Indian Defence Review

The challenges to India are numerous. The multi ethnic, multi cultural, multi linguistic expanse had given rise to the slogan of ‘Unity in Diversity’ but we have hardly shown any acumen in managing social change over the last decade. 28.7 crore people cannot read. India stands at 94th position in corruption perception index, 136th in human development index and malnutrition in children is worse than Sub Sahara as per UNICEF. The silver lining is that 65 percent of our 1.21 billion population is of 35 years and below age group, which translates to an incredible 780 million. Little wonder that Thomas Friedman says, “India is the sole country of 21st Century with abundant youth power. At the same time, we have some 4.6 crores people unemployed, about 4 crore illegal weapons and 17 tons of heroin alone being consumed annually.

The million dollar question is how will India handle this youth to optimize this invaluable asset for there are inimical forces on the look out to misguide them in order to achieve their nefarious aim to destabilize India.

The cocktail of youth, unemployment, illegal weapons and drugs is a deadly cocktail requiring youth to be channelized into the right direction. Terrorist organizations are on the look out to nab youth with promise of not only monthly stipend but rainbow dreams of making quick money through terror.

Not much has been done to revive a sense of nationalism in the country particularly the youth despite the fact that we have had sustained disadvantage of a distorted history of India being taught in our schools for past several decades. It couldn’t be a quirk of fate that a statement by Lord Macaulay to British Parliament on 2nd February 1835 has been under discussion, wherein he had said, “I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such caliber, that I don’t think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self esteem, their native self-culture and they will become what we want them to be, a truly dominated nation.”

The detractors argue that this is a fabrication but then cross your heart and ask yourself would this not be perfect fit of Machiavellian scheming that enabled a small country like Britain to expand its empire to an extent that the sun never set on it?

Not that even before Macaulay quipped this diabolical plot, the likes of James Mills and Charles Grants were not working overtime to distort the history of India and in early 20th Century the scheming Lord Minto had already sowed the seeds for creating Hindu-Muslim discord; the pet ‘divide and rule’ policy of the British laced with deceit, subjecting us to the latter even at the time of Partition by handing over Skardu to Pakistan despite presence of Indian forces, thus permanently severing India’s land link to Afghanistan through the Wakhan Corridor.

Macaulay went further to lecture that Sikhs were separate from Hindus. But coming back to distortion of our history, ever questioned why our textbooks have little mention of our ancient powerful civilization, influence over Middle East, CAR, East Asia, Southeast Asia, our culture and traditions, our contribution to the world in fields of science, arithmetic, astronomy, medicine, navigation, rocketry, plastic surgery and the like? Why is it that our capabilities during the Ramayana and Mahabharata (military advancements, ethics and morals) are believed to be fiction when there is enough evidence (including NASA picture like that of Ram Setu) are credible proof these epics were not fiction. Isn’t the glorification of the Moghul period a deliberate trickery of the British? How would you justify a road named in the Capital of India after a marauder, murderer and fiend like Aurangzeb?

What can be more appropriate at this point of time than the call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “India First”? This is all the more essential to channelize the 780 million 35 years and below population of India because it is essentially this segment that will take India to its rightful place in the comity of nations. Our educational curriculum will need to imbibe nationalism and ethics into the youth, educating them on our ancient heritage, culture and history.

Very interestingly, the then Director NCERT was asked a question by children at a youth camp in 2011 as to why our school syllabi does not cover all the issues mentioned herein. The camp was what annually is termed as ‘Rashtra Katha Shivir’, run by an outstanding individual, Swami Dharambandhu, who having cleared his IAS exam few years back that would have enabled him the luxurious life of a bureaucrat, decided to establish an Ashram in Village Pranthla (some 150 kms from Rajkot) in rural Gujarat and devote his life to imbibing nationalism in school children and teachers pan India, reviving the erstwhile glory of India. Speakers at these camps have ranged from the President of India, Governors, Chief Ministers, scientists, educationists, social workers, government officials, agriculturists, diplomats, defence and central armed police force officers, social workers etc.

Activities at the camps include: Social Harmony and Religious Concord; Disaster Management; Cultural and Individual Development; Yoga and Pranayam by Yoga Experts; Spirituality; Patriotism; Nationalism and Nature Conservation; Martial Arts; Judo; Karate; Boxing; Taekwondo; Wrestling; Horse Riding; Shooting; Allied Sports and Computer Training with help of experts from TIFR, NDRF, Army and BSF; Use of Science and Technology; Human Rights and the Constitution of India. Exhibitions and demonstrations are also organized by NDRF, plus like Exhibition of Space Instruments’ by ISRO scientists. Topics for lectures include: The Heritage of India; Empowering India to Face Future Challenges; National Security and Defence Concerns; Social Cohesion and Religious Amity; Sciene, Society and Progress; Sports, Games and Humanity; Human Rights and Fundamental Duties of a Good Citizen; Universality in Indian Civilization; Indian Traditions, Learning and its Contemporary Relevance; Strengthening Democratic Traditions; National Movement and Spirit of India; Nurturing Human Values for Eliminating Violence, Mistrust, Hatred and Greed; Casteism, Communalism, Nepotism, Regionalism and Corruption; Reviving Relationship between Humans and Nature; Seven Social Sins Identified by Mahatma Gandhi; and India’s Foreign, Defence and Economic Policies.

In the above context, activities in the last Rashtra Katha Shibir (16th of its kind) were a treat to watch during its 10 day duration, attended by some 12,000 children of 8 to 18 years age group (50 percent boys and 50 percent girls) from multiple states of India including as far away as Nagaland, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

These were school children from schools across the expanse of India, accompanied by teachers, all living in tented accommodation that gave them a sense of adventure, thoroughly enjoying company of children from most states of India in a spirit of camaraderie. The children had the benefit of listening to distinguished speakers from various fields including Governors, veteran ambassadors, scientists, serving and veteran defence officials, officials of Central Armed Police Forces, Members of UPSC, educationists, actors, social workers etc. There was early morning training in horse riding, yoga, karate, fencing, shooting etc. While the speakers addressed the children in subjects of their expertise, nationalism, ethics and motivation were emphasized equally, all of which was well received by the children because the current school curriculums have little focus on ethics, values, patriotism and nationalism.

There were talks on all facets of terrorism and what are the expectations of the nation from the youth including how they could contribute in countering and reducing terrorism in the country. As in many of the previous camps, the NDRF was an integral part of the teaching, including lectures for the children in what to do in case of disasters and practical training on how to act in disaster relief. This type of activity and training is actually required at pan India basis looking at the expanse of calamities that have struck in India and the time lapse before the relief in terms of NDRF and security forces reach the disaster area.

The surprising part is that though many Chief Ministers, Governors, politicians from many political parties and a stream of eminent speakers and visitors from all over India have attended these Rashtra Katha Shibirs, such an endeavor has not been taken up at the national or individual States level despite crores of rupees spent for political rallies. Logically, such camps should be run pan India annually under patronage of both the Centre and concerned States. All States should take up such projects during breaks in school, which would inculcate nationalism in the children. With Prime Minister Modi’s call of “India First”, the States surely owe this to the country. The HRD Ministry could well be the nodal point for such activity.

First Published on 17 June 2014