Author: Interview with Dr Murli
Manohar Joshi
Publication: Organiser
Date: June 6, 2004
Former Union HRD Minister, Dr Murli
Manohar Joshi has said if the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government
tries to reverse the changes that he had brought about in school curriculum,
the people of India and the world would laugh at them. In an exclusive
interview to Organiser representative Pramod Kumar, he said: "Whatever
changes were made in the education system were done in accordance with
the recommendations of the Parlia-mentary Standing Committee. If they tinker
with it, they will be harming the rapid growth of education in the country."
He said that the UPA government and its constituents must clarify what
changes they want. Excerpts:
Q.: What will be the impact on education
system with the change of government?
A.: The UPA and its constituents
are saying that they will bring a change in the education system to remove
saffronisation. I don't know whether they really understand the meaning
of saffronisation. Whatever changes we brought about in education, including
reformulating of the curriculum to introduce sarva-dharmasambhav and values,
was in accordance with the recommendations of the HRD Parliamentary Standing
Committee and the National Education Policy formulated by the Rajiv Gandhi
government in 1986 and confirmed in 1992. The induction of fundamental
duties and value education in school curriculum were approved by the Supreme
Court also. The number of textbooks published by the NCERT rose from two
crore to more than six crore after these changes. It means the books are
acceptable to students. If they now try to change it in the name of desaffronisation,
I think people of India would laugh at them.
Amending the Constitution, we made
primary education compulsory for children between the ages of six and 14
years and initiated the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA). I can very safely say
that nobody can reverse the SSA. The World Bank had described the SSA as
the best educational programme anywhere in the world. See the Kendriya
Vidyalaya results. We have made government-run schools better than the
best public schools in the coutnry. We reduced the fees in IIMs and also
increased the number of technical institutions in the country. Are they
going to reduce the numbers? We have reduced the load of school bags. Every
child is happy about it. Are they going to increase it again? Are they
going to close down the IITs and NITs that we set up in the country? Do
they want to introduce communistisation of education? Instead of saying
that India has a very glorious past, will they teach Marx´s views?
I am not clear what changes they are going to make. In fact they have not
gone through the books. Whatever has been done in the education system
has been done in the interest of the country and if they want to tinker
with it, they will be playing with the future of the country. They must
clarify what changes they want.
Q.: Do you find any particular point
that they can change in the name of desaffronisation?
A.: There is no point on which
they can lay their hands. They never pointed out what we had done was against
the Constitution, secularism or the accepted traditions of the country.
I challenge them in Parliament to point out the mistakes. If they can really
point out something against the facts, Constitution or against the policy,
certainly it can always be remedied. But so far they have not been able
to point out even a single case.
Q.: The 1986 Education Policy was
formulated by late Rajiv Gandhi. Do they have the courage to say that Rajiv
Gandhi was wrong?
A.: Let them say that it is against
their policy.
Q.: Now when the BJP has been voted
out of power, do you think saffronisation of education was rejected by
the people?
A.: This is a very interesting
question because nobody during this campaign ever said that it was the
wrong education policy. On the contrary, the changes in education were
appreciated all over the country. Today, there are 18 national technical
education institutions; can they say that they will close them down? Some
people certainly said education has been saffronised but they do not know
the meaning of saffronisation. In fact, saffron is the colour that represents
the very ethos and psyche of this country. Saffronisation means to go back
to the holy traditions of this country. If they want to remove it, people
will judge it.
Q.: Almost every government and
education expert have promised to reduce the load of school bags, but nothing
concrete has been done so far. Why?
A.: The load of school bags in
all the Central Board of Secondary Education ((CBSE) schools has been reduced.
It is the state governments' responsibility to take the matter seriously.
Since state governments are autonomous, it depends upon them to initiate
action in this direction.
Q.: How do you see the future of
Dr Manmohan Singh´s government?
A.: I think the future of this
government is not very bright. I would like to give them some opportunities
to show their real objectives and performance. But right from the beginning,
the way their partners are behaving I don't think this government will
be able to do something positive. I wish Dr Manmohan Singh all success.
But he is surrounded by such partners who will make it difficult for him
to function. The stability of the government is quite doubtful.
Q.: Considering the way Smt. Sonia
Gandhi declined the post of Prime Minister, how do you visualise the future
of Congress party?
A.: I have always maintained that
the Congress does not inspire confidence in the minds and hearts of the
people. The real story why Smt. Gandhi declined is still a mystery. Maybe
she thought it was difficult for her to handle the situation. But I personally
do not think that it was something of a great sacrifice. She had gone to
Rashtrapati Bhawan looking very happy and as though fully prepared, along
with Dr Manmohan Singh. But when she returned, she decided not to take
up the responsibility. I don't know what happened.
