, preparing suitable literature and getting it prepared by others. Readers will see that the scope of this scheme is both ambitious and large.

Shri Nagindas’s philanthropy will have borne fruit if it is implemented. This task cannot be accomplished in a hurry. The scheme seeks to break new ground. Till now education has served the needs of city-life, if it has served any purpose at all. I deliberately say “if it has served any purpose at all”. I fear, or rather I hold, that since education so far has not been of a national character, it is found not to have served even the needs of city life. It was planned to support foreign rule, and that is what we find it has done, this character of our education has resulted in preparing a bureaucratic class of servants and copy-writing clerks. The scheme described above has to make its way through this atmosphere. Hence its implementation will necessarily take some time. Kakasaheb has estimated that its implementation will take ten years and that is not too long a time. It may conceivably happen that during this period, the public comes to be fired with widespread enthusiasm similar to that of 1921 which would also be of a permanent nature, and the required number of students and persons fit to impart education are immediately available. If that happens, we may safely hope that the task will be completed within a shorter period. The programme should be framed in conformity with present circumstances.

Kakasaheb is determined not to take up anything in haste without due deliberation. He wishes to proceed gradually but on a sure foundation, as an educationist should do. Not only is Shri Nagindas’s gift large in itself, but I also find from his letter that he has handed over all his savings to be used for educational purposes. This increase furthers the value of his contribution and adds to my responsibility as well as Kakasaheb’s. Both of us were already conscious of it. We indeed expect to get a great deal for the nation from the Vidyapith. However, after having learnt of the history of Shri Nagindas’s gift, we are all the more anxious to put it to the best possible use. We certainly pray for God’s help in doing so. We expect help from the people of Gujarat as well. If this Vidyapith succeeds as expected, that would naturally have an effect on other Vidyapith and on the whole country.

I do not imply by this that other national Vidyapith aim at anything less, but it does certainly imply that they have not had the same resources which the Gujarat Vidyapith has enjoyed, and hence the public has a right to expect greater results from the latter. Those who are interested in national education and approve of the aims of the scheme described above may rest assured that due attention will be given to any suggestions which they address to the head of the Gujarat Vidyapith at Ahmadabad. I would request everyone to refrain from troubling Shri Nagindas. The reader will see that he has retained no control over the manner in which his gift may be spent.

 

Reference:

 

Navajivan, 2-9-1928