The Basis of Affiliation Issue

A. Kaisii

The affiliation issue of private schools in four hill districts (Chandel, Senapati, Ukhrul & Tamenglong) of Manipur to Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) is a struggle against the perpetuation of cultural hegemonic domination and exclusive educational system. It will be over simplistic a statement to conclude that the issue is merely another game for territorial integration just because the Nagas are struggling to live in a single political set up. When the current educational system has framed in such a way that it attacks their (Nagas) very identity and mode of life, it is just a matter of time to launch this sort of movement. It may be noted that no movement exists in vacuum but the symptoms are usually deep rooted within the existing social, political, educational and economic situations. Hence, striving to live in their own term honourably and respectably as peoples and citizens like any other communities is the essence of the whole issue.

For better understanding and comprehensive account, it is imperative to consider the affiliation issue of private schools from holistic perspective instead of simply appropriating it as the internal matter of one or more states. Today, it is the Nagas who have raised the issue, tomorrow it can be from any community, if the same educational system persists. It does not necessarily mean to say that the same approach will repeat but can take in any shape when one identity is under attacked and push beyond the limit of tolerance. 

In this regards, it is integral to take into consideration the larger Indian educational system. Any cursory look with the present educational system would undoubtedly reveals that it is heavily urban oriented and elitist in nature at the cost of the marginalised communities. Even after 59 years of India’s independence, the curricula and syllabi are yet to make any fundamental change from that of the colonial form of education. That, what has been introduced to meet the needs and interests of the colonial masters is, by and large, remained unchanged. Leaving aside, how the framers of the Indian educational system have hardly prioritised ‘unity in diversity’ – the essence of Indian society, the system is directly suppressing the identity of those who are forced to accept the same. Far from exaggeration the plain truth is that cultural imposition and perpetuation of hegemonic domination continues to be a major drawback of the current educational system. In turn, an important factor affecting the educational condition of students from marginalised societies is the imposed or ‘controlled’ curriculum.  

As a consequence, the perception that education is imperative to transform a society has two parallel connotations that tend to create confusion among the students from marginalised societies. The first has to do with the notion that education brings ‘modernisation of tradition’. The other view is that education is another form of ‘cultural colonisation’. The major concern in these observations is whether the educational system is harmonising the existing ways of life or it is attempting to flood the minds of the young people with concepts, thoughts and discourses of the West. However, putting the entire blame on the West may not be appropriate given the nature of the influence of ‘internal colonisation’ in the form of elitist and urban-centric syllabus. 
The contrasting situation between individual home experience and curriculum is also less helpful to learn. The syllabus, which is alienated to social needs, elitist and urban oriented has a negative spillover, which is felt down the line in studies. Non-holistic syllabus with little relation to native social needs has been a constraint to learn. The negative feeling of the subject has made the content of the text boring and less interesting. Imposed learning does not give the required motivation to know the subject matter. Rather, it leads to undermining the right aptitude and motivation, which are the pre-requisite attributes to attain successful learning. In the absence of spontaneous and free-flow aptitude to learn, low educational attainment has become endemic. In this way, without the right focus the lesson remains trivial and disappears as time goes. 

Incidentally, therefore, exclusion and negligence of the marginalised society’s ways of life in the curriculum has not only led to a feeling of being alienated but also less interest towards the subject. The texts they read are those that are full of ‘other’ cultures and histories, which stand in sharp contrast to their own experiences and reality. The educational system heavily based on ‘other’ cultural traditions results in not only cultural problem but also low interest towards learning. In turn, this sort of educational system has killed the right aptitude to learn and in consequence weak conceptual insight. 

It is unfortunate but true that this perspective continues to guide the Indian educational system. And to this day, the urge to inculcate “Indianness” (mostly Hindu model) and encouraging assimilation into the ‘mainstream’ remains the preferred mode of the educational system. However, exclusive policy of education that led to outright rejection of local indigenous tradition and history results in feeling of both alienation and less interest in the subject. Besides, with this sort of educational system the feeling of ‘cultural separation’ has become almost a forgone conclusion. 

The situation in Manipur has turned ugly because the incumbent government has overtly tried to impose the cultural ethos of the majority community to ethnic minority communities through means of education. When the government has openly sided with a particular community and vehemently propagating its extreme form of suppression, there is no option left but to go against the very decision with all possible democratic means. Unquestionably, every community has the right to develop its language and culture but do not have the same to impose on other. It should be left to the discretion and choice of the respective ethnic minority community whether to accept it or not. 

Ironically, ignoring its political and moral responsibility and also the possible consequences, the present Government of Manipur has decided to impose Meitei Mayek (Manipuri) to all in the state. Moreover, shamelessly without any logic and reason the same government has decided to use the Roman script in lieu of Meitei Mayek in hill areas, in which four hill districts are dominated by the Nagas. In such a case, what will the student is going to learn – Meitei or English? What sorts of grammar will the teacher shall use to correct the language? Are tribal students will be allowed to write Manipuri Paper in competitive examinations in Roman script in lieu of Meitei Mayek? There are tens of reasons to show that the decision is just a plot to legitimise the cultural hegemonic domination. 

Under this backdrop, it is not the irrational action of the government that has propelled the Nagas to take such a step to affiliate the private schools in their areas to NBSE?  When all their resentments and oppositions against the imposition of Meitei Mayek have come to naught, what can they do other than resort to alternative democratic means to seek justice? The attitude of the government has proved beyond tolerant and instead aims to advocate a highly repressive method to suppress the ethnic minority communities. The basis fact is that the system that should aim to impart knowledge has been used as a convenient tool to popularise the cultural ethos of the majority community. 

As noted earlier, therefore, unless the essence of Indian society – ‘unity in diversity’ is respected both in letter and spirit, the struggle launched by the Nagas may be just the tip of the ice-berg in the pipeline. For educational system to be successful, it needs to incorporate the traditions and cultures of all the communities, apart from in line with the fast increasing frontiers of knowledge. In addition, the educational system that is less helpful to enhance the aspirations and dreams of the youth can do little to meet the goals of a society. Educational system should be based on the needs and aspirations of the younger generation and not just a means to perpetuate the legacy and promotion of theories. By not forgetting the various theoretical backgrounds require for sound learning, educational system should means a channel that actually fulfill the aspirations and dreams of the younger generation. This can be obtained not through framing the syllabus to suit the interests of a certain community but through incorporating various cultures and inputs gather from scholars and experts in relevant field.

The writer is from International Youth Centre, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi-21



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