10-13-2004, 09:30 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The teaching of history should be objective and free from any communal, parochial, and other prejudices<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Let us take ths quote and analyze it. Does the above mean one should have no pride in the achievements of members of one's community. Surely this runs against human nature. Would it not be much better if each community ermulated the leaders from its community (in addition to those from other communities). It is only natural that a Tamil should have pride in the achievments of the Chola empire. Does that make it parochial to take pride inthe achievements of ones region and woould we term the person prejudiced as a result.
There is an implicit assumption here that pride in one community is antithetical to pride in one's country. Frankly I dont see why that should be. There is no question that many Andhras felt a degree of pride when PVN Rao became PM of India, the first south indian to do so. Is that communal to say he was an above average PM among the sixteen or so PMs of India since independence.
The problem with objectivity is that like beauty it is in the eye of the beholder. That does not mean one should not be objective, it merely means that one should perceive the truth as one sees it, and if there is a little exaggeration in blowing ones trumpet, so be it,everytbody understands where it is coming from.
It is far better in my view to build upon communal pride (or pride in ones community) and extend that to the nation. Tribal loyalties will not disappear easily simply because we decree that they are communal. As the average Indian becomes more well read and literate, he will himself leave the fold, cut the umbilical cord, without any iducement from Mother India and venture forth in the brave new world and go beyond his tribe to find comraderie and a shared system of values.
I am just thinking aloud engaging in dialectic and I am not necessarily disagreeing with the gist of these statments.
Again i am looking for broad principles or those paradigms that have universality in application. I am not sure whether the above qualifies as a broad enoug principle, but thank you K.ram for venturing forth.
OK it is time to hear from the silent majority, the 400 odd members who hardly or never post, Dont be bashful, the worst that coould happen is that your ego takes a beating (something we avoid as much as possible)
Let us take ths quote and analyze it. Does the above mean one should have no pride in the achievements of members of one's community. Surely this runs against human nature. Would it not be much better if each community ermulated the leaders from its community (in addition to those from other communities). It is only natural that a Tamil should have pride in the achievments of the Chola empire. Does that make it parochial to take pride inthe achievements of ones region and woould we term the person prejudiced as a result.
There is an implicit assumption here that pride in one community is antithetical to pride in one's country. Frankly I dont see why that should be. There is no question that many Andhras felt a degree of pride when PVN Rao became PM of India, the first south indian to do so. Is that communal to say he was an above average PM among the sixteen or so PMs of India since independence.
The problem with objectivity is that like beauty it is in the eye of the beholder. That does not mean one should not be objective, it merely means that one should perceive the truth as one sees it, and if there is a little exaggeration in blowing ones trumpet, so be it,everytbody understands where it is coming from.
It is far better in my view to build upon communal pride (or pride in ones community) and extend that to the nation. Tribal loyalties will not disappear easily simply because we decree that they are communal. As the average Indian becomes more well read and literate, he will himself leave the fold, cut the umbilical cord, without any iducement from Mother India and venture forth in the brave new world and go beyond his tribe to find comraderie and a shared system of values.
I am just thinking aloud engaging in dialectic and I am not necessarily disagreeing with the gist of these statments.
Again i am looking for broad principles or those paradigms that have universality in application. I am not sure whether the above qualifies as a broad enoug principle, but thank you K.ram for venturing forth.
OK it is time to hear from the silent majority, the 400 odd members who hardly or never post, Dont be bashful, the worst that coould happen is that your ego takes a beating (something we avoid as much as possible)