a national agenda for education

ization and subordination" or to "createan alternative space from which tofunction ... " (34).The second chapter,"Inside and Outside the Whale",analyzes the ideological trajectory of theIE political novel of the 80's and 90's byoffering different readings of twoimportant writers, George Orwell andSalman Rushdie.

The third chapter, "The Caste of theIndian English Novel" lays bare, asMakarand himself says, the "pseudo-sociology" of the lE novel. He alsoexamines how and with what politico-cultural inputs the lE novel depictscaste. He also makes a caste-profile ofthe leading IE novelists and suggeststhat the IE novel, under various liberalinfluences, is de-brahmanising itself.The next chapter, "Anglo-Indian asIndo-Anglian: Ideology, Politics andCross-Cultural Representation" is about"writing versus being written". Maka-rand's argument is that in the "fictionalterritory that is India, the Indo-Anglianshave gradually edged out the Anglo-Indians-a proposition which is inkeeping with the process of decoloni-zation. This essay also addresses theissue of the authentic representation of

BOOK REVIEW

a culture. Is there a real India? It is moreuseful to highlight the unreal images ofIndia in the IE novel, which, as Maka-rand tells us, exhibits the two syndr-omes, the NRI and the RNI (residentnon-Indians), Thus, he critiques thetextual politics of such writers asRohinton Mistry, Firdaus Kanga,Upamanyu Chatterjee, Salman Rushdie,Anita Desai and Nayantara Sahgal.

All in all, Makarand Paranjapesbook, as I presume, is provocativeenough to elicit sharp reactions frominside and outside the Academy. Itreally goes to his credit that he hasproduced a 'poetics' of the IndianEnglish novel to fill in a long-standingcritical gap. He has made a significantcontribution to the project of construct-ing an alternative, indigenous literarytheory. His book is even more subver-sively critical and radical in approachthan Ganesh Devy's After Amnesia(1992).What is even more surprising isthe fact that while self-consciouslywriting a poetics of Indian Englishnovel,Makarand seems to have prepared thefirst draft of the poetics of the Indiannovel-quite unselfconsciously. Isn'tMakarand in good company of

Premchand who has this to offer on themeaning of literature:

Literature which does not stimulateour good taste, does not satisfy usmorally and spiritually, does not pro-duce in us strength and activity, doesnot awaken our love of beauty-whichdoes not produce in us genuine determ-ination and real strength to overcomedifficulties-is useless for us today. Itdoes not deserve to be called'literature'. (13)

WORKSCITED

Bankim Chandra, Bankim Chandra PratinidhiNibandha, ed A.S. Bhattacharya, New Delhi:National Book Trust, 1995.

T.5. Eliot, "Religion and Literature" in SelectedProse of T.S. Eliot, ed. Frank Kermode,London: Faber and Faber, 1975.

Prem Chand, "The Aim of Literature" inSahitya Ka Uddeshya, Allahabad, 1967.

R.N. Tagore, Creative Unity, Madras,Macrnillan, 1979, First pub. 1992.

M.K. Gandhi, cited in The Diary of MahadevDesai, Ahmedabad, Navjivan, 1932.

Kapil Kapoor, "Theory of the Novel" in IndianResponse to Literary Theories, ed. RS. Pathak,New Delhi: Creative Books, 1996.

SUOHIR KUMARis Reader in English, Panjab University

Chandigarh

A National Agenda For Education

Thebook under review A National agendafor Education is published by TheMother's Institute of Research, PreetVihar, Delhi, which is devoted toeducational research. In response to thefelt need for reforming and revolution-ising education in our country thisinstitute had constituted a few workinggroups under the Chairmanship ofKireetJoshi,compiler of this book. KireetJoshi is an eminent educationist, havinga very bright academic career and a vastexperience of varied nature, especiallyin the field of education. At present heis Honorary president of the DharamHinduja International Centre of IndiaResearch. He is also Hony. Chairman ofthe Value Education Centre, the IndianCouncil of Philosophical Research andof the Auroville Foundation. He is

conversant with the current problems ofeducation and the deficiencies of thepresent system of education because ofhis assignments in the Ministry ofEducation, Govt. of India, and U.G.c.and his close association with SriAurobindo International Institute for

.Educational Research as its founder.KireetJoshi deserves congratulations

and accolades for doing a yeoman's jobin bringing out this book, which canserve as a guide for those who areengaged or might be engaged insuggesting ways and means to improvethe existing (not very satisfactory),conditions in our schools and colleges.

This book contains selected papersprepared by the working groupsreferred to above. These papers air thenational thinking on the necessary

SUMMERHILL: HAS REVIEW 0 21 0 Winter 2000

•••••by Kireet [oshi

Chairman, JCPR, New Delhi

changes to be brought in the presentsystem of education. The topics discus-sed in the book are: The NationalAgenda for Education; Comments onthe National Agenda; Objectives ofEducation and Promotion of Excellence;Primary Education; School Education;Contents of Education for CharacterDevelopment; Higher Education;Higher Education in Humanities andSocial Sciences; and Teacher Education.The appendix dwells on Teaching ofSanskrit. It is a commendable exercisein highlighting the significant aspects ofeducation which need immediateattention of the educationists and thegovernment to make education morebeneficial to the educands and therebyimprove the tone of the Nation.

From time to time, since the British

rulers introduced a regular system ofeducation in this country, need for achange for the better had always beenfelt by the governments in power.History of Education in India is repletewith various reforms as suggested bydifferent high power Education Com-missions before and after Independence.I need not go into the details. The latestis the New Policy of Education 1986,given to the country by the commissionconstituted by the then Prime MinisterRajiv Gandhi. After Independence, aswe know, several systems and schemeswere adopted, implemented and thendiscarded for the reasons best known tothe authorities concerned.

The conditions prevailing in thesystem of education are far fromsatisfactory,notwithstanding all the newand old reforms. The Mother's Instituteof Research has done well in making asincere and effective effort to highlightthe crucial problems, the shortcomings,and flaws in the prevailing educationsystem. An attempt has been made bywriters to pinpoint various aspects ofeducation which need educationists'deliberations for chalking out a specialprogramme to improve and revolution-ise the existing system of education.

The first paper in this publication isentitled "A National Agenda forEducation." In this paper the writerlaments that our education system issuffering from longstanding negligenceand maladies which require drasticsteps to bring about radical and revol-utionary changes. National Agenda foreducation must be conceived andimplemented to enable the youth togrow freely and boldly, imbibing inthemselves the rich heritage of the pastand cultivating the unfailing power ofcharacter and vision to build a brightfuture. It should aim at inculcating thevalues enshrined in the IndianConstitution like secularism, unity ofpeople, work culture, etc. which arenecessary for peace and growth of thenation.

This chapter gives broad outlines ofthe proposed Agenda. Under the head"Basic Foundation of the Agenda", theauthor stresses the need for the follow-ing.

BOOKR=E~V~IE~W _

1. Character Development

To meet the crisis of character in thecountry it is necessary to change theobjectives, contents and metho~s ~feducation. All aspects of ch ild spersonality-physical, intellectual,aesthetical, moral, and spiritual- needto be emphasised.

2. Total Literacy, Universalisation ofElementary Education

As promised in the constitution, thisaspect needs adoption of all effectivemethods to provide accessto all childrenfor primary schooling. Progress shouldbe monitored at block, district, state andnational levels maintaining proper dataof Primary Education expenditure,gender-wise enrolment, attendancerates, drop out rates, student-teacherratio, teaching aids, assessment ofstudent's achievement, teacher's status,etc.

3. National System of EducationNational education must be developedin accordance with its own objectivesand contents of education. Teachers,parents and the students must havelegitimate opportunity to shape theeducational policy with the help ofdedicated educationists. The Stateshould, however, give highest priorityto education and allocate resourcesappropriate for this priority.

4. Reforms of Curricula andExamination System

Reforms of curricula and examinationsystem must be instituted in the light ofthe innovative experiments initiated bythe great nationlist leaders. We shouldbe guided by the progressive ideas beingexperimented upon in different parts ofthe world under the inspiration of thegoals to establish learning society, life-long ed uca tion, learning to lea.rn,learning to do, learning to practise,learning to care, learning to be, andlearning to become.

5. Sovereignty of the Child andthe Youth

It is central to learning that society andpeople should resist all activities whichare likely to adversely affect the


harmonious and integral value-orienteddevelopment of children and youths.

11.Three Immediate Reforms

1. Pre-School Education

The education ofpre-school age childrenis recommended to be essential to makethe universal elementary educationpossible. The significance of earlychildhood in the later development ofattitudes and personality, has come tobe testified by modern psycho-physiol-ogy and close observation. Any formallearning is to be avoided. Childrenshould be encouraged on lines ofcreative joy and healthy psychologicaldevelopment. The State must provideadequate funds to develop kindergar-tens, bulwarks, anganwaris, etc. on alarge scale.

2. Reducation of Load of BooksImmediate steps are needed to remedythe load of curriculum and books on thetender minds of children

3. Care and Education of the Girl Child:Care and education of the girl child isof primary importance to make everywoman in our country well equipped tomake her best contribution in theintegral development of the nation. TheState government should provideadequate infrastructure, facilities andincentives to ensure that all the girlsfrom pre-school age to fourteen yearsare sent to schools and are not a allowedto drop out. They should further beencouraged for higher levels ofschooling, collegiate and universityeducation. Awareness and socialpressure must be applied to persuadeparents to send their girls to school.

Ill. Basic Thrust of the Agenda

Character Development: OverarchingPrinciple

The writers have done well by directingthe attention of the educationists andeducation reformers to a very importantaspect of education, i.e. characterdevelopment. It is aptly proposed thatall programmes of education should

vibrate with an inspiring force toprovide value-orientation to skills,temperament and personality so as tostrengthen courage and wisdom,harmony and unity, honesty andsincerity, perspicacity and efficiency,responsibility and accountability. Greatvalues emphasised in the Constitutionof India-Rights and Duties - shouldform the basic ground, and curriculumshould be so designed as to concretelyrelate these values to the pursuit ofhumanistic studies, science, technology,art and craft.

Education for character developmentis relevant not only at school level, butis also equally significant at higherlevels.

IV. Reiteration of Objectives ofEducation

The three perennial objectives ofeducation are:

(i) Education should aim at encourag-ing every individual to know himself!herself and to relate with the world aseffectively and as harmoniously aspossible;

(ii) Education should transmit thecumulative results of the valuablecultural heritage to the growinggenerations so as to enable them to carryit forward and build the paths of agreater future; and

(iii) Education should encourage ajudicial acceleration of human progress.

Other objectives relevent to our timesare suggested as under:

-Integral Development Of Personality:Total education for the totalhuman personality not only by thelatest trends of holistic thought butalso to unite science withhumanism.

-Environment Care:Improvement inthe quality of life can be possibleby emphasising harmony betweenhuman beings and Nature.

-Science And Technology:The presentcivilisation being science-based, itis imperative to promote theimportance of scientific know-ledge and technology.

-Science And Values: Educationshould provide a special emphasis

BOOK REVIEW

on relation between science andvalues.

-International Understanding AndPeace:Education for internationalunderstanding and peace hascome to be acknowledged as avery important aim of UNESCO.As such education should providefor understanding and respect forall peoples, their cultures,civilisations, values and ways oflife. Education implies commit-ment to the idea and practice of theOne Human Family.

-Infuse in the children the spirit ofnationalism and secularism

Under items V,VI,VII,VIII,IX,XandXI, the writer has included the Role of(i) the Teacher, (ii) the Students, (iii) theParents, (iv) the Educational Adminis-trator, (v) Art in Education (vi) PhysicalEducation, and (vii) National Spirit ofDiscipline.

All the above mentioned items needspecial emphasis because of theirsignificant role in moulding thecharacter and personality of theeducand.

XII. Contents of Education

To enhance "Quality Education" whichpromotes excellence amongst students,both individually and collectively, thewriter suggests the following aspects ofcontents of education.

- What everyone needs to know: Every-one needs to know the mysteryand excellence of the human bodyand how to harmonise demands ofrationality, morality and aestheticrefinement. One also needs tolearn to practice power ofconcentration and noble scienceand art of living. To be a goodstudent or a teacher one needs tolearn how to grow into higher anddeeper reaches of psychic andspiritual being.

-Vocational Education: Vocationaleducation is considered an essen-tial part of character development.It develops personality throughthe acquisition of skills.Vocationaleducation needs to be redesigned


to make it possible for everystudent to have at least two years'training suitable to a chosenvocation prior to any terminalpoint. It is also suggested that thesecourses should be developed rightup to the post-graduate andresearch levels.

-Holistic Vision: Study of subjects inisolation should be discouraged. Aholistic view of knowledge has tobe kept in view in formulatingcurricula and syllabi.

-Need to Update and Prune Curricula:On account of explosion ofknowledge and information it isessential to update the contents ofvarious subjects of study. Out-dated contents need pruning. Itshould be done through a nationalbody of eminent experts in dif-ferent subjects.

- Value Education: It is suggested thatwhile framing curricula valueeducation should receive utmostimportance. A National Academyfor Value Education need to be setup to concentrate on research,training and publishing teaching-learning material on subjectsrelating to value education.

-Indian Culture: It is rightly recom-mended that national educationshould be able to project a true andinspiring account and message ofIndian culture. It is to be given toppriority to safeguard our childrenfrom blindly imitating foreignculture. But it requires adopting arational attitude. We may rejectalien influences with discretion.We have to assimilate, with rightdiscrimination all that is good andbeneficial for ourselves and theworld.

-Need to make Studies interesting andunderstandable: It is regretted thatthe books and learning materialprescribed for studies are uninte-resting and beyond comprehen-sion of even the teachers. Theentire system of textbook produc-tion needs a serious thinking.Capable and experienced expertsshould be engaged to meet thisproblem. Books should be simple,

interesting, written in easilycomprehensible language, andwith the local background.

-Linguistic Competence: The writerpoints out that with our presentlanguage policy, our culturalidentity cannot be retained. There-fore our curricula have to be sodesigned that our students shouldbe able to appreciate original'resources of our culture by study-ing ancient languages like Sanskritand Tamil, and medieval langu-ages like Persian and Arabic.This would mean stirring hornet'snest. I feel, the wise, old ThreeLanguage Formula is the best.

XIII Methods of Education

-Need for Innovative Methods: Ipersonally do not agree with thewriter that methodology of educ-ation has not received much atten-tion since long. I as a teacher ofmethodology for a long period,know that many methods havebeen initiated by foreign educatorsand philosophers and also by somenational leaders and scholars. Butfor unknown reasons even thebest-tried methods like the BasicSystem of Education which wereintroduced with a great fanfarewere discarded after some time.Now let the educationists sit againand suggest some new method-ologies.

-Child-Centred Education: Theeducation methods should besuited to the child's age, interests,and environment. They shouldallow the maximum involvementof the child and use T.V. andAudio-Visual Aids.

Following elements are recommend-ed for the innovative and dynamicmethods of education:a) Child's total involvement in the

process of learning.b) Child should be treated with

sympathy and understanding.c) A great emphasis should be laid

on learning to learn, learning bydoing, and learning bypractising.

BOOK REVIEW

d) Self-study project work, groupdiscussions, community work,library-oriented ed uca tion,activities of adventure, manuallabour, etc. should beemphasised.

-Need for New Learning Material:New Learning Material, appropri-ate to these dynamic methods ofeducation will have to beprepared.

XIV Counselling Services

Our students need to be providedmature and wise counsel to help themin respect of their studies, developmentof their faculties, availability of opport-unities and various choices open to themfor suitable vocations, professions andcareers and information regardingpossible placement. Parents also needguidance in meeting the problems oftheir children connected with freedom,discipline, adolescence, etc. Schoolsmayemploy qualified counsellors. Expertsin various fields and employmentexchange officers may be invited toaddress and interact with the studentsand teachers.

XV Problems of Drug Addictionand AIDS

The menace of the use of drugs amongteenagers and youth needs a stronghandling. Even the scourge of AIDS isspreading in the country. It is therefore,necessary to adopt effective measures tocreate awareness among the studentsabout the misery caused by them.

XVI Examination System

-Change in the present system ofexamination is strongly recom-mended, as it is regarded mindlessmemorisation. Some even suggestthat examination system as suchshould be abolished because ofits many shortcomings. But exper-ience has shown that examinationsor tests cannot be done away with.They are very necessary becausethey serve many purposes. Whatis needed is the change in the

SUMMERHILL: HAS REVIEW a 24 0 Winter 2000

nature of tests, frequency of tests,purpose of tests and developmentof proper attitudes regarding testsamong students and teachers.Tests should be for guidance ofteachers and students.

-Right Use of Tests:Main uses of testsare listed as (a) stimulation; (b)providing opportunities to thestudents to think clearly and toformulate ideas adequately; (c)achieving precision, exactness andmastery of details; (d) arriving ata global view of the subjects orworks in question; (d) self-evaluation; and (f) gaining selfconfidence.

If tests are woven into thelearning process, the nature andfrequency of the tests will dependupon the above-mentionedpurposes.

Continuous evaluation isrecommended to make the testsmore useful and to reduce theburden of examinations.

- Tests for Character Development: Iftests are necessary to evaluateacademic progress and ability,these are equally essential toevaluate students in respect ofessential qualities of character suchas truthfulness, sincerity, cheerful-ness, benevolence, right judge-ment, courage, self-sacrifice, self-confidence, obedience, gratitude,respect, responsibility, cooper-ation, harmony, etc. In respect ofphysical education activities,along with physical fitness,children can be assessed in thedevelopment of valuable qualitiesof team spirit, sportsmanship anddiscipline.

- Tests and Teachers: Of course,teachers have to play a major rolein conducting these tests with agreat sense of responsibility toachieve the desired aims of thesetests.

-Entrance Tests: Recently introducedEntrance Tests for differentcourses are regarded as a neces-sary evil. They cause a hugefinancial burden on the parentsand harassment to students

because of their rapid successionwithin a short time and at differentplaces (of the examining bodies).These have become necessarybecause the major examinationshave come under disrepute andalso because of unequal standardof tests and evaluation.

-National Testing service: To meetthese difficulties and to maintaina uniform standard, tests by the"National Testing Service" havebeen suggested for admission andplacement in employment. Theseshould be open to all who want totake the tests irrespective ofwhether they have a particulardegree or not.

XVII. Higher Education and Research

Higher Education and Research havebeen considered as important as Prim-ary and Secondary education. It isemphasised that higher education has adecisive place of its own. Without highereducation, and that too, of a very highquality we shall suffer from unem-ployed graduates, incompetent teachersand second or third rate professionals.To expand the frontiers of knowledgeresearch can be nourished in our insti-tutions of higher education. As meanin-gful higher education is very expensive,government should make adequateprovision for the same. Private sectorshould be encouraged to promote andcater to higher education. However, itshould not be allowed to be commerc-ialised by the private bodies. Reformssuggested for system of education ingeneral are also meant for HigherEducation.

The 2nd Chapter "On NationalAgenda For Education" contains thehighlights of the very significant itemsfor consideration of the Ministry ofHuman Resource Development tobringabout the necessary improvements inthe present system of education. Hereagain the message of the Agenda, toplace the child and the youth at thecentre stage, is stressed. Quotingthe instructive parable of GurudevRabindranath Tagore of suffocating theparrot to death under the weight of

BOOK REVIEW

learning material in an attempt to trainit, it is emphasised that the child has tobe aided but not to be stuffed; given theatmosphere of fresh air but notimprisoned. The Agenda rightlyemphasises the goal of universalisationof elementary education and theimportance of the girl child.

The Agenda also proposed setting upof a National Commission for Educationwhich could act as People's Commissionand which could create and sustain anational system of education instead ofa variety of State Systems of Education.

The 3rd chapter dilates on"Objectivesof Education and Promotionof Excellence". The writer avers thatpursuit of excellence depends uponthree factors, namely (i) Cultivation ofwill among all to work within their ownlimitations and to surpass them: (ii)Progressive understanding of theprinciples underlying the process of self-exceeding; and (iii) Clearer perceptionof and commitment to the higher goalsof individual and collective welfare. Itis, indeed, a happy sign that we haveawakened after a long slumber ofindifference and educationists are beinginvited to provide the inputs of thoughtsand guidelines in order to bring aboutmuch needed changes in the system ofeducation.

It is stated that Jaques Delor's Report(1996) submitted to UNESCO for theXXI Century "Learning, The TreasureWithin", gives a refined analysis oflearning to be. The report alludes to"Four Pillars of Education" namely,learning to know; learning to do; learn-ing to live together; and learning to be.These pillars elucidate a broad and en-compassing view of learning that wouldgo beyond any instrumental view ofeducation; it emphasises "the develop-ment of the complete person", in short,learning to be. These pillars, if under-stood properly and implementedboldly, can promote excellence at alllevels of education. 'To be' is to be excel-lent and perfect. Learning to learnrequires power of concentration. It alsoimplies learning to do, i.e. learning bypractising. 'Learning to know' meansacquiring knowledge or awareness offacts and their inter-relationship. It is


connected with learning to venture.'Learning to live together' enables oneto discover the spirit of mutuality andsolidarity, i.e. team spirit. 'Learning todo' aims at learning to produce andcreate through the development of skillsand technology.

In chapters 4-9 the author has givenin detail what is to be stressed in respectof the objectives and problems and whatis essential to be done in case of PrimaryEducation, SchoolEducation, Educationfor Character Development, HigherEducation, Higher Education inHumanities and Science, and TeacherEducation. This is in a way reiterationof what is given in chapter 1. Therecommendations made in this chaptercall for special attention and deliber-ations by the National Commission, ifappointed, to recast the plan ofeducation to suit the present conditions.

With regard to the contents of thechapter on "Education for CharacterDevelopment" I may point out that therecommendations made are quitenoteworthy and worth implementation.The writer has taken pains to draw thesyllabus for different school and collegeclasses to inculcate moral virtues amongthe educand and to make educationvalue-oriented.

I do not, however, agree with thewriter recommending in these coursesfor study the extracts from the holyscriptures of different religions. Thesesacred texts contain heterogeneouselements with conflicting ideologies. Itis better and wiser to avoid controver-sies. Moreover some of them allude tosuperstitious causes of certain facts andphenomena in contradiction with whatthe students learn in science classes. Inthis era of scientific development weneed to create in them scientific temper.Today in schools we explain to thestudents the phenomena by referring tothe facts which are interlinked as causeand effect. For example, the creation ofthis world, with four kingdoms, namelyinanimate, vegetable, animal, andhuman. These have come into existenceas a result of the evolutionary processbrought about by the fundamental lawsof Nature. Our very existence dependsupon them. So we have to develop

healthy relations with them by cultiv-ating the virtues of inter-relationshipgratitude, service and respect for therights of all these.

We have also to remind ourselves ofthe duty laid down by our Constitutionunder Pan IV A that every citizen ofIndia has to develop Scientific Temper,Humanism and the Spirit of Enquiry soas to help in building a Socialist,Democratic and Secular Society.

The feeling of unity is attempted bysaying that all religions teach the sameethics and that God is one, but withdifferent names. But it is disappointingto note that all exercises, commonprayers, Sarv Dharm Sammellans, etc.have miserably failed to foster inter-religious harmony to bring NationalIntegration. So Secularism is the onlysolution of the problems of nationalintegration as well as to check com-munal conflicts. Secularism does not

BOOK REVIEW

mean lack of religious attitude. It isdefined as equal respect for all faiths andcultivation of religious tolerance andharmony.

A secular institution is required to becommitted to humanistic ethics andhumanistic religion. I know somesecular institutions where moraleducation consists in developing amongstudents feelings of gratitude, respect,affection and serviceableness to parents,brothers and sisters, community,country, mankind, the innocent animalsand birds, flora and fauna and naturalobjectsofbeauty in the world. Songsandprayers in these schools aim at thecultivation of sweetness and under-standing in all relationships. These arefree from any theology whatsoever.Hence these can be adopted by thefollowers of all faiths. The prayer is toevoke and strengthen our better self.Theprayer songs are dedicated to refining

our relations with all the four Kingdoms.I conclude that Value Education for

Secular Society should consist of cultiv-ating in children ScientificTemper andhumanistic values, both at person-to-person level and at institutional level.

Appendix emphasises the need ofencouraging the teaching of Sanskrit asrecommended by the National LevelCommittee. I feel that we should notrecommend the inclusion of Sanskrit inthe Curriculum as a compulsory subject.But we can make an effort torecommend it as a useful language forthe study of our rich heritage.

AMARNATHFormer Principal,

Dev Samaj College of Education ForWomen,

Ferozepur City.

The Cartesian Mind: Reflections on Languageand Music

DESCARTES'NEW MINDGenuine inquiries seem to have dis-appeared from the academic philos-ophical scene. The space is almostoccupied by dogmatic preaching underthe thick cloud of obscurantism. Agenuine attempt at a fruitful, thoughcontroversial, inquiry is as refreshingas a good shower after a prolongeddrought. The Cartesian Mind: Reflectionson Language and Music by Prof.Nirmalangshu Mukherjee is anexploration first and reflection later. Inthis sense, it is an extremely refreshingmonograph. Moreover, any thoroughinquiry into the nature and function oflanguage is intrinsically a self-exploration. The Indian thinkers of theclassical era had rightly realised theimportance of language study.Consequently, the study of languageassumed the greatest significance in theancient intellectual tradition. We findBhartrhari expressing the view in hisMagnum Opus, Vakyapadrya: "In the

world this [grammar] is the first rung ofthe ladder towards moksa:

Yathiirthajiitayah sarvah sabdakrtini-bandhaniih /Tathaiva loke uiduanam esa vidyiiparauanamt, /

15/ /1/ /Or,

It (grammar) is the straight RoyalRoad for those desirous of (reach-ing) the goal:

l damiiduam pudasthiin am eiddhi-sopanaparvanam/Iyam sa moksamananamjihma riiia-paddhatih//

16/ /1/ /It is quite true that the discussion on lan-guage in the West has taken a self-ex-ploratory turn only after Chomsky. Ear-lier, though grammar used to be an es-sential component of academic learningin the Greeko-Roman tradition, it wasgreatly motivated by the pedagogic in-


•• by Nirmalangshu Mukherjee,• Indian Institute of Advanced Studiy, Shimia,•• 2000.• pp. 129 + vii, Price: Rs. 200

•terest - how to teach the silver tongue(the language of the colonisers) to thebarbarians (the colonised). In this re-gard, if one finds the study of languageas a means to explore the self (atman =at + vana, literally meaning that whichmoves, or grows and which is not anentity imprisoned in a body but an ever-growing enterprise), then it is a welcomeexercise even if the inspiration comesfrom the West in the form of Chomsky.

Coming back to The Cartesian Mind,the book is divided into four chapters,mostly for the sake of convenience.Otherwise it is quite apparent that thereis a continuous attempt to reach towardsthe concluding remarks, which are at thevery beginning stated: "Various things,mentioned above, seem to fall in placeat once. The computational system,under further abstraction, extends toother domains of discrete infinity, The'perfection' of this (general) computa-tional system leads to its 'biologicalisolation' and, hence, to the Cartesian

a national agenda for education

Documents