Conversation with an educationist

Wise talks with a VC,

Some snippets,

Us (colleagues and I): We enjoy walking around the campus here, it has a peaceful, a special feel.

VC: This campus has nothing special to offer, it is like any other place. You will have peace, that special feel within you and so you feel it. It is what is within you that is crucial, the outside seldom matters.

Us: But, there will be this point of “places with energy” as well, isn’t it?

VC: Yes, it is at some places, few places. These are places where a lot of good people, people with positive energies, come, get together, put in time. At such places the outer disturbances, the sounds, lights and chaos in the surroundings, do not bother you. However, the energy you talk about can also work the other way. If you are at Connaught Place in Delhi, for example, you will notice significant energy, of the other kind, given the people who frequent it. Ditto for the places frequented by our political leaders.

Us: Education . . . . .

VC: An agriculture country like ours should have more, many more agricultural colleges. Colleges which help us grow our dal and subji, better quality and with better yields. Of course, we need science and technology as well, no shying away from that in today’s times, but there is no point in churning out so many graduates, post-graduates and PhDs like we are doing currently. Most of these people are of no help to their families, what to talk about the country, the society. The professors are wasting time of these children who are anyways not studying, not learning. We should have good, very good schools till class 8th / 10th so that the basics are solid and there is merit in children going to schools. Even at the village level the main role of the panchayat should be to ensure that the schools there function well. Only those children who then need to study further, can do. Not all need to become BA babus.

Us: Spirituality . . . . .

VC: Spirituality is crucial for us, like salt is to food. Spirituality should be like salt and not like the food itself. At times we treat it like food and that is a starting point of many a problem.

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