Education,
Isn't it so easy to get???
Ever wonder??
What were the struggles,
behind the education we get???
What was the history of education??
Was it really easy,
to get the education???
why we haven't been taught the reality?
why we haven't been taught the whole truth??
Though being the land of Nalanda, Takshashila,
Though being the land of Buddha,
Education was denied to the women,
Education was denied to shudras and atishudras...
They were punished,
They were discriminated,
With no education,
They were just puppets
or were nothing,
they had no existence
in the so called system.
Britishers invaded,
Things changed quiet a little,
They too were problematic,
But they brought the missionaries.
There was still no space,
for women, shudra, atishudras in our own system,
Yet the missionaries were welcoming,
Jyotiba got educated,
through one of the missionaries,
He himself taught Sau, and skilled her in teaching .
Sau just being 17 years old,
she started the first school,
first for the girls,
then for shudras and atishudras too,
We had our first own school,
For the women,
For the downtrodden,
For the deprived.
Schools after schools,
then hostels too,
free education
to women, shudras, atishudras
was their mission,
was their life.
Their spark, their energy,
was pushed down,
was suppressed by the upper castes,
by the brahmins,
Imagine, if they had stopped
What would today's society be like??
They sparked the revolution,
Which was continued by Shahu, Ambedkar and many,
They are the reason
Why not just women,
But shudras, atishudras
Had the freedom to get education,
in the society.
Jyotiba was the lamp, he was the guide
Sau was the light, the teacher
So does Fatima with them, as associate teacher
They enlightened the darkest skies.
We have forgotten their power,
We have forgotten their mission,
We have failed to realize,
They are the pioneer,
Pioneers of the education.
To the fair education system.
The Pioneers of Education
What importance do you feel about Sau, Jyotiba and Fatima?? Just merely social reformers?? Their contribution to the society is far much greater if we really understand the struggles they had to face in their daily life. Are you even a little thankful?? Should only girls/women be thankful??
I want to highlight few important things, which we miss to realize. Yes, Savitri Bai is the first teacher, she started the first school for girls, but she also taught the first batch of shudras and atishudras. Haven't we labelled her just the teacher for girls because she is a woman??? Haven't we ignored the reality that shudras, atishudras too had no right to get educated??Savitri Bai was the first woman who took the initiative to teach all of them. 70% of Indian society had no right, Savitri Bai, Jyotiba, Fatima their struggles took the first step, they were the light, they were the pioneers of education. Today not just women but Sc, St, Obc too owe the respect to the pioneers of education.
I remember, when few years back I used to think why S. Radhakrishnan's birth anniversary is celebrated as Teacher's day, what I found out was shocking. His birthday isn't celebrated as teacher's day because of his contribution to the society...
When he became the President of India, some of his students and friends requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday, 5 September.
He replied, 'Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if 5 September is observed as Teachers' Day.'
His birthday has since been celebrated as Teachers' Day in India.
We celebrate teacher's day on 5th September because he wanted to, it was his desire, not because of his contributions to the society. On other hand the pioneer of education in our society are just celebrated by the bahujan's (SC, ST, OBC) for the namesake.
The bahujans are divided too, everyone has their love and respect for SavitriBai, some celebrate it as Teahcer's Day, some as Education day. It really doesn't matter what name you give to the celebration, what matters is how you give them respect, how you thank them, how you show gratitude towards what you own now, who you are today.
Learn to question, learn to find the truth out, learn to accept their struggles, learn to be thankful, celebrate them but not for the namesake, celebrate for yourself.
Remembering The Pioneers of Education on Savitri Bai's 191 birth anniversary.
Thank You for reading.
Also read Bhidewada: The first school of Girls which was started by Savirti Bai on 1st January 1848 at the age on 17. (click the title)