Goat, Tiger and Grass stack

                                                                        Goat, Tiger and Grass stack

          I am reminded of a puzzle my father gave me to solve when I was in the third standard. This was about the goat, tiger and the grass stack to be ferried across the river in a basket boat that had space only for two occupants. Since the boatman had to be a constant fixture, he had to make three trips to ferry all three to the other shore. The problem was he could not leave the tiger with the goat or the goat with the grass on either shore .If he took the goat leaving the tiger and the grass, on his next trip, he faced the choiceless choice of leaving either the grass stack with the goat or the tiger with the goat which would provide a sumptuous repast for one of the two- the goat or the tiger. The puzzle remained unsolved till my father told me that the key to the solution was the space for two in the boat. I leave the puzzle at this point to you to solve the boatman’s predicament. This puzzle sums up the political puzzle of electing our next President where the space is limited to one alone. We have a Bengali versus another Bengali (Pranab vs Somnath), a Muslim technocrat versus a Muslim diplomat (Kalam vs Ansari), a SC versus a ST (Meira Kumar vs Sangma) or PM (Manmohan Singh) versus PM(Pranab Mukherjee). It is ludicrous to renominate Abdul Kalam. Even assuming him to be a role model, in this country with a billion people can’t there be two Kalams but only one? M&M have muddied the waters for the BJP and AIADMK to fish  in troubled waters while Congress continues testing the waters in an effort to reach a consensus. The puzzle remains unsolved unless the boat(wo)man comes up with a trump ace.

The Congress has been put in a quandary despite the fact that M&M are in agreement with Madame Sonia that PM should be the 13^th President. M&M say that PM shall be the next President while Sonia’s choice is also PM-(Pranab Mukherjee). Our desi M&M, like the American M&M (candies with letter ‘m ’printed on one side) that fills candy shells with a variety of colorful chocolate centres has made the President’s post an empty shell into which they can have their signature fillings. M&M’s personal bitterness, inflated ego and vaulting ambition have left a bitter taste not just for the government in power, but for the whole nation. While politicians take umbrage in the saying that there are no permanent friends or foes in politics, this does not give license to political leaders to don the robes of an Assange and leak out what transpired in a one-to-one meeting with the host who had invited them. Since Sonia had not revealed the names till there was a consensus, it is downright chicanery on the part of the Bengal M to make the names public. As for the other M, he thinks it morally right to run with the hare and hunt with the hound. Seated next to Sonia on the anniversary bash of UPAII, he led her along the garden path assuring her of his support. Congress was lulled into complacency without noticing his newfound bonhomie with his counterpart M.  The two M’s have displayed crass Machiavellianism, in their employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft and in general conduct. It would have been in order to list out their preferences to the UPA chief as they are still its allies.  They have a right to make their choice public but they have no right to make Sonia’s choice public. It is an act of betrayal- something we Indians have to be wary of as we had allowed the Mughal and the Britsh conquest through the internecine betrayal and rivalry of the Hindu rulers. The BJP has had a martyred grievance that it had not been approached by the arrogant Congress, forgetting that even before the race to Raisina Hill began, Madame Swaraj decisively ruled out support to any Congress nominee-especially Pranab as a Congressman and Ansari as a man of no substance. Its frequent assertions that we will keep our cards close to our chest and will play a wait and watch game show scant respect for the high office of the President. Congress may now feel back stabbed by M&M, but it has no one to blame except itself. Unlike other times as in the Lokpal Bill, FDI in Retail, NCTC, FDI in Pension, this time it had been assiduously working to take the allies with it, but it failed to see M&M”s writing on the wall.

While our political pundits discuss the fallout of M&M’s googly, what is most distressing is that the highest office of the president has been cheapened through murky intrigues and unscrupulous wheeler dealers. It is unfortunate that in the last few weeks’ debate about the next President, no one talked about what qualities are required to be the President of India, but only in terms of minority, caste, religion, gender and de facto domicile(from North or South or East or West  or North-East of India.). It is sad that we cannot expect our politicians to leave aside their personal and party prejudices to look for a President who has faith in our people, in our Parliament, empathy and compassion, honesty and integrity, courage of conviction founded upon social and moral responsibility.  The political drama or tamasha has shown that our politicians are not looking for a person of erudition and wisdom who will bring back a humane, ethical and moral society.

 Indian Republic today needs an active President who will lead the bickering politicians to replace their present trend of packaging humanity into politics by packaging politics into humanity. Can we expect our politicians to give up their egoism, vaulting ambition and mindless intrigues and showcase to the world that parliamentary democracy in India is strong and vibrant. Democracy that is principled on unity amongst diversity can be best illustrated through the Presidential election in the coming weeks. Let us hope that our political class displays maturity and not play musical chairs to grab the sole seat nor play a game of chess to capture power nor resort to gamesmanship for the sole purpose of defeating the opponents, but play fair and square true to the highest principles of democracy

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Reflection on XIIth Board Examination Results

                                                        Reflections on  XII^th Board Examination Results

The eagerly awaited XII^th results are out. The results are no different from the previous years- as usual girls have done better, Chennai once again has put up the best performance with a pass percentage of 90.59, (though last year, the pass percentage of Chennai was 91.32), pass results in government schools have improved and high scoring marks all over India  have scaled new heights. The mad scramble for admissions to colleges has begun and the eligibility cut-off for the elite colleges as in the previous years will be 96-99%. Anxiety is writ large on all those young faces whose marks range between 90 and 95, having failed to reach the toppers’ scores by a margin of 3-4 %. With limited number of seats available, their dreams of joining the elite colleges shall remain only dreams. As for the under 90s, the prospects of joining second rung colleges that are next in order of merit are bright. The disappointment for that large number of students who have managed between 70 and 80% is too grim to be written about.  But for the rest who have cleared the XII^th Boards with less percentage, there are umpteen colleges –that are colleges only in name-who have a lower eligibility bar, besides open learning institutions that have a gargantuan space for any number of entrants in search of a degree. In the University of Delhi, the number of seats available in colleges is 54,000 while its Open School of Learning is open to more than a lakh of students. There is also the Indira Gandhi National Open University and a few recognized Distance learning Centres to admit all those who are left behind mainstream college education. In this respect higher education in India attempts to satisfy at least quantitatively, if not qualitatively. The same tilt in favour of quantity over quality is evidenced in the school Board examinations.

The high scores in the Board examinations raise two pertinent issues that pose a challenge to college admission.  They relate to examination and evaluation.  The number of students who took the XII^th Boards – both as regular and private students- is about 81,000 and pass percentage is 80.9%. In terms of arithmetic calculations, a little more than 64,000 students have cleared the examinations this year. Since CBSE caters to all regions within India and a few Indian schools abroad- especially in the Middle East, it is a creditable achievement. But such a result is possible only because the papers are set in such a way that even the below average student can manage to pass. Most of the questions are for two marks barring a couple that are marked out of five. No wonder, the pass percentage is high and higher is the number of students scoring over 90%.

The truth is-with no disparagement intended about the merit of the high scoring percenters- the Board examinations do not test the real intelligence or high order thinking of the students. It is obvious the Boards are more mindful of the below average students passing the examinations than testing students’ knowledge, understanding and their analytical and logical skills. This is not intended to haul the CBSE over the coal as one of the main objectives of CBSE is to focus on the lowest common denominator of the large number of students who can answer simple questions. When the students after school join college, where they have to write long essays and assignments, even the 90 percenters find it difficult to score more than a modest 60-70% or even less than that. As for the others, their attempt at university examinations is pathetic. Thus the disconnect between school learning and college education has disastrous consequences for a majority of students entering the university portals.

The second issue relates to evaluation which varies from region to region. For the last so many years, Tamilnadu has topped the Boards.  What makes Chennai schools different from the rest of the country? Is it that Tamilnadu students are brighter than the rest or are the Chennai teachers far superior to the rest in the country? It is not that one doubts the credentials of Chennai schools, teachers and students, but no one including CBSE has analyzed the reasons behind the spectacular performance of Chennai year after year. If Chennai schools have distinct quality pedagogy, why can’t that be replicated in other schools?  Or is this high scoring and high pass percentage phenomena anything to do with evaluation? Are the Chennai teachers more liberal in marking than teachers elsewhere? Has the CBSE tried to find out what distinguishes Tamilnadu schools? Has it ever taken out the answer sheets of students at random from different regions and compared the evaluation?  

Quantity versus quality is an issue that dogs all educational reforms in the country. With RTE in place, it is imperative to see that no student is denied schooling and denied the opportunity to realize and utilize his capabilities to lead the life that he or she values. Hence the present CBSE system of examination and evaluation will help our young men and women to be educated and use their learning to realize their potential to be gainfully employed. But this does not ensure quality learning. It is time for reflection and action.

CBSE should have two sets of question papers for the XII^th Boards similar to the ‘O’ and  ‘A’ levels in UK. The difference is, unlike UK where the O levels are at the end of the X^th, here both the options should be available only in the XII^th class. The present set of question papers as they are, should be continued as it guarantees a minimum qualification for employment while another set of advanced papers with essay type questions should be offered to those who wish to pursue higher studies in the Universities. The latter must satisfy the minimum entrance qualification required by the universities. Those who wish to pursue university education will have to opt for the advanced level while all others seeking to pursue vocational degree courses can opt for the former. This is one way to make school education integrative both of quality and quantity. This should not be mistaken for discrimination of students as they are given the freedom to opt for any one of them. Accordingly they shall be taught and trained to take up the examinations of their choice. 

It is best to recall Amartya Sen’s theory of  Capability Egalitarianism where the capability approach advocates that the evaluative space should be that of capabilities. Democratization of education should not be limited to making education available to all, but to be expanded to include the right of every individual to raise his bar and to be given the opportunity to realize his attainable outcome. One of the weaknesses of democracy is that in the context of equality and equity it does not have room for merit. All efforts in our country is geared towards LCD(Lowest Common Denominator) which in itself is a good thing, but fails to provide space for HCF (Highest Common Factor)- also called Greatest Common Measure(GCM) or Greatest Common Divisor(GCD). The focus cannot always be only at the lower rungs at the cost of merit and quality. This is particularly true of democracy in education. It is an opportune moment for educationists to institute reforms at the school level to synergize quality and quantity, to ensure reconciliation at the University level of these two imponderables of equity and merit. The Delors report on Education presented to UNESCO in 1994-95 and the Annual Report of the World Bank have expressed the four pillars of learning and development for the 21^st Century as learning to be, learning to know, learning to do and learning to live together which is basically the aim  of education- to develop  skilled and educated individuals and set up  Knowledge and Research Institutions, laboratories and Networks that will work with other networks involving  trade, companies, research centres and  manufacturers.

 Can Indian academics with their wisdom and vast experience alter the dynamics of education to bring about a new ideology of learning in our society! I wish we can Obama-like say “Yes, We can”

Consumer Activism:A Platform for our Rights and Duties

                        

               Consumer Activism: a platform for our rights and duties.

Activism is the doctrine or practice of vigorous action or involvement as a means of achieving political or social goals. There are many types of activism such as the judicial activism, student activism, media activism, internet activism etc, but the most potent, wide-reaching and the most sought after activism is Consumer activism. This is because it is not limited to any specific group like the judiciary or students or the Media, but extends to connect with everyone in the society. It presupposes awareness of unfair practices that affect the consumers and it anticipates redressal of complaints against unsatisfactory products, unfair price and above all it is a potent tool to assert consumer’s rights. Consumer activism helps the consumers to make informed buying decisions- to make buying pro-active. In short, it empowers the Consumer as King, in the sense that he is the final decider and arbiter in any unfair transaction between the seller and the buyer. But the most important element that underlies consumer activism is that it involves some degree of personal sacrifice, a willingness to deny oneself a necessary product or thing in order to demand better quality and fairer price for it. It is this element that is missing in Consumer activism in India. Let me illustrate this from what we experience daily as we shop for fruits and vegetables.

This is the season for mangoes, leechis, melons, tomatoes etc- fruits and vegetables that have a fair amount of water to quench our summer thirst. Invariably every year these are either in short supply or of poor quality ( the better quality fruits are exported to fetch very high price and that too in foreign currency ) or priced beyond the affordability of  consumers who do not belong to that microscopically small percent of the affluent class. The large majority of consumers from the middle and lower middle class have either to buy inferior fruits and vegetables at a high price or pay phenomenal price to buy quality products.  It is easy to blame the government for price rise specially relating to the food index, but the real culprit is we, the consumers who surrender to the greed of the sellers. If consumers are ready to forego tomatoes and onions, mangoes and bananas, these perishable items under the scorching sun will soon rot and move out of the store shelves into the garbage dins. Active Consumer movement should unite us all  as consumers to boycott perishable food items that meet neither our purse nor our palate.   Consumer activism can succeed if there is a voluntary effort to give up these vegetables and fruits until the prices are brought down as per the Law of demand and supply.  The goal should be to pressurize the sellers to make available fruits and vegetables of better quality at affordable price.  It is this united movement that is missing in our society. It is a sad reflection of our mindset that prioritizes selfishness to obtain for oneself goods and products without a thought for the millions who have to do without them. The development of social awareness with regard to consumer activism is closely linked to the development of moral and spiritual awareness. Embedded in this movement are morality, selflessness, sacrifice and united effort to make the traders and sellers recognize the power of Consumer activism.

The operation of consumer activism is needed in cases of adulteration- adulteration of edible oils, water, milk, foodstuff like rice, flour and pulses, medicines, besides fuel that corrode the car engine and cause  kitchen fire. There is certainly legal recourse to all these adulterated products and unfair practices, but in our country the judicial wheel moves slowly and never reaches its destination. Unlike the USA where consumer movements have developed as a potent form of resistance against unethical marketing and industrial practices, in India, the movement often gets stymied for lack of united effort. Traders know that they can sell goods of whatever quality as there is no strong protest movement that unites all consumers. Organizations like consumer forum, Shoutout etc have boldly emerged to take the traders bull by their horns. But these organizations need grassroots level support through boycott of goods that are quality-wise low and price-wise high.

Consumer is King-  because of his commitment to the cause of his fellow beings, because of his awareness of the unethical practices among the traders and shopkeepers, because of his courage to renounce all those products until their quality and fair price are ensured.  This is yet another fight against corruption- corruption that is insidious and working in a hidden injurious way. Let the Consumers of India unite to overcome all injustices, immoral practices and deceit in their transaction with traders and shopkeepers.

Consumer activism is not limited to ethical shopping, ethical purchase behavior, ethical consumption only, but it also includes action against ethical wastage so that less privileged consumers can have access to them. In many families, medicines that include vitamins and anti-biotics and tonics lie unused. Consumer organizations should keep cardboard boxes in prominent places in different neighbourhoods where consumers can deposit the unused medicines. If these medicines are within expiry date, these activist organizations can deposit them in hospital and charity clinics. We travel on roads, walk on streets and move around markets. Thus we are consumers of the state’s largesse to us. While it is our right to protest if roads are bad, streets are filthy and markets are disgustingly dirty, we also have our share in maintaining them. Consumer activism extends beyond rights to acceptance of responsibility. As consumers, we should not make our roads garbage dins, nor waste power and water so that others can share the available limited necessities with the rest of us.

Consumer Activism starts with consumers’ duty before it becomes consumer’s rights.

The Still Small Voice Within

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                                          The still small voice within.

The UPA has been roundly attacked for its dismal record particularly in the year gone by. In the first two years after it was voted to power in 2009, it managed to cobble up a few positives, though nothing to be over the moon. But the last twelve months have unearthed scam after scam though neither the PM nor his trusted deputies in the Ministry were indicted except for the DMK minister, Raja. But the PM strangely remained a mute spectator to the goings-on hampered by what he termed as coalition dharma.

The Government’s dilemma, personified in our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reminds me of Sophocles’ eponymous play Philoctetes, who is a powerful Greek leader blessed by the demi-god Hercules. Ulysses is compelled by the Greek soldiers to abandon Philoctetes who suffered a stinking wound though Philoctetes alone possesses weapons of Trojan destruction that will secure victory for the Greeks. Ulysses asks young Neoptolemus, another Greek warrior to befriend Philoctetes and seek his sympathy with a lie that he had also been a victim of the Greeks’ caprice and thereafter discreetly secure the latter’s weapons. Neoptolemus, known for speaking the truth is horrified that he should lie to win Philoctetes’ trust. But Ulysses persuades him in the larger interest of the Greeks with a promise to help him win the reputation of being valiant and wise. Neoptolemus hesitates to speak a lie:

          Rather much rather I would fall by virtue/ Than rise by guilt to certain victory

but Ulysses persuades him saying:

         We need not blush at aught/ That may promote our interest and success.

Neoptolemus’ ethical crisis as to how shall he act mirrors Manmohan Singh’s dilemma- to speak the truth or to remain silent to ensure the continuity of his coalition government. He could not jettison Raja who was fishing in muddy spectrum for fear of losing out the support of DMK, the coalition partner.  He could not speak out against Mamata’s barks lest he should lose her TMC’s support. He would rather put FDI in retail, aviation, banking, insurance into cold storage than risk Mamata’s displeasure. He would sacrifice a futuristic railway Minister and accept Mamata’s minion in his place.  Against Mamata’s belligerence , he would not table Lokpal Bill nor bring NCTC into operation as a decisive measure to counter terrorism.

Manmohan Singh prefers silence to (in)action. I recall Shakespeares’s Richard II, where the poet-king, a man of words is contrasted with Bolingbroke the usurper, a man of action. Richard abdicates his crown in favour of Bolingbroke. But Manmohan Singh, unfortunately has been neither a communicator nor an actor. He does speak- and speaks wisely like a world statesman on foreign soils. At home he is neither seen nor heard. To the cacophony of shouts and jeers both from within his party and from that of the opposition, he remains stoically silent almost saying “what do these poor mortals know about the compulsions of coalition?” Can his deafening silence to save UPAII usher in UPAIII in 2014?

Time for PM to listen to his inner voice and act even if he wishes not to speak. The Arabian proverb ( quoted in TOI) “A promise is a cloud; fulfillment is rain” should galvanize our PM to take bold and strident steps to pull up UPAII from the mess it has landed itself through compulsive inaction. Let him implement the following bold measures that he knows deep within are the right actions. Let our PM, a man of conscience follow Mahatma Gandhi who said: “The only tyrant I accept in this world is the 'still small voice' within”.

·         No roll-back on Petrol prices. The price rise can be borne by the wealthy car owners while it can act as a deterrent to the Middle class to wheel their cars and thereby save this scarce commodity. Direct the Ministry of Transport to galvanize public transport to provide comfortable and affordable travel as it is in UK and USA. Delhi Metro and Delhi buses have already green flagged easy transport for the rest of the country to follow.

·         Subsidize fuel for trucks that carry fruits, vegetables and essential goods so that the aam admi may be spared  price hike on account of price rise on petrol and diesel. The government has to ensure adequate supplies of essential food items by opening more fair price shops. Let it implement a new slogan ‘middleman hatao’ and make quality essential products available to the common man all over the country.  The good work being done by Amul and Mother Diary can be replicated everywhere to ensure quality products at affordable price.

·         Call for consultative meetings of Chief Ministers and the opposition parties before announcing policy decisions like FDI, NCTC, GST etc. Even if the Centre has a right to frame such policies, it will be prudent to accord importance to state CMs who are bursting in their own manufactured arrogance. If the non-congress states with egoistical whim do not agree to Centre’s policies and allies like Mamata oppose them in order to leverage more funds for her state, the government in power still stands to gain by exposing the hollowness and narrowness of their opponents’ vision .

·         Having been the pioneer and architect of Economic Liberalization, re-wire the Liberalization policy to get in foreign investments to generate more jobs in the country. Rationalize the FDI policy and get your administration to take decisions rather than defer to save Indian economy.

·         Boldly table the Lokpal Bill after consultative exercise and accept reasonable amendments. Even if Anna Hazare terms it a weak Lokpal, you can show that your government has taken the first step against corruption. Get your spokespersons ( if you wish to remain silent) to elaborate on the virtue of the first step- a small and yet a giant step.

·         Demand implicit compliance to your orders. Ministers and bureaucrats who fail to deliver should be decisively shown the door. This is the way schemes like NREGA and other Welfare schemes can be implemented without delay and corruption. Start showing the red eye when necessary to inculcate honest work ethics in your government. The Unique Identification ( Aadhar) is already in place and with Micro finance Bill to enable opening accounts with MFIs by the hitherto financially excluded group (numbering nearly 600 millions), it is possible to achieve financial inclusion to a large section.

·         Make Right to Education and Right to Health a top priority. Engage Public-private partnership in their implementation. It is easy to frame policies, but difficult to make them a reality. Get your Secretaries and administrative officials to ensure implementation.  This means Zero tolerance of corruption, unethical work practices and tardy implementation of government policies.

·         Better roads, schools with good infrastructure, water, power and sanitation should be given top priority rather than acting on inane issues like cartoons in textbooks.  Good roads connecting the cities to the villages should be taken on a war footing so that village produces can easily reach the cities and boost up small scale industries.

·         Don’t be afraid of seeking referendum on controversial issues- like the formation of Telengana and other new states. There is no point looking dithery and deferring action. Whatever be the outcome of the referendum, accept it as it is the collective majority that decides.

·         Teachers in classrooms, doctors and nurses in all health centres( and not just city hospitals), babus of all cadres in their respective desks will ensure better governance. Get your IAS officers to be in districts and taluks rather than seek plum postings at the capital secretariats.

·         As stated earlier, the fulfillment of the promises made in 2009 should transform the dark clouds into life nourishing rain.

·         In foreign policy matters specially related to Pakistan, remember Polonius’ advice to Laertes:

                                                   Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in,
Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;

Our gentleness and politeness often get mistaken for weakness and timidity. As the PM of a nation of 1.2 billions, stand up to be counted and speak the truth. Without sounding cocky as the King of spades, be bold to call a spade a spade.

·         Last, but not the least, you have an admirable team with a really enviable triumvirate in Pranab Mukherjee, Chidambaram and Antony. There are many good and intelligent ministers in your cabinet. Exhort them to work unitedly. Ask them not to look for short gain and back out of taking bold and even unpleasant decisions. With your scholarly understanding of how economics works in the international market, explain to them the virtues of administering a short pain that will in the long run prove a big gain.  You have to groom one of your competent ministers- young or old- to take over the reins from you. Someone who is honest, well educated, suave and polite like you and at the same time firm, decisive and articulate. There are quite a few in your present cabinet and it is time, you tell your party to free itself of the cow and calf symbol and look for the right person schooled in realpolitik and understands the aspirations of a new India.

          Mahatma Gandhi wrote :  “There are moments in your life when you must act  even though you cannot carry your best friends with you. The 'still small voice' within you must always be the final arbiter when there is a conflict of duty.” PM, kindly listen to the still small voice within you.
 

Sound and Fury Signifying Something

                                         Sound and Fury Signifying Something

By the time this article sees the light of the day a lot of words would have flown through the bridges of Media- the social, print and electronic expressing disgust and outrage that our elected representatives lack both humour and tolerance towards criticism. The clamour for withdrawal of toons from text books has provoked vexatious response from many who wish to be counted one among intellectuals known for their modern, liberal and catholic views. Since they are not the subject of the cartoons, they enjoy humour at the expense of Parliamentarians who, they feel are many notches below their intellectual level.  Is this a smug sign of intellectual tolerance or intellectual arrogance?

What does a cartoon signify? It is basically intended as quiggly drawing for satire, caricature and humour in a newspaper or magazine especially about politics or current events. Shankara Pillai, the doyen among political cartoonists exposed many of the top leaders for their hypocrisy and doublespeak while Laxman’s Common Man as the silent spectator of the politics and current events is a welcome visitor in every home.  The newspaper cartoons of the day are not frowned upon by our politicians (with the odd exception of Mamata Di). The political class that is the cartoonist’s delight has accepted the daily dosage of contempt, cynicism and ridicule in the cartoons . So why this hullaballoo now on 40 year old toons in texts?

The sharp riposte of our ‘intelligentsia’ to the Parliamentarians’ criticism of cartoons in school text books does not factor in the latter’s broad acceptance of newspaper cartoons.  But text books meant for schools are different from newspapers. Cartoons that are essentially satirical reflect the bias if not the ideology of the cartoonist. Everyone agrees that a single cartoon speaks more than a thousand words.  Professor Yadav’s defence that the text toons enhance students’ perception, if they are viewed along with the text is in fact adding grist to politicians’ disapproval. If adult politicians do not read but view the cartoons in isolation, can we expect the 14-16 year adolescents to read and understand the text that enlarge upon the cartoon’s message? These text books are not meant only for elite students who go to elite urban schools where the reading of the cartoons is a joint intellectual exercise by the teacher and the taught. With rampant teacher absenteeism in a large number of government schools, students uninitiated into the art of reading anything including textbooks, will view and interpret the cartoons wrongly and develop cynicism and disrespect for politicians and democracy.  Yadav says since students view cartoons on the net and in the newspapers, it will facilitate their understanding if cartoons are re-printed in the books along with explanatory texts. This argument assumes that children are avid readers of newspapers and internet news and have developed sensibility to view satirical cartoons. Yadav clarifies that the texts are intended only to correct the misreading of the mocking and irresponsible images inherent in a few cartoons. But how many even among the urban elite students read the newspapers (except for sportspage and Page3) or even look at the cartoons and form their opinions about serious political issues? It is no doubt a laudable effort on the part of the writers to write textbooks that may counter the wrong impressions the children may pick up from the world of cartoons. But reproducing those cartoons in the texts and developing a new strategy of cartoon-in- education will only deepen their half baked biases instead of offering them newer insights into the issues under discussion.

Cartoons are for mature people who have learnt to distinguish between reading and viewing, between interpretations and misrepresentations so as to be wary of monumental optics that gives a macroscopic perspective to something that is ordinary. They are not for impressionable youth who have not been sufficiently educated to read between the quiggly lines. Cartoons in newspapers enhance our mature, political and intellectual awareness while cartoons in textbooks are more likely to distract the young minds from pursuit of serious study.

There can be no neutrality in cartoons and it can result in narrow minded approach to issues if the students fail to read them correctly. Moreover cartoons cannot be without human content. Preoccupation with human content- offensive or not- is incompatible with serious reading. This concept is well illustrated by the Spanish writer Ortega Y Gasset. If one looks at the garden through a window, the eye directs its vision towards the garden, disregarding the window. One can also disregard the garden and detain the vision at the window and view a confused mass of colour.  “Hence to see the garden and the window pane are two incompatible operations which exclude each other because they require different adjustments.”

All this sound and fury need not be for nothing if NCERT reviews the cartoons, delete the offensive ones and retain those which are interesting, informative and add value to students’ perception.