Questions on Education with Mahatma Gandhi-IV

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09404955338, 09415777229

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Questions on Education with Mahatma Gandhi-IV

 

Q. 11. In the aims of the Vidyapith it has been said that the progress of India depends upon its villages and not its cities. It this is so, why do you wish to convert our city boys? You are free to give village education to village boys, but city boys want to live city life. Why would you not give them the kind of education that suits them? Moreover, the funds for the Vidyapith come from cities. We shall say nothing if you carry the ideals of the Vidyapith to the villages and collect money, food grains and cotton.

A. Fortunately, this question is not asked by many city dwellers or many students living in cities. How can city people, who are beginning to repent, talk in terms of village children getting village education at their own expense? The Vidyapith was born as a result of city people turning their attention to villages. The city dwellers themselves took over running the Vidyapith after their eyes opened. If it is intended chiefly to serve the villages why should the villagers pay money for running it? Today even the educational machinery of the villages has necessarily to be run by the city dwellers the very same allegations that the city-dwellers level against the Government can be levelled against us by villagers: ‘You city dwellers have robbed us in the past and still continue to do so. We shall be grateful to you if you will stop doing so. We are prepared to let bygones be bygones.’ We woke up when a few among us city dwellers understood this. We became aware of the grave injustice that we have done to the villages and we decided to make atonement for it. The first part of this consists of non-co-operation with the Government with whose strength and support it was and still is possible to suck the life-blood of the villages. And the second part consists in our learning to save ourselves from the results of cooperation as we gradually understand the essence of non-cooperation. If we offered non co-operation and then sat down with folded hands, it could be said what we had not understood the meaning of non-co-operation. It is not enough not to help one who robs us of our belongings; it is also necessary to stop him from doing so and make him give up the loot. Then alone can we be said to have non-co-operated with the robber. Non-co-operation can be violent or non-violent, warlike or peaceful, one involving brute force or soul force. We have chosen the latter alternative in each case and hence we have come to the conclusion that some of us city-dwellers who have robbed the wealth of the villages and live comfortably because of it should, by way of atonement, serve the villages in some way and offer them something in return. The Vidyapith was born as a result of this trend of thought and it is because some of us are awake and are votaries of truth that we are day by day realizing the secret of non-cooperation and, to that extent, are making the Vidyapith purer. It will now be understood why the main part of the funds contributed by the city-dweller should be used only for the purpose of educating villagers and that this can be done at present only by the graduates from the cities who have been trained the Vidyapith. It is my belief that if would be a betrayal of the people’s trust in us if we used the funds received in the name of the Vidyapith for some other purpose. Those who donated money did so under the impression that it would be used to impart a type of education different from that which is currently given and which would be of the type described by me.

Q. 12. Over the past eight years, the stress of the Vidyapith has been on the abolition of untouchability. How many Antyajas have become vinitas or snatakas as a result of this?

A. I find the question strange and ignorant, for abolition of untouchability never meant, and should never mean, that we make graduates of youths regarded as untouchables. It is possible that some of them obtain these degrees in course of time. That is as it should be. It is also in the fitness of things that the Vidyapith should always be ready to help such individuals. But to turn untouchables into graduates does not in any way form part of the programme for the abolition of untouchability. The Vidyapith has proved its partiality for and its adherence to the cause of abolition of untouchability by forgoing thousands, if not lacs, of rupees and risking its very existence and by letting go help in the running of its administration from some individuals who were otherwise quite able to give such help.

Q. 13. We see clearly that the absence of brahmacharya has led to physical and mental enfeeblement of the nation and endeavour and enterprise have slackened. Why then have you not permitted the use of the word brahmacharya in the last clause about the aims of the Vidyapith? A. The questions is well put. It is not proved that the absence of brahmacharya alone is responsible for the physical and mental weakening of the nation and the slowing of sustained industry and enterprise. Why should we be little such a diving things as brahmacharya by linking it with physical exercise, which, however good, is a transitory thing as compared to the former? The Westerners do not practice brahmacharya, yet they are not weak physically or mentally. Their untiring industry and spirit of adventure are worthy of imitation. It can be said of Gurkha, Pathan, Sikh, Dogra and British soldiers all of whom have fine physique that none of them are brahmacharis. These will outdo the students of our gymnasia in physical exercise.

We can cite many such examples, to prove that physical strength, a certain kind of mental strength, ceaseless diligence and adventure all the four of these can be attained without practicing brahmacharya. The brahmacharya of my conception one that leads to the attainment of the Brahman is distinct from the above. It is both the means and the end; hence in order to practice it, I am prepared to sacrifice my body. One who is enamored of the physical self will hardly be able to practice unbroken brahmacharya. Citing the examples of the brahmacharya of Bhishma and others here would be misleading. If we take too literally the events described in the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, etc., we shall be led along the path of untruth and fall headlong into a chasm. We shall certainly rise if we understand their inner meaning and put it into practice. The body is not thing to be thrown away. It is a thing to be preserved. If it has become the abode of Ravana, it is also the Ayodhya of Rama; it is also Kurukshetra. We must not, therefore, ignore it. It is necessary to keep it strong and healthy and so it must have exercise. When we say this do we not give exercise its due? We preserve truth, and this amount of inducement is sufficient and has been sufficient to make exercise popular among students. On the other hand, if we try to establish an inevitable connection between exercise and brahmacharya, not only shall we be guilty of exaggeration but there will be real danger that a student who happens to lag behind in his exercises, instead of correcting the error in his reasoning, will blame brahmacharya and give it up. Brahmacharya does not require the support of the desire for physical strength. Its necessity can be proved in other and much better ways. The West may have physical strength as well as mental strength but where does it have spiritual strength?

Why envy that possession of someone by virtue of which we find that they readily succumb to passions, cannot tolerate any opposition at all, and use their will power, diligence and courage for the purpose of robbing another nation and destroying it? And why imitate them? Since all their strength is related to what is opposite of brahmacharya, it has proved to be fatal to the progress of the world in the right direction. That is why I have called it monstrous. Here I do not wish to run down the West. There are many Westerners who are worshippers of truth and morality. There are a number of brahmacharis there too. They understand the agonizing Western urge that I am describing here. Hence we can understand and describe the outcome of all the the Western tendencies while at the same time having a feeling of love and respect for the Westerners. Had the Western civilization been built on the ideal of brahmacharya, the state of the world would have been very different today and instead of being pitiable would have been attractive.

In this way, realizing the frightful results of lack of brahmacharya in the world, it is desirable that we should put the ideal of brahmacharya independently before the people. Full development of the soul is impossible without brahmacharya. Without it, man may act like a well-fed but wild horse without reins, but he cannot become civilized. Without it, wholesome as well as continuous activity and noble courage are impossible. Without it, the mind may well appear to be strong; however, it will be slave to a thousand passions and temptations. And though a body that has been developed without brahmacharya may well become strong, it can never become completely healthy from the medical point of view. It is not necessary to put on flesh and develop the muscles. It has been my experience over a long period that without brahmacharya it is impossible to have body which, even though lean, can withstand the rigors of heat, cold and rain and remain totally free from diseases. I can cite innumerable instances from my own life as well as that of my colleagues of how every passion destroys the strength and soul of man.

Hence I for one would say that although the body may collapse or be wasted anyone who cares for the atman ought to preserve brahmacharya. The reasons for the physical and mental weakness of our students are quite different. Child-marriages, the fact of us being the fruit of child-marriage, family responsibilities, lack or inadequacy of wholesome diet due to poverty are some of them. Let not the reader commit the error of equating lack of brahmacharya with child-marriage. Very great efforts are required to rid the students of the evil habits that they have formed in their childhood. Evil customs of society must be reformed; the artificial burden imposed by education must be lightened. But since this is an altogether different subject, I shall not discuss it here. I shall say only that our students will not be able to improve their physique by physical exercise alone. We can obtain the desired results only if a simultaneous effort is made on all fronts.

 

Reference:

Navajivan, 24-6-1928