Remembering Nehru: Children are India’s future!

Posted on November 14, 2009
Filed Under Blogging, General, India | 5 Comments

Today, Sept. 14, is Children’s Day in India. Although across the world, it is on a different date, India observes it today to mark the birthday of India’s first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who madly loved children.

Reading how schools are celebrating this event, I am reminded of my childhood, the sweet memories I had in my school. We used to have sports competitions covered by stalls of ice creams, candies..etc. No parents, teachers object to their children eating any amount of ice creams :D I just miss them. I wished I never grew old, being young is the best thing in life. You are tension-free with the feeling of someone besides you, loving and caring! One of my three wishes to Genie would be to take me back to those days :D .

I deeply respect Nehru for his love for children and his vision that “they are our future”. During my conversations with foreigners visiting India, I observe most of them have terrible complaints to share. Your country is filthy, your people are rude, your people are poor, uneducated, rogues, etc,etc. The saddest part is when our own Indians travel abroad and later make rabid comments against India on their return. I had this friend, whom I helped financially to complete his studies due to his poor background. My parents had him join one of the best missionary schools that agreed to register him for free. Now, after couple of years, I got a chance to meet him last month. He was totally changed. He was living in abroad for over 8 years and has made enough money for his next three generations. He keeps flaunting his iphone (BTW my 4-yr-old unadorned phone worked better ;-) ), boasting his company designation and his yearly income. Gosh! Could not digest. What was more pathetic was his comments on his own country. “When will this country change? So slow in developing and everywhere there is poverty. Sluggish authorities in a sluggish land. I am returning to US next week, cant bear!”

I really felt painful hearing them. I meet another foreigner from the Communist land, and I share: “I am proud that we Indians accepted Democracy and are apparently the largest democratic country in the world.” He immediately hit back: “What is the use of being a democratic country, claiming to be multi cultural and plural while your country lacks good infrastructure, etc. We don’t follow democracy, but our country has clean roads, rich communities, and tall skyscrapers.” Although I was little dejected inside unable to defend in any ways my country, I had this deep joy inside of me thinking of the future – the next Indian generation, our children.

Pick me if you can!

Pick me if you can! (click to enlarge)

Children of India, the current generation, are extremely talented, knowledgeable, mature and educated. Every time I visit a school, and watch them talking fluent English and trying to debate on international issues, it makes my heart very proud. They are really our tomorrow. No wonder Obama before pushing a $4.35 billion grant programme to encourage American schools, said, “you students have to take on folks in Bangalore and Beijing”. I was extremely happy my city popped out there. Children in India are the future of tomorrow’s vibrant nation. This was what Nehru strongly believed. Although now the political system in India is corrupt, with most of those big shots being illiterate and immature, this wont continue the same in next 10 or 20 years. You will see the smartest brains coming from India. Let this country be accused of anything, I dont care, but there is no room for you to accuse our tomorrow. Because, the fervent, spirited, animated, mature Indians are slowly-and-silently growing in schools. The outside world is completely unaware of our Nuclear Bombs ;-) Another point to add would be: They are so unlike our chauvinist-minded Hindutva extremists claiming the superiority of Hinduism over others in India. I am happy Christian schools in India teach them how to respect and be secular-minded. Our children cannot be brainwashed by those extremist views. They patently understand that India is made up of many religions, many groups, many communities. That makes India proud before others!

Education has given India a future. Nehru was a passionate advocate of education for India’s children and youth, believing it essential for India’s future progress. His government oversaw the establishment of many institutions of higher learning, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institutes of Management. Nehru also outlined a commitment in his five-year plans to guarantee free and compulsory primary education to all of India’s children. For this purpose, Nehru oversaw the creation of mass village enrollment programmes and the construction of thousands of schools. Nehru also launched initiatives such as the provision of free milk and meals to children in order to fight malnutrition. Adult education centers, vocational and technical schools were also organised for adults, especially in the rural areas. Great man, isn’t he?

By the way I was greatly anticipating the Nehru – Edwina Mountbatten’s ‘Indian Summer’. The Indian government wanted to make less of the love story while the Universal studio, the producer wanted to make more of the love story. The project got finally cancelled :(

Have to take leave. Something yummy on the stove, have to add some garam masala before it burns. Take care. Adios ~ SAM

Comments

5 Responses to “Remembering Nehru: Children are India’s future!”

  1. VaidyaS on November 15th, 2009 8:16 am

    macha dont forget I am there in the picture. So easy to pick you. The chubby face in the second row. HA HA. And your first crush is right standing below you ;-) I really miss that Anglo-Indian teacher, she was awesome. We should have a get together soon, what say?

  2. Will on November 16th, 2009 1:29 pm

    To be honest I’m not too disappointed that Indian Summer has been scrapped. I’d much rather see something historical and dramatic rather than the dodgy business of the private life of Lady Mountbatten and Nehru.

    I’d rather watch “Gandhi” with Sir Ben Kingsley any day. I also liked “Northwest Frontier” and “Passage to India” – although “Northwest Frontier” is not a true story – but it’s good fun.

    That’s the extent of my viewing of films on India – if you know any more I’d love to know.

  3. Vishal on November 17th, 2009 5:40 am

    I have never seen Northwest Frontier and Passage to India. Is it good? trying on youtube. Even I was waiting for the Indian Summber. Generally Indians like romantic movies a lot. Most of the Bollywood flicks are on that line that is why it is so popular in India.

    Sam dont be discouraged by your friend’s comments. Not all people who go abroad are so. I live in a different corner of the world. Even though this seems comfortable, I miss India. The peace I get there, I will never ever get in any developed nation. I might resign after 2010 and return to India.

  4. Will on November 17th, 2009 1:00 pm

    Northwest Frontier is quite old, from the 1950′s or 60′s. It’s set in 1907 or something and basically its a fictional story about a Muslim rebellion in the Northwest Frontier. The rebels kill the local Hindu Rajah but they fail to kill his son who would inherit his father’s position.

    The son (who is about 5 years old by the way) is protect in some fort by the British – but the fort is surrounded by the rebels. To escape a British officer takes the boy on an old train with some other people to escape to another city. On the way they face all kinds of difficulties and rebel attacks. The star of the show though is the Indian train driver Mr Gupta who seems very uneducated but is actually played brilliantly by I.S. Johar who I heard was a famous Indian film director. It’s a bit pro-British so maybe its not as much fun for proper Indians – but still I like it.

    Passage to India is different. It’s ages since I saw it so I can’t remember in detail but basically it involves one Indian man who is accused of rape against a high class white woman (he did not do it she just got stressed by the heat of India or something). It’s set during the Independence struggle so I think some Congress lawyers came to help him out. I think it looks at the relationship and attitudes between Indians and British in those days – but it was a long time since I saw it so I could be completely wrong.

    Given the choice I would rather watch Gandhi or Northwest Frontier.

  5. Indianiser on November 17th, 2009 2:41 pm

    Sounds interesting. Must watch them in youtube. Thanks for recommending.

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