By S Paul
‘Nagrikta’ in Sanskrit is translated in English as ‘citizenship’. It automatically infers belonging to a community of people, in modern parlance, of a ‘nation’ or a region. It is obtained not merely by obtaining a domicile certificate or a registered dwelling place or having a voter’s card. Citizenship gets one ‘rights’ as well as ‘responsibilities’ of a person. But in a selfish society, people remember only rights and neglect their responsibilities. Here I take the liberty to quote an abstract of a sermon by a Bharatiya scholar who stated that according to Greek philosophy there are three types of people in this world. The first type is very selfish, and they take all the benefits from the society but do not contribute to its wellbeing. They live off the society and are always abusive and critical but do not observe the ethics of the society. These people are called ‘IDIOTS’.
The second type are TRIBALS. They believe in living in a closed region or a group and are only loyal to this region or group. They do not concern themselves about human society as a whole. Not even as a nation. The third kind are the CITIZENS who are always concerned about others in their society. They earnestly observe the social ethics to make it more humane, tidy, systematic and orderly.
What are we in Bharat?
Thus defined, perhaps we in Bharat may categorise ourselves as a majority of Idiots and Tribals, but a great minority of Citizens. As we progress and as some of us, who have been to other countries, it appears that this minority is very gradually making muted efforts to change the Idiots and the Tribals. But we need a revolution to make our nation a nation of responsible Citizens so that the world may know us as a tidy-cleanliness conscience- system loving- disciplined progressive nation and not a nation of filthy, messy, chaotic, chalta-hai people. Merely becoming a superpower with strong finances and military would not place us in the class of the cultured. Such are the typical characteristics of muscle and money wielding dons in a society and even some nations of the world. But we can be better, a nation of the ancient culture of a very spiritually enhanced saint-sages and wise people. The people who did not believe in pomp and show but in achieving great wisdom and knowledge through their simple meditative and disciplined living. It would be very candid to state here that our Bhartiya of the region of the south still try to maintain that stance.
How to go about it
The awareness and true meaning of citizenship must be ingrained in our culture and our traditions. It has to start at the grassroots by educating our children. In the 1940s, when we were at school in our villages we were being asked to learn to remember by rote small didactic verses teaching us about not spitting in the open, not to litter our paths and compounds, to touch our elders’ feet in the morning, brush our teeth the first thing in the day, etc. etc. But then the ‘independence’ happened and ‘partition’ happened and all that kind of teaching got lost in transition. The new teaching lays stress mostly to read and write and a lot of nursery rhymes and sciences. The importance of moral science got overlooked. This ought to be revived. The educated parents too should practice such civic sense at home and not leave their child’s education to their nannies or schoolteachers. Because, like charity, all basic education begins at home. There ought to be no shame in learning to use polite words, using the civil expressions like ‘thank you’, ‘please’, ‘I am sorry’, etc. In Hindi ‘dhanyawad’, ‘kripya’, ‘Kshama kijiye’ or in the equivalent expression in language we use at home. The parents should also make their children do the daily chores of ablution and aesthetical tidiness.
Parents should not object to their child practicing voluntary self-help (shramdaan) in their educational institute, guided and helped by their teachers. But, of course, types of such self-help learning must be specified in their syllabus so as not to physically and emotionally harm the child. The subject of civic sense must be compulsory till 8th standard and should include written as well as practical (on ground) exams. For higher classes it may form a part of their curriculum as participation only and knowledge of laws of the nation concerning such social obligations. And school children should never be involved in any event which is of political nature; least of all by student unions.
Existing Citizenship Training and Awareness
Such participation has already been included in the curriculum of NCC, NSS and Scout & Guides in schools and graduate level institutes of higher education. Such a practice then would remove any hesitation from the child’s mind and remind them of their duties and responsibilities as a citizen. Besides all these along with the Parent-Teacher associations meetings, a lecture -demonstration may also be organised by the schools taking the help of many NGO and Government organisations. The various registered Clubs and philanthropic institutions may also organise from time to time lecture discussions for its members.
Persuasive Campaigning
A very forceful and effective propaganda was undertaken to protect our toddlers from polio. Why can’t such an effort be made by our central and state governments for the basic hygiene and health awareness of our populace? Such a campaign should make the citizens aware of hazards of littering and untidiness & the laws for punishing such deliberate social nuisances. Use TV, Films, Banners, hoardings and, of course, all the methods discussed above. Let it become a matter of pride and not shame to keep our environments aesthetically neat like the Japanese. That would be a healthy revolution to make us CITIZENS. Surely, self-shamed, the IDIOTS and the TRIBALS would join in.
